Podcast appearances and mentions of Ryan T Cragun

We announce the first atheist billboard in Africa! We report on a tsunami of Christian nationalist bills and executive orders at the federal and state levels, including Texas, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Iowa and Tennessee. In honor of Valentine's Day, we hear Dan Barker's secular love song "It's Only Natural." Then sociology Professor Ryan T. Cragun, author of Goodbye Religion: The Causes and Consequences of Secularization, shows us, with data, that religious people are not happier, healthier or more moral than nonreligious people.

Is religion dying in America? In this episode, we sit down with Ryan T. Cragun and Jesse M. Smith, authors of Goodbye Religion: The Causes and Consequences of Secularization. This groundbreaking book examines the surge in people leaving organized religion and its profound impact on American culture and society. Drawing on extensive data and over a hundred in-depth interviews, Cragun and Smith delve into the social, psychological, and environmental factors behind religious exit. They also address the misconceptions surrounding secularization, revealing that leaving religion is not the crisis it's often portrayed to be. Instead, they show how nonreligious individuals remain socially engaged and committed to making a positive impact in their communities. Show Notes YouTube Mormon Stories Thanks Our Generous Donors! Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: YouTube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us:MormonStories@gmail.comPO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories TikTok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

Interiew with Ryan T Cragun and Jesse M Smith.  We discuss their new book - Goodbye Religion: The Causes and Consequences of Secularization.Also,The Polaris Plan Part 4FFRF Conference review CSIcon in VegasFriends of the Show meetup

Interview with Ryan T Cragun. We talk about his new book, "Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society"Investing Skeptically: Morningstart's 5 star ranking system for mutual funds. Can this help you get the best funds?

Encore release September 17, 2018. Encore release Jun 10, 2017. We interview Ryan T. Cragun, coauthor (with Rick Phillips) of Could I Vote for a Mormon for President? An Election-Year Guide to Mitt Romney's Religion (available in paperback or for Kindle). We also spoke to Ryan in Podcast 153 "Subsidizing Religion." For more about Ryan visit ryantcragun.com.

Encore release September 9, 2018. Encore release June 2, 2017. We interview Dr. Ryan T. Cragun, lead author of the study "How Secular Humanists (and Everyone Else) Subsidizes Religion in the United States," published in the June/July 2012 issue of Free Inquiry. Cragun is also the co-author of the upcoming book Could I Vote for a Mormon for President? An Election Year Guide to Mitt Romney's Religion (paperback). Also...Not to be outdone by North Carolina, Indiana has now taken up the banner of bigotry against gay rights. This time it's the Apostolic Truth Tabernacle in Greensburg, Indiana, who offered up wild applause when a toddler got up to sing "Ain't No Homos Gonna Make It to Heaven." How very Christian of them.  Finally...It looks like President Obama's vocal support for gay rights is making an impact. One recent survey shows 54% of the American public support same-sex marriage, while another survey shows a sharp increase in approval within the black community.  ANNOUNCEMENTS If you're in Atlanta Sunday, Jun 10th, come to the Atlanta Freethought Hall to hear Gina Colianni, outgoing president of Kennesaw State University's Student Coalition for Inquiry. She'll be speaking on "The Ins and Outs of Being a Student Secular Leader." CONTACT Visit our blog at AmericanFreethought.com. Visit the podcast at AmericanFreethought.LibSyn.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes feed. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to sniderishere@gmail.com. We promise not to spend it on beer. June 9, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

In this episode, Bo Bennett and Kim Ellington speak with Associate Professor of Sociology Ryan T. Cragun about the sociology of religion. Are religious people more generous than the non-religious? Smarter? Better looking? (Actually, we don't ask that last one) Ryan T. Cragun is a husband, father, and sociologist of religion (in order of importance). Originally from Utah, he now lives in Florida and works at the University of Tampa. His research and writing focuses on religion, with an emphasis on Mormonism and the nonreligious. His research has been published in a variety of academic journals, including: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociology of Religion, Nova Religio, Journal of Religion and Health, and Journal of Contemporary Religion. When he's not working, he's spending time with his wife and son, watching science fiction, hiking, playing soccer, or tinkering with FOSS, Gnu/Linux, or computer hardware. Cragun is the author of two books: What You Don't Know About Religion (but Should) (2013), and How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps: A Toolkit for Secular Activists (2015).

After dissecting religion in politics (Fiorina: "people of faith make better leaders”) and reporting FFRF state/church victories in Minnesota and Indiana, we hear Etta James sing Randy Newman’s irreverent “God’s Song.” Then sociologist and author Ryan T. Cragun explains his new book: How To Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps.

Dr. Ryan T. Cragun is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa and the author of books including What You Don’t Know About Religion (but Should). His latest is called How to Defeat Religion in 10 Easy Steps. We spoke with Dr. Cragun about whether religious fervor is cyclical or fading, why religious holidays should become secular, and the surprising thing churches can do to stop the shifting trend away from religion.