04/03/2025
Decrying the dangers Besides covering state/church issues in Kentucky, Wisconsin and Arizona, most of the news is out of Oklahoma, including the fact that Oklahoma's Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is suing FFRF for allegedly interfering in the right of his office to promote religion in the public scho
03/27/2025
The Privateers After a roundup of state/church news around the country, we celebrate the birthday of Eric Idle, 82, (who calls himself an "old agnostic") by listening to his irreverent song, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life," from the movie "Monty Python's Life of Brian." Then, professor and author Josh Cow
03/20/2025
eXvangelical Journey After reporting state-church news at the federal level, as well as in Massachusetts, Texas and Missouri, we hear riveting testimony from Georgia state Rep. Karen Lupton opposing a hateful Christian-nationalist anti-trans bill in that state. Then, former evangelical preacher Rob Haskell, author of Go
03/13/2025
Religion vs. Equality We report on the threats and actual harm of Christian nationalism to the country, to the Department of Education and to Oklahoma, Kentucky, Texas, New Mexico and Wisconsin. After hearing the Yip Harburg song "One Sweet Morning," yearning for the end of winter and the end of war, we speak with attorn
03/06/2025
Final Exit This week, we track a tsunami of (mostly bad) bills in Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Iowa, West Virginia and North Dakota. After hearing sneak previews of some of FFRF's other shows — "Ask an Atheist," "Freethought Matters" and "We Dissent" — we talk with Brian Ruder, president of the board of the Fin
02/27/2025
Morbidity and Mortality We celebrate the fact that Pew reports 43 percent of young adults are nonreligious, and that overall the "Nones" (nonreligious) are larger than any religious denomination. Mandisa Thomas, founder and president of Black Nonbelievers, tells us about the upcoming Revival of Reason conference in Atlanta
02/20/2025
Survivors Network After discussing some of Trump's religiously motivated executive orders and appointments, we focus on some of the bad bills in the states, including Oklahoma, Idaho, Alabama, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin. Then we speak with David Clohessy, a survivor of childhood sexual
02/13/2025
Goodbye Religion 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
02/06/2025
Breaking the Shackles The first half of our show this week deals with the many Christian nationalist executive orders and actions of the Trump administration. We hear part of the "Stop Project 2025" rally in Madison, Wis. Then, we listen to Black/Latino atheist actor Jon Huertas, best known for playing Miguel Rivas in NB
01/30/2025
Making Good Trouble We cover a range of state/church news on the federal and state levels. We announce FFRF's Scopes Trial Centennial celebration to be held in Tennessee in July. After hearing the irreverent Monty Python song, "Every Sperm is Sacred," we memorialize the life of former Planned Parenthood President Cecil
01/23/2025
God's Work This week we comment on the overtly religious nature of President Trump's inaugural "Christian Coronation," including invocations and benedictions claiming we are "one nation under God." Then, we speak with journalist Gareth Gore about his book on the Opus Dei called OPUS: The Cult of Dark Money, Hu
01/16/2025
From Religion to Reason Most of the news on this week's show centers on Trump's nominations, many of whom are blatant Christian nationalists. FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence describes our newest lawsuit, just filed this week, challenging unconstitutional tax exemption for religiously owned commercial rental properties i
01/09/2025
Heretic We celebrate the release from prison of Nigerian humanist Mubarak Bala who was convicted of the "crime" of blasphemy. FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover updates us on our lawsuit challenging the law requiring the posting of the Ten Commandments in Louisiana public schools. Then, we hear some
01/02/2025
The Long Reach of Religion We listen to Seth Andrews, host of “The Thinking Atheist” podcast, read Dan Barker's article “The Top 10 Absolute Worst Old Testament Verses.” Then, we hear Washington Post columnist Kate Cohen's entertaining and thought-provoking speech at FFRF's 2024 convention called “Tampon Tim and the Long Reac
12/26/2024
For Auld Lang Syne After reporting on state/church news in Iowa, California, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Texas and Washington state, we listen to jazz vocalist Susan Hofer sing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" accompanied by Dan Barker on the piano. Then, we hear Brandon Wolf, a sur
12/19/2024
Happy Winter Solstice The Winter Solstice (December 21 this year) is the real reason for the season. We celebrate this festive time of year with music and freethought humor, including songs and performances by Kristin Lems, Dan Barker, Tim Minchin, Roy Zimmerman, Irving Berlin, Trey Parker, Tom Lehrer, the London Humanis
12/12/2024
Violence and the Bible After covering state/church news in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, West Virginia and Minnesota, we celebrate "Bill of Rights Day" (Dec. 15) by hearing Dan Barker's song "The Battle of Church and State." Then, we speak with renowned biblical scholar John J. Collins of Yale Divinity School about his
12/05/2024
Kingdom Coming After criticizing some of Trump's Christian-nationalist departmental and cabinet picks, we speak with FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell about this week's oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case dealing with Tennessee's law (based on religious doctrine) banning medical care for tra
11/27/2024
Into the Unknown This Thanksgiving, we give thanks not to a deity, but to real people. After reporting state/church news and victories, we hear Tahira Clayton and the Godless Gospel group perform Dan Barker's song "Let's All Give Thanks." Then, we talk about the "fine-tuning" argument with astronomer Kelsey Johnson,
11/22/2024
Feminism and Religion We talk about Trump's cabinet picks and report on state/church news around the country. FFRF's Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover joins us to talk about our recent complaint over Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters pushing religion in public schools. Then, we hear Annie Laurie Gaylor
11/14/2024
The Growing Threat of Christian Nationalism As we prepare for President-elect Donald Trump's second term, we hear a speech from Bradley Onishi, author of Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism -- And What Comes Next, about the growing threat of Christian nationalism.
11/07/2024
Lessons in Chemistry After the election results, FFRF is determined to keep fighting. We hear the song "Keep Marching On" from the Broadway musical "Suffs." Then, Bonnie Garmus, author of the award-winning best-selling feminist/freethought novel Lessons in Chemistry, tells the charming and funny story about how she lost
10/31/2024
Keep Freedom Alive It's a scary show this week. We report on our Denver billboard saying: "Keep Freedom Alive: Stop Project 2025." Dan Barker talks about his trip to Nigeria to visit humanists and freethinkers combating superstition in that country. Annie Laurie Gaylor describes the danger to women's rights in the cur
10/24/2024
Dangers of Religious Nationalism After we report on state/church news and victories in Florida, California and North Carolina, FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott describes FFRF's new lawsuit challenging proposed bible distribution in Oklahoma public schools. Then we hear author and journalist Katherine Stewart, accepting FFRF's "F