Freethought Radio

Breaking (and taking down) the Ten Commandments! Hear about FFRF's victory in Kentucky schools that are now removing the Ten Commandments after complaints from students and FFRF attorneys. Then we talk with Australian singer/songwriter Shelley Segal -- the new poster girl for the international atheism movement -- and play some of the songs from her CD, An Atheist Album.

This week we celebrate the April 13 birthdays of two great freethinkers: Christopher Hitchens and Thomas Jefferson. Listen to a hilarious excerpt of Hitchens' 2007 talk to the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Then hear Dawn Brittain talk about her efforts to defend Jefferson's wall of separation between church and state, by trying to remove a cross from a war memorial in Coos Bay, Oregon. Bonus music: "Thank You, God," by Tim Minchin.

This week we celebrate FFRF's victory in Jackson, Ohio. The Jesus painting in the high school was taken down! We also celebrate the April 8 birthday of Yip Harburg, the famous nonbelieving lyricist ("Over the Rainbow," "April in Paris," "Paper Moon"), by catching up with his son Ernie, who tells us that his Dad's socially minded legacy continues through the activities of the Yip Harburg Foundation.

“Leave No Stone Unturned.” This Easter weekend, we deconstruct the biblical resurrection stories, uncovering many contradictions, asking listeners to take FFRF’s “Easter Challenge.” We also discuss gay marriage, religious abortion laws, an FFRF complaint over a Christian cross on a war memorial in Coos Bay, Oregon, and hear FFRF dissed on the O'Reilley Show.

It's bad news for the Good News Club. Listen to excerpts of the speech given before FFRF's October 2012 convention in Portland, Oregon, by Katherine Stewart, journalist and author of The Good News Club: The Christian Right's Stealth Assault on America's Children. Also hear "One Sweet Morning," a peace anthem heralding the spring, lyrics by nontheistic songwriter Yip Harburg.

In honor of the 65th anniversary of the historic McCollum v. Board of Education victory before the Supreme Court (March 8, 1948), we interview Jim McCollum, who was the young boy in that case challenging religious instruction in the public schools. We also listen to Dan Barker's rousing freethought song, "The Battle of Church and State."

Bible verses on middle-school baseball caps, now removed; action alert to protest federal money for churches to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy.  Our guest on this week's show is Jenna Miscavige Hill, author of Beyond Belief: My Secret Life Inside Scientology and My Harrowing Escape. Ms. Hill, the niece of Scientology's leader David Miscavige, tells her heartbreaking story of child labor, split families, mind control, and how she found the courage to run away from it all.

Hasa Diga Eebowai! An atheist songwriter tells us why we should "Not Be Mad At God." FFRF attorney Patrick updates us on government prayer controversies, as well as a victory stopping church discounts at Milwaukee's Mexican Fiesta. Then we speak with Gretta Vosper, a pastor in the United Church of Canada who is now a nonbeliever and author of the bestselling book, With Or Without God: Why the way we live is more important than what we believe.

"We are all star stuff." After discussing FFRF legal complaints in South Dakota and Arkansas, we take up on Carl Sagan's famous words by talking with paleontologist Neil Shubin, discoverer of Tiktaalik and author of the bestselling Your Inner Fish, whose newest book is The Universe Within: Discovering the Common History of Rocks, Planets, and People.

We've got to fight the battle of church and state. This week we have FFRF attorneys Rebecca Markert and Patrick Elliott in studio to discuss current legal complaints--city prayers in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Onalaska, Wisconsin (a victory), pastors roaming the schools in Conway, Arkansas, proselytizing football coaches in North Carolina--and our newest lawsuit over a Jesus painting on the walls of an Ohio Middle School.

Happy Birthday Darwin! We celebrate Charles Darwin's 204th birthday on February 12, then we ask "Why, BSA" are you discriminating against atheists and gays? We announce FFRF's newest lawsuit in Ohio, then talk with David Williamson, organizer of Central Florida Freethought Community (an FFRF chapter) about how they are countering bible distribution in public schools with atheist literature in the same schools.

The Boy Scouts may be considering allowing gays, but they still deserve a Badge of Dishonor for excluding atheists. Annie Laurie and Dan discuss FFRF's Action Alert about the Boy Scouts, complaints about religion in schools, vouchers for religious schools and patriarchal religious attitudes toward women. Then, to celebrate Darwin's upcoming birthday, they interview biology professor Jerry Coyne, author of Why Evolution Is True.

There was a whole lot of "godding" going on at Obama's 2nd inaugural. Dan and Annie Laurie analyze the plusses and minuses of the event. Then we interview Zach Kopplin, a 19-year-old activist college student from Louisiana who is trying to repeal that state's creationism law.

A NY high-school science teacher pushing Christianity in the classroom, and a large portrait of Jesus in an Ohio middle school--these are some of FFRF's state-church complaints we discuss this week. Then we talk with freethinking feminist author and activist Robin Morgan, who is host of the new CBS radio show Women's Media Center Live.

Atheist activism among the youth. This week listen to high-school students Max Nielson and Jessica Ahlquist talk about the challenges of coming out as a young nonbelieving activist in predominantly Christian communities.

The past holiday season was not a time of "goodwill for all." This week we talk with Justin Vacula about the vandalizing of FFRF's Winter Solstice sign that was put up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, one of 5 FFRF signs (out of 12) around the country that were stolen or defaced. And then, on a more hopeful note, we interview Ed and Michael Buckner, co-authors of the new book, In Freedom We Trust: An Atheist Guide To Religious Liberty.

Happy Unholy New Year! Out with the old orthodoxies, in with a new year of freethought! This week's show is a relaxing sneak preview of FFRF's new musical CD, Adrift On A Star, including debuts of new songs by Dan Barker and friends. We end with Scottish singer Jim Malcolm's touching version of "Auld Lang Syne."

Hear of recent nativity scene violation victories, FFRF solstice signs in numerous cities. Listen to Dan's version of "Merry Frickin' Christmas," seasonal songs by Tom Lehrer and Roy Zimmerman, as well as the debut of Dan's new song "Unfaithful," from FFRF's new CD, Adrift On A Star.

Heathens' Greetings. It's the most unconstitutional time of year. Atheist bus signs go up in Alaska. We talk with Marie Schaub, an atheist and a mother in a small Pennsylvania community. She's also a brave plaintiff in a hot-button lawsuit involving a Ten Commandments monument at a public high school.

"Get Off Your Knees And Get To Work," a new song by Dan Barker, is debuted this week, especially in response to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback calling for a "Day of Repentance." Listen to some brave Florida commissioners objecting to prayer, and hear an NPR interview of FFRF member William Cox objecting to the Jesus statue in the Montana federal park. Then we talk with Susan Jacoby who has a new book out about Robert Ingersoll: The Great Agnostic.