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Religion & Spirituality

Freethought Radio

Freedom From Religion Foundation

A weekly show, broadcast live from Madison, Wis., on 92.1 FM, Saturdays 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-presidents, Freedom From Religion Foundation. Slightly irreverent views, news, music and interviews.

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  • 1,059 episodes
  • Updated Thursday

Episodes1059

Newest first
  • Feb 20, 2010 · 36 min

    Guest: Norm Allen

    A lively show dedicated to the contributions of African-American freethinkers during Black History Month will include an interview with Norm Allen, editor of "African-American Humanism: An Anthology," and will feature music and movie clips.

  • Feb 14, 2010 · 42 min

    GUEST: CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS

    TOPIC: WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS AND A STAMP HONORING MOTHER TERESAJournalist Christopher Hitchens, author of "God Is Not Great" and an expose on Mother Teresa, "The Missionary Position," gives a sneak preview of his April Vanity Fair article about the Ten Commandments, and talks about the controversy over the Mother Teresa stamp, among other topical issues. The hosts also parse Pres. Obama's speech before the National Prayer Breakfast.

  • Jan 30, 2010 · 47 min

    GUEST: JERRY COYNE, AUTHOR, WHY EVOLUTION IS TRUE

    Nonbelief relief for Haiti and the biblical roots of Islamist brutality toward rape victims will be discussed. Guest Jerry Coyne is professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago, where he speciallizes in evolutionary genetics. His new book, Why Evolution is True, has been much praised by Richard Dawkins, next week's guest!

  • Jan 25, 2010 · 37 min

    Guests: Mikey Weinstein, Military Religious Freedom Foundation and MacArthur Fellow Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

    Saturday's program features interviews with Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation over "Jesus rifles" and with freethinking novelist and MacArthur Fellow Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, whose new book, Thirty-Six Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction, was just released (and was reviewed yesterday in The New York Times). Goldstein is married to evolutionary psychologist Steven Pinker, who serves on the Foundation's new honorary board.

  • Jan 16, 2010 · 37 min

    GUEST: DANIEL C. DENNETT TOPIC: RELIGON SHOULDN'T BE PROTECTED CLASS

    This weekend's show will comment on the Rev. Pat Robertson's remarks on Haiti and look other imprecatory prayer. The special guest: Philosophy's best and "Brightest": Daniel C. Dennett of Tuft University, author of the bestseller about religion, "Breaking the Spell."

  • Jan 9, 2010 · 37 min

    Guest: Dann Glenn

    Tune in for "the ABCs of atheism," a look at the threat posed by the bible and bible-toting evangelists to Uganda gays, and an interview with Dann Glenn, internationally known jazz musician and nonbeliever.

  • Jan 2, 2010 · 41 min

    Guests: Ruth Hurmence Green, Born Again Skeptic Michael Gordon, IRS Tax Attorney on Unfair Parish Exemption

    Tune in for a special broadcast of the pith and wisdom of Ruth Hurmence Green (born in January), author of The Born Again Skeptic's Guide to the Bible—an interview taken 30 years ago about what's wrong with the bible, and an interview of Michael Gordon, a retired IRS attorney, who will tell us how the parish exemption works, and how the IRS law preferentially permits "ministers of the gospel" to exclude housing costs from taxable income.

  • Dec 26, 2009 · 38 min

    Guest: Cecil Bothwell. An atheist In Office in State that Bars Atheists in Office!

    After discussing lots of timely news and FFRF activism attracting media around the nation, the Foundation interviewed Asheville, N.C.'s first atheist city council member, Cecil Bothwell, who attracted international attention when he won office there, despite a prohibition against atheists running for public office in that state. An investigative reporter, Bothwell is author of the only critical biography of Billy Graham, The Prince of War.

  • Dec 19, 2009 · 37 min

    GUEST: LYNN LANE

    TOPIC: THE UNCHRISTMAS SHOWTo provide respite from the seasonal state/church and religious onslaughts, Freethought Radio devotes most of its program to great secular songwriting. The very special guest is Lynn Lane, 86, widow of the legendary songwriter Burton Lane, who reminisces about her husband and lyricist Yip Harburg, both unbelievers, and creators of "Finian's Rainbow," now a hit Broadway revival. After a little news, the hosts dissect one of the show's irreverent pieces, "The Begats," play snippets of songs, and speak with the charming Lynn Lane.

  • Dec 13, 2009 · 37 min

    GUESTS: HANNA ROSIN — DID CHRISTIANITY CAUSE THE CRASH? MARGARET DOWNEY — A TREE OF KNOWLEDGE

    Margaret Downey, president of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, will talk about why her FFRF chapter erects a "Tree of Knowledge" every year by a courthouse creche and how officials have tried to sabotage that solstice observance. Well-known journalist Hanna Rosin will talk about her cover story in the December Atlantic: "Did Christianity Cause the Crash? How Preachers Are Spreading a Gospel of Debt." The hosts will replay Ken Lonnquist's "O Isthmus Tree."

  • Dec 7, 2009 · 37 min

    Guest: Robert M. Price: Bible-believing Bible Scholar to Unbelieving Bible Scholar

    Author and Jesus Seminar member Robert M. Price, a professor of theology at a seminary, talks about what moved him out of his fundamentalist fold into freethought, and tackles some of the biblical myths about Jesus and Christmas. The hosts talk about timely topics, including Dan's London debates last week and seasonal state/church violations.

  • Nov 28, 2009 · 40 min

    GUEST: OPERA SINGER MARKELLA

    Freethought Radio will talk with world-renowned opera singer Markella, who has gone from Greek Orthodox to unorthodox. Markella has recorded a new pop song, "The God Delusion." Timely news updates include local coverage of FFRF's splashy 10-billboard campaign in Albuquerque. A bonus: a clip of Jay Leno's joke about FFRF's 32nd annual national convention in Seattle.

  • Nov 21, 2009 · 37 min

    Guest: Greg M. Epstein: Good Without God

    Freethought Radio will talk with Harvard's Humanist Chaplain, Greg M. Epstein, author of the new book, Good Without God: What a Billion Non-Religious People Do Believe.

  • Nov 14, 2009 · 37 min

    Guest: Shawn Francis Peters, author, When Prayer Fails

    Freethought Radio will play some coverage of FFRF's jolly new bus sign campaign in Seattle, play some coverage of its 32nd annual convention there and discuss how religious lobbies sabotaged the House health care reform bill over abortion. Shawn Francis Peters will talk about the Christian Science lobby's promotion of a "sham" repeal of faith exemption in the Wisconsin Legislature. The show will also tackle the federal lobbying by the Christian Science lobby to mandate coverage of prayer as "medicine" in the Senate health care reform proposal.

  • Nov 9, 2009 · 37 min

    Freethought Art & Music: Steve Benson, Ernie Harburg

    Editorial cartoonist Steve Benson unveils his brand-new Seattle bus sign that he designed for the foundation (HO! HO! HO!). Ernie Harburg, retired scientist and son of famous songwriter Yip Harburg will discuss the smash Broadway success of the revival of Finian's Rainbow and tell us about his new book.

  • Oct 31, 2009 · 37 min

    Guest: Scary Guest! IRS Auditor Talks about Parish Exemptions & Other Tales for Halloween

    Scary theocratic developments in the news, will be followed by an interview with one of America's scariest figures: an IRS tax auditor! Retired IRS auditor Robert Baty will expose the many tax privileges and benefits accruing "ministers of the gospel" in the IRS tax code, which are being challenged in a new federal lawsuit by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. An "ode" to John Keats, born on Halloween, and October's other famous freethinkers, will be featured.

  • Oct 24, 2009 · 37 min

    Guests: Donald C. Johanson, "Lucy" Discoverer & John Whiteside, Las Vegas freethought activist

    Scientist and "Lucy" discoverer Donald C. Johanson will talk about his atheism, evolution and how he feels about "Ardi" displacing "Lucy." FFRF'er John Whiteside will talk about why he underwrote a billboard blitz in Las Vegas for the Foundation, featuring 10 billboards variously reading: "Imagine No Religion," "Beware of Dogma" and "Praise Darwin: Evolve Beyond Belief."

  • Oct 19, 2009 · 37 min

    Guests: Ursula K. Le Guin, author, poet & unbeliever & Anne Landman, Colorado Activist

    This weekend's show features a conversation with the legendary author Ursula K. Le Guin, winner of many literary awards and best-known for her classic science fiction and fantasy writing. Also: an interview with Grand Junction, Colo. activist and FFRF member Anne Landman about local attempts to protest public piety by politicians on government time, and timely updates.

  • Oct 12, 2009 · 37 min

    Guests: Ron Reagan and Lodi activist Karen Buchanan

    Topics: "Unabashed atheist" Ron Reagan, host of Air America's Ron Reagan Show, is back for a new interview as a preview to his appearance at FFRF's 32nd annual FFRF convention in Seattle in November. Also featured: an interview with Foundation member Karen Buchanan, the original complainant in FFRF's request to the city council of Lodi, Calif., to drop prayers. That request has set off months of controversy and Karen talks about her dismay at the Council's 5-0 vote in October to continue "uncensored prayer."