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

Dec 20, 2008 · 37 min
Conductor David Randolph
Topic: What's an atheist doing conducting The Messiah?Distinguished chorale and orchestral conductor David Randolph, an atheist and the oldest person, at nearly 94, to conduct at Carnegie Hall, will be the guest, talking about how music has no religion, among other topics. The co-hosts will play an excerpt from The Stephen Colbert Show's coverage of FFRF's Washington Capitol Winter Solstice display, and discuss FFRF's just-filed lawsuit over an unlawful creche on courthouse grounds in Manitowoc, Wis., including lively media coverage clips.
Dec 13, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Julia Sweeney
Comedian and actress Julia Sweeney talks about the long-awaited recent release of her brilliant one-woman show, "Letting Go of God," as a movie, and the hosts play clips from lots of national TV coverage of FFRF's solstice display at the Washington State Capitol in covering that ongoing saga!
Dec 6, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Author Barbara G. Walker
Topic: The Winter Solstice - The Reason for the SeasonDan and Annie Laurie will announce various Winter Solstice initiatives of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, air news clips about FFRF Winter Solstice Displays at State Capitols and its new "Reason's Greetings" billboards (including Bill O'Reilly ranting against them), and play a little tongue in cheek seasonal music. They will also interview scholar and author Barbara G. Walker, about the real meaning of the season and everything they didn't teach you about the origins of "Christmas" in Sunday School! Walker is Freethought Today's columnist and author of the monumental Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets
Nov 29, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Fred Karger, Californians Against Hate
Featured guest is Fred Karger, founder of Californians Against Hate, who allegations of unreported Mormon activity to help pass Prop 8, banning same-sex marriage in California, are being investigated by the Fair Political Practices Commission, which oversees state campaign finance laws. Also interviewed will be Southern California FFRF member Mark Monninger, to discuss the uproar over FFRF's "Imagine No Religion" billboard in Cucamonga. The paid-for, contracted-for message was removed after only a week by the billboard company amid allegations that the City had recommended its removal. FFRF's new lawsuit in federal court suing the City of Rancho Cucamonga will also be discussed!
Nov 22, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Douglas Krueger
Douglas Krueger, author of What is Atheism? Also, Illegal religious displays are discussed with one Ohio member.
Nov 15, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: John W. Loftus
Author of Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects ChristianityJohn W. Loftus, a seminary-trained minister in the Restoration Movement of Churches, will talk about why, after earning a Master of Divinity degree and other theological degrees, he realized he could no longer believe in biblical claims. The hosts will also discuss the Freedom From Religion Foundation's newest lawsuit, filed this week in state court in Denver, suing Colorado Gov. Jim Ritter over his National Day of Prayer proclamations.
Nov 8, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Nan Aron, director, Alliance for Justice
Topics: Post-Election: State of the Supreme Court & Judiciary & Postmortems on Religious referendaNan Aron, expert head of the judicial watchdog, Alliance for Justice, will be this week's guest, to talk about what Nov. 4 will mean for the judiciary. Dan & Annie Laurie will comment on the Nov. 4 fate of religious-right sponsored referenda.
Nov 1, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Former Episcopal Priest-turned-Atheist Dick Hewetson
Topic: Prop 8 & the Religious War Against Gay Rights The show will be devoted to an expose of the religious backing of Proposition 8, to deny same-sex marriage to California residents via a Nov. 4 ballot initiative. Listen for clips of religious ads, and of religious leaders inveighing against gay marriage. FFRF Lifetime Member and Gay Atheist founder Dick Hewetson will be interviewed about Proposition 8 and the religious war against gay rights
Oct 25, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Journalist, Author and "Happy Atheist" Guy P. Harrison
Topic: 50 Reasons Not to Believe in a GodGuy P. Harrison, author of the new book, "50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God," will gently debunk some of those reasons. The latest twists in the epidemic of religion in politics and church politicking will be discussed. As an antidote to all that religion, the hosts will air the 2008 "Moment of Bedlam" from FFRF's annual national NonPrayer Breakfast!
Oct 18, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Sociologist and nonbeliever Phil Zuckerman
Topic: Society Without GodProf. Phil Zuckerman talks about his hot-off-the-press book, Society Without God, which refutes the myth that religion is necessary for happy citizens and moral societies. Zuckerman, an FFRF member, cites statistical evidence showing the "happiness index" tends to be much higher in godless societies, and offers Scandinavia as a prime example. The broadcast also looks at the contributions of famous freethinkers born in October.
Oct 11, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Larry Beinhart, author of
Annie Laurie and Dan talk to author Larry Beinhart about his new book Salvation Boulevard. Plus, details of ffrf's new "Day of Prayer" lawsuit.
Oct 4, 2008 · 38 min
Topics: "Religulous," Religion in Politics, Women Without Superstiton
This week's show will preview Bill Maher's irreverent film on religion, "Religulous," and play audios of the infamous "witchcraft" prayer by Gov. Sarah Palin's Kenyan minister-friend and her response. For a change of pace, "Women Without Superstition" will be showcased in an interview featuring Annie Laurie Gaylor, as editor of the first anthology of women freethinkers.
Sep 27, 2008 · 37 min
Guests: Eleanor Clift and Carl Silverman
Journalist and Newsweek contributing editor Eleanor Clift will join Freethought Radio to talk about her new book, "Two Weeks of Life." The book is part memoir, tracing the last days of her husband, Tom Brazaitis, who died of cancer in 2005. Mr. Brazaitis, a well-known journalist, was a longtime FFRF member and, as Ms. Clift writes, "an unwavering atheist." She parallels Tom's last two weeks, with the Terri Schiavo debate occurring over the same time period. Also interviewed: state/church activist and Foundation member Carl Silverman, about getting an "Imagine No Religion" billboard posted in Harrisburg, Penn., last week.
Sep 20, 2008 · 36 min
Guest: Feminist author and atheist Robin Morgan
Feminist icon and atheist Robin Morgan will be interviewed about the 40th anniversary of the first Miss America pageant protest, which Robin organized in 1968, among other free-ranging topics. Ms. Morgan is Ms. Magazine's former editor, now consulting editor and author of the classic "Sisterhood is Powerful," as well as "Fighting Words: A Toolkit for Combating the Religious Right." Religion seeping into current politics will come under analysis in "Theocracy Alert."
Sep 13, 2008 · 37 min
Guests: Dan Barker and Matt (a Phoenix activist)
Dan Barker will change hats from interviewer to interviewee to talk about his new book, "Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists" (Sept. 2008, Ulysses Press). And Freethought Radio will be joined by a member of the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Phoenix who helped FFRF place five billboards saying "Imagine No Religion" to talk about both the censorship encountered--and the fun!
Sep 6, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Michelle Trupiano, South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families
Topic: Abortion and the Religious RightThis week's Freethought Radio will interview the campaign manager of the organization working against Measure 11, a nationally-watched referendum to ban abortion which will be on South Dakota's Nov. 4 ballot. The show will also cover more religion in politics at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and analyze the Assembly of God beliefs of McCain's vice-presidential pick.
Aug 30, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Bob Tiernan. Keep Religion OUT of Politics.
Freethought Radio interviews Denver attorney Robert R. Tiernan about why religion should stay out of politics. Bob, who has taken many lawsuits on behalf of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and is a lifelong Democrat, got a lot of media attention for protesting the interfaith worship service at the Democratic National Convention. FFRF co-president Dan Barker's new book, Godless, is announced, with the Foreword by Richard Dawkins read by Brian Turany.
Aug 23, 2008 · 37 min
Guests: Ernie Chambers and Katha Pollitt
This week Freethought Radio will talk with Nebraska's most famous state senator, Ernie Chambers, a nonreligious legislator and peoples' advocate, about what's happening with his lawsuit suing "God" over "acts of God." Also interviewed will be The Nation's columnist, Katha Pollitt, about her recent religion in politics piece, "Flocking to Faith." The Saddleback church "debate" will be briefly parsed.
Aug 16, 2008 · 37 min
Guests: Julia Cicci, ROTC cadet and unbeliever and Sarah Braasch, FFRF legal intern
This week Freethought Radio will talk with Julia Cicci, a University ROTC cadet and unbeliever, who recently delivered a nonreligious invocation at her ROTC commissioning ceremony. Also interviewed will be FFRF's articulate legal intern, Sarah Braasch, who will talk about growing up in the Jehovah Witnesses church and why she left it.
Aug 9, 2008 · 37 min
Guest: Steve Trunk, Atheist, Vet, and FFRF Lifetime Member
This week Freethought Radio will talk with state/church litigant Steve Trunk about a recent development in the Mt. Soledad cross challenge, including the bogus attempt to disguise the 43-foot-tall cross in San Diego as a war memorial. The cohosts discuss the grave implications of a hostile ruling by an appeals court in the Freedom From Religion Foundation's important challenge of pervasive religiosity in healthcare by the Veterans Administration. The contributions of august freethinkers born in early August will also be featured.