Sat, 30 January 2010  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! |
Mon, 25 January 2010 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. |
Sat, 16 January 2010 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." |
Sat, 9 January 2010 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. |
Sat, 2 January 2010 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. |
Sat, 26 December 2009 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. |
Sat, 19 December 2009 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. |
Sun, 13 December 2009 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." |
Mon, 7 December 2009 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. |
Sat, 28 November 2009 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. |
Sat, 21 November 2009 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. |
Sat, 14 November 2009 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. |
Mon, 9 November 2009 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. |
Sat, 31 October 2009 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.
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Sat, 24 October 2009 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." |
Mon, 19 October 2009 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.Comments[0] |
Mon, 12 October 2009 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."Comments[0] |
Mon, 5 October 2009 An important interview with Rita Swan, director of Children's
Healthcare is a Legal Duty, will focus on insidious amendments to
healthcare reform bills that would force medical insurers to cover
prayer as medicine. Local California atheist and Lifetime FFRF'er Sue
Robinson will talk about why she testified against government prayer in
Turlock, Calif., where there has been heated debate over an FFRF
state/church complaint Bonus: news coverage of FFRF's mini-blitz of
freethought billboards in Detroit.Comments[0] |
Sat, 26 September 2009 Freethought Radio will include timely updates on various state/church and freethought activism, including a segment about a state/church prayer controversy heating up in the Dallas, Texas area. In honor of the Sept. 26 anniversary of the birth of nontheist George Gershwin, the Foundation will air his irreverent classic, "It Ain't Necessarily So," and talk about other famous freethinkers born in the month of September. Washington State FFRF activist Darrell Barker will update listeners on the controversy over religion in the Capitol in Olympia, Wash., following a public hearing about it this week. (Note: announced guest Donald C Johanson, discoverer of Lucy, had to be rescheduled.) |
Sat, 19 September 2009 Freethought Radio will discuss new billboards in Indianapolis, bus signs in San Francisco, and the furor Foundation complaints over government prayer is creating in Tehachapi, Calif. (a TV news clip will play on the controversy there). A teaser trailer for the new film, Creation, concentrating on Darwin's loss of faith and starring major actors, will play, with discussion about how the film so far has been rejected by film distributions in the United States, while it is being praised worldwide. The guest, Gregory S. Paul, a researcher, will talk about the correlation between lack of social safety nets (such as the timely topic of America's lack of health care for all) and religiosity. He will advance the notion that no "culture wars" were necessary in Europe in order for belief in religion to fade; "pie in the sky" is not necessary when needs are taken care of here on earth. |
