Freethought Radio

The distinguished civil rights attorney George Daly, of Charlotte, N.C., will talk about the lawsuit he has filed on behalf of FFRF and two South Carolina parents, challenging the granting of academic credit for religious release-time instruction. Also interviewed will be the new director of Secular Coalition of America, who is an attorney and a former Maine legislator.

Pat Cleveland will talk about freethought activism in the Deep South, and the hosts will interview Emmy-, Grammy- and Tony-award winning composer Charles Strouse, now 80, and author of the memoir, Put on a Happy Face, about his unbelief, his civil rights experiences and his music. Strouse wrote the music for such Broadway musicals as "Annie," "Applause" and "Bye, Bye, Birdie."

After parsing Pres. Obama's historic speech to Muslims in Cairo on June 4 for its religious content, the hosts will interview the director of the ACLU of  Okahoma Foundation, Joann Bell.  Joann will recount her harrowing experience challenging religious indoctrination at an Oklahoma public school in the 1980s, which prompted her activism with the ACLU. A new state/church victory in Oklahoma will be discussed.

This week's broadcast will look at the assassination of Kansas physician George Tiller by a religious fanatic and domestic terrorist. The hosts will speak with Dr. Tiller's colleague, Eleanor Smeal, executive director of the Feminist Majority Foundation, which has played a vital role in organizing defense of abortion clinics.

This week's guest will be Steve Benson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Arizona Republic, and atheist grandson of Ezra Taft Benson, the late president of the Mormon Church. Steve will talk about leaving the Mormon fold, the endangered status of editorial cartoonists today, and other timely topics. For news, the hosts will talk about the Irish Commission's new report of Catholic abuse in the Irish Republic, the fate of Proposition 8, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, and the landmark conviction of a Wisconsin mom for reckless homicide for praying over her diabetic daughter, instead of seeking health care.

This week's guest will be Steve Benson, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist for the Arizona Republic, and atheist grandson of Ezra Taft Benson, the late president of the Mormon Church. Steve will talk about leaving the Mormon fold, the endangered status of editorial cartoonists today, and other timely topics. For news, the hosts will talk about the Irish Commission's new report of Catholic abuse in the Irish Republic, the fate of Proposition 8, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, and the landmark conviction of a Wisconsin mom for reckless homicide for praying over her diabetic daughter, instead of seeking health care.

"Atheist Sunday School"—What's Wrong with Hymns
The remarks of Pres. Barack Obama in his May 17 speech to Notre Dame, including many deferential religious references and messages, will be parsed. And for something completely different, the hosts will do an eye-opening analysis of standard Christian hymns, such as "There Is a Foundation Filled with Blood," which reveal why the more one goes to church, the more likely one is to support torture. They will also look at hawkish hymns which feed the intrusion of evangelical Christianity into the U.S. military.

Topic: "Jesus Killed Mohammed" (Harper's Magazine expose)

After a look at timely topics in the news (including the "biblically correct" Miss California USA, the Pope's visit to the Mideast, a study correlating church-going with endorsement of torture, and the heartening secularization of American youths), the hosts will interview journalist and author Jeff Sharlet about his startling expose in this month's Harper's of fundamentalist Christian promotion by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also featured: a short tribute to Pete Seeger, who turned 90 this month.

Jennifer Hecht, author of Doubt: A History: The Great Doubters and Their Legacy of Innovation from Socrates and Jesus to Thomas Jefferson and Emily Dickinson, will talk about her book tracing the impressive history of doubt. Rebecca Kratz, FFRF staff attorney, will join Dan and Annie Laurie for updates over FFRF legal complaints about transportation of bibles to Iraq and Afghanistan by the military, and local abuses over the National Day of Prayer. FFRF is suing the President over the National Day of Prayer, which resulted in a lot of attention to this annual abuse, and a moderation of the relationship between government and the National Day of Prayer Taskforce, associated with the Christian-right Focus on the Family.

Freethought Radio's guest will be Brent Michael Davids, an atheist, an enrolled citizen of the Mohican Nation, an American Indian music expert and a professional concert and film composer. Excerpts of some of his compositions, touching on Christianity's role in the genocide of American Indians, will be played. The hosts will discuss FFRF's lawsuit against the upcoming National Day of Prayer and the White House "dial-a-prayer" situation.

Bart D. Ehrman, the agnostic bestselling author of several books, most recently Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About them), will be a guest. The program will also showcase nonbelieving classical composers, and take a look at state/church conflicts in Afghanistan.

Topics include: Why Is Pat Boone Unhappy with  FFRF?

The hosts talk about FFRF's Good Friday state/church complaints, why Pat Boone doesn't like FFRF, and interview Matthew Rothschild, an atheist and editor of The Progressive Magazine, celebrating its 100th anniversary in May. Also a guest is student activist Andrew Cederdahl, the president of the Pastafarians at the University of South Carolina, in Columbia, S.C.  Andrew was recently interviewed for an upcoming article in The New York Times. The show also includes an April Freethought Almanac, about famous freethinkers born this month.

The show will include lively commentary on news developments, a "Pagan Pulpit" on Easter, and interviews with author Barbara W. Walker on the real origins of Easter, and with 94-year-old Carnegie Hall conductor David Randolph. David Randolph will provide a sneak preview of the April 18 concert by the (secular) St. Cecelia Chorus on Sat., April 18, featuring the powerful works of two freethinkers: Brahms and Vaughan Williams. He will also be the Guest of Honor at FFRF's upcoming New York City lunch on Sunday, April 19, which will be briefly discussed. Find out more here:

http://ffrf.org/events/

The show will include an "Ask an Atheist" segment, comment on the controversy over the Pope and condoms, play a little Monty Python, and feature an interview with the head of Australia's atheist organization. Nicholls will talk about freethought Down Under, as well as the censorship of his group's proposed "Sleep in on Sundays" bus sign campaign.

Other Topics: Why Beware of Dogma? & How to Chime in Over New Bus Signs!

Scientist and author Victor Stenger will be Saturday's guest. Stenger is the author of many books on science and reason, including God: The Failed Hypothesis (2007). The cohosts will relay reaction to the Foundation's "Beware of Dogma" billboard just posted in Boise, Idaho, and analyze some troubling news developments showing the harm of placing religious dogma over people.

Topics: U.S.'s Growing Secularism, & What's Wrong with Pres. Obama's Faith-Based Plans?

Barry A. Kosmin, a principal researcher of the definitive American Religious Identification Survey, will talk about the newest ARIS results released this week showing that up to 1 in 5 adult Americans is nonreligious, and the continuing decline of religiosity in America. Author, journalist and freethinker Susan Jacoby will talk about her op-ed piece in The New York Times, "Keeping the Faith, Ignoring the History," detailing what's wrong with faith-based funding and offices in the federal government.

The show will feature 2 interviews: a short conversation with Tennessee freethinker Sharron King about being an unbeliever in the South, and with Henry Steinberger, of SMART Recovery, offering a secular alternative to 12-step and AA-based programs for alcohol and drug use recovery. Also featured: a teaser for Philip Appleman's newest book of freethinking poetry, "Karma, Dharma, Pudding & Pie," and the song, "Fleas," Phil Appleman's classic parody of the poem/song "Trees."

Also: The Current State of State/Church Separation

Reporting on religion for the Los Angeles Times is eventually how journalist William Lobdell lost his religion. His new book, "Losing  My Religion," just came out this week so tune in for this interview! The hosts will also comment on current freethought and state/church developments, and debut Brazilian vocalist Sharon Bele's version of the song, "Beware of Dogma."

Also: What's Wrong with Pres. Obama's Faith-based Council?

President Obama's executive order creating a White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will be analyzed and critiqued. The show will include audio clips of Obama's speech before the National Prayer Breakfast with host reactions. Author Eric Maisel will be interviewed about his new book: The Atheist's Way: Living Well Without Gods.