http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress A blog devoted to freethought, atheism and skepticism. Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:01:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Copyright © 2010 American Freethought contact@americanfreethought.com (American Freethought) contact@americanfreethought.com (American Freethought) freethought 1440 http://www.americanfreethought.com/images/podcastlogo144x144.jpg http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress 144 144 Question. Think. Decide. A podcast focusing on information of interest to freethinkers, atheists, agnostics, skeptics, rationalists, Brights, etc. freethought, atheism, skepticism, religion, secularism, philosophy, atheist, skeptic American Freethought American Freethought contact@americanfreethought.com no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/answering-seven-questions-you-should-ask-an-atheist/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/answering-seven-questions-you-should-ask-an-atheist/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:32:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2185 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/answering-seven-questions-you-should-ask-an-atheist/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/1-in-5-think-obamas-a-muslim/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/1-in-5-think-obamas-a-muslim/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:27:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2176 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/1-in-5-think-obamas-a-muslim/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/05/topic-of-cancer/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/05/topic-of-cancer/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:56:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2156 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/05/topic-of-cancer/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/18/do-you-have-acedia/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/18/do-you-have-acedia/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 17:44:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2137 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/18/do-you-have-acedia/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/28/liberty-meet-irony/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/28/liberty-meet-irony/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:23:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2089 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/28/liberty-meet-irony/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/27/a-lung-my-bad/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/27/a-lung-my-bad/#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:22:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2086 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/27/a-lung-my-bad/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/enough-already-with-the-political-prayer/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/enough-already-with-the-political-prayer/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:30:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2080 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/enough-already-with-the-political-prayer/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/23/podcast-89-world-ends-miss-usa-is-a-muslim/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/23/podcast-89-world-ends-miss-usa-is-a-muslim/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 02:14:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2022 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/23/podcast-89-world-ends-miss-usa-is-a-muslim/feed/ 0 54:56 OMFG and other exaggerations.  The new Miss USA is Rima Fakih, who hails from Dearborn, Michigan by way of Lebanon.  According to Ms. Fakih, her ... OMFG and other exaggerations.  The new Miss USA is Rima Fakih, who hails from Dearborn, Michigan by way of Lebanon.  According to Ms. Fakih, her family is not terribly pious--apparently they observe both Muslim and Christian holidays, for example.  But to hear the conservative blathersphere, you'd think the selection of  an Arab-American as one of our foremost icons of cheesecake is either political correctness run amok, or part of some elaborate master plan by Hezbollah to lower Western civilization's defenses before they come in for the big kill. Meanwhile...candidates in Alabama's Republican gubernatorial primary are determined to court the lowest-common-denominator demographic.  When candidate Bradley Byrne was accused of believing in evolution and doubting that the scriptures are literally true, he fell over backwards to assure the voters he's a dyed-in-the-wool creationist and Bible-thumping fundamentalist. Plus: Atlanta Skepticamp 2010 was a big success; the Mojave cross was stolen; Idaho missionary and would-be child trafficker Laura Silsby is back from Haiti; and former executives of faith-based (and now defunct) Integrity Bank have been indicted on bribery charges. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded May 23, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, commentary, islam, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/22/catholic-scandal-are-these-guys-reading-the-same-news/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/22/catholic-scandal-are-these-guys-reading-the-same-news/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:17:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1978 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/22/catholic-scandal-are-these-guys-reading-the-same-news/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/07/podcast-85-american-atheists-convention-part-1/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/07/podcast-85-american-atheists-convention-part-1/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 02:15:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1933 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/07/podcast-85-american-atheists-convention-part-1/feed/ 1 34:35 John reports (almost) live from the American Atheists Convention in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Day One speakers included Center for Inquiry's Paul Kurtz, biologist/philosopher Massimo Pigliucci, ... John reports (almost) live from the American Atheists Convention in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Day One speakers included Center for Inquiry's Paul Kurtz, biologist/philosopher Massimo Pigliucci, UK-based National Secular Society's Keith Porteous Wood, The God Virus author Darrel Ray, and newly-elected Asheville (NC) city councilman Cecil Bothwell.  Plus: Sightseeing in NYC, including an unexpected sighting of... Mandy Patinkin. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded April 3, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, civil rights, commentary, news, podcast, religious rights American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/31/podcast-84-bonus-material-newdow-in-2002/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/31/podcast-84-bonus-material-newdow-in-2002/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:01:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1929 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/31/podcast-84-bonus-material-newdow-in-2002/feed/ 1 39:41 I'm packing up to head to Newark for the American Atheists convention this weekend, but meanwhile, here's a blast from the past.  Waaay back in ... I'm packing up to head to Newark for the American Atheists convention this weekend, but meanwhile, here's a blast from the past.  Waaay back in August 2002, I (John C. Snider) interviewed Michael Newdow when he was  just hitting the national scene with his first lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. And to get the Christian perspective on this issue, I interviewed Dr. Bob Allred, who at the time was pastor of Atlanta First United Methodist Church (the oldest church in Atlanta).  Dr. Allred went on to pastor at at least one other church in the metro area, but I lost track of him two or three years ago.   This interview is also from 2002. My apologies if the sound quality of these interviews isn't as good as it could be; my apologies also if my delivery is flat and/or less-than-professional.  This was an early, early experiment in internet broadcasting, certainly predating the podcasting phenomenon by several years.  In any case, I hope you find it an interesting and enlightening listening experience.  Enjoy! atheism, children, christianity, civil rights, commentary, interviews, religion, religious rights American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/18/bible-v-quran-the-ultimate-smackdown/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/18/bible-v-quran-the-ultimate-smackdown/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:04:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1911 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/18/bible-v-quran-the-ultimate-smackdown/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/05/hitchens-rewrites-the-10c/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/05/hitchens-rewrites-the-10c/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 00:23:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1881 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/05/hitchens-rewrites-the-10c/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:01:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1878 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/feed/ 5 41:16 Allison's back--yay!  She joins us to discuss the new Charles Darwin bio-pic Creation, starring real-life husband-and-wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles and Emma ... Allison's back--yay!  She joins us to discuss the new Charles Darwin bio-pic Creation, starring real-life husband-and-wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles and Emma Darwin.  Creation is based on the nonfiction book Annie's Box (published in the US as Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution, and reissued in conjunction with the film as Creation) by Darwin descendant Randal Keynes.  Creation is currently in limited release, so check your local art cinema to see if and when it might play in your neighborhood.  For more visit CreationtheMovie.com. Thanks to the many fellow science fans who joined us for the Creation screening at Atlanta's Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.  And thanks to Royal Orchid Thai Cuisine for accommodating our unexpected horde. Also: David McAllister and Jason Bourque have been arrested in connection with a string of church arsons and burglaries in Texas.  There's a minor storm of controversy in the media over reports that "books on demons and atheism" were found in Bourque's home.  East Texas television station KLTV has offered reports from "anonymous sources" who claim that McAllister was troubled by the death of his mother and was looking to "save people from believing" and trying to "dislodge" church institutions.  Clearly, American Freethought condemns arson and vandalism of any kind.  And if it turns out that these young men committed these crimes out of some misguided notion of what atheism is, we condemn that as well. Upcoming events: John and Allison will be attending a rare joint appearance by Christopher Hitchens and Salman Rushdie at Emory University, Friday, February 26th.  If you're there and you see us, be sure to say hello. John and Allison will also be at the upcoming American Atheists convention in Newark, NJ, April 2-4.  We'll actually be in the greater NYC are March 31 - April 5, and we welcome suggestions for places to eat, things to do, or stuff to see. Can you spell C-O-N-T-E-S-T? We have a minor trove of nifty things to give away, including a 2009 American Atheists convention program signed by Richard Dawkins, a handful of books by famous critical thinkers, and an American Freethought t-shirt and coffee mug.  To win, simply challenge John C. Snider to a game of "Words With Friends" (the iPhone version of the classic Scrabble).  You'll need an iPhone, of course; and you'll need to download Words With Friends (created by game developer Newtoy, Inc.).  John's user name is "johncsnider."  The person who beats him by the most points during the month of February wins the tchoch. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded February 24, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, buddhism, commentary, evolution, movies, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/04/obama-disappoints-at-npb/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/04/obama-disappoints-at-npb/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:48:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1861 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/04/obama-disappoints-at-npb/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/11/wright-v-hitch/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/11/wright-v-hitch/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:45:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1781 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/11/wright-v-hitch/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/23/podcast-73-war-on-christmas-special/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/23/podcast-73-war-on-christmas-special/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:01:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1756 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/23/podcast-73-war-on-christmas-special/feed/ 3 61:31 Okay, no War on Christmas per se, but... the festive season approaches, and it's time for us to share our Top Five suggestions for holiday ... Okay, no War on Christmas per se, but... the festive season approaches, and it's time for us to share our Top Five suggestions for holiday gifts for nonbelievers!  It's your opportunity to warm the cockles of the family atheist and/or make pious relatives squirm as you share presents around the pagan tree. David's suggestions (in no particular order): Nonfiction Two-Fer - Don't Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson and Worlds of Their Own by Robert J. Schadewald (David's favorite nonfiction books of 2009). DVD Two-Fer - Troy Conrad's The Comedy Jesus Show (www.comedyjesusshow.com) and the AAI 2009 Convention 2009 video (coming soon from www.atheistalliance.org). A telescope. American Freethought tchoch: t-shirts, coffee mugs and more (www.cafepress.com/amerfreethought). Membership in Atheist Alliance International (www.atheistalliance.org/Membership.html). John's suggestions (in no particular order): A Very Haeckel Christmas (greeting cards inspired by the artwork of 19th century biologys Ernst Haeckel) (www.cafepress.com/therhinobird). Surly-Ramics Jewelry (www.surlyramics.com). Honorable Mention goes to Made with Molecules (www.madewithmolecules.com). Here Comes Science (CD and DVD for kids) by alt-rock legends They Might Be Giants. Bible Comics Two-Fer - The Book of Genesis Illustrated by Robert Crumb and The Wolverton Bible by Basil Wolverton Charitable donation to your local college skeptics or atheists club.  John recommends the Kennesaw State University Student Coalition for Inquiry (www.ksusci.com) or the University or Missouri's Skeptics Atheists Secular Humanists Agnostics (MU SASHA) Also discussed in this episode: Jennifer Burns' (Goddess of the Market) lecture at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. Massimo Pigliucci's recent series of lectures in Atlanta. Darwin's Origin of Species is 150 years old on November 24th!  We're celebrating with a bottle of Evolution Wine (www.evolutionwine.com). The American Freethought Podcast is 2 years old on November 26th. Hominid - A stage play at Emory University produced by Out of Hand Theater (www.outofhandtheater.com) and inspired by the chimpanzee research of Frans de Waal. Listener feedback. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John's other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded November 22, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. arts, commentary, news, podcast American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/wsj-political-correctness-skewing-ft-hood-story/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/wsj-political-correctness-skewing-ft-hood-story/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:28:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1752 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/wsj-political-correctness-skewing-ft-hood-story/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/21/q1-threatens-gay-marriage-in-maine/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/21/q1-threatens-gay-marriage-in-maine/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:53:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1614 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/21/q1-threatens-gay-marriage-in-maine/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/14/huffpo-covers-aai-2009/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/14/huffpo-covers-aai-2009/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 12:18:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1576 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/14/huffpo-covers-aai-2009/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/its-blasphemy-day-god-damn-it/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/its-blasphemy-day-god-damn-it/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:01:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1452 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/its-blasphemy-day-god-damn-it/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/25/charlotte-pop-fest-happening-now/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/25/charlotte-pop-fest-happening-now/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:49:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1435 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/25/charlotte-pop-fest-happening-now/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/24/gran-torino-md/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/24/gran-torino-md/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:37:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1427 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/24/gran-torino-md/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/marilyn-loeffels-wrong-perspective/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/marilyn-loeffels-wrong-perspective/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:59:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1421 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/marilyn-loeffels-wrong-perspective/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/22/podcast-65-live-at-dragoncon/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/22/podcast-65-live-at-dragoncon/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 04:01:22 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1409 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/22/podcast-65-live-at-dragoncon/feed/ 0 60:37 Here's a recording of our live show, presented September 5th on the Dragon*Con Skeptics Track.  Among the topics discussed: Homeopathic beer (with a tip o' the ... Here's a recording of our live show, presented September 5th on the Dragon*Con Skeptics Track.  Among the topics discussed: Homeopathic beer (with a tip o' the hat to That Mitchell and Webb Look) The CieAura Patch of Woo Are skepticism and science fiction fandom compatible? Holey Scripture (with a tip o' the hat to TheBrickTestament.com) Media FAIL: A humorous look at bad media reporting on science and science history Audience Q&A Thanks once again to Derek of Skepticality and Mark Distler of Abrupt Media for audio/visual support.  Despite their best efforts, there were some unexpected technical issues with the sound, but as the late Pope John Paul II said of The Passion of the Christ, "It is as it was." Announcements - We encourage you to leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com.  We have a Yahoo Group, a Facebook page, an Atheist Nexus page, and a Twitter feed.  Also, if you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John's other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded September 5, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. alternative medicine, commentary, humor, news, podcast American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/20/twitter-sharia-law-and-you/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/20/twitter-sharia-law-and-you/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:09:50 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1186 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/20/twitter-sharia-law-and-you/feed/ 7 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/darwin-film-not-dead-in-us/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/darwin-film-not-dead-in-us/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:26:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1372 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/darwin-film-not-dead-in-us/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/15/podcast-64-dragoncon-wrap-up/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/15/podcast-64-dragoncon-wrap-up/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:01:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1358 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/15/podcast-64-dragoncon-wrap-up/feed/ 4 63:19 We'll post the live episode we recorded on September 5th as soon as it's available; meanwhile, we look back at our experience at Dragon*Con in ... We'll post the live episode we recorded on September 5th as soon as it's available; meanwhile, we look back at our experience at Dragon*Con in general and the Skeptics Track in particular.  Kudos to: Derek & Swoopy of Skepticality for all their hard work in making the Skeptics Track and the Podcasting Track so successful. Mark Distler of Abrupt Media for providing sound and video service at the Con. All the other cohorts, minions, sycophants and volunteers who helped make it happen. Atlanta Skeptics for pulling off a fantastic Star Party at the Agnes Scott College Bradley Observatory. Also mentioned in our Dragon*Con discussion: The Joe Nickell Files - John Snider's series of interviews with the world-famous skeptical investigator, published at SciFiDimensions.com in 2000-2001. Surly Amy - An artist whose "Surly-Ramics" handmade ceramic jewelry has themes that will appeal to skeptics and science buffs. Center for Chemical Evolution -A research project which seeks "to understand and demonstrate the chemical origins of the first RNA-like polymers." NOVA: Mystery of the Megavolcano - David recommends this PBS documentary that shows how scientists, working independently and across multiple disciplines, can arrive at corroborating conclusions about the timing of geological events.  In this case, the fact that science has proven a megavolcanic eruption 75,000 years ago probably won't impress fundamentalists who still insist that the earth is only 6,000 years old. Richard Dawkins' The Greatest Show on Earth - MC Dawky-Dawk's latest book hits the shelves on September 22 and promises to be another bestseller.  Meanwhile, The Times Online has posted two excerpts! Scandal at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church - This story flew under the mainstream media's radar back in July, but its twists and turns would make the most shameless soap opera pale in comparison.  David Molina is suing Lakewood after discovering that two of the pastors who counseled him and his wife knew that she was having an affair with a third pastor, who also counseled the couple--and was himself the person having the affair with Mrs. Molina!  We couldn't make this stuff up if we tried. Feedback - We read several listener responses to episode #63 "Efficacy of Prayer." Announcements - We encourage you to leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com.  We have a Yahoo Group, a Facebook page, an Atheist Nexus page, and a Twitter feed.  Also, if you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John's other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. commentary, news, podcast, skepticism American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/08/bob-wright-on-the-behe-brouhaha-mea-culpa/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/08/bob-wright-on-the-behe-brouhaha-mea-culpa/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:39:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1333 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/08/bob-wright-on-the-behe-brouhaha-mea-culpa/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/penn-teller-do-the-vatican/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/penn-teller-do-the-vatican/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:51:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1316 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/penn-teller-do-the-vatican/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/25/podcast-63-efficacy-of-prayer/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/25/podcast-63-efficacy-of-prayer/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:01:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1270 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/25/podcast-63-efficacy-of-prayer/feed/ 9 65:00 It's the p-p-p-p-power of prayer!  Or not.  We look at several anecdotes that point toward the efficacy (or inefficacy) of intercessory prayer, including: The tragic cases ... It's the p-p-p-p-power of prayer!  Or not.  We look at several anecdotes that point toward the efficacy (or inefficacy) of intercessory prayer, including: The tragic cases of two teenage girls (one in TN, one in KY), both of whom suffered terrible injuries.  One recovered (more or less), the other is maimed for life.  Both were the beneficiaries of  the prayers of hundreds.  Why did God heal one and snub the other???  We'll give you a hint: the answer can be found at www.whywontgodhealamputees.com. The Miracle of Colwich Man - A Kansas man was healed after thousands of parishioners prayed to the late Father Emil Kapaun, a Korean War hero who's currently under "skeptical" investigation by the Vatican for possible sainthood. The Case of the Shriveling Glacier - Faithful Catholics in the Swiss towns of Fiesch and Feischertal have prayed for centuries that God protect them from the wintertime advance of the Aletsch Glacier.  Now the Aletsch is rapidly receding due to global warming, so now the townsfolk are seeking the Pope's permission to reverse the prayer. Science has a few things to say about prayer.  Okay, actually science only has one thing to say: it don't work. Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) - The American Heart Association published the results of a double-blind study on the effects of prayer on patients undergoing heart surgery.  Those who were told they would be prayed for--and were actually prayed for--actually did worse than those who were not prayed for. A Governor's Prayer for Rain (scroll down to find the article) - Skeptic magazine publishes a statistical study of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue's controversial prayer-for-rain organized on the steps of the state capitol in 2007.  Conclusion: Sonny's God is a penurious God. Does TM reduce violent crime? - The World Peace Project claims that Transcendental Meditation en masse actually reduced violent crime during a six-week period in 1993--guaranteed to "less than two parts per billion."  Skeptico thinks not. Plus: The Voyage that Shook the World!  Creation Ministries International has just released a $1 million documentary that insists Charles Darwin was a fantasy-prone nebbish and pathological liar who cherrypicked his data to crank out that addle-brained Theory of Evolution.  Plus Darwin was a racist.  Local skeptic/freethinker Douglas Scott joins us for the critique.  You can read John's extensive review here or visit the movies official website. ANNOUNCEMENTS Dragon*Con is coming soon!  September 4-7 in Atlanta, to be exact.  American Freethought will record a live podcast at 11:30AM, Saturday, September 5th with the Skeptics Track. We (meaning John and David and respective redheads) will also be attending the Star Party at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA on Thursday, September 3rd.  The Star Party is organized by the Atlanta Skeptics, will feature dinner, drinks, an opportunity to chat with Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy) and Pamela Gay (Astronomy Cast podcast), and stargazing through the Bradley Observatory telescope.  Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in honor of the late Jeff Medkeff (Blue Collar Scientist). Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We're new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets every time we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus - What's Atheist Nexus?  Well, it's like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group - Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes - If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress - Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com - Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal - Drop some change in our virtual tip- children, christianity, commentary, evolution, medical research, movies, new age, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/mooneykirschenbaum-sic-darwin-on-dawkins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/mooneykirschenbaum-sic-darwin-on-dawkins/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:19:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1238 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/mooneykirschenbaum-sic-darwin-on-dawkins/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/17/yale-univ-press-chickens-out-on-mohammed-cartoons/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/17/yale-univ-press-chickens-out-on-mohammed-cartoons/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:15:52 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1234 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/17/yale-univ-press-chickens-out-on-mohammed-cartoons/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/15/a-freethought-manifesto/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/15/a-freethought-manifesto/#comments Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1213 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/15/a-freethought-manifesto/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/magic-mushrooms-and-he-were-familiar-friends/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/magic-mushrooms-and-he-were-familiar-friends/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:31:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1201 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/magic-mushrooms-and-he-were-familiar-friends/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/11/ben-stein-loses-nyt-gig-grip-on-reality/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/11/ben-stein-loses-nyt-gig-grip-on-reality/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:26:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1183 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/11/ben-stein-loses-nyt-gig-grip-on-reality/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/10/better-late-than-never/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/10/better-late-than-never/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:51:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1181 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/10/better-late-than-never/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/09/peter-singer-on-healthcare-rationing/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/09/peter-singer-on-healthcare-rationing/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:04:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1179 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/09/peter-singer-on-healthcare-rationing/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:01:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1170 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/02/goodbye-neumanns/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/02/goodbye-neumanns/#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:55:29 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1140 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/02/goodbye-neumanns/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/huffpo-spews-cam-poo/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/huffpo-spews-cam-poo/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:05:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1118 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/huffpo-spews-cam-poo/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/jesus-christ-what-now/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/jesus-christ-what-now/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:35:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1107 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/jesus-christ-what-now/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/29/defining-anti-theism/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/29/defining-anti-theism/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:28:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1097 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/29/defining-anti-theism/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/27/sam-harris-on-francis-collins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/27/sam-harris-on-francis-collins/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:12:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1084 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/27/sam-harris-on-francis-collins/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/neumann-on-trial-for-death-of-daughter/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/neumann-on-trial-for-death-of-daughter/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:03:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1082 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/neumann-on-trial-for-death-of-daughter/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/n-korea-executes-woman-for-distributing-bibles/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/n-korea-executes-woman-for-distributing-bibles/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:59:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1078 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/n-korea-executes-woman-for-distributing-bibles/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/apparently-semi-coherent-anti-gay-bigotry-does-pay-off/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/apparently-semi-coherent-anti-gay-bigotry-does-pay-off/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:23:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1068 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/apparently-semi-coherent-anti-gay-bigotry-does-pay-off/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/will-in-god-we-trust-be-set-in-stone/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/will-in-god-we-trust-be-set-in-stone/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:51:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1066 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/will-in-god-we-trust-be-set-in-stone/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/20/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists-including-me-part-deux/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/20/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists-including-me-part-deux/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:29:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1059 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/20/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists-including-me-part-deux/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/if-god-cant-keep-you-out-of-trouble/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/if-god-cant-keep-you-out-of-trouble/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:55:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1055 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/if-god-cant-keep-you-out-of-trouble/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/16/podcast-59a-bill-maher-stand-up-tour/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/16/podcast-59a-bill-maher-stand-up-tour/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:05:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1042 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/16/podcast-59a-bill-maher-stand-up-tour/feed/ 0 61:58 David gives us a report on Bill Maher's stand-up tour; specifically, Maher's recent appearance at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. We also give ... David gives us a report on Bill Maher's stand-up tour; specifically, Maher's recent appearance at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. We also give listeners a heads-up on several upcoming events, including: Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention (Oct 2-4 in Los Angeles) featuring Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Brian Keith Dalton ("Mr. Deity"), Lawrence Krauss, Eugenie Scott and more.  (Say "hi" to David Driscoll, since he'll be in attendance as well.) Charlotte Pop Fest (Sep 24-26), a power-pop music festival in North Carolina with headliners The Knack.  Proceeds benefit the Richard Dawkins Foundation.  Also, Herr Dawkins will lecture at Queens University of Charlotte on Oct 14. Speaking of Richard Dawkins, his new book The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution is set for publication on Sep 22 from Free Press.  Pre-order your very own copy at Amazon.com and/or Amazon.co.uk. Speaking of new books, you might be interested in Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right, a new biography of the controversial author and founder of Objectivism, written by University of Virginia professor Jennifer Burns.  If all goes as planned, we'll have both a review of the book and an interview with the author.  Goddess of the Market will be published by Oxford University Press in October.  Pre-order your very own copy at Amazon.com and/or Amazon.co.uk. Plus: Lots of detailed feedback on our interview with Robert Wright (The Evolution of God), including a response from Wright himself on John's review of the book.  Wright encourages our readers/listeners to check out his interview with Daniel Dennett.  We also explore the connection between Wright and the Templeton Foundation (which sponsors the "Percontations" series of diavlogs at Wright's bloggingheads.tv). ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We're new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets every time we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus - What's Atheist Nexus?  Well, it's like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group - Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes - If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress - Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com - Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal - Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You'll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content (nearly) every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded July 7, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, christianity, commentary, evolution, islam, judaism, music, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/15/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/15/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:13:12 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1010 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/15/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists/feed/ 8 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/12/what-does-francis-collins-mean-for-the-nih/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/12/what-does-francis-collins-mean-for-the-nih/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:51:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=990 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/12/what-does-francis-collins-mean-for-the-nih/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/24/harris-v-ball-on-science/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/24/harris-v-ball-on-science/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:38:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=929 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/24/harris-v-ball-on-science/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/04/obamas-cairo-speech/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/04/obamas-cairo-speech/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:24:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=830 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/04/obamas-cairo-speech/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/02/when-will-abortion-opponents-reap-what-they-sow/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/02/when-will-abortion-opponents-reap-what-they-sow/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=810 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/02/when-will-abortion-opponents-reap-what-they-sow/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/30/podcast-54-when-religion-kills-children/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/30/podcast-54-when-religion-kills-children/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 05:01:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=755 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/30/podcast-54-when-religion-kills-children/feed/ 4 65:11 We look at two tragic cases in the news in which religion and child welfare conflict (to say the least).  First, a Minnesota court has ... We look at two tragic cases in the news in which religion and child welfare conflict (to say the least).  First, a Minnesota court has ordered 13-year-old Daniel Hauser to undergo chemo to treat his cancer, but he and his parents object, preferring to use "natural" remedies based on supposed Native American teachings.  Second, a Wisconsin jury has found Leilani Neumann guilty in the death of her 11-year-old daughter Madeline Kara; Neumann and her coreligionists decided, rather than seek medical attention, to pray that God cure Kara of diabetes.  It didn't work. Plus: California's Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8, the recent amendment to the state constitution that outlaws gay marriage.  On the up-side, the Court says any same-sex marriages conducted before the ban remain valid. The return of Holey Scripture! Finally, a ton of listener feedback. (By the way, the mythical show in which John indulges in "libertarian rants" and "extols the virtues of libertarianism" is probably Show #21, our discussion of Science Debate 2008.   But if you're looking for regular doses of libertarian preachiness, the American Freethought Podcast will disappoint overall.) ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We're new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets everytime we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus - What's Atheist Nexus?  Well, it's like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group - Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes - If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress - Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com - Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal - Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You'll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content (nearly) every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded May 28, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, civil rights, commentary, ethics, news, podcast, politics, religion, religious rights, superstitions American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/22/twelve-virtues-of-rationality/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/22/twelve-virtues-of-rationality/#comments Fri, 22 May 2009 12:44:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=733 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/22/twelve-virtues-of-rationality/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/18/podcast-53-gay-marriage-in-the-news/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/18/podcast-53-gay-marriage-in-the-news/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=714 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/18/podcast-53-gay-marriage-in-the-news/feed/ 8 78:40 You can't turn on the news lately without hearing multiple items involving gay marriage: Maine's legislature passes (and its governor signs) a bill legalizing same-sex ... You can't turn on the news lately without hearing multiple items involving gay marriage: Maine's legislature passes (and its governor signs) a bill legalizing same-sex marriage; former NYC mayor and failed Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani skips the wedding of the gay couple who put him up (and put up with him) during his messy divorce; and Miss California USA Carrie Prejean puts foot in mouth in support of "opposite marriage" (and here I thought that was the definition of divorce). Plus: David gets into (another) knock-down-drag-out with a Christian (this time his neighbor).  What can we say--the guy's a magnet for trouble. California high school teacher James Corbett is sued (successfully) by a student for making anti-Christian statements in the classroom. (Thanks to Liz in Texas for prompting us to talk about this on the show...) Three Georgia Congressmen sponsor a bill aimed at declaring 2010 "The Year of the Bible." The Eye of Sauron wants Sony Pictures to insert disclaimers ahead of screenings of the film Angels & Demons, the sequel to The Da Vinci Code starring Tom Hanks and directed by Ron Howard.  Apparently Catholics are so reality challenged that won't be able to tell fact from fiction. David's Secular Nation Podcast makes it onto Christian blog twoorthree.net's list of "Essential Atheist/Secularist/Anti-theist Podcasts" (with American Freethought still in the running). Mexican skeptic Danny Zepeda (Un Papá Escéptico) gives us an update on the swine flu panic, the lamentable side effects include the movie theatres being shut down (which prevents Danny from seeing the new Star Trek). ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We're new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets everytime we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus - What's Atheist Nexus?  Well, it's like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group - Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes - If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress - Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com - Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal - Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You'll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content (nearly) every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded May 15, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, civil rights, commentary, gay rights, humor, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/11/hunting-men-for-jesus/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/11/hunting-men-for-jesus/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 15:26:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=701 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/11/hunting-men-for-jesus/feed/ 7 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/10/religiosity-rematch/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/10/religiosity-rematch/#comments Sun, 10 May 2009 21:33:29 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=699 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/10/religiosity-rematch/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/07/podcast-52-feedback/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/07/podcast-52-feedback/#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 05:01:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=694 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/07/podcast-52-feedback/feed/ 0 74:33 We read and respond to lots of feedback we've gotten from listeners to the show.  We talk about (among other things) Christian opinions on the ... We read and respond to lots of feedback we've gotten from listeners to the show.  We talk about (among other things) Christian opinions on the Creation Museum, Christian license plates in North Carolina and Florida, urotherapy, one-star iTunes feedback and the problem of confirmation bias,  our communist boosterism(?), our racist tendencies(!),  whether or not atheism is compatible with conservatism, and how to pronounce "Hiroshima." Plus: The Christian blogger "Daniel" at twoorthree.net has launched a project to find the best atheist/secularist/anti-theist podcasts, and American Freethought is in his crosshairs!  We'll let you know how it turns out. ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We're new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets everytime we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus - What's Atheist Nexus?  Well, it's like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group - Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes - If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress - Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com - Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal - Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You'll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded May 5, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. alternative medicine, atheism, commentary, ethics, humor, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/04/18-of-my-fellow-georgians-are-morons/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/04/18-of-my-fellow-georgians-are-morons/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 12:49:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=686 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/04/18-of-my-fellow-georgians-are-morons/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/23/getting-all-historical-critical-on-the-koran/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/23/getting-all-historical-critical-on-the-koran/#comments Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:06:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=654 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/23/getting-all-historical-critical-on-the-koran/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/17/conservative-atheists/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/17/conservative-atheists/#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2009 05:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=604 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/17/conservative-atheists/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/16/podcast-50-american-atheists-convention/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/16/podcast-50-american-atheists-convention/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=622 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/16/podcast-50-american-atheists-convention/feed/ 3 61:35 We discuss our experience at the recent America Atheists National Convention, which was held at the beautiful Emory Conference Center Hotel in Decatur, Georgia.  How ... We discuss our experience at the recent America Atheists National Convention, which was held at the beautiful Emory Conference Center Hotel in Decatur, Georgia.  How did the impressive slate of presenters (including activist and retired evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins) do?  What's "the vibe" at AA nowadays?  And what is it with atheists and microphones? ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We're new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets everytime we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus - What's Atheist Nexus?  Well, it's like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group - Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes - If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress - Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com - Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal - Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You'll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded April 14, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, commentary, interviews, news, podcast, skepticism American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/creflo-dollar-liar-or-dupe/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/creflo-dollar-liar-or-dupe/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:51:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=611 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/creflo-dollar-liar-or-dupe/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/new-ny-archbishop-to-challenge-criticism/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/new-ny-archbishop-to-challenge-criticism/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:01:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=596 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/new-ny-archbishop-to-challenge-criticism/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/13/with-allies-like-these-who-needs-enemies-pt-3/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/13/with-allies-like-these-who-needs-enemies-pt-3/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:38:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=598 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/13/with-allies-like-these-who-needs-enemies-pt-3/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/obama-says-america-not-a-christian-nation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/obama-says-america-not-a-christian-nation/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:04:53 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=563 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/obama-says-america-not-a-christian-nation/feed/ 20 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/03/how-many-more-ways-could-this-be-screwed-up/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/03/how-many-more-ways-could-this-be-screwed-up/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:01:55 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=515 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/03/how-many-more-ways-could-this-be-screwed-up/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/31/the-kenya-connection/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/31/the-kenya-connection/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=489 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/31/the-kenya-connection/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/30/podcast-48-morality-without-gods/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/30/podcast-48-morality-without-gods/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:01:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=453 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/30/podcast-48-morality-without-gods/feed/ 3 90:04 We present a recording of "Morality without Gods," a debate held on the campus of Georgia State University on March 16th, 2009.  Sponsored by GSU's ... We present a recording of "Morality without Gods," a debate held on the campus of Georgia State University on March 16th, 2009.  Sponsored by GSU's Revolution Club (which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Communist Party USA), the event was moderated by Associate Professor of Sociology Jim Ainsworth, and featured communist activist and journalist Sunsara Taylor, who is touring the country in support of RCP chairman Bob Avakian's new book Away with All Gods (available at Amazon.com).  For this appearance, Ms. Taylor was joined by Dr. Kenneth L. Samuel of Victory for the World Church in Stone Mountain and Martin Cowen, founder of the Fellowship of Reason, a non-theistic organization based in metro Atlanta. ANNOUNCEMENTS We'll be attending the America Atheists national convention, April 9-12 in Atlanta, Georgia.  Guest speakers include Richard Dawkins and AA president Ed Buckner. Visit our CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. We also have an Amazon.com store--click through and buy whatever you want.  You get the same great Amazon prices, and we get a small commission.  Everybody wins! ...And if you're so-inclined, you can plop some change into our virtual tip jar via PayPal. A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) virtually every day at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group.  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David will soon be podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded March 25, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, commentary, ethics, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/25/and-nowa-moment-of-confusion/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/25/and-nowa-moment-of-confusion/#comments Wed, 25 Mar 2009 05:01:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=446 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/25/and-nowa-moment-of-confusion/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/22/time-to-de-fund-nccam/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/22/time-to-de-fund-nccam/#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:52:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=442 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/22/time-to-de-fund-nccam/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/16/liberals-and-non-christians-must-die/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/16/liberals-and-non-christians-must-die/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:03:07 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=410 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/16/liberals-and-non-christians-must-die/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/15/the-rise-of-the-godless/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/15/the-rise-of-the-godless/#comments Sun, 15 Mar 2009 18:07:55 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=408 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/15/the-rise-of-the-godless/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/13/a-skit-really/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/13/a-skit-really/#comments Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:01:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=392 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/13/a-skit-really/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/collapse-of-the-religious-right/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/collapse-of-the-religious-right/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:01:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=386 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/collapse-of-the-religious-right/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/05/buckner-bocchino-debate-at-ga-tech/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/05/buckner-bocchino-debate-at-ga-tech/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:01:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=325 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/05/buckner-bocchino-debate-at-ga-tech/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/02/why-arent-they-bombing-us-anymore/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/02/why-arent-they-bombing-us-anymore/#comments Mon, 02 Mar 2009 16:11:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=310 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/02/why-arent-they-bombing-us-anymore/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/23/phil-the-pundit-plait-on-bloggingheadstv/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/23/phil-the-pundit-plait-on-bloggingheadstv/#comments Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=272 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/23/phil-the-pundit-plait-on-bloggingheadstv/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/16/with-allies-like-these-who-needs-enemies/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/16/with-allies-like-these-who-needs-enemies/#comments Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:29:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=229 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/16/with-allies-like-these-who-needs-enemies/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/03/podcast-41-neil-degrasse-tyson/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/03/podcast-41-neil-degrasse-tyson/#comments Tue, 03 Feb 2009 05:01:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=214 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/03/podcast-41-neil-degrasse-tyson/feed/ 3 65:05 We interview Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, science advocate, and author of The Pluto Files, a look at the cosmic dust-up that resulted from the demotion ... We interview Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, science advocate, and author of The Pluto Files, a look at the cosmic dust-up that resulted from the demotion of the planet Pluto to "dwarf planet" by the International Astronomical Union.  Dr. Tyson occupies the Frederick P. Rose Directorship of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of National History in NYC.  For more on Dr. Tyson visit HaydenPlanetarium.org/Tyson. The Pluto Files is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. If you haven't already, you can read our review of The Pluto Files here. GET WELL SOON!  Father Reginald Foster, the Discalced Carmelite who is the Vatican's chief Latinist (best known for his brief appearance in Bill Maher's documentary Religulous, in which he openly scoffed at concepts like the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, etc. - and this is a guy who resides in the Vatican!) has been having health problems since taking a bad fall last summer.  While Catholics are encouraged to pray for him (preferrably in Latin), freethinkers are encouraged to send their best wishes to Father Foster for a speedy recovery. DARWIN DONATIONS - Charles Darwin's 200th birthday is coming up.  To celebrate, mark your calendars for February 12th; on that day, contact the charity of your choice and tell them you're making the donation "in honor of Charles Darwin." ANNOUNCEMENTS We're giving away 2 free tix to the upcoming conference "The Religious-Secular Divide," organized by the New School in NYC.  Just email us by February 7th at contact@americanfreethought.com or post your request on our Facebook Wall and you'll be eligible to win. Speaking of February 7th, if you'll be in metro Atlanta, join John and David at the first-ever Atlanta SkeptiCamp!  SkeptiCamp is a special kind of conference in which the content is provided by the attendees.  For fast-changing details visit BarCamp.org/AtlantaSkeptiCampFeb2009. We now have a CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) several times a week at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group.  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded February 2, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. astronomy & space, books, commentary, interviews, news, podcast, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/01/pope-dont-be-so-down-on-marriage-except/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/01/pope-dont-be-so-down-on-marriage-except/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 05:01:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=216 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/01/pope-dont-be-so-down-on-marriage-except/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/31/the-atheismagnosticism-relationship/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/31/the-atheismagnosticism-relationship/#comments Sat, 31 Jan 2009 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=215 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/31/the-atheismagnosticism-relationship/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/29/carpe-diem-and-tough-luck/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/29/carpe-diem-and-tough-luck/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:01:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=211 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/29/carpe-diem-and-tough-luck/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/27/podcast-40-the-galapagos-mountain-boys/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/27/podcast-40-the-galapagos-mountain-boys/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:01:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=209 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/27/podcast-40-the-galapagos-mountain-boys/feed/ 0 64:28 We interview Dr. Stephen Baird, frontman for the Galapagos Mountain Boys, a (mostly) bluegrass band based in the San Diego area.  Dr. Baird talks about the term ... We interview Dr. Stephen Baird, frontman for the Galapagos Mountain Boys, a (mostly) bluegrass band based in the San Diego area.  Dr. Baird talks about the term "scientific gospel," the GMBs' new album Darwin, Darn It!, and their upcoming gigs celebrating Darwin Day 2009.  For details visit ScientificGospel.com. Plus: The fallout from President Obama's nod to "non-believers" in his inaugural address, and lots of listener feedback. DARWIN DONATIONS - Charles Darwin's 200th birthday is coming up.  To celebrate, mark your calendars for February 12th; on that day, contact the charity of your choice and tell them you're making the donation "in honor of Charles Darwin." ANNOUNCEMENTS Listen to this episode to find out how you can win a package of cool freethought tchoch including Phil Zuckerman's book Society without God; Stephen Uhl's audiobook No Gods, No Guilt; the 2009 Skepchick and Skepdude calendars; and the CD "Darwin, Darn It!" by the Galapagos Mountain Boys.  The deadline for entries is January 31st. We're also giving away 2 free tix to the upcoming conference "The Religious-Secular Divide," organized by the New School in NYC.  Just email us by February 7th at contact@americanfreethought.com or post your request on our Facebook Wall and you'll be eligible to win. We now have a CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) several times a week at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link].  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded January 25, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. astronomy & space, christianity, commentary, evolution, humor, interviews, music, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/22/meet-the-new-boss/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/22/meet-the-new-boss/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:01:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=206 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/22/meet-the-new-boss/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/16/pope-combats-fraud-cancels-out-self/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/16/pope-combats-fraud-cancels-out-self/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:14:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=201 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/16/pope-combats-fraud-cancels-out-self/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/15/is-atheism-a-religion-laci-responds/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/15/is-atheism-a-religion-laci-responds/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 05:01:49 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=200 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/15/is-atheism-a-religion-laci-responds/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/12/gay-bishop-to-speak-at-obama-event/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/12/gay-bishop-to-speak-at-obama-event/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:44:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=197 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/12/gay-bishop-to-speak-at-obama-event/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/11/saved-by-face-alone/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/11/saved-by-face-alone/#comments Sun, 11 Jan 2009 16:03:53 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=196 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/11/saved-by-face-alone/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/06/charlie-daniels-is-a-miserable-idiot/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/06/charlie-daniels-is-a-miserable-idiot/#comments Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:07:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=191 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/06/charlie-daniels-is-a-miserable-idiot/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/03/sam-harris-wants-to-read-your-mind/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/03/sam-harris-wants-to-read-your-mind/#comments Sat, 03 Jan 2009 04:01:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=186 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/03/sam-harris-wants-to-read-your-mind/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/rick-fking-warren/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/rick-fking-warren/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:42:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=178 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/rick-fking-warren/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/15/there-are-atheists-in-foxholes/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/15/there-are-atheists-in-foxholes/#comments Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:15:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=174 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/15/there-are-atheists-in-foxholes/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/12/stewart-schools-huckabee-on-gay-marriage/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/12/stewart-schools-huckabee-on-gay-marriage/#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 15:22:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=172 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/12/stewart-schools-huckabee-on-gay-marriage/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/08/bloggingheads-talk-atheism/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/08/bloggingheads-talk-atheism/#comments Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:31:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=167 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/08/bloggingheads-talk-atheism/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/22/podcast-34-mel-lipman/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/22/podcast-34-mel-lipman/#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:31:52 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=160 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/22/podcast-34-mel-lipman/feed/ 2 72:31 Interview with Mel Lipman (approx. 42 minutes into the show), president of the American Humanist Association (and, incidentally, the father of Lori Lipman Brown, lobbyist ... Interview with Mel Lipman (approx. 42 minutes into the show), president of the American Humanist Association (and, incidentally, the father of Lori Lipman Brown, lobbyist for the Secular Coalition for American, whom we talked to in podcast #23).  We talk to Mel about the AHA's holiday ad campaign, which puts the message "Why believe in a god?  Just be good for goodness' sake!" on buses in Washington, DC. But first!... Carl Raschke (Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Denver), commenting on fans of the role-playing game Playing Gods (created by Ben Radford, editor of Skeptical Inquirer), compares (some) atheists to jihadists. We discuss the new DVD release of Expelled.  Basically, refried baloney is still baloney.  If you must buy it, buy it at Amazon.com through us.  Also, a lover of science has created a way to insert fact-checking subtitles as you watch Expelled on your computer.  Here's how. It's three weeks after the elections, but there are still undecided Senate races around the country, including an upcoming runoff in Georgia between incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss (R) and challenger Jim Martin (D). Gay rights advocates around the country are protesting the passage of California Proposition 8 (which bans gay marriage via amendment to the state constitution).  Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich characterizes these protests as "fascist". The Supreme Court hears a lawsuit seeking to force a Utah town to post the "Seven Aphorisms of Summum" next to the Ten Commandments. USA Today publishes a rare article that shows atheism in a positive light. We're giving away a copy of Guy Harrison's book 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God.  The first person who posts a request on our Facebook wall gets it. Announcements A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) every day at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link]. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com - attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Music by Body Found. Recorded November 20, 2008.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, civil rights, commentary, gay rights, intelligent design, interviews, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no