http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress Question. Think. Decide. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:36:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 2007-2011 john@americanfreethought.com (American Freethought) john@americanfreethought.com (American Freethought) atheism 1440 http://www.americanfreethought.com/images/podcastlogo144x144.jpg http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress 144 144 Question. Think. Decide. An atheist podcast. freethought, atheism, skepticism, religion, secularism, philosophy, atheist, skeptic American Freethought American Freethought john@americanfreethought.com yes no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/28/podcast-143-cullen-murphy-gods-jury/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/28/podcast-143-cullen-murphy-gods-jury/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:00:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3157 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/28/podcast-143-cullen-murphy-gods-jury/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/11/podcast-132-the-illogical-immortality-of-911-conspiracy-theories/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/11/podcast-132-the-illogical-immortality-of-911-conspiracy-theories/#comments Sun, 11 Sep 2011 05:01:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3017 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/11/podcast-132-the-illogical-immortality-of-911-conspiracy-theories/feed/ 3 1:03:40 Show notes and mp3. Show notes and mp3. history, interviews, podcast, skepticism American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/is-america-a-christian-nation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/is-america-a-christian-nation/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:45:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2913 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/is-america-a-christian-nation/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/21/podcast-123-study-on-us-catholic-child-abuse/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/21/podcast-123-study-on-us-catholic-child-abuse/#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 16:56:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2798 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/21/podcast-123-study-on-us-catholic-child-abuse/feed/ 4 0:37:16 Assuming the world hasn’t come to an end or that you haven’t been Raptured away… The US Catholic Church reveals The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010, a study into the [...] Assuming the world hasn’t come to an end or that you haven’t been Raptured away… The US Catholic Church reveals The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010, a study into the causes of priestly child abuse in the late 20th century.  It’s a mixed bag of things that should have been obvious, things the Church won’t want to hear, and some feeble hand-waving about the Sexual Revolution being sooo confusing. Michael Newdow has lost.  Again.  The US Supreme Court has turned down his appeal in a lawsuit to prevent the president from saying “so help me God” after taking the oath of office.  While we can’t disagree with Newdow that “so help me God” is a bad idea, insulting to nonbelievers, and potentially blasphemous to believers, we also think this was a bad fight to pick–a losing battle that has now set bad precedent. Holey Scripture!  What does the Bible have to say about Indiana governor Mitch Daniels?The answer may surprise you, and will surely flummox most Christians.  (And this already came up a while back during David Plotz’s “Blogging the Bible” series at Slate.com.) Announcements Atlanta Skepticamp is June 11-12th at the Doraville Community Center in north metro Atlanta.  If you’ll be in Atlanta that weekend, sign up to give a presentation and/or help with the organization. John Snider will repeat his “20th Century Twain” presentation, July 3rd for the Fellowship of Reason, at Atlanta Freethought Hall. children, christianity, cults, ethics, history, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/podcast-122-robert-m-price-on-the-book-of-revelation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/podcast-122-robert-m-price-on-the-book-of-revelation/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 22:57:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2745 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/podcast-122-robert-m-price-on-the-book-of-revelation/feed/ 6 0:56:38 We wrap up our extended look at the Book of Revelation with an interview with Dr. Robert M. Price, theologian and author of (among other books) The Reason Driven Life. For more about Dr. Price visit his official website: robertmprice.mindvendor.com.[...] We wrap up our extended look at the Book of Revelation with an interview with Dr. Robert M. Price, theologian and author of (among other books) The Reason Driven Life. For more about Dr. Price visit his official website: robertmprice.mindvendor.com. (Correction: We state in the podcast we’re presenting the last three chapters, but actually it’s the last four.) Plus: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart almost nails historical revisionist David Barton, one of the movers and shakers behind the “America is a Christian nation” myth. Announcements: The Secular Coalition for America is holding their Biennial Strategic Summit May 19-21 in Washington, DC. If you’re going to be in Tampa, Florida May 13-15 check out the first International Freethought Film Festival. A reminder that David Driscoll’s Secular Nation podcast is now the Secular World podcast! Finally, check out Mike Lee’s The Religious Antagonist on YouTube. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. Recorded May 8, 2011. books, christianity, commentary, history, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/15/paris-oddly-enough-part-9-from-temporary-to-timeless/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/15/paris-oddly-enough-part-9-from-temporary-to-timeless/#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2011 05:01:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2712 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/15/paris-oddly-enough-part-9-from-temporary-to-timeless/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/13/paris-oddly-enough-part-7-french-muslims/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/13/paris-oddly-enough-part-7-french-muslims/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 05:01:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2709 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/13/paris-oddly-enough-part-7-french-muslims/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/12/paris-oddly-enough-part-6-slightly-off-topic-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/12/paris-oddly-enough-part-6-slightly-off-topic-edition/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2666 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/12/paris-oddly-enough-part-6-slightly-off-topic-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/11/paris-oddly-enough-part-5-place-de-greve/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/11/paris-oddly-enough-part-5-place-de-greve/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 05:01:07 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2700 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/11/paris-oddly-enough-part-5-place-de-greve/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/10/paris-oddly-enough-part-4-oh-the-ironies/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/10/paris-oddly-enough-part-4-oh-the-ironies/#comments Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2697 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/10/paris-oddly-enough-part-4-oh-the-ironies/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/09/paris-oddly-enough-part-3-walking-it-off/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/09/paris-oddly-enough-part-3-walking-it-off/#comments Sat, 09 Apr 2011 05:01:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2683 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/09/paris-oddly-enough-part-3-walking-it-off/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/07/paris-oddly-enough-part-1/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/07/paris-oddly-enough-part-1/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2653 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/07/paris-oddly-enough-part-1/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/06/podcast-120-20th-century-twain/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/06/podcast-120-20th-century-twain/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2673 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/06/podcast-120-20th-century-twain/feed/ 1 0:56:40 We present “20th Century Twain: Mark Twain’s Final Years and Freethought Legacy,” John’s presentation on March 20th to the Humanists of Georgia.  It’s a discussion of the last 10 years of Mark Twain’s life, and a [...] We present “20th Century Twain: Mark Twain’s Final Years and Freethought Legacy,” John’s presentation on March 20th to the Humanists of Georgia.  It’s a discussion of the last 10 years of Mark Twain’s life, and a look at some of his writings about religion.  Many thanks to the Humanists of Georgia for the invitation to speak. Twain caricature by Amir Taqi. If you’d like John or David (or both) to come talk to your group. we are available!  Just email us: john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. If you shop online, please use our Amazon.com link.  For cool American Freethought t-shirts, mugs, etc. visit our CafePress shop. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded March 20 & 30, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. history, humor, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/huckabee-forcible-indoctrination-at-gunpoint/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/huckabee-forcible-indoctrination-at-gunpoint/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:40:01 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2681 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/huckabee-forcible-indoctrination-at-gunpoint/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/17/20th-century-twain-this-weekend/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/17/20th-century-twain-this-weekend/#comments Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:00:03 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2627 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/17/20th-century-twain-this-weekend/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/barry-lynn-vs-ken-ham-on-the-ark-park/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/barry-lynn-vs-ken-ham-on-the-ark-park/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:50:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2550 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/barry-lynn-vs-ken-ham-on-the-ark-park/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/23/podcast-112-bluegrass-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/23/podcast-112-bluegrass-edition/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:58:48 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2491 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/23/podcast-112-bluegrass-edition/feed/ 1 1:13:57 The great Commonwealth of Kentucky has gotten itself in the news on several counts–none of them good. 1. It’s bad enough that Answers in Genesis’ Creation “Museum” in northern Kentucky is prospering.  It’s worse t[...] The great Commonwealth of Kentucky has gotten itself in the news on several counts–none of them good. 1. It’s bad enough that Answers in Genesis’ Creation “Museum” in northern Kentucky is prospering.  It’s worse that AIG plans to expand, building an “Ark Encounter” amusement park.  The worst part is the state government is offering millions of dollars of tax incentives to what amounts to a religious indoctrination center that peddles anti-scientific folderol.  But wait–there’s more!  Turns out that state officials never even saw the alleged feasibility study, and AIG isn’t sharing so much as the executive summary with the media.  Science academics in Kentucky are none too happy with the state’s implicit support of bad science for the sake of a few dozen low-paying jobs.  And AIG’s Ken Ham’s none too happy with the intellectual ass-whoopin’ he’s been getting. 2. Astronomer Martin Gaskell has gone to court with the University of Kentucky, claiming he was denied a position at the new observatory because of his religious views.  Given that Dr. Gaskell has been giving public presentations like this, in which he condemns the atheistic worldview as a path to destruction, and given that this new job has a very public face, it’s no wonder UK turned him down. 3. A judge recently ruled unconstitutional a Kentucky statute requiring the state’s Director of Homeland Security to recognize “Almighty God” in the department’s annual report.  The state is appealing, and nearly all the state legislators have signed on to amicus briefs in support of the law! 4. Finally, drivers in the Commonwealth will soon have the option to sport the national motto “In God We Trust” on their license plates.  Joy. Plus:  The Holey Scripture!  We continue our exploration of the psychedelic creepiness that is the Book of Revelation. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethought.com; for David Driscoll 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 December 21, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, evolution, history, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/10/podcast-111-jack-david-eller-cruel-creeds-virtuous-violence/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/10/podcast-111-jack-david-eller-cruel-creeds-virtuous-violence/#comments Fri, 10 Dec 2010 05:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2478 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/10/podcast-111-jack-david-eller-cruel-creeds-virtuous-violence/feed/ 2 0:45:40 We interview Jack David Eller, author of Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence: Religious Violence across Culture and History, newly published by Prometheus Books in both hardcover and for Kindle.  Dr. Eller’s previous books include Natural Atheism [...] We interview Jack David Eller, author of Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence: Religious Violence across Culture and History, newly published by Prometheus Books in both hardcover and for Kindle.  Dr. Eller’s previous books include Natural Atheism and Atheism Advanced.  Cruel Creeds is “a balanced and objective examination of the many manifestations of religious violence – including sacrifice, self-mortification, religious persecution, ethno-religious conflicts, and religious war – [that reveals] why certain kinds of religious ideas and practices contribute to certain types of violence.” Plus:  The Holey Scripture!  We continue our exploration of the psychedelic creepiness that is the Book of Revelation. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethought.com; for David Driscoll 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 December 8, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, history, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/03/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/03/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance/#comments Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:00:01 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2455 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/03/americas-true-history-of-religious-tolerance/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/29/rest-easy-mohammad-existed/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/29/rest-easy-mohammad-existed/#comments Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:01:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2448 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/29/rest-easy-mohammad-existed/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/menckens-creed/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/menckens-creed/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 03:41:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2421 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/menckens-creed/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/20/sacred-heart-cultural-center/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/20/sacred-heart-cultural-center/#comments Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:01:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2393 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/20/sacred-heart-cultural-center/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/19/vashti-mccollum/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/19/vashti-mccollum/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2390 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/19/vashti-mccollum/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/02/podcast-103-freethought-and-pornography/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/02/podcast-103-freethought-and-pornography/#comments Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:33:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2333 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/02/podcast-103-freethought-and-pornography/feed/ 2 0:49:27 We interview David Bertolino, writer and producer of The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, a new off-Broadway play now showing at NYC’s Bleecker Street Theater.  The 1972 film Deep Throat was not only a cultural milestone for American culture; it was a[...] We interview David Bertolino, writer and producer of The Deep Throat Sex Scandal, a new off-Broadway play now showing at NYC’s Bleecker Street Theater.  The 1972 film Deep Throat was not only a cultural milestone for American culture; it was also the center of a federal trial that affected our right to free speech to this very day. For more about the play, visit DeepThroatThePlay.com. For those (of majority age) interested in exploring this topic, Deep Throat is available on DVD, as is the excellent documentary Inside Deep Throat. Also, check out the Sep/Oct 2010 issue of The Humanist, featuring an interview with former porn star, atheist, and free speech advocate Nina Hartley, and the essay “Shifting Positions: Humanist Perspectives on Pornography” by Melissa Bollman. Opening clip from Martinibomb’s “The Love God” from the album Wakka Chikka Wakka Chikka: Porn Music for the Masses Volume 1. So what do you think?  Send us an email and share your thoughts about the intersection of freethought and porn. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll 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 September 29, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. arts, history, interviews, movies, podcast American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/27/agora-on-dvd/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/27/agora-on-dvd/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2304 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/27/agora-on-dvd/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/pope-equates-atheists-with-nazis/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/pope-equates-atheists-with-nazis/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 02:37:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2275 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/pope-equates-atheists-with-nazis/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/the-deep-throat-sex-scandal/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/the-deep-throat-sex-scandal/#comments Thu, 16 Sep 2010 05:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2263 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/the-deep-throat-sex-scandal/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/podcast-100-live-at-dragoncon-2010/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/podcast-100-live-at-dragoncon-2010/#comments Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:01:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2231 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/podcast-100-live-at-dragoncon-2010/feed/ 7 1:00:38 It’s our 100th episode, and it’s live on the Podcast Track at Dragon*Con 2010!  Aside from reminiscing about our previous 99 shows, we present our usual potpourri of items. Donald Crosby, founder and pastor of God’s Kingdom Builde[...] It’s our 100th episode, and it’s live on the Podcast Track at Dragon*Con 2010!  Aside from reminiscing about our previous 99 shows, we present our usual potpourri of items. Donald Crosby, founder and pastor of God’s Kingdom Builders Church of Jesus Christ in Macon, Georgia, is up in arms because nearby Warner Robins High School’s mascot is the Demon.  [Note:  John states during the podcast that he lived in Warner Robins in the late 90s.  It was actually the late 80s.] Holey Scripture:  Behold Behemoth!  The Old Testament waxes poetic in Job 40:15-24 about the monstrous behemoth, but a quick etymological study (courtesy of the July 28, 2010 Dictionary Word-of-the-Day) reveals that it’s not a monster at all, but rather a hippopotamus.  But that doesn’t stop the guys at T.R.U.T.H. (To Reach Understanding Through Him), who created a video for kids called “What’s a Behemoth?” Which Mohammad?  In this corner…Omid Safi,Islamic mystic and professor of Islamic studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  His latest book is Memories of Muhammad, a generally positive look at the life and influence of the Prophet.  And in this corner…Wafa Sultan, a Syrian born American psychiatrist and author of A God Who Hates, a blistering condemnation of Islam as a backward, misogynistic, violent and insular cult.  She’s best known for her vigorous take-down of an imam on Al-Jazeera in 2006.  We compare the vastly different interpretations of each author of the marriages of Mohammad to Aisha (a six-year-old girl) and Safiyah (a Jewess taken as a spoil of war).  Was Mohammad a noble protector of women, or a pedophile and a rapist?  You decide. Feedback:  Listeners take David to task over his (incorrect) statement in show #99 that August 2010 won’t contain five Sunday-Monday-Tuesdays for another 800+ years.  What can we say?  The guy trusts his mother. Live Q&A:  What do we make of the Tea Party?  And how can those uppity non-Muslim (?!) women like Wafa Sultan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Irshad Manji criticize Islam? Thanks again to Swoopy for organizing the Podcast Track and giving us a slot on it. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll 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. Thanks to David Price for the Con photo. Recorded September 3, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, christianity, evolution, history, islam, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/09/podcast-98-the-crescent-and-the-moonpie/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/09/podcast-98-the-crescent-and-the-moonpie/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 05:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2159 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/09/podcast-98-the-crescent-and-the-moonpie/feed/ 1 1:04:44 In our live presentation to the Atlanta Freethought Society, “The Crescent and the Moonpie: Islam and the American South,” we look at the history of Islam in the Antebellum South, then jump forward to discuss  how Muslim communities are [...] In our live presentation to the Atlanta Freethought Society, “The Crescent and the Moonpie: Islam and the American South,” we look at the history of Islam in the Antebellum South, then jump forward to discuss  how Muslim communities are being received in 21st century Dixie. Mentioned in the presentation: US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan and former heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali.  Both men are native-born Southerners (Hasan in Virginia, Ali in Kentucky).  Both are adherents of Islam, yet they took very different paths. Muslims in the Antebellum South: Estevanico the Moor (1500-1539), Muslim convert to Catholicism and the first African to set foot in North America. Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, an African slave eventually returned to his homeland with the help of (among others) James Oglethorpe, the founder of colonial Georgia. Yarrow Mamout (1736-1823), a freedman who lived in early Washington, DC, who owned property and bank investments and was painted by famous portraitist Charles Willson Peale. Omar ibn Said (1770-1864), and Islamic scholar who wrote 14 Arabic manuscripts during his time as a slave. Bilali Muhammad, who led a congregation of 80 fellow Muslims while enslaved on Sapelo Island, Georgia in the early 19th century. Islam in the 21st Century South: Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta, the largest and most prominent mosque in Georgia (possibly in the South). Case Study #1:  The Christian Action Network sponsors a billboard campaign for Islam Rising, an anti-Islamic documentary. Case Study #2:  Residents of Murfreesboro, Tennessee are upset at the pending construction of a sizable Islamic Center. Case Study #3:  The City Council of Alpharetta, Georgia denies an expansion permit to the Islamic Center of North Fulton, citing zoning concerns. Case Study #4:  Residents of Lilburn, Georgia allege harassment by”Middle Eastern men” after the Dar-e-Abbas mosque was denied an expansion permit in their neighborhood.  The police have so far found no evidence of wrongdoing. Announcements: Dragon*Con (which includes SkepTrack) is just around the corner, September 3-6, right here in Atlanta.  And if you can join us a day early, the second annual Star Party will be hosted by Emory University’s Science and Math Center. Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll 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 August 8, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. history, islam, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/12/podcast-96-michael-largo-gods-lunatics/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/12/podcast-96-michael-largo-gods-lunatics/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:01:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2117 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/12/podcast-96-michael-largo-gods-lunatics/feed/ 0 0:47:56 We talk with Michael Largo, author of the entertaining, enlightening, encyclopedic tome God’s Lunatics: Lost Souls, False Prophets, Martyred Saints, Murderous Cults, Demonic Nuns, and Other Victims of Man’s Eternal Search for the Divine.[...] We talk with Michael Largo, author of the entertaining, enlightening, encyclopedic tome God’s Lunatics: Lost Souls, False Prophets, Martyred Saints, Murderous Cults, Demonic Nuns, and Other Victims of Man’s Eternal Search for the Divine.  His previous nonfiction works include Genius and Heroin, The Portable Obituary, and the award-winning Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die.  For more about Michael and his books visit FinalExits.com. The Usual Announcements Check out the Texas Freethought Convention, coming up October 8-10 in Dallas/Fort Worth.  Among the luminaries scheduled to speak are Michael Newdow, John W. Loftus, Ed Buckner and Stuart Bechman, with musical entertainment from George Hrab! Look for David Driscoll, in his roll as regional ambassador for Atheist Alliance International, speaking August 1st in Knoxville to the Rationalists of East Tennessee. If you’ll be in metro Atlanta on August 8th, look for John Snider and David Driscoll speaking to the Atlanta Freethought Society. 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 July 6, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, history, humor, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/06/podcast-95-hitch-22/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/06/podcast-95-hitch-22/#comments Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2105 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/06/podcast-95-hitch-22/feed/ 1 0:40:50 Writer/activist Christopher Hitchens has announced he’ll be stepping out of the public light to undergo chemotherapy to treat esophageal cancer.  This is bad and scary news and we’re hoping for a speedy and relatively painless recovery. [...] Writer/activist Christopher Hitchens has announced he’ll be stepping out of the public light to undergo chemotherapy to treat esophageal cancer.  This is bad and scary news and we’re hoping for a speedy and relatively painless recovery. Meanwhile, Hitchens has just published Hitch-22, a controversial memoir in which he reveals hitherto unknown details of his early life, and tries to explain his convoluted journey from hardcore Trotskyite to (for lack of a better term) neocon apologist.  It’s not a dull read, although much of the name-dropping will go over the heads of average American readers who only know Hitch from his recent elevation to the ranks of the Four Horsemen.  (Keep Wikipedia or Google handy and you’ll do just fine.) Hitch-22 is available in hardcover, as an audiobook (read by Hitch himself) and in Kindle format. For more Hitchedy goodness, listen to Podcast #6 for our discussion of The Portable Atheist (or read our review here). Meanwhile, Ed Buckner has announced he’ll be stepping down as president of American Atheists.  It’ll be hard to fill his soft-spoken, yet undaunted, shoes. 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 July 3, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, history, podcast American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/23/atheists-in-life-jackets/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/23/atheists-in-life-jackets/#comments Wed, 23 Jun 2010 23:54:47 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2084 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/23/atheists-in-life-jackets/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/oreilly-palin-natl-day-of-prayer-my-head-goes-all-explody/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/oreilly-palin-natl-day-of-prayer-my-head-goes-all-explody/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 22:17:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2011 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/oreilly-palin-natl-day-of-prayer-my-head-goes-all-explody/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/11/no-god-but-god/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/11/no-god-but-god/#comments Sun, 11 Apr 2010 19:46:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1945 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/11/no-god-but-god/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/22/podcast-84-newdow-in-flames/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/22/podcast-84-newdow-in-flames/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:01:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1914 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/22/podcast-84-newdow-in-flames/feed/ 3 0:44:58 The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has denied activist Michael Newdow’s lawsuits to challenge “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on the currency.  We think the Court was cowardly and disingen[...] The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has denied activist Michael Newdow’s lawsuits to challenge “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on the currency.  We think the Court was cowardly and disingenuous.  Unfortunately, this is likely to be the last gasp in the decades-long struggle.  You can find links to the full texts of the Court’s opinions (including Judge Stephen Reinhardt’s scathing 120-page dissent) here. In other news…the city council of Roswell, Georgia has resoundingly turned back a suggestion to begin council meetings with prayer.  A surprising victory, but one we welcome nonetheless. Plus: David reports on Secular Coalition executive director Sean Faircloth’s appearance at the Atlanta Freethought Society; meanwhile, John attends a Jewish funeral and a Buddhist wedding. 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. 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 March 21, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, buddhism, christianity, history, judaism, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes 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/2010/01/31/my-islam-reading-project/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/31/my-islam-reading-project/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:11:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1850 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/31/my-islam-reading-project/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/26/podcast-78-pat-robertson-is-an-evil-moron/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/26/podcast-78-pat-robertson-is-an-evil-moron/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:01:42 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1843 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/26/podcast-78-pat-robertson-is-an-evil-moron/feed/ 0 0:48:15 Or at least so says Christopher Hitchens, responding to Robertson’s claim that the devastating Haitian earthquake (which may have killed upwards of 200,000 innocent people) was the result of “a deal with the devil” made during the [...] Or at least so says Christopher Hitchens, responding to Robertson’s claim that the devastating Haitian earthquake (which may have killed upwards of 200,000 innocent people) was the result of “a deal with the devil” made during the Haitian Revolution in 1791.  White House press secretary Robert Gibbs called Robertson’s remarks “utterly stupid.”  Barry Lynn of Americans United said they were callous and grotesquely insensitive.  And Keith Olbermann says Robertson is full of “senile crap.” So what the heck is Robertson talking about?  In a word: voodoo.  Specifically, the semi-legendary meeting at Bois Caiman, in which African slaves called upon spirits to help them overthrow their French masters.  (And for more on modern-day voodoo right here in America, check out this short film from photojournalist Stephanie Keith. For those who want to help their fellow human beings instead of floating crack-brained religious theories, there’s CFI’s SHARE and Non-Believers Giving Aid. Meanwhile…US defense contractor Trijicon is backpedaling furiously after the media reported that they’ve been encoding Bible verses into the serial numbers of their specialty gun-sights.  Crusade, what Crusade?  Trijicon is offering a half-assed apology and has pledged to “voluntarily” stop the practice for future military production. Plus: Holey Scripture! Remember Samuel L. Jackson’s brilliant recitation of Ezekiel 25:17 from the modern classic Pulp Fiction?  Turns out Jackson’s hitman Jules knows about as much of the Bible as most Christians.  It also turns out Quentin Tarantino ripped off payed homage to Sonny Chiba. David reports on his ambassadorial trip to Charleston. John reports on American Atheist president Ed Buckner’s recent debate with Charles Gernazian (director of the Catholic American Center on Law and Religion).  Two guesses as to who we think won. 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 January 24, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, cults, history, movies, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/09/goddess-of-the-market/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/09/goddess-of-the-market/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:20:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1732 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/09/goddess-of-the-market/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/09/podcast-72-jennifer-burns-goddess-of-the-market/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/09/podcast-72-jennifer-burns-goddess-of-the-market/#comments Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:01:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1737 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/09/podcast-72-jennifer-burns-goddess-of-the-market/feed/ 1 1:18:39 We interview Jennifer Burns, assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia and author of the new biography Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right.  It’s a timely book considering the recent resurgence of Rand[...] We interview Jennifer Burns, assistant professor of history at the University of Virginia and author of the new biography Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right.  It’s a timely book considering the recent resurgence of Rand’s works (especially her novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged)  as a reaction to the country’s current economic situation.  For more about Prof. Burns visit www.JenniferBurns.org.  Read John Snider’s review of Goddess of the Market and/or order you very own copy at Amazon.com. Readers may also be interested in But Is It Science Fiction? Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged (essay by John C. Snider from 2000) and Five Questions with Nathaniel Branden (interview by John C. Snider from 2005). 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 7, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, history, interviews, podcast, politics American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/01/podcast-67-jeff-sharlet-the-family/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/01/podcast-67-jeff-sharlet-the-family/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:01:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1455 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/01/podcast-67-jeff-sharlet-the-family/feed/ 0 0:47:58 We interview Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.  The Family is both an investigation into the organization that has influenced presidents from Eisenhower to Obama, and a history of American [...] We interview Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.  The Family is both an investigation into the organization that has influenced presidents from Eisenhower to Obama, and a history of American fundamentalism from colonial times to the present.  If you don’t read any other book this year about religion in America, read this one.  You can buy The Family at Amazon.com. Sharlet is the co-creator of Killing the Buddha, a literary magazine about religion, and The Revealer, “a daily review of religion and the press.”  Sharlet is also a contributing editor to Harper’s and Rolling Stone. Announcements – We encourage you to leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com.  We have a Yahoo Group, a Facebook page, an Atheist Nexus page, a Think Atheist page (NEW!), and a Twitter feed.  If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. Say “hi” to David if you’re planning to attend the upcoming Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention, October 2-4 in Los Angeles (Burbank, actually), CA. 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 28, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, cults, history, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/26/darwin-film-gets-us-distributor/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/26/darwin-film-gets-us-distributor/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1432 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/26/darwin-film-gets-us-distributor/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/18/the-family/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/18/the-family/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:01:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1337 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/18/the-family/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/norman-borlaug-1914-2009/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/norman-borlaug-1914-2009/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:02:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1355 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/norman-borlaug-1914-2009/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/19/the-voyage-that-shook-the-world/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/19/the-voyage-that-shook-the-world/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1222 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/19/the-voyage-that-shook-the-world/feed/ 6 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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/magic-mushrooms-and-he-were-familiar-friends/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/podcast-61-adventures-in-cobb-county/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/podcast-61-adventures-in-cobb-county/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:01:22 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1090 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/podcast-61-adventures-in-cobb-county/feed/ 6 1:08:27 “Ufologist” and Young Earth Creationist Gary Bates of Creation Ministries International presented “Aliens, UFOs and the Bible” on July 18th at the Sewell Mill Baptist Church in Marietta, GA.  We (John and Allison) were there[...] “Ufologist” and Young Earth Creationist Gary Bates of Creation Ministries International presented “Aliens, UFOs and the Bible” on July 18th at the Sewell Mill Baptist Church in Marietta, GA.  We (John and Allison) were there, but the building did not spontaneously burst into flame, nor were there any clear-skies lightning strikes to manifest the ire of YHWH at the presence of infidels.  As for Bates…thanks a LOT, Australia!  For general creationist debunkage visit TalkOrigins.org.  [Late-breaking Bonus:  If you can stomach it, you can listen to Bates's entire baloneython in podcast format at the church's website--including the very session we sat in on!] American Atheists president Ed Buckner delivers the invocation before a meeting of the Cobb County (Georgia) Board of Commissioners in Marietta.  Yes, we know that “atheist invocation” is an oxymoron, but Ed used the opportunity to go meta, delivering a four-minute invocation on the idiocy of invocations.  Go get ‘em, Ed! More Cobb Craziness: Pelphry v Cobb – The ACLU (with Ed Buckner among the plaintiffs) sued the county over sectarian invocations before meetings of the BOC.  The ACLU lost, but the BOC has loosened up on who may deliver the invocation. Evolution Stickers – The county was sued–and lost–over stickers placed in school biology texts that read “Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things.  The material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.” Olympic Scandal – In the mid-1990s the BOC passed a resolution declaring that homosexuality was “incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes.”  After gay rights activists threatened to disrupt the Olympic Torch Relay (which was scheduled to go through Cobb on its way to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta), the Olympic organizers rerouted the torch.  Cobb rescinded the anti-gay resolution in 1997. Annette Kesting – Cobb’s first black Commissioner got in hot water for stating, while speaking at a black church, “I love my enemies.  I pray every day with my enemies because I have to go up on the third floor and work with white women,” and “You would be amazed seeing the people I work with at the county.  They are not Christian people.”  Kesting lost the next election to Woody Thompson; to exact revenge, Kesting hired a South Carolina voodoo priestess to put a curse on Thompson that would kill him.  The curse failed; actually, it was never cast, since both of Kesting’s checks bounced.  In July 2009 Kesting and her husband were arrested for allegedly stealing a truck they had borrowed from a friend and failed to return. ANNOUNCEMENTS Dragon*Con is only a month away!  Four day memberships are $90 (plus Ticketmaster charges) through August 15th.  After that, you’ll have to buy tickets at the door ($100 for four days, less for other packages).   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, [...] atheism, christianity, evolution, history, news, paranormal, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no 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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/will-in-god-we-trust-be-set-in-stone/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/podcast-60-40th-anniv-of-apollo-11-with-seth-shostak/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/podcast-60-40th-anniv-of-apollo-11-with-seth-shostak/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:01:47 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1028 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/podcast-60-40th-anniv-of-apollo-11-with-seth-shostak/feed/ 3 0:56:14 We celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11!  On July 20, 1969 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first human beings to set foot on another world.  Our special guest this time is Seth Shostak, senior astronomer with the SETI Ins[...] We celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11!  On July 20, 1969 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first human beings to set foot on another world.  Our special guest this time is Seth Shostak, senior astronomer with the SETI Institute, co-host of the Are We Alone? radio show, and author of the book Confessions of an Alien Hunter (available at Amazon.com and/or Amazon.co.uk). 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 will podcast new episodes of Secular Nation soon.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded July 16, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. history, interviews, paranormal, podcast, science, skepticism American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/18/colbert-mocks-tx/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/18/colbert-mocks-tx/#comments Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:36:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1051 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/18/colbert-mocks-tx/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/17/lro-images-apollo-sites/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/17/lro-images-apollo-sites/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:56:49 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1045 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/17/lro-images-apollo-sites/feed/ 0 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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/15/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists/feed/ 8 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/03/podcast-58-robert-wright/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/03/podcast-58-robert-wright/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:01:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=952 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/03/podcast-58-robert-wright/feed/ 14 1:13:57 We interview Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God and one of the founders of the pundit-driven website bloggingheads.tv.  In The Evolution of God, Wright lays out a convincing case that the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Isl[...] We interview Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God and one of the founders of the pundit-driven website bloggingheads.tv.  In The Evolution of God, Wright lays out a convincing case that the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are “illusions” shaped by completely natural forces like commerce, warfare and social instability.  At the same time, Wright controversially claims that Western religion’s progressive march (from shamanistic superstition to primitive polytheism to a monotheism which recognizes the value of individual human beings) reveals an inevitable, even divine “higher purpose.”  For more information visit evolutionofgod.net. Wright is also known for his books The Moral Animal (a classic explication of the emerging discipline of evolutionary psychology) and Nonzero (which uses game theory to construct a model of human history that dovetails nicely with The Evolution of God). Read John’s review of The Evolution of God, or buy your very own copy (highly recommended) at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. 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 1, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, ethics, history, interviews, islam, judaism, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/the-evolution-of-god/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/the-evolution-of-god/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:40:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=956 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/the-evolution-of-god/feed/ 7 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/22/may-i-recommend/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/22/may-i-recommend/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:01:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=923 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/22/may-i-recommend/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/rage-in-the-gate-city/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/rage-in-the-gate-city/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:10:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=891 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/rage-in-the-gate-city/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/idiot-america/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/idiot-america/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:00:07 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=841 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/idiot-america/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/24/freethinkers-by-susan-jacoby/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/24/freethinkers-by-susan-jacoby/#comments Sun, 24 May 2009 05:01:12 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=741 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/24/freethinkers-by-susan-jacoby/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/19/agora/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/19/agora/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=722 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/19/agora/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/25/witch-hunting-is-no-laughing-matter/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/25/witch-hunting-is-no-laughing-matter/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:01:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=660 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/25/witch-hunting-is-no-laughing-matter/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/22/podcast-51-bart-ehrman/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/22/podcast-51-bart-ehrman/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:01:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=647 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/22/podcast-51-bart-ehrman/feed/ 3 0:40:28 We interview Bart Ehrman, Biblical scholar and author of the new book Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them). Dr. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor and Chair of[...] We interview Bart Ehrman, Biblical scholar and author of the new book Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them). Dr. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.   He has written 21 books and numerous articles, but he is best known for his nonfiction books on Biblical scholarship aimed at general audiences–books that reveal Christianity’s dirty little secret: that what scholars know about the problems with the Bible rarely makes it to the pulpit. For more info about Dr. Ehrman and his work visit bartdehrman.com. Also mentioned in the podcast: Read John’s review of Jesus, Interrupted.  You can buy it at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Misquoting Jesus – Another great book by Dr. Ehrman published in 2005.  You can buy it at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Does the God of Christianity Exist? A panel discussion from the Christian Book Expo, in which Christian apologist Lee Strobel claims that there’s a solid case for the historical accuracy of the Gospels. 2010 Mythicist Prize – Organized by author Rene Salms (who makes the controversial claim that the city of Nazareth didn’t even exist during Jesus’ time) and coordinated with the blessing of American Atheists, this prize offers $1,000 to the best academic paper proving that Jesus did not exist. 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 17, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, history, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/20/urban-legends-and-columbine/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/20/urban-legends-and-columbine/#comments Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:58:57 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=642 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/20/urban-legends-and-columbine/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/15/jesus-interrupted-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/15/jesus-interrupted-2/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:01:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=608 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/15/jesus-interrupted-2/feed/ 2 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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/obama-says-america-not-a-christian-nation/feed/ 23 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/09/jesus-interrupted/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/09/jesus-interrupted/#comments Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:27:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=356 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/09/jesus-interrupted/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/05/righteous-stuff-2-of-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/05/righteous-stuff-2-of-2/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=219 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/05/righteous-stuff-2-of-2/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/04/righteous-stuff-1-of-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/04/righteous-stuff-1-of-2/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:01:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=218 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/04/righteous-stuff-1-of-2/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/23/the-religious-right-looks-to-the-future/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/23/the-religious-right-looks-to-the-future/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:01:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=188 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/23/the-religious-right-looks-to-the-future/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/21/on-this-day-in-forgotten-history/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/21/on-this-day-in-forgotten-history/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:40:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=159 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/21/on-this-day-in-forgotten-history/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/17/140-years-of-ufo-photos/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/17/140-years-of-ufo-photos/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:55:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=157 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/17/140-years-of-ufo-photos/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/04/random-thoughts-on-election-2008/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/04/random-thoughts-on-election-2008/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2008 21:43:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=150 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/04/random-thoughts-on-election-2008/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/26/podcast-32-potpourri-and-feedback/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/26/podcast-32-potpourri-and-feedback/#comments Mon, 27 Oct 2008 02:03:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=145 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/26/podcast-32-potpourri-and-feedback/feed/ 0 0:43:51 In this episode we throw in a potpourri of items in the news or random events we think our subscribers will find interesting, plus we discuss some interesting listener feedback. Religulous Kicks Expelled‘s Ass – Comedian Bill Maher[...] In this episode we throw in a potpourri of items in the news or random events we think our subscribers will find interesting, plus we discuss some interesting listener feedback. Religulous Kicks Expelled‘s Ass – Comedian Bill Maher’s anti-religion documentary Religulous has earned $10.6M in four weeks on roughly 500 screens.  Compare that to Ben Stein’s “evolution means genocide” screed Expelled, which brought in $7.7M during its entire eight-week run on over 1,000 screens.  So maybe Americans aren’t as nuts as we’d feared. W – We talk briefly about Oliver Stone’s not-great-not-terrible biopic of our current lame-duck president.  Bottom line: it’s worth seeing but offers no new insights into how a mediocrity like George W. Bush could wrangle his way into two full terms as the most powerful man on the planet.  Visit WtheFilm.com for more info. Wicked – The hit musical Wicked (based on the novel by which turns the premise of The Wizard of Oz upside-down) is playing at the historic Fox Theatre in Atlanta.  This of course leads to sidewalk preachers descending upong Peachtree Street like a plague of locusts to decry the desensitization of our youth to witchcraft and moral relativism (just like that brat Harry Potter). Track Rock Archaeological Site near Brasstown Bald is the only known example of prehistoric petroglyphs in Georgia.  Nobody – not even the Cherokee Indians – knows who carved them or when.  Paleontologists tell us that humans have lived in Georgia for as long as 15,000 years (but of course this estimate raises the hackles of some fundamentalists, who “know” the earth was created in 4,004 BC).  Atlanta’s Fernbank Museum of Natural History organizes occasional guided hikes, and if you’re ever available they’re well worth your while.  For more visit FernbankMuseum.org. Anti-Discrimination Survey – Margaret Downey (recently retired president of Atheist Alliance International) is working with the Anti-Discrimination Support Network.  If you have a few minutes, visit Atheist Research Online [link] and take their brief, anonymous survey [link]. Listener Feedback – Bill objects to our sarcastic asides about Arkansas from podcast #30.  Referencing our September 20 blog entry at AmericanFreethought.com, Jerry thinks Sam Harris is an elitist snob.  David shares a response to Secular Nation Podcast #17 from a listener who apparently wasn’t listening. 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. Recorded October 23, 2008.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, commentary, history, humor, movies, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/20/solar-system-quilt/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/20/solar-system-quilt/#comments Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:00:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=141 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/20/solar-system-quilt/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/05/podcast-25-live-at-dragoncon/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/05/podcast-25-live-at-dragoncon/#comments Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:13:03 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=98 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/05/podcast-25-live-at-dragoncon/feed/ 3 0:54:59 [Apologies for the sound glitch at the very beginning.  The theme music overpowers the voice track, but it only lasts a few seconds.] Presenting our first-ever live episode, recorded August 30th at Dragon*Con as part of the Skeptics programming trac[...] [Apologies for the sound glitch at the very beginning.  The theme music overpowers the voice track, but it only lasts a few seconds.] Presenting our first-ever live episode, recorded August 30th at Dragon*Con as part of the Skeptics programming track, directed by Derek Colanduno of Skepticality fame.  (Derek’s pod-partner Swoopy directed Dragon*Con’s Podcasting track.) In the segment “The Craziest $#!+ in Georgia”, we present real-life weirdness from the Peach State.  David discusses the Georgia Guidestones (“America’s Stonehenge”), a granite monument erected on a hillside outside Elberton, Georgia and paid for by an anonymous humanistic donor.  John offers a rambling Connections-style tale that links Stone Mountain, Creation Science, Superman and the KKK.  We also include a special Holey Scripture aimed at lovers of dragons and other mythological monsters (which can be found in the Bible if you know where to look). Thanks to everyone in our live audience, and especially to those who came up to say you’ve been listening to the podcast.  Derek and Company did a fantastic job all weekend with the Skeptics Track – packed audiences were entertained by skeptical superstars like James “The Amazing” Randi, Phil “The Bad Astronomer” Plait, George “Geologic Podcast” Hrab, D. J. “Point of Inquiry” Grothe, Lori Lipman Brown and several others.  It’s a sure bet that next year’s Dragon*Con will see improved and expanded programming for the fans. For more on Dragon*Con visit DragonCon.org. Visit Derek and Swoopy at Skepticality.com. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format and we might play your comments in a future show. Recorded 08/30/2008.  Hosted by John Snider and David Driscoll. commentary, history, humor, podcast, religion, science, skepticism American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/28/american-freethought-podcast-20/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/28/american-freethought-podcast-20/#comments Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:46:57 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=85 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/28/american-freethought-podcast-20/feed/ 1 1:30:13 Barbara Forrest - We talk to Dr. Barbara Forrest about SB 733 [link], the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act, a piece of legislation sitting on the desk of Governor Bobby Jindal that, if signed, would enable teachers and administrators in sta[...] Barbara Forrest - We talk to Dr. Barbara Forrest about SB 733 [link], the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act, a piece of legislation sitting on the desk of Governor Bobby Jindal that, if signed, would enable teachers and administrators in state schools to sneak Creationism/Intelligent Design in under the radar.  Dr. Forrest is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University, the co-author of Creationism’s Trojan Horse [link], and was one of the star witnesses in the celebrated Kitzmiller v. Dover court case.  She’s also a co-founder of the Louisiana Coalition for Science [lasciencecoalition.org] and active in defending science against religio-political encroachment at the national level. Happy 150th Birthday, Evolution! – In 2009, the thinking world will celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his Origin of Species [link].  But we’re popping the cork early - a landmark in the history of science occurred on July 1, 1858.  That’s the day that the theory of evolution by natural selection had its first public reading (at London’s famous Linnean Society).  We’ll talk about how Charles Darwin and his associates gave naturalist Alfred Wallace the subtle shaft, ensuring that religious nutjobs in the 21st century would be railing about “Darwinism” instead of “Wallacism”.  (For an excellent analysis of this episode, read Robert Wright’s fantastic book The Moral Animal [link].) Independence Day- Now, here’s a holiday even the grumpiest atheist can get behind.  Everybody knows that on July 4th, 1776, the American Colonists told the Brits where they could shove it.  Sort of.  We’ll look at some of the myths surrounding the birth of America, and revisit that pesky semi-religious language that has the fundies crowing about how this is a Christian Nation. Goodbye, George Carlin- The skeptical world lost one of its funniest and most adamant stars.  Carlin fought for free speech (and even pissed off politically correct left-wingers in the process) during the course of his five-decade career.  He will be missed. Announcements Penn Jillette chimes in on the ongoing Atheist/Agnostic debate [link]. We’ll be at Dragon*Con [dragoncon.org] August 29-September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia, participating in both the Skeptics track and the Podcasting track.  No schedules are finalized yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as they are. Check out episode #10 of the SciFiDimensions Podcast [SciFiDimensions.com/podcast], featuring an interview with Sci-Fi&Fantasy satirist (and freethinker) James Morrow.  His latest book, The Philosopher’s Apprentice [link], is a send-up of everything from human cloning to abortion to global capitalism.  What can I say?  The man swings a wide scythe. And if you like science fiction, you can pre-order the upcoming anthology Aberrant Dreams I: The Awakening (which includes a short story written by American Freethought co-host John C. Snider) from publisher HD-Image [link].  Visit hd-image.com/store. David’s Secular Nation Podcast [AtheistAlliance.org/podcast] will have new episodes soon. Join us for discussion at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link]. Do you shop at Amazon.com?  If so, add [this link] to your browser Favorites (alternatively, you can just click through the Amazon.com link in the right-hand column of the AmericanFreethought.com website.  It won’t cost you a penny more; your purchases remain anonymous; and American Freethought gets a small percentage that will help offset our modest expenses and hopefully keep us out of the poor house. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Recorded 06/28/2008.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, commentary, evolution, history, humor, interviews, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/01/82/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/01/82/#comments Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:49:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=82 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/01/82/feed/ 0 1:06:33 The Catholic Church – We provide an overview on the good, the bad and the crazy aspects of the Roman Catholic Church.  Purgatory.  Limbo.  Whatever. Ben Stein – The frontman for the anti-science documentary Expelled opens his mouth and r[...] The Catholic Church – We provide an overview on the good, the bad and the crazy aspects of the Roman Catholic Church.  Purgatory.  Limbo.  Whatever. Ben Stein – The frontman for the anti-science documentary Expelled opens his mouth and removes all doubt.  He appeared on Trinity Broadcasting Network on April 21, 2008 and made some outrageous statements. Meanwhile, we stumbled across The Mortal Storm, a 1940 movie starring Jimmy Stewart that addresses, among other things, just how (un)scientific the Nazi outlook was. [Link] ANNOUNCEMENTS Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com. David is now podcasting for Secular Nation magazine.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast John’s SciFiDimensions podcast is going strong.  SciFiDimensions.com/podcast It’s official!  We’ll both be at Dragon*Con.  DragonCon.org Join us for discussion at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link]. If you’re picking us up on iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback [link]. Send us feedback at contact@americanfreethought.com – you can attach voicemails in mp3 or wav format. Hosted by John Snider and David Driscoll.  Recorded 5/30/2008. christianity, ethics, evolution, history, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/21/american-freethought-podcast-16/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/21/american-freethought-podcast-16/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:50:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=78 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/21/american-freethought-podcast-16/feed/ 5 0:52:58 Expelled – We discuss Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, the new crock-umentary starring Ben Stein.  For a thorough critique of Expelled, visit Expelled Exposed. Also mentioned in the podcast: A follow-up regarding our report of the Creation M[...] Expelled – We discuss Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, the new crock-umentary starring Ben Stein.  For a thorough critique of Expelled, visit Expelled Exposed. Also mentioned in the podcast: A follow-up regarding our report of the Creation Museum, including info on The Unicorn Museum and the YouTube sensation Charlie the Unicorn Goes to Candy Mountain.  As penance for blowing $20 at the Creation Museum, John Snider has sent $40 to Science Debate 2008. More on stem-cell research – find out what US and state policies are at hinxtongroup.org. The Atlanta Freethought Society is now holding meetings in their new un-church facility!  Donate to the cause by visiting AtlantaFreethought.org. Visit us online at www.AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Join us for chat at the American Freethought Yahoo Group. Theme music by Body Found. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.  Recorded 4/20/2008. atheism, commentary, evolution, history, movies, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/03/american-freethought-podcast-15/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/03/american-freethought-podcast-15/#comments Fri, 04 Apr 2008 02:37:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/03/american-freethought-podcast-15/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/03/american-freethought-podcast-15/feed/ 1 0:49:29 Creation Museum – We discuss a recent expedition to the Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky.  You can read more about it in John Snider’s report titled “The Creation Museum Is Full of Sh!t”.  We’ll also talk about [...] Creation Museum – We discuss a recent expedition to the Creation Museum in Northern Kentucky.  You can read more about it in John Snider’s report titled “The Creation Museum Is Full of Sh!t”.  We’ll also talk about “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the Separation of Church and State but Were Afraid to Ask”, a recent event co-sponsored by Americans United for the Separation of Church and State and the Interfaith Alliance Foundation. In other news, AF’s John Snider and David Driscoll are guests on the most recent Reason Driven Podcast, and will be guests on an upcoming episode of Skepticality! Visit us online at www.AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Join us for chat at the American Freethought Yahoo Group. Theme music by Body Found. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.  Recorded 4/2/2008. atheism, christianity, evolution, history, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/02/the-creation-museum-is-full-of-sht/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/02/the-creation-museum-is-full-of-sht/#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:59:40 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/02/the-creation-museum-is-full-of-sht/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/02/the-creation-museum-is-full-of-sht/feed/ 10 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/27/there-will-be-blood-revisited/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/27/there-will-be-blood-revisited/#comments Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:21:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/27/there-will-be-blood-revisited/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/27/there-will-be-blood-revisited/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/19/einstein-by-walter-isaacson/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/19/einstein-by-walter-isaacson/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:47:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/19/einstein-by-walter-isaacson/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/19/einstein-by-walter-isaacson/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/09/celia-sandys-a-brush-with-history/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/09/celia-sandys-a-brush-with-history/#comments Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:51:55 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/09/celia-sandys-a-brush-with-history/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/03/09/celia-sandys-a-brush-with-history/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/01/14/there-will-be-blood-a-freethought-film/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/01/14/there-will-be-blood-a-freethought-film/#comments Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:39:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/01/14/there-will-be-blood-a-freethought-film/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/01/14/there-will-be-blood-a-freethought-film/feed/ 0