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/2012/01/07/podcast-141-the-mocking-of-tim-tebow/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/07/podcast-141-the-mocking-of-tim-tebow/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:30:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3147 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/07/podcast-141-the-mocking-of-tim-tebow/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/30/charlie-brown-converts-to-islam-ai-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/30/charlie-brown-converts-to-islam-ai-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai/#comments Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:40:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3144 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/30/charlie-brown-converts-to-islam-ai-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai-yai/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/28/ah-the-spirit-of-christmas/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/28/ah-the-spirit-of-christmas/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:39:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3141 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/28/ah-the-spirit-of-christmas/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/04/vatican-exorcist-calls-yoga-and-harry-potter-evil/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/04/vatican-exorcist-calls-yoga-and-harry-potter-evil/#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:14:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3120 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/04/vatican-exorcist-calls-yoga-and-harry-potter-evil/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/29/bill-hicks-on-religion/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/29/bill-hicks-on-religion/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:02:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3031 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/29/bill-hicks-on-religion/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/09/podcast-131-live-at-dragoncon-2011/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/09/podcast-131-live-at-dragoncon-2011/#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 22:36:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3009 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/09/podcast-131-live-at-dragoncon-2011/feed/ 0 1:00:20 We’re live from the Skeptrack at Dragon*Con, recorded Friday, September 1, 2011. Among the items discussed: the Virginia Earthquake, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and the difference (if any) between skeptics and atheists. Thanks again to Derek[...] We’re live from the Skeptrack at Dragon*Con, recorded Friday, September 1, 2011. Among the items discussed: the Virginia Earthquake, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and the difference (if any) between skeptics and atheists. Thanks again to Derek Colanduno for his hard work in organizing the Skeptrack, and to Mark Ditsler of Abrupt Media for A/V assistance. 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. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded September 1, 2011.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, humor, podcast, religion, skepticism American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/30/bachmann-says-jk-about-irene/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/30/bachmann-says-jk-about-irene/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:10:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3006 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/30/bachmann-says-jk-about-irene/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/30/like-the-shoes-dont-minchin-it/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/30/like-the-shoes-dont-minchin-it/#comments Sat, 30 Jul 2011 15:52:03 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2977 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/30/like-the-shoes-dont-minchin-it/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/13/podcast-127-atlanta-skepticamp-trivia-challenge/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/13/podcast-127-atlanta-skepticamp-trivia-challenge/#comments Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:09:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2950 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/13/podcast-127-atlanta-skepticamp-trivia-challenge/feed/ 0 0:48:00 This is an encore presentation of the Atlanta Skepticamp Trivia Challenge, presented by John C. Snider on Sunday, June 12th. We thought our listeners might want to take a whack at these questions and see how they do. Thanks to Abrupt Media for the r[...] This is an encore presentation of the Atlanta Skepticamp Trivia Challenge, presented by John C. Snider on Sunday, June 12th. We thought our listeners might want to take a whack at these questions and see how they do. Thanks to Abrupt Media for the recording. Click here for more pictures from the event. If you’re really into trivia, John will be doing ANOTHER Trivia Challenge this Saturday (July 16th) for the Atlanta Skeptics, 7PM at Manuel’s Tavern. There will be prizes. You’ll need to RSVP at the Atlanta Skeptics Meetup page. See you there! Also: Listener feedback! A teacher in Switzerland gets fired for challenging the intermingling of church and state (see also the Freethinkers Association of Switzerland), and a listener thinks we’re not skeptical enough about Bill Maher’s opinions on “agribusiness.” ANNOUNCEMENTS David Driscoll’s Secular World podcast (formerly Secular Nation podcast) continues. John and Allison will be attending the Tim Minchin concert at Atlanta’s Center Stage, Thursday, July 14th, along with several other members of the local skeptic and freethought communities. CONTACT Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at john@americanfreethought.com or david@americanfreethought.com. (John and David are available, either together or separately, to speak in person to your group.) If you like what you hear, take a moment and leave feedback on our iTunes page. Join our communities at Facebook, Atheist Nexus, Think Atheist or Yahoo Groups. Shop through us at Amazon.com or at CafePress.com. If you’d like to donate to the operation of this podcast, you can contribute through PayPal to editor@scifidimensions.com. We promise not to spend it on beer.   humor, podcast, science, skepticism American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/when-we-remember-we-are-all-mad/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/when-we-remember-we-are-all-mad/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:27:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2916 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/when-we-remember-we-are-all-mad/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/30/salvation-boulevard/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/30/salvation-boulevard/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 02:34:03 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2904 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/30/salvation-boulevard/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/23/tim-minchin-in-atlanta/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/23/tim-minchin-in-atlanta/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 02:50:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2885 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/23/tim-minchin-in-atlanta/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/20/yahoo-sponsored-links-fail/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/20/yahoo-sponsored-links-fail/#comments Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:01:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2874 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/20/yahoo-sponsored-links-fail/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/10/ascertain-and-delineate/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/10/ascertain-and-delineate/#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 05:01:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2829 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/10/ascertain-and-delineate/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/06/biblical-illiteracy-in-america/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/06/biblical-illiteracy-in-america/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:00:52 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2838 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/06/biblical-illiteracy-in-america/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/23/harold-camping-is-flabbergasted/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/23/harold-camping-is-flabbergasted/#comments Mon, 23 May 2011 23:46:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2812 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/23/harold-camping-is-flabbergasted/feed/ 1 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/2011/04/08/paris-oddly-enough-part-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/08/paris-oddly-enough-part-2/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2011 05:01:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2656 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/08/paris-oddly-enough-part-2/feed/ 1 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/2011/01/07/romanian-witches-must-now-pay-taxes/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/07/romanian-witches-must-now-pay-taxes/#comments Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:17:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2513 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/07/romanian-witches-must-now-pay-taxes/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/17/wisdom-teeth/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/17/wisdom-teeth/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 22:05:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2488 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/17/wisdom-teeth/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/04/blitzkrieg-on-grinchitude/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/04/blitzkrieg-on-grinchitude/#comments Sat, 04 Dec 2010 13:28:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2467 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/04/blitzkrieg-on-grinchitude/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/28/podcast-109-war-on-christmas-special/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/28/podcast-109-war-on-christmas-special/#comments Sun, 28 Nov 2010 05:01:12 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2442 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/28/podcast-109-war-on-christmas-special/feed/ 4 0:54:48 Wow, this year there really is a War on Christmas!  Nineteen-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a Somali immigrant, has been arrested for his involvement in plotting to car-bomb the Portland, Oregon Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.  Fortunately it was[...] Wow, this year there really is a War on Christmas!  Nineteen-year-old Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a Somali immigrant, has been arrested for his involvement in plotting to car-bomb the Portland, Oregon Christmas Tree lighting ceremony.  Fortunately it was all part of an FBI sting. Meanwhile, Advertising Age reports that the War on the War on Christmas is succeeding.  The American Family Association reports that the number of businesses explicitly using “Christmas” in their seasonal sales propaganda is dramatically up.  So no more of this “Happy Holidays” or “Season’s Greetings” baloney–we pagans should know our place. Plus:  Barack Obama’s Kenyan Grammy is on a pilgrimage to Mecca, and she’s praying that her American grandson will convert to Islam.  With 1 in 5 Americans thinking our president is already a secret Muslim, this can’t be helping. And as always, we present our Top Five Picks for Holiday Gift-Giving for Nonbelievers: #5 David:  Make a contribution on a family members’ behalf to the Freedom From Religion Foundation. John: Make one to the American Atheists’ Todd Stiefel Challenge. #4 David:  DVD set from the Atheist Alliance International “Darwin’s Legacy” 2009 Convention. John:  Prejudices: The Complete Series by H. L. Mencken, a two-volume boxed set, from the Library of America, of collected essays by the famed journalist, social critic (and atheist) best known for his acerbic coverage of the Scopes Monkey Trial. #3 David:  His favorite non-fiction titles this year: Packing for Mars by Mary Roach and C Street by Jeff Sharlet. John:  Genographic Project Participation Kit–from National Geographic, this allows participants to send in a cheek swab and get an analysis of their deep prehistoric ancestry. #2 David:  A Year of the Night Sky 2011 Calendar John:  The Devil in Design: The Krampus Postcards, a collection of Victorian Era illustrations from central Europe highlighting the tradition of Santa’s evil helper.  Complementary titles include Krampus: The Devil of Christmas and Christmas Curiosities. #1 David:  For older folks and/or technophobes, an iPod, along with assistance in setting it up–including how to download freethought podcasts like ours! John:  A “Caganer,” part of the centuries-old Catalonian tradition of putting a pooping figurine in the Nativity scene.  No shit. [Sound clip at the top of the show from the film Love Actually.] 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 November 27, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, humor, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/18/my-new-wallet/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/18/my-new-wallet/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2385 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/18/my-new-wallet/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/12/christ-for-state-senate/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/12/christ-for-state-senate/#comments Tue, 12 Oct 2010 05:01:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2372 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/12/christ-for-state-senate/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/11/christian-fiction/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/11/christian-fiction/#comments Mon, 11 Oct 2010 05:01:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2367 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/11/christian-fiction/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/30/my-new-hat/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/30/my-new-hat/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:47:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2327 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/30/my-new-hat/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/28/rally-to-restore-sanity/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/28/rally-to-restore-sanity/#comments Tue, 28 Sep 2010 23:34:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2322 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/28/rally-to-restore-sanity/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/24/christian-care-packages/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/24/christian-care-packages/#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:30:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2295 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/24/christian-care-packages/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/28/podcast-99-mary-roach-packing-for-mars/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/28/podcast-99-mary-roach-packing-for-mars/#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:18:50 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2209 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/28/podcast-99-mary-roach-packing-for-mars/feed/ 2 0:38:23 We interview Mary Roach, author of the bestselling science-humor book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void.  She’s also the author of Stiff (about human cadavers), Spook (the scientific inquest on life after death), and Bo[...] We interview Mary Roach, author of the bestselling science-humor book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void.  She’s also the author of Stiff (about human cadavers), Spook (the scientific inquest on life after death), and Bonk (the science of human sexuality).    Packing for Mars is both educational and laugh-out-loud funny.  It’s available in hardcover, audiobook, and for Kindle. If you can’t get enough of Mary Roach (and let’s face it, who can?), John interviewed her back in 2005 at SciFiDimensions.com, and reviewed both Stiff and Spook. 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 26, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, humor, interviews, podcast, science 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/2010/06/15/touchdown-jesus-struck-by-lightning/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/15/touchdown-jesus-struck-by-lightning/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:13:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2047 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/15/touchdown-jesus-struck-by-lightning/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/08/im-walkin-on-water-here/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/08/im-walkin-on-water-here/#comments Sat, 08 May 2010 14:42:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2002 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/08/im-walkin-on-water-here/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/27/gamestation-may-own-your-soul/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/27/gamestation-may-own-your-soul/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 11:18:25 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1995 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/27/gamestation-may-own-your-soul/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/25/prepare-for-boobquake/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/25/prepare-for-boobquake/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 05:01:42 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1990 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/25/prepare-for-boobquake/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/28/the-last-cargo-cult/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/28/the-last-cargo-cult/#comments Sun, 28 Mar 2010 23:28:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1917 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/28/the-last-cargo-cult/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/03/podcast-79-e-meters-for-haiti/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/03/podcast-79-e-meters-for-haiti/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 05:01:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1853 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/03/podcast-79-e-meters-for-haiti/feed/ 1 0:43:51 Earthquake-devastated Haiti has become a magnet for kooky, misguided (but perhaps well-intentioned) religious groups.  Scientologist John Travolta (disguised, apparently, as L. Ron Hubbard–see photo at right) has personally flown his private 7[...] Earthquake-devastated Haiti has become a magnet for kooky, misguided (but perhaps well-intentioned) religious groups.  Scientologist John Travolta (disguised, apparently, as L. Ron Hubbard–see photo at right) has personally flown his private 707 to Haiti, delivering food, medical supplies, and “volunteer ministers” who claim the ability to heal through therapeutic touch.  Meanwhile, a Christian group called Faith Comes By Hearing has sent 600 solar-powered audiobook Bibles.  Finally, a group of Idaho Baptists were arrested trying to transport Haitian orphans (some of whom weren’t actually orphans) across the border into the Dominican Republic. While America is spending billions to ensure a smooth transition of security responsibilities to the Iraqi military, the Iraqis are squandering millions on what are effectively divining rods that supposedly detect explosives, guns–even truffles!  The manufacturer of this quackery is UK-based ATSC, whose founder, one Jim McCormick, has been arrested by British authorities on suspicion of fraud, and his device has been banned for export. Scott Roeder, who murdered abortion doctor George Tiller in May of last year, has been given a life sentence by a Kansas jury.  Unfortunately, Roeder could be eligible for parole in 25 years. Also: We’re Number One!  Atlanta has been named the “Gayest City in America” by Advocate.com.  Take heart, Yankees: Portland, Maine is #8. We (meaning John and Allison) will be going to the American Atheists convention, April 2-4 in Newark, NJ.  We’ll be going up a couple of days early and staying a day after to enjoy some tourism in NYC, so any suggestions are welcome for cool stuff to do or cool people to see (email john@americanfreethought.com with your suggestions).  The convention’s speakers include CFI founder Paul Kurtz, Freedom from Religion’s Dan Barker, and biologist-turned-philosopher Massimo Pigliucci. And speaking of Massimo Pigliucci, check out the brand new Rationally Speaking Podcast!  Massimo has teamed up with fellow members of the New York City Skeptics to create this great addition to the skeptical podscape. 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. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded February 1, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. children, christianity, humor, news, podcast, religion, skepticism American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/23/festivus-for-the-rest-of-us/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/23/festivus-for-the-rest-of-us/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:53:03 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1818 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/23/festivus-for-the-rest-of-us/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/03/podcast-71-eye-of-sauron-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/03/podcast-71-eye-of-sauron-edition/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:01:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1640 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/03/podcast-71-eye-of-sauron-edition/feed/ 6 1:02:06 We look at three recent TV programs that have attracted the attention of the Eye of Sauron, a.k.a. Catholic League president Bill Donohue, whose job it is to manufacture outrage anytime anyone makes fun of the Church or offers sharp criticism of it.[...] We look at three recent TV programs that have attracted the attention of the Eye of Sauron, a.k.a. Catholic League president Bill Donohue, whose job it is to manufacture outrage anytime anyone makes fun of the Church or offers sharp criticism of it.  Sarah Silverman’s video “Sell the Vatican, Feed the World” appeared on the season finale of Real Time with Bill Maher.  The Simpsons mock the Eucharist in their annual “Treehouse of Horror” special with the segment “Don’t Have a Cow, Mankind.”  And Curb Your Enthusiasm auteur Larry David accidentally splashes urine on a portrait of Jesus in the episode “Dealing with the Midriff.”  Bottom line: if it makes the Eye apoplectic, it warms our hearts. Speaking of TV, Muslims have yet to riot or issue any fatwas over a controversial commercial by German lingerie company Liaisons Dangereuse. We’ve been reading!  Check out John’s chapter-by-chapter thoughts on Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth starting here, as well as his reviews of Carl Zimmer’s evolution textbook The Tangled Bank and Robert Crumb’s The Book of Genesis Illustrated.  Also, David recommends Robert Schadewald’s posthumous collection of skeptical essays Worlds of Their Own. The Usual Announcements: Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; David 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 1, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, humor, islam, podcast, religion, television American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/13/mr-deity-and-the-science-advisor/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/13/mr-deity-and-the-science-advisor/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:49:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1570 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/13/mr-deity-and-the-science-advisor/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/13/sell-the-vatican-and-then-what/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/13/sell-the-vatican-and-then-what/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:41:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1566 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/13/sell-the-vatican-and-then-what/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/12/podcast-70-randy-olson-dont-be-such-a-scientist/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/12/podcast-70-randy-olson-dont-be-such-a-scientist/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1540 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/12/podcast-70-randy-olson-dont-be-such-a-scientist/feed/ 0 0:56:30 We interview Randy Olson, marine biologist turned filmmaker, and author of the new book Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style.  Randy is best known for the 2006 documentary Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent De[...] We interview Randy Olson, marine biologist turned filmmaker, and author of the new book Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style.  Randy is best known for the 2006 documentary Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus and his 2008 global warming comedy Sizzle.  Don’t Be Such a Scientist is part memoir, part instructional guide, in which Randy offers advice to scientists and other intellectual types on how to better communicate to general audiences.  For more about Randy’s projects, visit DontBeSuchaScientist.com, SizzletheMovie.com and FlockofDodos.com. Read John’s review of Don’t Be Such a Scientist.  Don’t Be Such a Scientist is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Read John’s review of Flock of Dodos. Listen to our first interview with Randy from waaay back in 2007 in American Freethought episode #2. Also discussed and presented for your amusement: Randy’s New Scientist review of Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth. Comedian Jon Stewart’s infamous appearance on Crossfire. Kirk Cameron’s ridiculous video drive-by defaming Charles Darwin. Randy’s first short science video “Barnacles Tell No Lies” The Usual Announcements: Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; David 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 October 7, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, humor, interviews, podcast, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/dont-be-such-a-scientist/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/dont-be-such-a-scientist/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:24:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1500 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/dont-be-such-a-scientist/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/dvr-alert-dawkins-and-collins-on-colbert/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/dvr-alert-dawkins-and-collins-on-colbert/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:01:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1461 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/dvr-alert-dawkins-and-collins-on-colbert/feed/ 0 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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/22/podcast-65-live-at-dragoncon/feed/ 0 1:00:37 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 hat to That Mitchell and Webb Look) The CieAura Patch of Woo Are skepticism [...] 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. commentary, humor, news, podcast American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/19/evolution-lucky-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/19/evolution-lucky-edition/#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:46:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1383 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/19/evolution-lucky-edition/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/jerry-falwell-on-science-fiction/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/jerry-falwell-on-science-fiction/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:54:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1345 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/jerry-falwell-on-science-fiction/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/09/penn-teller-vatican-vid-courtesy-of-eye-of-sauron/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/09/penn-teller-vatican-vid-courtesy-of-eye-of-sauron/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:18:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1335 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/09/penn-teller-vatican-vid-courtesy-of-eye-of-sauron/feed/ 1 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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/penn-teller-do-the-vatican/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/29/rift-valley-drifters/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/29/rift-valley-drifters/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 20:52:03 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1304 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/29/rift-valley-drifters/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/never-get-into-a-staring-contest-with-the-eye-of-sauron/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/never-get-into-a-staring-contest-with-the-eye-of-sauron/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:58:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1257 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/never-get-into-a-staring-contest-with-the-eye-of-sauron/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/eye-of-sauron-turns-its-gaze-on-penn-teller/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/eye-of-sauron-turns-its-gaze-on-penn-teller/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:07:07 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1253 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/eye-of-sauron-turns-its-gaze-on-penn-teller/feed/ 3 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/2009/08/07/pharyngulites-descend-on-creation-museum/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/07/pharyngulites-descend-on-creation-museum/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:23:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1176 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/07/pharyngulites-descend-on-creation-museum/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/how-to-avoid-church/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/how-to-avoid-church/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:46:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1110 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/how-to-avoid-church/feed/ 2 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/2009/07/09/mr-deity-and-the-magic/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/09/mr-deity-and-the-magic/#comments Thu, 09 Jul 2009 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=985 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/09/mr-deity-and-the-magic/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/24/mr-deity-and-the-book-part-deux/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/24/mr-deity-and-the-book-part-deux/#comments Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:23:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=937 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/24/mr-deity-and-the-book-part-deux/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/2009/06/14/fly-creationism/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/14/fly-creationism/#comments Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:01:52 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=871 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/14/fly-creationism/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/12/mr-deity-returns/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/12/mr-deity-returns/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:39:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=867 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/12/mr-deity-returns/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/05/when-will-we-worship-the-expansion-of-knowledge/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/05/when-will-we-worship-the-expansion-of-knowledge/#comments Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:00:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=832 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/05/when-will-we-worship-the-expansion-of-knowledge/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/31/storm/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/31/storm/#comments Sun, 31 May 2009 05:01:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=798 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/31/storm/feed/ 2 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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/18/podcast-53-gay-marriage-in-the-news/feed/ 8 1:18:40 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 marriage; former NYC mayor and failed Republican presidential candida[...] 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, commentary, humor, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/14/they-found-the-body-of-christ/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/14/they-found-the-body-of-christ/#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 21:24:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=710 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/14/they-found-the-body-of-christ/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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/07/podcast-52-feedback/feed/ 0 1:14:33 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 Creation Museum, Christian license plates in North Carolina and Florida, urotherapy, one-star iTunes[...] 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. atheism, commentary, ethics, humor, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/24/its-just-the-peas-on-his-fice/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/24/its-just-the-peas-on-his-fice/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:01:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=657 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/24/its-just-the-peas-on-his-fice/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/10/camel-fishing-in-idaho/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/10/camel-fishing-in-idaho/#comments Fri, 10 Apr 2009 05:01:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=565 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/10/camel-fishing-in-idaho/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/08/check-out-david-driscolls-new-ride/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/08/check-out-david-driscolls-new-ride/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=554 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/08/check-out-david-driscolls-new-ride/feed/ 12 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/06/podcast-49-james-morrow/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/06/podcast-49-james-morrow/#comments Mon, 06 Apr 2009 05:01:40 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=505 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/06/podcast-49-james-morrow/feed/ 1 1:09:46 We interview science fiction and fantasy writer– and scientific rationalist extraordinaire– James Morrow.  He takes a break from his usual religiously-themed satire in his latest novel Shambling Towards Hiroshima, a WWII rollick in which[...] We interview science fiction and fantasy writer– and scientific rationalist extraordinaire– James Morrow.  He takes a break from his usual religiously-themed satire in his latest novel Shambling Towards Hiroshima, a WWII rollick in which, instead of atomic bombs, the US military mulls the use of genetically-engineered, building-sized, fire-breathing iguanas to stomp and scorch the cities of Japan.  Jim’s previous novels include the Godhead Trilogy–Towing Jehovah (winner of the World Fantasy Award), Blameless in Abaddon, and The Eternal Footman–as well as The Last Witchfinder, The Philosopher’s Apprentice, and numerous shorter works. Jim also gives us a sneak peek at his upcoming presentation at the America Atheists national convention (Apr 9-12 in Atlanta).  For more information about James Morrow, visit JamesMorrow.net or his personal blog The Passionate Rationalist. Listen to John’s June 2008 interview with Jim here. Read John’s review of Shambling Towards Hiroshima here.  You can buy your very own copy at Amazon.com. Read John’s review of The Philosopher’s Apprentice here. Listen to John’s March 2001 interview with Jim here. Read John’s review of The Godhead Trilogy here. Join us for the Kennesaw State University Student Coalition for Inquiry’s kick-off celebration at Atlanta’s Central City Tavern, Wednesday, April 8th at 7PM.  We–John Snider and David Driscoll–will be guests of honor!  If that doesn’t convince you, should we mention that Tavern management has agreed to knock 10% off your tab???  Learn more about KSU’s Student Coalition for Inquiry on their Facebook page. ANNOUNCEMENTS 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 April 2, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, humor, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/05/ot-scary-gary/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/05/ot-scary-gary/#comments Sun, 05 Apr 2009 13:15:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=547 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/05/ot-scary-gary/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/04/mos-dumb/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/04/mos-dumb/#comments Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:01:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=517 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/04/mos-dumb/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/14/fine-bros-vs-prop-8/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/14/fine-bros-vs-prop-8/#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2009 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=395 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/14/fine-bros-vs-prop-8/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/11/the-passion-of-christ-timmy-christ/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/11/the-passion-of-christ-timmy-christ/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:01:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=371 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/11/the-passion-of-christ-timmy-christ/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/06/podcast-45-mr-deity/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/06/podcast-45-mr-deity/#comments Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:01:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=340 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/06/podcast-45-mr-deity/feed/ 2 0:50:01 We interview Brian Keith Dalton, the writer, director, and star of the hit web series Mr. Deity, a wry, dry send-up of religious themes.  We also hear from Amy Rohren, who plays Lucifer (aka “Lucy”), Mr. Deity’s ex.  And Brian shar[...] We interview Brian Keith Dalton, the writer, director, and star of the hit web series Mr. Deity, a wry, dry send-up of religious themes.  We also hear from Amy Rohren, who plays Lucifer (aka “Lucy”), Mr. Deity’s ex.  And Brian shares some exciting news about Mr. Deity Season Three! For more about Mr. Deity visit MrDeity.com. 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. Distant Early Warning: We’ll be at this year’s Dragon*Con!  Even though the ‘Con takes place September 4-7, it’s never too soon to make hotel reservations and/or purchase your four-day membership (only $80 through May 15th). 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 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 March 5, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. humor, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/03/happy-square-root-day/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/03/happy-square-root-day/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 12:49:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=316 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/03/happy-square-root-day/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/01/introducing-mr-deity/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/01/introducing-mr-deity/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:14:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=307 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/01/introducing-mr-deity/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/22/religulous-on-dvd/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/22/religulous-on-dvd/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:01:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=265 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/22/religulous-on-dvd/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/19/hitchy-hitch-roughed-up-in-lebanon/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/19/hitchy-hitch-roughed-up-in-lebanon/#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 11:43:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=233 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/19/hitchy-hitch-roughed-up-in-lebanon/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/02/a-license-plate-you-audi-see/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/02/a-license-plate-you-audi-see/#comments Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:01:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=217 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/02/a-license-plate-you-audi-see/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 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/27/podcast-40-the-galapagos-mountain-boys/feed/ 0 1:04:28 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 “scientific gospel,” the GMBs’ new album Darwin, Darn It!, and their u[...] 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. christianity, commentary, evolution, humor, interviews, music, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/25/godchecker/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/25/godchecker/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 05:01:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=208 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/25/godchecker/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/24/timmy-christ-ceo/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/24/timmy-christ-ceo/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:44:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=207 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/24/timmy-christ-ceo/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/21/darwin-darn-it/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/21/darwin-darn-it/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:01:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=202 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/21/darwin-darn-it/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/07/religulous-comes-to-dvd-if-not-to-jesus/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/07/religulous-comes-to-dvd-if-not-to-jesus/#comments Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:31:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=192 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/07/religulous-comes-to-dvd-if-not-to-jesus/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/podcast-36-roy-zimmerman/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/podcast-36-roy-zimmerman/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 04:12:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=176 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/podcast-36-roy-zimmerman/feed/ 1 0:48:59 Interview with singer/songwriter and sociopolitical satirist Roy Zimmerman.  Find out whether or not Roy succeeded in playing gigs in all 50 States before Election Day 2008!  Roy follows in the long tradition of socially progressive troubadour activ[...] Interview with singer/songwriter and sociopolitical satirist Roy Zimmerman.  Find out whether or not Roy succeeded in playing gigs in all 50 States before Election Day 2008!  Roy follows in the long tradition of socially progressive troubadour activists like Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. Roy’s lyrics are viciously clever and laugh-out-loud hilarious – and his singin’ ‘n’ playin’ ain’t half bad either.  His songs include audience favorites like “Defenders of Marriage”, “Ted Haggard Is Completely Heterosexual”, “Is America Ready?”, “I Approve This Message”, and “Thanks for the Support” (which is also the title of his latest album).  We also play “Chrisma-Hanu-Rama-Ka-Dona-Kwanzaa”, from his holiday-themed album Peacenick.  For more information visit RoyZimmerman.com or check out his YouTube Channel.   Some of his music is also available for download at iTunes. ANNOUNCEMENTS 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 December 17, 2008.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. humor, interviews, music, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/09/confused-about-the-holidaze/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/09/confused-about-the-holidaze/#comments Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:55:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=168 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/09/confused-about-the-holidaze/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/06/podcast-35-war-on-christmas/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/06/podcast-35-war-on-christmas/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:35:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=166 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/06/podcast-35-war-on-christmas/feed/ 7 1:03:47 We take a look at the (alleged) War on Christmas and the various over-reactions to it. But first…some Thanksgiving leftovers!  Columnist Jim Griffith of the Newnan (Georgia) Times-Herald paints a bleak picture for atheists on Turkey Day. Lest [...] We take a look at the (alleged) War on Christmas and the various over-reactions to it. But first…some Thanksgiving leftovers!  Columnist Jim Griffith of the Newnan (Georgia) Times-Herald paints a bleak picture for atheists on Turkey Day. Lest you think it’s only small town news hounds who blame everything on the infidels, get a load of the recent essay by Daniel Henniger in The Wall Street Journal.  Who knew the economic implosion was triggered by the scrooges who don’t like to hear the words “Merry Christmas”. Bloviatin’ Bill O’Reilly has his loufa in a bunch over the fact that Washington State allowed an atheist display next to a Nativity scene on the capitol grounds.  But don’t worry Bill – some enterprising Christian kneecapped the Eighth Commandment and stole that pesky display.  Oh wait, it’s back! Who needs another installment of “Holey Scripture” when retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong is on the job?  Spong has spent a career letting the air out of the “Bible as literal history” tires, and his opinion of the Christmas Story is no exception.  Thus sayeth the Spong: “The gospel writers knew that they were not writing history, they knew they were creating an interpretive portrait.”  (I wouldn’t be so sure of that, but with Christians like Spong, who wants to argue?)  Sign up for the Bishop’s weekly newsletter at JohnShelbySpong.com. Our faithful listener Liz from Texas (who is allowed to play the AF podcast out loud at the office) shares her ingenious solution to obnoxious office Christmas Parties – hijack ‘em!  In a scenario worth of The Office, Liz convinced her boss to let her organize the year-end holiday bash, due to the fact that she can “keep it religion neutral and thus HR friendly.”  Nobody likes the end result except Liz, HR, and the Jews. Tom Melchiorre (the new editor of the Secular Nation newsletter) proves his uber-atheist street cred by refusing any observance or participation in holiday cheer.  (He responds to wishes of “Merry Christmas” with either a “No, thanks” or a Glare of Death.  He ‘splains himself in the current issue of Secular Nation magazine, which David will cover in an upcoming episode of the Secular Nation Podcast. Finally, we share our Top Five Holiday Gifts for the Nonbeliever!  Presented more or less in order from least-to-most recommended: John’s recommendations: 5. “How to Start Your Own Cult for Fun and Profit” by Heidi Lampietti.  A great stocking stuffer at $5, this 27-page chapbook helps you lay the groundwork for future fleecing of the dumb masses.  RedJackBooks.com 4. “The Resurrection and the Life” - a satirical retelling of the resurrection of Lazarus from the Book of John, this is a limited edition, handbound volume written by horror-meister Brian Keene, with woodcut engravings from Canadian artist George Walker.  Pricey and hard to come by, but worth the chase.  BitingDogPress.com 3.  There Will Be Blood (DVD) – Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Dano get biblical with a bowling pin in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic and unforgettable fable set in the oil fields of early 20th century California.  I… drink… your… milkshake!!! 2.  Fossils – From $10 bugs-in-amber to a $22K slab o’ Selenopeltis Buchii, the remains of creatures past are sure to please science lovers and annoy the yokels who still think the earth is 6,000 years old.  If you don’t have a local rock shop, try eBay.com. 1.  The Complete Discography of George Hrab – Musician, comedian, podcaster, freethinker, Hrab has accumulated a cult-like following to his Geologic Podcast.  His five albums are kinda nifty, too!  Buy the entire Hrab ouevre at CDBaby.com or check out GeologicRecords.net. David’s recommendations: 5.  Give the Gift of Godless Power Brokering [...] atheism, books, christianity, humor, movies, music, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/03/im-bruce-lee-with-a-tree/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/03/im-bruce-lee-with-a-tree/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:33:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=165 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/03/im-bruce-lee-with-a-tree/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/usa-today-tackles-playing-gods/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/17/usa-today-tackles-playing-gods/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:35:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=158 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/17/usa-today-tackles-playing-gods/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/01/halloween-gets-scarier-all-the-time/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/01/halloween-gets-scarier-all-the-time/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:38:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=147 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/01/halloween-gets-scarier-all-the-time/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/2008/10/12/mahers-religulous-approaches-7m/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/12/mahers-religulous-approaches-7m/#comments Sun, 12 Oct 2008 20:30:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=140 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/12/mahers-religulous-approaches-7m/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/08/thats-where-the-blade-was-found-at/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/08/thats-where-the-blade-was-found-at/#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:17:25 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=138 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/08/thats-where-the-blade-was-found-at/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/05/podcast-30-religulous/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/05/podcast-30-religulous/#comments Sun, 05 Oct 2008 21:43:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=136 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/05/podcast-30-religulous/feed/ 3 0:56:00 We discuss Religulous, the new documentary starring comedian Bill Maher (best known for his politically-oriented roundtable talk shows Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher).  The early box office returns show Religulous making $3.5 mi[...] We discuss Religulous, the new documentary starring comedian Bill Maher (best known for his politically-oriented roundtable talk shows Politically Incorrect and Real Time with Bill Maher).  The early box office returns show Religulous making $3.5 million its first weekend on 500 screens (compare this to Ben Stein’s Expelled, which made $3 million on 1,000 screens). Our recommendation:  Go see Religulous!  Despite its many flaws, it’s funny, informative, and ultimately thought-provoking. Visit the Religulous Official Website at Lionsgate.com/Religulous. 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 5, 2008.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. humor, movies, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/03/religulous/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/03/religulous/#comments Fri, 03 Oct 2008 04:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=132 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/03/religulous/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/14/your-election-cycle-playlist/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/14/your-election-cycle-playlist/#comments Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:10:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=106 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/14/your-election-cycle-playlist/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/2008/09/02/so-help-me-harold-and-kumar/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/02/so-help-me-harold-and-kumar/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:56:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=100 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/09/02/so-help-me-harold-and-kumar/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/07/30/quick-somebody-get-bill-donohue-on-the-horn/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/07/30/quick-somebody-get-bill-donohue-on-the-horn/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:22:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=92 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/07/30/quick-somebody-get-bill-donohue-on-the-horn/feed/ 1 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/2008/02/06/american-freethought-podcast-10/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/06/american-freethought-podcast-10/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2008 19:17:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/06/american-freethought-podcast-10/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/06/american-freethought-podcast-10/feed/ 2 0:51:16 Susan Werner – We interview the talented singer/songwriter whose latest album - The Gospel Truth – she describes as “agnostic gospel”, combining the music of faith with the lyrics of doubt.  Also worth a listen is her I Cant [...] Susan Werner – We interview the talented singer/songwriter whose latest album - The Gospel Truth – she describes as “agnostic gospel”, combining the music of faith with the lyrics of doubt.  Also worth a listen is her I Cant Be New, which pays homage to classic songbook tunes by composers like Cole Porter.  Susan also appears in a supporting role in the concert DVD 3,000 Miles, starring Ellis Paul (who performed the song “Did Galileo Pray?” on our last episode). Send us feedback at contact@americanfreethought.com. Join us for chat at the American Freethought Yahoo Group. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.  Recorded 1/30/2008. humor, interviews, music, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no