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/2012/01/22/giveaway-win-two-books-from-christopher-hitchens/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/22/giveaway-win-two-books-from-christopher-hitchens/#comments Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:18:50 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3155 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/22/giveaway-win-two-books-from-christopher-hitchens/feed/ 1 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/2011/12/16/hitch-is-dead/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/16/hitch-is-dead/#comments Fri, 16 Dec 2011 12:12:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3133 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/16/hitch-is-dead/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/10/podcast-139-war-on-christmas-continued/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/10/podcast-139-war-on-christmas-continued/#comments Sat, 10 Dec 2011 20:18:40 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3129 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/10/podcast-139-war-on-christmas-continued/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/07/rick-perry-is-strong-bullshit-strong/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/07/rick-perry-is-strong-bullshit-strong/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:38:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3126 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/07/rick-perry-is-strong-bullshit-strong/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/05/eddie-long-is-getting-divorced-no-hes-not-yes-he-is/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/05/eddie-long-is-getting-divorced-no-hes-not-yes-he-is/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2011 12:19:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3122 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/05/eddie-long-is-getting-divorced-no-hes-not-yes-he-is/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/10/new-podcast-feed/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/10/new-podcast-feed/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 23:37:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3101 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/10/new-podcast-feed/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/09/podcast-136-reason-rally-update-with-david-silverman/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/09/podcast-136-reason-rally-update-with-david-silverman/#comments Thu, 10 Nov 2011 02:12:55 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3097 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/09/podcast-136-reason-rally-update-with-david-silverman/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/04/podcast-disabled/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/04/podcast-disabled/#comments Fri, 04 Nov 2011 20:39:52 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3080 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/11/04/podcast-disabled/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/05/man-shoots-mother-during-religious-argument/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/05/man-shoots-mother-during-religious-argument/#comments Fri, 05 Aug 2011 10:59:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2984 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/05/man-shoots-mother-during-religious-argument/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/28/podcast-128-anders-breivik-zealot-or-madman/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/28/podcast-128-anders-breivik-zealot-or-madman/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 01:42:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2968 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/28/podcast-128-anders-breivik-zealot-or-madman/feed/ 0 0:33:40 Norway mourns the massacre of at least 76 citizens at the hands of native son Anders Breivik, who describes himself as a Christian conservative and crusading knight protecting Nordic culture from Islamic infiltrators. But it’s hard to imagine [...] Norway mourns the massacre of at least 76 citizens at the hands of native son Anders Breivik, who describes himself as a Christian conservative and crusading knight protecting Nordic culture from Islamic infiltrators. But it’s hard to imagine anyone thinking that bombing and murder are truly things that Jesus Christ would want them to do. So is Breivik a sane but fanatical Christian, or just another in a long line of crazy people who glom onto religion as an excuse to act out their issues? On a lighter note, both John and David had an opportunity to see singer/songwriter/comedian Tim Minchin perform in Atlanta and DC, respectively. Consensus: DO NOT miss an opportunity to see this incredibly funny and talented freethinker perform! David shares some of his favorite wacky Tea Party quotes, and… Georgia is calling for a do-over in public voting over the design for the new state license plate. Three of the designs prominently featured “In God We Trust,” and–surprise surprise–those are the three that made the final round.  But wait! Turns out IGWT was intended as a optional decal (for an extra buck) that citizens can buy regardless of the final design. Sounds fishy; nonetheless, the state has reposted the competing designs so people can vote on them based on aesthetics alone. ANNOUNCEMENTS David Driscoll’s Secular World podcast (formerly Secular Nation podcast) continues. Tickets are now available for the Atlanta Skeptics Star Party, Thursday, September 1st at Emory University. Guests include Phil Plait (BadAstronomy.com), Pamela Gay (The Astronomy Cast) and Nicole Gugliucci (NoisyAstronomer.com). And, of course, the entire American Freethought quartet will be in attendance. Proceeds go to Light the Night – the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 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.   christianity, islam, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/24/pimp-my-turtle/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/24/pimp-my-turtle/#comments Sun, 24 Jul 2011 14:00:53 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2964 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/24/pimp-my-turtle/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/14/billboard-company-requires-christian-insurance/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/14/billboard-company-requires-christian-insurance/#comments Wed, 15 Jun 2011 01:39:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2864 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/14/billboard-company-requires-christian-insurance/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/14/the-crazies-come-out-for-god/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/14/the-crazies-come-out-for-god/#comments Sat, 14 May 2011 13:55:40 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2781 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/14/the-crazies-come-out-for-god/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/12/should-alabama-sue-texas-over-the-recent-tornadoes/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/12/should-alabama-sue-texas-over-the-recent-tornadoes/#comments Thu, 12 May 2011 23:05:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2770 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/12/should-alabama-sue-texas-over-the-recent-tornadoes/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/bear-with-us-during-the-upgrade/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/bear-with-us-during-the-upgrade/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 22:04:55 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2743 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/bear-with-us-during-the-upgrade/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/05/national-day-of-reason/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/05/national-day-of-reason/#comments Thu, 05 May 2011 23:07:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2735 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/05/national-day-of-reason/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/02/bin-laden-is-dead-but-im-not-celebrating-much/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/02/bin-laden-is-dead-but-im-not-celebrating-much/#comments Mon, 02 May 2011 22:22:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2729 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/02/bin-laden-is-dead-but-im-not-celebrating-much/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/27/obama-releases-long-form-birth-certificate/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/27/obama-releases-long-form-birth-certificate/#comments Wed, 27 Apr 2011 21:29:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2727 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/27/obama-releases-long-form-birth-certificate/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/huckabee-forcible-indoctrination-at-gunpoint/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/huckabee-forcible-indoctrination-at-gunpoint/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:40:01 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2681 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/huckabee-forcible-indoctrination-at-gunpoint/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/muslims-retaliate-against-jones-koran-burning/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/muslims-retaliate-against-jones-koran-burning/#comments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 22:28:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2679 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/muslims-retaliate-against-jones-koran-burning/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/23/religion-to-go-extinct-in-some-countries/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/23/religion-to-go-extinct-in-some-countries/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:43:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2632 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/23/religion-to-go-extinct-in-some-countries/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/22/scotus-refuses-to-hear-10c-appeal/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/22/scotus-refuses-to-hear-10c-appeal/#comments Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:11:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2592 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/22/scotus-refuses-to-hear-10c-appeal/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/18/podcast-116-darwin-day-vs-in-god-we-trust/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/18/podcast-116-darwin-day-vs-in-god-we-trust/#comments Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:54:40 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2586 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/18/podcast-116-darwin-day-vs-in-god-we-trust/feed/ 2 0:47:35 We look at two non-binding resolutions currently in the works within the new US House of Representatives: one in support of Darwin Day (February 12th), and another looking to reaffirm “In God We Trust” as the national motto.  Guess whic[...] We look at two non-binding resolutions currently in the works within the new US House of Representatives: one in support of Darwin Day (February 12th), and another looking to reaffirm “In God We Trust” as the national motto.  Guess which one is attracting more sponsors? Plus: We present an excerpt from David’s recent talk to the Washington Area Secular Humanists (WASH).  We discuss the president’s recent appearance at yet another National Prayer Breakfast.  And more Revelations weirdness in Holey Scripture. Announcements: John Snider will be speaking to the Humanists of Georgia at 12:30PM on March 20th at the Atlanta Freethought Hall.  The topic of his presentation will be “20th Century Twain: Mark Twain’s Final Years and Freethought Legacy.” Send us email! For John Snider use john@americanfreethought.com; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on 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 February 12, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, evolution, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/10/us-house-committee-considering-a-resolution-on-darwin-day/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/10/us-house-committee-considering-a-resolution-on-darwin-day/#comments Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:36:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2572 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/10/us-house-committee-considering-a-resolution-on-darwin-day/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/09/three-days-of-atheism-in-ky-and-ohio/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/09/three-days-of-atheism-in-ky-and-ohio/#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2011 05:01:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2570 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/09/three-days-of-atheism-in-ky-and-ohio/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/08/humanists-of-georgia-now-have-a-website/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/08/humanists-of-georgia-now-have-a-website/#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:40:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2566 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/08/humanists-of-georgia-now-have-a-website/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/04/podcast-115-southeast-regional-atheist-meet-seram/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/04/podcast-115-southeast-regional-atheist-meet-seram/#comments Fri, 04 Feb 2011 05:01:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2562 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/04/podcast-115-southeast-regional-atheist-meet-seram/feed/ 0 0:55:45 John reports (almost) live from the American Atheists’ SERAM in Huntsville, Alabama–including interviews with AA president Dave Silverman, Secular Coalition for America executive director Sean Faircloth, and author Darrell Ray (The God V[...] John reports (almost) live from the American Atheists’ SERAM in Huntsville, Alabama–including interviews with AA president Dave Silverman, Secular Coalition for America executive director Sean Faircloth, and author Darrell Ray (The God Virus).  SERAM was a home run, with the 200-seat ballroom sold out.  There was also a hugely successful fundraising dinner, with proceeds going toward the AA legal fund. Announcements: John Snider will be speaking to the Humanists of Georgia at 12:30PM on March 20th at the Atlanta Freethought Hall.  The topic of his presentation will be “20th Century Twain: Mark Twain’s Final Years and Freethought Legacy.” Send us email! For John Snider use john@americanfreethought.com; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on 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 January 30, 2011. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, news, podcast American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/03/obama-disappoints-again-at-npb/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/03/obama-disappoints-again-at-npb/#comments Thu, 03 Feb 2011 23:49:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2560 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/02/03/obama-disappoints-again-at-npb/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/see-you-at-seram/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/see-you-at-seram/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 03:10:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2555 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/see-you-at-seram/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/woman-kills-dog-for-chewing-bible/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/woman-kills-dog-for-chewing-bible/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:31:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2548 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/woman-kills-dog-for-chewing-bible/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/20/al-governor-apologies-for-christian-comments/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/20/al-governor-apologies-for-christian-comments/#comments Fri, 21 Jan 2011 00:27:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2534 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/20/al-governor-apologies-for-christian-comments/feed/ 1 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/2011/01/06/mount-soledad-cross-unconstitutional/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/06/mount-soledad-cross-unconstitutional/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:09:07 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2511 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/06/mount-soledad-cross-unconstitutional/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/03/roswell-city-council-prayer-revisited/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/03/roswell-city-council-prayer-revisited/#comments Tue, 04 Jan 2011 02:31:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2499 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/03/roswell-city-council-prayer-revisited/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/23/podcast-112-bluegrass-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/23/podcast-112-bluegrass-edition/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:58:48 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2491 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/23/podcast-112-bluegrass-edition/feed/ 1 1:13:57 The great Commonwealth of Kentucky has gotten itself in the news on several counts–none of them good. 1. It’s bad enough that Answers in Genesis’ Creation “Museum” in northern Kentucky is prospering.  It’s worse t[...] The great Commonwealth of Kentucky has gotten itself in the news on several counts–none of them good. 1. It’s bad enough that Answers in Genesis’ Creation “Museum” in northern Kentucky is prospering.  It’s worse that AIG plans to expand, building an “Ark Encounter” amusement park.  The worst part is the state government is offering millions of dollars of tax incentives to what amounts to a religious indoctrination center that peddles anti-scientific folderol.  But wait–there’s more!  Turns out that state officials never even saw the alleged feasibility study, and AIG isn’t sharing so much as the executive summary with the media.  Science academics in Kentucky are none too happy with the state’s implicit support of bad science for the sake of a few dozen low-paying jobs.  And AIG’s Ken Ham’s none too happy with the intellectual ass-whoopin’ he’s been getting. 2. Astronomer Martin Gaskell has gone to court with the University of Kentucky, claiming he was denied a position at the new observatory because of his religious views.  Given that Dr. Gaskell has been giving public presentations like this, in which he condemns the atheistic worldview as a path to destruction, and given that this new job has a very public face, it’s no wonder UK turned him down. 3. A judge recently ruled unconstitutional a Kentucky statute requiring the state’s Director of Homeland Security to recognize “Almighty God” in the department’s annual report.  The state is appealing, and nearly all the state legislators have signed on to amicus briefs in support of the law! 4. Finally, drivers in the Commonwealth will soon have the option to sport the national motto “In God We Trust” on their license plates.  Joy. Plus:  The Holey Scripture!  We continue our exploration of the psychedelic creepiness that is the Book of Revelation. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethought.com; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded December 21, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, evolution, history, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/05/academic-responds-to-ky-funding-of-creationism-park/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/05/academic-responds-to-ky-funding-of-creationism-park/#comments Sun, 05 Dec 2010 05:01:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2470 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/05/academic-responds-to-ky-funding-of-creationism-park/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/03/american-atheists-launches-billboard-campaign/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/03/american-atheists-launches-billboard-campaign/#comments Sat, 04 Dec 2010 02:34:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2465 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/03/american-atheists-launches-billboard-campaign/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/02/dawkins-picks-hitch-as-2010-hero/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/02/dawkins-picks-hitch-as-2010-hero/#comments Thu, 02 Dec 2010 13:08:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2452 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/02/dawkins-picks-hitch-as-2010-hero/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/02/ky-to-provide-tax-breaks-for-creationist-museum/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/02/ky-to-provide-tax-breaks-for-creationist-museum/#comments Thu, 02 Dec 2010 12:17:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2450 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/02/ky-to-provide-tax-breaks-for-creationist-museum/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/2010/11/10/megachurch-minister-comes-out-of-the-closet/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/megachurch-minister-comes-out-of-the-closet/#comments Thu, 11 Nov 2010 02:33:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2416 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/10/megachurch-minister-comes-out-of-the-closet/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/02/podcast-108-rally-to-restore-sanity/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/02/podcast-108-rally-to-restore-sanity/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 23:37:22 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2409 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/02/podcast-108-rally-to-restore-sanity/feed/ 3 0:19:23 Here’s our report recorded LIVE, Saturday, October 30th, from somewhere very near the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.  The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ atheists gang aft agley, and pilgrimages to the power center of the earth[...] Here’s our report recorded LIVE, Saturday, October 30th, from somewhere very near the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.  The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ atheists gang aft agley, and pilgrimages to the power center of the earth are no exception.  Whether Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert provided only a momentary distraction from the madhouse of American politics, or planted a seed of reasonableness that will lead to better things, we leave for others to decide. 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 October 30, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. news, podcast, politics American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/17/podcast-106-listener-feedback/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/17/podcast-106-listener-feedback/#comments Sun, 17 Oct 2010 15:15:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2380 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/17/podcast-106-listener-feedback/feed/ 0 0:46:47 Boy, do we get feedback!  We’re wrong about the Tea Party, the Great “Enlightenment,” bleeping out curse words, and the authorship/timing of both the Qur’an and the New Testament.  On the other hand, some listeners think we [...] Boy, do we get feedback!  We’re wrong about the Tea Party, the Great “Enlightenment,” bleeping out curse words, and the authorship/timing of both the Qur’an and the New Testament.  On the other hand, some listeners think we are “awesome” and their “very favorite.”  High praise indeed, considering the intelligence level and perspicacity of our listener base. Plus: What it’s like inside a fundamentalist cult; churches and taxes Down Under; the intersection between porn and mainstream cinema; and a surprise email from someone we talked about in a recent podcast. (Sound clips at the top and bottom of the show are from the animated not-for-kids movie Mary & Max.  Definitely worth checking out!) Announcements: We’re going to Washington, DC for Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity, noon to 3pm, October 30th on the National Mall!  If you want to join up with us at the Rally, subscribe to our Twitter feed at Twitter.com/AmerFreethought.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 October 6, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, commentary, cults, military, movies, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/07/podcast-104-the-tillman-story/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/07/podcast-104-the-tillman-story/#comments Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:00:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2356 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/07/podcast-104-the-tillman-story/feed/ 2 0:42:49 We discuss the new documentary The Tillman Story, which exposes the massive cover-up of the death by friendly fire of pro football player-turned soldier Pat Tillman.  Was his death a tragic mistake, or the result of a malicious “fragging[...] We discuss the new documentary The Tillman Story, which exposes the massive cover-up of the death by friendly fire of pro football player-turned soldier Pat Tillman.  Was his death a tragic mistake, or the result of a malicious “fragging”?  It doesn’t help (from the Army’s perspective) that Tillman was a left-leaning atheist/agnostic openly critical of the “illegal” War in Iraq. For more about the film, visit TillmanStory.com. Plus: We’re going to Washington, DC for Jon Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity, noon to 3pm, October 30th on the National Mall!  If you’ll be there as well send us a note. The Eddie Long sex scandal is just beginning.  “Bishop” Eddie Long of Atlanta’s New Birth Missionary Baptist megachurch is the target of four lawsuits by young men who claim Long had homosexual affairs with them when they were teens. Atheists know more than believers: We discuss the new Pew Research Center’s U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey that shows nonbelievers score better on the basic facts of religion than are the faithful.  How can this be?  :) Finally, while the news has already circulated within the nontheistic community, we congratulate Dave Silverman on his selection as the new president of American Atheists. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded September 29, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, commentary, military, movies, news, podcast American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/03/ky-legislature-infected-with-god-fever/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/03/ky-legislature-infected-with-god-fever/#comments Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:50:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2340 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/03/ky-legislature-infected-with-god-fever/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/26/podcast-102-the-chaplain-and-the-atheist/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/26/podcast-102-the-chaplain-and-the-atheist/#comments Sun, 26 Sep 2010 05:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2309 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/26/podcast-102-the-chaplain-and-the-atheist/feed/ 6 0:28:21 We discuss journalist Michael M. Phillips’ Wall Street Journal article “A Chaplain and an Atheist Go to War.”  It’s the story of Navy Chaplain Terry Moran (a fundamentalist and Young Earth Creationist) and his bodyguard Relig[...] We discuss journalist Michael M. Phillips’ Wall Street Journal article “A Chaplain and an Atheist Go to War.”  It’s the story of Navy Chaplain Terry Moran (a fundamentalist and Young Earth Creationist) and his bodyguard Religious Programs Specialist 2nd Class Philip Chute, a Dawkins-toting atheist, who serve the troops in Afghanistan. We’re also struck by the similarity of their relationship to that described between the Chaplain and Corporal Whitcomb in Joseph Heller’s novel Catch-22.  In Heller’s satirical classic, the Chaplain is a spineless Anabaptist who’s afraid of his own shadow, while Corporal Whitcomb–an atheist–undermines the Chaplain at every turn, while simultaneously dreaming up ways to increase troop participation in church services. Plus: Feedback!  We’re popular with the young folks (or at least, one young folk).  Why can’t David pronounce “Copenhagen” like a real American?  And what’s with our bleeping of all the swear words?  For what it’s worth, if you can’t get enough swearing check out this YouTube video of all the curses in Episode 1 Season 1 of Deadwood. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded September 12, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, christianity, commentary, military, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/23/american-freethought-is-three-years-old/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/23/american-freethought-is-three-years-old/#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 05:01:12 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2290 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/23/american-freethought-is-three-years-old/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/22/bishop-eddie-long-in-sex-scandal/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/22/bishop-eddie-long-in-sex-scandal/#comments Thu, 23 Sep 2010 01:30:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2285 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/22/bishop-eddie-long-in-sex-scandal/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/18/dave-silverman-elected-president-of-american-atheists/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/18/dave-silverman-elected-president-of-american-atheists/#comments Sat, 18 Sep 2010 12:34:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2277 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/18/dave-silverman-elected-president-of-american-atheists/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/pope-equates-atheists-with-nazis/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/pope-equates-atheists-with-nazis/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 02:37:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2275 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/16/pope-equates-atheists-with-nazis/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/15/everybody-pray-for-hitchens-day/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/15/everybody-pray-for-hitchens-day/#comments Thu, 16 Sep 2010 01:27:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2260 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/15/everybody-pray-for-hitchens-day/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/15/podcast-101-international-burn-a-quran-day/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/15/podcast-101-international-burn-a-quran-day/#comments Wed, 15 Sep 2010 05:01:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2255 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/15/podcast-101-international-burn-a-quran-day/feed/ 1 0:44:55 International Burn a Qur’an Day was a bust.  Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville, Florida threatened, de-threatened and repeatedly vacillated as to whether or not he was going to organize a book-burning on the nint[...] International Burn a Qur’an Day was a bust.  Pastor Terry Jones of Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville, Florida threatened, de-threatened and repeatedly vacillated as to whether or not he was going to organize a book-burning on the ninth anniversary of 9/11 (he ultimately did not).  Even President Obama weighed in on why it was a bad idea to burn a Qur’an. Plus: Our Dragon*Con wrap-up. Glorious freak-out at the top of the show courtesy of Phil Davison of Stark County, Ohio. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded September 12, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, commentary, islam, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/international-burn-a-quran-day/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/international-burn-a-quran-day/#comments Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:59:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2246 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/international-burn-a-quran-day/feed/ 9 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/03/dragon-con/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/03/dragon-con/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:17:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2219 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/03/dragon-con/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/man-obsessed-with-overpopulation-terrorizes-discovery-channel/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/man-obsessed-with-overpopulation-terrorizes-discovery-channel/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:33:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2217 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/man-obsessed-with-overpopulation-terrorizes-discovery-channel/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/really-it-was-the-rosary-beads/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/really-it-was-the-rosary-beads/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:00:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2215 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/really-it-was-the-rosary-beads/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/24/atlas-shrugged-the-movie/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/24/atlas-shrugged-the-movie/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:00:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2206 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/24/atlas-shrugged-the-movie/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/23/first-the-hitch-and-now-p-zed/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/23/first-the-hitch-and-now-p-zed/#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:41:53 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2203 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/23/first-the-hitch-and-now-p-zed/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/1-in-5-think-obamas-a-muslim/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/1-in-5-think-obamas-a-muslim/#comments Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:27:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2176 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/1-in-5-think-obamas-a-muslim/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/09/podcast-98-the-crescent-and-the-moonpie/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/09/podcast-98-the-crescent-and-the-moonpie/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 05:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2159 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/09/podcast-98-the-crescent-and-the-moonpie/feed/ 1 1:04:44 In our live presentation to the Atlanta Freethought Society, “The Crescent and the Moonpie: Islam and the American South,” we look at the history of Islam in the Antebellum South, then jump forward to discuss  how Muslim communities are [...] In our live presentation to the Atlanta Freethought Society, “The Crescent and the Moonpie: Islam and the American South,” we look at the history of Islam in the Antebellum South, then jump forward to discuss  how Muslim communities are being received in 21st century Dixie. Mentioned in the presentation: US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan and former heavyweight champ Muhammad Ali.  Both men are native-born Southerners (Hasan in Virginia, Ali in Kentucky).  Both are adherents of Islam, yet they took very different paths. Muslims in the Antebellum South: Estevanico the Moor (1500-1539), Muslim convert to Catholicism and the first African to set foot in North America. Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, an African slave eventually returned to his homeland with the help of (among others) James Oglethorpe, the founder of colonial Georgia. Yarrow Mamout (1736-1823), a freedman who lived in early Washington, DC, who owned property and bank investments and was painted by famous portraitist Charles Willson Peale. Omar ibn Said (1770-1864), and Islamic scholar who wrote 14 Arabic manuscripts during his time as a slave. Bilali Muhammad, who led a congregation of 80 fellow Muslims while enslaved on Sapelo Island, Georgia in the early 19th century. Islam in the 21st Century South: Al-Farooq Masjid of Atlanta, the largest and most prominent mosque in Georgia (possibly in the South). Case Study #1:  The Christian Action Network sponsors a billboard campaign for Islam Rising, an anti-Islamic documentary. Case Study #2:  Residents of Murfreesboro, Tennessee are upset at the pending construction of a sizable Islamic Center. Case Study #3:  The City Council of Alpharetta, Georgia denies an expansion permit to the Islamic Center of North Fulton, citing zoning concerns. Case Study #4:  Residents of Lilburn, Georgia allege harassment by”Middle Eastern men” after the Dar-e-Abbas mosque was denied an expansion permit in their neighborhood.  The police have so far found no evidence of wrongdoing. Announcements: Dragon*Con (which includes SkepTrack) is just around the corner, September 3-6, right here in Atlanta.  And if you can join us a day early, the second annual Star Party will be hosted by Emory University’s Science and Math Center. Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded August 8, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. history, islam, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/05/topic-of-cancer/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/05/topic-of-cancer/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:56:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2156 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/05/topic-of-cancer/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/02/gettin-rational-in-knoxville/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/02/gettin-rational-in-knoxville/#comments Tue, 03 Aug 2010 01:11:49 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2151 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/02/gettin-rational-in-knoxville/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/podcast-97-the-essential-freethought-library/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/podcast-97-the-essential-freethought-library/#comments Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:01:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2146 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/23/podcast-97-the-essential-freethought-library/feed/ 4 1:04:44 We discuss the Essential Freethought Library, the result of a poll of dozens of notable personalities in the freethought community.  We asked them one simple question: “What ten books must the well-read freethinker have read?” Also, loc[...] We discuss the Essential Freethought Library, the result of a poll of dozens of notable personalities in the freethought community.  We asked them one simple question: “What ten books must the well-read freethinker have read?” Also, local craziness in the news: Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!  A Georgia pastor is suing the state over a law that expands gun-carrying rights, but prohibits guns in places like government buildings and churches.  That’s right: a preacher wants the right to have a gun in his place of worship. Magic Jeff Goes Bye-Bye!  A Georgia youth minister and magician who performed for kids as “Magic Jeff” gets 20 years in prison for (among other things) child pornography. A Flock Put out to Pasture!  The Greater Works Assembly of Atlanta was evicted from their building for failing to pay the mortgage for TWO YEARS.  And not because of tough economic times, but apparently because the husband-and-wife team that headed up the church were engaged in an elaborate shell game whereby they moved money around amongst nearly ten shadowy non-profits. The Usual Announcements 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.  The title of our main presentation:  The Crescent and the Moonpie. 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 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 17, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, children, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/21/help-make-songs-from-the-science-frontier-a-reality/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/21/help-make-songs-from-the-science-frontier-a-reality/#comments Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:01:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2142 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/21/help-make-songs-from-the-science-frontier-a-reality/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/05/ed-buckner-stepping-down-from-aa/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/05/ed-buckner-stepping-down-from-aa/#comments Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:50:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2103 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/05/ed-buckner-stepping-down-from-aa/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/04/happy-birthday-america/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/04/happy-birthday-america/#comments Sun, 04 Jul 2010 20:09:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2100 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/04/happy-birthday-america/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/01/bad-news-for-hitch/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/01/bad-news-for-hitch/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:10:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2092 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/01/bad-news-for-hitch/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/28/liberty-meet-irony/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/28/liberty-meet-irony/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:23:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2089 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/28/liberty-meet-irony/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/27/a-lung-my-bad/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/27/a-lung-my-bad/#comments Sun, 27 Jun 2010 15:22:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2086 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/27/a-lung-my-bad/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/enough-already-with-the-political-prayer/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/enough-already-with-the-political-prayer/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:30:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2080 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/enough-already-with-the-political-prayer/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/guilty-and-100-times-more/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/guilty-and-100-times-more/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:39:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2078 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/21/guilty-and-100-times-more/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/13/podcast-91-its-alive/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/13/podcast-91-its-alive/#comments Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:06:47 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2039 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/13/podcast-91-its-alive/feed/ 1 1:00:19 We talk with Christina L. Graves, a biology student (and prebiotic chemistry researcher) at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  Christina walks us through the recent announcement by the J. Craig Venter Institute that they have created a self-repli[...] We talk with Christina L. Graves, a biology student (and prebiotic chemistry researcher) at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  Christina walks us through the recent announcement by the J. Craig Venter Institute that they have created a self-replicating, synthetic cell.  We also discuss the reaction to Venter’s news from religious groups like the Catholic Church, Creation Ministries International, and even the Raelians. Briefly mentioned: The new Adrien Brody/Sarah Polley film Splice, a sci-fi-horror shocker about genetic engineering gone very very wrong. Glossary of terms: Abiogenesis – the theory of how life on Earth could have arisen from inanimate matter. Prebiotic Chemistry – the field of study involving the spontaneous chemical reactions which may have led to the formation of biomolecules and/or life on early Earth. Stanley Miller (1930-2007) – an American chemist and biologist who is known for his studies into the origin of life, particularly the Miller-Urey experiment which demonstrated that organic compounds can be created by fairly simple physical processes from inorganic substances. Atheopath – A neologism, coined by Creation Ministries International’s Jonathan Sarfati and used (as far as we can tell) by no one else, which combines the word “atheist” and the suffix “-path” (“one afflicted by a specified disorder”) to create a word meaning something like “one afflicted by atheism.”  Apparently it’s intended to echo scary words like sociopath and psychopath.  Perhaps we should coin the counter-term “theopath.” The Usual Announcements Look for David Driscoll at  “Gods and Politics,” the Atheist Alliance International Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 18-20. Live in metro Atlanta?  Look for John Snider (and wifey Allison!) in attendance at Christopher Hitchens’ appearance (boosting his new memoir Hitch-22) at the Barnes & Noble in Buckhead, 7PM, Friday June 18th.  Also, look for John and Allison in attendance at Michael Largo’s reading from his encyclopedic God’s Lunatics, 6:30 PM, Tuesday, June 22nd at Ivy Hall. 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 June 8, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, cults, interviews, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/10/teach-the-controversy-russian-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/10/teach-the-controversy-russian-edition/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 10:44:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2036 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/10/teach-the-controversy-russian-edition/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/30/hitch-22-book-tour/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/30/hitch-22-book-tour/#comments Sun, 30 May 2010 18:44:12 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2027 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/30/hitch-22-book-tour/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/23/podcast-89-world-ends-miss-usa-is-a-muslim/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/23/podcast-89-world-ends-miss-usa-is-a-muslim/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 02:14:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2022 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/23/podcast-89-world-ends-miss-usa-is-a-muslim/feed/ 0 0:54:56 OMFG and other exaggerations.  The new Miss USA is Rima Fakih, who hails from Dearborn, Michigan by way of Lebanon.  According to Ms. Fakih, her family is not terribly pious–apparently they observe both Muslim and Christian holidays, for examp[...] OMFG and other exaggerations.  The new Miss USA is Rima Fakih, who hails from Dearborn, Michigan by way of Lebanon.  According to Ms. Fakih, her family is not terribly pious–apparently they observe both Muslim and Christian holidays, for example.  But to hear the conservative blathersphere, you’d think the selection of  an Arab-American as one of our foremost icons of cheesecake is either political correctness run amok, or part of some elaborate master plan by Hezbollah to lower Western civilization’s defenses before they come in for the big kill. Meanwhile…candidates in Alabama’s Republican gubernatorial primary are determined to court the lowest-common-denominator demographic.  When candidate Bradley Byrne was accused of believing in evolution and doubting that the scriptures are literally true, he fell over backwards to assure the voters he’s a dyed-in-the-wool creationist and Bible-thumping fundamentalist. Plus: Atlanta Skepticamp 2010 was a big success; the Mojave cross was stolen; Idaho missionary and would-be child trafficker Laura Silsby is back from Haiti; and former executives of faith-based (and now defunct) Integrity Bank have been indicted on bribery charges. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded May 23, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, commentary, islam, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/sam-harris-puts-the-pope-in-his-crosshairs/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/sam-harris-puts-the-pope-in-his-crosshairs/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 22:38:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2014 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/sam-harris-puts-the-pope-in-his-crosshairs/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/mojave-cross-stolen/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/mojave-cross-stolen/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 22:02:48 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2008 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/mojave-cross-stolen/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/09/podcast-88-the-cross-stays-for-now/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/09/podcast-88-the-cross-stays-for-now/#comments Sun, 09 May 2010 05:01:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2005 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/09/podcast-88-the-cross-stays-for-now/feed/ 2 0:50:08 The Supreme Court has ruled that a Christian cross erected on federal land in the Mojave desert can say (for now).  Among other things, certain justices ((cough) Scalia (cough)) have decided that crosses are a universal symbol for the dead.  Never m[...] The Supreme Court has ruled that a Christian cross erected on federal land in the Mojave desert can say (for now).  Among other things, certain justices ((cough) Scalia (cough)) have decided that crosses are a universal symbol for the dead.  Never mind the only dead people you’ll find one planted over are Christian and never, say, Jewish or Muslim.  For more google Salazar v. Buono. The Pope has made a pilgrimage to Turin, Italy, to pray before the relic icon artistic fraud the Shroud of Turin.  Now, we wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see the Shroud, just out of morbid curiosity, but Ratzinger all but calls it real in a rambling, somewhat ghoulish sermon. More faith-based terrorism in the news.  Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized citizen from Pakistan, botched an attempt to car-bomb Times Square.  Meanwhile, nine members of a “Christian patriot” group called Hutaree have been arrested on suspicion of seditious conspiracy. See you next weekend at Atlanta Skepticamp! Finally, check out The Naked Bible, a collection of essays by nonbeliever Andrew Bernardin. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded May 5, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, islam, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/05/day-of-prayer-becomes-culture-war-skirmish/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/05/day-of-prayer-becomes-culture-war-skirmish/#comments Wed, 05 May 2010 11:06:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2000 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/05/day-of-prayer-becomes-culture-war-skirmish/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/03/if-the-pope-had-any-credibility-left/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/03/if-the-pope-had-any-credibility-left/#comments Mon, 03 May 2010 11:22:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1997 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/03/if-the-pope-had-any-credibility-left/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/24/freethought-film-festival-foundation-now-a-501c3/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/24/freethought-film-festival-foundation-now-a-501c3/#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:01:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1985 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/24/freethought-film-festival-foundation-now-a-501c3/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/23/atlanta-skepticamp-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/23/atlanta-skepticamp-2/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1982 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/23/atlanta-skepticamp-2/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/22/catholic-scandal-are-these-guys-reading-the-same-news/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/22/catholic-scandal-are-these-guys-reading-the-same-news/#comments Fri, 23 Apr 2010 01:17:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1978 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/22/catholic-scandal-are-these-guys-reading-the-same-news/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/21/podcast-87-natl-day-of-prayer-unconstitutional/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/21/podcast-87-natl-day-of-prayer-unconstitutional/#comments Wed, 21 Apr 2010 05:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1970 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/21/podcast-87-natl-day-of-prayer-unconstitutional/feed/ 0 0:46:27 A judge has ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, handing Dan Barker’s Freedom from Religion Foundation a victory in its lawsuit against the federal government.  President Obama (who participated in the NDP last year) immediately [...] A judge has ruled the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional, handing Dan Barker’s Freedom from Religion Foundation a victory in its lawsuit against the federal government.  President Obama (who participated in the NDP last year) immediately said he would participate again this year.  The feds will appeal, and it’s likely this will be settled in the Supreme Court (although, the way that body has been ruling lately it’s likely the decision will be overturned).  And for those that are interested, there’s a counter-observance the same day as the NDP called the National Day of Reason. The British Chiropractic Association has dropped its lawsuit against science journalist Simon Singh.  While it’s not an outright victory for Singh, the BCA hasn’t exactly made itself look good in all this.  Singh will now sue the BCA for the cost of defending himself, and will continue his quest to reform British libel law. State legislators across America are pushing a surprising bit of preemptive legislation: banning the implantation of microchips into human beings without their consent.  What could be worrying these lawmakers so much that they take time away from solving the high unemployment and budget crises?  Could it be… Satan??? Just when we thought the proposal by Councilwoman Betty Price to begin Roswell (GA) city council meetings with prayer had been tamped down,the council entertained public comment on the subject, and AF’s John C. Snider stepped up to the mic. Finally, we talk to Andrew Bush, a documentary filmmaker whose work-in-progress–”Southern Reason“–features the eminent hosts of American Freethought.  Check out AndrewBushFilms.com to watch clips and to see the film as it develops .  Also, check out Andrew’s new documentary Heart, Soul and Perseverance, a documentary that demystifies and celebrates the art of the ninja. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded April 19, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, interviews, movies, news, podcast, politics, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/18/in-which-we-go-hollywood/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/18/in-which-we-go-hollywood/#comments Sun, 18 Apr 2010 18:01:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1952 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/18/in-which-we-go-hollywood/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/15/singh-wins-singh-wins-singh-wins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/15/singh-wins-singh-wins-singh-wins/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:30:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1950 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/15/singh-wins-singh-wins-singh-wins/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/15/natl-day-of-prayer-unconstitutional/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/15/natl-day-of-prayer-unconstitutional/#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 02:10:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1948 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/15/natl-day-of-prayer-unconstitutional/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/07/podcast-85-american-atheists-convention-part-1/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/07/podcast-85-american-atheists-convention-part-1/#comments Thu, 08 Apr 2010 02:15:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1933 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/04/07/podcast-85-american-atheists-convention-part-1/feed/ 1 0:34:35 John reports (almost) live from the American Atheists Convention in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Day One speakers included Center for Inquiry’s Paul Kurtz, biologist/philosopher Massimo Pigliucci, UK-based National Secular Society’s Keith Por[...] John reports (almost) live from the American Atheists Convention in Elizabeth, New Jersey.  Day One speakers included Center for Inquiry’s Paul Kurtz, biologist/philosopher Massimo Pigliucci, UK-based National Secular Society’s Keith Porteous Wood, The God Virus author Darrel Ray, and newly-elected Asheville (NC) city councilman Cecil Bothwell.  Plus: Sightseeing in NYC, including an unexpected sighting of… Mandy Patinkin. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded April 3, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, commentary, news, podcast American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/30/the-pope-aint-so-dope-but-then-we-knew-that-already-didnt-we/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/30/the-pope-aint-so-dope-but-then-we-knew-that-already-didnt-we/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:28:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1926 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/30/the-pope-aint-so-dope-but-then-we-knew-that-already-didnt-we/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/22/podcast-84-newdow-in-flames/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/22/podcast-84-newdow-in-flames/#comments Mon, 22 Mar 2010 05:01:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1914 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/22/podcast-84-newdow-in-flames/feed/ 3 0:44:58 The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has denied activist Michael Newdow’s lawsuits to challenge “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on the currency.  We think the Court was cowardly and disingen[...] The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has denied activist Michael Newdow’s lawsuits to challenge “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance and “In God We Trust” on the currency.  We think the Court was cowardly and disingenuous.  Unfortunately, this is likely to be the last gasp in the decades-long struggle.  You can find links to the full texts of the Court’s opinions (including Judge Stephen Reinhardt’s scathing 120-page dissent) here. In other news…the city council of Roswell, Georgia has resoundingly turned back a suggestion to begin council meetings with prayer.  A surprising victory, but one we welcome nonetheless. Plus: David reports on Secular Coalition executive director Sean Faircloth’s appearance at the Atlanta Freethought Society; meanwhile, John attends a Jewish funeral and a Buddhist wedding. John and Allison will also be at the upcoming American Atheists convention in Newark, NJ, April 2-4.  We’ll actually be in the greater NYC are March 31 – April 5, and we welcome suggestions for places to eat, things to do, or stuff to see. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded March 21, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, buddhism, christianity, history, judaism, news, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/12/roswell-ga-rejects-city-council-prayer/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/12/roswell-ga-rejects-city-council-prayer/#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 04:29:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1909 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/12/roswell-ga-rejects-city-council-prayer/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/11/9th-circuit-rejects-newdow/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/11/9th-circuit-rejects-newdow/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:21:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1907 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/11/9th-circuit-rejects-newdow/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/10/anti-gay-senator-is-gay/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/10/anti-gay-senator-is-gay/#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:26:40 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1901 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/10/anti-gay-senator-is-gay/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/09/voilence-continues-in-nigeria/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/09/voilence-continues-in-nigeria/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:22:22 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1897 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/09/voilence-continues-in-nigeria/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/07/homeschooled-evangelical/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/07/homeschooled-evangelical/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:38:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1894 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/07/homeschooled-evangelical/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/06/the-reason-project-is-now-project-reason/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/06/the-reason-project-is-now-project-reason/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:26:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1884 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/06/the-reason-project-is-now-project-reason/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:01:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1878 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/feed/ 6 0:41:16 Allison’s back–yay!  She joins us to discuss the new Charles Darwin bio-pic Creation, starring real-life husband-and-wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles and Emma Darwin.  Creation is based on the nonfiction book Annie[...] Allison’s back–yay!  She joins us to discuss the new Charles Darwin bio-pic Creation, starring real-life husband-and-wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles and Emma Darwin.  Creation is based on the nonfiction book Annie’s Box (published in the US as Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution, and reissued in conjunction with the film as Creation) by Darwin descendant Randal Keynes.  Creation is currently in limited release, so check your local art cinema to see if and when it might play in your neighborhood.  For more visit CreationtheMovie.com. Thanks to the many fellow science fans who joined us for the Creation screening at Atlanta’s Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.  And thanks to Royal Orchid Thai Cuisine for accommodating our unexpected horde. Also: David McAllister and Jason Bourque have been arrested in connection with a string of church arsons and burglaries in Texas.  There’s a minor storm of controversy in the media over reports that “books on demons and atheism” were found in Bourque’s home.  East Texas television station KLTV has offered reports from “anonymous sources” who claim that McAllister was troubled by the death of his mother and was looking to “save people from believing” and trying to “dislodge” church institutions.  Clearly, American Freethought condemns arson and vandalism of any kind.  And if it turns out that these young men committed these crimes out of some misguided notion of what atheism is, we condemn that as well. Upcoming events: John and Allison will be attending a rare joint appearance by Christopher Hitchens and Salman Rushdie at Emory University, Friday, February 26th.  If you’re there and you see us, be sure to say hello. John and Allison will also be at the upcoming American Atheists convention in Newark, NJ, April 2-4.  We’ll actually be in the greater NYC are March 31 – April 5, and we welcome suggestions for places to eat, things to do, or stuff to see. Can you spell C-O-N-T-E-S-T? We have a minor trove of nifty things to give away, including a 2009 American Atheists convention program signed by Richard Dawkins, a handful of books by famous critical thinkers, and an American Freethought t-shirt and coffee mug.  To win, simply challenge John C. Snider to a game of “Words With Friends” (the iPhone version of the classic Scrabble).  You’ll need an iPhone, of course; and you’ll need to download Words With Friends (created by game developer Newtoy, Inc.).  John’s user name is “johncsnider.”  The person who beats him by the most points during the month of February wins the tchoch. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded February 24, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, buddhism, commentary, evolution, movies, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/19/podcast-81-announcing-unity-2013/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/19/podcast-81-announcing-unity-2013/#comments Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:01:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1872 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/19/podcast-81-announcing-unity-2013/feed/ 2 0:43:52 Margaret Downey (former president of Atheist Alliance International, now a “freethought free agent”) announces the formation of the Unity 2013 Event Committee.  What is Unity 2013?  Nobody knows just yet, but what we do know is that it[...] Margaret Downey (former president of Atheist Alliance International, now a “freethought free agent”) announces the formation of the Unity 2013 Event Committee.  What is Unity 2013?  Nobody knows just yet, but what we do know is that it’ll be big, it has the blessing of such notables as Daniel Dennett, and it’ll involve many (if not most) of the major freethought-friendly organizations.  To keep abreast of the details as they unfold, check out the Unity 2013 Facebook page. Also: David swells in righteous indigation over the misguidedness of a local religious school whose “philosophy of education” includes a lot of blither-blather about fearing God, the inerrancy of the Bible, and man’s dominion over the planet–but nary a word about, oh, curriculum. Black children are an endangered species! In other words, if you’re black, look out!  The evil atheist liberal abortionists are gunning for your fetuseseses. Upcoming events: See Creation with American Freethought!  We’re arranging an outing for the afternoon of Saturday, February 20th, to see the new Charles Darwin bio-pic starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly.  We’ll convene for Thai food immediately after the movie.  Details can be found here, or at this Facebook event page. John and Allison will be attending a rare joint appearance by Christopher Hitchens and Salman Rushdie at Emory University, Friday, February 26th.  If you’re there and you see us, be sure to say hello. John and Allison will also be at the upcoming American Atheists convention in Newark, NJ, April 2-4.  We’ll actually be in the greater NYC are March 31 – April 5, and we welcome suggestions for places to eat, things to do, or stuff to see. Atlanta SkeptiCamp 2010 is tentatively scheduled for May.  Keep an eye on the Atlanta Skeptics website for details as they unfold. Hey, what’s that waaay over there, just over the horizon?  Why, it’s Dragon*Con!  Yep, it’s time to start thinking about the all-encompassing pop culture juggernaut held every year in Atlanta, featuring (among other things) the increasingly popular Skeptrack!  Four-day memberships to the Con are only $80 through May 15th ($90 through July 15th).  We’ll see you there! 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 18, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. abortion, atheism, children, christianity, interviews, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/08/podcast-80-simon-singh/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/08/podcast-80-simon-singh/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1867 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/08/podcast-80-simon-singh/feed/ 3 0:57:27 We interview science journalist Simon Singh, co-author (with Dr. Edzard Ernst) of Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine (which both John and David highly recommend).  For more about Simon visit SimonSingh.net.  Please a[...] We interview science journalist Simon Singh, co-author (with Dr. Edzard Ernst) of Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine (which both John and David highly recommend).  For more about Simon visit SimonSingh.net.  Please also visit LibelReform.org, a website devoted to changing the United Kingdom’s disgraceful libel laws (Simon is currently in the midst of a court battle with the British Chiropractic Association over his reporting on chiropractic treatment of children in the UK’s Guardian newspaper.) Trick or Treatment is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Continuing this episodes alternative medicine theme, we take a look at aromatherapy.  Can smells trigger the body’s healing ability, or do they offer only a temporary placebo? Also: See Creation with American Freethought!  We’re arranging an outing for the afternoon of Saturday, February 20th, to see the new Charles Darwin bio-pic starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly.  We’ll convene for Thai food immediately after the movie.  Details can be found here, or at this Facebook event page. 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 6, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, news, podcast, science, skepticism American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/06/see-creation-with-american-freethought/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/06/see-creation-with-american-freethought/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:44:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1864 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/06/see-creation-with-american-freethought/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/04/obama-disappoints-at-npb/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/04/obama-disappoints-at-npb/#comments Fri, 05 Feb 2010 02:48:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1861 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/04/obama-disappoints-at-npb/feed/ 0 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/2010/01/26/podcast-78-pat-robertson-is-an-evil-moron/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/26/podcast-78-pat-robertson-is-an-evil-moron/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 05:01:42 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1843 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/26/podcast-78-pat-robertson-is-an-evil-moron/feed/ 0 0:48:15 Or at least so says Christopher Hitchens, responding to Robertson’s claim that the devastating Haitian earthquake (which may have killed upwards of 200,000 innocent people) was the result of “a deal with the devil” made during the [...] Or at least so says Christopher Hitchens, responding to Robertson’s claim that the devastating Haitian earthquake (which may have killed upwards of 200,000 innocent people) was the result of “a deal with the devil” made during the Haitian Revolution in 1791.  White House press secretary Robert Gibbs called Robertson’s remarks “utterly stupid.”  Barry Lynn of Americans United said they were callous and grotesquely insensitive.  And Keith Olbermann says Robertson is full of “senile crap.” So what the heck is Robertson talking about?  In a word: voodoo.  Specifically, the semi-legendary meeting at Bois Caiman, in which African slaves called upon spirits to help them overthrow their French masters.  (And for more on modern-day voodoo right here in America, check out this short film from photojournalist Stephanie Keith. For those who want to help their fellow human beings instead of floating crack-brained religious theories, there’s CFI’s SHARE and Non-Believers Giving Aid. Meanwhile…US defense contractor Trijicon is backpedaling furiously after the media reported that they’ve been encoding Bible verses into the serial numbers of their specialty gun-sights.  Crusade, what Crusade?  Trijicon is offering a half-assed apology and has pledged to “voluntarily” stop the practice for future military production. Plus: Holey Scripture! Remember Samuel L. Jackson’s brilliant recitation of Ezekiel 25:17 from the modern classic Pulp Fiction?  Turns out Jackson’s hitman Jules knows about as much of the Bible as most Christians.  It also turns out Quentin Tarantino ripped off payed homage to Sonny Chiba. David reports on his ambassadorial trip to Charleston. John reports on American Atheist president Ed Buckner’s recent debate with Charles Gernazian (director of the Catholic American Center on Law and Religion).  Two guesses as to who we think won. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded January 24, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, cults, history, movies, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/13/will-someone-please-bitchslap-pat-robertson/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/13/will-someone-please-bitchslap-pat-robertson/#comments Thu, 14 Jan 2010 00:20:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1828 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/13/will-someone-please-bitchslap-pat-robertson/feed/ 7 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/02/podcast-76-stuart-bechman-pres-of-atheist-alliance-international/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/02/podcast-76-stuart-bechman-pres-of-atheist-alliance-international/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:01:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1823 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/02/podcast-76-stuart-bechman-pres-of-atheist-alliance-international/feed/ 0 0:45:16 Happy New Year!  We kick off 2010 by interviewing Stuart Bechman, president of Atheist Alliance International (AtheistAlliance.org).  AAI is planning its first-ever Australian convention in Melbourne on March 12-14, 2010.  For details visit AtheistC[...] Happy New Year!  We kick off 2010 by interviewing Stuart Bechman, president of Atheist Alliance International (AtheistAlliance.org).  AAI is planning its first-ever Australian convention in Melbourne on March 12-14, 2010.  For details visit AtheistConvention.org.au–tickets are going fast! Also discussed in this episode: Crazy Christmas: Pope Ratzinger gets jumped by a wingnut at Christmas Mass, and another Muslim whackjob tries to blow up an airplane (last time it was shoes; this time it’s underpants). Congratulations, Mississippi!  You lead the nation in religiosity.  And poverty.  And teen pregnancy.  And poor health.  And federal support.   Coincidence, cause or correlation?  Oh, and check out this bonus graphic showing the correlation between Southern Baptism and teen pregnancy. 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 December 31, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, interviews, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/29/woman-jumps-pope-during-xmas-mass/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/29/woman-jumps-pope-during-xmas-mass/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:13:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1820 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/29/woman-jumps-pope-during-xmas-mass/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/08/phil-plait-steps-down-from-jref/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/08/phil-plait-steps-down-from-jref/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:03:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1773 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/08/phil-plait-steps-down-from-jref/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/07/podcast-74-margaret-downey/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/07/podcast-74-margaret-downey/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 05:01:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1767 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/07/podcast-74-margaret-downey/feed/ 0 0:47:17 We interview Margaret Downey, former Atheist Alliance International president and founder of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia (FSGP.org), about her experiences coordinating the annual Tree of Knowledge in Chester County, Pennsylvania,[...] We interview Margaret Downey, former Atheist Alliance International president and founder of the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia (FSGP.org), about her experiences coordinating the annual Tree of Knowledge in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is intended to offer an alternative to the traditional Nativity scene displayed on public property.  For more about Margaret visit secular-celebrations.com. We review Oh My God, a new documentary by writer/director/producer Peter Rodger, in which he travels around the world asking people the question: What is God?  For more info, including upcoming screenings near you, visit omgmovie.com. Also discussed in this episode: The Atheists Guide to Christmas, a book edited by Ariane Sherine (the woman behind the original Atheist Bus Campaign in London) with contributions by 42 nonbelievers, including Richard Dawkins and Phil Plait.  The book is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. And if you thought the new 150th anniversary edition of Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (with “special” introduction by Ray “The Atheist’s Nightmare” Comfort) was completely useless, think again.  A copy signed by skeptics Joe Nickell, Dan Barker, Rebecca Watson, PZ Myers, DJ Grothe and others is being auctioned on eBay, with the proceeds going to the Missouri State University Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster to help them organize next year’s Skepticon III conference).  Bidding ends December 11th, so check it out now!  For more visit Skepticon.org. 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 December 3, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, interviews, movies, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/02/swiss-voters-ban-minarets/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/02/swiss-voters-ban-minarets/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 11:57:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1765 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/02/swiss-voters-ban-minarets/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/23/podcast-73-war-on-christmas-special/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/23/podcast-73-war-on-christmas-special/#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:01:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1756 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/23/podcast-73-war-on-christmas-special/feed/ 3 1:01:31 Okay, no War on Christmas per se, but… the festive season approaches, and it’s time for us to share our Top Five suggestions for holiday gifts for nonbelievers!  It’s your opportunity to warm the cockles of the family atheist and/o[...] Okay, no War on Christmas per se, but… the festive season approaches, and it’s time for us to share our Top Five suggestions for holiday gifts for nonbelievers!  It’s your opportunity to warm the cockles of the family atheist and/or make pious relatives squirm as you share presents around the pagan tree. David’s suggestions (in no particular order): Nonfiction Two-Fer – Don’t Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson and Worlds of Their Own by Robert J. Schadewald (David’s favorite nonfiction books of 2009). DVD Two-Fer – Troy Conrad’s The Comedy Jesus Show (www.comedyjesusshow.com) and the AAI 2009 Convention 2009 video (coming soon from www.atheistalliance.org). A telescope. American Freethought tchoch: t-shirts, coffee mugs and more (www.cafepress.com/amerfreethought). Membership in Atheist Alliance International (www.atheistalliance.org/Membership.html). John’s suggestions (in no particular order): A Very Haeckel Christmas (greeting cards inspired by the artwork of 19th century biologys Ernst Haeckel) (www.cafepress.com/therhinobird). Surly-Ramics Jewelry (www.surlyramics.com). Honorable Mention goes to Made with Molecules (www.madewithmolecules.com). Here Comes Science (CD and DVD for kids) by alt-rock legends They Might Be Giants. Bible Comics Two-Fer – The Book of Genesis Illustrated by Robert Crumb and The Wolverton Bible by Basil Wolverton Charitable donation to your local college skeptics or atheists club.  John recommends the Kennesaw State University Student Coalition for Inquiry (www.ksusci.com) or the University or Missouri’s Skeptics Atheists Secular Humanists Agnostics (MU SASHA) Also discussed in this episode: Jennifer Burns‘ (Goddess of the Market) lecture at the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. Massimo Pigliucci’s recent series of lectures in Atlanta. Darwin’s Origin of Species is 150 years old on November 24th!  We’re celebrating with a bottle of Evolution Wine (www.evolutionwine.com). The American Freethought Podcast is 2 years old on November 26th. Hominid - A stage play at Emory University produced by Out of Hand Theater (www.outofhandtheater.com) and inspired by the chimpanzee research of Frans de Waal. Listener feedback. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded November 22, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. arts, commentary, news, podcast American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/wsj-political-correctness-skewing-ft-hood-story/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/wsj-political-correctness-skewing-ft-hood-story/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:28:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1752 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/wsj-political-correctness-skewing-ft-hood-story/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/sc-license-plates-fail/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/sc-license-plates-fail/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:48:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1748 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/11/sc-license-plates-fail/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/06/fort-hood-massacre-jihad-or-mental-illness/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/06/fort-hood-massacre-jihad-or-mental-illness/#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:00:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1729 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/06/fort-hood-massacre-jihad-or-mental-illness/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/16/rifqa-bary-to-return-to-ohio-or-sri-lanka/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/16/rifqa-bary-to-return-to-ohio-or-sri-lanka/#comments Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:20:47 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1585 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/16/rifqa-bary-to-return-to-ohio-or-sri-lanka/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/12/heads-up-for-our-itunes-users/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/12/heads-up-for-our-itunes-users/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:00:29 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1473 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/12/heads-up-for-our-itunes-users/feed/ 9 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/10/heads-up-dc-skeptics-heavy-mental/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/10/heads-up-dc-skeptics-heavy-mental/#comments Sat, 10 Oct 2009 21:54:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1538 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/10/heads-up-dc-skeptics-heavy-mental/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/09/dawkins-ix-for-charlotte-nc-still-available/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/09/dawkins-ix-for-charlotte-nc-still-available/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:58:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1525 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/09/dawkins-ix-for-charlotte-nc-still-available/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/09/dvr-alert-dawkins-vs-oreilly-tonight/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/09/dvr-alert-dawkins-vs-oreilly-tonight/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 19:47:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1522 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/09/dvr-alert-dawkins-vs-oreilly-tonight/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/08/ga-college-exorcist-removed-from-school-post/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/08/ga-college-exorcist-removed-from-school-post/#comments Thu, 08 Oct 2009 20:24:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1513 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/08/ga-college-exorcist-removed-from-school-post/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/neumanns-get-light-sentence-for-murder-of-daughter/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/neumanns-get-light-sentence-for-murder-of-daughter/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:30:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1497 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/neumanns-get-light-sentence-for-murder-of-daughter/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/north-georgia-craziness/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/north-georgia-craziness/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2009 19:00:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1493 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/07/north-georgia-craziness/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/04/podcast-69-almost-live-from-aai-2009-pt-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/04/podcast-69-almost-live-from-aai-2009-pt-2/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 03:21:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1480 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/04/podcast-69-almost-live-from-aai-2009-pt-2/feed/ 7 0:22:22 David gives us his second and final report from the Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention, October 2-4 in Los Angeles (Burbank, actually), CA.  Another great line-up of speakers, including Lawrence Krauss, Carolyn Porco, Daniel Dennett and [...] David gives us his second and final report from the Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention, October 2-4 in Los Angeles (Burbank, actually), CA.  Another great line-up of speakers, including Lawrence Krauss, Carolyn Porco, Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins.  Plus: Find out which city will be host to AAI 2010! Announcements – We encourage you to leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com.  We have a Yahoo Group, a Facebook page, an Atheist Nexus page, a Think Atheist page, and a Twitter feed.  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 4, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, news, podcast American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/03/podcast-68-almost-live-from-aai-2009/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/03/podcast-68-almost-live-from-aai-2009/#comments Sat, 03 Oct 2009 18:11:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1475 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/03/podcast-68-almost-live-from-aai-2009/feed/ 0 0:23:52 David reports on Day One of the Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention, October 2-4 in Los Angeles (Burbank, actually), CA.  It’s an A-list of celebrity speakers.  And there’s a minor controversy over the awarding of this year[...] David reports on Day One of the Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention, October 2-4 in Los Angeles (Burbank, actually), CA.  It’s an A-list of celebrity speakers.  And there’s a minor controversy over the awarding of this year’s Richard Dawkins Award to comedian Bill Maher.  Bill’s on the same page with most atheists on the problems with religion, but he occasionally raises eyebrows with his offhanded statements about the effectiveness of modern medicine and the safety of everyday food.  Will the atheists storm the stage with pitchforks and torches?  Or will Bill emerge with his skin–and his reputation–intact?  Listen in and find out! Announcements – We encourage you to leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com.  We have a Yahoo Group, a Facebook page, an Atheist Nexus page, a Think Atheist page (NEW!), and a Twitter feed.  If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. 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 3, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, news, podcast American Freethought no no 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/2009/09/30/its-blasphemy-day-god-damn-it/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/its-blasphemy-day-god-damn-it/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 04:01:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1452 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/its-blasphemy-day-god-damn-it/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/25/charlotte-pop-fest-happening-now/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/25/charlotte-pop-fest-happening-now/#comments Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:49:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1435 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/25/charlotte-pop-fest-happening-now/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/happy-2nd-birthday-to-us/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/happy-2nd-birthday-to-us/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:01:55 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1414 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/happy-2nd-birthday-to-us/feed/ 6 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/2009/09/21/freethought-film-festival/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/21/freethought-film-festival/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:33:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1417 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/21/freethought-film-festival/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/darwin-film-not-dead-in-us/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/darwin-film-not-dead-in-us/#comments Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:26:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1372 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/darwin-film-not-dead-in-us/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/15/podcast-64-dragoncon-wrap-up/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/15/podcast-64-dragoncon-wrap-up/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2009 04:01:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1358 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/15/podcast-64-dragoncon-wrap-up/feed/ 4 1:03:19 We’ll post the live episode we recorded on September 5th as soon as it’s available; meanwhile, we look back at our experience at Dragon*Con in general and the Skeptics Track in particular.  Kudos to: Derek & Swoopy of Skepticality f[...] We’ll post the live episode we recorded on September 5th as soon as it’s available; meanwhile, we look back at our experience at Dragon*Con in general and the Skeptics Track in particular.  Kudos to: Derek & Swoopy of Skepticality for all their hard work in making the Skeptics Track and the Podcasting Track so successful. Mark Distler of Abrupt Media for providing sound and video service at the Con. All the other cohorts, minions, sycophants and volunteers who helped make it happen. Atlanta Skeptics for pulling off a fantastic Star Party at the Agnes Scott College Bradley Observatory. Also mentioned in our Dragon*Con discussion: The Joe Nickell Files – John Snider’s series of interviews with the world-famous skeptical investigator, published at SciFiDimensions.com in 2000-2001. Surly Amy – An artist whose “Surly-Ramics” handmade ceramic jewelry has themes that will appeal to skeptics and science buffs. Center for Chemical Evolution -A research project which seeks “to understand and demonstrate the chemical origins of the first RNA-like polymers.” NOVA: Mystery of the Megavolcano – David recommends this PBS documentary that shows how scientists, working independently and across multiple disciplines, can arrive at corroborating conclusions about the timing of geological events.  In this case, the fact that science has proven a megavolcanic eruption 75,000 years ago probably won’t impress fundamentalists who still insist that the earth is only 6,000 years old. Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth – MC Dawky-Dawk’s latest book hits the shelves on September 22 and promises to be another bestseller.  Meanwhile, The Times Online has posted two excerpts! Scandal at Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church – This story flew under the mainstream media’s radar back in July, but its twists and turns would make the most shameless soap opera pale in comparison.  David Molina is suing Lakewood after discovering that two of the pastors who counseled him and his wife knew that she was having an affair with a third pastor, who also counseled the couple–and was himself the person having the affair with Mrs. Molina!  We couldn’t make this stuff up if we tried. Feedback – We read several listener responses to episode #63 “Efficacy of Prayer.” Announcements – We encourage you to leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com.  We have a Yahoo Group, a Facebook page, an Atheist Nexus page, and a Twitter feed.  Also, if you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. commentary, news, podcast, skepticism American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/norman-borlaug-1914-2009/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/norman-borlaug-1914-2009/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:02:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1355 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/norman-borlaug-1914-2009/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/04/dragoncon/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/04/dragoncon/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:56:22 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1327 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/04/dragoncon/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/03/nasa-flies-religious-artifact-aboard-shuttle-discovery/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/03/nasa-flies-religious-artifact-aboard-shuttle-discovery/#comments Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:13:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1323 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/03/nasa-flies-religious-artifact-aboard-shuttle-discovery/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/29/knack-out-smithereens-confirmed-for-charlotte-pop-fest/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/29/knack-out-smithereens-confirmed-for-charlotte-pop-fest/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 12:26:57 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1301 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/29/knack-out-smithereens-confirmed-for-charlotte-pop-fest/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/27/hey-god-stop-protecting-kentucky/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/27/hey-god-stop-protecting-kentucky/#comments Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:30:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1291 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/27/hey-god-stop-protecting-kentucky/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/25/podcast-63-efficacy-of-prayer/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/25/podcast-63-efficacy-of-prayer/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 04:01:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1270 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/25/podcast-63-efficacy-of-prayer/feed/ 9 1:05:00 It’s the p-p-p-p-power of prayer!  Or not.  We look at several anecdotes that point toward the efficacy (or inefficacy) of intercessory prayer, including: The tragic cases of two teenage girls (one in TN, one in KY), both of whom suffered ter[...] It’s the p-p-p-p-power of prayer!  Or not.  We look at several anecdotes that point toward the efficacy (or inefficacy) of intercessory prayer, including: The tragic cases of two teenage girls (one in TN, one in KY), both of whom suffered terrible injuries.  One recovered (more or less), the other is maimed for life.  Both were the beneficiaries of  the prayers of hundreds.  Why did God heal one and snub the other???  We’ll give you a hint: the answer can be found at www.whywontgodhealamputees.com. The Miracle of Colwich Man – A Kansas man was healed after thousands of parishioners prayed to the late Father Emil Kapaun, a Korean War hero who’s currently under “skeptical” investigation by the Vatican for possible sainthood. The Case of the Shriveling Glacier – Faithful Catholics in the Swiss towns of Fiesch and Feischertal have prayed for centuries that God protect them from the wintertime advance of the Aletsch Glacier.  Now the Aletsch is rapidly receding due to global warming, so now the townsfolk are seeking the Pope’s permission to reverse the prayer. Science has a few things to say about prayer.  Okay, actually science only has one thing to say: it don’t work. Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) – The American Heart Association published the results of a double-blind study on the effects of prayer on patients undergoing heart surgery.  Those who were told they would be prayed for–and were actually prayed for–actually did worse than those who were not prayed for. A Governor’s Prayer for Rain (scroll down to find the article) – Skeptic magazine publishes a statistical study of Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s controversial prayer-for-rain organized on the steps of the state capitol in 2007.  Conclusion: Sonny’s God is a penurious God. Does TM reduce violent crime? – The World Peace Project claims that Transcendental Meditation en masse actually reduced violent crime during a six-week period in 1993–guaranteed to “less than two parts per billion.”  Skeptico thinks not. Plus: The Voyage that Shook the World!  Creation Ministries International has just released a $1 million documentary that insists Charles Darwin was a fantasy-prone nebbish and pathological liar who cherrypicked his data to crank out that addle-brained Theory of Evolution.  Plus Darwin was a racist.  Local skeptic/freethinker Douglas Scott joins us for the critique.  You can read John’s extensive review here or visit the movies official website. ANNOUNCEMENTS Dragon*Con is coming soon!  September 4-7 in Atlanta, to be exact.  American Freethought will record a live podcast at 11:30AM, Saturday, September 5th with the Skeptics Track. We (meaning John and David and respective redheads) will also be attending the Star Party at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA on Thursday, September 3rd.  The Star Party is organized by the Atlanta Skeptics, will feature dinner, drinks, an opportunity to chat with Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy) and Pamela Gay (Astronomy Cast podcast), and stargazing through the Bradley Observatory telescope.  Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in honor of the late Jeff Medkeff (Blue Collar Scientist). Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets every time we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, it’s like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group – Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes – If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress – Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs.[...] children, christianity, commentary, evolution, movies, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/21/the-latest-on-rifqa-bary/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/21/the-latest-on-rifqa-bary/#comments Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:54:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1268 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/21/the-latest-on-rifqa-bary/feed/ 10 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/20/are-georgia-peaches-kosher/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/20/are-georgia-peaches-kosher/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:39:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1266 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/20/are-georgia-peaches-kosher/feed/ 0 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/2009/08/16/an-interfaith-springer-moment/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/16/an-interfaith-springer-moment/#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:17:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1220 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/16/an-interfaith-springer-moment/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/14/podcast-62-freethought-and-power-pop/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/14/podcast-62-freethought-and-power-pop/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 04:01:03 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1204 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/14/podcast-62-freethought-and-power-pop/feed/ 2 1:09:22 We talk to James Deem, organizer of Charlotte Pop Fest (Sep 24-25), a power pop music festival in North Carolina.  Why should freethinkers care about a pop music fest?  Because in an unprecedented partnership, proceeds from CPF will benefit the Rich[...] We talk to James Deem, organizer of Charlotte Pop Fest (Sep 24-25), a power pop music festival in North Carolina.  Why should freethinkers care about a pop music fest?  Because in an unprecedented partnership, proceeds from CPF will benefit the Richard Dawkins Foundation.  In fact, Richard Dawkins himself will speak in Charlotte in October. After the sign-off, stay tuned for James Deem performing the XTC classic “Dear God.”  Visit JamesDeem.com for info on how to download a copy for yourself! Also, David asks for advice on behalf of a friend in what we’re calling The Texas Preschool Dilemma. Plus: Lots of feedback! ANNOUNCEMENTS Dragon*Con is only three weeks away!  Four day memberships are $90 (plus Ticketmaster charges) through August 15th.  After that, you’ll have to buy tickets at the door ($100 for four days, less for other packages).   American Freethought will record a live podcast at 11:30AM, Saturday, September 5th with the Skeptics Track. We (meaning John and David and respective redheads) will also be attending the Star Party at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA on Thursday, September 3rd.  The Star Party is organized by the Atlanta Skeptics, will feature dinner, drinks, an opportunity to chat with Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy) and Pamela Gay (Astronomy Cast podcast), and stargazing through the Bradley Observatory telescope.  Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in honor of the late Jeff Medkeff (Blue Collar Scientist). Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets every time we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, 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, including episodes on Mormon homosexuals and an essay from Nathan Phelps (estranged son of Fred Phelps, leader of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church).  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded August 12, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. interviews, music, news, podcast, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/12/france-vs-islam-round-1872/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/12/france-vs-islam-round-1872/#comments Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:59:53 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1194 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/12/france-vs-islam-round-1872/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/11/ben-stein-loses-nyt-gig-grip-on-reality/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/11/ben-stein-loses-nyt-gig-grip-on-reality/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:26:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1183 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/11/ben-stein-loses-nyt-gig-grip-on-reality/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/05/iphone-app-for-atheists/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/05/iphone-app-for-atheists/#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 20:12:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1167 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/05/iphone-app-for-atheists/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/05/our-dragoncon-schedule/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/05/our-dragoncon-schedule/#comments Wed, 05 Aug 2009 04:01:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1165 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/05/our-dragoncon-schedule/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/04/meet-and-greet-richard-dawkins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/04/meet-and-greet-richard-dawkins/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 04:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1158 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/04/meet-and-greet-richard-dawkins/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/prayer-or-natural-recovery/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/prayer-or-natural-recovery/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:38:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1153 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/prayer-or-natural-recovery/feed/ 9 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/podcast-61-adventures-in-cobb-county/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/podcast-61-adventures-in-cobb-county/#comments Mon, 03 Aug 2009 04:01:22 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1090 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/03/podcast-61-adventures-in-cobb-county/feed/ 6 1:08:27 “Ufologist” and Young Earth Creationist Gary Bates of Creation Ministries International presented “Aliens, UFOs and the Bible” on July 18th at the Sewell Mill Baptist Church in Marietta, GA.  We (John and Allison) were there[...] “Ufologist” and Young Earth Creationist Gary Bates of Creation Ministries International presented “Aliens, UFOs and the Bible” on July 18th at the Sewell Mill Baptist Church in Marietta, GA.  We (John and Allison) were there, but the building did not spontaneously burst into flame, nor were there any clear-skies lightning strikes to manifest the ire of YHWH at the presence of infidels.  As for Bates…thanks a LOT, Australia!  For general creationist debunkage visit TalkOrigins.org.  [Late-breaking Bonus:  If you can stomach it, you can listen to Bates's entire baloneython in podcast format at the church's website--including the very session we sat in on!] American Atheists president Ed Buckner delivers the invocation before a meeting of the Cobb County (Georgia) Board of Commissioners in Marietta.  Yes, we know that “atheist invocation” is an oxymoron, but Ed used the opportunity to go meta, delivering a four-minute invocation on the idiocy of invocations.  Go get ‘em, Ed! More Cobb Craziness: Pelphry v Cobb – The ACLU (with Ed Buckner among the plaintiffs) sued the county over sectarian invocations before meetings of the BOC.  The ACLU lost, but the BOC has loosened up on who may deliver the invocation. Evolution Stickers – The county was sued–and lost–over stickers placed in school biology texts that read “Evolution is a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things.  The material should be approached with an open mind, studied carefully, and critically considered.” Olympic Scandal – In the mid-1990s the BOC passed a resolution declaring that homosexuality was “incompatible with the standards to which this community subscribes.”  After gay rights activists threatened to disrupt the Olympic Torch Relay (which was scheduled to go through Cobb on its way to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta), the Olympic organizers rerouted the torch.  Cobb rescinded the anti-gay resolution in 1997. Annette Kesting – Cobb’s first black Commissioner got in hot water for stating, while speaking at a black church, “I love my enemies.  I pray every day with my enemies because I have to go up on the third floor and work with white women,” and “You would be amazed seeing the people I work with at the county.  They are not Christian people.”  Kesting lost the next election to Woody Thompson; to exact revenge, Kesting hired a South Carolina voodoo priestess to put a curse on Thompson that would kill him.  The curse failed; actually, it was never cast, since both of Kesting’s checks bounced.  In July 2009 Kesting and her husband were arrested for allegedly stealing a truck they had borrowed from a friend and failed to return. ANNOUNCEMENTS Dragon*Con is only a month away!  Four day memberships are $90 (plus Ticketmaster charges) through August 15th.  After that, you’ll have to buy tickets at the door ($100 for four days, less for other packages).   American Freethought will record a live podcast at 11:30AM, Saturday, September 5th with the Skeptics Track. We (meaning John and David and respective redheads) will also be attending the Star Party at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA on Thursday, September 3rd.  The Star Party is organized by the Atlanta Skeptics, will feature dinner, drinks, an opportunity to chat with Phil Plait (Bad Astronomy) and Pamela Gay (Astronomy Cast podcast), and stargazing through the Bradley Observatory telescope.  Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society in honor of the late Jeff Medkeff (Blue Collar Scientist). Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets every time we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, [...] atheism, christianity, evolution, history, news, paranormal, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/02/goodbye-neumanns/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/02/goodbye-neumanns/#comments Sun, 02 Aug 2009 13:55:29 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1140 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/02/goodbye-neumanns/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/huffpo-spews-cam-poo/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/huffpo-spews-cam-poo/#comments Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:05:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1118 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/31/huffpo-spews-cam-poo/feed/ 4 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/2009/07/30/jesus-christ-what-now/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/jesus-christ-what-now/#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:35:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1107 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/30/jesus-christ-what-now/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/29/science-music-for-the-kiddies/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/29/science-music-for-the-kiddies/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:39:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1093 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/29/science-music-for-the-kiddies/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/27/sam-harris-on-francis-collins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/27/sam-harris-on-francis-collins/#comments Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:12:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1084 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/27/sam-harris-on-francis-collins/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/neumann-on-trial-for-death-of-daughter/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/neumann-on-trial-for-death-of-daughter/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 22:03:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1082 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/neumann-on-trial-for-death-of-daughter/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/n-korea-executes-woman-for-distributing-bibles/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/n-korea-executes-woman-for-distributing-bibles/#comments Sat, 25 Jul 2009 11:59:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1078 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/25/n-korea-executes-woman-for-distributing-bibles/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/24/goin-to-jail-for-the-gospelnot/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/24/goin-to-jail-for-the-gospelnot/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 21:14:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1076 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/24/goin-to-jail-for-the-gospelnot/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/24/religion-excuses-child-abuseagain/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/24/religion-excuses-child-abuseagain/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 11:00:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1073 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/24/religion-excuses-child-abuseagain/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/apparently-semi-coherent-anti-gay-bigotry-does-pay-off/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/apparently-semi-coherent-anti-gay-bigotry-does-pay-off/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:23:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1068 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/apparently-semi-coherent-anti-gay-bigotry-does-pay-off/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/will-in-god-we-trust-be-set-in-stone/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/will-in-god-we-trust-be-set-in-stone/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:51:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1066 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/will-in-god-we-trust-be-set-in-stone/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/dragoncon-skeptrack-schedule-available/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/dragoncon-skeptrack-schedule-available/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:04:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1064 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/22/dragoncon-skeptrack-schedule-available/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/21/a-total-eclipseof-reason/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/21/a-total-eclipseof-reason/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1061 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/21/a-total-eclipseof-reason/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/if-god-cant-keep-you-out-of-trouble/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/if-god-cant-keep-you-out-of-trouble/#comments Sun, 19 Jul 2009 13:55:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1055 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/19/if-god-cant-keep-you-out-of-trouble/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/17/lro-images-apollo-sites/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/17/lro-images-apollo-sites/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:56:49 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1045 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/17/lro-images-apollo-sites/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/16/podcast-59a-bill-maher-stand-up-tour/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/16/podcast-59a-bill-maher-stand-up-tour/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:05:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1042 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/16/podcast-59a-bill-maher-stand-up-tour/feed/ 0 1:01:58 David gives us a report on Bill Maher’s stand-up tour; specifically, Maher’s recent appearance at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. We also give listeners a heads-up on several upcoming events, including: Atheist Allianc[...] David gives us a report on Bill Maher’s stand-up tour; specifically, Maher’s recent appearance at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta. We also give listeners a heads-up on several upcoming events, including: Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention (Oct 2-4 in Los Angeles) featuring Bill Maher, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Brian Keith Dalton (“Mr. Deity”), Lawrence Krauss, Eugenie Scott and more.  (Say “hi” to David Driscoll, since he’ll be in attendance as well.) Charlotte Pop Fest (Sep 24-26), a power-pop music festival in North Carolina with headliners The Knack.  Proceeds benefit the Richard Dawkins Foundation.  Also, Herr Dawkins will lecture at Queens University of Charlotte on Oct 14. Speaking of Richard Dawkins, his new book The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution is set for publication on Sep 22 from Free Press.  Pre-order your very own copy at Amazon.com and/or Amazon.co.uk. Speaking of new books, you might be interested in Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right, a new biography of the controversial author and founder of Objectivism, written by University of Virginia professor Jennifer Burns.  If all goes as planned, we’ll have both a review of the book and an interview with the author.  Goddess of the Market will be published by Oxford University Press in October.  Pre-order your very own copy at Amazon.com and/or Amazon.co.uk. Plus: Lots of detailed feedback on our interview with Robert Wright (The Evolution of God), including a response from Wright himself on John’s review of the book.  Wright encourages our readers/listeners to check out his interview with Daniel Dennett.  We also explore the connection between Wright and the Templeton Foundation (which sponsors the “Percontations” series of diavlogs at Wright’s bloggingheads.tv). ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets every time we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, it’s like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group – Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes – If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress – Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com – Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal – Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You’ll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content (nearly) every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded July 7, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, christianity, commentary, evolution, islam, judaism, music, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/14/the-family-creeps-me-out/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/14/the-family-creeps-me-out/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:01:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=999 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/14/the-family-creeps-me-out/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/12/what-does-francis-collins-mean-for-the-nih/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/12/what-does-francis-collins-mean-for-the-nih/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 13:51:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=990 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/12/what-does-francis-collins-mean-for-the-nih/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/08/mass-sues-us-over-gay-marriage/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/08/mass-sues-us-over-gay-marriage/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:59:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=982 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/08/mass-sues-us-over-gay-marriage/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/05/harry-potter-is-an-atheist/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/05/harry-potter-is-an-atheist/#comments Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:15:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=973 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/05/harry-potter-is-an-atheist/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/01/snowflakes-in-july/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/01/snowflakes-in-july/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:20:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=948 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/01/snowflakes-in-july/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/30/carving-a-niche-for-official-superstitions/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/30/carving-a-niche-for-official-superstitions/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:25:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=946 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/30/carving-a-niche-for-official-superstitions/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/25/charlotte-rocks-dawkins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/25/charlotte-rocks-dawkins/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:19:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=944 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/25/charlotte-rocks-dawkins/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/20/its-better-to-look-scientific-than-be-scientific/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/20/its-better-to-look-scientific-than-be-scientific/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:30:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=915 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/20/its-better-to-look-scientific-than-be-scientific/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/18/whats-up-with-zicam/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/18/whats-up-with-zicam/#comments Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:15:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=906 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/18/whats-up-with-zicam/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/17/gay-bias-killings-on-the-rise/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/17/gay-bias-killings-on-the-rise/#comments Wed, 17 Jun 2009 12:51:49 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=899 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/17/gay-bias-killings-on-the-rise/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/whatever-happened-to-wafa-sultan/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/whatever-happened-to-wafa-sultan/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:55:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=881 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/whatever-happened-to-wafa-sultan/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/now-christians-are-faking-infant-deaths/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/now-christians-are-faking-infant-deaths/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:46:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=882 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/16/now-christians-are-faking-infant-deaths/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/14/boy-hit-by-meteorite-maybe/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/14/boy-hit-by-meteorite-maybe/#comments Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:01:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=869 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/14/boy-hit-by-meteorite-maybe/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/11/podcast-55-assassination-of-george-tiller/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/11/podcast-55-assassination-of-george-tiller/#comments Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:01:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=850 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/11/podcast-55-assassination-of-george-tiller/feed/ 1 1:08:51 We look at the reactions of various anti-abortion groups to the assassination on May 31st of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas.  Wikipedia has a good summary of the fast-changing developments in the case, including statements from the US Conferen[...] We look at the reactions of various anti-abortion groups to the assassination on May 31st of Dr. George Tiller in Wichita, Kansas.  Wikipedia has a good summary of the fast-changing developments in the case, including statements from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Family Research Council, the National Right to Life Committee and Operation Rescue.  Less measured were responses from the Eye of Sauron (who called Dr. Tiller a “serial killer”), former Operation Rescue head Randall Terry (who called Tiller a “mass murderer,” then seconds later invited reporters to join him for Guinness and chicken wings), and–believe it or not–PETA, who has decided that now is a good time to buy complementary “Pro Life” and “Pro Choice” billboards in Wichita.  Finally, reformed right-winger Frank Schaeffer openly apologizes for creating “the climate that made this murder likely to happen.” Meanwhile, bioethicist Jacob M. Appel has written an insightful essay that looks at the  rhetoric versus the actions of 99.9% of anti-abortionists. And in this outing of Holey Scripture we look at what the Bible says (or doesn’t say) about abortion, murder and the punishments thereof. Plus, updates on people and things we’ve talked about in previous episodes: From Episode #2: Randy Olson (writer/director/narrator of the documentary Flock of Dodos) has a book coming out–Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style, to be published in trade paperback in September by Island Press.  You can pre-order it now and/or check out the associated Facebook page. From episode #25: The Georgia Guidestones (a public curiosity outside Elberton, Georgia) is the subject of a lengthy article at Wired.  The Guidestones have been vandalized twice, but have been cleaned up almost as good as new.  The local sheriff is keeping a eye on things. From episodes #30 and #41: Father Reginald Foster, the Vatican’s Latinist who appeared in the documentary Religulous, and famously scoffed at such “old Catholic” teachings as the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, has been moved from Rome to his native Wisconsin.  Father Foster has been gravely ill for over a year (and nearly died), but it now looks like he has a fair chance at recovery.  Well-wishers may send get-well cards (preferrably in grammatically correct Latin) to: Rev. Reginald Foster, OCD Clement Manor 3939 S. 92nd Street Greenfield, WI  53228 From episode #31: Reversal of Fortune!  Dentist and rabid creationist Don McLeroy is out as chair of the Texas Board of Education; meanwhile, Dr. Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education (whom we interviewed about the situation in Texas) has been awarded the first annual Stephen Jay Gould Prize from the Society for the Study of Evolution. From episode #54: New Hampshire joins Maine and four other states in legalizing same-sex marriage! Finally, more great listener feedback! 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 co[...] christianity, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/06/newsweek-jumps-on-oprah/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/06/newsweek-jumps-on-oprah/#comments Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=838 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/06/newsweek-jumps-on-oprah/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/04/obamas-cairo-speech/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/04/obamas-cairo-speech/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:24:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=830 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/04/obamas-cairo-speech/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/03/guidestones-update/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/03/guidestones-update/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:47:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=820 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/03/guidestones-update/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/03/roy-moore-running-for-al-governor/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/03/roy-moore-running-for-al-governor/#comments Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:02:42 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=815 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/03/roy-moore-running-for-al-governor/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/02/when-will-abortion-opponents-reap-what-they-sow/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/02/when-will-abortion-opponents-reap-what-they-sow/#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=810 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/02/when-will-abortion-opponents-reap-what-they-sow/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/01/an-opportunity-to-help-fl-freethinkers/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/01/an-opportunity-to-help-fl-freethinkers/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:01:53 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=805 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/01/an-opportunity-to-help-fl-freethinkers/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/01/wired-on-the-georgia-guidestones/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/01/wired-on-the-georgia-guidestones/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:01:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=800 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/01/wired-on-the-georgia-guidestones/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/30/podcast-54-when-religion-kills-children/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/30/podcast-54-when-religion-kills-children/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 05:01:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=755 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/30/podcast-54-when-religion-kills-children/feed/ 4 1:05:11 We look at two tragic cases in the news in which religion and child welfare conflict (to say the least).  First, a Minnesota court has ordered 13-year-old Daniel Hauser to undergo chemo to treat his cancer, but he and his parents object, preferring[...] We look at two tragic cases in the news in which religion and child welfare conflict (to say the least).  First, a Minnesota court has ordered 13-year-old Daniel Hauser to undergo chemo to treat his cancer, but he and his parents object, preferring to use “natural” remedies based on supposed Native American teachings.  Second, a Wisconsin jury has found Leilani Neumann guilty in the death of her 11-year-old daughter Madeline Kara; Neumann and her coreligionists decided, rather than seek medical attention, to pray that God cure Kara of diabetes.  It didn’t work. Plus: California’s Supreme Court has upheld Proposition 8, the recent amendment to the state constitution that outlaws gay marriage.  On the up-side, the Court says any same-sex marriages conducted before the ban remain valid. The return of Holey Scripture! Finally, a ton of listener feedback. (By the way, the mythical show in which John indulges in “libertarian rants” and “extols the virtues of libertarianism” is probably Show #21, our discussion of Science Debate 2008.   But if you’re looking for regular doses of libertarian preachiness, the American Freethought Podcast will disappoint overall.) ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets everytime we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, it’s like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group – Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes – If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress – Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com – Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal – Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You’ll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content (nearly) every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded May 28, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, commentary, ethics, news, podcast, politics, religion, superstitions American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/29/mcleroy-out-as-tx-boe-chair/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/29/mcleroy-out-as-tx-boe-chair/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 19:18:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=796 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/29/mcleroy-out-as-tx-boe-chair/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/29/ky-relies-on-god-for-homeland-security/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/29/ky-relies-on-god-for-homeland-security/#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 05:01:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=771 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/29/ky-relies-on-god-for-homeland-security/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/28/the-creationists-are-getting-desperate/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/28/the-creationists-are-getting-desperate/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 05:01:25 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=762 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/28/the-creationists-are-getting-desperate/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/26/sotomayor-gives-rc-supermajority-in-scotus/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/26/sotomayor-gives-rc-supermajority-in-scotus/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 15:19:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=752 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/26/sotomayor-gives-rc-supermajority-in-scotus/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/21/is-it-religion-or-insanity-killing-these-kids/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/21/is-it-religion-or-insanity-killing-these-kids/#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 05:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=729 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/21/is-it-religion-or-insanity-killing-these-kids/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/20/bleckley-bible-reading-2009/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/20/bleckley-bible-reading-2009/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 13:12:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=724 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/20/bleckley-bible-reading-2009/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/19/agora/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/19/agora/#comments Tue, 19 May 2009 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=722 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/19/agora/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/18/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/2009/05/17/short-people-earn-less/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/17/short-people-earn-less/#comments Sun, 17 May 2009 20:46:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=712 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/17/short-people-earn-less/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/12/harris-launches-reason-project/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/12/harris-launches-reason-project/#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 12:45:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=704 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/12/harris-launches-reason-project/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/11/hunting-men-for-jesus/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/11/hunting-men-for-jesus/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 15:26:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=701 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/11/hunting-men-for-jesus/feed/ 7