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/2012/02/04/eddie-long-crowned-king-of-the-jews/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/02/04/eddie-long-crowned-king-of-the-jews/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:36:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3159 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/02/04/eddie-long-crowned-king-of-the-jews/feed/ 0 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/2011/12/28/ah-the-spirit-of-christmas/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/28/ah-the-spirit-of-christmas/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:39:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3141 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/28/ah-the-spirit-of-christmas/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/10/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/2011/12/04/vatican-exorcist-calls-yoga-and-harry-potter-evil/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/04/vatican-exorcist-calls-yoga-and-harry-potter-evil/#comments Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:14:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3120 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/12/04/vatican-exorcist-calls-yoga-and-harry-potter-evil/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/10/25/podcast-135-vic-losick-in-god-we-teach/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/10/25/podcast-135-vic-losick-in-god-we-teach/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 01:38:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3054 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/10/25/podcast-135-vic-losick-in-god-we-teach/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/10/06/podcast-133-shocking-abuse-of-teens-in-christian-homes/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/10/06/podcast-133-shocking-abuse-of-teens-in-christian-homes/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:48:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3037 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/10/06/podcast-133-shocking-abuse-of-teens-in-christian-homes/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/29/bill-hicks-on-religion/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/29/bill-hicks-on-religion/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:02:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3031 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/09/29/bill-hicks-on-religion/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/30/bachmann-says-jk-about-irene/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/30/bachmann-says-jk-about-irene/#comments Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:10:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3006 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/30/bachmann-says-jk-about-irene/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/20/podcast-130-the-fundagelical-politics-of-rick-perry-and-michele-bachmann/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/20/podcast-130-the-fundagelical-politics-of-rick-perry-and-michele-bachmann/#comments Sat, 20 Aug 2011 19:53:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2998 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/20/podcast-130-the-fundagelical-politics-of-rick-perry-and-michele-bachmann/feed/ 4 0:39:30 The Republican presidential race is in full swing, and fundamental evangelicalism is already playing an important part. We look at the religious views (and actions) of two frontrunners: Texas Governor Rick Perry and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. S[...] The Republican presidential race is in full swing, and fundamental evangelicalism is already playing an important part. We look at the religious views (and actions) of two frontrunners: Texas Governor Rick Perry and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Specifically, check out Timothy Egan’s NYT article “Rick Perry’s Unanswered Prayers” and Bachmann’s August 14 appearance on Meet the Press (go to the 3:00 mark to listen to the discussion of her religious views). ANNOUNCEMENTS David Driscoll’s Secular World podcast(formerly Secular Nation podcast) continues. Tickets have sold out for the Atlanta Skeptics Star Party, Thursday, September 1st at Emory University. If you bought tickets but find you can’t go, please contact us. Atheist Alliance of America is now planning its first national convention after the recent re-org that split AAA from Atheist Alliance International. It’s October 7-9 in Houston, Texas. Guest speakers include PZ Myers, Richard Dawkins, Michael Shermer and more. 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, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/19/books-maybe-you-should-know-about-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/19/books-maybe-you-should-know-about-2/#comments Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:14:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2996 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/08/19/books-maybe-you-should-know-about-2/feed/ 0 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/2011/07/21/rick-perrys-pals-courtesy-of-rachel-maddow/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/21/rick-perrys-pals-courtesy-of-rachel-maddow/#comments Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:57:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2957 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/21/rick-perrys-pals-courtesy-of-rachel-maddow/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/is-america-a-christian-nation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/is-america-a-christian-nation/#comments Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:45:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2913 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/04/is-america-a-christian-nation/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/01/podcast-126-matthew-chapman-the-ledge/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/01/podcast-126-matthew-chapman-the-ledge/#comments Fri, 01 Jul 2011 22:01:17 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2907 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/07/01/podcast-126-matthew-chapman-the-ledge/feed/ 0 0:50:05 We interview Matthew Chapman, writer/director of the new philosophical thriller The Ledge. Starring Charlie Hunnam, Patrick Wilson and Liv Tyler, The Ledge explores a tragic love triangle involving an atheist, an evangelical Christian, and the woman[...] We interview Matthew Chapman, writer/director of the new philosophical thriller The Ledge. Starring Charlie Hunnam, Patrick Wilson and Liv Tyler, The Ledge explores a tragic love triangle involving an atheist, an evangelical Christian, and the woman they both love. The Ledge opens in NY and LA on July 8th, and in other parts of the country soon thereafter. If you don’t want to wait, you can screen it on-demand right now at SundanceNow.com. Aside from his successful film career, Matthew (who happens to be the great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin) is the author of two books touching on the creationism/evolution debate: Trials of the Monkey (in which he visits Dayton, TN, the site of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial) and 40 Days and 40 Nights (about the recent lawsuit in Dover, PA). Matthew is also the cofounder and current president of Science Debate, a nonprofit organization “dedicated to elevating science and engineering policy issues in the national dialogue of the United States.” For more about Matthew Chapman and his many projects, visit MatthewChapman.us. Also: More controversy from the Miss USA pageant! After Miss Tennessee answered a question about burning the Qur’an, Penn Jillette (one of the judges) tweeted “glad to help her lose.” Georgia is about to update the state’s license plates, and half of the six candidate designs feature “In God We Trust.” The public can vote online through mid-July, so even if you’re not a resident of the Peach State, you can visit this website and vote for your secular faves. Vote early and often! ANNOUNCEMENTS David Driscoll’s other project, Secular World podcast (formerly Secular Nation podcast) continues. John Snider will be repeating his 20th Century Twain presentation on July 3 for theFellowship of Reason at the Atlanta Freethought Hall. 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. atheism, christianity, interviews, movies, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/21/southern-baptists-affirm-the-existence-of-hell/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/21/southern-baptists-affirm-the-existence-of-hell/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:00:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2878 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/21/southern-baptists-affirm-the-existence-of-hell/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/2011/06/09/podcast-124-a-response-to-the-response/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/09/podcast-124-a-response-to-the-response/#comments Fri, 10 Jun 2011 00:37:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2842 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/09/podcast-124-a-response-to-the-response/feed/ 2 0:36:15 Texas Governor Rick Perry, whose recent weekend-long Pray for Rain declaration led to Texas’ drought WORSENING while the neighboring states were plagued by Biblical downpours and a spate of deadly tornadoes, is at it again. Now, he’s calling f[...] Texas Governor Rick Perry, whose recent weekend-long Pray for Rain declaration led to Texas’ drought WORSENING while the neighboring states were plagued by Biblical downpours and a spate of deadly tornadoes, is at it again. Now, he’s calling for “The Response,” a massive prayer rally set for August 6 in Houston.  The rumor mill has it that Perry might be thinking of running for president.  For more on Rick Perry, Fundamentalist Frankenstein, check out his Wiki entry. Self proclaimed “Bishop” Eddie Long, outspoken anti-gay preacher and head of New Birth Missionary Baptist, Atlanta’s influential megachurch, has settled the civil suits against him out of court. Long was accused of sexual misconduct with teenaged boys enrolled in youth programs at New Birth. He had vowed to fight the accusations. And in what seems like an unlikely coincidence, Bernice King, daughter of the late MLK, Jr., is leaving her position as an elder at New Birth to start her own ministry. She claims it has nothing to do with the sex scandal. Meanwhile, there is no rest for the wicked—and apparently no negative consequences.  All signs are that his congregation is standing behind him. No sooner were his civil suits resolved, “Bishop” Long announced that New Birth is EXPANDING, creating new megachurches in Denver, Colorado and Birmingham, Alabama. Finally, freethinkers may be interested in the efforts of R. Kirby Godsey, former president of Mercer University, originally a Baptist college and now–thanks to Godsey–one of the most successful private universities in the Southeast. Godsey is also no stranger to controversy. His book When We Talk about God, Let’s Be Honest was declared heretical by the Georgia Baptist Convention because it dared to call into question Biblical inerrancy and the divinity of Jesus. As a result of this and other disputes, Godsey and Mercer parted ways with the GBC. Godsey’s new book, Is God a Christian?, continues his call to his fellow Christians to abandon fundamentalism, exclusivism and absolutism. He also offers positive summaries of all the major world religions, and suggests ways in which Christians can embrace people of other faiths in a respectful, nonjudgemental way.  (Much of what Godsey writes will be very familiar to readers of Bishop John Shelby Spong.) John Snider attended a local lecture by Dr. Godsey and asked him about expanding his embrace to include atheists and agnostics. His answer may surprise you. ANNOUNCEMENTS David Driscoll’s other project, Secular World podcast (formerly Secular Nation podcast) continues. If you’re in Atlanta this weekend, June 11-12, check out Atlanta Skepticamp, at the Doraville Community Center in north metro Atlanta. John Snider will be presenting a skeptic-themed trivia challenge–a stack of goodies goes to the winner! John Snider will be repeating his 20th Century Twain presentation on July 3 for the Fellowship of Reason at the Atlanta Freethought Hall. 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.   books, christianity, ethics, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/06/biblical-illiteracy-in-america/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/06/biblical-illiteracy-in-america/#comments Mon, 06 Jun 2011 11:00:52 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2838 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/06/biblical-illiteracy-in-america/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/21/podcast-123-study-on-us-catholic-child-abuse/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/21/podcast-123-study-on-us-catholic-child-abuse/#comments Sat, 21 May 2011 16:56:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2798 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/21/podcast-123-study-on-us-catholic-child-abuse/feed/ 4 0:37:16 Assuming the world hasn’t come to an end or that you haven’t been Raptured away… The US Catholic Church reveals The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010, a study into the [...] Assuming the world hasn’t come to an end or that you haven’t been Raptured away… The US Catholic Church reveals The Causes and Context of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Catholic Priests in the United States, 1950-2010, a study into the causes of priestly child abuse in the late 20th century.  It’s a mixed bag of things that should have been obvious, things the Church won’t want to hear, and some feeble hand-waving about the Sexual Revolution being sooo confusing. Michael Newdow has lost.  Again.  The US Supreme Court has turned down his appeal in a lawsuit to prevent the president from saying “so help me God” after taking the oath of office.  While we can’t disagree with Newdow that “so help me God” is a bad idea, insulting to nonbelievers, and potentially blasphemous to believers, we also think this was a bad fight to pick–a losing battle that has now set bad precedent. Holey Scripture!  What does the Bible have to say about Indiana governor Mitch Daniels?The answer may surprise you, and will surely flummox most Christians.  (And this already came up a while back during David Plotz’s “Blogging the Bible” series at Slate.com.) Announcements Atlanta Skepticamp is June 11-12th at the Doraville Community Center in north metro Atlanta.  If you’ll be in Atlanta that weekend, sign up to give a presentation and/or help with the organization. John Snider will repeat his “20th Century Twain” presentation, July 3rd for the Fellowship of Reason, at Atlanta Freethought Hall. children, christianity, cults, ethics, history, politics, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/20/the-end-of-the-world-is-no-joke-for-some/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/20/the-end-of-the-world-is-no-joke-for-some/#comments Fri, 20 May 2011 21:17:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2789 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/20/the-end-of-the-world-is-no-joke-for-some/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/so-much-for-being-held-to-a-higher-standard/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/so-much-for-being-held-to-a-higher-standard/#comments Wed, 11 May 2011 02:05:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2752 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/so-much-for-being-held-to-a-higher-standard/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/podcast-122-robert-m-price-on-the-book-of-revelation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/podcast-122-robert-m-price-on-the-book-of-revelation/#comments Tue, 10 May 2011 22:57:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2745 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/05/10/podcast-122-robert-m-price-on-the-book-of-revelation/feed/ 6 0:56:38 We wrap up our extended look at the Book of Revelation with an interview with Dr. Robert M. Price, theologian and author of (among other books) The Reason Driven Life. For more about Dr. Price visit his official website: robertmprice.mindvendor.com.[...] We wrap up our extended look at the Book of Revelation with an interview with Dr. Robert M. Price, theologian and author of (among other books) The Reason Driven Life. For more about Dr. Price visit his official website: robertmprice.mindvendor.com. (Correction: We state in the podcast we’re presenting the last three chapters, but actually it’s the last four.) Plus: The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart almost nails historical revisionist David Barton, one of the movers and shakers behind the “America is a Christian nation” myth. Announcements: The Secular Coalition for America is holding their Biennial Strategic Summit May 19-21 in Washington, DC. If you’re going to be in Tampa, Florida May 13-15 check out the first International Freethought Film Festival. A reminder that David Driscoll’s Secular Nation podcast is now the Secular World podcast! Finally, check out Mike Lee’s The Religious Antagonist on YouTube. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. Recorded May 8, 2011. books, christianity, commentary, history, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/19/obama-to-make-easter-prayer-breakfast-an-annual-event/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/19/obama-to-make-easter-prayer-breakfast-an-annual-event/#comments Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:27:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2717 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/19/obama-to-make-easter-prayer-breakfast-an-annual-event/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/09/paris-oddly-enough-part-3-walking-it-off/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/09/paris-oddly-enough-part-3-walking-it-off/#comments Sat, 09 Apr 2011 05:01:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2683 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/09/paris-oddly-enough-part-3-walking-it-off/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/04/01/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/2011/02/22/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/2011/02/03/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/2011/01/31/jack-kingston-georgias-latest-embarrassment/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/31/jack-kingston-georgias-latest-embarrassment/#comments Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:17:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2557 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/31/jack-kingston-georgias-latest-embarrassment/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/barry-lynn-vs-ken-ham-on-the-ark-park/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/barry-lynn-vs-ken-ham-on-the-ark-park/#comments Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:50:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2550 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/27/barry-lynn-vs-ken-ham-on-the-ark-park/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/21/podcast-114-robert-bentley-is-not-your-brother/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/21/podcast-114-robert-bentley-is-not-your-brother/#comments Sat, 22 Jan 2011 04:40:57 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2536 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/21/podcast-114-robert-bentley-is-not-your-brother/feed/ 1 0:38:10 Alabama’s new governor Robert Bentley has wasted no time courting controversy.  On his inauguration day (which also happened to be federal Martin Luther King Day holiday), Bentley spoke at a church and artlessly proclaimed that non-Christians[...] Alabama’s new governor Robert Bentley has wasted no time courting controversy.  On his inauguration day (which also happened to be federal Martin Luther King Day holiday), Bentley spoke at a church and artlessly proclaimed that non-Christians were not his “brothers and sisters.”  He quickly apologized, but it probably wasn’t necessary: the rank-and-file of the Alabama voter base are likely to give him a pass on this one. The University of Kentucky has settled a lawsuit brought against them by astronomer Martin Gaskell.  Gaskell happens to be an Intelligent Design nutjob, but he sued UK for denying him a position because of his religious beliefs.  Perhaps $125,000 is a small price to pay to allow Gaskell to slip back into obscurity. Senator Charles Grassley has called off his investigation of six “prosperity gospel” megachurches, despite the fact that four of them refused to cooperate with his requests for information.  Now he’s recommending they self-regulate themselves.  Whatever. The Roman Catholic Church is set to beatify the late Pope John Paul II, claiming he cured a nun who prayed to him about her Parkinson’s disease.  Trouble is, the evidence is so flimsy it would be laughed out of any court.  Rest assured the Church will scrounge up a second miracle so the dead pontiff can be declared a saint. Announcements: David will be speaking to the Washington Area Secular Humanists (WASH) on Saturday, January 22nd. John and Allison will be in attendance at the Southeast Regional Atheist Meet in Huntsville, Alabama, Januuary 29th and 30th.  Be sure to say hello. John will be speaking to the Humanists of Georgia on March 20th.  The topic of his talk 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 Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded January 19, 2011.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no yes 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/2011/01/15/john-paul-ii-to-be-beatified-yeah-right/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/15/john-paul-ii-to-be-beatified-yeah-right/#comments Sat, 15 Jan 2011 14:20:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2531 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/01/15/john-paul-ii-to-be-beatified-yeah-right/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/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/2010/12/04/podcast-110-the-pope-oks-condoms/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/04/podcast-110-the-pope-oks-condoms/#comments Sat, 04 Dec 2010 05:01:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2458 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/12/04/podcast-110-the-pope-oks-condoms/feed/ 0 0:30:15 Pope Benedict XVI has stirred up a controversy by stating that it might be okay in some cases to wear a condom; specifically, so homosexual prostitutes can prevent the spread of disease.  Is this the first step in a Vatican reversal of longstanding [...] Pope Benedict XVI has stirred up a controversy by stating that it might be okay in some cases to wear a condom; specifically, so homosexual prostitutes can prevent the spread of disease.  Is this the first step in a Vatican reversal of longstanding policy against birth control, or just a cheap swipe at those icky gays? And while “Bishop” Eddie Long is still defending himself against charges of improper behavior with teenage boys under his spiritual care, another Atlanta area megachurch minister has decided to come out of the closet!  Pastor Jim Swilley of the Church in the Now has announced, after 20+ years of marriage and four children, that he is gay. Plus:  Actor Michael Brea (Ugly Betty) is accused of murdering his mother with a ceremonial Masonic sword, while ranting feverishly about sin, repentance and the devil. And: The Holey Scripture!  We launch an exploration of the entire Book of Revelation.  Get out your controlled substances and settle in for some good old-fashioned Biblical terror. 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 November 27, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes 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/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/2010/10/17/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/2010/10/13/podcast-105-jeff-sharlet-c-street/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/13/podcast-105-jeff-sharlet-c-street/#comments Thu, 14 Oct 2010 02:32:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2376 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/10/13/podcast-105-jeff-sharlet-c-street/feed/ 1 0:54:03 We interview Jeff Sharlet, author of C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy, a follow-up to The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.  The Family, you may recall, is a secretive and radical Christian gr[...] We interview Jeff Sharlet, author of C Street: The Fundamentalist Threat to American Democracy, a follow-up to The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.  The Family, you may recall, is a secretive and radical Christian group that counts Senators and Congressmen among its members, organizes the annual National Prayer Breakfast, and courts vicious Third World dictators–all in the name of Jesus.  C Street covers events that have occurred since the publication of The Family, including there political sex scandals, the so-called Kill the Gays bill proposed in Uganda, and the chilling evangelical infiltration of the US military. For more about Jeff visit JeffSharlet.com. C Street is available at Amazon.com in hardcover, audiobook, or Kindle editions. Read John Snider’s review of The Family, or listen to our interview with Jeff in Podcast #67. 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 want to join up with us at the Rally, subscribe to our Twitter feed at Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. 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 6, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, cults, interviews, military, podcast, politics, religion 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/2010/09/27/agora-on-dvd/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/27/agora-on-dvd/#comments Mon, 27 Sep 2010 05:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2304 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/27/agora-on-dvd/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/26/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/2010/09/24/christian-care-packages/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/24/christian-care-packages/#comments Sat, 25 Sep 2010 00:30:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2295 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/24/christian-care-packages/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/22/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/2010/09/16/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/2010/09/09/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/2010/09/09/podcast-100-live-at-dragoncon-2010/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/podcast-100-live-at-dragoncon-2010/#comments Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:01:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2231 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/09/podcast-100-live-at-dragoncon-2010/feed/ 7 1:00:38 It’s our 100th episode, and it’s live on the Podcast Track at Dragon*Con 2010!  Aside from reminiscing about our previous 99 shows, we present our usual potpourri of items. Donald Crosby, founder and pastor of God’s Kingdom Builde[...] It’s our 100th episode, and it’s live on the Podcast Track at Dragon*Con 2010!  Aside from reminiscing about our previous 99 shows, we present our usual potpourri of items. Donald Crosby, founder and pastor of God’s Kingdom Builders Church of Jesus Christ in Macon, Georgia, is up in arms because nearby Warner Robins High School’s mascot is the Demon.  [Note:  John states during the podcast that he lived in Warner Robins in the late 90s.  It was actually the late 80s.] Holey Scripture:  Behold Behemoth!  The Old Testament waxes poetic in Job 40:15-24 about the monstrous behemoth, but a quick etymological study (courtesy of the July 28, 2010 Dictionary Word-of-the-Day) reveals that it’s not a monster at all, but rather a hippopotamus.  But that doesn’t stop the guys at T.R.U.T.H. (To Reach Understanding Through Him), who created a video for kids called “What’s a Behemoth?” Which Mohammad?  In this corner…Omid Safi,Islamic mystic and professor of Islamic studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  His latest book is Memories of Muhammad, a generally positive look at the life and influence of the Prophet.  And in this corner…Wafa Sultan, a Syrian born American psychiatrist and author of A God Who Hates, a blistering condemnation of Islam as a backward, misogynistic, violent and insular cult.  She’s best known for her vigorous take-down of an imam on Al-Jazeera in 2006.  We compare the vastly different interpretations of each author of the marriages of Mohammad to Aisha (a six-year-old girl) and Safiyah (a Jewess taken as a spoil of war).  Was Mohammad a noble protector of women, or a pedophile and a rapist?  You decide. Feedback:  Listeners take David to task over his (incorrect) statement in show #99 that August 2010 won’t contain five Sunday-Monday-Tuesdays for another 800+ years.  What can we say?  The guy trusts his mother. Live Q&A:  What do we make of the Tea Party?  And how can those uppity non-Muslim (?!) women like Wafa Sultan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Irshad Manji criticize Islam? Thanks again to Swoopy for organizing the Podcast Track and giving us a slot on it. Announcements: Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Thanks to David Price for the Con photo. Recorded September 3, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, christianity, evolution, history, islam, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/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/2010/08/19/answering-seven-questions-you-should-ask-an-atheist/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/answering-seven-questions-you-should-ask-an-atheist/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 02:32:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2185 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/19/answering-seven-questions-you-should-ask-an-atheist/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/01/podcast-94-john-w-loftus-the-christian-delusion/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/01/podcast-94-john-w-loftus-the-christian-delusion/#comments Fri, 02 Jul 2010 02:13:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2096 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/07/01/podcast-94-john-w-loftus-the-christian-delusion/feed/ 1 0:46:44 We talk with minister-turned-atheist John W. Loftus, editor of The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, a collection of essays from contributors including Dan Barker, David Eller, Robert Price and Richard Carrier.  The Christian Delusion is publishe[...] We talk with minister-turned-atheist John W. Loftus, editor of The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, a collection of essays from contributors including Dan Barker, David Eller, Robert Price and Richard Carrier.  The Christian Delusion is published by Prometheus Books.  You should also check out Loftus’ first book Why I Became an Atheist. Also mentioned in the podcast: 57th Fighter Group, a WWII-themed restaurant with a view of the runway at Dekalb Peachtree Airport in north metro Atlanta. 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 June 26, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, christianity, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes 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/2010/06/16/podcast-92-the-good-man-jesus-and-the-scoundrel-christ/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/16/podcast-92-the-good-man-jesus-and-the-scoundrel-christ/#comments Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:01:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2051 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/16/podcast-92-the-good-man-jesus-and-the-scoundrel-christ/feed/ 0 0:35:00 We discuss the latest novel from Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass), which re-imagines Jesus Christ as twin brothers named “Jesus” and “Christ.”  The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Chr[...] We discuss the latest novel from Philip Pullman (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass), which re-imagines Jesus Christ as twin brothers named “Jesus” and “Christ.”  The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is published in hardcover by Canongate and in unabridged audio by Brilliance Audio. Listen to our discussion of the movie adaptation of The Golden Compass from way back in podcast #3. 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 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. books, children, christianity, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes 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/2010/05/23/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/oreilly-palin-natl-day-of-prayer-my-head-goes-all-explody/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/oreilly-palin-natl-day-of-prayer-my-head-goes-all-explody/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 22:17:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2011 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/oreilly-palin-natl-day-of-prayer-my-head-goes-all-explody/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/05/11/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/2010/05/03/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/2010/04/22/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/2010/03/31/podcast-84-bonus-material-newdow-in-2002/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/31/podcast-84-bonus-material-newdow-in-2002/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 05:01:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1929 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/31/podcast-84-bonus-material-newdow-in-2002/feed/ 1 0:39:41 I’m packing up to head to Newark for the American Atheists convention this weekend, but meanwhile, here’s a blast from the past.  Waaay back in August 2002, I (John C. Snider) interviewed Michael Newdow when he was  just hitting the nati[...] I’m packing up to head to Newark for the American Atheists convention this weekend, but meanwhile, here’s a blast from the past.  Waaay back in August 2002, I (John C. Snider) interviewed Michael Newdow when he was  just hitting the national scene with his first lawsuit challenging the Constitutionality of the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. And to get the Christian perspective on this issue, I interviewed Dr. Bob Allred, who at the time was pastor of Atlanta First United Methodist Church (the oldest church in Atlanta).  Dr. Allred went on to pastor at at least one other church in the metro area, but I lost track of him two or three years ago.   This interview is also from 2002. My apologies if the sound quality of these interviews isn’t as good as it could be; my apologies also if my delivery is flat and/or less-than-professional.  This was an early, early experiment in internet broadcasting, certainly predating the podcasting phenomenon by several years.  In any case, I hope you find it an interesting and enlightening listening experience.  Enjoy! atheism, children, christianity, commentary, interviews, religion 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/2010/03/18/bible-v-quran-the-ultimate-smackdown/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/18/bible-v-quran-the-ultimate-smackdown/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:04:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1911 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/18/bible-v-quran-the-ultimate-smackdown/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/09/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/2010/02/19/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/2010/02/03/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/2010/01/19/would-you-like-your-assault-rifle-with-or-without-scripture/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/19/would-you-like-your-assault-rifle-with-or-without-scripture/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2010 00:06:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1841 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/19/would-you-like-your-assault-rifle-with-or-without-scripture/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/15/podcast-77-sports-losses-and-southern-crosses/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/15/podcast-77-sports-losses-and-southern-crosses/#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:18:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1830 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/01/15/podcast-77-sports-losses-and-southern-crosses/feed/ 1 0:40:29 University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was sidelined with a shoulder injury early-on at college football’s 2010 Rose Bowl.  McCoy had to watch from the bench as Texas lost the National Championship to Alabama.  But that’s okay, [...] University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy was sidelined with a shoulder injury early-on at college football’s 2010 Rose Bowl.  McCoy had to watch from the bench as Texas lost the National Championship to Alabama.  But that’s okay, ’cause it’s all part of God’s Plan. Tiger Woods’ rumored infidelities have been all the rage with the tabloids, but who’da thunk Fox News pundit Brit Hume (not exactly an outspoken evangelical zealot) would make us forget all about it with his shoot-from-the-hip comparison of Buddhism and Christianity. North Georgia parents Patty Jo Marsh and Jacob Bartels decided it was a good idea to give tattoos to six of their seven children.  Themselves.  With a homemade tattoo machine.  Now they’re charged with illegal tattooing, reckless conduct, and more.  Oh, did we mention the tattoos were of Christian crosses? Also discussed in this episode: David wonders if he can count his work for atheist non-profits in his company’s volunteerism program. Mark your calendars: May 11, 2011 is the End of the World.  Or will be, according to often-wrong doomsayer and religious broadcaster Harold Camping.  We aren’t holding our breath, but a beer-fueled End of the World party 16 months from now doesn’t sound like a bad idea. David will be speaking, in his capacity as ambassador for Atheist Alliance International, to the Secular Humanists of the Low Country.  That’s Saturday, January 17th in Charleston, South Carolina.  Here are the details. 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 8, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. buddhism, children, christianity, podcast, religion American Freethought no yes 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/2009/12/21/podcast-75-can-atheists-hold-office-in-nc/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/21/podcast-75-can-atheists-hold-office-in-nc/#comments Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:01:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1806 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/21/podcast-75-can-atheists-hold-office-in-nc/feed/ 1 0:37:08 Cecil Bothwell has just been elected to the city council of Asheville, North Carolina.  He happens to be an atheist.  The North Carolina state constitution bars atheists from holding elected office.  (For what it’s worth, seven other states st[...] Cecil Bothwell has just been elected to the city council of Asheville, North Carolina.  He happens to be an atheist.  The North Carolina state constitution bars atheists from holding elected office.  (For what it’s worth, seven other states still have constitutional provisions that discriminate against non-believers.)  Is this a case of continuing institutionalized bigotry, or just an amusingly unenforceable “quirk” left over from the 19th century?  (For more on Mr. Bothwell visit cecilbothwell.wordpress.com) Also discussed in this episode: There’s a War on Christmas: haven’t you heard?  South Carolina Congressman Henry Brown has introduced (nonbinding) House Resolution 951, which “seeks to express the sense…that the symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected.”  Dozens of Brown’s (mostly Southern, mostly Republican) peers have jumped on the Save-Christmas-from-the-Multicultural-Heathen bandwagon, but HR951 is destined to die in committee.  Is this really how our elected representatives spend their time? The Washington, DC city council has okayed same-sex marriage.  But the District is under Congressional oversight: Congress has 30 days to reverse any actions of the council.  This puts Republicans (currently in the minority) in an interesting pickle.  They’re against gay marriage, but they crow all the time about the rights of state and local governments to run their own affairs.  So which way’s it gonna be, fellas? Disturbing News Alert: Another case of a child endangered by kooky, dangerous religious beliefs.  In Brazil, a man has confessed to inserting 42 needles (and leaving them in place!) into his two-year-old stepson, as part of a series of black magic rituals directed by a trance-tripping woman. Plus: It’s David’s turn to do jury duty, and he’s amazed to read a local journalist’s confession that you have to be irrational to be Christian. 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 17, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, cults, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/12/house-reps-declare-war-on-the-war-on-christmas/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/12/house-reps-declare-war-on-the-war-on-christmas/#comments Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:36:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1789 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/12/12/house-reps-declare-war-on-the-war-on-christmas/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/25/chris-matthews-cuts-loose-on-bishop-thomas-tobin/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/25/chris-matthews-cuts-loose-on-bishop-thomas-tobin/#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:59:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1763 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/25/chris-matthews-cuts-loose-on-bishop-thomas-tobin/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/16/did-christianity-cause-the-economic-meltdown/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/16/did-christianity-cause-the-economic-meltdown/#comments Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:14:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1754 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/16/did-christianity-cause-the-economic-meltdown/feed/ 2 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/2009/11/05/eugenie-scott-v-ray-comfort-pt-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/05/eugenie-scott-v-ray-comfort-pt-2/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:51:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1720 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/05/eugenie-scott-v-ray-comfort-pt-2/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/03/podcast-71-eye-of-sauron-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/03/podcast-71-eye-of-sauron-edition/#comments Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:01:02 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1640 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/11/03/podcast-71-eye-of-sauron-edition/feed/ 6 1:02:06 We look at three recent TV programs that have attracted the attention of the Eye of Sauron, a.k.a. Catholic League president Bill Donohue, whose job it is to manufacture outrage anytime anyone makes fun of the Church or offers sharp criticism of it.[...] We look at three recent TV programs that have attracted the attention of the Eye of Sauron, a.k.a. Catholic League president Bill Donohue, whose job it is to manufacture outrage anytime anyone makes fun of the Church or offers sharp criticism of it.  Sarah Silverman’s video “Sell the Vatican, Feed the World” appeared on the season finale of Real Time with Bill Maher.  The Simpsons mock the Eucharist in their annual “Treehouse of Horror” special with the segment “Don’t Have a Cow, Mankind.”  And Curb Your Enthusiasm auteur Larry David accidentally splashes urine on a portrait of Jesus in the episode “Dealing with the Midriff.”  Bottom line: if it makes the Eye apoplectic, it warms our hearts. Speaking of TV, Muslims have yet to riot or issue any fatwas over a controversial commercial by German lingerie company Liaisons Dangereuse. We’ve been reading!  Check out John’s chapter-by-chapter thoughts on Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth starting here, as well as his reviews of Carl Zimmer’s evolution textbook The Tangled Bank and Robert Crumb’s The Book of Genesis Illustrated.  Also, David recommends Robert Schadewald’s posthumous collection of skeptical essays Worlds of Their Own. The Usual Announcements: Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; David only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded November 1, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, humor, islam, podcast, religion, television American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/24/the-book-of-genesis-by-r-crumb/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/24/the-book-of-genesis-by-r-crumb/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:16:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1621 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/24/the-book-of-genesis-by-r-crumb/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/21/q1-threatens-gay-marriage-in-maine/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/21/q1-threatens-gay-marriage-in-maine/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:53:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1614 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/21/q1-threatens-gay-marriage-in-maine/feed/ 0 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/2009/10/08/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/2009/10/05/eternal-life-a-new-vision/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/05/eternal-life-a-new-vision/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:15:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1464 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/05/eternal-life-a-new-vision/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/01/podcast-67-jeff-sharlet-the-family/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/01/podcast-67-jeff-sharlet-the-family/#comments Thu, 01 Oct 2009 04:01:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1455 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/01/podcast-67-jeff-sharlet-the-family/feed/ 0 0:47:58 We interview Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.  The Family is both an investigation into the organization that has influenced presidents from Eisenhower to Obama, and a history of American [...] We interview Jeff Sharlet, author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power.  The Family is both an investigation into the organization that has influenced presidents from Eisenhower to Obama, and a history of American fundamentalism from colonial times to the present.  If you don’t read any other book this year about religion in America, read this one.  You can buy The Family at Amazon.com. Sharlet is the co-creator of Killing the Buddha, a literary magazine about religion, and The Revealer, “a daily review of religion and the press.”  Sharlet is also a contributing editor to Harper’s and Rolling Stone. Announcements – We encourage you to leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com.  We have a Yahoo Group, a Facebook page, an Atheist Nexus page, a Think Atheist page (NEW!), and a Twitter feed.  If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. Say “hi” to David if you’re planning to attend the upcoming Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention, October 2-4 in Los Angeles (Burbank, actually), CA. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded September 28, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, cults, history, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/30/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/2009/09/28/podcast-66-freethought-in-mexico/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/28/podcast-66-freethought-in-mexico/#comments Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:01:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1446 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/28/podcast-66-freethought-in-mexico/feed/ 2 0:43:47 We interview Danny Zepeda, a skeptical blogger living in Morelia, a city in central Mexico.  He talks about the state of freethought South of the Border, the prevalence of superstition and alt-medicine quackery in Mexican society, and the challenges[...] We interview Danny Zepeda, a skeptical blogger living in Morelia, a city in central Mexico.  He talks about the state of freethought South of the Border, the prevalence of superstition and alt-medicine quackery in Mexican society, and the challenges of raising children to be critical thinkers.  Visit Danny’s Spanish-language blog Un Papá Escéptico (A Skeptical Papa) at papaesceptico.wordpress.com.  If you can’t read Spanish, try pasting the URL into the Babel Fish text translation tool: the results are sometimes a bit iffy but readable. 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.  Also, if you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. Say “hi” to David if you’re planning to attend the upcoming Atheist Alliance International 2009 Convention, October 2-4 in Los Angeles (Burbank, actually), CA. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded September 25, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, children, christianity, podcast, religion, skepticism, superstitions American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/26/darwin-film-gets-us-distributor/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/26/darwin-film-gets-us-distributor/#comments Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:01:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1432 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/26/darwin-film-gets-us-distributor/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/marilyn-loeffels-wrong-perspective/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/marilyn-loeffels-wrong-perspective/#comments Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:59:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1421 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/23/marilyn-loeffels-wrong-perspective/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/18/the-family/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/18/the-family/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 04:01:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1337 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/18/the-family/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/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/2009/09/14/jerry-falwell-on-science-fiction/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/jerry-falwell-on-science-fiction/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:54:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1345 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/14/jerry-falwell-on-science-fiction/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/12/why-cant-darwin-film-find-a-us-distributor/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/12/why-cant-darwin-film-find-a-us-distributor/#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:28:47 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1342 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/12/why-cant-darwin-film-find-a-us-distributor/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/09/penn-teller-vatican-vid-courtesy-of-eye-of-sauron/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/09/penn-teller-vatican-vid-courtesy-of-eye-of-sauron/#comments Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:18:08 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1335 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/09/penn-teller-vatican-vid-courtesy-of-eye-of-sauron/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/03/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/2009/08/31/penn-teller-do-the-vatican/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/penn-teller-do-the-vatican/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:51:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1316 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/penn-teller-do-the-vatican/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/27/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/2009/08/19/the-voyage-that-shook-the-world/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/19/the-voyage-that-shook-the-world/#comments Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1222 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/19/the-voyage-that-shook-the-world/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/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/2009/08/18/mooneykirschenbaum-sic-darwin-on-dawkins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/mooneykirschenbaum-sic-darwin-on-dawkins/#comments Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:19:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1238 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/18/mooneykirschenbaum-sic-darwin-on-dawkins/feed/ 4 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/2009/08/13/youre-not-doin-fine-oklahoma/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/youre-not-doin-fine-oklahoma/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 01:34:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1208 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/youre-not-doin-fine-oklahoma/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/magic-mushrooms-and-he-were-familiar-friends/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/magic-mushrooms-and-he-were-familiar-friends/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:31:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1201 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/magic-mushrooms-and-he-were-familiar-friends/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/finally-some-good-news-in-this-bad-economy/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/finally-some-good-news-in-this-bad-economy/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:56:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1199 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/13/finally-some-good-news-in-this-bad-economy/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/10/better-late-than-never/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/10/better-late-than-never/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 10:51:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1181 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/10/better-late-than-never/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/07/pharyngulites-descend-on-creation-museum/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/07/pharyngulites-descend-on-creation-museum/#comments Fri, 07 Aug 2009 12:23:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1176 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/07/pharyngulites-descend-on-creation-museum/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:01:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1170 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/feed/ 1 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/2009/08/01/aas-buckner-delivers-county-invocation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/01/aas-buckner-delivers-county-invocation/#comments Sat, 01 Aug 2009 12:00:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1123 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/01/aas-buckner-delivers-county-invocation/feed/ 0 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/2009/07/27/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/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/2009/07/19/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/2009/07/18/colbert-mocks-tx/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/18/colbert-mocks-tx/#comments Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:36:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1051 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/18/colbert-mocks-tx/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/16/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/2009/07/15/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/15/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:13:12 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1010 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/15/robert-wright-takes-on-the-new-atheists/feed/ 8 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/14/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/2009/07/03/podcast-58-robert-wright/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/03/podcast-58-robert-wright/#comments Fri, 03 Jul 2009 05:01:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=952 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/03/podcast-58-robert-wright/feed/ 14 1:13:57 We interview Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God and one of the founders of the pundit-driven website bloggingheads.tv.  In The Evolution of God, Wright lays out a convincing case that the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Isl[...] We interview Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God and one of the founders of the pundit-driven website bloggingheads.tv.  In The Evolution of God, Wright lays out a convincing case that the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are “illusions” shaped by completely natural forces like commerce, warfare and social instability.  At the same time, Wright controversially claims that Western religion’s progressive march (from shamanistic superstition to primitive polytheism to a monotheism which recognizes the value of individual human beings) reveals an inevitable, even divine “higher purpose.”  For more information visit evolutionofgod.net. Wright is also known for his books The Moral Animal (a classic explication of the emerging discipline of evolutionary psychology) and Nonzero (which uses game theory to construct a model of human history that dovetails nicely with The Evolution of God). Read John’s review of The Evolution of God, or buy your very own copy (highly recommended) at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets every time we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, it’s like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group – Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes – If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress – Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com – Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal – Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You’ll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content (nearly) every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded July 1, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, ethics, history, interviews, islam, judaism, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/the-evolution-of-god/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/the-evolution-of-god/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:40:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=956 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/02/the-evolution-of-god/feed/ 7 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/07/01/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/exorcistchild-abuser-scot-free-in-ga/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/25/exorcistchild-abuser-scot-free-in-ga/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:28:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=942 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/25/exorcistchild-abuser-scot-free-in-ga/feed/ 1 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/2009/06/12/mr-deity-returns/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/12/mr-deity-returns/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:39:54 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=867 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/12/mr-deity-returns/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/11/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/2009/06/04/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/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/2009/05/30/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/2009/05/23/dear-margo-religious-fanatics-on-the-lunatic-fringe/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/23/dear-margo-religious-fanatics-on-the-lunatic-fringe/#comments Sat, 23 May 2009 05:01:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=735 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/23/dear-margo-religious-fanatics-on-the-lunatic-fringe/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/2009/05/18/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/2009/05/11/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 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/01/evangelicals-most-likely-to-support-torture/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/01/evangelicals-most-likely-to-support-torture/#comments Fri, 01 May 2009 12:07:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=680 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/01/evangelicals-most-likely-to-support-torture/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/25/witch-hunting-is-no-laughing-matter/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/25/witch-hunting-is-no-laughing-matter/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 05:01:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=660 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/25/witch-hunting-is-no-laughing-matter/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/24/its-just-the-peas-on-his-fice/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/24/its-just-the-peas-on-his-fice/#comments Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:01:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=657 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/24/its-just-the-peas-on-his-fice/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/22/podcast-51-bart-ehrman/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/22/podcast-51-bart-ehrman/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:01:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=647 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/22/podcast-51-bart-ehrman/feed/ 3 0:40:28 We interview Bart Ehrman, Biblical scholar and author of the new book Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them). Dr. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor and Chair of[...] We interview Bart Ehrman, Biblical scholar and author of the new book Jesus, Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (And Why We Don’t Know About Them). Dr. Ehrman is the James A. Gray Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.   He has written 21 books and numerous articles, but he is best known for his nonfiction books on Biblical scholarship aimed at general audiences–books that reveal Christianity’s dirty little secret: that what scholars know about the problems with the Bible rarely makes it to the pulpit. For more info about Dr. Ehrman and his work visit bartdehrman.com. Also mentioned in the podcast: Read John’s review of Jesus, Interrupted.  You can buy it at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Misquoting Jesus – Another great book by Dr. Ehrman published in 2005.  You can buy it at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Does the God of Christianity Exist? A panel discussion from the Christian Book Expo, in which Christian apologist Lee Strobel claims that there’s a solid case for the historical accuracy of the Gospels. 2010 Mythicist Prize – Organized by author Rene Salms (who makes the controversial claim that the city of Nazareth didn’t even exist during Jesus’ time) and coordinated with the blessing of American Atheists, this prize offers $1,000 to the best academic paper proving that Jesus did not exist. ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets everytime we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, it’s like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group – Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes – If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress – Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com – Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal – Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You’ll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded April 17, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, christianity, history, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/19/nigerians-call-for-conference-against-witch-hunting/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/19/nigerians-call-for-conference-against-witch-hunting/#comments Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:01:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=639 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/19/nigerians-call-for-conference-against-witch-hunting/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/16/podcast-50-american-atheists-convention/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/16/podcast-50-american-atheists-convention/#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 05:01:13 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=622 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/16/podcast-50-american-atheists-convention/feed/ 3 1:01:35 We discuss our experience at the recent America Atheists National Convention, which was held at the beautiful Emory Conference Center Hotel in Decatur, Georgia.  How did the impressive slate of presenters (including activist and retired evolutionary[...] We discuss our experience at the recent America Atheists National Convention, which was held at the beautiful Emory Conference Center Hotel in Decatur, Georgia.  How did the impressive slate of presenters (including activist and retired evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins) do?  What’s “the vibe” at AA nowadays?  And what is it with atheists and microphones? ANNOUNCEMENTS Participation and Feedback: Email contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. American Freethought on Twitter.  We’re new on Twitter!  Get auto-tweets everytime we post something to the website, plus the occasional random news item. American Freethought on Atheist Nexus – What’s Atheist Nexus?  Well, it’s like Facebook for nonbelievers.  Join up! American Freethought on Facebook American Freethought Yahoo Group – Chat with fellow freethinkers. iTunes – If you listen to us via iTunes, take a moment and leave feedback. Shop or Donate: CafePress – Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. Amazon.com – Click-through and buy whatever you want. PayPal – Drop some change in our virtual tip-jar.  You’ll help offset the cost of maintaining the website and producing the podcast. Visit us online at AmericanFreethought.com.  We post new content every day! David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded April 14, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, commentary, interviews, news, podcast, skepticism American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/15/jesus-interrupted-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/15/jesus-interrupted-2/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2009 05:01:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=608 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/15/jesus-interrupted-2/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/new-ny-archbishop-to-challenge-criticism/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/new-ny-archbishop-to-challenge-criticism/#comments Tue, 14 Apr 2009 05:01:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=596 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/14/new-ny-archbishop-to-challenge-criticism/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/12/town-rocked-by-arrest-of-sunday-school-teacher/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/12/town-rocked-by-arrest-of-sunday-school-teacher/#comments Sun, 12 Apr 2009 13:22:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=585 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/12/town-rocked-by-arrest-of-sunday-school-teacher/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/08/check-out-david-driscolls-new-ride/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/08/check-out-david-driscolls-new-ride/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=554 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/08/check-out-david-driscolls-new-ride/feed/ 12 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/obama-says-america-not-a-christian-nation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/obama-says-america-not-a-christian-nation/#comments Tue, 07 Apr 2009 12:04:53 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=563 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/07/obama-says-america-not-a-christian-nation/feed/ 23 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/02/only-our-bullshit-is-the-real-shit/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/02/only-our-bullshit-is-the-real-shit/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 05:01:21 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=511 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/02/only-our-bullshit-is-the-real-shit/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/31/the-kenya-connection/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/31/the-kenya-connection/#comments Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:01:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=489 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/31/the-kenya-connection/feed/ 6 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/30/podcast-48-morality-without-gods/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/30/podcast-48-morality-without-gods/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:01:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=453 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/30/podcast-48-morality-without-gods/feed/ 3 1:30:04 We present a recording of “Morality without Gods,” a debate held on the campus of Georgia State University on March 16th, 2009.  Sponsored by GSU’s Revolution Club (which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Communist Party USA), [...] We present a recording of “Morality without Gods,” a debate held on the campus of Georgia State University on March 16th, 2009.  Sponsored by GSU’s Revolution Club (which is affiliated with the Revolutionary Communist Party USA), the event was moderated by Associate Professor of Sociology Jim Ainsworth, and featured communist activist and journalist Sunsara Taylor, who is touring the country in support of RCP chairman Bob Avakian’s new book Away with All Gods (available at Amazon.com).  For this appearance, Ms. Taylor was joined by Dr. Kenneth L. Samuel of Victory for the World Church in Stone Mountain and Martin Cowen, founder of the Fellowship of Reason, a non-theistic organization based in metro Atlanta. ANNOUNCEMENTS We’ll be attending the America Atheists national convention, April 9-12 in Atlanta, Georgia.  Guest speakers include Richard Dawkins and AA president Ed Buckner. Visit our CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. We also have an Amazon.com store–click through and buy whatever you want.  You get the same great Amazon prices, and we get a small commission.  Everybody wins! …And if you’re so-inclined, you can plop some change into our virtual tip jar via PayPal. A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) virtually every day at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group.  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David will soon be podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s other online project, SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded March 25, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, commentary, ethics, podcast, politics, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/29/mega-church-founder-paulk-dies/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/29/mega-church-founder-paulk-dies/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2009 22:50:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=486 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/29/mega-church-founder-paulk-dies/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/27/squeaker-in-texas/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/27/squeaker-in-texas/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:38:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=475 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/27/squeaker-in-texas/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/17/pope-says-condoms-arent-the-answer-now-what-was-the-question/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/17/pope-says-condoms-arent-the-answer-now-what-was-the-question/#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:44:11 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=417 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/17/pope-says-condoms-arent-the-answer-now-what-was-the-question/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/16/liberals-and-non-christians-must-die/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/16/liberals-and-non-christians-must-die/#comments Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:03:07 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=410 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/16/liberals-and-non-christians-must-die/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/14/fine-bros-vs-prop-8/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/14/fine-bros-vs-prop-8/#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2009 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=395 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/14/fine-bros-vs-prop-8/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/collapse-of-the-religious-right/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/collapse-of-the-religious-right/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:01:00 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=386 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/collapse-of-the-religious-right/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/11/the-passion-of-christ-timmy-christ/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/11/the-passion-of-christ-timmy-christ/#comments Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:01:10 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=371 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/11/the-passion-of-christ-timmy-christ/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/09/jesus-interrupted/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/09/jesus-interrupted/#comments Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:27:30 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=356 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/09/jesus-interrupted/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/05/buckner-bocchino-debate-at-ga-tech/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/05/buckner-bocchino-debate-at-ga-tech/#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 05:01:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=325 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/05/buckner-bocchino-debate-at-ga-tech/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/04/the-good-book/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/04/the-good-book/#comments Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:01:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=318 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/04/the-good-book/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/01/introducing-mr-deity/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/01/introducing-mr-deity/#comments Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:14:56 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=307 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/01/introducing-mr-deity/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/28/pope-condemns-genetic-screening-except-for-priests/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/28/pope-condemns-genetic-screening-except-for-priests/#comments Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:07:45 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=303 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/28/pope-condemns-genetic-screening-except-for-priests/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/22/religulous-on-dvd/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/22/religulous-on-dvd/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2009 05:01:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=265 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/22/religulous-on-dvd/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/15/the-sound-of-inevitability/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/15/the-sound-of-inevitability/#comments Sun, 15 Feb 2009 14:21:44 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=228 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/15/the-sound-of-inevitability/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/10/podcast-42-ken-miller-on-darwin-day/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/10/podcast-42-ken-miller-on-darwin-day/#comments Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:01:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=220 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/10/podcast-42-ken-miller-on-darwin-day/feed/ 1 1:11:57 Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Darwin!  To celebrate, we interview Ken Miller (a.k.a. Dr. Kenneth R. Miller), Professor of Biology at Brown University and co-author (with Joseph S. Levine) of Prentice-Hall’s Biology, one of the most-used and mo[...] Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Darwin!  To celebrate, we interview Ken Miller (a.k.a. Dr. Kenneth R. Miller), Professor of Biology at Brown University and co-author (with Joseph S. Levine) of Prentice-Hall’s Biology, one of the most-used and most-respected high school textbooks in the world.  Ken strikes a thoughtful balance between his Roman Catholicism and a deep appreciation of the reality of evolution.  He was a key witness for the plaintiffs in the 2005 Kitzmiller-v-Dover trial, which overturned an attempt by intelligent design creationists to infiltrate the local high school biology curriculum.  Ken is also the author of two science memoirs: Finding Darwin’s God and Only a Theory. For more about Ken and his work visit MillerandLevine.com. Read Jerry Coyne’s extensive critique of Ken Miller’s Only a Theory at The New Republic. Kudos to the organizers of Atlanta SkeptiCamp!  John and David recorded a live segment with Skepticality’s Derek and Swoopy.  To see video of all the presentations (including the joint Skepticality/American Freethought panel) go to Qik.com/DoctorAtlantis. DARWIN DONATIONS - Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday is coming up.  To celebrate, mark your calendars for February 12th; on that day, contact the charity of your choice and tell them you’re making the donation “in honor of Charles Darwin.” DARWIN DAY 2009 – If you live in metro Atlanta, join us at Decatur’s Thinking Man Tavern, 7:30PM, Thursday, February 12th.  Look for a crowd of attractive, well-dressed, extraordinarily intelligent people. Lest he get lost in the Darwin shuffle, let us remember Abraham Lincoln (born on the exact same day in 1809 as Charles Darwin).  As David points out, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that Lincoln was a freethinker. ANNOUNCEMENTS We now have a CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) several times a week at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group.  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded February 9, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, evolution, interviews, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/05/righteous-stuff-2-of-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/05/righteous-stuff-2-of-2/#comments Thu, 05 Feb 2009 05:01:33 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=219 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/05/righteous-stuff-2-of-2/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/04/righteous-stuff-1-of-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/04/righteous-stuff-1-of-2/#comments Wed, 04 Feb 2009 05:01:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=218 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/04/righteous-stuff-1-of-2/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/01/pope-dont-be-so-down-on-marriage-except/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/01/pope-dont-be-so-down-on-marriage-except/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 05:01:24 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=216 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/01/pope-dont-be-so-down-on-marriage-except/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/29/carpe-diem-and-tough-luck/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/29/carpe-diem-and-tough-luck/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 05:01:59 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=211 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/29/carpe-diem-and-tough-luck/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/27/podcast-40-the-galapagos-mountain-boys/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/27/podcast-40-the-galapagos-mountain-boys/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 05:01:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=209 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/27/podcast-40-the-galapagos-mountain-boys/feed/ 0 1:04:28 We interview Dr. Stephen Baird, frontman for the Galapagos Mountain Boys, a (mostly) bluegrass band based in the San Diego area.  Dr. Baird talks about the term “scientific gospel,” the GMBs’ new album Darwin, Darn It!, and their u[...] We interview Dr. Stephen Baird, frontman for the Galapagos Mountain Boys, a (mostly) bluegrass band based in the San Diego area.  Dr. Baird talks about the term “scientific gospel,” the GMBs’ new album Darwin, Darn It!, and their upcoming gigs celebrating Darwin Day 2009.  For details visit ScientificGospel.com. Plus: The fallout from President Obama’s nod to “non-believers” in his inaugural address, and lots of listener feedback. DARWIN DONATIONS - Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday is coming up.  To celebrate, mark your calendars for February 12th; on that day, contact the charity of your choice and tell them you’re making the donation “in honor of Charles Darwin.” ANNOUNCEMENTS Listen to this episode to find out how you can win a package of cool freethought tchoch including Phil Zuckerman’s book Society without God; Stephen Uhl’s audiobook No Gods, No Guilt; the 2009 Skepchick and Skepdude calendars; and the CD “Darwin, Darn It!” by the Galapagos Mountain Boys.  The deadline for entries is January 31st. We’re also giving away 2 free tix to the upcoming conference “The Religious-Secular Divide,” organized by the New School in NYC.  Just email us by February 7th at contact@americanfreethought.com or post your request on our Facebook Wall and you’ll be eligible to win. We now have a CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) several times a week at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link].  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded January 25, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, commentary, evolution, humor, interviews, music, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/26/set-your-dvrs/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/26/set-your-dvrs/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:45:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=210 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/26/set-your-dvrs/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/24/timmy-christ-ceo/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/24/timmy-christ-ceo/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 01:44:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=207 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/24/timmy-christ-ceo/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/23/the-religious-right-looks-to-the-future/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/23/the-religious-right-looks-to-the-future/#comments Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:01:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=188 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/23/the-religious-right-looks-to-the-future/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/20/podcast-39-tellus-museum/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/20/podcast-39-tellus-museum/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2009 15:53:06 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=205 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/20/podcast-39-tellus-museum/feed/ 1 1:00:15 We discuss our recent visit to the brand new Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum with Tellus marketeer Joe Schulman.  Tellus is just 45 miles north of Atlanta, with an extensive mineral collection, impressive dino-displays, a planetarium, a 20-i[...] We discuss our recent visit to the brand new Tellus Northwest Georgia Science Museum with Tellus marketeer Joe Schulman.  Tellus is just 45 miles north of Atlanta, with an extensive mineral collection, impressive dino-displays, a planetarium, a 20-inch telescope, and more.  For details visit TellusMuseum.org. Plus: How many preachers does it take to inaugurate a president?  US Airways Flight 1549: “Miracle” or Expertise + Good Luck? DARWIN DONATIONS - Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday is coming up.  To celebrate, mark your calendars for February 12th; on that day, contact the charity of your choice and tell them you’re making the donation “in honor of Charles Darwin.” ANNOUNCEMENTS Listen to this episode to find out how you can win a package of cool freethought tchoch including Phil Zuckerman’s book Society without God; Stephen Uhl’s audiobook No Gods, No Guilt; the 2009 Skepchick and Skepdude calendars; and the CD “Darwin, Darn It!” by the Galapagos Mountain Boys.  The deadline for entries is January 31st. We’re also giving away 2 free tix to the upcoming conference “The Religious-Secular Divide,” organized by the New School in NYC.  Just email us by February 7th at contact@americanfreethought.com or post your request on our Facebook Wall and you’ll be eligible to win. We now have a CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs. A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) several times a week at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link].  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded January 19, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, evolution, interviews, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/16/pope-combats-fraud-cancels-out-self/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/16/pope-combats-fraud-cancels-out-self/#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:14:34 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=201 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/16/pope-combats-fraud-cancels-out-self/feed/ 4 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/12/gay-bishop-to-speak-at-obama-event/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/12/gay-bishop-to-speak-at-obama-event/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:44:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=197 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/12/gay-bishop-to-speak-at-obama-event/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/10/podcast-38-youtuber-laci-gogreen18/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/10/podcast-38-youtuber-laci-gogreen18/#comments Sat, 10 Jan 2009 16:58:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=195 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/10/podcast-38-youtuber-laci-gogreen18/feed/ 20 1:03:57 We interview Laci, a.k.a. “gogreen18″ of YouTube fame.  In just a few short months, Laci’s intelligent commentary on religion and rationalism (not to mention her charm and good looks) have attracted a legion of likeminded fans.  He[...] We interview Laci, a.k.a. “gogreen18″ of YouTube fame.  In just a few short months, Laci’s intelligent commentary on religion and rationalism (not to mention her charm and good looks) have attracted a legion of likeminded fans.  Her bluntness has also raised the hackles of religionists, who succeeded in getting her suspended from the ‘Tube for two weeks in late 2008 – that’s when her videos went viral.  Now fellow nonbelievers (including uber-blogger PZ Myers and us at American Freethought) take heart that Laci is now a role model and secular spokeswoman for America’s up-and-coming generation.  Visit Laci’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/user/gogreen18. ANNOUNCEMENTS Listen to this episode to find out how you can win a package of cool freethought tchoch including Phil Zuckerman’s book Society without God, Stephen Uhl’s audiobook No Gods, No Guilt, and the 2009 Skepchick and Skepdude calendars.  The deadline for entries is January 31st. We now have a CafePress store!  Buy cool American Freethought swag, including t-shirts and mugs.  Sport your support for patriotism through rational thought! A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) several times a week at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link].  And don’t forget our Facebook page. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded January 10, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, christianity, interviews, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/rick-fking-warren/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/rick-fking-warren/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:42:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=178 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/18/rick-fking-warren/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/15/there-are-atheists-in-foxholes/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/15/there-are-atheists-in-foxholes/#comments Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:15:19 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=174 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/15/there-are-atheists-in-foxholes/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/12/i-believe-this-might-be-illegal/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/12/i-believe-this-might-be-illegal/#comments Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:04:58 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=173 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/12/i-believe-this-might-be-illegal/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/09/confused-about-the-holidaze/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/09/confused-about-the-holidaze/#comments Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:55:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=168 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/09/confused-about-the-holidaze/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/06/podcast-35-war-on-christmas/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/06/podcast-35-war-on-christmas/#comments Sat, 06 Dec 2008 17:35:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=166 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/12/06/podcast-35-war-on-christmas/feed/ 7 1:03:47 We take a look at the (alleged) War on Christmas and the various over-reactions to it. But first…some Thanksgiving leftovers!  Columnist Jim Griffith of the Newnan (Georgia) Times-Herald paints a bleak picture for atheists on Turkey Day. Lest [...] We take a look at the (alleged) War on Christmas and the various over-reactions to it. But first…some Thanksgiving leftovers!  Columnist Jim Griffith of the Newnan (Georgia) Times-Herald paints a bleak picture for atheists on Turkey Day. Lest you think it’s only small town news hounds who blame everything on the infidels, get a load of the recent essay by Daniel Henniger in The Wall Street Journal.  Who knew the economic implosion was triggered by the scrooges who don’t like to hear the words “Merry Christmas”. Bloviatin’ Bill O’Reilly has his loufa in a bunch over the fact that Washington State allowed an atheist display next to a Nativity scene on the capitol grounds.  But don’t worry Bill – some enterprising Christian kneecapped the Eighth Commandment and stole that pesky display.  Oh wait, it’s back! Who needs another installment of “Holey Scripture” when retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong is on the job?  Spong has spent a career letting the air out of the “Bible as literal history” tires, and his opinion of the Christmas Story is no exception.  Thus sayeth the Spong: “The gospel writers knew that they were not writing history, they knew they were creating an interpretive portrait.”  (I wouldn’t be so sure of that, but with Christians like Spong, who wants to argue?)  Sign up for the Bishop’s weekly newsletter at JohnShelbySpong.com. Our faithful listener Liz from Texas (who is allowed to play the AF podcast out loud at the office) shares her ingenious solution to obnoxious office Christmas Parties – hijack ‘em!  In a scenario worth of The Office, Liz convinced her boss to let her organize the year-end holiday bash, due to the fact that she can “keep it religion neutral and thus HR friendly.”  Nobody likes the end result except Liz, HR, and the Jews. Tom Melchiorre (the new editor of the Secular Nation newsletter) proves his uber-atheist street cred by refusing any observance or participation in holiday cheer.  (He responds to wishes of “Merry Christmas” with either a “No, thanks” or a Glare of Death.  He ‘splains himself in the current issue of Secular Nation magazine, which David will cover in an upcoming episode of the Secular Nation Podcast. Finally, we share our Top Five Holiday Gifts for the Nonbeliever!  Presented more or less in order from least-to-most recommended: John’s recommendations: 5. “How to Start Your Own Cult for Fun and Profit” by Heidi Lampietti.  A great stocking stuffer at $5, this 27-page chapbook helps you lay the groundwork for future fleecing of the dumb masses.  RedJackBooks.com 4. “The Resurrection and the Life” - a satirical retelling of the resurrection of Lazarus from the Book of John, this is a limited edition, handbound volume written by horror-meister Brian Keene, with woodcut engravings from Canadian artist George Walker.  Pricey and hard to come by, but worth the chase.  BitingDogPress.com 3.  There Will Be Blood (DVD) – Daniel Day Lewis and Paul Dano get biblical with a bowling pin in director Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic and unforgettable fable set in the oil fields of early 20th century California.  I… drink… your… milkshake!!! 2.  Fossils – From $10 bugs-in-amber to a $22K slab o’ Selenopeltis Buchii, the remains of creatures past are sure to please science lovers and annoy the yokels who still think the earth is 6,000 years old.  If you don’t have a local rock shop, try eBay.com. 1.  The Complete Discography of George Hrab – Musician, comedian, podcaster, freethinker, Hrab has accumulated a cult-like following to his Geologic Podcast.  His five albums are kinda nifty, too!  Buy the entire Hrab ouevre at CDBaby.com or check out GeologicRecords.net. David’s recommendations: 5.  Give the Gift of Godless Power Brokering [...] atheism, books, christianity, humor, movies, music, news, podcast, religion American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/11/keith-olbermann-is-my-hero/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/11/keith-olbermann-is-my-hero/#comments Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:42:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=154 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/11/11/keith-olbermann-is-my-hero/feed/ 6