http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress Question. Think. Decide. Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:36:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 2007-2011 john@americanfreethought.com (American Freethought) john@americanfreethought.com (American Freethought) atheism 1440 http://www.americanfreethought.com/images/podcastlogo144x144.jpg http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress 144 144 Question. Think. Decide. An atheist podcast. freethought, atheism, skepticism, religion, secularism, philosophy, atheist, skeptic American Freethought American Freethought john@americanfreethought.com yes no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/07/podcast-141-the-mocking-of-tim-tebow/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/07/podcast-141-the-mocking-of-tim-tebow/#comments Sat, 07 Jan 2012 16:30:32 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=3147 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2012/01/07/podcast-141-the-mocking-of-tim-tebow/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/24/religion-makes-you-fat/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/24/religion-makes-you-fat/#comments Thu, 24 Mar 2011 22:20:50 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2634 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/03/24/religion-makes-you-fat/feed/ 2 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/27/the-moral-landscape-chapter-5-the-future-of-happiness/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/27/the-moral-landscape-chapter-5-the-future-of-happiness/#comments Sat, 27 Nov 2010 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2436 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/27/the-moral-landscape-chapter-5-the-future-of-happiness/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/25/the-moral-landscape-chapter-4-religion/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/25/the-moral-landscape-chapter-4-religion/#comments Thu, 25 Nov 2010 05:01:38 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2434 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/25/the-moral-landscape-chapter-4-religion/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/23/the-moral-landscape-chapter-3-belief/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/23/the-moral-landscape-chapter-3-belief/#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 05:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2432 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/23/the-moral-landscape-chapter-3-belief/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/21/the-moral-landscape-chapter-2-good-and-evil/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/21/the-moral-landscape-chapter-2-good-and-evil/#comments Sun, 21 Nov 2010 19:42:42 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2427 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/11/21/the-moral-landscape-chapter-2-good-and-evil/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/28/podcast-99-mary-roach-packing-for-mars/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/28/podcast-99-mary-roach-packing-for-mars/#comments Sat, 28 Aug 2010 17:18:50 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2209 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/08/28/podcast-99-mary-roach-packing-for-mars/feed/ 2 0:38:23 We interview Mary Roach, author of the bestselling science-humor book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void.  She’s also the author of Stiff (about human cadavers), Spook (the scientific inquest on life after death), and Bo[...] We interview Mary Roach, author of the bestselling science-humor book Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void.  She’s also the author of Stiff (about human cadavers), Spook (the scientific inquest on life after death), and Bonk (the science of human sexuality).    Packing for Mars is both educational and laugh-out-loud funny.  It’s available in hardcover, audiobook, and for Kindle. If you can’t get enough of Mary Roach (and let’s face it, who can?), John interviewed her back in 2005 at SciFiDimensions.com, and reviewed both Stiff and Spook. Dragon*Con (which includes SkepTrack) is just around the corner, September 3-6, right here in Atlanta.  And if you can join us a day early, the second annual Star Party will be hosted by Emory University’s Science and Math Center. Send us email!  For John Snider use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded August 26, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, humor, interviews, podcast, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/13/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/2010/02/08/podcast-80-simon-singh/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/08/podcast-80-simon-singh/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 05:01:31 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1867 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/08/podcast-80-simon-singh/feed/ 3 0:57:27 We interview science journalist Simon Singh, co-author (with Dr. Edzard Ernst) of Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine (which both John and David highly recommend).  For more about Simon visit SimonSingh.net.  Please a[...] We interview science journalist Simon Singh, co-author (with Dr. Edzard Ernst) of Trick or Treatment: The Undeniable Facts about Alternative Medicine (which both John and David highly recommend).  For more about Simon visit SimonSingh.net.  Please also visit LibelReform.org, a website devoted to changing the United Kingdom’s disgraceful libel laws (Simon is currently in the midst of a court battle with the British Chiropractic Association over his reporting on chiropractic treatment of children in the UK’s Guardian newspaper.) Trick or Treatment is available at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Continuing this episodes alternative medicine theme, we take a look at aromatherapy.  Can smells trigger the body’s healing ability, or do they offer only a temporary placebo? Also: See Creation with American Freethought!  We’re arranging an outing for the afternoon of Saturday, February 20th, to see the new Charles Darwin bio-pic starring Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly.  We’ll convene for Thai food immediately after the movie.  Details can be found here, or at this Facebook event page. Can you spell C-O-N-T-E-S-T? We have a minor trove of nifty things to give away, including a 2009 American Atheists convention program signed by Richard Dawkins, a handful of books by famous critical thinkers, and an American Freethought t-shirt and coffee mug.  To win, simply challenge John C. Snider to a game of “Words With Friends” (the iPhone version of the classic Scrabble).  You’ll need an iPhone, of course; and you’ll need to download Words With Friends (created by game developer Newtoy, Inc.).  John’s user name is “johncsnider.”  The person who beats him by the most points during the month of February wins the tchoch. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Fans of science fiction can check out John’s other project on the web, SciFiDimensions.com. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded February 6, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, news, podcast, science, skepticism American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/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/2009/09/24/gran-torino-md/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/24/gran-torino-md/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:37:26 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1427 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/24/gran-torino-md/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/26/why-should-the-health-care-debate-be-any-different/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/26/why-should-the-health-care-debate-be-any-different/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:27:16 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1289 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/26/why-should-the-health-care-debate-be-any-different/feed/ 0 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/2009/08/09/peter-singer-on-healthcare-rationing/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/09/peter-singer-on-healthcare-rationing/#comments Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:04:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1179 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/09/peter-singer-on-healthcare-rationing/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/#comments Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:01:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1170 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/06/the-strange-case-of-francis-collins/feed/ 1 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/2009/07/12/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/2009/06/26/podcast-57-bruce-m-hood/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/26/podcast-57-bruce-m-hood/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:01:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=931 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/26/podcast-57-bruce-m-hood/feed/ 0 1:07:08 We interview Bruce M. Hood, author of SuperSense, which theorizes a genetic predisposition toward religious belief, superstition, and other irrational behaviors (and that includes you, too, atheists!). Read John’s review of SuperSense, or buy [...] We interview Bruce M. Hood, author of SuperSense, which theorizes a genetic predisposition toward religious belief, superstition, and other irrational behaviors (and that includes you, too, atheists!). Read John’s review of SuperSense, or buy your very own copy (highly recommended) at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Visit Bruce M. Hood‘s Official Website. 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 June 24, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. books, evolution, interviews, paranormal, podcast, religion, science, skepticism, superstitions American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/20/its-better-to-look-scientific-than-be-scientific/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/20/its-better-to-look-scientific-than-be-scientific/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 17:30:41 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=915 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/20/its-better-to-look-scientific-than-be-scientific/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/06/newsweek-jumps-on-oprah/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/06/newsweek-jumps-on-oprah/#comments Sat, 06 Jun 2009 05:01:09 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=838 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/06/06/newsweek-jumps-on-oprah/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/28/supersense/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/28/supersense/#comments Thu, 28 May 2009 22:07:51 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=757 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/05/28/supersense/feed/ 5 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/13/why-are-we-religious/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/13/why-are-we-religious/#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:27:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=590 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/04/13/why-are-we-religious/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/22/time-to-de-fund-nccam/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/22/time-to-de-fund-nccam/#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:52:05 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=442 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/22/time-to-de-fund-nccam/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/10/the-stem-cell-wars-have-only-begun/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/10/the-stem-cell-wars-have-only-begun/#comments Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:01:46 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=373 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/10/the-stem-cell-wars-have-only-begun/feed/ 1