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/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:01:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1878 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/podcast-82-creation/feed/ 6 0:41:16 Allison’s back–yay!  She joins us to discuss the new Charles Darwin bio-pic Creation, starring real-life husband-and-wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles and Emma Darwin.  Creation is based on the nonfiction book Annie[...] Allison’s back–yay!  She joins us to discuss the new Charles Darwin bio-pic Creation, starring real-life husband-and-wife Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly as Charles and Emma Darwin.  Creation is based on the nonfiction book Annie’s Box (published in the US as Darwin, His Daughter, and Human Evolution, and reissued in conjunction with the film as Creation) by Darwin descendant Randal Keynes.  Creation is currently in limited release, so check your local art cinema to see if and when it might play in your neighborhood.  For more visit CreationtheMovie.com. Thanks to the many fellow science fans who joined us for the Creation screening at Atlanta’s Landmark Midtown Art Cinema.  And thanks to Royal Orchid Thai Cuisine for accommodating our unexpected horde. Also: David McAllister and Jason Bourque have been arrested in connection with a string of church arsons and burglaries in Texas.  There’s a minor storm of controversy in the media over reports that “books on demons and atheism” were found in Bourque’s home.  East Texas television station KLTV has offered reports from “anonymous sources” who claim that McAllister was troubled by the death of his mother and was looking to “save people from believing” and trying to “dislodge” church institutions.  Clearly, American Freethought condemns arson and vandalism of any kind.  And if it turns out that these young men committed these crimes out of some misguided notion of what atheism is, we condemn that as well. Upcoming events: John and Allison will be attending a rare joint appearance by Christopher Hitchens and Salman Rushdie at Emory University, Friday, February 26th.  If you’re there and you see us, be sure to say hello. John and Allison will also be at the upcoming American Atheists convention in Newark, NJ, April 2-4.  We’ll actually be in the greater NYC are March 31 – April 5, and we welcome suggestions for places to eat, things to do, or stuff to see. Can you spell C-O-N-T-E-S-T? We have a minor trove of nifty things to give away, including a 2009 American Atheists convention program signed by Richard Dawkins, a handful of books by famous critical thinkers, and an American Freethought t-shirt and coffee mug.  To win, simply challenge John C. Snider to a game of “Words With Friends” (the iPhone version of the classic Scrabble).  You’ll need an iPhone, of course; and you’ll need to download Words With Friends (created by game developer Newtoy, Inc.).  John’s user name is “johncsnider.”  The person who beats him by the most points during the month of February wins the tchoch. The Usual Announcements Send us email at contact@americanfreethought.com.  For John Snider only use john@americanfreethoughtcom; for David Driscoll only use david@americanfreethought.com. Leave feedback at AmericanFreethought.com. Join us on Yahoo Groups, Facebook, Atheist Nexus, or Think Atheist. Follow us on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/AmerFreethought. If you pick us up via iTunes, please take a moment to leave feedback. David continues to produce new installments of the Secular Nation Podcast. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded February 24, 2010.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, books, buddhism, commentary, evolution, movies, news, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no yes http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/06/see-creation-with-american-freethought/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/06/see-creation-with-american-freethought/#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:44:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1864 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/06/see-creation-with-american-freethought/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/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/2009/09/26/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/2009/09/19/evolution-lucky-edition/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/19/evolution-lucky-edition/#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:46:18 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1383 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/19/evolution-lucky-edition/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/17/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/2009/09/12/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/2009/08/25/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/2009/08/19/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/2009/02/13/darwin-day-success-in-atlanta/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/13/darwin-day-success-in-atlanta/#comments Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:01:25 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=226 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/13/darwin-day-success-in-atlanta/feed/ 3 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/12/atlanta-darwin-day-enthusiasts-unite/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/12/atlanta-darwin-day-enthusiasts-unite/#comments Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:01:15 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=225 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/02/12/atlanta-darwin-day-enthusiasts-unite/feed/ 0 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/2009/01/21/darwin-darn-it/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/21/darwin-darn-it/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:01:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=202 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/21/darwin-darn-it/feed/ 1 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/02/for-the-san-diego-darwinists-out-there/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/02/for-the-san-diego-darwinists-out-there/#comments Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:01:23 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=185 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/01/02/for-the-san-diego-darwinists-out-there/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/28/american-freethought-podcast-20/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/28/american-freethought-podcast-20/#comments Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:46:57 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=85 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/28/american-freethought-podcast-20/feed/ 1 1:30:13 Barbara Forrest - We talk to Dr. Barbara Forrest about SB 733 [link], the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act, a piece of legislation sitting on the desk of Governor Bobby Jindal that, if signed, would enable teachers and administrators in sta[...] Barbara Forrest - We talk to Dr. Barbara Forrest about SB 733 [link], the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act, a piece of legislation sitting on the desk of Governor Bobby Jindal that, if signed, would enable teachers and administrators in state schools to sneak Creationism/Intelligent Design in under the radar.  Dr. Forrest is a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University, the co-author of Creationism’s Trojan Horse [link], and was one of the star witnesses in the celebrated Kitzmiller v. Dover court case.  She’s also a co-founder of the Louisiana Coalition for Science [lasciencecoalition.org] and active in defending science against religio-political encroachment at the national level. Happy 150th Birthday, Evolution! – In 2009, the thinking world will celebrate Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his Origin of Species [link].  But we’re popping the cork early - a landmark in the history of science occurred on July 1, 1858.  That’s the day that the theory of evolution by natural selection had its first public reading (at London’s famous Linnean Society).  We’ll talk about how Charles Darwin and his associates gave naturalist Alfred Wallace the subtle shaft, ensuring that religious nutjobs in the 21st century would be railing about “Darwinism” instead of “Wallacism”.  (For an excellent analysis of this episode, read Robert Wright’s fantastic book The Moral Animal [link].) Independence Day- Now, here’s a holiday even the grumpiest atheist can get behind.  Everybody knows that on July 4th, 1776, the American Colonists told the Brits where they could shove it.  Sort of.  We’ll look at some of the myths surrounding the birth of America, and revisit that pesky semi-religious language that has the fundies crowing about how this is a Christian Nation. Goodbye, George Carlin- The skeptical world lost one of its funniest and most adamant stars.  Carlin fought for free speech (and even pissed off politically correct left-wingers in the process) during the course of his five-decade career.  He will be missed. Announcements Penn Jillette chimes in on the ongoing Atheist/Agnostic debate [link]. We’ll be at Dragon*Con [dragoncon.org] August 29-September 1 in Atlanta, Georgia, participating in both the Skeptics track and the Podcasting track.  No schedules are finalized yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as they are. Check out episode #10 of the SciFiDimensions Podcast [SciFiDimensions.com/podcast], featuring an interview with Sci-Fi&Fantasy satirist (and freethinker) James Morrow.  His latest book, The Philosopher’s Apprentice [link], is a send-up of everything from human cloning to abortion to global capitalism.  What can I say?  The man swings a wide scythe. And if you like science fiction, you can pre-order the upcoming anthology Aberrant Dreams I: The Awakening (which includes a short story written by American Freethought co-host John C. Snider) from publisher HD-Image [link].  Visit hd-image.com/store. David’s Secular Nation Podcast [AtheistAlliance.org/podcast] will have new episodes soon. Join us for discussion at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link]. Do you shop at Amazon.com?  If so, add [this link] to your browser Favorites (alternatively, you can just click through the Amazon.com link in the right-hand column of the AmericanFreethought.com website.  It won’t cost you a penny more; your purchases remain anonymous; and American Freethought gets a small percentage that will help offset our modest expenses and hopefully keep us out of the poor house. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Recorded 06/28/2008.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. atheism, commentary, evolution, history, humor, interviews, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/10/american-freethought-podcast-11/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/10/american-freethought-podcast-11/#comments Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:15:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/10/american-freethought-podcast-11/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/10/american-freethought-podcast-11/feed/ 1 1:04:46 Darwin Day 2008 – Charles Darwin‘s birthday is February 12, which is as good a day as any to celebrate his achievements and those of science in general.  We talk to evolutionary biologist, philosopher and popular science writer Massimo P[...] Darwin Day 2008 – Charles Darwin‘s birthday is February 12, which is as good a day as any to celebrate his achievements and those of science in general.  We talk to evolutionary biologist, philosopher and popular science writer Massimo Pigliucci of the State University of New York in Stony Brook, the organizer of SUNY’s Darwin Day events, and who organized the University of Tennessee’s first Darwin Day in 1997.  Massimo maintains several web presences, including RationallySpeaking.org, PlatoFootnote.org, and GenotypebyEnvironment.org.  We’ll also feature a special “scientific gospel” song from the California based band The Galapagos Mountain Boys. Massimo’s books include Tales of the Rational, Denying Evolution and (with Jonathan Kaplan) Making Sense of Evolution. If you live in metro Atlanta, you might consider celebrating Darwin Day at Darwin’s, a jazz/blues club in Marietta (“Where Great Music Evolves”).  [PLEASE NOTE: We discovered after the podcast was recorded that Darwin's will NOT be open on Tuesday, February 12th!] Also, the audio problems with show #10 have been corrected.  If you had problems with that episode, you can now reload it and it should be fine.  Our apologies for the glitch. Send us feedback at contact@americanfreethought.com. Join us for chat at the American Freethought Yahoo Group. Theme music by Body Found. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.  Recorded 2/5/2008. atheism, evolution, interviews, music, podcast, religion, science American Freethought no no