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/2011/06/24/podcast-125-sex-and-secularism/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/24/podcast-125-sex-and-secularism/#comments Sat, 25 Jun 2011 01:03:27 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2889 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2011/06/24/podcast-125-sex-and-secularism/feed/ 0 1:00:35 We interview researchers Dr. Darrel Ray and Amanda Brown about “Sex and Secularism,” their recently released survey of the sex lives of thousands of non-theists. Some of the answers may surprise you.  To download the survey visit IPCPres[...] We interview researchers Dr. Darrel Ray and Amanda Brown about “Sex and Secularism,” their recently released survey of the sex lives of thousands of non-theists. Some of the answers may surprise you.  To download the survey visit IPCPress.com. Also, be sure to visit AtheismResource.com, cofounded by Amanda and her husband, a site “designed to give easy access to loads of information on the subject of atheism from a historical, cultural, political, psychological, sociological, and scientific perspective.”  Darrel Ray is the author of The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture and Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality, due out this fall. Miss USA is a “huge science geek.”  Miss California Alyssa Campanella was crowned amid some controversy: among the questions asked of this year’s contestants was “Should evolution be taught in the schools?” The montage at the top of the show features the answers of Miss Alabama, Miss Alaska, Miss Arizona, Miss Arkansas and Miss California. Those with strong constitutions can listen to the entire 15-minute clip with the answers from all 51 contestants. Skepticamp Atlanta 2011 was a great success! The presentations were great overall, with two exceptions (one for a series of tragically comic technical glitches, and another for being, well, not rigorously skeptical).  And John’s Trivia Challenge was well-received. The winner was none other than Steve DeGroof, creator of Tree Lobsters. 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, interviews, religion, science American Freethought no yes 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/2010/09/01/man-obsessed-with-overpopulation-terrorizes-discovery-channel/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/man-obsessed-with-overpopulation-terrorizes-discovery-channel/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:33:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=2217 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/09/01/man-obsessed-with-overpopulation-terrorizes-discovery-channel/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/06/10/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/2010/03/07/homeschooled-evangelical/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/07/homeschooled-evangelical/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:38:04 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1894 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/03/07/homeschooled-evangelical/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2010/02/26/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/2009/10/24/the-tangled-bank/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/24/the-tangled-bank/#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:40:43 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1617 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/10/24/the-tangled-bank/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/2009/09/08/bob-wright-on-the-behe-brouhaha-mea-culpa/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/08/bob-wright-on-the-behe-brouhaha-mea-culpa/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:39:14 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1333 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/09/08/bob-wright-on-the-behe-brouhaha-mea-culpa/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/the-behe-brouhaha-at-bloggingheads-tv/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/the-behe-brouhaha-at-bloggingheads-tv/#comments Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:27:37 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1308 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/31/the-behe-brouhaha-at-bloggingheads-tv/feed/ 2 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/2009/08/04/intelligence-without-design-a-third-way/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/04/intelligence-without-design-a-third-way/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:43:36 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=1142 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/08/04/intelligence-without-design-a-third-way/feed/ 2 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/2009/03/12/podcast-46-supreme-court-on-summum/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/podcast-46-supreme-court-on-summum/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 05:01:35 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=358 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2009/03/12/podcast-46-supreme-court-on-summum/feed/ 5 0:49:15 We analyze three recent developments nationwide that affect the integrity of church-state separation: an Oklahoma legislator condemns evolution; an Arkansas legislator seeks to end discrimination against atheists in his state constitution; and the S[...] We analyze three recent developments nationwide that affect the integrity of church-state separation: an Oklahoma legislator condemns evolution; an Arkansas legislator seeks to end discrimination against atheists in his state constitution; and the Supreme Court rules against an obscure New Age sect called the Summum. Oklahoma legislator Todd Thomsen (member of the House Education Committee and chairman of the House Higher Education and Career Tech Committee!) filed a House Resolution 1014, condemning his state’s university system for teaching–gasp!–the “doctrinal dogmaticism” of evolution and for daring to invite that rapscallion Richard Dawkins to speak.  This resolution has not (thus far) been acted on by the legislature; in fact, in provided humorous fodder for Dawkins during his scheduled appearance on March 6th–view the YouTube video of it here. Newly elected Arkansas legislator Richard Carroll has filed House Joint Resolution 1009, aimed at REMOVING discrimination against atheists from his state’s constitution.  Article 19 Section 1 of the Arkansas constitution says “No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this state, nor be competent to testify as a witness in a court.”  This provision has already effectively been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Torcaso v. Watkins (which struck down a similar provision in the Maryland constitution); a warning shot fired by the US 8th Circuit Court of Appeals via a footnote in Flora v. White.  This is a much-need bit of housecleaning that even Rep. Carroll admits probably won’t even make it to a floor vote.  Check out this YouTube video posted by the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers. Allison is back!  Our resident attorney explains the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Pleasant Grove (Utah) vs. Summum.  The Court concluded that government entities are not obligated to accept any old religious monument offered as a gift from a private organization.  How does this affect the thousands of Ten Commandment monuments that pepper the American landscape? Also mentioned in the podcast: Becket, the Academy Award winning 1964 film starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole.  It tells the story of Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury assassinated by the knights of Henry II in 1170.  It’s a thought-provoking look at the historical struggle between church and state. 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 is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Theme music by Body Found. Recorded March 8, 2009.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. evolution, news, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no 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/2008/10/26/atlanta-science-tavern-hears-e-o-wilson/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/26/atlanta-science-tavern-hears-e-o-wilson/#comments Sun, 26 Oct 2008 16:51:40 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=144 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/26/atlanta-science-tavern-hears-e-o-wilson/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/24/podcast-31-eugenie-scott/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/24/podcast-31-eugenie-scott/#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:05:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=143 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/10/24/podcast-31-eugenie-scott/feed/ 1 0:51:00 We talk to Dr. Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) about the recent action by the Texas Board of Education [www.tea.state.tx.us/sboe] that places three creationists on the six-member committee that r[...] We talk to Dr. Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) about the recent action by the Texas Board of Education [www.tea.state.tx.us/sboe] that places three creationists on the six-member committee that reviews science standards [link].  How damaging could this move be to the rest of the country? For more about NCSE visit NCSEweb.org – consider becoming a member, since the NCSE operates part on membership dues. Also visit the Texas Freedom Network at TFN.org, one of the major pro-science groups within the state. Announcements A reminder that we post new material (news, commentary, links of interest) every day at AmericanFreethought.com. If you’d like to talk about anything you’ve heard on our podcast (or anything related to freethought in general) join us at the American Freethought Yahoo Group [link]. If you pick us up via iTunes please take a moment to leave feedback on our iTunes page. David is podcasting new episodes of Secular Nation.  AtheistAlliance.org/podcast. Interested in science fiction?  Then check out John’s SciFiDimensions Podcast.  SciFiDimensions.com. Send feedback to contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Recorded October 23, 2008.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. christianity, evolution, interviews, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/29/louisianas-jindal-signs-stealth-creationism-bill/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/29/louisianas-jindal-signs-stealth-creationism-bill/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:11:20 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=86 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/06/29/louisianas-jindal-signs-stealth-creationism-bill/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/2008/04/21/american-freethought-podcast-16/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/21/american-freethought-podcast-16/#comments Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:50:39 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/?p=78 Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/04/21/american-freethought-podcast-16/feed/ 5 0:52:58 Expelled – We discuss Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, the new crock-umentary starring Ben Stein.  For a thorough critique of Expelled, visit Expelled Exposed. Also mentioned in the podcast: A follow-up regarding our report of the Creation M[...] Expelled – We discuss Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, the new crock-umentary starring Ben Stein.  For a thorough critique of Expelled, visit Expelled Exposed. Also mentioned in the podcast: A follow-up regarding our report of the Creation Museum, including info on The Unicorn Museum and the YouTube sensation Charlie the Unicorn Goes to Candy Mountain.  As penance for blowing $20 at the Creation Museum, John Snider has sent $40 to Science Debate 2008. More on stem-cell research – find out what US and state policies are at hinxtongroup.org. The Atlanta Freethought Society is now holding meetings in their new un-church facility!  Donate to the cause by visiting AtlantaFreethought.org. Visit us online at www.AmericanFreethought.com. Email us at contact@americanfreethought.com – attach voicemail in mp3 or wav format. Join us for chat at the American Freethought Yahoo Group. Theme music by Body Found. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.  Recorded 4/20/2008. atheism, commentary, evolution, history, movies, 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 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/03/freedom-evolves/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/03/freedom-evolves/#comments Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:09:28 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/03/freedom-evolves/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2008/02/03/freedom-evolves/feed/ 0 http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2007/12/02/american-freethought-podcast-2/ http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2007/12/02/american-freethought-podcast-2/#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2007 03:50:07 +0000 John C. Snider http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2007/12/02/american-freethought-podcast-2/ Continue reading →]]> http://www.americanfreethought.com/wordpress/2007/12/02/american-freethought-podcast-2/feed/ 3 0:51:47 Recorded 12/01/2007.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. Show Notes: Flock of Dodos – We discuss the independent documentary film Flock of Dodos, which explores the tactics used by both sides of the Intelligent Design/Evolution debat[...] Recorded 12/01/2007.  Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll. Show Notes: Flock of Dodos – We discuss the independent documentary film Flock of Dodos, which explores the tactics used by both sides of the Intelligent Design/Evolution debate.  Read our review here.  Look for the film on Showtime and at film festivals, or purchase the DVD.  Visit the official website at www.flockofdodos.com. Randy Olson – Interview with the writer/director of Flock of Dodos.  Randy is a former evolutionary ecologist who left a tenured position in academia to become a fulltime filmmaker. Judgment Day - We also discuss the two-hour PBS documentary from NOVA – Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial, which delves into the recent court case Kitzmiller vs. Dover, PA.   The DVD is already available for advance purchase. Feedback – Email your comments to contact@americanfreethought.com and we might read ‘em on the air (attach “voicemails” in mp3 or wav format). Discuss – We’ve set up a message board at Yahoo Groups. Theme music by Body Found. atheism, commentary, evolution, interviews, movies, podcast, politics, religion, science American Freethought no no