American Freethought Podcast

Original release June 14, 2013. Encore release October 5, 2018. Encore release June 28, 2017. After a local politician in Manchester, Tennessee posted an anti-Muslim image online, the American Muslim Advisory Council organized a public event aimed at encouraging discussion of religion diversity and informing citizens about the difference between free speech and hate crimes. The locals were less than receptive, booing, heckling and shouting down the speakers. A high school valedictorian in Pickens County, South Carolina ripped up his pre-approved speech and instead recited the Lord's Prayer--all in protest of school policy prohibiting sectarian prayers at school events. The House of Representatives are appalled at the idea of allowing Humanists, Ethical Culturalists, and members of similar nonreligious groups to be chaplains in the US military. Never mind that there are plenty of soldiers who share those views and who deserve counseling from someone who shares their worldview. There's a slow trickle of 

Original release May 29, 2013. Encore release October 4, 2018. Encore release June 27, 2017. A pair of homegrown terrorists murder a British soldier in broad daylight in Woolwich, UK. They say they're motivated by the teachings of Islam, and some refuse to condemn the act.  But other Muslims say it has nothing to do with Islam. They can't both be right. Arizona state legislator Juan Mendez delivers a secular humanist invocation, quoting Carl Sagan and appealing to our shared humanity. This didn't set well with fellow lawmaker Steve Smith, who complained that it wasn't a proper prayer. Boy Scouts of America have decided to allow gay scouts, but not gay scout leaders. It's a half-measure, but it is a step in the right direction. Now if they'd only allow atheist scouts... CNN gaffe wizard Wolf Blitzer visits the post-tornado wreckage of Moore, Oklahoma and makes the mistake of asking survivor Rebecca Vitsmun if she "thanks the Lord." She doesn't. She's an atheist. Now the American Humanist Association has

Original release May 18, 2013. Encore release October 3, 2018. Encore release June 26, 2017. There's trouble in Lumpkin County, with a capital T that rhymes with P and that stands for Prayer! At least fifty students and four teachers at Lumpkin County High School (north of Atlanta) ditched class for SIX HOURS to participate in an impromptu prayer rally that started when one student questioning his faith sought counseling from the weight coach. No one will be disciplined over this incident, and many in the community are outspoken in their support of the students and what they see as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. For more info watch this and this. Also: A report from the recent protest of the National Day of Prayer rally in Roswell, GA. And an ad on Craigslist for a godless yard sale has tongues wagging. Finally, another Baseball Bat of Doubt!

Original release May 2, 2013. Encore release October 2, 2018. Encore release June 25, 2017. We interview Susan Gerbic, coordinator of Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia, an international team of writers and editors whose goal is to ensure that skeptical topics on Wikipedia are fair, accurate, and have the level of detail they deserve. Those interested in participating should befriend Susan on Facebook. Plus: Herbert and Catherine Schaible have been on probation for the last two years for relying on prayer rather than medical care, resulting in the death of their young son from pneumonia in 2009. Now they're back in court after another son--this one an 8-month-old--died in agony from diarrhea. At home. While his parents prayed. Amazingly, the worst these callous nutjobs could get is 10 years in prison. In sports-related news, basketball pro Jason Collins becomes the first active player in the four major American sports leagues to come out of the closet. Most applaud his historic action, but a few have vo

Original release April 9, 2013. Encore release October 1, 2018. Encore release June 24, 2017. We interview Dr. Frans de Waal, world-renowned primatologist and author of The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism among the Primates (available in hardcover and for Kindle). In this new book, he looks at the pre-human basis for morality, how human beings do not hold a monopoly on morals, and takes the "New Atheists" to task for being "insulting" to religious folk. For more about Dr. de Waal, visit the Living Links website. Plus: A North Carolina legislator has proposed a resolution stating that the First Amendment applies only to the US Congress and rejects any federal court ruling that insists otherwise. Theoretically the state would be claiming the power to pass a law declaring an official state religion. What year is this? An appeals court has tossed out American Atheists' lawsuit to prevent the National September 11 Memorial and Museum from displaying a piece of rubble from the WTC that resemble

Original release March 27, 2013. Encore release September 30, 2018. Encore release June 23, 2017. We interview Dr. Volkan Topalli, co-author (with Dr. Thomas Brezina and Mindy Bernhardt) of the new research paper "With God on my side: The paradoxical relationship between religious belief and criminality among hardcore street offenders," just published in the February 2013 issue of the journal Theoretical Criminology. Volkan, an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Georgia State University, isn't just some tweed-wearing ivory tower intellectual--he's a dedicated researcher who visits some of the most crime-ridden neighborhoods in cities like Atlanta, New Orleans and Saint Louis, interviewing career drug-dealers and car-jackers to find out what makes them tick. For a detailed account of the gritty work this guy does, check out this profile from Creative Loafing. Plus: As the Supreme Court tackles gay marriage, we look at two interesting developments in the struggle for LGBTQ rights.

Original release March 14, 2013. Encore release September 29, 2018. Encore release June 22, 2017. We interview Chip Walter, author of Last Ape Standing: The Seven Million Year Story of How and Why We Survived, an excellent new summation of the best current understanding of human evolution. It's available in hardcover and for Kindle. For more about Chip and his work, visit ChipWalter.com and AllThingsHuman.net. Plus: Oddsmakers are taking bets on who the new Pope will be (although after we recorded this the Cardinals inconveniently chose Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who has taken the name Pope Francis). A Christian school in California fired a pregnant woman for breaking the school code by fornicating--then offered the job to her fiance (the man who got her pregnant)! Muslim rioters in Pakistan burned 100 homes over rumors that a Christian garbageman made disparaging remarks about the Prophet Mohammed. Luckily, President Asif Zardari is "asking religious leaders for suggestions on how to prevent misuse of th

Original release March 2, 2013. Encore release September 28, 2018. Encore release June 21, 2017. We interview Troy Boyle, president of the new National Atheist Party. For more about the NAP visit USANAP.org. Plus: Pat Robertson is at it again. This time he's warning against the dangers of possessed pre-owned sweaters. And finally, check out the new hardcover edition of the Skeptic's Annotated Bible. It's a bug-crushing 1,632 pages, containing the full King James Bible with detailed skeptical commentary from author Steve Wells.  As always, the SAB is available online at SkepticsAnnotatedBible.com. And a reminder:  Derek Colanduno of Skepticality, Blake Smith of Monster Talk, and John Snider of American Freethought will do a special presentation for the Atlanta Skeptics. It’s a fundraiser for the upcoming Atlanta Skepticamp. For more info visit meetup.com/atlantaskeptics.

Original release February 21, 2013. Encore release September 27, 2018. Encore release June 20, 2017. We interview Dan Riley, author of Generation Atheist, which profiles the experiences of 25 young up-and-comers in the  atheist community. It's available in paperback or for Kindle). For more information visit GenerationAtheistBook.com. Meanwhile...Russia gets smacked by a meteor, and the Pope announces he's retiring. The Pope! Retiring! And a reminder:  On March 16th, Derek Colanduno of Skepticality, Blake Smith of Monster Talk, and John Snider of American Freethought will do a special presentation for the Atlanta Skeptics. It’s a fundraiser for the upcoming Atlanta Skepticamp. For more info visit meetup.com/atlantaskeptics.  

Original release February 5, 2013. Encore release September 26, 2018. Encore release June 19, 2017. We interview Seth Andrews, host of The Thinking Atheist podcast and author of the new memoir Deconverted: A Journey from Religion to Reason (available in paperback or for Kindle). Plus: Boy Scouts of America might go gay, and a Catholic hospital wins a lawsuit by arguing that a fetus is not a person. Announcements: John Snider will join Derek Colanduno of the Skepticality podcast and Blake Smith of the Monster Talk podcast for a special three-in-one "live" podcast discussion for the Atlanta Skeptics.  This is also the fundraiser for the upcoming Atlanta Skepticamp, so your participation is triply welcome. Mark your calendars for March 16th.

Original release January 28, 2013. Encore release September 25, 2018. Encore release June 18, 2017. We interview Carlos Diaz, the new president of Atheist Alliance International. Carlos talks about the latest developments with AAI, including the Atheist Census initiative. Plus: President Obama picks a more liberal minister to deliver the benediction at his second inaugural. Distant Early Warning: John Snider will join Derek Colanduno of the Skepticalitypodcast and Blake Smith of the Monster Talk podcast for a special three-in-one "live" podcast discussion for the Atlanta Skeptics.  This is also the fundraiser for the upcoming Atlanta Skepticamp, so your participation is triply welcome. Mark your calendars for March 16th. Bonus: At the end of the show we include the song "The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" by Scotsman Rossco Galloway. He's just moved to Sweden from Edinburgh, but you can check out his music at ReverbNation.com/RosscoGalloway.  

Original release January 8, 2013. Encore release September 24, 2018. Encore release June 17, 2017. We interview Susan Jacoby, journalist and outspoken nonbeliever, about her new book The Great Agnostic: Robert Ingersoll and American Freethought. Susan is also the author of (among other titles) Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism and The Age of American Unreason. The Great Agnostic is available in hardcover and forKindle. Also, be sure to read Susan's recent essay in the New York Times, "The Blessings of Atheism." For more about Susan and her work visit SusanJacoby.com. Plus: John recommends the book Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State and the Birth of Liberty by John M. Barry. On a non-freethought note, John also recommends the 1954 proto-Indiana-Jones adventure flick Secret of the Incas, starring Charlton Heston, and featuring the "Peruvian Songbird" Yma Sumac (for ultimately kitschy goodness, check out Sumac's album Mambo).

Original release December 19, 2012. Encore release September 23, 2018. Encore release June 16, 2017. We interview Ed and Michael Buckner, authors of the new book In Freedom We Trust: An Atheist Guide to Religious Liberty (paperback or Kindle). Plus: We look at the shameful response by some religious conservatives to the mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

Original release December 5, 2012. Encore release September 22, 2018. Encore release June 15, 2017 We look at the mostly overhyped controversies surrounding the holiday season: a Loudoun County (VA) politician calls atheists "terrorists" and "fanatics," while Bloviatin' Bill O'Reilly calls us "fascists." Plus: The American Family Association has issued a "Scrooge Alert," urging the faithful not go give their holiday business to companies that "refuse" to mention "Christmas" in their advertising. (Jesus may be the reason for the season, but if you don't link his birthday to the consumerist orgy that is modern Christmas, shame on you.) Finally, we off our suggestions for holiday gifts for nonbelievers. A reminder, you can shop at Amazon.com via American Freethought using this link and a small percentage of the purchase price will benefit this podcast.

Original release November 19, 2012. Encore release September 21, 2018. Encore release June 14, 2017. We interview entertainer and skeptic Penn Jillette, author of the new collection of essays and anecdotes Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday (hardcover or Kindle). He also has a new podcast called Penn's Sunday School. For more about Penn (and longtime partner Teller) visit PennandTeller.com. Plus: We celebrate the 5th anniversary of this podcast!

Original release November 12, 2012. Encore release September 20, 2018. Encore release June 13, 2017. We look at selected results of the 2012 election cycle. Overall, a good year for secular voters! Recorded November 11, 2012. Hosted by John C. Snider and David Driscoll.

Original release October 28, 2012. Encore release September 19, 2018. Encore release June 12, 2017. Author, filmmaker, Christian apologist, debater and all-around moralist Dinesh D'Souza has been forced to resign his post as president of The King's College after getting caught sharing a room with his "fiancee" at a Christian conference. Nevermind D'Souza was already married and tried to lie his way out of it. Nevermind he is fond of saying that atheists are atheists 'cause they want their sexual freedom. O deliciousness and deliciosity! Meanwhile...yet another Republican political candidate has opened his mouth and removed all doubt as to his ignorance. This time it's Richard Mourdock, who says rape and rape-induced pregnancies are all just as God intended.

Original release October 13, 2012. Encore release September 18, 2018. Encore release June 11, 2017. Georgia Congressman Paul Broun condemns evolution, embryology and the Big Bang Theory as "lies straight from the pit of hell." Arkansas legislator Charlie Fuqua advocates court-supported execution of rebellious children, just like in the Bible. A New York man claims evil spirits told him to kill a co-worker, and he wants his witch doctor (or rather, "spiritual advisor") to testify in his defense. A handwritten letter in which Albert Einstein poo-poos God and religion is set to fetch upwards of $3 million on eBay. Finally, a new Pew Research poll shows Americans who claim no particular religious belief is at an all-time high. Good news?

Original release September 26, 2012. Encore release September 17, 2018. Encore release Jun 10, 2017. We interview Ryan T. Cragun, coauthor (with Rick Phillips) of Could I Vote for a Mormon for President? An Election-Year Guide to Mitt Romney's Religion (available in paperback or for Kindle). We also spoke to Ryan in Podcast 153 "Subsidizing Religion." For more about Ryan visit ryantcragun.com.

Original release September 18, 2012. Encore release September 16, 2018. Encore release Jun 9, 2017. We interview Teresa MacBain, former Methodist minister, now Public Relations director for American Atheists.  Plus: American Atheists president Dave Silverman has a special announcement regarding the upcoming 50th anniversary convention in Austin, Texas.