Freethought Radio

Find out why Alabama Governor Kay Ivey and Texas Senator Ted Cruz are dissing the Freedom From Religion Foundation. After hearing Dan Barker's song "The Battle of Church and State," we talk with the distinguished scholar Steven K. Green about his book Separating Church and State: A History.

We report four state-church victories this week: Minnesota, Oklahoma and two in California. We also report on the advocacy group FFRF Action Fund, working to keep religion out of politics and law. Then we speak with Robert P. Jones, president and founder of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) about his powerful new book The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy: and the Path to a Shared American Future.

We protest coaches forcing prayer and baptism on students, a public library system closing on the sabbath to "honor God" and judges who inject bible verses into their decisions. Courageous freethinking high-school student Will Larkins tells us how he is protesting Florida's "Don't Say Gay" law. Then we honor Margaret Sanger by hearing Dan Barker's song "No Gods, No Masters."

We expose the hypocrisy of praying football coach Joe Kennedy and complain about religious incursions into the public schools. After remembering the life of "Lone Star Freethinker" Catherine Fahringer (1922–2008), we talk with R. Scott Okamoto, author of Asian American Apostate: Losing Religion and Finding Myself at an Evangelical University.

We protest bibles and prayers in public schools and "In God We Trust" on public buildings. Freethought Radio co-host Annie Laurie Gaylor wraps up her series on "The Cult of Fetus Worship." Then we commemorate the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Indian rationalist Narendra Dabholkar by speaking with his brave successor Avinash Patil, president of the Maharashtra Association for the Eradication of Superstition.

"It's Too Darn Hot!" And evangelicals are making global warming worse. After reporting state/church news in Indiana, South Carolina, Colorado, Ohio and Florida, Freethought Radio co-host Annie Laurie Gaylor reads more of her blog: "Let's Abort the Cult of Fetus Worship." Then we speak with Berkeley history Professor David A. Hollinger about his book Christianity's American Fate: How Religion Became More Conservative and Society More Secular.

After reporting on state/church complaints and victories in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Indiana and California, Annie Laurie asks, "Is there a cult of fetus worship?" Then we speak with Stanford Professor Lerone A. Martin about his illuminating new book, The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism.

We announce a new lawsuit attempting to stop public money from repairing churches in New Jersey. We celebrate the birthdate of the "Great Agnostic" orator and author Robert G. Ingersoll by hearing his "Love" recitation set to music. Then we speak with University of Aberdeen professor Isabella Kasselstrand about her new book Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society.

We announce a new lawsuit to stop Oklahoma officials from creating the nation's first religious public charter school. After hearing Rupert Brooke's poem "Heaven" (from the point of view of a fish) set to music by Dan Barker, Annie Laurie questions why so many Americans still believe in angels. Then British author Sarah Bakewell tells us about her new book Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope.

FFRF attorney Chris Line explains why many evangelicals are boycotting the "Barbie" movie. Colorado activist Rob Rogers tells us how he is protesting book banning by insisting that the bible should also be banned. Then we remember freethinking author and editor James A. Haught, from West Virginia, who died this week at age 91.

FFRF litigation attorney Sam Grover tells us about his trip to Little Rock to do oral arguments in FFRF's federal lawsuit challenging the placement of a Ten Commandments monument at the Arkansas capitol. Then we interview the well-known skeptic Michael Shermer about his book Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational.

Atheists have bragging rights when it comes to LGBTQ-plus matters. We talk about state/church issues in Utah, Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Carolina and Canada. After hearing the 1954 Woody Guthrie song "Ballad of Old Man Trump," Professor and author Hector Garcia tells us about "Apes, Gods and Reproductive Health Policy."

We tell Trump that atheists are not arsonists. After hearing Henry Fonda defend freethought and academic liberty in 1942, we listen to George M. Cohan's freethinking 1904 song "Life's a Very Funny Proposition After All." Then FFRF Associate Counsel Liz Cavell and FFRF Legal Director Rebecca Markert describe two recent bad Supreme Court decisions, Groff v. DeJoy and 303 Creative v. Elenis.

We complain about religion and government mixing in Texas, Colorado, New York, Florida and Oklahoma. Freethought Radio co-host Annie Laurie Gaylor tells Southern Baptist women: "Please stay home next Sunday." After hearing lyricist Sheldon Harnick (who died last week) sing his cautionary song "Merry Little Minuet," we speak with The Progressive journalist Jeff Abbott about how right-wing evangelicalism and narco-trafficking are affecting policy and politics in Latin America.

We report state/church victories and complaints in Texas, Alabama, Utah, California and Wisconsin, and we chastise Sen. Josh Hawley for his erroneous and tone-deaf Juneteenth comments about Christianity and slavery. Then we speak with Catholic journalist Mary Jo McConahay about her new book, Playing God: American Catholic Bishops and the Far Right.

Students complain about graduating in a church. We talk about women pastors, Catholic charter schools, Ten Commandments and prayer in public schools, child marriage and book banning. We talk with Sheryl Monk, a brave South Carolinian who is complaining about the "Lord's Prayer" at school board meetings. Then we interview Jon Ward, chief correspondent for Yahoo! News, about his new book Testimony: Inside the Evangelical Movement that Failed a Generation.

Oklahoma Catholic charter school complaint; bibles banned in Utah schools; state/church complaints in Arizona and Georgia schools. After noting the death of televangelist Pat Robertson, we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the June 1963 Abington v. Schempp Supreme Court decision that removed bible reading and the Lord's Prayer from public schools by speaking with octogenarian Ellery Schempp, the courageous high-school student who initiated the complaint.

Americans are losing confidence in God’s existence; Tulsa massacre anniversary; exoneration of ‘witches'; Uganda’s anti-gay law; state/church complaints in Arkansas and Michigan. We hear Roy Zimmerman's hilarious "Wedding of Church and State" song and Shelley Segal's moving "Apocalyptic Love Song." Then 11-yr-old Elle Harris describes her book Elle The Humanist.

The good, the bad, and the ugly: Texas Ten Commandments bill fails; anti-abortion laws proliferate; Illinois reports widespread clergy sex abuse; proselytizing school bus driver; legislative prayer; graduations in churches. After we hear Dan Barker's song "The Freethinker Blues," FFRF's Director of Communications Amit Pal joins us to interview Professor Irfan Nooruddin, co-author of The Everyday Crusade: Christian Nationalism in American Politics.

We talk about abortion, book banning and the X-rated bible. We also talk with "God." After hearing the song "The Trinity" (words by Robert Ingersoll), we speak with investigative journalist Christine Kenneally about her chilling new book Ghosts of the Orphanage: A Story of Mysterious Deaths, a Conspiracy of Silence, and a Search for Justice.