Friendly Atheist Podcast

In this solo episode (Jessica will be back next week), Hemant interviewed Dr. Randall Balmer, the author of Bad Faith: Race and the Rise of the Religious Right. Dr. Balmer holds the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College, Dartmouth's oldest endowed professorship. He previously taught as professor of American religious history at Columbia University for twenty-seven years. In his scholarship, Dr. Balmer focuses on Christianity's interrelationships with American politics. We spoke about the real origins of the Religious Right, whether white evangelicals accept their own history, and if Democrats should use churches to their political advantage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Please join our new Discord server! — A mom got ordained online, then signed off on 150+ "religious exemption" forms for students. (1:57) — Pope John Paul I‚Äòs beatification makes no sense to reasonable people. (10:13) — Christian liar David Barton says slaveowners just didn't read their Bible much. (22:40) — Despite the French Catholic Church's sexual abuse problem, its leader doesn't want priests to break the "seal of confession" even if it helps victims. (26:15) — Joel Osteen‚Äòs church is finally paying back some of the PPP money it got last year. (33:30) — The one mom at One Million Moms is very angry with Credit Karma for acknowledging the existence of gay people. (44:21) — Turns out being "vaccinated in Christ" doesn't protect you against COVID. (51:30) — A Florida police chief gave a speech encouraging other cops to convert their colleagues. (55:05) — A Spanish archbishop is very sorry he allowed a risqu√© music video to tape suggestive dancing in a famous cathedral. (58:52) — "Teen Challenge," a Christian rehab center for kids, is far more troubling than we knew. (1:01:23) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Please join our new Discord server! — An Oregon official wants you to trust God, not doctors, with your vaccine decision. (1:55) — Pat Robertson has retired and there's at least one reason to be sad about it. And here's Jessica's excellent cross-stitch with one of Robertson's infamous quotations. (9:58) — Facebook did not go down because of Mercury Gatorade or whatever astrologers believe. (20:48) — A new Christian makeup store doesn't make any sense. (29:25) — Christian creepster Logan Dorn still hasn't apologized‚Ķ but he rapped about cancel culture. (35:11) — France's Catholic Church is a hotbed of abuse, according to a massive new report. (38:09) — Christmas has been canceled already. Or so Republicans say. (46:59) — A survey finds that about 40% of Black atheists hide their religious views from their families, more than any other group. (51:00) — Brazil's top court has upheld a ban on missionaries trying to invade Indigenous tribes. (55:13) — Several former members of Young Life ministries say they were victims of sexual abuse. (1:00:38) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Please join our new Discord server! — This sexist sermon from 2014 didn't age well, and the pastor is trying to make sure no one can see it. (3:15) — No role-playing in the bedroom, says preacher John Piper. (16:40) — Two pastors traded advice on how to spank their kids. (23:09) — Should New York Gov. Kathy Hochul have delivered a very Christian pro-vaccine message? (32:32) — Steven Pinker wrote the worst sentence ever. (39:07) — A Christian school board candidate defended cheating by citing the Bible. (43:07) — The Supreme Court will soon hear a case involving a Christian flag flying in Boston. (52:07) — North Carolina's Lt. Governor Mark Robinson is trashing atheists, church/state separation, and trans people. (1:03:39) — A Texas lawmaker wants to make the Bible the official state book. (1:08:45) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Please join our new Discord server! — Creationist Kent Hovind will spend a month in jail for domestic violence. (1:50) — Christian apologist Josh McDowell made racist comments at a conference, and he's now stepping back from his ministry. (9:40) — Is it really sticking it to Chick-fil-A if you get a sandwich from them on a Sunday? (34:55) — The Transformed Wife, Lori Alexander, wants you to know that love isn't a prerequisite for marriage. (40:32) — Benet Academy in Illinois hired, fired, then rehired a lesbian lacrosse coach. And here's a link to Jessica's interview with comedian and Benet grad Cameron Esposito. (46:24) — Can a middle school principal be fired for what he says in the pulpit as a pastor? (59:30) — MAGA cultist Pastor Robert Jeffress admitted there's no "credible religious argument" against COVID vaccines. (1:08:12) — An Italian priest was arrested for stealing Church cash for a drug-fueled gay orgy. (1:10:19) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Please join our new Discord server! — This anti-gay Wisconsin lawmaker has no idea who Harvey Milk was. (1:06) — Pastor Greg Locke was banned from Twitter. (7:57) — 90% of atheists have been vaccinated, but only 57% of white evangelicals. (17:25) — Pastafarians can now get a religious exemption to avoid unvaccinated co-workers. (22:10) — This is a brilliant way to make sure people asking for "religious exemptions" to the COVID vaccine aren't hypocrites. (24:00) — This New York Times anti-abortion guest essay is disturbing and irresponsible. (30:15) — The Catholic teacher who allegedly attacked a student, then got beaten up by a mother, won't face charges. (52:10) — The Christian lawmaker who kicked a student in the balls will avoid jail time. (55:09) — The school board member who opposed a sensible quarantine was charged with leaving her grandkids in the car during a meeting. (1:00:57) — Bob Enyart, a Christian radio host who mocked gay people and spread COVID misinformation, died of you-know-what. (1:06:03) — A Missouri parent claimed a pride flag in a classroom would teach their child to be gay. (1:09:10) — An unregistered sex offender was arrested after preaching at a church event. (1:14:16) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Please join our new Discord server! — Christian misogynist Logan Dorn condemned women at the beach for wearing swimsuits he didn't like. (1:10) — A Spanish bishop quit the Church after falling in love with a writer of Satanic erotica. (22:55) — A Christian lawmaker who sponsored Christian Nationalist legislation just got charged with financial fraud. (31:15) — An Oklahoma teen was kicked out of their adoptive family after seven years for being LGBTQ. (40:09) — A mom was charged with assaulting a Catholic school teacher‚Ķ but you might take her side. (44:30) — A lawsuit says a Christian youth pastor abused a girl, then claimed she "led him on." (51:00) — Evangelist Franklin Graham says people aren't taking low-paying jobs because they're lazy. (55:50) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Please join our new Discord server! — A Christian media group fired an employee for urging people to get vaccinated. (3:27) — A famous homophobe from over a decade ago is now a vocal anti-masker. (16:52) — Mississippi's governor said he's not worried about COVID because he believes in "eternal life." (26:43) — A South Carolina school board member says COVID shouldn't matter when it comes to classes because God decides who dies. (30:58) — Donald Trump is shocked that all Catholics didn't vote for him last year. (43:20) — The Satanic Temple says the FDA should give them access to abortion pills for their religious rituals. (53:04) — Liberty University's anti-science beliefs are catching up to them with COVID. (58:43) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Come to our in-person meetup in Chicago on August 28! — The new president of the chaplains at Harvard is an atheist. (4:07) — A Mormon apostle chastised Brigham Young University for not being sufficiently anti-gay. (10:49) — A "Catholic" anti-vaxxer said he didn't care what Pope Francis said about the shots because "You have to be Catholic to be pope." (20:42) — When it comes to morality you can measure, atheists do better on just about every mark. (28:00) — There's been a rise in the acceptance of evolution in America. It's still very low, though. (33:57) — Christian mommy-shamer Lori Alexander says mothers should work from home or else their kids will have sex. Who wants to tell her‚Ķ? (42:53) — In Sydney, police fined churchgoers and their church for violating COVID lockdown orders. (47:10) — Most atheists believe in intelligent life on other planets. (51:24) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Come to our in-person meetup in Chicago on August 28! — The Department of Education plans to rescind Trump-era regulations promoting faith-based discrimination at college. (3:11) — The Spanish Inquisition still affects Spain today, say researchers. (11:50) — An anti-vaxxer Catholic cardinal is in the hospital due to COVID. (20:52) — A Disney Channel actress cited the Bible in a deranged anti-mask rant in front of her TN school board. (29:36) — How much criticism does former Purity Culture advocate Joshua Harris deserve for offering a course to help people who feel shame about sex? (36:29) — Ayaan Hirsi Ali is very mad that you care about trans pronouns. (1:04:05) — A former Kansas lawmaker is joining the staff of American Atheists. (1:14:59) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.