Freethought Radio

The first segment of the show involves a candid post-mortem by the co-hosts of what it was like to be taxpayer plaintiffs in a lawsuit heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this week! The pair give the inside scoop, discuss the astronomical growth of FFRF in the past week, and summarize media coverage, including an audio of last week's CBS Evening News coverage of FFRF and Hein v. FFRF. Interviewed is Dr. Bruce Flamm, whose expose of a fraudulent prayer study made international headlines. The show ends with something new--the poet Philip Appleman reading one of his newest poems over the air! As always, there is lively incidental music by Dan Barker, including the chorus from "Nothing Fails Like Prayer." The show is co-hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who direct the Freedom From Religion Foundation. (MP3, 50 min, 22.5 MB)

The phenomenon of "faith-based" national parks is the main topic of this week's Freethought Radio. The hosts interview attorney Jeffrey Ruch, whose group, PEER, is leading the protest against the sale of creationist books at the Grand Canyons. Plan to enjoy an insider look at what the Religious Right is saying about the Freedom From Religion Foundation and its upcoming appearance before the U.S. Supreme Court regarding the faith-based initiatives. Freethought Radio also contrasts Mormon candidate Mitt Romney with Catholic candidate John F. Kennedy, and plays a funny passage from the Stephen Colbert show. Freethought Radio is co-hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who direct the Foundation. Next week, Dan and Annie Laurie will be back from oral arguments in Washington, D.C., in their lawsuit so tune in for the scoop on what that was like on March 2! (MP3, 51 min, 23 MB)

Freethought Radio moves to an afternoon slot, 1-2 p.m. every Saturday. Tune in to hear attorney Pamela Sumners, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice in Missouri, talk about threats to the judiciary, and her experiences litigating state/church violations in Alabama. The show also includes a "Theocracy Alert," a "Freethinkers Almanac," and a timely encore of Philip Appleman's new song, "Intelligent? Design?" The weekly radio broadcast is cohosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who jointly direct the Freedom From Religion Foundation. (MP3, 50 min, 22.6 MB)

Freethought Radio moves to an afternoon slot, 1-2 p.m. every Saturday. The show's guest is a 16-year-old state/church student activist, Matthew LaClair. Matthew has made the national news for protesting his history teacher's proselytizing remarks in an ongoing violation in his public school in Kearny, N.J. Matthew will be named "Thomas Jefferson Freethought Student Activist" at the 2007 FFRF convention in Madison next fall, and will receive a $1,000 scholarship for his activism, which has cost him friends and support in his community. The show includes some brief news updates, and an ode to Darwin's Day and Molly Ivins. The weekly radio broadcast is cohosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who jointly direct the Freedom From Religion Foundation. (MP3, 49 min, 22.3 MB)

Featured guest is bestselling science author, Stanford scientist and atheist Robert Sapolsky, with a lively discussion of primates, atheism, evolution and naturalistic explanations for the origin of religions. The show includes an update on the Foundation's faith-based challenge, going before the Supreme Court later this month, a song in homage to stem-cell research, and a look at fascinating freethought writers born in early February. The show is cohosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who jointly direct the Freedom From Religion Foundation. (MP3, 52 min, 23.5 MB)

Freethought Radio's featured guest is Feminist Majority president and 3-decade feminist activist Eleanor Smeal, previously named a "Freethought Heroine" by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Ellie discusses religion's role in fighting the ERA, abortion rights and global human rights for women. The show features a brief "Theocracy Alert," and will honor Thomas Paine, whose birthdate is January 29. Song: "The World is My Country." The weekly show, which airs locally in Madison, Wis. (see link above to listen live via your computer), is co-hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, Foundation co-presidents. (MP3, 51 min, 23.1 MB)

Freethought Radio's featured guest is Matthew Rothschild, atheist and editor of The Progressive Magazine. The show includes an update on upcoming oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in FFRF's faith-based lawsuit, and a look at who's who this week in freethought. Co-hosts are Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. (MP3, 51 min, 23.1 MB)

Freethought Radio's featured guest is The Nation's sparkling columnist, Katha Pollitt, whose latest book is Virginity or Death! The show also includes a legal update and a look at many fascinating freethinkers born in January. The show is cohosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. (MP3, 57 min, 26 MB)

Freethought Radio's featured guest is Norm Allen, executive director of African Americans for Humanism, and editor of the anthology, African-American Humanism. The featured song: a delicious version of "It Ain't Necessarily So" sung by Sammie Davis Jr. Freethinker's Almanac looks at January-born freethinkers Zora Neale Hurston and Butterfly McQueen. Co-hosts are Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-presidents of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. (MP3, 48 min, 22.2 MB)

Evolutionary psychologist and bestselling author Steven Pinker ("The Blank Slate") will talk about his atheism, hypothesize about why religion exists and discuss his books. The show includes a look at the unorthodox Robert Burns, author of "Auld Lang Syne." Theocracy Alert looks at the practice of swearing in politicians on the bible. Freethought Radio is a production of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and is co-hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor. (MP3, 49 min, 22.5 MB)