Friendly Atheist Podcast

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religious and politics. -- Here's how atheists are helping people in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. (0:38) -- An Illinois library board member was voted out of his seat after his anti-gay comments. (7:55) -- Should atheist groups speak out against Donald Trump's DACA decision? (13:06) -- Alt-Right leader Steve Bannon says Catholic bishops support DACA only because they need people to fill the pews. The bishops disagree. (23:12) -- Ark Encounter just got its first rebate check, courtesy of Kentucky taxpayers. (26:52) -- Creationist Ken Ham doesn't know what a light-year is. (31:30) -- A survey found that atheists are less open-minded than religious people. (33:33) -- The new Lord Mayor of Belfast skipped a formal prayer and everyone lost their mind. (37:03) -- The pastor who had to resign from his church after speaking out against racism and white supremacy. (41:30) -- The head of Focus on the Family thinks only Christians can teach kids character. (44:50) -- The Australian postal plebiscite and the woman raised by lesbian parents who claims to be forever scarred because of it. (48:45) -- An Illinois megachurch pastor's awful sex sermon. (1:00:09) -- Texas churches are suing FEMA to get taxpayer-funded rebuilding grants. (1:09:50) -- Take care of your mental health, everyone. (1:16:45)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religious and politics. -- Why Pastor Joel Osteen didn't open his Houston megachurch for people needing shelter during Hurricane Harvey until after he was publicly shamed over it. (0:37) -- The Nashville Statement, an anti-LGBTQ manifesto written by conservative Christians. (The statement is at 17:28; analysis is at 31:32) -- A new survey that shows many Protestants and Catholics don't understand the basic principles of their faith. (43:21) -- A Matt Walsh tweet that was delightfully mocked by everybody. (56:18) -- People calling it a "miracle" when they see a cross or Virgin Mary statue left standing in the midst of hurricane destruction. (1:01:28) -- Ark Encounter finally (and inadvertently) shared some attendance figures. (1:05:35)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amber Cantorna was a home-schooled child raised in a conservative Christian family. But her father wasn't merely a believer. He's spent 30 years as an executive at Focus on the Family, the ministry founded by James Dobson and known as one of the most anti-LGBTQ groups out there. All of that became a problem when Amber came out as gay, a pivotal moment in her life which she writes about in her forthcoming memoir Refocusing My Family. We spoke about how her relationship with her family changed after coming out, why she still believes in God, and why taking off her purity ring marked a new beginning. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and her brother Kevin sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. (Hemant was out once again dealing with a newborn.) - Kentuckians for Coal are boycotting the eclipse. - A Melbourne archbishop says he'd rather go to jail than report child abuse told to him during confessional. - Donald Trump's lawyer comparing George Washington to Robert E. Lee. - A New Zealand pastor advocates killing gay couples. - Comedian Tim Allen doesn't understand evolution. - There's a Chick-fil-A, which is closed on Sundays, in the Atlanta Falcons' new football stadium. - The Juggalos are coming to D.C.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and Anne Bouleanu sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. (Hemant was away this weekend.) -- Are serial killers more likely to be atheists? -- An evangelical advisor says Donald Trump has God's authority to take out Kim Jong-un. -- A waitress was stiffed on her tip because of her rainbow equality tattoo. -- Christians are more than twice as likely to blame a person's poverty on lack of effort. -- A lawsuit alleges that a private Christian school told a rape victim to "turn the other cheek." -- Confessions of a former "it" church pastor. -- A school board president speaks out against California Healthy Youth act, which teaches kids about sexual orientation and identity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religious and politics. -- BYU-Idaho asked a student why she dropped out... so she told them the truth. (0:42) -- The Mayor of Knoxville (TN) finally admitted a Bible sign hanging in the police department was illegal. (5:30) -- The White House Bible Study is bad enough, but the instructor is worse. (13:42) -- Donald Trump's Religious Right lawyer can't stop lying for him. (17:56) -- An NFL player thinks dinosaurs aren't real and fossils are fake. (23:23) -- The Activist Mommy has a lot of advice on how to beat your children properly. (26:33) -- Bastyr University, a naturopathic school, says a former student is defaming them online. She says she's just sharing what she learned there. (37:24) -- Atheists are asking the Supreme Court to rule on prayers at school board meetings. (52:11) -- Rod Dreher is frustrated by Christians who support Trump, but he's part of the problem. (59:50) -- Ark Encounter has a new silly excuse for why attendance is low. (1:06:17)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religious and politics. -- Donald Trump said "We Worship God." All of us. (02:21) -- Trump's ban on transgender troops. (06:21) -- The Colorado atheist who gave his invocation slot to a Satanist. (12:04) -- Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will become a "Religious Freedom" ambassador... for some reason. (17:45) -- The Boy Scouts' pathetic apology for Trump's speech. (26:51) -- Ark Encounter will finally pay the Williamstown safety fee. (36:34) -- The anti-abortion crowd's interest in reverse abortions. (40:04) -- Don't get suckered in by a Catholic church's seemingly pro-LGBT comments. (47:00) -- England's NHS will ban prescriptions for homeopathic remedies. (54:34) -- A Pakistani village's "reverse" rape. (103:30)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religious and politics. -- Ark Encounter lost a tax rebate worth up to $18 million to avoid a 50-cent-per-ticket safety fee. -- Creationists are mocking Flat Earthers for taking the Bible too literally. Really. -- The "inspirational" Mormon story that is anything but uplifting. -- The MN town that shut down a "free speech zone" to prevent Satanists from using it. -- How Wisconsin is considering a bill that would make it harder to train OB/GYNs. -- The BYU-Idaho professor who lost her job for supporting LGBT equality. -- The Boy Scouts may allow girls before they allow atheist boys. -- The African-American pastor who renounced his ordination with the Southern Baptist Convention.-- The Muslim Democrat running for Senate who received a surprising message from her Republican opponent. -- Richard Dawkins getting de-platformed by a radio station in Berkeley, CA. -- Doctor Who isn't a man. And other things Hemant doesn't understand. (1:26:48)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religious and politics. They included: -- The "Activist Mommy" who can't handle an article in Teen Vogue. -- An Appeals Court decision saying Christian prayers led by elected officials is unconstitutional. -- Eugene Peterson, the Bible scholar who inched toward support of marriage equality, then ran back to the other side. -- Pat Robertson's useless interview with Donald Trump. -- The "gay Muslim" marriage that's more heartbreaking than inspiring. -- Why Republicans dislike higher education. -- The worst possible explanation for why God allows suffering. -- The growth of the Flat Earth movement. -- How Jesus apparently needs gluten to transubstantiate.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religious and politics. They included: -- Hobby Lobby's owners smuggling black market Iraqi artifacts that may have helped ISIS. -- The Pakistani pizza shop owner who made sure his robot waitress wasn't offending customers. -- The Muslim woman who thinks ex-Muslims are just trying to cash in on apostasy. -- The sad rise of female genital mutilation cases in England. -- How some Hindus believe the Ganges River can't be polluted because it's divine. -- Ken Ham is still blaming others for the economic failures of Ark Encounter. -- The demise of Utah's irrational "Zion Curtains" law. -- An excellent episode of the Sawbones podcast dealing with vaccines. -- Amelia Earhart's apparent resurrection.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.