Freethought Radio

We celebrate Juneteenth, recognizing the end of slavery, and World Humanism Day, which occurs at the Summer Solstice as a secular alternative to religious holidays. After covering national and FFRF news, we speak with FFRF's Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne and Regional Governmental Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens about the slew of good and bad bills dealing with religion at the state level around the country.

We announce that FFRF is a sponsor of the "No Kings Day of Action" protesting the erosion of democratic and constitutional safeguards against a monarchical administration, especially its embrace of Christian nationalism. After hearing Dan Barker's protest song "We, The People," we introduce three new FFRF lawsuits. FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover and FFRF Legal Fellow Hirsh Joshi join us to talk about the new lawsuits challenging religious symbols on government property in Illinois, Arkansas and Massachusetts.

We announce new FFRF litigation this week. In honor of Pride Month, we celebrate the birth anniversary on June 9 (1891) of the gay/atheist songwriter Cole Porter by listening to his irreverent song "Experiment." Then, we speak with professor David C. Hoffman, author of American Freethought: The History of a Social Movement, 1794-1948.

We announce two new lawsuits this week that FFRF is taking with a coalition of state/church groups. The first challenges the placement of statues of Catholic saints at the entrance of the public safety building in Quincy, Massachusetts. The second challenges a new Texas measure that mandates the placement of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom. Then, we speak with Pulitzer Prize finalist Rollo Romig, author of the book I Am on the Hit List: A Journalist's Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India.

This week we honor the life and work of our friend, the Broadway composer Charles Strouse—who died last week at age 96—who wrote "Annie" and "Bye Bye Birdie" and many other musicals and songs, by hearing some of his music, including "Poor Little Me," which he co-wrote with FFRF Co-President Dan Barker. Then, we speak with journalist Talia Lavin, author of the book Wild Faith: How the Christian Right Is Taking Over America.

The new head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, has insulted "practical atheists," but it is really his own church that needs to apologize for bad behavior. After hearing Dan Barker's song "The Battle of Church and State," we speak with FFRF’s Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne and Regional Governmental Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens about the many "good, bad & ugly" state/church bills at the state level.

We have some good state/church news to report out of Oklahoma and Arizona. Then, in response to Trump's remarks at the May 1 "National Day of Prayer," we celebrate the May 4 "National Day of Reason" by hearing impassioned and humorous remarks at the Second Annual "Reason Reception" in D.C., sponsored by FFRF, American Humanist Association and the Secular Coalition for America, for the Congressional Freethought Caucus. The "Very Funny Lady" comedian Leighann Lord kicked off the event, followed by U.S. Reps. Jared Huffman, Calif., Jamie Raskin, Md., Laura Friedman, Calif., and a poignant keynote by former Rep. Susan Wild, Pa.

Mayday! Mayday! We listen to some of the oral arguments in a pivotal Supreme Court case heard Wednesday about whether a private Catholic charter school can be funded with public money. If allowed, this would deal a serious blow to public education. After reporting on state/church news in Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas, and decrying Attorney General Pam Bondi's “Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias” Task Force, we talk with Swedish humanist Christer Sturmark, author of the book To Light the Flame of Reason: Clear Thinking for the Twenty-First Century.

We first do a round-up of the news nationally and globally, including the death of Pope Francis and the Trump administration's setting up of a dubious religion-based task force. Then, guest host FFRF Communications Director Amitabh Pal interviews University of Louisville Professor David T. Buckley on his recent book, Blessing America First: Religion, Populism and Foreign Policy in the Trump Administration. Barbra Streisand's songs provide the soundtrack to the show. 

This week, we report that Christian nationalism is on full display at all levels of government. After covering national state/church news, FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne tells us about the many bills, good and bad, that FFRF's Action Fund is tracking in the states (and Puerto Rico). Then, George Mbuagbaw, acting president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria, tells us about the many nonbelievers in that part of West Africa.