Freethought Radio

The first half of our show this week deals with the many Christian nationalist executive orders and actions of the Trump administration. We hear part of the "Stop Project 2025" rally in Madison, Wis. Then, we listen to Black/Latino atheist actor Jon Huertas, best known for playing Miguel Rivas in NBC's "This is Us," as he spoke to FFRF's Denver convention about “True Freedom: Breaking The Shackles Of Religious Indoctrination.”

We cover a range of state/church news on the federal and state levels. We announce FFRF's Scopes Trial Centennial celebration to be held in Tennessee in July. After hearing the irreverent Monty Python song, "Every Sperm is Sacred," we memorialize the life of former Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards, an ardent proponent of feminism and democracy and author of the book Make Trouble, by replaying our 2018 interview with her on Freethought Radio.

This week we comment on the overtly religious nature of President Trump's inaugural "Christian Coronation," including invocations and benedictions claiming we are "one nation under God." Then, we speak with journalist Gareth Gore about his book on the Opus Dei called OPUS: The Cult of Dark Money, Human Trafficking, and Right-Wing Conspiracy inside the Catholic Church.

Most of the news on this week's show centers on Trump's nominations, many of whom are blatant Christian nationalists. FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence describes our newest lawsuit, just filed this week, challenging unconstitutional tax exemption for religiously owned commercial rental properties in Madison, Wis. Then we talk with a former "church lady," Carolyn Shadle, who was the Director of Religious Education at a Presbyterian church before she abandoned her faith. Her new book is called From Religion to Reason: My Journey.

Sam Grover, Senior Litigation Counsel for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, shares updates on the lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law. He highlights the urgent need for secularism in education amidst rising Christian nationalism. Catherine Nixey, author of 'Heretic: Jesus Christ and the Other Sons of God,' uncovers shocking truths about early Christianity, exploring narratives and figures often overlooked in modern interpretations, and reflects on the complexities surrounding the label of 'heretic' in religious contexts.

We listen to Seth Andrews, host of “The Thinking Atheist” podcast, read Dan Barker's article “The Top 10 Absolute Worst Old Testament Verses.” Then, we hear Washington Post columnist Kate Cohen's entertaining and thought-provoking speech at FFRF's 2024 convention called “Tampon Tim and the Long Reach of Religion.”

After reporting on state/church news in Iowa, California, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Texas and Washington state, we listen to jazz vocalist Susan Hofer sing "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" accompanied by Dan Barker on the piano. Then, we hear Brandon Wolf, a survivor of the 2016 Pulse Nightclub shooting, as he accepted FFRF's $50,000 Henry Zumach "Freedom From Religious Fundamentalism" award on behalf of the Human Rights Campaign.

The Winter Solstice (December 21 this year) is the real reason for the season. We celebrate this festive time of year with music and freethought humor, including songs and performances by Kristin Lems, Dan Barker, Tim Minchin, Roy Zimmerman, Irving Berlin, Trey Parker, Tom Lehrer, the London Humanist Choir, Ken Lonnquist and Brent Michael Davids.

After covering state/church news in Illinois, Wisconsin, California, West Virginia and Minnesota, we celebrate "Bill of Rights Day" (Dec. 15) by hearing Dan Barker's song "The Battle of Church and State." Then, we speak with renowned biblical scholar John J. Collins of Yale Divinity School about his book, Does the Bible Justify Violence?

After criticizing some of Trump's Christian-nationalist departmental and cabinet picks, we speak with FFRF Deputy Legal Director Liz Cavell about this week's oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case dealing with Tennessee's law (based on religious doctrine) banning medical care for transgender minors. Then, we hear New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg, author of the book Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism, accepting FFRF's Clarence Darrow Award, where she describes the history and present dangers of Christian nationalism.