Dan Barker Reveals a Busy 2013 for the FFRF (IRS Beware!)

February 19, 2013
By
Dan Barker

Dan Barker

Advocating for the Non-Religious Through Growing Pains & Good Humor

Dan Barker, co-president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation with Annie Laurie Gaylor, joins me for a humorous and informative interview. Barker discusses current church and state lawsuits, examines issues concerning nonbelievers, and reveals the foundation’s growing pains. We even share a few jokes. The foundation, based in Madison, Wisconsin, is a non-profit organization that advocates for non-theists, promotes separation of church and state, and educates the public on atheistic, agnostic and nontheistic issues. Barker is a contributing editor of Freethought Today, a newspaper published by the foundation, and is involved with the foundation’s state/church lawsuits. He regularly travels the country and the world giving lectures, performing concerts, and participating in debates with theists, many at college and university campuses. Both Barker and Gaylor co-host Freethought Radio, a national weekly talkshow on the Air America network.

MP3 File
(28 minutes, 53 seconds, 13.87 MB)

To read about the “parsonage exemption” lawsuit, click here. To read about the “religious electioneering” lawsuit, click here. To read about the lawsuit filed against the IRS by the American Atheists, please click here.

Chris Stedman Asks For Civility in Theist-Atheist Debate

February 4, 2013
By
Chris Stedman

Chris Stedman. Photo by Alex Dakoulas.

Assistant Humanist Chaplain’s Book ‘Faithiest’ Recounts Past Hurts & Future Hopes

Faithiest is the title of the recently published book by Chris Stedman, an assistant humanist chaplain at Harvard. The book is a well-written memoir of his life as a young Christian teen who realizes that he’s gay, and whose struggle with religious homophobia led him to the lowest point in his life. After discovering his journal and learning of his plight, Stedman’s mother took him to see a Christian pastor more accepting of his homosexuality. Despite the relief he felt, Stedman eventually became an atheist, whereupon he discovered a different kind of intolerance within the community of nonbelievers. The book is not just a memoir of Stedman’s struggle with his religious and sexual identity – it’s a call for civility in our discourse. The book has sparked conversation, comments and criticism. Stedman fields questions about his past as well as his hopes for the future.

The Odds of an Evil God & The Truth of Moral Questions

January 15, 2013
By

Stephen Law

Stephen Law

Stephen Law Discusses His Interesting Thoughts on Morality, His “Evil God Hypothesis,” and His Views on Religion

Philosopher Stephen Law challenges theists to explain, “. . . why the hypothesis that there exists an omnipotent, omniscient and all-good god should be considered significantly more reasonable than the hypothesis that there exists an omnipotent, omniscient and all-evil god. Theists typically dismiss the evil god hypothesis out of hand because of the problem of good – there is surely too much good in the world for it to be the creation of such a being. But then why doesn’t the problem of evil provide equally good grounds for dismissing belief in a good god?” Law is the editor of the Royal Institute of Philosophy journal THINK. He has published several books and is senior lecturer in philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London. His books include Believing Bullshit, The Philosophy Gym, Humanism, A Very Short Introduction, and The War for Children’s Minds. During our conversation, Law shares his interesting views on morality, discusses how science relates to morality, and challenges both theists and non-theists to think.

Atheist Pastor Recovers From ‘Identity Suicide’

December 18, 2012
By

Jerry DeWitt

Jerry DeWitt

Jerry DeWitt Discusses His Difficult Odyssey From Sermonizer to Skeptic

In 2011, Jerry DeWitt, a Pentecostal preacher for 25 years, committed “identity suicide.” DeWitt, a successful pastor and respected community member of DeRidder, Louisiana, lost his faith after a difficult struggle. After friends and family discovered his nonbelief, he lost his job, was ostracized by many peers and relatives, and he and his wife separated. He found help on the internet, and started communicating with the vast wealth of freethinkers online. He is now executive director of Recovering from Religion, a nonprofit organization providing support and encouragement to individuals leaving religion. He’s also the first graduate of The Clergy Project, a private, invitation-only “safe house” community of current and former ministers who no longer hold supernatural beliefs. He talks about his past, why he became an atheist, and his upcoming biography, Hope after Faith, which will be published in June, 2013.

Timeless Questions, Ancient Philosophers, Modern Strategies

December 3, 2012
By

Massimo Pigliucci

Massimo Pigliucci

Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci Combines Science and Philosophy While Discussing the Meaning of Life

Most people consign the discovery of facts about our universe to science, and the navigation of values and meaning to the domain of religion. Massimo Pigliucci, a professor of philosophy at the City University of New York, has a better idea: Combine science and philosophy to explore the subjects that give our life meaning, such as love, friendship, morality and justice. This approach is the subject of his new book, Answers for Aristotle, How Science and Philosophy Can Lead us to a More Meaningful Life. In this podcast Pigliucci and I discuss his book, and how he views scientific research through the lens of philosophy to provide a strategy to live the best life possible.

Next Podcast

TBD

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