American Freethought Podcast

I interview philosopher and author Thomas Cathcart about his new book There Is No God and Mary Is His Mother, a thought-provoking exploration aimed at ex-Christians and even atheists, which asks whether Christianity can be credible, meaningful, and practical absent the traditional theological formulas and doctrines.

Buy a copy of There Is No God and Mary Is His Mother for yourself.

Plus:

Liberal Christians mourn the death of 90-year-old Bishop John Shelby Spong, the Episcopal Bishop who fought for the rights of women and LGBTQ people, and rejected the mythological aspects of Jesus (the Virgin Birth, miracles, even the Resurrection!) while still embracing what he saw as the spiritually transcendent experience of the Christ. I didn't agree with Spong on that last part, but I considered him an ally nonetheless in the quest to foster a more rational, tolerant Christianity and thus create a better society.

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I interview award-winning popular science writer Mary Roach about her new book Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. It's a humorous look at the serious topic of human-animal conflict in an age of exploding population and global warming.

Buy your very own copy of Fuzz.

For more about Mary and her work visit MaryRoach.net.

This was Mary's third appearance on American Freethought. Listen to her first two appearances here:

099 - Mary Roach (Packing for Mars)

250 - Mary Roach (Grunt)

Plus:

(Briefly mentioned in the interview) The snail darter--a tiny fish once on the endangered species list--is back in the news!

Twenty years after 9/11: I look back at fact-versus-fiction in the root causes of the terrorist attacks, and assess our success after two decades of fighting the so-called War on Terror.

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I interview Harvard Professor Jennifer Hochschild about her new book Genomic Politics: How the Revolution in Genomic Science Is Shaping American Society.

To buy a copy of Genomic Politics, click here.

Plus:

America is finally out of Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the chaotic end to US withdrawal will be an ongoing political controversy; and, of course, we'll have to watch helplessly as Afghanistan sinks into a new theocratic hinterland.

The Supreme Court has allowed Texas' new ultra-restrictive abortion law to go into effect, more or less ending abortion in that state and launching a new, more dangerous phase in the fight over women's reproductive freedoms.

The coronavirus pandemic is at the height of yet another surge, one that has left the vaccinated portion of the population largely untouched. Of course, this new surge is made possible by the orneriness of Republican denialists and the misplaced trust of conservative Christians in the protection of the Almighty.

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I interview Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. about his new book Christians Against Christianity, a scathing rebuke from a progressive Christian perspective against how (white) conservative Christians pursue political power while ignoring the central teachings of Jesus regarding love, mercy, tolerance, and justice.

Plus: It looks like America is getting out of Afghanistan for good, but our withdrawal will be disastrous in both the short term and long term.

To buy a copy of Christians Against Christianity click here.

For more about Dr. Hendricks visit OberyHendricksPHD.com.

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I interview Representative Jared Huffman (Democrat representing California's 2nd District), co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Freethought Caucus. We talk about the origins, purpose, and recent activity of the Freethought Caucus; about perennial issues (like the national motto, the Pledge of Allegiance, legislative prayer, etc.) of concern to freethinkers; public policy and public acceptance (or denial) of science; and the current "civil war" within the GOP between the traditionalists and the more rabid Trumpist/MAGA/QAnon faction.

For more about Congressman Huffman visit https://huffman.house.gov. 

For more about the Congressional Freethought Caucus click here.

We touched on the work of Jeff Sharlet in exposing The Family (the secretive, but powerful, Christian organization best known to the public as sponsor of the so-called National Prayer Breakfast). For more about The Family, you can listen to our interviews with Jeff Sharlet in episodes 67 and 105.

Plus:

Monsignor Jeffrey Burrill of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has resigned after his cellphone data was used to track his participation in the gay hookup app Grindr. You will recall the USCCB briefly threatened action (potentially denial of Communion or even excommunication) against American politicians--including President Joe Biden--who are self-proclaimed Catholics who nonetheless support a woman's right to choose when it comes to birth control and abortion.

Defrocked Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, 91 years old, has been charged in Massachusetts with sexually assaulting a teenaged boy in 1974. The charges are made possible after so long a time due to a quirk in Massachusetts' statute of limitations, which places a "pause" on the countdown when an offender leaves the state. McCarrick was only defrocked two years ago, and reports reveal that multiple popes either ignored McCarrick's misdeeds or tried to downplay the church's response.

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I interview John V. Petrocelli, Professor of Psychology at Wake Forest University, about his new book The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. What exactly is bullshit, and how does it differ from a lie? Why do people bullshit? And how can we become better at identifying and countering bullshit? These are all important questions given our current social and political environment.

Buy a copy of the book for yourself right here.

While you're at it, treat yourself to Harry Frankfurt's tiny classic On Bullshit.

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I interview Muhammad Syed, President of Ex-Muslims of North America. We discuss the critical mission of his organization, as well as their new Apostate Report, which analyzes the demographics of Muslims who live in the United States and Canada who leave the faith, and breaks down the reasons their decision and the challenges they face as a result.

For more about Ex-Muslims of North America visit exmuslims.org.

Download the Apostate Report.

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I interview skeptical investigator, author, and podcaster Benjamin Radford. Our wide-ranging conversation covers various topics, including the Pentagon's pending release of a report on UFOs [latebreaking info: the nine-page report, titled "Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena" was released on June 25, 2021 by the Director of National Intelligence, not the Pentagon], the "Havana Syndrome" (in which some allege that US embassy staff and others have been subjected to debilitating attacks by a mysterious directed-energy weapon), antivaxxer Dr. Sherri Tenpenny's astounding assertion that the COVID-19 vaccine is magnetizing some people, and the current state of skepticism in America.

Visit Ben's official website BenjaminRadford.com.

Listen to Ben's podcast Squaring the Strange (which he co-hosts with Pascual Romero and Celestia Ward).

Also mentioned in the podcast:

Fulton v Philadelphia - The Supreme Court rules unanimously that Philadelphia officials unfairly ended their adoption contract with Catholic Social Services, a religiously affiliated agency that refuses to adopt to same-sex couples.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops authorize the drafting of a document that could lead to a rebuke (or worse) of politicians like President Joe Biden who take Communion but still support abortion rights, which is against Church teachings. [Latebreaking info: the USCCB now says "there will be no national policy on withholding Communion from politicians."]

JFK's famous 1960 speech on separation of church and state.

Mick West's Metabunk.org, an excellent skeptical resource that contains, among other things, information about the relatively recent UFO videos released by the US military.

James Randi debunks a "magnetic man" on live TV in South Korea. The video looks likely to be from the 1980s.

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I interview Daniel A. Sjursen, retired combat veteran and former West Point history instructor, about his new book A True History of the United States, which tackles head-on the dark aspects of America's past: racism, genocide, conquest, and capitalist hegemony. 

For more about Danny and his work visit SkepticalVet.com.

To buy a copy of his book click here.

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I interview historian Philip Jenkins about his new book Climate, Catastrophe, and Faith: How Changes in Climate Drive Religious Upheaval, in which he rewrites the familiar approaches to the history of religion, argues that climate is the missing dimension in religious history, and offers a timely discussion of future trends in religion during an era of climate crisis.

To buy a copy of this book, click here.

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I interview Roy Speckhardt, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association and author of Justice-Centered Humanism: How (and Why) to Engage in Public Policy for Good.

We talk about how Humanists can expand their concerns from separation of church and state to current issues like race, class, gender, and sexuality; his impending retirement from AHA after 16 years; and the controversial decisions by the AHA Board to withdraw the Humanist of the Year Awards from Richard Dawkins (1996 recipient) and Lawrence Krauss (2015). [Former Humanist of the Year Award recipients Stephen Pinker and Rebecca Goldstein issued a letter of criticism against the decision on Dawkins.]

For more about Roy and his work visit RoySpeckhardt.com.

For more about the American Humanist Association visit AmericanHumanist.org.

To buy a copy of Justice-Centered Humanism click here.

Plus:

I discuss the troubling pro-Trump consolidation of power within the Republican Party, and the recent "Call for American Renewal" by a group of about 100 conservatives seeking reformation of the Republican Party or (failing that) formation of a rival third party.

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I interview German astrophysicist Dr. Heino Falcke, who led the international team of scientists and technicians that created the first image of a black hole. Heino's new book is Light in the Darkness: Black Holes, the Universe, and Us.

For more about Heino and his work visit HeinoFalcke.org.

To buy a copy of his book click here.

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I interview Princeton's Dr. Michael Gordin about his new book On the Fringe: Where Science Meets Pseudoscience, an exploration of the "demarcation problem"; i.e., how to separate science from non-science.

For more about Michael and his work visit MichaelGordin.com.

To buy a copy of his book click here.

(At the top of the show, a clip from Irish comedian Dara O'Briain's humorous takedown of pseudoscience and alternative medicine.)

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I interview journalist (and senior fellow at the Cato Institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity) Mustafa Akyol, author of Reopening Muslim Minds, in which he outlines how the Islamic world lost its way, and how it can move toward progress and modernity by leveraging traditions from its own past.

For more about Mustafa and his work visit MustafaAkyol.org and Cato.org.

To buy a copy of the book click here.

Plus:

Mississippi's Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith is against Sunday voting because...the Bible?

Feedback: A listener takes me to task for daring to imply that older people might have trouble grappling with complex topics like math and statistics, especially if they lack the proper academic or professional background.

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I interview scientist and science advocate Dr. David Robert Grimes about his new book Good Thinking: Why Flawed Logic Puts Us All at Risk and How Critical Thinking Can Save the World.

For more about David and his work visit DavidRobertGrimes.com.

To buy a copy of the book for yourself click here.

Plus:

The 21-year-old man who murdered eight people at three massage parlors in metro Atlanta claims he was removing "temptation" for his sex addiction. Former high school classmates remember him as a "super-Christian" obsessed with sex who was an active member of a fundamentalist Baptist church.

Pope Francis has the prohibition against gay marriage in the Roman Catholic Church extends to priestly blessings of gay unions.

Pastor Stewart-Allen Clark of Missouri's Malden First General Baptist Church is on leave after preaching that wives need to lose weight in order to keep their husbands' interest, and praised "epic trophy wife of all time" Melania Trump.

The Supreme Court has ruled in Uzuegbunam v Preczewski that Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Georgia, was wrong in prohibiting a Christian student from proselytizing and passing out literature outside a strictly defined "free speech" zone. Both the ultra-conservative Alliance Defending Freedom and the liberal American Humanist Association filed briefs on the student's behalf.

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I interview Emily Joy Allison, author of #ChurchToo: How Purity Culture Upholds Abuse and How to Find Healing, in which she shares her deeply personal story and offers a way forward for survivors of church-based indoctrination and mistreatment.

To buy a copy of this book click here.

For more about Emily and her work visit EmilyJoyPoetry.com.

Plus:

A report reveals the late Christian apologist and preacher Ravi Zacharias used his massage parlors and international travel as cover for sexual abuse and possibly even rape.

The Southern Baptist Church can't do one thing right without doing another thing wrong. Lately, the SBC has "disfellowshipped" two churches for employing preachers convicted of sex crimes and two for "affirming homosexual behavior."

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I interview Ian Rosenberg, media lawyer, legal counsel for ABC News, and author of The Fight for Free Speech: Ten Cases that Define Our First Amendment Freedoms.

For more about Ian and his book visit thefightforfreespeech.com.

Plus:

Donald Trump survived his second impeachment, and now the Republican Party continues the project of ejecting anyone who dared oppose him. The GOP is morphing from a political party into a religious cult centered around Trump.

I discuss the deaths of two pornographers, Larry Flynt and Rush Limbaugh, and compare their legacies.

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I interview Dr. Randall Balmer, historian and Episcopal priest, about his new book Solemn Reverence: The Separation of Church and State in American Life.

To buy this book click here.

Plus:

Kudos to the US House of Representatives for removing Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene from her committee assignments, as punishment for promulgating dangerous and false conspiracy beliefs and for concurring with calls to assassinate fellow members of Congress. The Republican Party failed to discipline her themselves, having become the party of Trumpism and QAnon conspiracy theorists.

Newly minted Secretary of State Antony Blinken took his oath of office with his hand resting on a copy of the Constitution, not the Bible, surprisingly with little controversy. This hasn't stopped some conservative pot-stirrers from complaining that VP Kamala Harris insincerely "hovered" her hand over her Bible, somehow invalidating her oath. And last year, Marjorie Taylor Greene implied that federal law required oaths be taken on a Bible, and unsuccessfully attempted to confront Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib about their use of a Qur'an.

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I interview Harvard economist Dr. Benjamin M. Friedman about his new book Religion and the Rise of Capitalism.

To buy this book click here.

Plus:

Donald Trump gets impeached. Again. For inciting the riot at the US Capitol. And his impeachment trial begins in the Senate on February 9th.

The Justice Department should show no mercy to the rioters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6th, to send a message to their fellow travelers that the United States will not tolerate such violence and intimidation.

President Biden's inauguration had more God talk (by far) than any presidential inauguration in modern times.

Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC) wants to adopt "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" as the National Hymn. Just...no.

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Rioters overrun the US Capitol for four hours, disrupting the formal tally of electoral votes by a joint session of Congress. Trump and his surrogates (and a long line of conservative leaders) bear direct responsibility for inciting this violence and feeding dangerous misinformation to their followers. 

Plus:

Democrats will control both Congress and the White House for the first time in years. What should they do with that power?

A Pew Research study shows that the new Congress is far more religious (and far more Christian) than the US population at large.

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) causes a minor controversy with his multicultural, multi-gendered invocation.

Congress has a female chaplain for the first time in history.

I decline to interview a flat-earther.

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Support the Podcast: PayPal funds to sniderishere@gmail.com