Freedomfromreligion Podcasts

FFRF's "Equal Justice Works Fellow" Kat Grant describes the letter they wrote to the president of West Texas A&M University protesting his cancellation, for religious reasons, of a student-hosted drag show. Then we speak with former minister and religion scholar Bradley Onishi about his new book Preparing For War: The Extremist History of White Chr…

Ashley discovered clairaudient abilities when an ancestor came through with a message. The message he shared led her out of the church and helped her reclaim her life, her soul, and her health. The healing she has experienced has been so profound that she felt called to write a book. Ashley is an author, life coach, and budding medium. She feels pa…

Local and federal state/church victories and complaints; Walgreens and abortion; new rules for faith-based providers. FFRF attorney Chris Line describes the controversy over University of Colorado coach Deion Sanders praying with students. Then we talk with neurologist and financial theorist William J. Bernstein about his book The Delusions of Crow…

We applaud President Biden’s repeal of religious discrimination. FFRF joins in an abortion appeal to the United Nations, and appreciates a State Department reward for Avijit Roy’s killers. Vashti McCollum’s heroic lawsuit is honored and Gov. Greg Abbott’s idea of education is exposed as indoctrination. FFRF attorney Sam Grover explains our brief ch…

You-Tuber Payton Haws shares her harrowing story of repeated sexual abuse as well as her recent faith crisis journey. She is raw and honest in her story in hopes that it will help other survivors know that they are not alone. One thing that isn’t talked about enough is the fact that in many cases when someone is victimized, they are more likely to …

Deep thoughts - This is a departure from our normal format. Get a glimpse into the deep thought conversations hosts Kindra and Christina routinely engage in. They start out discussing ritual abuse, spiral down rabbit holes about many other topics and ultimately bring it back around. Don’t miss this conversation filled with squirrels, twists, and tu…

Our guest this week is Dr. Christine Henneberg, author of the book Boundless: An Abortion Doctor Becomes a Mother. FFRF Legal Fellow Sammi Lawrence describes some first-amendment legal victories she was involved in, and describes the problems nonreligious seniors have while living in religious nursing homes. After reporting state/church news around…

After reporting state/church news in Ohio, North Carolina and Florida, we talk about the tragic religious persecution in Pakistan and Afghanistan. FFRF Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne discusses the more than 1,000 state-level religiously based bills introduced in 2023 that we are monitoring and reports a "Health Care Sharing Ministry" victory in M…

Saige is an exmormon up-and-coming queer writer and director. Her current project is a short film called Girls Camp in which a young girl must make a choice between going against her community and identity she's always known or being her authentic self. Saige's goal is to connect to the nuances of the human experience through a mixture of comedy an…

Amy Hagstrom Miller, with Whole Woman’s Health Alliance, tells us about the devastation to abortion access wrought by the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. We hear jazz singer Tahira Clayton perform freethinking composer Jerome Kern's song "I'm Old Fashioned," and we cover many local, national and international stories about religion and government.…

Sarah shares her emotional story of stepping away from high demand religion through poetry and prose which she has compiled into her book "STRAY, A Journey In, Through, And Out Of Faith." She used poetry to process through grief, loss, doubt, self-healing, self-worth, inspiration and motivation through the lense of spirituality. Her journey, much l…

A new PRRI study shows that Americans overwhelmingly reject Christian nationalism. FFRF Attorney Chris Line talks about this week's Wisconsin State Journal story, "The Running Man," that features his successful effort to lose more than 250 pounds. Then we speak with Jonathan Larsen, managing editor of The Young Turks, about his revealing investigat…

We have many state/church victories to report, including against the National Prayer Breakfast and proselytizing Colorado coach Deion Sanders. FFRF litigation counsel Sam Grover describes our newest federal court win against Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who censored our display in the state Capitol. Then we hear Nebraska state Sen. Megan Hunt, an atheis…

After addressing the numerous problems with the National Prayer Breakfast, we speak with Central Florida Freethought Association director Joseph Richardson about how his secular invocation before a county board was "corrected" by a Christian prayer. Then we speak with Owosso, Mich., City Councilor Emily Olson, who received a death threat after she …

After we report on national and local state/church news, FFRF Legal Fellow Karen Heineman describes a disturbing case before the U.S. Supreme Court that will most certainly expand religious privilege. Then FFRF Co-President Dan Barker and Communication Director Amitabh Pal report on their trip to India this month to meet with brave rationalists who…

Ginny Sparks grew up on the Navajo reservation in northern Arizona. She shares her difficult story of being placed in the Mormon Church’s Indian Placement Program as a child and the abuse she suffered as a result. Her story also includes religious trauma, sexual abuse, and domestic violence. Ginny is a retired nurse and author.…

We celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day and National Religious Freedom Day, “eulogize” Cardinal Pell via Tim Minchin’s song, “Come Home Cardinal Pell,” then hear irreverent Jim Hightower pillory religious entanglements in Texas.

We review secular highs and lows of the week. FFRF Legal Fellow Karen Heineman tells us why the Catholic Church cannot run public charter schools in Oklahoma. Then we hear the entertaining conversation between actress/comedian Julia Sweeney and Dan Barker at FFRF’s 2022 convention.

After reporting on state/church issues in December, we listen to the freethinking Frank Loesser song "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" sung by Madison jazz vocalist Susan Hofer accompanied by Dan Barker on the piano. Then, FFRF Legal Director Rebecca Markert wraps up the year by telling us about FFRF's significant legal challenges and victories …

Tidings of great joy: the bipartisan bill to approve a Thomas Paine memorial in DC is likely to pass this session. After hearing irreverent holiday music by Roy Zimmerman and Tom Lehrer, we talk with professor Cavan Concannon, co-author with Jill Hicks-Keeton of the new book Does Scripture Speak For Itself? The Museum of the Bible and the Politics …

Andrew Pledger is a religious trauma survivor raised in a fundamentalist Christian cult. He is LGBTQ+ and brings awareness to spiritual and religious abuse. He was expelled from Bob Jones University after a controversial interview with author Josh Harris. His experiences have inspired him to pursue psychology to help survivors. He is now a content …

We have a news-packed show this week, with congressional testimony, lawsuit updates, and state/church complaints. We celebrate Bill of Rights Day (Dec. 15) and the Winter Solstice (Dec. 21) by reporting "solstice/bill of rights" displays being erected around the country, and by hearing Dan Barker's seasonal song "Solstice Tribute." Then we speak wi…

Tis the season to report on state/church entanglements, as well as state/church victories. This week we listen to professor Anthea Butler, author of White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America and contributor to the 1619 Project, deliver her "Do Mess With Texas" speech at FFRF's 45th annual convention in San Antonio, warning us ab…

Singer-songwriter Sister Teeth shares her story of growing up in a heavily Mormon populated community, how she and her family were ostracized by that community and how leaving it in her early adult years sparked her faith transition. She shares how she uses her music to process her traumas and connect with others around her.…

We honor Dr. Anthony Fauci, a secular humanist who is retiring at the end of this month as the Chief Medical Advisor for the President of the United States, by hearing Dan Barker’s new song, “Thank you, Fauci.” Then FFRF’s Director of Governmental Affairs Mark Dann recaps our many successes fighting Christian nationalism in the 117th Congress and t…