Atheists Talk
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"An Infidel Body-Snatcher and the Fruits of His...
The history of atheists, secular Humanists and other freethinking people is not well known. Freethought Historian, Dan Allosso is out to change that and bring to life people who have advanced society and at the same time lived outside the religious norms of their day. Allosso does this in his book about Charles Knowlton in his book: An Infidel Body-Snatcher and the Fruits of His Philosophy is the story of a freethinker. From the books description: "Charles Knowlton called himself a “free...
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"Elders: A Novel" Ryan McIlvain on Atheists Talk #218,...
Ryan McIlvain is a former Mormon missionary whose missionary work presented challenges to his faith that ultimately led him away from Mormonism. He is also a recent first-time novelist who took "Write what you know" to heart, capturing that experience in the recently released Elders: A Novel. From the publisher's description: "Elder McLeod—outspoken, surly, a brash American—is nearing the end of his mission in Brazil. For nearly two years he has spent his days studying the Bible and the Book...
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"The Myth of Persecution", Candida Moss on Atheists Talk...
The early history of Christianity is a history of persecution, with pagans zealously defending their own faiths through torture and martyrdom and Christians being mauled by lions for the entertainment of the crowd. Or is it? Biblical scholar Candida Moss reviewed the evidence of early Christian persecution for her new book, The Myth of Persecution: How Early Christians Invented a Story of Martyrdom, and found it mostly lacking. From the publisher's description: As the story goes, vast...
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Secular Coalition for America, Edwina Rogers on Atheists...
Almost a year ago, Edwina Rogers took over as the executive director of the Secular Coalition for America. It's been an ambitious, busy year for the Secular Coalition. This Sunday, Rogers joins us to talk with Scott Lohman about what they've accomplished and where they're going in the next year. They'll also discuss the formation of the Minnesota chapter of the Secular Coalition.
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"The Outsider Test for Faith" John W. Loftus on Atheists...
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"Denialism on a Large Scale" Greg Laden on Atheists Talk...
Climate denialism operates on a scale and with funding that would have made an old-school tobacco executives green with envy. This makes the climate wars a perfect venue for learning about all the tricks of denialists. Greg Laden stumbled onto climate denialism through a combination of concern for the environment and studying what climate history can tell us about human evolution. He has documented lies, threats and simple misinformation while working to get good information on climate...
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"The Bonobo and the Atheist", Frans de Waal on Atheists...
One of the questions for the ages is the origin of human morality. Some ascribe it to a god or gods. Some would prefer a more empirical approach. In his work with primates, Frans de Wall has explored the evolution of those traits we used to consider uniquely human. His latest book, The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates, he tackles morality. Small spoiler: We're not as special in this regard as we tend to think. From the publisher's description: "In this lively...
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"Atheist Evangelism" Roger Scott Jackson on Atheists...
Roger Scott Jackson was raised in a Pentacostal family, but left religion at early age. Throughout his life he has been a high school English teacher, a journalist and a comedy writer. Mr. Jackson is also a performance artist, and perhaps his most famous creation is the fictional firebrand, Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist.
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"Last Ape Standing", Chip Walter on Atheists Talk #211,...
Human beings are alone in the world. Homo sapiens are the only remainders of genus homo. Our closest relatives are chimps and bonobos, but many of our closer relatives have been lost to time. In his book, Last Ape Standing: The Seven-Million-Year Story of How and Why We Survived, science journalist and documentarian Chip Walter explores how we came to stand alone and what happened to our very distant cousins. From the publisher's description: "Drawing on a wide variety of scientific...
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"Atheism For Dummies" Dale McGowan on Atheists Talk...
This Sunday Scott Lohman and Brianne Bilyeu speak with Dale McGowan about his newest book, Atheism For Dummies.
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"50 Simple Questions for Every Christian", Guy P....
Author and skeptic Guy P. Harrison returns to Atheists Talk to discuss his forthcoming book, 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Continuing in the tradition of his previous "50 Things" books, this one is addressed at helping Christians and non-Christians explore each other's viewpoints. From the publisher's description: "This is a friendly and conversational inquiry about basic Christian beliefs from a sceptical viewpoint. Despite waning church attendance, Christianity continues to be...
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"The Fact of Evolution" Cameron Smith on Atheists Talk...
This Sunday we speak with Dr. Smith about his book, The Fact of Evolution, in which he lays out in plain language what evolution is, how it works, and ultimately - in light of all evidence - why it is not up for debate.
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"The Stardust Revolution", Jacob Berkowitz on Atheists...
Astrobiology is necessarily still a largely speculative field, which could make it difficult to write a book on the topic. That didn't phase journalist and performer Jacob Berkowitz, who has a passion for science that has started from a disadvantaged position. In his book The Stardust Revolution: The New Story of Our Origin in the Stars, Berkowitz chronicles the histories of astronomy, chemistry, and evolutionary biology that have come together to demonstrate that we humans are, as Carl...
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American Humanist Association, Rebecca Hale on Atheists...
Rebecca Hale has been promoting humanism for almost two decades as one of the owners of EvolveFISH, providing easy ways for nonbelievers to identify themselves and insert their ideas into the public discourse. She helped found the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs in the early 1990s, before atheism was "big", and more recently, she helped to found Colorado's Coalition of Reason. Until early this year, she served as the Vice President of the American Humanist Association. In early January, she...
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"Generation Atheist" Dan Riley on Atheists Talk #205...
Dan Riley, author of Generation Atheist is interviewed by Scott Lohman and hosted by Brianne Bilyeu. Dan Riley was a campus organizer for the Center of Inquiry, and during that time he worked with many secular students. He was fascinated by their unique journeys, and decided to pull these deeply personal and enlightening stories into a collection of narratives that he could share with all of us.
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"The Atheist Camel" Bart Centre on Atheists Talk #203,...
You may know Bart Centre best under another name: Eternal Earth-Bound Pets. This was the fake business he ran that promised ongoing care for the pets of people who felt they would be swept up in the Rapture. If you've been listening to the show for a while, though, you also know Centre as the author of The Atheist Camel, a blog where he...well, rants about various types of poor thinking from theists and our theist-centered society. Centre joins us this week to talk about the events that have...
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"The Young Atheists Handbook", Alom Shaha on Atheists...
If you pick up Alom Shaha's The Young Atheist's Handbook: Lessons for Living a Good Life Without God thinking you're getting a how-to book, you may be disappointed. On the other hand, you may not. While that was Shaha's original intent in writing a book, his editor persuaded him to write something much more personal. From the publisher's description: Growing up in a strict Muslim community in south-east London, Alom Shaha learnt that religion was not to be questioned. Reciting the Qur’an...
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"Evolution's Witness: How Eyes Evolved" Ivan R. Schwab...
Because of its complexity, many creationists see the eye as a weak point in evolutionary theory. They make an argument of irreducible complexity: that if any single part of the eye was missing it wouldn't function. Therefore, eyes must have been created in their current form - by a creator! But as Dr. Ivan R. Schwab explains in his new book Evolution's Witness: How Eyes Evolved, this argument doesn't hold vitreous fluid. Much simpler eye designs not only existed in our evolutionary past, but...
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"Charles Darwin's Notebooks" John van Wyhe on Atheists...
Briann Bilyeu and Carl Hancock interview Dr. John Van Whye, the founder of Darwin Online, the largest and most widely consulted collection of the writings of Darwin ever published.
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Atheists Talk Holiday Special #198, Sunday, December 23,...
"You're an atheist? Oh, you must be lonely and miserable during the holidays." "No, not at all. I celebrate too." "What? What do you celebrate?" You know how it goes. People who have never gotten far enough outside Christianity to look back in and realize that Santa Claus isn't Jesus and eggnog wouldn't have kept well in Israel just can't wrap their heads around the idea of secular holidays. They can't quite figure out how we manage to make festive without the bible, even though theirs...
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Dan Barker on Atheists Talk #197, December 16th, 2012
Our guest this week is Dan Barker co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation works to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism, and to promote the constitutional principle of separation between church and state. The Foundation is the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and skeptics) with over 18,000 members. Since 1978, the Foundation has acted on countless violations of the separation of state...
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"Imaginary Friend" Douglas Whaley on Atheists Talk #196,...
Douglas Whaley gives us an in-depth reading from his new novel "Imaginary Friend" for the first part of this week's show. In the second half, Mr. Whaley, Carl Hancock and Brianne Bilyeu discuss some of the issues surrounding coming out as an atheist to different audiences, which is a main theme of Imaginary Friends.
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Campaign for Free Expression, Michael De Dora on...
Here in the U.S., there are places where being openly atheist can cost you your job or bring on harassment by your neighbors. If you speak against the dominant religion, someone might go to the newspapers or even on television to shake a heavy finger of disapproval in your direction. In extreme cases, you may face violence from individuals, or government representatives may abuse their power to make your life difficult. You may have to push the government to give you all the protections it...
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"Atheist Universe" David Mills on Atheists Talk #193,...
In 2006, when David Mills published Atheist Universe, there weren't many books like it available. Atheist books were science books and philosophy books. GoodReads explains how Mills' book is different. Clear, concise, and persuasive, Atheist Universe details exactly why God is unnecessary to explain the universe and life's diversity, organization, and beauty. The author thoroughly rebuts every argument that claims to "prove" God's existence - arguments based on logic, common sense,...
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"Top American Science Questions" Shawn Lawrence Otto on...
We've heard the major-party candidates for president debate on the economy, on their philosophies of government, on foreign policy. What you won't hear in televised debates is much attention given to scientific issues. However, these issues make a difference to our lives and to our country's future. This is why 14 science and technology questions were presented to both campaigns. Each was given a chance to answer such questions as: What policies will best ensure that America remains a world...
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Campus Atheists Skeptics and Humanists on Atheists Talk...
Campus Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists – more often known as CASH to its members – is an active student group at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and an affiliate of the Secular Student Alliance. CASH has a mission to foster a socially and intellectually engaging community for nontheists, and to promote tolerance and understanding for all, regardless of belief. Through their activities, CASH strives to address negative stereotypes, misconceptions about, and discrimination against...
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"Science Left Behind" Alex Berezow on Atheists Talk...
Is it true that progressives are just as anti-science as conservatives? According to Alex Berezow, editor of RealClearScience and associate editor of RealClearReligion, and Hank Campbell, founder of the Science 2.0 network, say they are. From the publisher's description of their book Science Left Behind: Feel-Good Fallacies and the Rise of the Anti-Scientific Left: To listen to most pundits and political writers, evolution, stem cells, and climate change are the only scientific issues worth...
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"The God Problem" Howard Bloom on Atheists Talk #189,...
Host Brianne Billyeu and David Pacheco interview Howard Bloom about his book "The God Problem: How A Godless Cosmos Creates". Howard Bloom is a prolific writer whose topics of interest seem to span the entire range of everything from the beginnings of the universe to the future of mankind. His work has been published in well-known journals, magazines and newspapers, and he is the author of four books.
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"Debunking David Barton's Jefferson Lies" Chris Rodda on...
What do you do when someone lies publicly and repeatedly about the history of your country? If you're Jon Stewart and that "someone" is evangelical pseudohistorian David Barton, you give him free publicity and a platform while looking vaguely uncomfortable. Luckily, not everyone is Jon Stewart. Earlier this year, David Barton's book, The Jefferson Lies, was recalled by its publisher after being voted "the least credible history book in print". Much of the research that went into proving...
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"Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution"...
Charles Darwin laid the groundwork for our modern understanding of evolution. In his 1859 book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Darwin presented novel evidence-based concepts about the diversity of life and common descent, which also cleared the way for the heretical idea that no supernatural creator was needed for the evolution of new life on this planet. But as Rebecca Stott shows in her book Darwin's Ghosts: The Secret History of Evolution, these ideas were...
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"50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True", Guy P....
When journalist and teacher Guy P. Harrison writes about irrational certainties, he tries to do so in a way that respects the believer but challenges the belief. When he takes away a comforting or fascinating idea, he tries to leave some of the wonder of science in its place. He brought both these approaches to bear in his most recent book, 50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True. From the publisher's description: Maybe you know someone who swears by the reliability of psychics or who...
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"Atheism and the Case Against Christ", Matt McCormick on...
Carl Hancock and Brianne Bilyeu talk with philosopher and author Dr. Matt McCormick about his new book Atheism and the Case Against Christ
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Teresa MacBain on Atheists Talk #183, Sunday, September...
Brianne Bilyeu and Carl Hancock talk to Teresa MacBain about her journey from pastor to atheist.
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"Atheist Voices of Minnesota" on Atheists Talk #182,...
Atheist Voices of Minnesota is a unique book. Other books on atheism are mostly philosophical or political. They are written by people who derive their income from their writing. They argue for atheism, or at least for secularism, and tell atheists how to be atheists. They are often specifically about religion. Atheist Voices of Minnesota is none of those things. It is instead a collection of personal writings, talking about the effects of atheism on our lives and on our values. It covers...
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"Nonbeliever Nation" David Niose on Atheists Talk #181,...
David Niose will join Atheists Talk this Sunday to discuss his new book, Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans. Niose spotlights how Humanists are fighting back against the stranglehold that the Religious Right has on our government, schools and politics. Nonbeliever Nation celebrates the advancements that Humanists have made in this country, and then urges us to go further.
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Jessica Ahlquist on Atheists Talk #180, Sunday, August...
Rhode Island is the birthplace of American religious freedom and the wall of separation between church and state. Sometime between its founding and 2010, however, Rhode Island seems to have forgotten this proud part of its history. That was when a new student noticed a banner at Cranston High School West that read: Our Heavenly Father. Grant us each day the desire to do our best. To grow mentally and morally as well as physically. To be kind and helpful to our classmates and teachers. To be...
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"Why Is the Penis Shaped Like That?", Jesse Bering on...
Carl Hancock interviews Jesse Bering. Jesse is the author of the book Why Is The Penis Shaped Like That? and Other Reflections on Being Human
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"Night of Unbelievable Fun and the American Atheist...
Brianne Billyeu, August Berkshire and Eric Jayne talk about Minnesota Atheists' sponsored "Mr. Paul Aints" (St. Paul Saints) game at Midway Stadium. It's taking place Friday August 10th. Also that weekend will be an American Atheists Conference which will be happening at the Double Tree in downtown St. Paul.
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Secular Woman, Kim Rippere on Atheists Talk #176, Sunday...
On June 28th of this year, the first national membership organization dedicated exclusively to advancing the interests of atheist, humanist and other non-religious women was launched. This group is called Secular Woman. Secular Woman is an educational non-profit organization whose mission is to amplify the voice, presence, and influence of non-religious women. Kim Rippere, the president of Secular Woman, will join us this Sunday to discuss the vision, mission, goals, and values of the...
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African Americans for Humanism, Debbie Goddard on...
An African American freethinker is still regarded as a novelty, despite approximately 10% of the U.S. African American population identifying as nonreligious. African Americans for Humanism (AAH) is one of the groups trying to raise the profile of this minority within a minority, both to help these people connect when they are further marginalized by their family and friends for questioning faith and to be a voice for change within the African American community. Debbie Goddard is the...
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"Ethics, Science or Religion?" Grant Steves on Atheists...
Ethics, Science, or Religion - Which Has the Answer? "If God does not exist, anything is permitted," concludes Ivan Karamazov, a character in Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel, The Brothers Karamazov. "Anything is permitted" – leads to ethics. What is the right thing to do? How has evolution influenced our ethical behavior? Has religion influenced our behavior? Are our values defined by our culture or our biology? As emotions develop, how do they help form our morality and values?" "Ethics, Science,...
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"The Good News Club" Katherine Stewart on Atheists Talk...
Katherine Stewart is an investigative journalist and a parent. When the Good News Club came to her children's public elementary school in 2009, Katherine put her skills to use in order to learn more about the club. She found that the club wasn't only an after-school Bible study, but rather a program designed to indoctrinate children with Christian fundamentalism. Katherine dug deeper and spent time exploring the efforts of Christian fundamentalist groups across the United States that use...
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"The Bully Vaccine" Jen Hancock on Atheists Talk #172...
Bullies are...well, they're not the most creative types. They tend to have a small number of strategies they use to get what they want and make our lives miserable. That leaves their tricks vulnerable to analysis and defusing. Jen Hancock offers to do just that for you with her book, The Bully Vaccine: How to Inoculate Yourself Against Bullies and Other Petty People. Should you have to deal with this? No, but if you or your child is suffering from bullying, you don't have many good options....
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"The Christ-Myth Theory and Its Problems" Robert Price...
Even among those who don't believe that Jesus was divine, disagreement remains over whether he existed at all. On one side, there are the historicists, who believe that Jesus was a fully human preacher who founded a small cult. On the other side, there are the mythicists, who believe that the cult was formed later and Jesus was hallucinated and/or invented to support the cult. The academic fight between the historicists and the mythicists is heating up at the moment. A number of leading...
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"Space Chronicles" Neil DeGrasse Tyson on Atheists Talk...
The space shuttles have been retired. Nothing is immediately in the pipeline at NASA to replace them. We, as a country, look up into space and know that we are not going there in person any time soon. To commemorate this change, astrophysicist and beloved science communicator Neil DeGrasse Tyson collected his commentaries on space, from magazine articles to interviews to speeches--even tweets--and consolidated them into Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier. Now that NASA has put...
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"God and the Folly of Faith" Victor Stenger on Atheists...
Many religious people claim that religion and science are compatible. This raises the question, what do we mean by compatible? A person may hold both science and religion in high regard, but this tells us nothing about their values as ideas. People can and do hold plenty of contradictory beliefs. Where some people turn solely to philosophy to tell us whether religion and science are compatible, physicist and author Victor Stenger took a broader view in his new book, God and the Folly of...
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"Meaningful Shoes" David Bonney on Atheists Talk #168...
Once upon a time, a shoemaker had the fun idea of creating a line of shoes that would allow a person to declare themselves an atheist. So the shoemaker put his idea up on Kickstarter. Lots of people loved the idea, supported the Kickstarter, and got the fun shoes. Everyone lived happily ever after. If the idea of a successful, openly atheist businessman selling blatantly atheist products sounds a bit like a fairy tale, that may be because you live in the United States. David Bonney, who...
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Ron Lindsay on Atheists Talk #167 Sunday, May 13th, 2012
Tune in this Sunday May 13th when we interview Ronald A. Lindsay, the president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry. Ron Lindsay is a philosopher, lawyer and the author of Future Bioethics: Overcoming Taboos, Myths, and Dogmas. He blogs on important current issues that affect the atheist and skeptical movements at No Faith Value as part of the Center For Inquiry's blog network "Free Thinking". During Dr. Lindsay's time as CFI's president and CEO, the organization has been involved with...
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"Sex, Genes & Rock 'n' Roll" Rob Brooks on Atheists Talk...
In his book Sex, Genes & Rock 'n' Roll: How Evolution Has Shaped the Modern World Rob Brooks shows how evolution may help us understand such seemingly disparate issues as political disagreements, obesity, declining fertility in industrialized nations and why men dominate the rock and roll scene.
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"Horseshoe Crabs and Velvet Worms," Richard Fortey on...
"Living fossil" is a term that might well have been calculated to drive evolutionary biologists insane. Evolution has stopped for no organism on Earth--except those that have gone extinct. However, some plants and animals have proved resilient enough that they still live on our planet in roughly the same forms they wore millions of years ago. Richard Fortey is a distinguished writer and a BBC presenter. He is also a palaeontologist who is fascinated by the idea of seeing ancient history in...
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Human Evolution: John Hawks on Atheists Talk #164,...
John Hawks is one of the nation's leading palaeoanthropologists and has lately been working with ancient DNA, recent and earlier Human Evolution, and an interesting project that is a sort of casting call for extinct humans and their relatives. Most of you know John from his famous Internet site called "John Hawks Weblog: Paleoanthropology, Genetics and Evolution." John is an associate professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, which is one of the better known and...
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"Black Atheists of America" Ayanna Watson on Atheists...
On Sunday April 15th Ayanna Watson will join Atheists Talk to discuss Black Atheists of America (BAAm), the national organization that seeks to bridge the gap between atheism and the black community. The vision statement of BAAm: Our vision is to build a stronger and more diverse atheist community. Our efforts will provide for a society where one can embrace the label "atheist", without the fear of being ostracized by family, friends, and members of their community. We envision a world where...
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"Tips for Tim Tebow" Carl Dix on Atheists Talk #162,...
Carl Dix is a longtime revolutionary and a founding member of the Revolutionary Communist Party. He is a co-issuer of the Call for the National Day of Resistance to Stop Mass Incarceration. In 1970, he was part of the largest mass refusal of U.S. soldiers to go to Vietnam . In 1996, he co-founded the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality. In 2006, he coordinated the Katrina Hearings of the Bush Crimes Commission. In 2011, he co-issued a call for a campaign of civil disobedience to...
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"Before the Lights Go Out" Maggie Koerth-Baker on...
Maggie Koerth-Baker is the author of the new book, Before the Lights Go Out: Conquering the Energy Crisis Before It Conquers Us. Maggie is the science editor and a regular writer at Boing Boing, and hails from the Twin Cities. She was once described as “A lighthouse of reason in a churling ocean of stupidity,” which is exactly why we all need to read her book and listen to her interview this Sunday on Minnesota Atheists Talk Radio. From the publisher’s review of Before the Lights Go Out:...
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"The Matter with Us" John Rawles on Atheists Talk #160,...
Once we have rejected the spiritual, we are left with the material. That should simplify our lives, right? Not necessarily. As John Rawles book, The Matter with Us: A Materialistic Account of the Human Predicament, notes on its title page: The bridge of spaceship Earth is deserted; nobody is in charge. Down below, the passengers are fighting amongst themselves, damaging the craft, looting the stores, and squandering the reserves. As a fellow passenger it gives me no pleasure to report what I...
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Activist Blogging, Jennifer McCreight on Atheists Talk...
"Blogs are stupid." "Blogs are graffiti with punctuation." Those are two of Google's autocomplete suggestions on the topic of blogs. That doesn't make the statements true, of course. "Atheist blogs are: always stirring up controversy." mean." strident." an echo chamber." slacktivism." A lot of things get said about atheist blogging, but most of them aren't said by atheist bloggers themselves. With Jennifer McCreight in town to speak at the Minnesota Atheists monthly meeting, we take the...
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Freethought M.C. on Atheists Talk #158, Sunday, March...
Freethought M.C. (M.C. standing for "Man of Conscience") creates hip hop music that invokes compassion, spirituality and a language of reverence while grounded in reason, community, social responsibility, science and ethics.
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"A Universe From Nothing" Lawrence Krauss on Atheists...
Dr. Lawrence Krauss is a leader in the fields of theoretical physics, science advocacy in public policy and education, and scientific skepticism. We are honored to have Dr. Krauss join Atheists Talk this Sunday to discuss his recently published book, A Universe From Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing.
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"Sex and God" Darrel Ray on Atheists Talk #156, Sunday,...
Last year, psychologist Darrel Ray surveyed 10,000 atheists on their relationship to religion and sexuality. The results showed that there wasn't much difference between believers and nonbelievers--though there were large differences in the amount of guilt. Atheists who had been religious reported that they experienced far less guilt after leaving religion and far better sex. In Sex and God: How Religion Distorts Sexuality, Ray explores how religions incite guilt over sexuality and how they...
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"Deconstructing Mormonism" Thomas Riskas on Atheists...
If you think you've learned all you need to know about Mormonism from South Park episodes and the broadway musical, Book of Mormon, you must join us this Sunday! Atheists Talk will be interviewing author, lecturer, and secular humanist, Thomas Riskas about his book Deconstructing Mormonism: An Analysis and Assessment of the Mormon Faith, which is introduced in the forward by philosopher and professor Kai Nelson. Thomas Riskas converted to Mormonism as a young man and spent 20 years in the...
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"An Atheist Album" Shelley Segal on Atheists Talk #153,...
Australian singer and songwriter Shelley Segal joins Atheists Talk. Songs from her new release, An Atheist Album, and discussion about her upcoming concerts at the Global Atheist Convention and the Annual American Humanists Conference, her secular activism and what inspired her to create an entire album devoted to atheist ideals.
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"Denying Science" John Grant on Atheists Talk #152,...
John Grant joins Atheists Talk radio to speak with us about his newly published book, Denying Science: Conspiracy Theories, Media Distortions and the War Against Reality.
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Attack of the Theocrats, Sean Faircloth on Atheists Talk...
Sean Faircloth is the Director of Strategy and Policy for the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Science and Reason. In this role he is designing and leading innovative strategies to improve the secular movement. He is a passionate, outspoken advocate for the separation of church and state. In Attack of the Theocrats he urges Secular Americans to recognize and address the harm done to us all by religious privilege that has been written into our state and federal laws.
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Women in Secularism Conference, Melody Hensley on...
Melody Hensley and Stephanie Zvan discuss the Women in Secularism Conference, May 18-20, 2012. Details at womeninsecularism.org.
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"The Knowledge of Good and Evil" Glenn Kleier on...
Glenn Kleier will join Atheists Talk this Sunday to discuss his rousing new suspense thriller, The Knowledge of Good and Evil. Kleier has a background in advertising, marketing and communication. In 1998 he published his first book, The Last Day, which received international acclaim from reviewers. His works of fiction are known for their suspense and controversial interplay of religion and politics in our modern global society. In The Knowledge of Good and Evil, Kleier examines religious...
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"The Believing Brain" Michael Shermer on Atheists Talk...
Michael Shermer is the founder of the Skeptics Society and editor-in-chief of Skeptic magazine. He is the author of several books on the topics of belief and the history of science. His latest book is The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies---How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths. "In this work synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist, historian of science, and the world's best-known skeptic Michael Shermer upends the traditional...
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"The Rap Guide to Evolution" Baba Brinkman on Atheists...
Baba Brinkman is a Canadian rap artist, writer, actor, and tree planter. He is well known for blending rap music and literature and science. He coined the term "lit hop" to describe his literature-based rap music. Baba Brinkman earned a Master of Arts in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature and he studied human evolution and primatology with the orangutan researcher Birut Galdikas. His thesis compared modern Hip hop freestyle battling with The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer....
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"Believing Bullshit" Stephen Law on Atheists Talk #143,...
Stephen Law (Oxford, England) is a senior lecturer in philosophy at Heythrop College, University of London; provost for the Centre for Inquiry UK; and the editor of Think: Philosophy for Everyone (a journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy). He is the author of numerous books for adults as well as children, including The Greatest Philosophers, Companion Guide to Philosophy, The War for Children's Minds, and Really, Really Big Questions, among other works. His latest book, for adults, is...
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Shawn Lawrence Otto on Atheists Talk #142, November 20,...
This week on Atheists Talk, hosted by Stephanie Zvan, Greg Laden will interview author Shawn Otto. Shawn Lawrence Otto has just launched his book, Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America, a richly documented and well-reasoned analysis of modern science denialism, especially addressing climate change. Shawn notes that scientists are inherently apolitical in their work, but that science itself is always political, and ties this important observation into recent patterns of...
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Reason Rally 2012 and American Atheists National...
Steve Petersen and August Berkshire interview David Silverman, President of American Atheists, about the Reason Rally 2012, to be held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Saturday, March 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Reason Rally is endorsed and will have speakers from most of the nation’s leading national freethought organizations, including the American Humanist Association, Atheist Alliance of America, Camp Quest, Center for Inquiry, Military Association of Atheists and...
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"50 Voices of Disbelief" Russell Blackford on Atheists...
50 Voices of Disbelief: Why We Are Atheists presents a unique and thought-provoking collection of original essays that address personal disbelief in a higher power . Drawn from an international cast of professionals in the fields of academia, science, literature, media and politics, contributors offer carefully considered statements of why they reject the idea of a deity governing the universe and human affairs. Several essays also address such issues as the social role of religion and its...
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"The Atheist's Guide to Reality" Alex Rosenberg on...
Many religions claim to hold the answers to life’s big questions: What is the meaning of life? Why are we here? From where do we get our morals? Some say it’s all because of God, and that leaves us atheists throwing our hands in the air. But now Alex Rosenberg has written a book just for us. In The Atheist’s Guide to Reality: Enjoying Life Without Illusions, Dr. Rosenberg walks us through the science that succeeds in providing these answers without having to fall back on supernatural...
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"Religion, Patriarchy, and Sexual Repression" Sunsara...
Why do all the world's major religions have patriarchy and the enslavement of women at their core? We examine why everyone who cares about equality and liberation for women should fight against the shackles of religion. Sunsara Taylor will explore these questions with regards to the conditions of women worldwide, but with an emphasis on dispelling any illusion that religion -- and Christianity in particular -- is any more "enlightened" as it is practiced here in the U.S. She will draw from...
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"Exploring Religious Violence" David Eller on Atheists...
David Eller is a cultural anthropologist who has spent considerable time on the topics of violence and religion. In his recent book, Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence: Religious Violence Across Culture and History, he explores the intersection of the two. He examines the various types of religious violence and the interaction between the cultural and religious factors that contribute to that violence. He looks at how religion can shape a culture in ways that make violence more likely, or less....
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Donald Prothero on Atheists Talk #136, Sunday, October...
Donald Prothero is a palaeontologist who is very much disliked by the Discovery Institute and loved by skeptics, science aficionados, and students. He has written several books and over 200 papers for peer reviewed journals, popular magazines, and anthologies. He wrote "Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why it Matters," "Catastrophes!: Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, and Other Earth-Shattering Disasters," "Greenhouse of the Dinosaurs: Evolution, Extinction, and the Future of Our Planet,"...
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"Handy Humanism Handbook" Jen Hancock on Atheists Talk...
Scott Lohman will be talking to Jen Hancock, the author of Handy Humanism Handbook. Jen blogs at Happiness Through Humanism. She is an author, blogger and humanist activist. Her website is at Jen-Hancock.com. Scott is the president of the Humanists of Minnesota. Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists, the Humanists of Minnesota, and the generous support of our members and donors. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for...
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American Atheists David Silverman on Atheists Talk #134...
Carl Hancock and Steve Petersen will interview David Silverman, President of American Atheists. We will discuss their current activities, including public campaigns to gain attention for atheists with billboards, aerial banners, appearances on television and radio. We'll examine why American Atheists filed suit to keep a surviving fragmented I-beam from becoming a Christian religious symbol at the world Trade Center tragedy. Additionally, we will spend some time discussing the Reason Rally...
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Good Sex Without God - Greta Christina on Atheists Talk...
Religion has plenty to say about sex. Scriptures and religious leaders tell us who to have sex with, who not to have sex with, what forms and outcomes of sex are acceptable or unacceptable in what sorts of relationships. But does it help? How well can ancient religious texts address sexual ethics in a world that only recently has reliable contraception, recognizes that full emotional maturity lags sexual maturity by a number of years, and concedes that women have a legal right to say,...
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"Koran Curious" CJ Werleman on Atheists Talk #132,...
(Ed. 09/11/11 - We weren't able to connect by phone with CJ, but we did the show anyway.) On September 11, 2001 terrorists hi-jacked four planes and slammed into the Pentagon and the World Trade Center towers in New York City. This show will be on the tenth anniversary of that event, another in a series of events that "changed everything." It did bring more attention to Islam in the United States, in the form of bigotry and fear for people who have no understanding of this religion. It is a...
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"Humanists at the Fair" - Atheists Talk #131, Sunday...
What is humanism? What are its core principles? On what topics do humanists agree and disagree, and how do they live these principles? Sunday's show doesn't promise to have all the answers, but the conversation should be illuminating. Listen to Scott Lohman, president of the Humanists of Minnesota, and friends discuss the topic during one of Minnesota's greatest gatherings of humanity--the Minnesota State Fair. The panel at the live show at the AM950 KTNF booth are Scott Lohman, Audrey...
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"Atheists at the Fair," Atheists Talk #130, August 28,...
Minnesota Atheists Live from the Minnesota State Fair Atheists like to go to the fair, too. Join us at the AM950 KTNF booth for our popular series of broadcasts from the fair. Many people still have questions about atheists and atheism and members of the Minnesota Atheists will be there to answer them as well as we can, for example: What evidence, if it were to be presented, would lead an atheist to believe in God? Where do we find our basis for ethics and morality? Where do we find...
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"Marry Me, Minnesota Courts!" Atheists Talk #129, August...
Guests Doug Benson and Peter Nickitas On March 6, 2009, three same-sex couples walked into the office of the Hennepin County local registrar in Minneapolis and applied for marriage licenses. They were denied. They sued and lost in Trial Court. Now they are headed for the Appellate Court, and Minnesota Atheists has filed a friend-of-the-court brief on their behalf. Our guests will be Doug Benson, the lead plaintiff in the case, and Peter Nickitas, their lawyer. Marry Me Minnesota...
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"World Population Balance." David Paxson on Atheists...
David Paxson is a national leader on the issue of population growth and stabilization and founder and president of World Population Balance. From their vision statement: "We envision a world where no one suffers in dire poverty and misery for lack of enough food, water, and other basic needs. We see a world where all species thrive and where lower consumption and population are in balance with Earth's finite resources."World Population Balance is further defined by their Mission Statement....
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The New Atheist Books Atheists Talk #127, August 7, 2011
Scott and I will be discussing the two big watershed books for the New Atheism: Sam Harris' The End of Faith and Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion. The topic for this show turned out to be a broad range of approaches to atheism and skepticism. Rather than try to summarize it, I would invite you to listen to the podcast if you weren't able to stream it live.
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"The Science of Global Warming." Science v Denialism on...
Kevin Zelnio and John Abraham Discuss Climate Change The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration has released new temperature norms based on 30 year historical data. These are the "normals" that meteorologists compare the days' weather to the mean for any particular day. The temperature norms are higher than they were ten years ago, and ten years ago the norms were higher than those of the prior decade. Denialism has to be very strong in a person in order to pretend that the...
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"The Ledge" Matthew David Chapman on Atheists Talk #125,...
The Ledge is a feature film that sets an atheist against a fundamentalist in a deadly love triangle. The plot and subplots examine in a taut, well-paced drama the conflicts that lie beneath in a society that assumes faith provides a firmer foundation for ethics and morals than does a secular, atheistic worldview. Matthew Chapman, today's guest, wrote, directed and co-produced the film, which debuted at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Chapman is a great-great-grandson of Charles Darwin, and...
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"Deconstructing Biblical Ethics:" Hector Avalos on...
Whether the Bible is a collection of texts that can be used for moral guidance is an unresolved question for Western society. Bible-based religions use the book as a guide in order to shape ethics not only for their adherents, but for governance of the larger society as well. Hector Avalos, PhD, Professor of Religious Studies at Iowa State University, has been deconstructing the monolith of respect that we are supposed to afford the Bible in several books and collections. Avalos' method lays...
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"The Atheist Camel Rants Again." Bart Centre on Atheists...
Providing an oasis of reason in the desert of religious thought, Bart Centre's alter-ego, Dromedary Hump offers an atheist perspective at his blog The Atheist Camel , clarifying the muddles of theists, religion and politics, belief, God, gods, the supernatural; science, reason, reality, logic, ethics, morality and the lack thereof. Bart has a new book out, The Atheist Camel Rides Again: More Arguments and Observations From the Atheist Front. Bart is a veteran, a Foxhole Atheist as a matter...
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"Pandagon;" Amanda Marcotte on Atheists Talk Radio #122,...
Amanda Marcotte is a feminist, atheist blogger and columnist whose views are nuanced and thoughtful but rarely careful. She recently noted that for all her work on feminism, her posts on atheism earn her the most negative attention. Tune in on Sunday, July 3, as she and Stephanie Zvan discuss the intersection between the two. Find out how feminism led Amanda to atheism and how it led to a conflict with the Catholic League over her work for John Edwards' presidential campaign. We'll also...
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"Liars for Jesus." Chris Rodda on Atheists Talk #121...
Revision of history to modify the present is an old trick on the populace. The United States was not intended to be an officially Christian Nation by the founders, but there is a movement afoot to lie about our basic freedom to disbelieve or believe and be full citizens. David Barton is the most prominent of the revisionists, quote-mining his way through the past to create the impression that the deists, atheists and secularists who crafted the U.S. Constitution and the republic really...
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"Black Atheist Evangelism;" Jamila Bey on Atheists Talk...
Black atheists experience isolation in several different ways. In their own families and community, they are often ostracized by a culture that assumes and values religion to a larger degree than the white culture in our society. While the number of atheists and non-religious whites is growing and currently, according to surveys, around 15% the number of black freethinkers is smaller at approximately 12%. The social bedrock of church attendance and belief runs deeper for blacks and so...
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"Look at All the Crazy Preachers." Ed Brayton on...
When Harold Camping announced his calculated date for The Rapture to be May 22, rational people laughed at his certainty. We were also saddened that his deluded followers sold everything they owned and devoted their lives to spreading the word that the "End is Near." The rapture didn't happen, and Camping made excuses and decided that he meant that it will all happen in October of this year. But Camping is not the only crazy preacher out there, getting publicity by saying and writing...
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"Skeptically Speaking;" Desiree Schell and Greg Laden on...
So, are we making inroads or not? Is skepticism spreading due to all the new media tools that we use in the 21st century? Desiree Schell, who produces the podcast "Skeptically Speaking" and Greg Laden will be bringing out the possibilities. We may be only reaching the already converted with our show and with Desiree's show, and other skeptic broadcasts; but even if so, there is always more to see, to hear and to learn about skepticism, atheism and humanism. This episode will touch on a broad...
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"Choice In Dying," Eric MacDonald on Atheists Talk #117,...
Choosing one's own death should be the right of every living person facing the process of a long, debilitating, painful terminal illness. Not everyone finds "dignity in suffering," and yet religions insist that the value of "life above all else" trumps individual choice. Eric MacDonald and his wife faced the decision in her choice to end her life. The government of Canada and the authorities of the Anglican Church, of which MacDonald was a priest, threw up legal roadblocks and threats if...
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"Leaving Jehovah's Witnesses:" James Zimmerman on...
Jehovah's Witnesses are an offshoot of Christianity founded as a bible study group in the 1870's by Charles Taze Russell. They have since been evangelizing their unique view of the readings of the Bible all over the world and have grown to a membership, as they claim, of 7.5 million people worldwide. They believe that we have been in End Times since 1914, the year that the whole world went haywire as the end of the "Age of the Gentiles." Leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses is a difficult process...
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"The Nature of Existence," Roger Nygard on Atheists Talk...
Roger Nygard was our guest in January, but due to a time zone mix-up only joined towards the end of the program. We have invited him for a return call-in and he has agreed to do so, this time from an Eastern Daylight Time location. We will let Roger catch up on some sleep and he will be on the phones with us from 9 am to 10 am. The Nature of Existence is the film Roger produced in order to get at the best answers that religion and philosophy can provide to answer an age-old question: Is...
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"Rock Beyond Belief:" Sgt Justin Griffith on Atheists...
Sergeant Justin Griffith was aghast that the U.S. Army had organized and supported a Christian Rock festival for soldiers at North Carolina's Fort Bragg Army Base. In response, he organized an event for secular soldiers and officers to give the non-Christians an event "For the rest of us." He lined up great speakers including Richard Dawkins, Margaret Downey, Hemant Mehta, Jen McCreight and Mikey Weinstein along with performers Roy Zimmerman, Baba Brinkman and Spoonboy. The event was all...
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"Day of Prayer or Day of Reason?" Sandhya Bathija on...
National Day of Prayer and National Day of Reason George Kane will interview Sandhya Bathija, who is the Communications Associate for Americans United for Separation of Church and State. She joined the AU staff in May 2008. Sandhya previously worked as a reporter for the legal trade publication The National Law Journal, and practiced law for a small civil rights firm in Detroit. She holds a law degree from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. George Kane is the Chair of the...
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"Mr. Deity," Brian Dalton on Atheists Talk #112, April...
Brian Dalton is the writer, producer and director of the slyly subversive webcast comedy series "Mr. Deity." Mr. Deity has created our Universe with love and affection; mostly. This was not a simple production, you see, and there are many aspects to Creation of which we humans are not capable of understanding. Dalton's "Mr. Deity" is all too human, avaricious and behind his lovable exterior he hides a deep need to be worshiped. He is not above throwing a bunch of natural disasters in our way...
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"I'll Take Sweden, Ja Ja," Martin Rundkvist and Yusie...
Science Blogger and outspoken Atheist Dr. Martin Rundkvist is a Swedish archaeologist affiliated with the University of Chester. He is the managing editor of Fornvnnen, Sweden's foremost archaeological journal. Yusie Chou is a journalist and broadcaster. She was raised in Mao's China and came to Sweden at age seven with her family. Rundkvist and Chou live and work in Sweden; a culture and a country in which atheism is the norm and the mention of god or Jesus by a politician is frowned upon....
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"Science Communication" with Neil deGrasse Tyson on...
Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of the leading science communicators of our generation. As the host of Nova Science Now, Dr. Tyson conveys his enthusiasm and excitement for science and his presentation, nixed with wit and humor bring excitement to a variety of topics. Tyson is the Frederick P. Rose Director and astrophysicist at the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He hosts the Star Talk radio show. He is a frequent guest on the Colbert Report for...
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"Let My People Wed" Monica Meyer on Atheist Talk #109,...
Our guest this week will be Monica Meyer, executive director of OutFront Minnesota. She will discuss their upcoming Lobby Day at the State Capitol in St. Paul on April 14, 2011. She will also discuss the threat of the Minnesota State Legislature putting a State Constitutional Amendment on the ballot that would specifically ban same-sex marriage. http://www.outfront.org/home
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"The Outsider Test for Faith." John Loftus on Atheists...
John W. Loftus was a preacher and scholar under theologist William Lane Craig who left his church and then Christianity altogether. As an elder of his church he was involved in a discussion on how to handle a situation between a youth counselor and an elder; and members of the board were using the same bible verses to justify their positions on how to approach a resolution. He questioned a scripture that could be adaptive to whatever point was being made by a person who quoted them as to...
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"God's Lady Problem" with Jen McCreight on Atheists Talk...
Jen McCreight will be on a speaking tour in Minnesota in March, and in advance of her visit she will be our guest on Atheists Talk. Jen writes the popular blog "Blag Hag," and in 2010 popularized the idea that a little bit of cleavage isn't to blame for earthquakes. No, seriously! Boobquake, although misinterpreted by some who thought it was just another concession to reducing women by focusing on breasts, was actually a test to see if God would be so upset with women dressing a bit more...
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"Humanism" with Scott Lohman on Atheists Talk #106,...
Scott Lohman has been the president of the Humanists of Minnesota for a number of years now. He has acted as an interviewer and as a backup host for our "Atheists Talk" radio program, but he has never been personally interviewed about his journey from small town Minnesota to the leader of the oldest and largest humanist organization in Minnesota. That will change as this week we ask Scott about his life and activities as a humanist. Scott is especially attracted to the humanism found in the...
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"AHA Conference" with Maggie Ardiente on Atheists...
Maggie Ardiente is the director of development at the American Humanist Association, where she coordinates the AHA's fundraising programs and serves as editor of the AHA's membership newsletter, Free Mind. She graduated with a B.S. in sociology and second major in religion from James Madison University and served as Vice President of the JMU Freethinkers, a student group for atheists, agnostics, and humanists.She is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Secular Student Alliance...
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"Zebrafish and Dictionary Atheism," PZ Myers and Greg...
Drs PZ Myers and Greg Laden will be our guests on today's show. PZ is in the Minneapolis/St Paul metro for a pair of talks this weekend. First he will be presenting "The Evolution of Cooperativity" to the Humanists of Minnesota on February 19th, and on the 20th he will be explaining the broader topic of Evolution to the Minnesota Atheists. PZ Myers is not shy of controversy, as he seems to invoke and generate it at will through his blog, Pharyngula. He writes about atheism, science, politics...
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"The Moral Landscape" with Russell Blackford on Atheists...
Sam Harris makes a case for using science to evaluate and direct morality for society, and he makes the strong point that religion has made a muck of the whole issue over the course of human civilization. Can science do better? We have new tools with which to work, including MRIs to evaluate the inner workings of human thought and emotional state. The questions raised by Harris are many, and philosophers have joined a large discussion on what next can be done in an atheist approach to...
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"Literature, Atheism, Humanism and Existentialism." Nick...
This Sunday’s guest is Nick Pease.Nick and George Kane will discuss the humanistic principles that infuse great literature bringing inspiration to the contemporary atheist movement. These values are universal and timeless, and they present an antidote to the political and religious “isms” that divide the nation. In literature as well as in other arts, the most perceptive interpreters of the human condition provide a coherent vision of human life unbound by such academic formalism. Nick Pease...
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"The Creation Museum" Jessie and Casey Clausen on...
Creationism may seem like a joke to most atheists. After all, how could the universe and everything in it be only 6000 years old, when the light from galaxies 10 billion light years away takes (you guessed it) 10 billion years to get here from there?That was the question I had initially asked when I heard that there are serious people who insist that the Biblical story of creation should be taken literally in all ways. I was using Man's Reason on which to base my beliefs that the universe is...
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"The Nature of Existence" Roger Nygard on Atheists Talk...
Roger Nygard is a film maker, writer, producer and director whose new film seeks to answer the questions that drive us crazy: Who are we and why are we here? What is the universe and why is it here? Is there a purpose in life and if so, who better to explain it to us than a rasslin' evangelical preacher, or a mormon science fiction writer (ignore the potential redundancies) or Richard Dawkins? Scott Lohman, President of the Minnesota Atheists, will talk to Roger about the movie, what he has...
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"Enountering Naturalism" Tom W. Clark on Atheists Talk #...
Tom Clark's short book Encountering Naturalism: A Worldview and Its Uses is a great introduction to naturalism. I have read it a few times, and while the concepts may seem obvious upon reflection, the implications are enlightening. Many people have difficulty understanding the concept of free will and why it doesn't exist, often confusing "Free Will" and "Free Choice." It has clear implications for the definitions and deriving of morality, and yes, a worldview. Tom will explain how...
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"The Humanist Institute" Kristin Wintermute on Atheists...
For over 28 years, The Humanist Institute has trained the next generation of leaders for the humanist movement, graduating over 100 students, many of whom work as Ethical Culture Leaders, Unitarian Ministers, Humanist Counselors, professional administrators in our national organizations, and as officers and other volunteers leaders in humanist fellowships, chapters, associations. Kristen Wintermute is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Humanist Association, and the director...
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"Science and Reason 2011: Future Watch" on Atheists...
As 2010 rolls out, we all hope the future is bright for 2011. Along with hope, there's always hype. Bringing us a reality check from their areas of expertise are these savvy thinkers: Greg Laden, bio anthropologist and bogger for Scienceblogs.com, will give his top ten list of science stories for 2010, with commentary on the new field of paleogenomics Maggie Koerth-Baker, science journalist and writer for BoingBoing.net, will talk about the Future of Energy in the US. Steve Borsch, media...
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"The Amazing World of Quantum Mechanics!" James Kakalios...
Quantum mechanics make no sense. It is a set of propositions that prove that something can be in more than one place at one time. It is a set of propositions that show that light is both wave and particle. Yet, with all the contradictions shown in by quantum mechanics, our modern life would not be modern without an understanding of how the tiniest particles of matter behave. Think of life without computers, lasers, cell phones, CDs and DVDs, MRIs and now e-readers. Life would be positively...
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"The Trouble With Christmas," Tom Flynn on Atheists Talk...
August Berkshire, President of Minnesota Atheists, and Steve Petersen, Associate Chair, will interview Tom Flynn, whose Wikipedia page describes him as "an author, journalist, novelist, entertainer, folklorist, Executive Director of the Council for Secular Humanism, and Editor of its journal Free Inquiry magazine. He is also director of the Robert Green Ingersoll Birthplace Museum. "Much of his work addresses church-state issues, including the best-selling book The Trouble With Christmas,...
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"Fossils, Genes and Art," Atheists Talk Radio #95,...
The religious despair for atheists that with nothing but science and rationality for inspiration, we can't appreciate the beauty of art, music, poetry, prose nor the weaving of a rainbow. By unweaving a rainbow, we are told that we miss out on the deepar beauty that underlies the "mystery of being." Don't try to tell that to my guests on this show. They will look at you, baffled, because they both draw inspiration for their art from the wonders of science. Lynn Fellman is a frequent guest on...
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"World Population Balance." David Paxson on "Atheists...
There are just too many people for the earth to support. One billion people are starving to death. We are using up the planet's resources to feed and keep ourselves warm, and doing so at an alarming rate. Our population has doubled over the last 40 years. We run into our annual overfeast on Thanksgiving with the realization that if we are not cognizant of the effects of humanity's continual growth, we will starve ourselves to death. Workd Population Balance is an organization promoting a...
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"Written in Stone" Brian Switek on Atheist Talk #93,...
Paleontology is a set of tools of discovery in science. Explorers look to the rocks, and the quarries and the fossils encased within to read the story of the evolution of life on Earth, from which single-celled beings radiated to what Darwin described as "Endless forms most beautiful." Brian Switek is a science writer and blogger whose new book explains the processes by which paleontologists from the 17th century forward analyzed the bones of past eras and eons to give us avian dinosaurs (we...
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"At the Dawn of Personal Genomics" Misha Angrist on...
Although its been ten years since publication of the first draft of the Human Genome, scientists still seek to understand and apply the data. As we enter 2011, genetics research is getting more audacious and a lot more personal. One ambitious plan, the "Personal Genome Project" (PGP), was started by Dr. George Church to discover the relationship between our genotype, phenotype and environment. Dr. Church invited Misha and eight other people for complete sequencing of their genomes and to...
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"Jesus Lied" CJ Werleman on Atheists Talk #91, Sunday,...
"Lunatic, Liar or Lord?" is referred to as Lewis' Trilemma. C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity looked at the life of Jesus to conclude that he couldn't have been either a lunatic or a liar so he must have been God. Not so fast, according to our guest. C. J.Werlemen checks out he story of Jesus as according to the gospels and the epistles and the Acts of the Apostles and based on the contradictory stories and versions of stories told in the New Testament Jesus was more likely a liar. If...
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"Tom Flynn on Robert Ingersoll" on Atheists Talk #90,...
Robert Green Ingersoll (1833 – 1899) The Great Agnostic On Halloweeen, nothing is as scary to a Christian as a discussion of Robert Ingersoll... MNA members Jim Barri and Steve Petersen will interview Tom Flynn, Executive Director of Center for Inquiry and Editor of Free Inquiry and Manager of the Ingersoll Birthplace Museum in Dresden, NY. We will discuss the life and legacy of Robert Green Ingersoll, The Great Agnostic. Ingersoll is one of America’s great freethinkers. He was born in...
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"Science in the Public Forum" Ira Flatow on Atheists...
Where is Science in the Public Forum Heading? It's time for a discussion! Most know Ira Flatow as a science journalist, producer, and as the host of "Science Friday," broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR) every Friday afternoon. But did you know about his Minnesota connection? He was the original host and writer for the Emmy award winning "Newton's Apple," which broadcast from the television studios at KTCA in St. Paul, Minnesota. Science communicators Greg Laden and Lynn Fellman will ask...
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"Morality With and Without God" August Berkshire on...
My least favorite claim is that morality has an absolute source in religion, and that humanity would have no morals if we were non-theistic. August Berkshire, the president of the Minnesota Atheists has been studying the morality found within religion, and the depvelopment through non-religious sources of morality and ethics. Sociology, social psychology and other social sciences have examined evolutionary roots of morality as have philosophers. Now even evolutionary biology has made some...
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"Darwin and the Holocaust:" Dr. Hector Avalos on...
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"The Humanist Approach to Happiness." Jennifer Hancock...
"The Humanist approach to Happiness is a book that basically says – here are personal ethics, here is why they are important, and here is how you can apply them to your daily life and why doing so will help you live a happier more productive life. It isn’t a philosophy book so much as a book about the pragmatic reasons for being an ethical, compassionate and responsible person." Jennifer Hancock is the author of the book and Scott Lohman will be getting more details from Jennifer as to what...
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"The Bible: Folkore as Fact." Dr. Mark Welter on...
There are almost 3000 years of high culture and folklore preceding the Book of Genesis. Many of the stories that we consider to be original to the Bible are in fact shared across many cultures in slightly variant forms. Fables of the Sumerians, the Persians and other cultures have found their way into what Christians and Jews claim to be factual, historical records of events. Even the story of Jesus has antecedents dating back to 1000 years BCE. Dr. Mark Welter of St. Cloud State university...
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"Eyes Wide Open" George Erickson on Atheists Talk #84,...
George Erickson is a former board member and president of the Humanists of Minnesota. He also served as a board member and vice-president of the American Humanist Association. George has written 4 books. His first "True North: Exploring the great wilderness by bush plane" was based on 38 summers flying into the north and his observations from those flights. His latest book is "Eyes Wide Open" is collection of essays, book reviews and observations from a Humanist point of view.
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"Astrology and Evidence" Atheists Talk #83, Sunday...
Who says online arguments are worthless? All right, so it probably depends on what you're arguing about and who you're arguing with, but even arguing with a bunch of astrologers over whether there's any proof for astrology can teach you something. If nothing else, it can teach you how not to construct a valid argument over scientific evidence. Join Jason Thibeault (http://www.lousycanuck.ca/) and Stephanie Zvan (http://almostdiamonds.blogspot.com/) as they discuss what evidence there is for...
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"Humanists of Minnesota at the State Fair" Atheists Talk...
Who better to explain humanism than the board members of the Minnesota Humanism? I will be at the State Fair for a discussion on the definitions and implications of humanism with Scott Lohman, Nathan Curland and Dale Handeen. We will have an open microphone, too, for you to come up and ask questions of humanists. What do we believe? What don't we believe? Are all humanists also atheists? If secular humanism is classified as a religion by the Supreme Court, how are schools allowed to teach...
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"Minnesota Atheists at the Minnesota State Fair"...
Who better to explain atheism than the board members of the Minnesota Atheists? I will be at the State Fair for a discussion on the definitions and implications of atheism with George Kane, August Berkshire and Laura Hutt. We will have an open microphone, too, for you to come up and ask questions of atheists. What do we believe? What don't we believe? If there is no God, then who made everything? (Sorry, that's a trick question.) What is the best approach to discuss issues with believers?...
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"Skeptical Confessions of a Ghosthunter" Atheists Talk...
Is there a ghost in my house? Is there a ghost in any house? What are ghosts? On this show we have a ghosthunter turned skeptic as our very own Todd Torkelson explains the answers to these questions and more. Todd spent his teens and early twenties renting "haunted" hotel rooms, leading ghost tours and investigating the paranormal in his hometown of Albuquerqe, New Mexico. Somewhere, he took a left turn and turned skeptical of the paranormal. He became skeptical of many things and is now an...
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"Old Bones and Modern Genetics." Greg Laden, Lynn...
Lucy, Ardi, Frodo, and us: what old bones and new genetics are revealing today. Who are these people and can we call them family? Listen to Greg Laden and Lynn Fellman discuss how recent fossil and tool discoveries are changing the shape of our family tree. A report earlier this week showed evidence for stone tool use at 3.39 million years ago — much earlier than previously thought. In addition to ancient bones and tools, genetics is filling some of the pre-historic knowledge gaps. For...
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"Conversion, Deconversion and Religious Indoctrination"...
Conversion is the process through which a person's orientation on religion changes. How do people turn from and to new religious groups, ways of life, systems of belief and modes of relating to a deity or a the nature of reality. Dr. Grant Steves will be with me in the studio to discuss faith, conversion and deconversion with a dollop of religious indoctrination. Dr. Grant Steves is a member of the Minnesota Atheists. He has a doctorate in Theology, and is an atheist. Mike Haubrich is a...
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"The Case Against the Case for Christ" Atheists Talk...
Lee Strobel wrote his book The Case for Christ, masquerading as a skeptic, back in 1998, Strobel talked to theologians and biblical scholars to come to the conclusion there is sufficent extra-biblical support for the existence of Jesus Christ Robert M. Price read the book and found the evidence to be shy of convincing. He found the reasoning weak, the facts sketchy and a great deal to counter Rev. Strobel's conclusions. Price wrote a chapter by chapter refutation, The Case Against the Case...
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Stephanie Zvan Interviews Dr. William Beeman - April 25,...
Iran is never far from U.S. news headlines. Nuclear threats, unfair elections, captive reporters, a lack of religious freedom, all seem to demand that we do something. But what is to be done? What are the actual conditions in Iran, and what kind of leverage do we in the Western world, and particularly in the U.S. have to effect change? Last summer, Stephanie Zvan was privileged to chat with Dr. William Beeman, professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota and a leading Western...
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Brother Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist: July 5, 2009
What happens when a mean spirited snake handling evangelical becomes an atheist? Humorist Roger Scott Jackson dares to explore the possible outcome. Roger, as well as his alter ego Brother Sam Singleton Atheist Evangelist, joins Crystal Dervetski for an insightful and fun conversation about taking an atheist themed show on the road. Brother Sam will be in Saint Paul on July 11th presenting his newest play "Patriarchs and Penises" at Sweeney's Saloon starting at 8pm. After the show, feel free...
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Greg Laden: "Missionaries in Africa" on Atheists Talk...
Missionaries tell us that they are saving the world, traveling to foreign lands to help the natives. Of course, "saving the world" means something a little different to those of us who don't believe there's a Satan who needs to be battled at every turn. We usually mean saving lives and bettering standards of living, actions that have meaning in the here and now. How do missionaries do in that regard? Biological anthropologist Greg Laden joins Stephanie Zvan to talk about his experiences with...
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"Towing Jehovah:" James Morrow on Atheists Talk #75,...
First, let's suppose that Jehovah God is real. Good News for the religious, right? Then, let's twist it a bit and see what happens should Jehovah die. This would cause a major problem for at least the Abrahamic religions. After all, how could we hope for eternal life if the Provider Himself is subject to mortality? The guarantee of eternal life in His Presence would at that time become null and void. Steps must be taken and a cover up must be carried out. Hiding bodies is difficult enough,...
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Massimo Pigliucci: "Politics, Philosophy and Atheism."...
Is there a direct correlation between atheism and liberalism? Why do so many atheists lean towards the left of the political spectrum? Many of our past shows have focused on the Conservative Christian influence over American politics, but does that necessarily mean that one needs to oppose their views in all areas? Politics, philosophy and atheism are the topic for today's show. Our guest is Massimo Pigliucci, who contacted us following our interview with Sunsara Taylor, because he wanted to...
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Carrie Iwan: Skepchickcon/Convergence, Skeptics Track...
Skepchick is a group of female (and one "deserving" male) bloggers dedicated to the idea that skepticism and fun can and should coexist. They turn sharp wit and sharper intellect on subjects such as religion, UFOs, medical quackery, and credulous and sensational reporting. At the same time, they dismantle the idea of skepticism as a dry, intellectual exercise at their many events and meetups, such as their Drinking Skeptically and Skeptics in the Pub events. This July, they're combining both...
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Bart Ehrman: God's Problem. Athests Talk #72, Sunday May...
Bart Ehrman is a scholar of The Bible and has published popular works at a rapid clip on the subjects of theodicy and the literary history of the books some refer to as "Scripture." He was an evangelical who believed that The Episcopalian Church in which he was raised was too tame on the teachings of Jesus' Word of Salvation. Dedicating himself to the study of the original Greek versions of the Gospels and New Testaments in order to better understand the word of God, he made the discovery...
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John W Loftus: Why I am an Atheist. Atheists Talk #71....
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Secular Bible Study and CASH. Atheists Talk #70, Sunday...
Minnesota Atheists and Trinity United Methodist Church jointly participate in The Secular Bible Study. Grant Steves and Chester O'Gorman co-host this venture and today will be on the radio to explain the point and purpose of theists and atheists looking at the bible together. No blood is reported to have yet been spilt at these meetings. Listen in for more details on this meetup group. Mike Haubrich will have Hannah Heidt of the Campus Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists. Hannah is on the board...
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Debunking Jesus, and Camp Quest on Atheists Talk #69,...
Chris Hallquist's book UFO's, Ghosts and A Rising God is a tour through skepticism and applied to Christian apologetics. Chris is just finishing his undergrad degree in philosophy at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and is all set to take on the world of grad school philosophy. He has written published articles on the philosophical approach to examining claims of Christianity and found such apologetics wanting. Stephanie Zvan will interview Chris in the first segment. Rick Rohrer,...
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NCSE: Genie Scott and Greg Laden on Atheists Talk #68,...
Lynn Fellman will be quizzing anthropologists Genie Scott of the National Center for Science Education and Greg Laden of the University of Minnesota on the subject of creationist attempts to weaken science education in K-12 education. Dr. Scott testified before the Texas State Board of Education as the board was considering how to rewrite the science standards. Texas is critical because of the number of pupils. Textbook publishers write their books to fit with the Texas standards, and if...
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Away With All Gods: Sunsara Taylor on Atheists Talk...
Sunsara Taylor's approach to freedom and liberty of thought includes a logical progression moving humanity from theocratic oppression to a socialist atheism. She has been touring campuses in support of Revolutionary Communist Party USA chair Bob Avakian's book Away With All Gods! Unchaining the Mind and Radically Changing the World. Minnesota Atheists secretary George Kane will be talking to Sunsara Taylor on Atheists Talk this Sunday, April 26th for what certainly should be a controversial...
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AHA Annual Convention: Roy Speckhardt on Atheists Talk...
Scott Lohman, the President of the Humanists of Minnesota will be talking to American Humanists Association Executive Director Roy Speckardt. The AHA's 68th annual conference will be in Phoenix from June 5th to June 7th. A member of the Minnesota Atheists will be presented with a special honor at this conference, but we don't want to spoil the surprise. You will need to listen to find out! The AHA and the HOM are sponsors of Atheists Talk, and we thank them for their support. The mission of...
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"Atheism Advanced: David Eller on Atheists Talk #0065,...
Dr.David Eller, anthropologist, is an atheist. He has written text books on violence and culture, religion and culture and culture and culture, He has also written very well received pop press books on atheism. He will be our guest on Sunday to talk to Dr. Grant Steves about his studies in cultural anthropology and his new book Atheism Advanced: Further Thoughts of A Freethinker. "Atheism Advanced answers many questions, including: Why must Atheists stop 'speaking Christian?' -- not only to...
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"Final Exit Network:" Jerry Dincin on Atheists Talk #064...
The mission of the Final Exit Network is to servepeople who are suffering intolerably from irreversible conditions whichhave become more than they can bear. The Network was recently raidedand their funds confiscated by the State of Georgia under the falseaccusation that they have been assisting suicide, and this is somethingthey most emphatically do not do. Jerry Dincin is the president of theFinal Exit Network and is the Minnesota Atheists' scheduled speaker forour April 19th Monthly...
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"Remarkable Creatures." Sean B. Carroll on Atheists Talk...
Have you heard of the new science of Evo Devo? If so, then you've probably read Endless Forms Most Beautiful by Dr. Sean B. Carroll. It is a captivating book describing the genetic tool kit that humans and animals share. His engaging narrative style and clear explanation for how developmental biology works is not only smart it is fun to read. His new book, Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures in the Search for the Origins of Species, shows what a gifted story teller he really is. It will...
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"Denialism and the Whitecoat Underground" Atheists Talk...
Skepticism is generally a healthy thing. Requiring evidence and questioning other people's claims can help us avoid falling prey to quacks and con artists of all stripes. It can keep us from throwing our time, money and hope into a pit from which we can never get it back. However, the tools of skepticism, like any other tools, can be misused. They can be selectively and inappropriately applied to create doubt even where almost no doubt remains. This tactic is referred to as bogus skepticism,...
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"America Losing Religion - And Morality?" - Atheists...
On this week’s show we’re going to try something different. We’ll have a discussion between an atheist and a Christian about the current state of morality in this country. Is the decline of religion really leading to a loss of moral values, as the Religious Right claims? Is America going to hell in a handbasket? Join us for what promises to be a lively debate between August Berkshire, past president of Minnesota Atheists, and Robert Dull of The Pearlygate Network.
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The Humanism of Star Trek, Atheists Talk #0060, Sunday...
Gene Roddenberry convinced the executives at Desilu Studios that a show about exploring space would appeal to a mass audience. They funded a weekly series for three beautiful years, and it turns out he was partially right. The show was not a ratings giant until it went into syndication and cartoons some five years after it had been canceled. From there it fostered a “Big Bang” of cultural infusion. Movies, fan fiction, spinoff series and “cons” exploded the concepts of Star Trek into our...
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The Difference Between Science And Bunk: Massimo...
Prof. Massimo Pigliucci, of the Stonybrook Institute in New York,is a biologist and a philosopher who has published about a hundred technical papers and several books on evolutionary biology. He is a fellow of the American Associationfor the Advancement of Science, selected “for fundamental studies of genotype by environmental interactions and for public defense of evolutionary biology from pseudoscientific attack. ”Massimo is also an atheist, and has published articles in Skeptical...
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The Atheist's Way: Eric Maisel on Atheists Talk Radio,...
Atheists who grew up without religion understand how to lead rich, ethical and fulfilling lives without appealing to gods or religious autority. Many atheists who have discarded religion are often left with an empty feeling and wonder “Okay, what now?” Eric Maisel, a noted author of 30 books on life coaching and guidance, offers a grounding in leading life in “The Atheist's Way.” No “masters of thought” are able to do for you what you can do for yourself.
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The Changing of the Guard. Atheists Talk Radio #057...
Minnesota Atheists has reached an important milestone. The new elections today will mark the changeover from the founding members who will be leaving the board but remaining active, and turning over in democratic fashion the leadership to new and enthusiastic talent. Minnesota Atheists' goal was to create an organization that fosters and encourages growth and new ideas, and it shows in our achievements. August Berkshire and Steve Petersen will talk about the organization and how it has grown...
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"Celebrating Darwin and Evolution at the Bell Museum"...
2009 is the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and 150th year of this book "On the Origin of Species". We're celebrating by talking with Dr. Greg Laden, biological anthropologist, U of M. If you haven't met Dr. Laden, you can get to know him through his nationally known blog. There you'll find "Congo Memoirs", his hilarious, hair raising, in-the-wild adventures while doing REAL science. Similar to 19th century explorers Darwin and Wallace, Dr. Laden writes about tangling with the wild...
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"Science Online 2009 with Bora Zivkovic" Atheists Talk...
Science is moving onto the internet. Collection of data, collaboration between researchers, communication and critique of results, teaching and learning--all are increasingly being done online. ScienceOnline, held January 16 - 18 in 2009, is a conference dedicated to discussing the intersection of science and online technologies. Bora Zivkovic, one of the founders and organizers of ScienceOnline will join Atheists Talk Sunday, February 1, to talk about the purpose of the conference, the...
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"Dialogue With A Christian Sympathizer" Atheists Talk...
What if the Christian god really existed? That's the premise that author Todd Allen Gates takes in his book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer." What conclusions can we reach about this Christian god? One of the book's main themes is: "If you understand why you reject all the other religions, you'll understand why I reject yours." Programming Note: Todd was our guest in November (Show #045) and we have invited him back.
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Dan Barker: "Godless" - Atheists Talk #053 - Jan. 18,...
Dan Barker is the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), based in Madison, Wisconsin. (FFRF has 14,000 members.) He recently authored "Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists." It is an update of his previous work "Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist." Dan has participated in more than 50 atheist-theist debates and is known for his "Friendly Neighborhood Atheism."
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Michael Newdow & Inauguration Lawsuit - Atheists Talk...
On Dec. 30, 2008, Michael Newdow filed suit in U.S. District Court to stop prayers and religious invocations at Barack Obama's Jan. 20, 2009 presidential inauguration. The U.S. Constitution itself establishes the oath of office for the president (Article II, Section 1) and it properly contains no religious references. Newdow's lawsuit, titled "Newdow v. Roberts," included group plaintiffs such as the American Humanist Association, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, Atheist Alliance...
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Top Life Science Stories in 2008 - Atheists Talk #51,...
Exploring Your Inner Zebrafish Listen to Geneticist Dr. Perry Hackett and Evo Devo Biologist PZ Myers as they discuss the Top Life Science Stories of 2008. Big genome stories were everywhere in 2008. The cancer genome, the woolly mammoth genome, the synthetic genome revealed their secrets. Inexpensive genetic tests hit the market and new data on understanding human ancestry. Biologists also made headlines with high speed sequencing, pluripotent stem cells, RNA regulation, copy number...
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Secular Coalition for America: 2008 & 2009 - Atheists...
With Democrats soon to be in control of both the U.S. Congress and the Presidency, can we afford to relax our vigilance regarding Separation of State and Church? Hardly. The presidential candidates fell all over themselves trying to out-Christian each other. President-elect Obama has promised to expand government-funded faith-based charities. And, he just chose conservative pastor Rick Warren to give the invocation at the presidential inauguration. Secular Coalition for America's executive...
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AHA: Winter Solstice, Bus Advertising, $1 Million Match...
Maggie Ardiente of the American Humanist Association (AHA) joins us to discuss the Winter Solstice, AHA's “Just be good for goodness sake” advertising campaign on buses in Washington D.C., and the $1,000,000 Louis Appignani matching grant.
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Austin Dacey: "The Islamic Threat to Secular Government"...
The two fastest growing groups of people in the world are atheists and Muslims. Most atheists support religious freedom and separation of state and church. Do most Muslims support Islamic theocracy? Our guest, Austin Dacey, will discuss "The Islamic Threat to Secular Government." Dacey is a representative to the United Nations for the Center for Inquiry in New York City, where he works on issues of science and secular values as Executive Director.
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Robert M. Price: "Inerrant the Wind" - Atheists Talk...
What has been the modern history of viewing the Bible as "inerrant" - that is, literally true in all its details? Prolific author Robert M. Price joins us to discuss his new book "Inerrant the Wind: The Evangelical Crisis in Biblical Authority."
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"Finding Your Family" - Atheists Talk #046 - Nov. 23,...
Do you have questions about your ancestry before written time? When you've sent your DNA to a lab to find out about your ancient ancestors, are you curious about how they get the data? National Geographic was one of the first organizations to answer these questions. The result is the story of our deep ancestry – the true human lineage traced to 60,000 years ago. To get the story, the world famous Genographic Project tested DNA from over 260,000 people. The results tell the amazing story of...
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"Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" and...
What if the Christian god really existed? That's the premise that author Todd Allen Gates takes in his book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer." What conclusions can we reach about this Christian god? One of the book's main themes is: "If you understand why you reject all the other religions, you'll understand why I reject yours." Then Grant Steves discusses "Fundamentalisms." What do religious, political, and other fundamentalisms have in common? Is there such a thing as atheist...
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"Atheists in the Military" - Atheists Talk #044 - Nov....
This week we have a Veteran's Day Special. Yes, there are atheists in foxholes, who serve bravely and honorably along side their religious colleagues. ("God and Country" is a false union.) What is it like to be an atheist in the military? There have been reports of persecution by evangelical Christians against atheists, Jews, Muslims, Catholics, and anyone else who does not have the "proper beliefs." What is being done about this? Kathleen Johnson will give us a report from the front lines.
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"The State of Science Education in Minnesota" - Atheists...
The Science Standards for the state of Minnesota for grades K-12 are coming up for review by the Minnesota State Legislature. The current Science Standards support evolution and exclude creationism, and we want to keep it that way. (Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has expressed support for "intelligent design.") Lynn Fellman talks with science educators Scott Lanyon, Randy Moore, and Sehoya Cotner about effective public outreach, innovative ways to engage students in science, and new...
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"Ghosts of Minnesota" and "American Atheists" - Atheists...
Just in time for Halloween, we interview John Funk about his website "Ghosts of Minnesota." John says, "I'm fascinated with stories of ghosts and hauntings despite my skepticism, both as cultural phenomena and as compelling works of living fiction superimposed onto real geographic locations." Then we interview Ed Buckner, the newly hired president of American Atheists. What are American Atheists' plans for the future? Ed has a distinguished career in the atheist/humanist movement, having...
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"How to Fight I.D. and Win" & "Humanists of Minnesota" -...
"How to Fight Intelligent Design and Win" with Hector Avalos, interviewed by Cynthia Egli. Scott Lohman, president of the Humanists of Minnesota, interviewed by Steve Petersen.
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"Theistic Evolution" & "Islamic Threat to Secular...
This week we have Stephen Matheson on "Defending Theistic Evolution," interviewed by Mike Haubrich and Fred Whitehead on "The Islamic Threat to Secular Government," interviewed by George Kane.
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Physics on the Air - Atheists Talk #038 - Sept 28, 2008
Dr. Keith Olive is a distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota. His research areas are high energy physics and properties of matter. Joining us from Princeton University is Professor James Peebles, theoretical cosmologist. Professor Peebles has made many important contributions to the big bang model. With Robert Dicke he predicted the cosmic microwave background radiation. Dr. Peebles lectured at the University this week at the Fine Theoretical Physics...
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Secular Weddings and Atheism & Humanism - Atheists Talk...
"Secular Weddings" with recently married atheist couple Bjorn and Jeannette Watland. "What's the Difference Between Atheism and Humanism?" with Scott Lohman, president of the Humanists of Minnesota, and August Berkshire, president of Minnesota Atheists.
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Freedom From Religion Foundation Convention 2008 -...
Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), discusses FFRF’s upcoming national convention in Chicago, Oct. 10-12, 2008, at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Chicago. Produced by Minnesota Atheists. Directed by August Berkshire. Hosted by Mike Haubrich.
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PZ Myers Goes to the Galapagos - Atheists Talk #035 -...
PZ Myers visited the famed islands visited by Charles Darwin which inspired "On the Origin of Species." Rather than fuming with jealously, let us try to learn a bit about the unique environment and interesting biology which can be found on the Galpagos Islands.
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All About Humanism - Atheists Talk #034 Aug 31, 2008
Humanism is something many atheists are familiar with, but may not know enough about. This week at the Minnesota State Fair, we ask the Humanists of Minnesota to answer the touch questions about humanism from fairgoers.
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All About Atheism - Atheists Talk #033 Aug 24, 2008
Since you're listening to a show called Atheists Talk, you probably have an idea what atheism is. In case you don't, or you have no idea what the difference is between strong and weak atheism is, it's time to go to school with August Berkshire, Cynthia Egli, and George Kane as Mike Haubrich sit down at the Great Minnesota Get Together as we bring you an interactive show from the State Fair.
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Greg Laden on Food and Evolution and John Coy on Box Out...
Few things connect atheists better then reading and food. This week, Lynn Fellman interviews anthropologist blogger Greg Laden who talks to us about how human food has impacted human evolution. Later, Grant Steves speaks with John Coy on "Box Out." Coy has written a novel targets to adolescent boys, an audience which has been a long ignored group. It focuses on how schools and sports can marginalize teens who may not fit a stereotype or expectation.
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Lori Lipman Brown and Louis Appignani - Atheists Talk...
Lori Lipman Brown, Director, Secular Coalition for America, discusses the past legislative session.
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Christian/Atheist Dialog With August Berkshire and Jeff...
Jeff Shell and Lee Michaels step into our studio this week for a conversation with President of Minnesota Atheists, August Berkshire. Why Jeff and Lee? They host a Christian talk radio show, "KKMS Live with Jeff and Lee," and have featured August as a guest on their show. As a show of "good faith," pardon the pun, they have agreed to visit Atheists Talk.
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PZ Myers On Bat Wings and C.L. Hanson from Ex Mormon -...
This week, Lynn Fellman sits down with Professor PZ Myers to discuss evolutionary science, including what a bat wing and a mouse paw have in common. C.L. Hanson is stateside to talk about her blog, Letters from a Broad and her novel, Exmormon.
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Erin Davies on Fagbug and Hector Avalos on Biblical...
You have a rainbow sticker on your car. Someone spray paints, "fAg" and "u r gay" onto your car. What do you do? If you're Erin Davies you leave the grafitti on your car and use it to promote tolerence and understanding for homosexuals and as an outlet for homosexuals to feel free from shame and guilt when similar things happen to them. Hector Avalos joins Grant Steves to talk about "The End of Biblical Studies" which profiles how terrible weak the evidence is for Biblical events in history...
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Robert M. Price on "Top Secret" - Atheists Talk #027 Jul...
Minnesota Atheist board member Grant Steves has invited Dr. Robert M. Price, author of "Top Secret: The Truth Behind Today's Pop Mysticisms," among many other works into the studio to talk about pop mysticisms, such as The Secret.
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Eddie Tabash from Americans United - Atheists Talk #026...
For Independence Day, we're proud ot bring you Eddie Tabash of American's United to speak with us about the Founding Father's views on the separation of Church and State. If you've ever felt like the Founder's would not approve of our government's actions regarding the entanglement of church and state you can find out some good evidence about what they wrote and said on that topic to make up your own mind.
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Wayne Bensen from Truth Wins Out and Jane Bowman from...
In honor of Gay Pride events going on world-wide, Minnesota Atheists are proud to present Wayne Bensen of "Truth Wins Out," an organization which exposes the lies of ex-gay ministries. Next, we bring you Jane Bowman who has researched 515 Minnesota laws which discriminate against gay couples and their families. Minnesota Atheists strongly support those fighting for equal rights.
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Michael Estes on African American Freethinkers and on...
Michael Estes and Steve Petersen talk in our first half hour about African American Freethinkers throughout history, such as Ella Baker, W.E.B.Du Bois and A. Philip Randolph. Next, we have Eric Harmon talking with Michael Estes about how religion affects the African American community.
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Mark Borrello on the History of Science - Atheists Talk...
Be sure to check out Evolution 2008 at the University of Minnesota this year from June 20-24. If you need convincing, just listen to Mark Borrello, Assistant Professor in History of Science at the University of Minnesota speak with Minnesota Atheists Member Lynn Fellman. Author George Erickson steps in to speak with Grant Steves about his book, "Back to the Barrens." Enjoy, and Happy Father's Day!
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James Kakalios on The Physics of Superheros and August...
This week, we bring you author James Kakalios who wrote "The Physics of Superheros." Look for him later this summer at CONvergence in Bloomington, MN on July 3-6. Later in the show, President of Minnesota Atheists, August Berkshire, speaks with George Kane about the problem of evil.
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Mark Decker on More Than Darwin and Laura Hutt on...
Minnesota Atheists Talk is proud to bring you Lynn Fellman talking with Mark Decker, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Minnesota and co-author of "More Than Darwin." Also on the show, we have Geroge Kane and Laura Hutt talking about Freethought Toastmasters, a great way to work on your public speaking skills.
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Matt Cherry on IHS and Blair Scott on Operation Foxhole...
We have a special Memorial Day show for you featuring Matt Cherry from the Insitute for Humanist Studies speaking about religious and non religious rights and humanism, and from Operation Foxhole Atheists, Blair Scott, talking about descrimination atheists and other freethinkers face in the military.
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Bonnie Leroy on Genetic Counseling and Rich Roher on...
Bonnie LeRoy from the University of Minnesota's Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling speaks with Lynn Fellman about genetics and ethics. Later in the show, Rick Rohrer, president of Camp Quest of Minnesota and campers Sanjeev and Laura sit down to talk about Camp Quest, a secular summer camp for kids.
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Annie Laurie Gaylor on Women and FFRF - Atheists Talk...
It's Mother's Day today in the US. To honor women, Annie Laurie Gaylor talks about women in the Bible with Grant Steves. Later, August Berkshire learns all about the founding mothers of freethought. We hope you enjoy Annie Laurie Gaylor. If you do, please support the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
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lois Shadewald on Pseudoscience and Greg Laden on...
Cynthia Egli talks with Lois Shadewald about pseudo science, including perpetual motion machines, and the Flat Earth Society which are mentioned in "Worlds of Their Own." Greg Laden steps in to talk with Mike Haubrich about legislation which is hoping around the country, proposing "Academic Freedom," that would require the teaching of Creationism in public schools yeast infection treatment.
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Rob Boston from Americans United on Tax Earmarks for...
Hold onto your Consitutional Rights, people! Rob Boston exposes the slippery slope of providing federal funds to religious organizations. Steve Petersen and August Berkshire discuss the National Day of Prayer and the National Day of Reason. Both events will be celebrated locally at the Capitol in Saint Paul on Thursday, May 1 at noon.
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Lee Salisbury on Biblical Literalism and Bjorn Mastiaux...
Lee Salisbury gives us a lesson on living Biblically, and examines passages which most Christians, if not all, either do not take literally, or choose not to follow. Coming up after Lee is Bjorn Mastiaux who is here from Germany to research members of atheist organizations.
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PZ Myers on Expelled and Lynn Fellman on Science...
PZ Myers talks about his experience with the producer for "Expelled" and explains some misconceptions about evolution which are made in the film. Lynn Fellman also stops by to describe her passion for science and art with her unique portraits called "The DNA Project."
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Peter McGrath and Karen James from The Beagle Project -...
Peter McGrath and Karen James from The Beagle Project call in to keep us informed about the upcoming attempt to recreate the historic voyage of the Beagle to the Galapagos.
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