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Show 178: The Fallacy of Moderation or Why Liberals seem so Stupid

1-Hour Special!

Audio 1 here!

Audio 2 here!

The effective alternative to policies which are based on misanthropic assumptions of people’s inherent laziness, greed, selfishness, and antisocial nature are policies which are radically different than the “moderate” ineffectual policies which most liberal-minded people support.  If we are going to be successful at becoming the kind of free, egalitarian, open, tolerant, inclusive, creative, inventive, dynamic and forward looking culture which we want our society to be, we will need to base our policies on a very different understanding of the human experience.

Join our discussion about how things might look if our understanding of the world was based on naturalism and humanism.  We’ll be taking your calls throughout the hour!

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Show 177: Naturalism, Racism & African-Americans

2-Hour Special!

Audio here!

Is it possible that the role of religion and faith has been far less of an advantage for African Americans than is commonly assumed? Might a naturalistic approach to life be more effective at addressing the challenges that African Americans continue to face, such as racism, and poverty? What might a naturalistic African American culture look like and how might it make a difference?

To help us examine the role of faith and religious practice in African American life from a critical perspective we will be joined on the phone by three African Americans who identify themselves as being humanist, atheist, and reason based, as opposed to faith based: Equal Time for Freethought’s (one time) science advisor Dr. Reg Hacksaw, who has appeared with us here in the past, atheist broadcaster Reggie Finley, also know as “The Infidel Guy,” and Dr. Anthony Pinn an author of The African American Religious Experience in America, and African American Humanist Principles: Living and Thinking Like the Children of Nimrod. All three are active in their communities and will tell us about their personal journeys as well as their ideas.

And if that wasn’t enough- joining us in the studio will be a fourth African American – Sibanye, leader of the Harlem Freethinkers, a group which meets regularly to discuss issues of relevance to the Black Community from a humanistic and naturalistic perspective.

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Show 176: Esther Kaplan

From the Introduction of Esther Kaplan‘s With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush’s White House:

Audio here!

“(Six) short years and a political lifetime ago, George W. Bush lost the 2000 popular election by more than half a million votes and assumed the leadership of a divided nation. (Since then) the Christian right has (aquired) more political power than at any point in its history, and Bush has governed from the far right. He has antagonized much of the world and a broad swath of the American people by launching a bold policy of preemptive war; by flouting international treaties on global warming, arms, and war crimes; and by invading Iraq despite global opposition. He has cemented a profoundly elite economic agenda, giving away hundreds of billions of tax dollars to corporations and the wealthy while undermining labor unions and relaxing laws monitoring public lands, environmental pollutants, and media ownership … He amassed a record deficit conservatively estimated to exceed $500 billion and then threatened social program austerity….

Continue reading “Show 176: Esther Kaplan”

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Show 175: Harold Barclay; Anthropologist

Harold Barclay discusses his book People without Government: An Anthropology of Anarchy

Audio here!

Over the last three weeks, Equal Time for Freethought has asked scientists basic questions about human nature.

Is it within human nature to be aggressive, or is aggression the result of environmental circumstances?

Is war inevitable because humans have a natural tendency to inter-societal violence, or is there something unique in modern culture which brings out the soldier in many of us, particularly our males?

What if peace was closer to the “natural state” of human nature, and we have lived though an aberration of violence over the last few centuries?

Continue reading “Show 175: Harold Barclay; Anthropologist”

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Show 174a: “The Science of Peace”

Audio here!

First of Three Parts!

Is it within human nature to be aggressive, or is aggression the result of environmental circumstances? Is war inevitable because humans have a natural tendency to inter-societal violence, or is there something unique in modern culture which brings out the soldier in many of us, particularly our males?

What if Hobbes got it wrong?

What if women were in charge instead of men?

What if peace was closer to the “natural state” of human nature, and we have lived though an aberration of violence over the last few centuries?

And if cooperation and beneficence is prevalent in Homo Sapien Sapiens, how can we cultivate the human potential for peace … particularly when many people, even some scientists, are so pessimistic about our fate?

On Sunday, July 30th; Sunday, August 6th; & Sunday, August 13th, we will be talking with anthropologist Douglas Fry, author of Beyond War: The Human Potential for Peace, and biologist Judith Hand, author of Women, Power, and the Science of Peace. Humanity’s history is not so “primitive” as some might argue, and our present day situation may not be as dire as it sometimes seems.

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Show 173: David Mills

Audio here!

From the Publisher:

Clear, concise, and persuasive, David Mills‘ Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person’s Answer to Christian Fundamentalism 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, philosophy, ethics, history and science.

Atheist Universe avoids the esoteric language and logic used by philosophers, and presents its scientific evidence in simple lay terms, making it a richly entertaining and easy-to-read introduction to atheism. A comprehensive primer, it addresses all the historical and scientific questions, including: Is there proof that God does not exist? What evidence is there of Jesus’ resurrection? Can creation science reconcile scripture with the latest scientific discoveries?

Atheist Universe also answers ethical issues such as: What is the meaning of life without God? It’s a spellbinding inquiry that ultimately arrives at a controversial and well-documented conclusion.

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Show 171: Michelle Goldberg

Audio here!

On her website, Goldberg’s publisher – W.W. Norton – writes, “Before the 2004 election, and during the ensuing months when many Americans were trying to understand how an administration marked by cronyism, disregard for the national budget, and poorly disguised self-interest had been reinstated, Goldberg traveled through the heartland of a country in the grips of a fevered religious radicalism: the America of our time. From the classroom to the mega-church to the federal court, she saw how the growing influence of dominionism—the doctrine that Christians have the right to rule nonbelievers—is threatening the foundations of democracy. With her trenchant interviews and the telling testimonies of the people behind this movement, Goldberg gains access into the hearts and minds of citizens who are striving to remake the secular Republic bequeathed by our founders into a Christian nation run according to their interpretation of scripture

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Show 170: On the Count meets Equal Time for Freethought

1-Hour Special!

Audio here!

For anyone who is a humanist, reform of our brutal criminal justice system is a major concern, but can real structural changes to our criminal justice system become adopted and be sustained without a radical change in our nation’s consciousness which departs from religion?

The host of WBAI’s ‘On the Count!’: The Criminal Justice and Prison Report’s” Eddie Ellis, join’s “Equal Time for Freethought’s” Arnell Dowret for a wide ranging examination of the philosophical and theological ideas involved in creating a new, more humane and just criminal justice paradigm.  Included in this discussion is a look at how a secular humanist world view compares with a world view that is faith-based in regard to relevant social, economic, and political issues such as poverty, capitalism, racism, and reparations.