Posted on

Show 394: Lawrence Krauss on “Why there is Something rather than Nothing?”

Lawrence Krauss on “Why there is Something rather than Nothing?”

Audio here!

A question often asked of non-theists is “why is there something rather than nothing?” The question is not so much a religious or philosophical question, but rather a question about the natural world. Finding a satisfying answer is difficult, but is becoming easier to reach as exciting scientific advances have provided new insight into this cosmological question. Presenting such complex information in a relatively simple way is a challenge, one that physicist Lawrence Krauss takes on in his book A Universe From Nothing, providing thoughtful arguments along with wry humor.

Lawrence Krauss is a theoretical physicist who is a professor of physics, Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration, and director of the Origins Project at Arizona State University. He is the author of several bestselling books, including Quantum Man: Richard Feynman’s Life in Science, The Physics of Star Trek, and, the focus of this show, A Universe from Nothing.

Posted on

Show 393: The Republican Brain w/ Chris Mooney

The Republican Brain w/ Chris Mooney

Audio here!

For the Equal Time for Freethought Spring Fund-Drive Special, we will be discussing science journalist Chris Mooney‘s new book, The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science–and Reality.

Why do conservatives and Libertarians think differently than liberals and anarchists/socialists? Why do those on the Left seem ambiguous and often disunited or overly nuanced in their attempts to engage the political landscape while those on the Right seem close-minded and unwilling to accept objective scientific facts?

We discussed these issues and more with author Chris Mooney and will be offering his book and the entire interview we conducted with him as thank-you’s for contributing to WBAI-NY during our program! All proceeds go to the radio station so that it can continue to bring you programming you won’t find elsewhere.. especially programming like Equal Time for Freethought – the ONLY humanist/atheist/freethought broadcast program on the East Coast (and perhaps nation-wide)!

Posted on

Show 392: The Remaking of Humanity? W/ Judith Hand and David Graeber

The Remaking of Humanity? W/ Judith Hand and David Graeber

Audio here!

Judith Hand will be back this week for part two of a series on women, human nature, and the healthy society. along with David Graeber to conclude this series. What is human nature, anyway? Are we our biology? Are we our environment or socialization (culture)? What role do both biology and culture play in creating human behaviour? Are humans evolved to be a certain way?  Why are we in such a mess today, and how can we get to a healthier, more humanistic society?

Posted on

Show 391: Women & the End of War? w/ Kathleen Barry & Judith Hand

Women & the End of War? w/ Kathleen Barry & Judith Hand

Audio here!

What affect does militarism have on men? Are men – or humans in general – naturally warlike, aggressive, and violent? What role should woman play in modern society when it comes to leadership roles, and can women’s impact on power structures reduce violence and war in any way?

Sunsara Taylor will speak with sociologist Kathleen Barry and evolutionary biologist Judith Hand on these questions on the next Equal Time for Freethought – part one of an (unofficial) two part series on human nature, what we can expect from humanity in the future, and how we can secure a progressive, humanistic future society.

Posted on

Show 390: Easter Sunday Special w/ Dr. Bruce Waller

Easter Sunday Special w/ Dr. Bruce Waller

Audio here!

The believed resurrection of Jesus Christ celebrated on Easter Day is the climax of a bizarre moral narrative in which an innocent victim endures great suffering until death, for the purpose of absolving the sins of everyone else; and all of it, arranged and supervised by the Christian god.

The problems with deriving any meaningful message about morality from this very strange story are numerous. Yet despite all of the contradiction and irony in their founding narrative, for most of the past two thousand years Christians have generally managed to believe that each of us must choose of our own free will to let Christ into our hearts and be saved so that after we’ve died we may join him and perhaps our loved ones in a heavenly paradise.. or else we can except to suffer for all of eternity in Hell.  According to the bible the choice is ours, to make of our own free will.

The belief that with our ‘free will’ we are free to choose to be who ever and what ever we want to make ourselves is the primary rationale for assigning moral responsibility.  But today we understand that we are all the result of factors we do not choose.  We do not, and can not choose to be any way other than what our genes and our environmental experiences make possible.  At a time when we know this to be true, can holding people morally responsible still make sense?  And is it fair?

To help us examine the question of moral responsibility we will feature an interview with Dr. Bruce Waller, professor of religion and philosophy at Youngstown State University and author of the recently published book, “Against Moral Responsibility.”  And following our interview with Dr. Waller we will be pleased to again feature the complete recording of the last known mediated debate between Jesus Christ and the Easter Bunny.

Posted on

Show 389: Merle Hoffman – Abortion & Women’s Reproductive Rights

Merle Hoffman – Abortion & Women’s Reproductive Rights

Audio here!

This Saturday on ETFF, Sunsara Taylor will be speaking with Merle Hoffman about her new memoir, “The Life and Times of the Woman Who Brought Abortion from the Back Alley to the Boardroom.”

In 1971 – two years before the Roe V. Wade decision which legalized abortion nationally – Merle Hoffman founded Choices, and abortion clinic in NY. As a medical provider, she pioneered Patient Power, encouraging women to participate in their own health care decisions. Whether addressing the murder of abortion providers like Dr. George Tiller, or challenging women to understand and explore their own power over their bodies and the language used to wield such power, Merle Hoffman has been on the front lines of the feminist movement – a fierce warrior in the battle for choice.

Posted on

Show 388: Naturalistic Support Workshop

Naturalistic Support Workshop w/ Arnell Dowret

Audio here!

Becoming empowered to advance your life while also advancing the lives of those around you; attaining a deeper sense of connectedness to others; and experiencing life with sublime inspiration and serenity.  While faith-based and other traditional paths which are based on supernatural beliefs claim to provide these benefits, the reality clearly falls short.  Naturalism in contrast, which concerns itself with attaining an understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe that is accurate, reliable, and testable, (evidence-based), can actually deliver all of these benefits, with a level of effectiveness that no supernatural-based approach can equal.

Continue reading “Show 388: Naturalistic Support Workshop”

Posted on

Show 387: Free Will and Moral Responsibility

Audio here!

Who deserves their fate in life?  This question is increasingly being raised from various ranks in our society.  Over the past year or so there has been a spate of books discussing our ability to empathize as central to being human.  This week, as our Supreme Court deliberated whether life long prison sentences without the possibility of parole for 14-year-olds constituted cruel and unusual punishment, the entire validity of retributive justice is brought into question.  On the streets, the Occupy movement is calling into question the basic assumptions about how we as a society deem some worthy to enjoy outlandishly excessive rewards while multitudes of others get nearly enough for life’s basic necessities.

As our regular listeners know, we at ETFF have long advocated that believing in “free will” is no more grounded in reason and evidence than any other belief in the supernatural. But in addition, the belief in free will is corrosive;  it supports the notion that some people are more deserving than others, and is used to justify outrageous inequity and violence.

Hopefully a large nail in the coffin of belief in “free will” will be hammered in by the publication, earlier this month, of the new mini-book by Sam Harris, simply titled “Free Will.”

Joining us on the phone to discuss this important new book and the significance of the question of free will in general will be director of The Center for Naturalism, and repeat guest on our program, Tom Clark.

Posted on

Show 386: The Reason Rally w/ Jamila Bey and Hemant Mehta

The Reason Rally w/ Jamila Bey and Hemant Mehta

Audio here!

The Reason Rally is only a few weeks away, March 24th to be exact, in Washington D.C. This Saturday, we will speak with two of the speakers who will deliver addresses during the events; Hemant Mehta and Jamila Bey.

Mehta is a the host of the blog Friendly Atheist, and is the chair of the Foundation Beyond Belief.  He has worked with the Center for Inquiry and the Secular Coalition for America, received scholarships from American Atheists and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and is the former chair of the board of the Secular Student Alliance. He appeared on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and his book, “I Sold My Soul on eBay,” was released in 2007.

Bey is a journalist and former a Editor and Producer for National Public Radio. She is the host of SPARring With Jamila: The Sex Politics and Religion Hour on the Voice of Russia Radio. Bey is also a comedian, and has been a writer for hire for the better part of the last decade – one devoted to spreading the gospel of Logic, Reason, and Science to all those who may hear. She is part of  Black Atheists of America which is is a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between atheism and the black community.

We will be talking about the Reason Rally and the issues surrounding it, including what they hope to accomplish with the event. We will also discuss Mehta’s and Bey’s own work and their experiences as ‘atheists/humanists of color.’