Show 351: Secular Art W/ Global Perspective w/ Aladdin Ullah

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This week, Aladdin Ullah will perform excerpts of his one-man show, Indio, which follows his travels from his childhood home in the projects of Harlem to the childhood home of his parents in Bangladesh.  This surprisingly hilarious show deals with the ache of displacement, the contrasts as well as the commonalities of oppressed people on different sides of the globe, and a unique perspective on religion as it takes shape in different cultures.

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Show 350: Ian Murphy; Militant Atheist for Congress

Ian Murphy; Militant Atheist for Congress

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So you’ve heard about Ian Murphy, editor of The Buffalo Beast and the voice behind the famous “David Koch” prank call to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker? Did you know he’s running for Congress on the Green Party line to fill the disgraced Republican Chris Lee’s seat?

Murphy has outed himself as… a “Militant Atheist” and so he will join ETFF host Michael O’Neil to discuss his view of atheism, why he’s running for Congress, and much much more on the next Equal Time For Freethought!

Show 349: War, Gender, & Religion

War, Gender, & Religion

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This Saturday on Equal Time for Free Thought, Sunsara Taylor will be talking with:

Nica Lalli, author of “Nothing,” a memoir about growing up – and then making her way in the world – without religion. This segment will examine the lessons Lalli has drawn from her own search for meaning and her journey to becoming what she calls a “pink atheist” as well as her insights and approaches to building a family and community with, or sometimes at least among, those who believe in different ways.

And…

Kathleen Barry, author of “Unmaking War, Remaking Men,” which examines the links between “masculinity” as we know it and a world of wars of aggression and plunder.

Taylor and Barry will explore the links between the rampant violence against women in the most intimate of spaces and the mass-scale brutality of imperialist wars, including some discussion of the recent unjust and immoral U.S. military assault on Libya.

 

Show 333: Box Brown From Everything Dies

Humanist Funnies! A Conversation With Cartoonist Box Brown From “Everything Dies”

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Host Michael ONeil interviews Box Brown, who recently finished his webcomic, “Bellen!”, to focus totally on the web-and-print, religion-based comic: Everything Dies.  He lives in Philadelphia with Sarah, Buster and Louis, only two of which are cats.

Box’s work has been featured on Unshelved.com and USAToday’s Pop Candy Blog.  “Everything Dies” explores religion’s role as myth throughout the world.  It’s like if Kurt Vonnegut’s ghost possessed Jack Chick!  Not that Kurt Vonnegut has a ghost (though that would be hilarious)

Show 332: Michael De Dora

A Conversation with Freethought community leader, Michael De Dora

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Join us for a chat with the director of the Center for Inquiry-NYC, Michael De Dora, on his work with the center, and within the NYC Freethought community as a whole, and what he recommends needs to be done to expand said community. We will also talk with him about alternatives to traditional philosophy-group meetings and venture into how to better serve local atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and humanists.

Show 322: Freethought On Campus!

Freethought On Campus!

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In 1996, the Council for Secular Humanism brought seven college students to its headquarters at the Center for Inquiry Transnational in Amherst, New York. These seven students wanted to establish a network of non-believers and critical rationalists on university and college campuses around the world. They were concerned by the rising tide of religious-political extremism and anti-scientific outlooks among members of their generation, as well as the lack of a strong and supportive community for young freethinkers. Some came from families or communities that were openly hostile towards religious unbelievers.

Within a year, seven students’ dream had become a successful reality: forty campus groups were soon established or affiliated with what was then known as the Campus Freethought Alliance.

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Show 316: “Is There Anything More Important Than Whether or Not You Believe in a God?”

Call In Special: “Is There Anything More Important Than Whether or Not You Believe in a God?

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The God debate may be interesting but when it comes to making our world a better place, is it really what matters the most?   Recently, a wide variety of professionals, including neuro-scientists, primatologists, social psychologists,  media journalists, and others have all been writing and talking about something far more central to achieving the progressive social change about which humanists should be concerned; empathy.

The concept of empathy speaks to those who are religious and non-religious alike.  It is the mechanism that results in our most humane and joyful experiences, just as the lack of it result in experiences which are the most debased and hurtful.  While seemingly uncontroversial, unthreatening, and innocuous, having a full appreciation of our natural inclination to empathize can open people to ideas that they might otherwise dismiss without adequate consideration.

During this installment of Equal Time for Freethought we’ll hear some sound clips of some of the principal players in the current “Empathy Zeitgeist” and take some of your calls to see if you agree that there are more important issues than atheism or faith, and that empathy may be the most important of all.

 

Show 306: Atheism or Humanism?

Atheism Vs. Humanism?

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With the advent of the ‘New Atheists’ and their amazing popularity, and the watering down of humanism by many organizations in the US, we wonder what is the difference between humanism and atheism? Is atheism the foundational core of humanism as many “secular” humanists argue? Can anyone self-identified as an atheist be called a humanist? If humanism is, as some state, an ethical worldview, why do many argue that people can hold any political position and still be a humanist? Matthew LaClair will host a special call-in show to have YOU address these questions…

Show 300: Arnell Dowret’s “Naturalistic Holiday Special!”

Naturalistic Holiday Special!

Audio 1 Here!

Audio 2 Here!

The holiday season is officially here and though many nonbelievers might spin an index finger and mutter “Well, whoopty do!,” the period from Thanksgiving to Christmas need not be problematic for people who don’t believe in Jesus, nor need it be joyless for people who do not believe in god at all.

During this one hour special Arnell Dowret offers a naturalistic take on the holidays – and he’ll explain how those who are secular may want to celebrate the holidays for the significant benefits they have to offer.

He’ll start out wrapping up thanksgiving weekend by asking listeners to call in about what they are grateful for in their lives.*

For the bottom half of the hour, he’ll talk about the upcoming weeks and ideas for having a Naturalistic Christmas Day.

And while not everyone’s response will be to run out, get a flu shot, and go visit a Santa (probably a good thing) – you may find the holidays just a little more fun!

Show 298: ‘Good without God’ w/ Greg Epstein

‘Good without God’ w/ Greg Epstein

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This Sunday, Matthew will interview Greg Epstein, author of the new book ‘Good Without God; What a Billion Non-Religious People Do Believe.’ The book has influenced many campaigns, such as the ‘Good Without God’ posters in the New York City subway system.

Epstein is the Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University. He blogs for Newsweek magazine and The Washington Post, and has been featured by National Public radio, BBC radio, Newsweek, US News and World Report and more.