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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)!

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Show 384: Darwin Day Special!

Darwin Day Special!

Audio here!

It’s that time again to raise funds for Listener-Sponsored Radio, WBAI-NY! This time, we’ll do it with Darwin and the theory of evolution with Reverend Michael Dowd, a stanch advocate for evolution (against Creationism), and author of Thank God for Evolution!

Dowd has been on ETFF before, and is an interesting guest for us because of his interest in uniting religion with science (and evolution, in particular).  The ‘New Atheists’ probably don’t like him much, and secular humanists may scratch their head, but if there is a man who can bridge the huge gap between Evangelical and/or Fundamentalist Christians and Naturalists – which is a big step towards a more progressive humanistic society – Dowd may be him.

We also offered a great DVD called Race: The Power of an Illusion!

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Show 375: Humanist for the Holidays

Humanist for the Holidays – Call-In Special!

Audio here!

With the holiday season comes a lot of cognitive (and emotional) dissonance for politically conscious humanists. If you were raised with religion, you might have fond memories called up by holiday decorations that clash with your current understanding of exploitation and consumerism. Meanwhile, you’re visiting family and friends who may not be aware of your “un-believer” status.

So how do humanists maintain integrity during the holidays while still having fun? Call in with your stories, advice, and questions and we’ll sort it all out on Equal Time For Freethought!

We will speak with Greg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, about humanist celebrations and how humanists and atheists can live full, moral lives without religion, and with Patrick Colucci, Vice Chairman of the HumanLight committee, who will discuss the first ever international humanist winter holiday, now celebrating its 10th year!

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

Audio here!

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.

Continue reading “Show 351: Secular Art W/ Global Perspective w/ Aladdin Ullah”

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Show 349: War, Gender, & Religion

War, Gender, & Religion

Audio here!

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.

 

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Show’s 335: A World Without Islam II

A World Without Islam w/ Graham Fuller

Audio 2 here!

Is Islam a religion of Peace as many Muslims argue?

Is Islam, and other religions, really what poisons everything, as many atheists argue?

Can we answer the ‘chicken and egg’ question as regards religion and political economy?

How should we best understand and heal the violence done in the world today in the name of God?

Equal Time for Freethought had the privilege of speaking with former vice-chair of the National Intelligence Council at the CIA, Graham Fuller, on his new book: ‘A World Without Islam.’ We aired excepts of this interview on our Fund Drive Program a few Tuesdays ago, and thought it important enough to play in its entirety for our regular listeners.

*This program aired in two parts on 11/7 & 11/14 in 2010

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Show 331: Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State

Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State

Audio here!

On Saturday, we will be airing a special one-hour program on the global rise in religious fundamentalism and in particular the political revolution and/or rebellion of groups who seemed defined by their religion against the industrial nations whether capitalistic or s0-called communistic.   What are the motives of these groups?  Why have they become so numerous over the last 4o years?  Does religion act as the catalyst, cause, or as a tool for these uprisings?  And, how do those nations best deal with the violence these groups target them with, while finding new ways to prevent these uprisings in the first place?

To speak to these questions and more, we will have on the line sociologist Mark Juergensmeyer, author of Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State, from Christian Militias to Al Queda.  Juergensmeyer is an American scholar and writer best known for his studies of religious violence and global religion.  He also has written on conflict resolution and on South Asian religion and society, and has been a pioneer in the field of global studies.

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Show 325: Creation w/ Carl Zimmer

Two-Hour Fund Drive Special!

Audio here!

Creation w/ Special Guest, Science Writer Carl Zimmer

“A psychological, heart-wrenching love story starring Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) as Charles Darwin, the film is based on “Annie’s Box,” a biography penned by Darwin’s great-great-grandson Randal Keynes using personal letters and diaries of the Darwin family. We take a unique and inside look at Darwin, his family and his love for his deeply religious wife, played by Jennifer Connelly (A Beautiful Mind, Requiem for a Dream), as, torn between faith and science, Darwin struggles to finish his legendary book “On the Origin of Species,” which goes on to become the foundation for evolutionary biology.”

Join us in support of WBAI-NY and feel free to donate to the station so ETFF will always have a home!

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Show’s 323: Mind Matters!

Two-Part Special: Mind Matters!

Audio 1 here!

Audio 2 here!

What is the relationship between God and Mind, or between Brain and Mind for that matter? And speaking of matter, how can we explain how the brain as a biological organ can produce immaterial thoughts, and indeed consciousness itself? From where did the concept of God really originate befor…e it became a (but certainly not thE) foundational reason for the broader sociopolitical construct we call religion? And finally, if we can better understand the questions I’ve just articulated, can we have a better understanding of human behavior itself? We will address these questions today and next week with two social scientists who have themselves grappled with the nature of God, Mind, Brain and Human Behavior.

Continue reading “Show’s 323: Mind Matters!”

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Show 306: Atheism or Humanism?

Atheism Vs. Humanism?

Audio here!

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…