Friendly Atheist Podcast

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The Mormon Church is being sued for turning in a child abuser. (0:22) — Britain's "most prolific rapist" was a good guy, according to his church. (7:31) — Conservatives want to torture a suffering baby by keeping her alive when there's no hope of recovery. (12:44) — A new ad from a GOP group highlights the hypocrisy of Trump-loving evangelical Christians. (18:18) — This conservative doesn't think fictional women can handle swords. (24:41) — A Brazilian judge told Netflix to temporarily pull a comedy film featuring a gay Jesus because it's offending Christians. The Supreme Court overruled him. (31:19) — A Christian woman is suing the Postal Service for not allowing her to use self-designed Jesus stamps. (34:05)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Some potentially interesting personal news from Hemant. (1:00) — A whole bunch of Congress members want the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. (15:45) — The United Methodist Church is breaking up over the issue of whether love matters. (30:06) — Pope Francis smacked a woman's hand and we can't even complain about it. (38:40) — Massachusetts may drop its requirement for minors to get permission before an abortion. (42:04) — Christian "coach" Dave Daubenmire has a new reason to oppose interracial marriage: He went to a zoo. (45:38) — One reason white evangelicals love Trump? They're as opposed to immigration as he is. (49:42) — Conservative Dennis Prager doesn't care about anything Anne Frank wrote because he doesn't get his wisdom from teenagers. Or anyone else for that matter. (58:19)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this podcast, Jessica and I discussed the past year in news! We covered a whole variety of topics, going month by month, so feel free to jump around and listen in at any point! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Christianity Today‚Äòs piece calling for Donald Trump's removal from office doesn't go far enough. (1:11) — These Christian parents sadly think their dead baby will be resurrected. Do they deserve criticism? (16:29) — This anti-gay pastor was caught trolling for men on Grindr. (21:22) — Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin said he pardoned a child rapist because the victim's hymen was intact. (25:24) — The Mormon Church is allegedly hoarding $100 billion (with a B) meant for charity. (30:58) — These GOP-approved federal judges are the worst. (36:15) — Hallmark screwed up, then backtracked, after the Christian Moms complained about an ad with a same-sex couple. (40:25) — Samoa is going after anti-vaxxers. Hardcore. (44:15)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Thank you for helping us reach this milestone! Your stories are interspersed throughout this episode! — A man who slapped a reporter's butt on live TV during a race is a Christian youth leader. (3:54) — The people running the Anti-Theism conference still don't get it. (11:08) — A racist city council member from Georgia is resigning before voters can vote him out. (26:00) — Donald Trump asked a Christian pastor who said Jews are going to Hell to speak at a Hanukkah Reception. And that's not all. (31:40) — A Minnesota mom is suing two pharmacy chains after she was unable to get the morning-after pill from them. (36:33) — A Wall Street Journal essayist wants atheists to lie to their kids about death. (42:50) — A Louisiana high school newspaper had to change its front page because it was deemed too Jesus-y. (49:35)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The organizer of an "anti-theism" conference defended sexual harassment in a bizarre rant. (0:40) — Elizabeth Warren needs a better response when it comes to defending the rights of atheists. (14:22) — One of the most anti-abortion conservatives in the country just got a lifetime appointment to the federal bench due to Republicans. (21:02) — Ohio Republicans want doctors to reimplant ectopic pregnancies. (25:33) — This Christian man says no one has it worse in America than Christian men. (29:24) — New laws in favor of sex abuse victims could cost the Catholic Church over $4 billion. (31:57) — Three girls from Utah defended their classmate after a teacher insulted his gay dads. (36:40) — Liberty University just launched a "think tank." (39:52) — The U.S. Army is not anti-Christian. (41:59) — Televangelist Paula White says she can't abandon Donald Trump now because what would that say about her?! (45:59)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew L. Seidel works as a constitutional attorney at the Freedom from Religion Foundation (ffrf.org), litigating cases involving religion and the Constitution. He has appeared on FOX News and MSNBC, speaks and writes extensively about religious freedom, and is the author of a new book called "The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism Is Un-American." We spoke at the recent FFRF convention about what he learned about Christian Nationalism while researching this book, how church/state separation legal strategy changes with a conservative Supreme Court, and the future of Project Blitz. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Conservative Christians are angry at Chick-fil-A for helping the poor. (0:38) — People are very upset about a same-sex couple on a dancing show. (12:35) — A Christian Right group's Christmas "Naughty or Nice" list reveals a lot about their priorities. (16:36) — A Tennessee school district is getting sued over its long long history of preaching to kids. (23:40) — A Wisconsin church won't get a $10,000 from a city council because they bragged about converting people with it. (27:59) — The Dallas Straight Pride Parade was a flop. (31:03) — A Michigan college nixed the Pledge from student government meetings, then brought it back. (34:00) — Kanye West's appearance at Joel Osteen's church was underwhelming and ignorant. (37:52) — The Ohio House passed a bill that allegedly prohibits teachers from punishing students who give a wrong answer if they did it because of religion. (53:10) — Kansas City just banned conversion therapy! (58:33)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Kanye West is visiting Joel Osteen's megachurch. They should talk about this one issue. (1:20) — Franklin Graham, a Trump cultist with no sense of irony, says God detests lyings lips. (12:29) — Women are "truly equal" under Trump, says Trump cultist. (15:20) — Some Christian pregnancy centers are finally offering birth control. (21:48) — Should science groups list job openings at anti-LGBTQ schools? (26:13) — A Saudi Arabian ad claimed atheism was a form of extremism. (32:59) — The U.S. has dropped significantly in global Freedom of Thought rankings. (35:06) — Don't visit a chiropractor. This guy learned that the hard way. (43:22) — An author was canceled from a school appearance because she named Harvey Milk an important activist. (48:55)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Christian Nationalist, lost his race‚ for now. (0:31) — Rapper T.I. is creepily obsessed with his daughter's hymen. (5:00) — A 20-year-old Duggar Family child (not that one) is running for State Rep. in Arkansas. (14:55) — The Irish government says it will look into changing a bizarre survey question about kids' religious beliefs. (20:55) — Christian Comedian John Crist is canceling his tour after allegations of sexual misconduct. (29:30) — Why haven't Brett Kavanaugh and Samuel Alito recused themselves from these Supreme Court cases? (40:44) — Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle refused a White House invitation after his World Series win. (46:20) — A Maryland county punished a local library because a Christian protested a Drag Queen Story Hour event. (52:10) — Since Christians are doing it, Satanists want to take advantage of a school release program in Knoxville, TN. (57:10) — These men from Spain were acquitted of rape charges for the worst possible reason. (1:04:10)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A condom company can now claim the moral high ground over evangelical Christians thanks to a wall of chewed-up gum. (0:29) — A Christian legal group condemned a website that bluntly says what churches believe about homosexuality. (5:18) — A Catholic priest denied communion to Joe Biden. Biden should welcome that. (13:42) — Kanye West thinks he got a $68 million tax refund because he loves Jesus. (21:06) — Former Senator Kay Hagan, the subject of an anti-atheist smear campaign, died this week. (26:13) — Why did Paula White formally join the Trump administration? (31:44) — The resignation of Democratic Rep. Katie Hill is a travesty for so many reasons. (38:18) — Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times says people like Jerry Falwell, Jr. have driven young people away from Christianity. He's missing the bigger picture. (48:02) — The Chicago Bears kicker who said atheists should believe in God after a game-winning field goal‚ missed a game-winning field goal. (55:20)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant has a new YouTube channel! Have you subscribed? You should. — Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she'd consider hiring a "Secular Outreach Director" and Julián Castro says he doesn't think atheism is a dirty word. (0:37) — A Major League Baseball umpire under fire for his violent pro-Trump tweet also happens to run a Christian ministry. (10:03) — The Christian Moms are furious at a commercial for period-proof underwear that featured men. (15:51) — The company Always removed the female symbol from its sanitary pads. (20:05) — An Italian photographer was convicted of blasphemy and ordered to pay a hefty fine. (22:15) — Pastor Greg Locke burned a book by attorney Andrew Seidel because it threatened him with education. (26:58) — A Tennessee GOP official trashed Democrats for having a "queer running fo president." (37:14) — Guess why abortion rates are falling in Colorado? Hint: It has nothing to do with abortion restrictions. (39:44) — Bible teacher Beth Moore needs to "go home" because she's a woman, said a male Christian preacher. (44:00) — A Republican didn't really say women considering abortions should have to wear ankle monitors. (47:47) — God supposedly gave this woman the winning lottery numbers. But she didn't play them. (52:41) — 31% of white evangelicals think Donald Trump is infallible. (55:19)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant has a new YouTube channel! Have you subscribed? You should. — Why is Attorney General Bill Barr using his platform to promote Christianity? (0:29) — The Freedom From Religion Foundation got a lot of mileage out of its controversial Ron Reagan ad during the Democratic debate. (7:22) — The Pew Research Center says Christianity is in "rapid" decline. (15:30) — There's another Hobby Lobby-linked scandal at the Museum of the Bible. (21:25) — A church exploited the death of an atheist mother's baby. (26:20) — A Florida Democrat (!) wants to force public schools to offer Bible classes again. (37:48) — These are some expensive Jesus Shoes. (41:06) — The Catholic Church is selling "smart" rosaries. For cold hard cash. (45:32) — A Dutch "family" has been hidden in the basement for years, apparently waiting for the end of the world. (48:52) — Former congresswoman Michele Bachmann says climate change isn't a problem since God said we wouldn't be flooded‚ again. (54:12)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant has a new YouTube channel! Have you subscribed? You should. — Hemant will be at California Freethought Day this weekend. Tickets are still available! — David Silverman is running an atheist group again. (1:40) — Beto O'Rourke was wrong to say churches should lose their tax exemptions if they're anti-gay. (16:20) — Why didn't Demario Davis get in trouble for violating the NFL's dress code by wearing a headband that promoted Christianity? (27:26) — A Louisiana high school rejected free food from Chick-fil-A because you know exactly why. (33:10) — Uganda is bringing back its infamous "Kill the Gays" bill. (34:58) — A North Carolina sheriff's office says employees are banned from cohabitating because God said so. (38:00) — If a Christian club promotes prayer in school, teachers shouldn't respond. (40:05) — This girl never should have been suspended from school for speaking out about their inaction on sexual assault. (45:00)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — We're having our first meet-and-greet in Chicago on October 5! Please join us if you can! — Hemant has a new YouTube channel! Have you subscribed? You should. — Hemant will be at California Freethought Day next weekend. Tickets are still available! — Judge Tammy Kemp should never have preached Christianity to convicted murderer Amber Guyger in the Botham Jean murder case. (2:13) — Todd Starnes has been let go by FOX News. Now that is rock bottom. (10:42) — The Associated Press says 1,700 Catholic clergy members accused of sexual abuse now live among us. (21:03) — A Tennessee woman had a choice: Get baptized or go to jail. (27:00) — The three moms who make up One Million Moms are mad about gender-neutral dolls. (31:00) — A pastor cleansed his church after a gay man spoke there. (33:00) — 8% of U.S. teens say they've had a teacher lead the class in prayer. (41:41) — Bleach is not a healthy response to autism. (45:01) — Illinois secretly built a giant Planned Parenthood near the Missouri border. (49:43) — A teacher who won't use trans pronouns can't believe he got fired. (53:20) — The Trump administration is waging a new war on trans people. (56:44)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — We're having our first meet-and-greet in Chicago! Please join us if you can! (0:30) — Impeachment is a bad idea, says Christian Right leader who constantly wanted to impeach Obama. (1:30) — Why did America lose its religion? Thank the internet. (6:06) — A GOP lawmaker wants to stop abortion because he loves gay people too much. (15:08) — Be sure to test those rape kits. That concludes my TED talk. (20:04) — This 90-million-year-old fossil remained buried because its founders feared God. (23:58) — Don't do this with a child at church. Or anywhere. (29:23) — Ark Encounter got schooled by a local superintendent. (31:48) — The CEO of a Christian magazine is stepping away after accusations of racial insensitivity. (35:52) — When you're in the marching band, this is how you troll an anti-gay school. (44:30) — Donald Trump doesn't do grammar so good. (47:29) — People who think God is real say climate change is a hoax. (49:15) — We found it. The worst right-wing take on Greta Thunberg. (51:35)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — We're having our first meet-and-greet in Chicago! Please join us if you can! (0:30) — The kicker for the Chicago Bears did his job, therefore you must believe in Jesus. (1:41) — Dennis Prager thinks his YouTube propaganda videos constitute an actual university. (5:55) — The Congressional Freethought Caucus has two more members than we knew about. (9:37) — The race for mayor of Grand Rapids (MI) is between a competent leader and a Christian theocrat. (13:45) — A school board president in Minnesota wants to know why they teach evolution. (17:33) — Saturday Night Live fired its racist new cast member Shane Gillis. (20:25) — High school students who pray before football games aren't defying atheists. (23:22) — The Clergy Project has now helped 1,000 pastors who no longer believe in God. (26:50) — A Republican mayor in FL is calling for action on gun violence because his prayers aren't working. (28:30) — Professional liar Sean Spicer says if you love Jesus, you'll vote for him on Dancing With the Stars. (33:42) — Research shows "thoughts and prayers" are so annoying, atheists would pay money to avoid them. (35:30) — A financial watchdog for evangelical churches is mired in its own financial problems. (38:20)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Televangelist Benny Hinn renounced "seed money." That didn't last long. (0:50) — If you ever get cast on Saturday Night Live, maybe rethink everything you've said that's online. (6:38) — Liberty University's Jerry Falwell, Jr. is even more corrupt than we knew. (17:14) — Quarterback Drew Brees made a video for an anti-gay hate group and doesn't want to admit that's a problem. (23:31) — Christian lawmaker Jason Rapert doesn't want you to see him answer questions truthfully. (34:10) — The anti-gay Christian owner of a wedding venue will now allow gay couples after intense backlash. Should she be praised? (42:53) — A Tennessee lawmaker wants to get rid of higher education to prevent people from becoming liberal. (51:30) — North Carolina's Republican Party hijacked the state government with a lie on 9/11. (56:05) — A bunch of awful Christians have a bunch of awful things to say about a pastor who died by suicide. (59:13) — A student charged with sexual assault was set free because he's "high achieving." (1:06:38) — California is cracking down on fake vaccine exemptions. (1:09:00) — Check out the film Islam & the Future of Tolerance! Podcast listeners who go to that link and purchase the HD version can use the code "10OFF" to get 10% off the price.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Christian-owned wedding venue won't permit mixed-race couples to get married there because of the Bible. (0:30) — Does a former "gay conversion" therapy leader deserve forgiveness now that he's on the other side? (23:30) — A Tennessee Catholic school banned Harry Potter books because the curses are real. (Seriously.) (39:41) — Alleged child molester Roy Moore still thinks Muslims shouldn't be allowed to serve in Congress. (45:03) — What caused the mass shooting in Odessa, Texas? Apparently, the teaching of evolution. (52:33) — A Texas lawmaker insists he won't do anything useful to prevent gun violence. (54:13) — The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City shouldn't be doing a sex abuse investigation by itself. (57:11) — This pastor has a Manhood Checklist. (1:00:14) — Check out the film Islam & the Future of Tolerance! Podcast listeners who go to that link and purchase the HD version can use the code "10OFF" to get 10% off the price.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A grocery store cashier is being hailed as a Christian martyr for making lines longer. (4:11) — Carroll County, MD finally accepted that their Christian prayers at meetings were illegal. It'll cost them $125,000. (6:28) — In Bangladesh, women no longer have to declare themselves virgins on their marriage licenses. (13:50) — An atheist resigned from a Virginia women-focused committee after her old anti-religion tweets came to light. (15:22) — Jerry Falwell, Jr. A handsome young man. A generous business deal. No, not the Pool Boy. This is another one. (21:05) — A preacher said he saw two babies raised from the dead in the past week. Don't bother looking for video. (30:14) — A MI candidate for city council withdrew after backlash for saying she wanted a white community. (34:50) — The Democratic Party passed a resolution acknowledging the values of non-religious Americans. Somehow, this is controversial. (40:20) — A New Mexico city is trying to crowdfund its legal bills over an illegal Ten Commandments monument. It's not going well. (45:47) — A lawsuit against Ark Encounter says the Creationists didn't pay their fair share of taxes, hurting local schools. (49:37) — Kentucky will have to pay $225,000 for Kim Davis' bigotry. And Davis herself may be held liable for it. (55:22) — An appeals court says it's legal for the Pennsylvania State House to block atheists from giving invocations. (57:20) — Check out the film Islam & the Future of Tolerance! Podcast listeners who go to that link and purchase the HD version can use the code "10OFF" to get 10% off the price.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I both have other obligations this weekend, so we pre-recorded this episode to answer some questions about atheism. — Are you afraid of Hell? (1:39) — Why do so many atheists care about LGBTQ rights? (4:00) — Is it hypocritical for atheists to celebrate Christmas? (7:00) — Why not just accept other people's religious beliefs? (10:44) — How do we educate ourselves about religion? (14:50) — How does being an atheist play out in our daily lives? (22:01) — What's the worst thing about being around other atheists? (24:10) — Is being an atheist inherently selfish? (26:30) — How does evolution affect our beliefs? (29:00) — Are atheists too angry? (33:30) — Will we see more atheists running for office in 2020? (36:00)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Kentucky school district found a great way to get around the state's "In God We Trust" law, and it's already angering state officials. (1:52) — A candidate for Colorado House says women shouldn't wear pants. (9:40) — GOP Rep. Steve King says humanity exists only because of rape and incest. (17:44) — A Christian pastor, formerly an extremist, is urging Trump to tone down the violent rhetoric. (23:00) — A FL teacher was suspended after posting a message about how racism was over and Pledge protests were immature. (25:33) — Never debate Christian pseudo-historian David Barton. His rules are weird. (30:25) — An Oregon man won't pay taxes because he's a Christian who opposes abortion. So there. (35:58) — Another famous Christian announced he's no longer a Christian. (39:29) — The FDA says you shouldn't drink bleach no matter what this one church says. (47:24) — The Department of Labor wants to make it legal for faith-based contractors to discriminate on the basis of religion. (51:10) — White evangelicals are delighted by Donald Trump's cruelty heading into 2020‚ unless he swears. (57:37) — Check out the film Islam & the Future of Tolerance! Podcast listeners who go to that link and purchase the HD version can use the code "10OFF" to get 10% off the price.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — In New Zealand, evangelicals have a "trust" problem. (0:36) — Neil deGrasse Tyson's thoughtless tweet after last week's mass shootings. (6:30) — Donald Trump hammed it up for a picture with the baby who's now an orphan because of Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric. (21:45) — This Ohio lawmaker blamed the Dayton mass shooting on everything and everyone except guns. (26:59) — Mike Huckabee thinks more Jesus will prevent mass shootings. (29:29) — A Christian Cross in a Pennsylvania county's logo isn't promoting Christianity, a court says. (34:11) — A Christian sheriff says he was fired for his faith. It's actually because he wouldn't train a woman. (39:35) — Mike Pence has some horribly worded post-shooting advice. (46:00) — Does the Mormon Church deserve to be sued for lying to people? (48:15) — Most Catholics don't believe in Eucharist, so why are they Catholic? (54:55) — Conservatives always offer "thoughts and prayers" in response to guns but never abortion. (1:02:26) — Joe Biden made a Bidenlike gaffe. (1:04:40) — The Boy Scouts have been sued for acting like the Catholic Church. (1:06:02) — Wanna do battle in the Times mini-crossword? Bring it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — 40% of Americans are Creationists. (4:00) — Answers in Genesis says they get no money from Kentucky taxpayers. That's a lie. (9:25) — "Purity Culture" poster boy Joshua Harris says he's no longer a Christian. (18:45) — A Greek Orthodox priest has a very strange idea about where gay people come from. (24:44) — Where did Target's "Humanist" throw pillow go? (30:10) — This is awful advice for women whose relationships have fallen apart. (34:52) — Attorney General William Barr is bringing back the death penalty. Does that conflict with his Catholicism? (40:00)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Pew survey finds that Jews and atheists know more about religion than every kind of Christian. Let's take the quiz! (0:27, with analysis at 19:08) — An anti-LGBTQ Republican lawmaker from TN resigned amidst allegations that he was using Grindr to meet men. (25:09) — The Mormon Church knew about a pedophile but never reported him to authorities. (30:30) — Iceland has lost a glacier. A freaking glacier. (36:45) — The congregation revolted after a pastor put up a sign saying "America: Love or Leave It." (39:59) — The Tega Cay Police Department in South Carolina put up a Christian monument, then quickly took it down. (42:40) — The governor of Texas wants you to know Chick-fil-A is safe. (45:58) — Secular "churches" are struggling to stay relevant. (48:36) — A woman violently pushed a priest off stage. Was it justified? (55:50) (***Update***: We discussed what the priest said before the woman pushed him. It turns out that is false!) — Another Alabama candidate for Senate wants to create a theocracy. (58:35)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant's new Pledge podcast is now available for everyone! (1:16) — "Purity culture" advocate Joshua Harris is separating from his wife. (2:43) — The U.S. House chaplain blamed the "spirits of darkness" for Donald Trump‚Äòs racism. (15:12) — An AL GOP Senate candidate says TV is bad today because of all the "homosexual activities." What is he watching? (23:33) — A NH Republican lawmaker has a hot take on slavery. (27:54) — After asking Alabama for information about the death penalty, state officials asked her about her faith. (33:10) — A Christian mommy blogger says godly wives must lose weight if their husbands call them fat. (38:27) — A judge said the Duggar sisters can sue city officials who released documents about their molesting brother. (42:33) — The GOP's new human rights commission is full of anti-LGBTQ activists. (49:25) — An Arizona Humanist group wants to challenge the part of the IRS tax code that gives a major perk to pastors. (54:32) — Despite benefitting from a city's holiday display policy, atheists demand neutrality. (1:00:41) — Netflix is pushing back against a "Straight Pride" parade. (1:05:46) — This billboard in Detroit says "Trans people are sacred." (1:10:01)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Mississippi GOP gubernatorial candidate won't allow a female reporter to shadow him. (0:47) — A Christian school fired a professor for writing a novel with un-Christian characters. (9:09) — A Virginia lawmaker says women who get raped are naive for not carrying guns. (15:22) — A Florida principal said the school couldn't teach the Holocaust because he had to remain neutral. He's out of a job now. (20:05) — The "God Warrior" lady from Trading Spouses is now pro-LGBTQ. (30:34) — In Texas, "In No God We Trust" banners were put up and vandalized. (34:12) — A Florida park adopted by Satanists was also vandalized. (38:01) — Immunization rates in Australia are at a record high! (42:10) — 67% of Republicans say burning the flag should result in a loss of citizenship. (43:53) — In the UK, Christianity is less popular than ever. (47:19) — The Catholic Church's barrier to become a saint gets lower every time. (49:58) — Teen boys who avoided parenthood through abortion? Your future is bright. (53:02) — One Million Moms is very angry with two moms in Toy Story 4. (56:14)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The Supreme Court will hear a case involving public money supporting religious schools in Montana. (3:50) — A Giant Christian Cross in Florida will have to be reconsidered after last week's SCOTUS ruling. (10:09) — This is what Mayor Pete Buttigieg got wrong in his memorable debate line about religion. (16:11) — A Minnesota city got rid of the Pledge of Allegiance, and critics are now blaming Rep. Ilhan Omar. (25:18) — The American Medical Association is suing North Dakota over abortion access because doctors are being told to lie. (27:48) — An Ohio legislator's anti-porn resolution makes no sense. (33:22) — A misleading, worthless research paper suggests cellphone use leads to horns growing out of your head. (37:51) — A Christian sign in Hawkins, Texas just came down after years of battles. (45:30) — A Satanist gave an invocation at an Alaskan borough meeting. Now they want to abolish the practice. (49:36) — Jesus healed the blind. This South Carolina church kicks them out. (51:38) — The GOP's anti-abortion "gag rule" for foreign funding has led to higher abortion rates. (54:57)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — This Christian writer thinks LGBTQ people get recognized 163 days a year. (0:29) — A former staffer at Answers in Genesis has a lot of harsh words about her old employer. (6:22) — And so does a former staffer at Liberty University. (16:13) — Speaking of which, Jerry Falwell, Jr. thinks only business owners can have strong opinions about this administration's handling of refugees. (20:00) — A church's Pride flag in a Chicago neighborhood was vandalized. (23:20) — Surveys show we are becoming a less LGBTQ-friendly society. (25:16) — An Alabama woman was shot and lost her pregnancy. Now she's being charged with manslaughter. (32:28) — An Alabama car dealership wants to give people a Bible, gun, and flag with every purchase. (36:04) — A Florida library was forced to cancel its Pride Prom because of Christian bigots. (38:58) — Tennessee will block people with online ordinations from officiating weddings. (45:38) — West Virginia's top Republican can't decide when bigotry is okay. (54:03) — Our president is a sexual predator. (57:35)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The Supreme Court issued a bad, but not the worst, but still weird ruling on the Bladensburg Peace Cross. (1:12) — If you're going to demand the cancellation of a TV show, make sure you're going after the right company. (28:40) — A Satanist delivered her second invocation in Alaska. (32:59) — Christian Nationalist and alleged child molester Roy Moore is running for Senate from Alabama again. (38:48) — An Alabama church just got permission to create its own police force. (46:15) — A Texas town declared itself a sanctuary city for fetuses. (50:35) — A church is refusing to pay the legal fees after calling for the Chino Valley school board in California to foolishly fight for Christian prayers at meetings. (53:50) — A Catholic medical journal pulled a paper on conversion therapy after we pointed out its flaws. (59:27) — The GOP Senate is confirming anti-LGBTQ judges at an alarming rate. (1:08:06) — Donald Trump called for a ban on flag burning. Because he hasn't read the Constitution. (1:20:04) — Donald Trump is on the verge of inadvertently creating a "Bible Tax." (1:24:07)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A group of extremist Christians are holding a "Make America Straight Again" conference this weekend. (0:38) — Romance writer Nicholas Sparks opened a Christian school that is anti-gay. (9:41) — A Tennessee law enforcement official thinks people like him should be able to put gay people to death. (12:41) — A prominent doctor, who is also anti-gay, promoted religion in his final article for a medical journal. (16:50) — Actress Jessica Biel is fighting against a vaccination bill in California. (22:26) — A Christian publisher insists their racist Bible School lessons aren't racist. (28:25) — There are a whole bunch of "post-Christian" cities now. (34:14) — Rick Santorum is launching a Bitcoin for Catholics. (38:05) — Who knew meatless burgers were Satanic? (41:50) — The Vatican released a new anti-transgender document. (46:17) — Most Americans say the Catholic Church's abuse scandal is an ongoing crisis. (48:45) — A pastor promoted God at a public school graduation in Appleton, Wisconsin. Again. (53:20)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Was Pastor David Platt right or wrong to remain apolitical during a visit from Donald Trump? (0:50) — For no scientific reasons, the Trump administration will restrict fetal tissue research. (17:00) — This is a strange way to wage an attack on Netflix over its abortion position. (21:50) — These people are horrible at defending a televangelist's private jet. (29:00) — The Catholic Church has lobbyists. Guess what they're lobbying for? (39:15) — We know which Democratic candidate atheists prefer the most — and it's not Joe Biden. (43:15) — A district attorney in Tennessee says his rejection of marriage equality changes how he prosecutes criminals. (49:49) — An Alabama mayor says he was just joking about killing LGBTQ people. (No he wasn't.) (55:00) — A Catholic bishop from West Virginia spent millions of dollars on travel and gifts. (59:54) — Creationists are mocking Flat Earthers for not understanding science. My irony meter just broke. (1:03:16) — Nevada has decriminalized abortion! (1:05:18) — A Sikh man with a rainbow turban won the internet. (1:06:00) — God loves you. That's why he might kill you. (1:07:07) — Here's more information about attorney Andrew Seidel's talk in Chicago, which Hemant will be moderating!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Ark Encounter is suing its insurers because they wouldn't cover $1 million worth of rain damage. RAIN DAMAGE! (2:07) — A Christian moms group can't handle a Gillette ad featuring a father helping his transgender son shave. (9:20) — Trans activists got a monument in New York. (16:54) — It's not just Catholic priests. Nuns can be abusers, too. (20:15) — The Satanic Temple says members don't have to abide by Indiana's fetal burial law. Because they're a religion now. (22:57) — There's no sex in Heaven. Good think we're all going to Hell. (27:00) — A Texas church will pay for your wedding if you stop co-habitating, not realizing the problems they're creating. (33:35) — Research finds that anti-atheist stereotypes aren't accurate. Who knew?! (41:55) — A man from Arizona is allegedly stalking women at Planned Parenthood. (51:30) — Evangelist Franklin Graham wants people to pray for Donald Trump. I don't recall him doing that for Obama. (53:40) — Alabama lawmakers changed the law so judges don't have to sign off on same-sex marriages. It's equal, but it is right? (57:34) — Media outlets are threatening to leave Georgia over its abortion restrictions. (1:02:30) — The University of CA won't partner with a Catholic health care system after massive backlash. (1:12:30) — Maine has finally banned conversion therapy. (1:15:01) — Missouri may lose its last abortion clinic. (1:16:12) — Illinois is on the verge of strengthening its own abortion laws and passing a major marijuana bill. (1:21:50) — Steak. Two of them. (1:24:30)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The Christian Right is having a hard time dealing with the candidacy of Pete Buttigieg. (0:24) — A Methodist pastor had the best comments about the pro-life crowd's hypocrisy. (8:03) — An episode of Arthur featuring a gay wedding didn't air in Alabama. (11:35) — A "pro-life" Christian lawmaker from Mississippi was arrested for punching his wife in the face because she wouldn't undress for sex quickly enough. (15:32) — A New Orleans man accused of multiple rapes was granted bail, possibly putting women in danger. (18:06) — A former Illinois megachurch pastor allegedly hired a hitman. (20:27) — An Alabama school board member wants to "investigate" why kids aren't standing for the Pledge of Allegiance. (26:58) — A new study says religious couples have better sex lives. Is it accurate? (29:30) — A California bill that would force priests to be mandated reporters is on the verge of becoming law‚ but only after some amendments. (38:39) — Nevada is taking a sensible step to stop doctors from having to tell patients unnecessary information about abortions. (45:10)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant's new podcast has hit its Kickstarter goal! But it's not too late to donate! (0:41) — Alabama's near-complete ban on abortion may backfire and even conservatives seem to understand it. (2:03) — Conservative blogger Matt Walsh says it's good to force rape victims to have babies because it's proof of the rape. (8:28) — In Michigan, an anti-abortion lawmaker said abortions should be painful because that's what God wants. (16:13) — A Christian broadcaster says pro-choice people will be repeatedly aborted in Hell. (27:30) — The Catholic Church's lobbying arm in Pennsylvania called a sexual abuse victim a "troll." (31:22) — A cartoon rat from "Arthur" got gay-married and conservatives were furious. (37:09) — Non-religious Americans are more reliably Democratic than nearly every other group. Why don't candidates care? (41:35) — A pastor who raped his 14-year-old adopted daughter got a more lenient prison sentence because he's a Christian. (47:44) — Hate-preacher Steven Anderson has been banned from just about every country. (50:40) — A Christian school turned Hemant into a personal project. (53:12) — This is a horrible reason for why kids should say "God Bless America" after the Pledge of Allegiance. (1:00:32)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant is working on a new podcast and could use your support! (0:30) — I'm sad to say progressive Christian writer Rachel Held Evans has died. (6:50) — The Catholic Church has new rules to stop sexual abuse. They don't go far enough. (10:58) — A new Gallup poll finds that 60% of Americans could support an atheist for president. (16:30) — A Texas lawmaker says vaccines are "sorcery." (22:43) — A Kentucky student who sued over pro-vaccine policies now has chickenpox. (26:26) — A Texas church baptized a man only after he held up a sign saying he believed "a lie from the devil" that he was gay. (30:55) — Tell us more about these racy pics, Jerry Falwell, Jr. (35:20) — Georgia's anti-abortion "heartbeat" bill is as extreme as anything we've ever seen. (41:07) — A Georgia mayor was revealed to be a racist and she's not even the most racist person on the city council. (45:13) — An Ohio lawmaker doesn't understand how ectopic pregnancies work. (53:48) — Watching porn is bad if you're a conservative Christian. (59:20) — A Minnesota woman helped end her state's "marital rape" exception in the law. (1:03:37)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Donald Trump announced new disastrous "religious freedom" exemptions for medical workers. (0:25) — Pete Buttigieg had a weird week when it came to vaccination policy. (3:50) — The Alabama House just passed a bill making abortion a felony. But something good for abortion rights happened in Kansas! Seriously! (8:51) — Why are these men not going to jail for their crimes? (10:48) — Pat Robertson, in rare form, said something sensible about Creationism. Now Creationists are complaining about it. (13:59) — It wasn't heartwarming to see a BYU valedictorian come out as gay at graduation because we know what comes next. (17:00) — A Christian college covered up classical works of art in textbooks. (21:30) — After a school shooting, a North Carolina church used the opportunity to win converts. (28:18) — A college president said safe sex is a myth. (31:08) — Navy sailors were told to applaud for Mike Pence as if they're "at a strip club." (35:03) — Fundamentalist Christian Lori Alexander says wives should always have sex with their husbands because it won't even take long. (36:45)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The Duggar family refuses to call them deviled eggs. (1:15) — Right-wingers attacked Democrats for their Sri Lanka tweets, but Donald Trump's similar message was ignored. (5:15) — This Kentucky restaurant's anti-LGBTQ shirts make no sense. (9:49) — The U.S. House can legally reject atheist invocations. (13:58) — A court said Philadelphia's taxpayer-funded foster care clinics can't discriminate against same-sex couples (20:03) — Evangelist Franklin Graham says Pete Buttigieg "flaunted" his homosexuality by existing, I guess. (22:28) — A Maryland middle school almost canceled a play because there's a same-sex couple in it. (25:20) — Never take sex advice from a person who was a virgin until marriage. (28:45) — A study said abstinence pledges hurt women's reproductive health down the line. (This survey is actually from 2016; it's not recent. Sorry!) (39:07) — Racist Rep. Steve King says he knows what Jesus went through because people hate him, too. (43:27) — Irish bishops admitted that religious education classes make you dumber. (46:15) — A right-wing rabbi said being gay is way worse than being a lesbian. (51:50) — Stephen Moore's writing about women is the worst. (56:43) — A New York sheriff compared himself to Jesus when challenging body cams for cops. (1:02:25) — A United Nations resolution against sexual violence hit an obstacle with the Trump administration. (1:06:09) — We hope Rachel Held Evans gets well soon. (1:09:37)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The Notre Dame fire is a tragedy no matter what you think about religion. (3:00) — Gallup says church membership is at an all-time low. (14:50) — A preacher claims Pete Buttigieg will turn the country into a "homocracy." (29:47) — Evangelicals released a statement on artificial intelligence. It's anti-gay. (41:25) — A Christian donor said she wouldn't give money to a fundraiser for a baby with cancer because her parents are lesbians. (46:20) — An Ohio pastor told kids to beat him up to teach them a lesson about Jesus. (50:04) — The Texas House passed a radical anti-abortion bill that misleads the public. (54:35) — The Tennessee House voted to amend its Constitution to include a shout-out to "Almighty God." (58:50) — Republicans are dismissing science as a "Democrat thing." (1:01:53) — An Italian court censored an atheist group's perfectly fine ad. (1:03:26)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant is speaking near Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Sunday! Come watch! (0:38) — Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas doesn't think atheists are trustworthy. (1:34) — An Illinois billboard welcomes Missouri women who want abortions without obstacles. (7:59) — Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg isn't a real Christian, say Religious Right figures who have ruined Christianity. (10:12) — Mike Huckabee blamed weak Christians for allowing gender roles to break down. (19:10) — A now-scuttled Texas bill would have punished women with the death penalty for having an abortion. (27:07) — Ohio Republicans have signed into law an abortion ban that goes into effect before some women even know they're pregnant. (31:21) — Lori Loughlin says God is helping her cope with the role in the college admissions scandal. (33:18) — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI broke his silence to offer horrible excuses for the Church's sex abuse scandal. (36:10) — The black hole! (39:47) — The Catholic University of America wants to ban the top 200 adult websites. It won't work. (44:41)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant is speaking near Chapel Hill, North Carolina next Sunday! Come watch! (0:24) — The Mormon Church has changed its rules to be a little less anti-gay. (0:56) — Atheists are calling on Mississippi to offer a free alternative to the default "In God We Trust" license plate. (7:54) — This is the worst Christian take on the election of Lori Lightfoot to mayor of Chicago. (14:09) — Texas will ban all chaplains from execution chambers instead of allowing a Buddhist priest to enter the room with an inmate. (17:01) — House Republicans voted against the Violence Against Women Act. (21:03) — A North Dakota legislator was very upset by a Hindu invocation because the man didn't pray to the "One True God." (23:21) — We finally have an openly Humanist member of Congress. It's official! (26:30) — An Arizona information hotline may lose funding because 0.0003% of calls last year asked about abortion services. (29:39) — An unvaccinated kid may have exposed hundreds of people to measles in California. (35:30) — Liberty University's Title IX violation form shows you how little they care. (40:45) — A guest of FOX News' Laura Ingraham said transgender people are trying to "create a new species." (43:20) — The HPV vaccine has been linked to a serious drop in cervical disease. (46:29) — Donald Trump doesn't understand windmills. (47:35)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant is speaking at the Freethought Festival in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend! Come watch! (1:24) — A Catholic mother really doesn't want students wearing leggings at Notre Dame but students pushed back. (1:45) — Tennessee is considering legalizing and regulating sports betting but not on Sundays, because Jesus. (9:40) — Fundamentalist Pastor Steven Anderson uploaded another old sermon trashing independent women. (14:50) — Cory Booker says he'd "rather hang out with a nice atheist than a mean Christian." Great line or subtle jab against atheists? (17:45) — A Christian lawmaker from Pennsylvania gave the worst invocation at the worst time, probably on purpose. (37:33) — Is it kind or creepy that Christians in Tennessee sent 40,000 handwritten letters to strangers about Jesus? (44:46) — Houston's Drag Queen Story Time will come to an end due to threats from Christians. (48:00) — Rockland County, NY is banning unvaccinated children from public spaces. (56:00) — Self-proclaimed paranormalist Uri Geller says he can "telepathically" stop Brexit. (1:01:22) — A Texas bill would allow licensed professionals to discriminate against LGBTQ clients. (1:05:35) — State-funded adoption agencies in Michigan, including religious ones, can no longer discriminate against LGBTQ clients. (1:07:14)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant is speaking at the Freethought Festival in Madison, Wisconsin next week! Come watch! (0:30) — Hemant's working on two new projects! Here's what they are and how you can support him! (0:59) — The Nones are #1 - what does that mean? (5:21) — A university in Calgary canceled a talk by an ex-Muslim atheist out of sensitivity to victims of the New Zealand terror attack. But when's the right time to criticize religion? (10:55) — LifeWay, the largest Christian retailer, is shutting down all stores. You'll have to buy your Christians elsewhere. (18:31) — FOX News' Todd Starnes thinks we need "heterosexual history classes." (24:28) — Chick-fil-A is back in the news for its anti-LGBTQ ways. (31:26) — If you want to help your kids deal with chickenpox, don't do what Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin did. (40:58) — An Italian politician who fought against mandatory vaccination contracted chickenpox. (47:33) — A kid is suing his local Department of Health in Kentucky after getting banned from his high school's events for being unvaccinated. (49:12) — Christian moms are furious over a new supposedly sexualized Kit Kat commercial. (51:15) — Georgia is on the verge of banning abortions after six weeks. (57:00) — A physicist got $1.4 million for saying science and religion might be compatible. (1:00:18) — The Neil deGrasse Tyson investigation is over. What did we learn? (1:03:50) — The Irish prime minister and his same-sex partner had some words for Mike Pence. (1:13:28)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Hemant's speaking in Florida this weekend! (0:56) — Jessica got into a Twitter fight with a celebrity (?) over the meaning of "atheist." (1:38) — Hemant's invocation in DuPage County will lead to a vote on the practice. (5:59) — A high schooler who broke school rules claims she was punished for her religion. (11:40) — The Diocese of Brooklyn is angrier about Pete Davidson's SNL joke than child abuse. (16:51) — Cardinal George Pell will spend only six years in jail for child rape. (23:30) — A Georgia legislator says she'll introduce a bill to regulate men's balls. (28:50) — Humanist weddings are less likely to end in divorce, according to figures out of Scotland. (34:40) — Analyzing rape kits actually works. Who knew? (41:20) — Education Secretary Betsy DeVos wants taxpayers to fund "secular" services by religious groups for schools. (46:26) — Captain Marvel did not sit well with an anti-feminist Christian writer. (49:42) — Westboro Baptist Church protested against a trans legislator but there were counter-protesters with kazoos. (55:39)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Donald Trump is signing bibles for victims of the tornado in Alabama. (0:25) — I'm giving talks next week in Tampa and Orlando! Come on by, people of Florida! (4:14) — The Supreme Court won't hear a case involving taxpayers funding church renovations. (5:38) — A boy has tetanus. A kid has measles. A major study of 650,000 patients found no link between vaccines and autism. Will vaccine deniers ever accept reality? (13:15) — A college dean resigned from her position (but not the school) after the campus said no to bringing a Chick-fil-A on campus. (26:55) — Utah is about to make premarital sex legal. Which means it wasn't legal. (31:08) — A Christian firefighter is suing his department because they wouldn't let him grow a beard. (36:20) — The GOP is confirming anti-church/state separation judges at a rapid rate. (39:36) — For the second time, a patient was cured of HIV! (43:03) — Planned Parenthood and the American Medical Association are suing the Trump administration for punishing family planning clinics that refer women for abortions. (44:42) — Changing your religion before marriage is the lowest form of religious conversion. (47:20) — Was it sensible or cowardly for a high school Christian wrestler to forfeit matches to avoid matches with girls? (50:30) — Did you know drive-thru ashes were a thing on Ash Wednesday? (58:00)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Here's what happened in the Supreme Court as they discussed the Bladensburg Cross. (1:27) — The "My Pillow" guy, Mike Lindell, told CPAC Donald Trump was the best president ever because he was "chosen by God." (12:45) — Cardinal George Pell's lawyer tried to get him a more lenient sentence by referring to his actions as "plain vanilla" child rape. (15:36) — A Missouri bill would ban anonymity for anyone who files a church/state separation lawsuit. (20:00) — The United Methodist Church just voted for its own extinction by adopting an anti-LGBTQ stance. (26:56) — Skeptics came up with a clever way to expose psychic mediums. (33:22) — Richard Dawkins is giving away professionally translated versions of his books for free for readers in Muslim-majority nations. (41:22) — Pope Francis had no concrete suggestions for handling child sex abuse at a summit about handling child sex abuse. (44:18) — Portland (Oregon) now explicitly includes atheists in its non-discrimination ordinance. (46:33) — With a conservative government, Brazilian lawmakers are resurrecting old bills that promote Christian supremacy. (48:20) — In Argentina, an 11-year-old girl was forced to give birth to her rapist's baby. Because that's what the "pro-lifers" wanted. (51:37) — A Florida Democrat is skipping the first day of the legislative session so she can hang out with Pat Robertson. (54:06) — A Kansas lawmaker won't endorse anti-gay "parody marriage" bill after daughter's open letter, but he doesn't go far enough. (56:50)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A California law would force Catholic priests to report child sex abuse. (0:41) — Washington legislators want to remove faith-healing homicide exemptions from the law. (6:47) — A Colorado billboard welcomes women seeking abortions. (11:30) — A Tennessee legislator wants to change the Constitution to include a useless line about God. (21:10) — A Wyoming lawmaker supports the death penalty since that's how Jesus was killed. (25:52) — Who's to blame for the Flat Earth movement? YouTube. (27:50) — Should a former teen ISIS member be allowed to re-enter society when she becomes an adult, if she doesn't have any remorse? (32:50) — Move over, Christian bakers. You've got company in the tax department. (41:55) — The Church of Norway is apologizing for its stance on abortion. (45:42) — Pope Francis said critics of the Catholic Church were "friends of the Devil." (48:52) — Catholic cardinals blamed the "homosexual agenda" for the sex abuse scandal. (50:30) — Michigan's attorney general is going after the Catholic Church and its sex abuse cover-up. (52:16) — A Christian Right leader went on a rant about witches in Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's district. (56:05) — What the Southern Baptist sex scandals teach us about the Catholic Church sex scandals. (1:00:40) — An 11-year-old was arrested after he didn't say the Pledge. Kind of. (1:04:15) — What is going on with Jussie Smollett? (1:07:10)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kenny Campbell is and actor and comedian known for roles in Home Alone, Groundhog Day, and Armageddon. Jessica and Kenny discussed how he almost got fired from his dream job, what it's like being the voice of a talking baby, and his likely criminal past of the men of the Bluemke family. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Once again, an atheist invocation by an Arizona legislator was rebuked by a Christian who couldn't handle it. (0:45) — An investigation found rampant abuse among Southern Baptist churches. (7:00) — A Nebraska lawmaker wants atheists to promote religion in order to keep everyone "in line." (18:06) — Don't shake the hand of this FOX News host. (27:18) — A theologian claimed that female pastors are as bad as sex offender pastors. (31:14) — The MAGA hat-wearing boys from Covington Catholic did nothing wrong, says an investigation commissioned by Covington Catholic. (32:39) — A Christian school told female dancers to bind their breasts before a show. (37:11) — A Planned Parenthood (that doesn't even perform abortions) was set on fire in a possible hate crime. (42:55) — A West Virginia lawmaker suggested he would drown his kids if they were gay. (52:12) — Women in the military say they're being denied birth control. (56:35) — An 18-year-old who had never been vaccinated defied his parents and got his shots. (58:11)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Donald Trump accidentally praised religious leaders for achieving the “abolition of civil rights” during the National Prayer Breakfast. (1:18)— A TN lawmaker says taxpayer-funded abortions violate the law because they’re an endorsement of the “religion” of Secular Humanism. (4:00)— A cross washed up on a Florida beach… so of course it’s supernatural. (9:00)— Democrats are debating “In God We Trust” when administering oaths in House subcommittees, and one decided to do away with the phrase altogether. (12:20)— Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson says he doesn’t need health care because God made us all immortal. (16:19)— In Arizona, the specialty “In God We Trust” license plate is funding a Christian hate group. (20:40)— Hemant is giving an atheist invocation at a county council meeting! (27:10)— New Jersey will begin teaching LGBT history in public schools. (30:32)— A gay atheist in Poland just launched his own political party to push back against Catholic influence. (33:06)— Michigan’s attorney general just pulled the state out of three church/state separation lawsuits on which they were fighting for the wrong side. (36:13)— Pope Francis, for the first time, acknowledged the ongoing sexual abuse of nuns by priests. (38:35)— A judge said a 13-year-old girl was the “aggressor” in a sexual abuse crime involving a 67-year-old man. (41:45)— A 24/7 Dutch church service meant to protect refugees finally ended after the policy in question changed. (42:24)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.