Podcast Link.
July 26, 2008 – Mike Christensen, Seattle “Imagine No Religion” Billboard Booster
Gershwin’s Summertime introduces the show, followed by a clip from Letting Go of God.
Mike Christensen sponsored an “Imagine No Religion” billboard in Seattle. He changed his definition of agnostic, and that’s why he’s now an atheist. Sounds familiar. It’s interesting to hear from a member of a younger generation on a thoughtful subject; like the impact of religion on the world.
Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you’d have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.
Steven Weinberg
2007 Archive episode.
July 28, 2007 – Emily Lyons, survivor of religious antiabortion terrorism
Theocracy Alert. CNN YouTube debate snippets and related editorializing. This is how the hosts always get in trouble, and they do it again. One of the question dealt with candidate support for “public” schools, which Annie Laurie lamented were being robbed of funds by “parochial schools” in rigged voucher systems.
I’ve said this several times before, but it bears repeating. They aren’t public schools, they are government or state schools, not much better than prisons in their current form. The alternative to government schools isn’t religious schools (as Annie Laurie has implied more than once) it’s competition for the best education to be had for the least amount of tax burden. The alternative to a top down Soviet-styled federal education bureaucracy (what we have now, or are moving towards) is a real education marketplace.
Far more important than establishing godless money (the question that followed the school question) is establishing a separation of school and state.
Am I wrong to fear the dogma of the left/socialist as much as I fear the dogma of the right/fascist? (Short answer? Yes. -ed.) Why can’t we throw out all the dirty bathwater, and just embrace American liberty? Take all the funds from the overfunded government schools, and force them to compete in an education marketplace, let the best educators win.
While I am concerned (as the hosts are) about the religious test imposed by the public on their candidates; I’m more concerned with the imposition of outdated state structures on today’s youth.
Emily Lyons was injured in a clinic bombing by a Right-to-Lifer (how can one kill and support a “right to life”? It’s an unsupportable conflict, and no counter-arguments will be accepted) terrorist, Eric Robert Rudolph. Truthfully, the interview is hard to listen to, for me. I have an almost uncontrollable rage response when it comes to people who are willing to kill for their peaceful religions.
Raging Grannies sing, and then loving messages from christian fans closes out the show.
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.
Blaise Pascal
2006 Archive episode.
July 26, 2006 – Scopes II: Alvin Harris
Theocracy Alert this week features a listing of theocracies advances, counter pointed with theocracies defeats (they ought to try this more often) The verdict in the Andrea Yeats trial is discussed, along with the impact on someone else who hears voices in his head, George Bush.
Alvin Harris’ interview revolved around his representation of FFrF in a case concerning Bryan college and the legacy of the scopes trial (FFrF vs. Rhea County School System) Evangelicals who wish to promote their religion in the government schools should remember the lessons of the founders, and their experience with state mandated religious education. What happens when the government adopts a flavor of christianity that you don’t agree with?
Dan Barker performs I Ain’t Afraid
