Tag: FFrF

Porgy & Bess

I was surprised to discover I can’t just go out and buy a copy of the movie Porgy & Bess (1959) a musical interpretation by Samuel Goldwyn/Otto Preminger of George and Ira Gershwin’s oft-performed opera. The song It Ain’t Necessarily So is a favorite on one of my more frequently listened to podcasts, Freethought Radio. The movie version of the song is sung by Sammy Davis Jr. who plays the part of the pimp Sporting Life in movie.

Sammy Davis Jr – It Ain´t Necessarily So

Any attempt to find a print of Porgy and Bess turns into an epic exercise in bafflement and frustration. The movie is coveted by aficionados even though few see outstanding artistic merit in it. But those very flaws help explain why this film has been charged with emotion for nearly everyone with a connection to it (and why stage revivals, like a 2012 Broadway production, reignite new rounds of controversy): The history of Porgy is a tangled tale of good artistic intentions gone awry and lasting recriminations among the Gershwin and Goldwyn factions.

hollywoodreporter.com

The top-billed stars only appeared in the film reluctantly, the producer was crushed by the poor reception the movie got at the box office, and the Gershwins were said to hate the movie as well. There is a PAL DVD version from Spain that is available second hand, but I would really just like to see it, not spend a fortune to own a rare copy of it.

Atheist Hymnal

This popped up on Facebook as part of that sometimes annoying sometimes revealing On This Day function they’ve incorporated.

Atheist Song – First hymnal for Atheists, FreedomTuners, Published on May 13, 2010

I had forgotten about this song having run across it so long ago. Not to argue with the joke involved in the song and title, but atheists have lots of songs if you mean an atheist wrote them. In actuality it is religion that has no songs; or at least no music,

I want to quote one humorous example that puts this idea to rest. I have had the good fortune of knowing a magnificent musician named Michael May, who was a virtuoso pianist, harpsichordist and organist. He did I don’t know how many “Messiahs” with me in Carnegie Hall with The Masterwork Chorus and Orchestra. To make a living he became a church organist. At one point during the communion, there were a lot of parishioners and he needed a lot of music. He ran out of music, so what he did was to take the score of “Carmina Burana”—how many of you are familiar with that? It’s a piece of music whose text has to do with lovemaking, debauchery, gambling and drinking. He played it slowly and softly, without the chorus, and nobody knew the difference. So without the words, you cannot tell whether or not a piece of music is intended to be religious.

David Randolph, No Such Thing as Religious Music

There are thousands of atheists writing music and singing songs, even songs about atheists and atheism. I’ve talked about Tim Minchin in the past. Nearly every episode of Freethought Radio that I posted about back when I discovered podcasting features songs by atheists about atheists or at least music written by atheist composers.

If there ever is an atheist hymnal, it won’t be complete without a few songs from Shelley Segal. Dan Barker introduced me to her music on yet another episode of Freethought Radio, one that occurred after I had given up trying to illustrate the kinds of good information that was available in the podcast arena.

Shelley Segal Saved, Shelley Segal, Published on Oct 13, 2011

I wonder when you will start questioning all the bullshit everyone around you buys.

Words to live by. Turn to page 265 in the hymnals you can find on the backs of the pews in front of you and please sing along with me,

Thoughts are free, who can guess them?
They fly by like nocturnal shadows.
No person can know them, no hunter can shoot them
with powder and lead: Thoughts are free!

I think what I want, and what delights me,
still always reticent, and as it is suitable.
My wish and desire, no one can deny me
and so it will always be: Thoughts are free!

And if I am thrown into the darkest dungeon,
all these are futile works,
because my thoughts tear all gates
and walls apart: Thoughts are free!

So I will renounce my sorrows forever,
and never again will torture myself with whimsies.
In one’s heart, one can always laugh and joke
and think at the same time: Thoughts are free!

I love wine, and my girl even more,
Only her I like best of all.
I’m not alone with my glass of wine,
my girl is with me: Thoughts are free!

Die Gedanken sind frei
Pete Seeger- Die Gedanken Sind Frei, roboticrickshaw, Published on Aug 17, 2011
Postscript

A late entry for the article:

YouTube – It’s Only Natural by Dan Barker and Susan Hofer (Amazon.com)

Who Gives a Shit About Iowa Anyway?

So the news is engaged in a full court press today, bound and determined to prove that their horserace really is a race and they really aren’t blowing smoke up our collective asses.  I’m doing my best to avoid this mess today, not listening to the news in a complete reversal of my normal patterns for daily life.

It is Monday though and Monday is Freethought Radio day (as well as Point of Inquiry day lately) so I have been listening to my regular podcasts (and BBC news) and Freethought Radio had an interesting interview with Justin Scott who has been doing some brave work in Iowa, going around asking questions of presidential candidates at various meetings attempting to call attention to the slights being offered to minority groups in the US when it comes to the subject of faith.

I wanted to highlight the bigotry by omission of candidates for government office; candidates who go around touting their religion prominently.  This importance placed on their beliefs in the supernatural leaves me wondering openly if they understand how those who believe differently feel when they stress how important their religion is to them. How important they think their religion is to good governance in the US.

The problem for me is, neither Justin Scott nor FFRF seem to be interested in producing content to be consumed directly on the internet and only on the internet.  FFRF’s near cluelessness when it comes to web programming is what lead me to attempt to catalog all their episodes several years ago, a project that I finally had to give up when I realized that I wasn’t willing to volunteer my effort on the project indefinitely.

First off, the videos of his interviews are not where he said they were; they are on his personal youtube channel which I finally located here. This is a playlist of all the interviews to date;

Justin Scott – John Kasich on Religious Based Discrimination – Feb 1, 2016

FFRF’s link resolves on Facebook to look like this,

The youtube link conveys about the same level of information.  Therefore it falls to me to write something that I can share even though, as the title of the piece says, I really couldn’t care less about Iowa. Or New Hampshire, for that matter.

Why?  Because they aren’t representative of America.  They just agreed that they would go first, and they are determined as small Midwestern states to make themselves out to be more important than they are by being first to caucus and first to primary in the US, because they are utterly forgettable by almost any other measure unless you like snow.

So the presidential candidates run around in these little isolated areas of the US for months at a time, far longer than the voting block that they represent merits if you were looking at national influence, percentage of voting Americans. The idea that these two races mean anything would be laughable if only the media could be convinced to laugh.  Instead they insist on portraying the primaries as horse races and build up the competition as if what we are witnessing was a sporting event and not the future leaders of our country vying for attention.

Which is why the subject of Justin Scott’s videos interests me, even though his location in Iowa galls me ever so slightly.  Iowa is one of those regions where religion figures prominently; and when I say religion, I mean evangelical christians, the omnipotent WASP’s who have run the country since its beginning.  The people who are most threatened by the presidency of Barack Obama and the likely potential that he will be succeeded by Hillary Clinton, if we are lucky.  If we aren’t lucky we’ll have any one of the current GOP candidates currently doing their best to out-conservative each other.

Being brave enough to go out in public and film, to identify oneself as an atheist and ask how the candidates plan on protecting your right to not believe.  That takes real courage.  I wanted to let Justin know that I appreciated his work, even though I have to spend several quality minutes (hours actually) writing a post highlighting the important work that he is doing.  I wish that more members of the media had the balls to ask the really hard questions.

Perry’s Religious Road to the White House?

Before the rest of ya’ll learned to despise the man who served as the 43rd President of the U.S. (not to be mistaken with his father, a man of the same name) George W. Bush was a lauded Governor of Texas. I didn’t have much of an opinion of him, one way or the other. I’m not into sports, so W’s ownership of the Texas Rangers meant little to me, and that single fact (combined with his father’s having been President) seemed to gain him the governorship.

I thought Ann Richards a better governor at the time, although his wife was visible doing good things for education in Texas. I’m not sure what he did to be lauded as governor. I never saw him do much more than make feel good speeches and cut ribbons (kissed a few babies, too) There were rumors of his drinking and whatever use even then, but he seemed to be pretty harmless in the scheme of things (little did we know) willing to be the figurehead that is the sole job of a Texas governor.

His Lt. Governor was a little-known climber by the name of Rick Perry; a literal political chameleon who changed party to Republican when he saw that it would give him an ‘in’ as Governor of Texas when his predecessor moved up to the White House. Not only did he change parties but he became a devout, embracing religious right causes calculated to win favor amongst his supporters; a man that has wielded religion as a cudgel at every opportunity, to the detriment of the state. Instead of being the figurehead that governors are relegated to by the Texas constitution, He’s subverted the office by orchestrating the creation of a tollway commission which he controls, a foreign run for profit company that charges Texans to drive on roads that they pay to build with their own taxes.

I could go on painting this picture, but you probably get my point already. As much disdain as I have for W, I’ll take a coke-sniffing, drunken buffoon of a governor over an actual crook and hypocrite any day of the week. It should come as no surprise that the same Rick Perry that changed parties in order to secure the governorship, and that has found religion useful in holding the governor’s office in Texas for longer than any other governor in history, is intending to use religion as his vehicle to run for the White House:

New reports of closed-door meetings and conference calls indicate that religious-right kingmakers are coming together in support of a presidential bid by Texas Gov. Rick Perry. One of those closed-door confabs occurred two weeks ago, when Gov. Perry spoke before a virtual “who’s who” of religious-right leaders gathered in the North Texas city of Euless (just outside Dallas), EthicsDaily.com reports.

TFN Insider

Given that he’s consistently used religion to gain political favor during his several terms as governor, it should be no surprise to Texans that their governor is planning to use religion to attempt to gain the White house. The next step on this road appears to be a prayer meeting scheduled for August 6th (TFN has an open letter you can sign on to if you want to stand in opposition to this event) The no-holds-barred blurb for the event runs like this:

We believe that America is in a state of crisis. Not just politically, financially or morally, but because we are a nation that has not honored God in our successes or humbly called on Him in our struggles.

According to the Bible, the answer to a nation in such crisis is to gather in humility and repentance and ask God to intervene. The Response will be a historic gathering of people from across the nation to pray and fast for America.

theresponseusa.com

Of course, when you rent a stadium, and plan on filling it with the devout on the pretense of praying for the future of America (that future America being lead by one President Rick Perry, no doubt) calling your event a prayer meeting sounds like pious bullshit.

What Governor Good Hair has failed to take into account is that there are laws against using religion this way in the US (one might be forgiven for not knowing this, considering how often religion is misused in this fashion) and has been sued over his event’s blatant mixing of church & state:

The federal lawsuit seeks to declare Perry’s participation in the prayer rally and his proclamation unconstitutional, to enjoin his further involvement, and to order corrective action. FFRF seeks to stop further publication of the proclamation, to declare the use of the official state seal of Texas unconstitutional, to order the governor to withdraw permission for the AFA to use his written and videotaped promotions (“Gov. Perry’s Invitation Video”) and radio recordings at their website, to remove links from the governor’s website, as well as enjoining Perry from issuing and disseminating further Day of Prayer proclamations or designations.

FFRF press release

Here’s hoping they have better luck with this one than they did with the National Day of Prayer lawsuit. Thankfully it won’t be up to the elected (and resultantly biased) courts of Texas. This is a federal issue, it will go to federal court. Yes, I imagine he’ll make hay over being told he can’t use religion to win the White House. Whatever it takes to shoot this pretender down, I’m all for.

Postscript

The case has been dismissed:

The Freedom From Religion Foundation’s lawsuit challenging Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s sponsorship of an Aug. 6 prayer event at Reliant Stadium in Houston was dismissed July 28 by U.S. District Judge Gray Miller, who ruled that the plaintiffs lack standing.

FFRF and five of its Houston members sued to block Perry from continued endorsement of the Christian event titled “The Response.” Miller (appointed in 2006 by President Bush) declined to grant a restraining order against the governor and dismissed the suit, saying that the plaintiffs had not been coerced into attending the rally. The judge did not address the merits of the case.

FFRF plans to appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals or to reconfigure the case so that it may be heard again. FFRF maintains that coercion into a religious practice is not required in order to bring suit under the Establishment Clause.

“Government endorsement of one religious view that excludes other religions and nonbelievers is enough,” said Dan Barker, FFRF co-president.

ffrf.org

Suits brought against the government are routinely dismissed on standing these days. It has become nearly impossible to even bring a suit against the government and not have it dismissed on standing, much less win a case against the government.

…Which is why the Freedom From religion Foundation are planning a protest the day of the event at Reliant Stadium since Gov. Good Hair is still making noises like he’s planning on attending as the governor, not a private citizen, the basis for the dismissal on standing.

Not a Christian Land Governed by Christian Principles

Make no mistake what the goals of the SBOE are:

Dunbar, in her 2008 book, One Nation Under God, argued that the Founders created “an emphatically Christian government” (page 18 of her book) and that government should be guided by a “biblical litmus test” (page 47). Even more damning, this State Board of Education member wrote that public education is a “subtly deceptive tool of perversion,” tyrannical and unconstitutional.

TFN Insider: Christian Land Governed by Christian Principles
Texas Freedom Network – “a Christian land governed by Christian principles” – May 21, 2010

…and while these members have been handed their hats over this embarrassing situation they’ve created, they are bound and determined to force this farce into the next generation of Texas textbooks.

If you aren’t clear on why the US isn’t a Christian nation, Just look at the constitution. Notice the word ‘god’ is not present in the document. Check out this entry on the Bad Astronomy blog. Here, I’ll save you the time and just post the bus sign here. This pretty much says it all:

FFrF Radio: America is Not a Christian Nation

Podcast Link.
August 23, 2008 – Guests: Ernie Chambers and Katha Pollitt
Saddleback abomination. Religious test for office. Homophobia on parade. Supreme misunderstanding.

5:20 Ernie Chambers 2nd appearance; discusses his case against god; omnipotence & omniscience precludes service. the case was brought specifically because courts should be open to any body for any reason (the way the law reads in Nebraska) he goes through a few of the counts against god listed in the lawsuit.

18:40 Catha Pollitt, flocking to faith; Obama’s complete betrayal of the constitution, with his announcement to continue the faith based initiative.

She qualifies her bile with her intention to continue her support for Obama. I find this blind subservience to any political faction sad & disgusting.

2007 Archive episode.
August 25, 2007 – America is not a christian nation

Convention blurb

5:15 theocracy alert. Texas pledge modification (how about no pledge? My children do not pledge) David Vidder, latest conservative hypocrite. Bill Moyers’ religious judgment error with Martin Marty. God’s warriors.

20:30 Ed Buckner has a chapter in Everything You Know About God is Wrong with the title America is not a christian nation. To some of us, this is not news. Decent interview all the same.


2006 Archive episode.
August 26, 2006 –The Evolving Religious Assault on Evolution: Lawrence Lerner

Neo-Nazis protesting on women’s equality day. Only Turkey has a smaller percentage of people who accept the proof of evolution than the US. Evolution left off list of acceptable low income US education grants. Pope sacks astronomer. Coulter smears Darwin (earns label of coultergeist)

Larry Lerner representing the Fordham Foundation and the report he co-wrote www.edexcellence.net on science standards in the classroom. The discussion revolves around the problems of setting and maintaining education standards, and the evolving nature of creationism.

Kristen Lems & Dan Barker sing The Preacher & the Slave

Freethinkers almanac.

There are those who say Dawkins goes too far in his attack on religion. That he fails to understand the true nature of religious mystery; that his criticism relies on a parody of faith that he himself set in place, and that people do not take seriously anymore. those who make that objection tend to belong to the mild kindly end of the religious spectrum. these days we should be in no doubt of what the other end of the spectrum is like and we might remember that no social structure ever gives up power because it wants to. If some parts of the christian church are decent and tolerant today, it is because the crusaders and inquisitors and witch burners have been shamed and stripped of their authority by the great critics of religion, some indeed who belonged to the church itself. But all of whom were accused in their time of going too far.

Philip Pullman

we don’t trust numbers to build up a cause; rather we look at principles, to the truth and the right.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Editor’s note

This article ended a year spent detailing individual episodes of Freethought Radio, a task I set myself almost on a lark after being told by FOX news that the show should never be heard on American airwaves. As you can tell from the spotty work done on some of the episodes, it was a task that I regretted taking on long before I got to the end of the year that I set as my goal.

Freethought Radio still isn’t accessible on an individual episode basis on the Freedom From Religion Foundation website. You have to go to the archive page and hunt and peck for the individual episode you are looking for. I have also stopped listening to the podcast on a regular basis. I still catch the odd episode when I have need of something different to listen to, and there is a episode in the queue that looks interesting to me.

The format of the show has never changed and neither of the two hosts of the show really seem to understand how to conduct a radio show that isn’t grindingly repetitive. They have at least managed to stay on the air, week in and week out for nearly fifteen years now. This is more than I can say for other podcasters out there.

FFrF Radio: Second Week of August

Podcast Link.
August 16, 2008 – Guests: Julia Cicci, ROTC cadet and unbeliever and Sarah Braasch, FFRF legal intern

Theocracy Alert – Priests convicted, testimony of victims. Black collar crimes are listed in every issue of Freethought Today; More proof of Bush’s mental illness.

9:20 – Interview – Julia Cicci – Non-religious invocation.

18:30 – Interview – Sarah Braash – Former Jehovah’s Witness, talks about how religion terrorizes children.

2007 Archive episode.
August 18, 2007 – Religion Writer Loses Religion

5:30 theocracy alert – Indiana chaplaincy program ended; Christian embassy; Left Behind video game promo in ‘care’ packages from Operation Startup. Carl rove resignation & proof of George W. Bush’s schizophrenia.

28:30 Interview – William Lobdell, He had faith in his job Discusses the website http://www.whydoesgodhateamputees.com and faith healers like Benny Hinn. (Where are the ambulance chasers? Why isn’t there a lawsuit for fraud from faith healers?) Trinity broadcasting telling people to charge their contributions even if they can’t pay their debts. (apparently god wants you to be a debt slave)

48:15 Freethinkers Almanac


2006 Archive episode.
August 19, 2006 – An Atheist in a Foxhole: Philip Paulson

Philip Paulson, atheist in foxhole, his 17 year fight against the Mount Soledad cross. His case has since been taken up by Steve Trunk. Terminal cancer sufferers should all look to this man as an inspiration. I want to have the energy he has, and I don’t have cancer.

Dan Barker performs “None of the Above”

FFrF Radio. First week of August

Podcast Link.
August 2, 2008 – Jon O’Brien, president of Catholics For Choice, Ryan Valentine of the Texas Freedom Network

Jon O’Brien was on in part because of the plight of Webster Cook (on Freethought Radio two weeks ago) and in part a response to William Donahue who has capitalized on events of late, gaining the spotlight by claiming victimhood for Catholics and christians in general. As President of Catholics for Choice, Jon O’Brien has a few pointed comments in response to Donahue’s appearances in the media.

Ryan Valentine (calling from Austin!) of the Texas Freedom Network was interviewed concerning the SBOE’s ill-advised decision last week to pass guidelines for Bible Courses in Texas (I sent my objections to the governor myself, with the suggestion that McLeroy should be sacked) litigation has already been filed, so additional state expenditures on this issue are guaranteed.

Texans interested in preserving the separation of church and state in Texas should Take Action at the TFN website.

It ain’t necessarily so.
The things that your liable to read in the bible,
it ain’t necessarily so.

George Gershwin, Porgy & Bess

2007 Archive episode.
August 4, 2007 – Special Guest: August Brunsman, director of the Secular Student Alliance

Theocracy Alert. Newspaper editor with more status than brains is set straight; at least on this program. She remained unapologetic in the face of several letters of protest.

August Brunsman of the Secular Student Alliance was on to discuss the advancing cause of freethought amongst the next generation, and the disturbing amount of money funneled into christian causes like Campus Crusade.

Dan Barker’s work on Yip Harburg‘s Rhymes for the Irreverent. Snippets from this song are frequently used as bumper music in later episodes of the show.

Pagan pulpit wraps up the episode. Tithing supported in the bible? Not the way you might think.

Those who begin coercive elimination of dissent soon find themselves exterminating dissenters. Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard.

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette

2006 Archive episode.
August 5, 2006 – Agnostic Recalled from Office over Pledge Issue: Dave Habecker

Theocracy Alert. Reading from the Associated Baptist Press, a speech by Walter Sheridan, calling attention to recent disturbing trends in religion. The continuing saga of the Mt. Solidad Cross.

Dave Habecker was recalled from his trustees position in Estes Park, Colorado, for failing to stand and recite the pledge of allegiance (I’m betting my position on the pledge would send Estes Park into orbit) which does nothing less than establish a religious test for holding office.

Freethinkers Almanac features Rupert Brook and Percy Shelley.

I’m studiously ignoring the plug for Inconvenient Truth at the end of the episode, because it’s not convenient to rant about the environment right now. But then, there’s always Bullshit! to fall back on, when the previous rants fall short.

FFrF Radio: Fourth Week of July

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

FFrF Radio: Third Week of July

Podcast Link. July 19, 2008 – Webster Cook, student senator and non-eater of communion wafers

Sarah Braasch returns to talk about prayer imposed on senior citizens. If I was restricted to use of federally funded services, I think I’d take exception to being forced to pray in order to eat. Which is what Sarah’s report was about. FAQ at FFrF.org

Dan waxes poetic on the subject of reincarnation.

Webster Cook attended a mass recently because a friend was curious about what actually occurs during a Catholic mass. During the mass, he received communion but failed to eat the wafer (he was, in fact, raised Catholic) He’s now being charged with a hate crime, and possible expulsion from school. Go figure. It’s hard to imagine how anything more ridiculous could have evolved out of this situation.

Excuse me if I find this entire subject laughable. I’ve talked to several Catholics over the years who have told me that they never eat the communion wafers. “You never know where those things have been”.

2007 Archive episode. July 21, 2007 – The God Who Wasn’t There

The episode opens with a tribute to the Harry Potter stories. The seventh Harry Potter book was released at midnight the day of the broadcast. I was out there with the rest of the fans, myself.

Theocracy alert deals with a disruption during the Senate invocation prayer. (Why we as taxpayers pay for Senate chaplains is beyond me. I thought they were all sworn to poverty?) and a discussion of the sad state of affairs when it comes to Catholic priests and child abuse.

(Why not advertise Trojans on TV? Can’t be any worse than ED treatments or female hygiene products)

Brian Flemming produced “The God Who Wasn’t There“.

BeyondBeliefMedia – “The God Who Wasn’t There” – Trailer – Apr 29, 2006

I’ve seen it (and I won’t go see the Passion of the Christ. Talk about Torture Porn) I hate to say this, but I think the interview was better than the film. I haven’t had the chance to watch the entire DVD, but I understand that there is more information on the DVD than is included in the film itself.

The film inspired the Blasphemy Challenge (I first heard about this on FTL) which has 1509 video responses as of this writing; 508 of whom signed a ticket to hell (unless they have one of these; I have a whole box of them) and didn’t even get a DVD.


2006 Archive episode. July 22, 2006 – “Gideons and Guantanamo”

For legal buffs, George Daly represented FFrF in their objection to a bible distribution day. He has also represented clients held at Gitmo.

It’s frightening to think this was two years ago, and they have just now granted that these prisoners have a right to a hearing under US law. These prisoners will be waiting at least another year before they even get their hearing, and it could be another couple of years before any of them could be released. That’s over a decade of imprisonment for some of these guys, some of them simply swept up for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. 3650 days versus one day for a US citizen accused of a real crime. What a joke our laws are.

Pagan pulpit and Dan’s Battle of Church and State close out the episode.