Free Betty

Free Betty

Author: Freedom From Religion Foundation March 5, 2026 Duration: 49:43

Moroccan feminist/activist/freethinker Ibtissame ("Betty") Lachgar is in prison for wearing a T-shirt that insulted Islam. Hear about her harrowing story and about how you can help to free her.


Tune in to Freethought Radio, a weekly hour-long conversation from the heart of Madison, Wisconsin, hosted by Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor, who lead the Freedom From Religion Foundation. This podcast offers a direct line to their live Saturday broadcast, bringing you a mix of candid discussion, current events analysis, and the occasional musical interlude, all from a distinctly secular perspective. Each episode delves into the intersection of reason, politics, and culture, challenging religious privilege while advocating for the separation of church and state. You’ll hear interviews with authors, activists, and thinkers, alongside the hosts' own commentary, which is often insightful and deliberately irreverent. It’s a program for anyone questioning dogma, valuing scientific inquiry, or simply curious about life outside traditional faith structures. The tone is more like a spirited coffee shop debate than a lecture, making complex issues around belief and disbelief accessible and engaging. Listening to this podcast feels like joining a long-running, principled discussion that’s both timely and timeless, grounded in the ongoing work of one of the nation’s most prominent organizations advocating for freethinkers.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Freethought Radio
Podcast Episodes
Keep Freedom Alive [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:43
It's a scary show this week. We report on our Denver billboard saying: "Keep Freedom Alive: Stop Project 2025." Dan Barker talks about his trip to Nigeria to visit humanists and freethinkers combating superstition in tha…
Dangers of Religious Nationalism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:43
After we report on state/church news and victories in Florida, California and North Carolina, FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliott describes FFRF's new lawsuit challenging proposed bible distribution in Oklahoma public sc…
Bad Faith [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:25
We announce FFRF's new lawsuit against bible-toting Oklahoma state Superintendent Ryan Walters. Producer Leo Costello interviews "Democracy in Chains" author Nancy MacLean, who is touring with "Bad Faith" documentary scr…
Combating Authoritarianism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:42
After reporting state/church news in Oklahoma, Wisconsin, and Alaska, we devote a segment to the dangers of the proposed Christian-right authoritarian "Project 2025." Then, we hear the engaging speech by Ron Reagan (son…
Take Action [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
Coach Deion Sanders is at it again, and FFRF is again complaining to the University of Colorado about his mixing religion and government. We report state/church complaints and victories in Mississippi, Missouri and Texas…
Charismatic Violence [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:25
Annie Laurie reports on religiously motivated abortion referenda in seven states around the country, as well as the repressive 19th-century Comstock Act that is still invoked today to limit women's rights as it did with…
Well-Trained Wife [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:42
After reporting state/church news in New York, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri and Virginia, we hear Dan Barker's song "Life is Good!" performed by Tahira Clayton and the Godless Gospel singers. Then, we speak with Tia Le…
Anti-Caste Activist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
Margaret Downey, president of the Thomas Paine Memorial Association, tells us about an exciting celebration of the birth of the "Forgotten Founder" Thomas Paine on his Jan. 29 birthday. Then, FFRF Director of Communicati…
The Case Against School Vouchers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:42
FFRF Legal Director Patrick Elliot and FFRF Legal Fellow Hirsh Joshi join us to talk about state-church developments in Utah, Alabama, Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee and Minnesota. Then, we speak with Michigan State Unive…
What's a 'contraduction'? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:25
After news updates, the hosts recap the "Celebrate Dissent" conference in Oslo about ex-Muslims. Annie Laurie Gaylor then interviews co-host Dan Barker about Contraduction, his new book on "the death of the Design Argume…