"So Help Me FFRF"

"So Help Me FFRF"

Author: Freedom From Religion Foundation November 6, 2025 Duration: 49:44

After talking about warning labels on bibles and reporting on state/church news, we hear Brandi Carlile's new song "Church and State." FFRF Senior Litigation Counsel Sam Grover joins us to talk about our newest lawsuit with South Carolina plaintiff Jim Reel, who was denied becoming a poll worker because he could not swear "so help me God."


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: 50

Freethought Radio
Podcast Episodes
State/Church Advocacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
After reporting a slew of Christian Nationalist nonsense from pastors, government officials and our President, FFRF Action Fund's Senior Policy Counsel Ryan Jayne and State Policy Manager Ryan Dudley describe a slew of g…
Student Voices on Christian Nationalism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:44
We look at a new federal "religious liberty" report that could significantly reshape church-state separation in the United States, along with a Supreme Court ruling allowing states to ban transgender girls from school sp…
A Liberating Journey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:23
We first get the lowdown on the back and forth that Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has gotten into with the Freedom From Religion Foundation regarding our objection to the Auburn University men's baseball program being s…
Brain Surgery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:23
Neurosurgeon Dr. Vivekanand Palavali joins us to examine how science unravels near-death and out-of-body experiences. Then, we hear from members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus who are pushing back against Christ…
American Infidels [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:23
Historian Steven K. Green's new book, "American Infidelity: The Gilded Age Battle Over Freethought, Free Love and Feminism," describes how 19th-century freethinkers fought religious laws such as the Comstock Act.
Revival of Reason [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:42
Founder and President of Black Nonbelievers Mandisa Thomas tells us about the June 12–14 "Revival of Reason" in Atlanta, celebrating the lives and views of Black Americans who live without religion. We also talk about Te…
Religion on Campus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:44
What to do about religion at graduation ceremonies? FFRF State Policy Manager Ryan Dudley gives a roundup of state legislative actions this past spring. Then, Harvard student Ash Bu talks about her op-ed in The Crimson n…
License to Discriminate [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:24
We report on Trump's Christian-nationalist "Rededicate 250" rally in Washington, D.C., last Sunday. Then, Hope Pisoni of Uncloseted Media and John Washington of Lookout tell us about their joint report, "Your License Pla…
Killers of Roe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:42
After reporting alarming Christian nationalist news, we talk with Amy Littlefield, author of "Killers of Roe: My Investigation into the Mysterious Death of Abortion Rights."
Buddhist nationalism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:44
FFRF Director of Communications Amitabh Pal joins us as we interview journalist and author Sonia Faleiro about her book "The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism is Shaping Modern Asia."