Monthly Archives

December 2015

Eric, a Former Member of the Worldwide Church of God

Eric is a writer currently living in Chicago. He was raised in California in the Worldwide Church of God, a Christian organization that is now known as Grace Communion International and has been considered by many to be a cult.

Jessica spoke with him about his upbringing in the church, how it affected his childhood, and how he ultimately left it all behind.

We apologize for the sound quality in this episode! The audio equipment wasn’t working properly so we had to resort to alternate means.

Also, Eric requested some anonymity, which is why we did not include his last name for this episode.

Dr. Ken Miller, Expert Witness in Kitzmiller v. Dover

Dr. Ken Miller is a Professor of Biology at Brown University and the co-author of a Biology textbook used in schools across the country. He’s also the author of Finding Darwin’s God and Only a Theory.

I’m talking to him now because it’s the tenth anniversary of the Kitzmiller v. Dover case which gutted the Intelligent Design movement. Miller was an expert witness for the science side.

I spoke with him about whether evolution advocates can finally relax, how a Roman Catholic like himself reconciles science and faith, and the effect of Creationist propaganda on science literacy.

Notes:

Dr. Miller wrote a wonderful summary of his involvement with the case for the National Center for Science Education.

Be sure to watch the excellent NOVA documentary about the trial.

The Pew study about how young people overwhelmingly accept evolution these days can be found here.

Finally, Dr. Miller recommended a book called God’s Mechanics: How Scientists and Engineers Make Sense of Religion by Guy Consolmagno.

Michael De Dora, CFI Public Policy Director and UN Representative

Michael De Dora is director of the Center for Inquiry’s Office of Public Policy and he’s also CFI’s representative to the United Nations. He’s currently the president of the UN’s NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

I spoke with him about what we can do about the bloggers currently under attack in Bangladesh, whether our government is doing anything to protect atheists overseas, and what his conversations are like with the Saudi Arabian representatives at the United Nations.

Notes:

During the show, Michael mentioned the Freethought Emergency Fund, which helps CFI “assist several individuals and families in escaping to safety, either temporarily or permanently.” If you can make a donation, please do so here.

We also discussed House Resolution 396, which calls on the “Government of Bangladesh to protect the human rights of all its citizens.” Consider asking your member of Congress to support the bill.

Chaz Stevens, Atheist Provocateur

Chaz Stevens is an activist who’s especially passionate about the First Amendment. In response to a Nativity scene in the Florida Capitol Building, he put up an 8-foot-tall Festivus pole made of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans. This year, he’s attempting something similar with a 6-foot pole covered in rainbow colors.

He has also been requesting to deliver invocations as a Satanist, forcing several city councils to abandon the prayer practice altogether.

I spoke with Chaz about what a Satanist invocation would look like if he ever got to deliver one, why he prefers an over-the-top approach, and what he hopes to accomplish with his activism.

Notes:

You can support Stevens’ activism by contributing to his Indiegogo page.