Monthly Archives

February 2016

Stephen Prothero, Author of Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars

Stephen Prothero is a professor in the department of religion at Boston University and the author of several books, including Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know — and Doesn’t. You may have seen him on his appearances on The Daily Show or The Colbert Report. His latest book is called Why Liberals Win the Culture Wars (Even When They Lose Elections).

We spoke with him about why conservatives back losing issues, what issues will get liberals out to vote this November, and what surprised him during his research for the book.

Notes:

We discussed an interview Bernie Sanders did on Jimmy Kimmel Live. You can see that interview here.

Jeffrey Tayler, Author and Salon Columnist

Jeffrey Tayler is an author of several books all about different parts of the world, but you may know him best for his wonderful articles defending atheism and atheists, and criticizing the Religious Right on Salon.com. He’s also the Russia correspondent for the Atlantic. His latest book is called Topless Jihadis: Inside Femen, the World’s Most Provocative Activist Group.

I spoke with Jeffrey about Salon‘s reputation for publishing just about anything criticizing atheists, what the public doesn’t understand about the New Atheists, and the impact religion will have on the 2016 elections.

(Image credit: Tatyana Shchukina)

Lyz Liddell, Executive Director of the Reason Rally Coalition

Lyz Liddell is the Executive Director of the Reason Rally Coalition. Before that, she worked with the Secular Student Alliance and played a large role in the Openly Secular campaign, which got celebrities like Bill Maher, Arian Foster, and Barney Frank to talk about how they’re not religious and encouraged others to join them.

I spoke with Lyz about the newest slate of speakers at the Rally, how she balances the competing agendas of the various atheist groups participating in the event, what she’s learned from a decade in the movement.

Robyn Blumner, CEO of the Center For Inquiry

Robyn Blumner spent 16 years as a nationally syndicated columnist and editorial writer at the Tampa Bay Times newspaper, where she wrote a lot about civil liberties, church/state separation, and free speech issues. In 2012, she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize along with the rest of her editorial team.

Before she was writing professionally, she headed up ACLU affiliates in Florida and Utah. She entered the world of organized atheism, if you will, in 2014, when she was tapped to run the Richard Dawkins Foundation. Recently, RDF announced a merger with the Center For Inquiry, and Robyn will soon become CEO of the new merged organization.

I spoke with Robyn about her experience coming out as an atheist publicly long before it became commonplace, how the CFI/RDF merger took shape, and — yes — Richard Dawkins‘ tweets.