Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — What we learned from watching “Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets.” (1:57) — Christians are furious over a tiny Pride flag on the set of “The Chosen,” a show about Jesus. (29:12) — Oklahoma just approved a taxpayer-funded Catholic charter school. (41:03) — The L.A. Dodgers never should've caved after honoring the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. (51:38) — Richard Dawkins has a new analogy to describe people who are transgender. (1:03:17)  — If Louisiana forces every classroom to display “In God We Trust” signs, atheist Chaz Stevens is preparing to send them Arabic ones. (1:10:00) — What does it mean that “non-churchgoers now rule the GOP”? (1:16:35) — To comply with Utah's book banning law, a school district removed the KJV Bible. (1:28:00) — Two Christian schools sue Minnesota for cutting them out of a taxpayer-funded program. (1:33:00) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. —SPONSOR: Visit BetterHelp.com/atheist today to get 10% off your first month. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. — The 3 lies that convinced two conservative Christians to stop home-schooling their kids. (2:20) — Catholics are flocking to Missouri to catch a glimpse of a dead nun’s corpse. (32:42) — A pastor charged with four counts of child cruelty has announced his bid for the Louisiana House. (46:05) — A Church diocese dismissed sex abuse allegations against a priest. Now there are six more victims. (1:00:06) — A GOP bill would force Michigan schools to teach the "Christian foundations" of the U.S. (1:08:25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***An audio glitch in an earlier upload of this episode has been corrected. Apologies for the error!*** Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A new damning report examined sexual abuse in the Catholic Church in Illinois. (0:55) — Even the most dedicated Catholics are walking away from Church services. (21:23) — A new Florida law allows four minutes of loudspeaker prayers at high school playoff games. (32:13) — The Jehovah’s Witnesses are trying to pretend they didn’t create two videos promoting disfellowshipping/shunning. (41:32) — A Christian school fired two staffers for including their pronouns in emails. (1:00:08) — A Satanist is suing Chicago for ignoring his “Hail Satan” invocation request. (1:14:50) — Why did a Florida county honor conspiracy theorist and preacher Rodney Howard-Browne? (1:22:00) — Why did the Texas Ten Commandments bill fail? Not because Republicans opposed it... (1:29:45) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A 60 Minutes segment on the Mormon Church allegedly hoarding cash only made the religion look worse. (0:45)   — Southern Baptists had the biggest drop in membership in over 100 years... AGAIN! (26:26) — A Christian "prophet" says climate change is God's way of pointing us to Bible verses. (38:56) — A church in Norwich, Ontario pressured businesses to close on Sundays... or else. (44:19) — An atheist heard his kids’ bus driver was proselytizing on the way to school… so he had them capture it on video. (50:10)  — Christian Nationalists are now adopting and embracing the label. (57:30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Texas State Rep. Bryan Slaton confirmed the hypocrisy of Christian Nationalists. (0:59)   — Three Texas churches gave $800 to a city council candidate. (35:05) — Mississippi’s new license plates get rid of “In God We Trust.” (43:33) — Why are Utah public schools taking part in a pseudo-patriotic and overtly Christian event? (53:53) — Conservative Christians took over a school board in Colorado. Now they’re destroying it. (1:03:50) — A Portland (Oregon) school board candidate vowed to drop out of the race after his Christian Nationalist ties were exposed. (1:18:46) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Kansas lawmaker told non-Christian constituents that he’d “try and convert” them rather than taking their concerns seriously. (0:52) — A Texas Democrat dismantled the case for putting the Ten Commandments in every classroom… but Republicans don’t care. (20:08) — A Baptist missionary was convicted of sexually abusing a four-year-old girl. The proof? He gave her gonorrhea. (41:04) — What horrible ideas does a former atheist leader have now? Let’s check in. (52:00) — If you’re attempting to test the Equal Access Act and counter a Christian program in a public school, don’t do it the way this atheist did. (59:15) — A judge ordered a Pennsylvania school district to allow meetings of the After School Satan Club. (1:19:43) — A Christian congressman said gun violence was the result of a lack of “revival,” but more Jesus would only make things worse. (1:25:35) — A Christian minister told Ohio legislators that trans rights supporters were “possessed by demons.” (1:31:55) — SPONSOR: Go to ExpressVPN.com/friendlyatheist to get three extra months free. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Kenyan cult is allegedly responsible for the starvation deaths of dozens of people. (2:25) — An Arizona lawmaker moved bibles out of a “members-only” lounge in the Capitol. She was right to do it. (17:31) — A Christian student was banned from prom for wearing a suit instead of a dress. (28:19) — A federal judge says Mississippi must allow religious exemptions for vaccines. (38:05) — Minneapolis will let Muslims amplify calls to prayer 24/7… which is a mistake. (46:19) — Most Americans agree: You don’t need God to be good. (59:00) — Christian missionaries will no longer be able to preach to kids in Oklahoma public schools. (1:07:28)   — The beliefs of an exorcism-obsessed church caused a deadly accident in Australia. (1:12:25) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — These Christians used their baby to learn about sex. (1:11) — A Christian mailman wants special rights at work, and the Supreme Court may help him out. (26:37)  — Ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick was charged with another sexual abuse crime. (54:06) — This is a horrible honeymoon tip, courtesy of Purity Culture. (1:04:05)  — A judge ordered a California church to pay over $1.2 million in fines for ignoring COVID rules. (1:11:47) — The Arizona Supreme Court said Mormon leaders don’t have to report confessions of abuse. (1:16:00) — SPONSOR: Visit BetterHelp.com/atheist today to get 10% off your first month. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — An anti-trans lawmaker from Missouri says it’s okay for 12-year-olds to get married. (0:38) — The Dalai Lama asked a child to suck his tongue. (15:08) — U.S. Latinos are ditching Catholicism and becoming “Nones.” (24:20) — A Christian public school teacher is demanding the right to include “John 3:16” in her emails. (37:06)  — A NASA official swore her oath on Carl Sagan's "Pale Blue Dot." (45:36) — An anti-LGBTQ Christian mom sued Oregon for rejecting her request to adopt kids. (53:28) — Oklahoma officials rejected a taxpayer-funded Catholic charter school… for now. (1:03:29)  — SPONSOR: Visit BetterHelp.com/atheist today to get 10% off your first month. This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. — SPONSOR: Use my link EXPRESSVPN.COM/FRIENDLYATHEIST today and get an extra three months free on a one-year package. — SPONSOR: If you’re looking for a simpler and cost-effective supplement routine, Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/ATHEIST. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Nearly half of Gen Z, born after 1996, has no religious affiliation whatsoever. (1:17) — Maryland’s attorney general released a report on Catholic clergy abuse in Baltimore Archdiocese. (16:09) — A priest was punished for saying clergy members should report sex abuse confessions to local authorities. (27:11) — The Covenant School tragedy shows how more prayer will never stop gun violence. (36:31) — Religious jurors punish defendants who don’t swear to God to tell the truth. (42:07) — Texas lawmakers also want to replace trained school counselors with untrained chaplains. (46:30) — Atheists are suing West Virginia prison officials for forcing some inmates to profess Christianity. (55:15) — A Maine church is very upset it can’t get taxpayer money for promoting bigotry. (59:51) — A megachurch allegedly forced employees to tithe 10% of each paycheck. (1:07:08) — A Nebraska school is revamping its security protocols after an uninvited preacher evangelized in the cafeteria. (1:21:29) — SPONSOR: If you’re looking for a simpler and cost-effective supplement routine, Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/ATHEIST. — SPONSOR: Go to HelloFresh.com/friendly50 and use code friendly50 for 50% off, plus your first box ships free! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Suzanna Krivulskaya is an Assistant Professor of History at California State University San Marcos where she teaches courses in United States history. Her first book, Disgraced: How Sex Scandal Transformed American Protestantism, will be published in early 2024 by Oxford University Press. A specialist in the fields of U.S. religion and sexuality, Suzanna has published in both scholarly and popular outlets, like The Revealer and Religion and Politics. Her scholarly work was recognized by the 2019-2020 Virginia Ramey Mollenkott Award from the LGBTQ Religious Archives Network. In 2022, she was named a Public Research in Religion Institute Fellow in the area of Religion and LGBTQ Rights. Always interested in translating academic expertise to broader publics, she currently serves as a trainer in the Sacred Writes program, which connects students of religion with public-facing scholarship.  We spoke about the Falwells, the Bakkers, the Haggards, why the wives often stand by their scandal-plagued pastor-husbands, and what these scandals reveal about evangelical Christianity. — Why do scandal-plagued pastors' wives stay by their husbands' side? (5:00) — Is the supposed shame of divorce too strong? (8:00) — Should we feel bad for these wives? (9:42) — What the heck is going on with the Falwells? (11:59) — Suzanna describes her journey from missionary to doubter (14:24) — Are younger evangelicals changing how we talk about this issue? (16:05) — How long have these scandals been going on? (18:06) — What do these scandals say about evangelical Christianity? (20:12) — How can these pastors still preach "purity"? (26:54) — Did anything in Suzanna's research surprise her? (31:30) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Florida principal was fired after students saw an image of Michelangelo’s “David.” (0:33) — A Christian woman claimed her three amputated toes were regrown during a prayer service. (19:09) — A Colorado bill would make Catholic hospitals say what services they don't provide. (34:05) — A Christian ministry trademarked the phrase "Worship Leader," creating mass chaos. (45:23) — Citing his faith, a Texas university leader canceled a drag show fundraiser. (54:36)  — The Satanic Temple is not promoting adult content to kids, no matter what this Christian ministry says. (1:04:30) — A Texas bill would cut property taxes for couples with 10 kids. (1:19:36) —SPONSOR: If you’re looking for a simpler and cost-effective supplement routine, Athletic Greens is giving you a FREE 1 year supply of Vitamin D AND 5 free travel packs with your first purchase. Go to athleticgreens.com/ATHEIST. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Christian lawmaker used the Bible to justify the physical abuse of kids with disabilities in public schools. (0:37) — Americans still view atheists unfavorably… but it’s not all bad news. (25:42) — In a lawsuit, a teenager says a teacher assaulted her for not saying the Pledge of Allegiance. (43:37) — An editorial defending college football coach Deion Sanders’ proselytizing fumbled the facts. (54:35)  — The Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese in California has filed for bankruptcy. (1:13:29) — A Christian school in Vermont is banned from competing in state-sanctioned events after refusing to play a team with a trans athlete. (1:21:03) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — A Christian pastor wrote the most WTF essay about Jesus penetrating the church. (0:57) — A Catholic non-profit spent millions of dollars to track the whereabouts of gay priests. (32:35) — An Arizona school board rightly ended its contract with an anti-LGBTQ Christian college. (48:25) — An employee of Catholic Charities has sued the group for its hyper-realistic active shooter drill. (58:37)  — This is going to be the worst conference ever. (1:07:00) — Why is a taxpayer-funded tourism group in Kentucky promoting Creationism? (1:15:05) — The Supreme Court won't weigh in on a police-led Christian prayer vigil... yet. (1:20:35) — A Tennessee bill would let county clerks refuse to sign same-sex and interracial marriage licenses. (1:36:50) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Why was New York City Mayor Eric Adams repeating Christian Nationalist rhetoric? (0:40) — Christians who went to the Asbury "revival" may have been exposed to measles. (15:14) — Defrocked priest Frank Pavone has been accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. (23:15)  — Banning "After School Satan" clubs after anonymous threats makes things worse. (37:30) — A writer who once called out conservative Christianity has now adopted conservative Christianity. (44:20)   — Attendance in religious education classes fell 99% in Victoria, Australia after the classes stopped being mandatory. (54:15) — A Montana Republican has filed a bill to stick Christian prayer in public schools. (1:00:29) — West Virginia lawmakers are still trying to push “Intelligent Design” into classrooms. (1:07:55) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — I’ve shifted to Substack. (0:48) — Saddleback Church was kicked out of the Southern Baptist Convention for having a woman pastor. (1:56) — Arizona House Republicans passed a bill forcing kids to say the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. (14:13) — Nikki Haley, who wants to present herself as a sane Republican, got an extremist pastor to kick off her presidential campaign. (23:50) — A former member of Westboro Baptist Church is now whitewashing a different kind of hate. (30:53) — Nebraska State Sen. Megan Hunt called out her Christian colleagues for ignoring Jesus in how they vote. (40:03) — A Christian school canceled a concert after learning one of the singers is gay. (46:35)  — The Feds fined the Mormon Church and its investment division for trying to hide its assets. (59:15) — A victim of the Satanic Panic, Melvin Quinney, has finally been exonerated. (1:10:59) — Don’t automatically trust stories about pastors who die for bizarre religion-related reasons in Africa. (1:17:19) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jessica did a solo interview with Dr. Kellie Carter Jackson, an Associate Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at Wellesley College where she studies the lived experiences of Black people with a focus on slavery and abolitionism. She also co-hosts the podcasts This Day in Esoteric Political History and Oprahdemics. Jess and Dr. Carter Jackson discussed how Christianity informed opinions on slavery and abolition, why the church was (and still is) entwined with Black American culture, and the first lady of talk, Oprah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Sam Smith’s and Kim Petras’ Satan-themed performance of “Unholy” at the Grammys angered conservative Christians. (0:22) — A Christian school decided to affirm LGBTQ people… and now it will shut down because the donors left. (10:26) — White evangelical parents want their kids to have the same faith. What does that say about their parenting? (16:30) — Get ready for some Jesus-y Super Bowl ads. (28:28) — An atheist Republican (!) is back (!) in the New Hampshire legislature. (30:55) — Kent Hovind’s Dinosaur Adventure Land is a cesspool of chaos and that’s putting it lightly. (43:56) — The Democratic National Committee passed a resolution condemning “white religious nationalism.” (51:50) — Victoria (Australia) officials want guidance from higher-up officials so they can eliminate Christian invocation prayers at meetings. (56:10)  — Oklahoma Republicans want to inject Christian Nationalism into history classes. (59:35) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — Nebraska Sen. Megan Hunt responded to an anti-drag bill with an amendment to protect children from religious indoctrination. (0:49) — The Satanic Temple is about to launch “The Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic," named in honor of someone whose lack of options in 1950 forced the rest of us to pay the price. (10:35) — The Pope wants you to remember that the middle finger represents honesty. (17:00) — Let’s talk about unhealthy relationships between minor celebrities and their wonderful fans. (19:10) — Montana Sen. Daniel Emrich wants to ban everything but “scientific fact” from public school classrooms. (40:45) — Christian hate-group leader Mat Staver wants Christian schools to expel children of gay parents before they convince other kids same-sex families are perfectly fine. (49:32) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please support the show at https://www.patreon.com/friendlyatheistpodcast. Donors now get access to a new BONUS episode. Jessica and I sat down to talk about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics. — The Church of England will finally bless same-sex marriages. But don’t cheer just yet. (0:50) — The Pope called for the decriminalization of homosexuality. Does it matter? (5:44) — Stop praising Pastor Andy Stanley for pretending to care about gay people. (12:50) — Former NFL coach and current commentator Tony Dungy hid behind his faith during an acknowledgment that he lied to people about kitty litter boxes in classrooms. (37:48) — After a Mormon man murdered his family, why was his obituary so positive? (44:30)  — During a right-wing rally, former SNL cast member Jim Breuer mocked flu shots, vaccines, and NFL player Damar Hamlin. (51:27) — Anti-abortion activist Nathaniel Darnell celebrated the death of the former Speaker of the Georgia House. (56:52) — 13 clergy members have filed a lawsuit "challenging Missouri’s abortion ban and several related abortion restrictions." (1:00:45) — Who allowed controversial “influencer” Woah Vicky to preach to kids at a Georgia high school? (1:04:55) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices