Dr. John van Wyhe has a passion for spreading the good word from the good books - the writings of Charles Darwin! John van Wyhe is a historian of science who has spent his career studying the work of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. He has written numerous books, articles and reviews, and has presented over 50 unique lectures on the subjects of evolution, history of science and Charles Darwin across the world.
Join Atheists Talk this Sunday when we interview Dr. John van Wyhe about his project "Darwin Online", the largest and most widely consulted collection of the writings of Darwin ever published. We'll ask him about why he challenges whether Darwin kept his theory secret for twenty years, as well as whether The Origin of Species raised as much of an uproar when it was first published as it does today.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.
"You're an atheist? Oh, you must be lonely and miserable during the holidays."
"No, not at all. I celebrate too."
"What? What do you celebrate?"
You know how it goes. People who have never gotten far enough outside Christianity to look back in and realize that Santa Claus isn't Jesus and eggnog wouldn't have kept well in Israel just can't wrap their heads around the idea of secular holidays. They can't quite figure out how we manage to make festive without the bible, even though theirs doesn't make an appearance when everyone is sitting around the Christmas tree.
So we're going to help them out. On Sunday, December 23, at 9 a.m. Central time, we're going to do a special holiday edition of Atheists Talk. It's going to be all about what we do, as atheists, as everyone else is celebrating Christmas or Ramadan or Yule or making a big deal out of Hannukah for the sake of the children or going out for Chinese food and a movie.
What do you do over these dark days? Do you keep the old traditions minus the churchy bits? Do you still go to church for some reason? Does Santa visit? Do you do a big family meal? Do the people you spend the holidays with know you're atheist? Do you decorate? If you do, what kinds of symbols do you include? What new traditions have you carved for yourself? What movies define this time of year for you? How do you really feel about Christmas music? What's the most unholy holiday you've ever had?
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.
The nonprofit Freedom From Religion Foundation works to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism, and to promote the constitutional principle of separation between church and state. The Foundation is the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and skeptics) with over 18,000 members.
Since 1978, the Foundation has acted on countless violations of the separation of state and church, and has taken and won many significant complaints and important lawsuits to end state/church entanglements.
Won’t you join us in our critical work to defend the separation between government and religion?
Dan is also an author, atheist spokesperson, musician and your friendly neighborhood atheist. He's visiting the Twin Cities this weekend as the musical guest at the Winter Solstice dinner. Join us for a discussion of what the Freedom From Religion Foundation does for us all.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.
Perhaps no character in literary history has gone as quickly from cherished hero to reviled villian as Franklin Whitestone of Douglas Whaley's novel, Imaginary Friend.
Franklin Whitestone finds himself an unwitting hero after surviving a terrorist bomb attack in a crowded stadium. After television crews film him playing a critical role in the safe escape of himself and other victims, he is instantly transformed into a national celebrity. Franklin is is flown in high style to New York to appear on a live call in-show to recount his experience. The interview starts out well, but when a caller ask if he was praying to God for strength during his ordeal, he scoffs and proudly boasts about not having an "imaginary friend". He goes on to ask the caller why God should be credited for getting him out of the mess, but not blamed for the terrorist attack happening in the first place. The studio erupts in shock and outrage.
Before he understands what has happened, Franklin finds him the subject of hatred, anger, reproach and pity. Everything he holds dear is threatened by his new noteriety, and a dangerous religious extremist - one of the same men who helped free the Franklin from the stadium - sets out to "save him" a second time.
If you have ever suffered social rejection or for your non-belief, Imaginary Friend will haunt you. Franklin's detractors spout familiar religious criticisms of atheism, but Whaley's charcters are complex; they have minds and flaws of their own, and don't always respond in the way we wish they would. The story is thrilling, heartbreaking, at times infuriating,and always hard to set down.
Tune in this Sunday when Douglas Whaley joins Atheists Talk to do a live reading from Imaginary Friend, answer questions about the book, and we'll discuss the question of whether there are times when it's appropriate or not to come out as an atheist.
Atheists Talk is produced with funding from the Minnesota Atheists and the Humanists of Minnesota. We also wish to thank Q. Cumbers restaurant for purchasing on-air advertising and for providing a great place to eat and gather. This radio program is put together by dedicated volunteers and the generous donations of listeners. If you are able to help with a donation please consider doing so at our Radio Fund page.
Listen to AM 950 KTNF on Sunday at 9 a.m. Central to hear Atheists Talk, produced by Minnesota Atheists. Stream live online. Call in to the studio: 952-946-6205, or send an e-mail to radio@mnatheists.orgduring the live show.
