Another Goddamned Podcast #45: February 12, 2009

THIS WEEK - Happy Darwin Day!


Original audio source
Evo and SI open this week's podcast with birthday greetings for Charles Darwin. The herd celebrates this event with a discussion of "Seeing and Believing," Jerry Coyne's review of books by Kenneth Miller and Karl Giberson. The question that Coyne and the herd address is whether science and religion are compatible. Evo thinks the answer to this question may differ for scientists and non-scientists, and Chappy thinks that science should be considered as a method of inquiry, or a way of thinking and learning, rather than a body of knowledge about particular phenomena. (00:00)

SI opens this segment by noting another anniversary that occurred recently, then leads the herd in a discussion of Giberson's "argument from convenience" (many thanks to Jerry Coyne for coining that term) for retaining religious beliefs. After chewing on this idea for awhile, the herd discusses Michael Brooks' proposition that people are born with a predisposition to believe in the supernatural. Evo offers some good reasons for agreeing with the proposition, but OG, ever the skeptic, wants more evidence before she'll accept it. (21:05)

After OG reveals the latest poll results, the herd discusses the Freedom from Religion Foundation's latest billboard campaign. Are the billboards part of an atheist meme? SI wraps up the evening with an interesting observation about President Barack Obama's second swearing-in ceremony. (39:31)

Musical Selections:
Opening Music [00:06]: excerpt from "Another Goddamned Draft"
Bridge Music [19:23]: excerpt from "The Atheists's Hymn"
Bridge Music [38:26]: excerpt from "Swing to the Left"
Closing Music [54:25]: excerpt from "As Jazzy as I Get"
(All music: copyright 2008 by Rachel Murie)

This Week's Goddamned Links
Seeing and Believing by Jerry Coyne
Born believers: How your brain creates God
Intelligent design, revisited
Praise Darwin!
Obama's Oath

Another Goddamned Podcast #17: June 5, 2008

THIS WEEK - Theists & Science, Churches & Charities ... and a Lost "Sole"

Evo has a question: Do theists, particularly those on Boards of Education, knowingly use their influence to undermine the teaching of ALL science, not just evolutionary biology? Do they consciously or unconsciously work against the development of a scientific worldview because they realize that it has a tendency to lead to religious decay? Philly thinks Evo may be lost in Conspiracy Land. Others in the Herd support the idea, minus any conspiracy. (0:00)

OG tells us about anti-intellectualism in religious schools. Ex relates a different educational experience. Philly thinks there's so much to teach, so little time. What’s your take? (14:51)

Big surprise! Our federal tax money is being given to churches for charitable work. The Herd, predictably, is pretty united against this, and we spell out why. What really pisses all of us off -- not just Ex -- is that the White House encourages churches to “game the system”. (31:31)

But the Herd, being what it is, can't agree for long. Is it possible that churches actually do use federal funding for charitable work? Some of us say no; others of us think that's an unsupported position. (48:50)

Join a prayer circle and save a woman’s deteriorating family from an ATHEIST ATTACK!!!!!!!!!!!! (1:03:47)

Opening Music [00:00]: excerpt from "Another Goddamned Draft"
Bridge Music [14:04]: excerpt from "Heathen Boogie"
Bridge Music [30:15]: excerpt from "Disco is Not Dead"
Bridge Music [48:39]: excerpt from "Arkansas Traveler"
Bridge Music [1:02:52]: excerpt from "Latin Down the Hatches"
Closing Music [1:11:30]: excerpt from "As Jazzy as I Get"
(All music: copyright 2008 by Rachel Murie)

Original audio source

This Week's Goddamned Links
Brian Greene's piece in The New York Times
Fox News on grants to Trinity United
White House: Advice on Gaming the System
Theocracy Watch: on Faith-Based Initiative
California, the Moonies, and Faith-Based Funding
Some History on Faith-Based Funding
A Long List: Faith-Based Funding Recipients, 2003
Help Me PLEASE!!!!!!!!
Lying-est President