A person is a person through other persons”. This rather humanistic concept articulated by the Zulu philosophy of “Ubuntu” is enjoying a renaissance in the 21st Century, serving as a fashionable touchstone for progressive ideals from African diplomacy to the Free Software movement. But what is Ubuntu, and how can its history and present use be instructive to humanists around the world? Eckson Khambule, a Phd candidate in the Programs in Anthropology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, joined Michael O’Neil to discuss.

 

 Ubuntu, Humanism and South Africa [29:57m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“Women’s Reproduction, Christian Fascism, and Women’s Emancipation: The Morality of Abortion and the Immorality of Those Who Want to Take it Away, Pt. II”

As the 35th anniversary of Roe V. Wade approaches, it is appropriate to take stock at the degree to which the rise of Christian fundamentalism in American politics and culture has brought with it an unprecedented assault on the most fundamental rights of women.

This week Sunsara interviews Dr. Susan Wicklund, whose new book, This Common Secret, details the horrific experiences of women whom underwent illegal abortions which has motivated her to become an abortion provider, her many years of care for women, and the threats and dangers she has had to confront to do her liberating work.

 

 Show 249: Cristina Page Interview Pt. 2 [29:01m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“Women’s Reproduction, Christian Fascism, and Women’s Emancipation: The Morality of Abortion and the Immorality of Those Who Want to Take it Away.”

Part 1 of a two-week special hosted by Sunsara Taylor!

As the 35th anniversary of Roe V. Wade approaches, it is appropriate to take stock at the degree to which the rise of Christian fundamentalism in American politics and culture has brought with it an unprecedented assault on the most fundamental rights of women.

Access to abortion is out of reach for many poor and rural women, abortion providers are still under constant physical – and increasingly, legal – threat, and the Supreme Court - with their decision to uphold the so-called “Partial Birth Abortion Ban” - has begun the process of criminalizing abortion. A growing number of pharmacists are refusing to fill birth control prescriptions, the life-endangering “abstinence-only” programs are being pushed onto our school children by Democrats and Republicans alike, and “Purity Balls” where young girls pledge their virginity (and receive a ring) to their fathers until they get married, are spreading like wildfire across the country.
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 Show 248 Cristina Page Interview Pt 1 [29:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Read Transcript Here!

Over the last year or so, among other Freethought programming, Equal Time for Freethought has asked of several political analysts, scientists and economists to talk about what sociopolitical model or set of ideals would best lead humanity toward a future exhibiting some or all of the principles and affirmations of humanism as we’ve described this philosophy over the last six years on these airways. We’ve critiqued capitalism and its many forms with economists Michael Perelman and Robin Hahnel. We’ve talked about alternative economics such as Parecon with Hahnel and activist Michael Albert. We’ve addressed markets, religion and human nature questions with Noam Chomsky and a host of scientists such as Douglas Fry, Judith Hand, David Sloan Wilson, and Harold Barclay. And we as hosts talked about a possible return to a socialist ethic with revolutionary communism, democratic socialism, libertarian-socialism and eco-socialism; the latter in specific with political scientist Joel Kovel.

To wrap up these various threads, we present this final show for 2007 with political philosopher Takis Fotopoulos, who has presented an alternative libratory model for reaching a healthier, happier, freer and more humanistic future society. Fotopoulos’ model is called Inclusive Democracy, which according to him, “is derived from a synthesis of two major historical traditions: the classical democratic, and the socialist. It also encompasses radical green, feminist, indigenous and liberation movements in the South.”

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 Takis Fotopolous [66:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Long, long before anyone ever heard of Jesus, people all over the world knew that this time of year was special. The winter solstice is a completely natural event, which is loaded with significance, both symbolic and real.

On Christmas Day, Equal Time for Freethought will show how and why Christmas can, and should, be a fully naturalistic holiday… And what a great time we’re going to have doing it!

We’ll be featuring a replay of our classic Equal Time for Freethought’s “Christmas with Santa Claus” interview; we’ll have a look at the history of Christmas and from where its traditions are derived; we’ll be taking your calls, and if that wasn’t enough- we’ll be venturing out to the cutting edge as we offer a special Christmas guided meditation in which everyone can participate!

And you don’t even need to be non-faith based or non-supernatural to benefit from tuning in; in addition to our traditional non-faith-based listeners, Muslims, Jews, Astrologers, Roman Catholics, Baptists, and others can get a lot from the elements of a Naturalistic Christmas…

 

 Christmas Day Special [117:42m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

As Christmas approaches, and the religious Right try to force everyone to say “Merry Christmas,” and mean it, the rest of us may want to know why they protest so much. What is the relationship between the religious Right, the Christian Church, and the gospel story of Jesus of Nazareth; where do they intersect, and where to they part ways?

Robert Price, a professor of Theology and Scriptural Studies, and a fellow of biblical criticism’s most activist research groups, The Jesus Seminar, has asked these questions (and more) of himself and fellow researchers, and has published his opinions in a host of controversial books and papers. He has taken on Pastor Rick Warren with his book, The Reason Driven Life: What Am I Here on Earth For?; Dan Brown, with his book, The Da Vinci Fraud: Why the Truth Is Stranger than Fiction; discussed his own de-conversion in Beyond Born Again; and even addressed the question of whether an historical Jesus ever existed in Deconstructing Jesus. His answer to that dangerous question…? No.

For Equal Time for Freethought’s one-hour special this Sunday, we will speak to (and take calls for) Dr. Price regarding two of his most recent books; Jesus is Dead (a collection of essays discussing both the historicity of Jesus and the Resurrection), and The Paperback Apocalypse: How the Christian Church got LEFT BEHIND (a critical look at myriad apocalyptic novels, including what one reader called, “the biblical errors and theological absurdities in the Left Behind series”).

 

 Jesus Is Dead - End Of Times [58:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

No matter how secular or naturalistic you are it’s impossible not to notice that Christmas time is here. To avoid getting a whiff of Douglas Fur should atheists, agnostics, and other non-believers hold their breath until mid January when the sanitation department guides the once noble icons to their transition into wood chips?

Looking beyond its association with faith and beyond the way it has been co-opted by the merchants of crass consumerism, are we left with anything about Christmas worth celebrating? With nine day until Christmas, Equal Time for Freethought will be discussing why “Having a Merry Naturalistic Christmas” is not only possible, it’s desirable.

But what would be the philosophy behind a naturalistic approach to Christmas; and what would activities for a naturalistic Christmas look like?

To facilitate the participation of widely different groups of people that the church wanted to assimilate early church fathers adopted a wide range of local traditions into Christmas. The result is that today’s Christmas celebration is essentially a pan-regional, best of traditions past collection. Rather than denying Christmas, if like the Church fathers of the past, naturalists could find ways to build upon some of the existing holiday traditions and make them their own, it may go a long way to helping establish naturalism as a popular practice.

Hear why, when it comes to Christmas, we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

 Having a Merry Naturalistic Christmas [28:14m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Friday, The Golden Compass opens in theaters nation wide. Whatever critics may say about this new children’s fantasy trilogy, the die has already been cast. According to Christian activist groups, Golden Compass is a direct affront to Christianity and indeed God Himself, as emails, chatrooms, blogs and conservative television pundits warn everyone that in this trilogy, a little girl “kills God.”

Of course, the truth is not so far removed from the Christian propaganda it has spurned. While there is no doubt Hollywood’s version of author Philip Pullman’s – a member of the British Humanist Association - novel series will be rather tame, the books do indeed offer a non-religious take on C.S. Lewis’s Christian vision found in his seven-book Chronicles of Narnia series (indeed, Narnia was the inspiration for Materials).

Christian activists are arguing that Pullman is being grossly deceptive by offering watered-down film versions of his work to entice children to ask their parents to buy them the books, which will in turn de-convert them from Christianity. If only it were that easy.

But seriously, what does Pullman’s books actually say about Christianity, and religion in general, and what ought a secular society take from either the films or novels in question?

 

 His Dark Materials Interview [29:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

December 7th, 2007 marks the 66th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. As recent as 2006, on official government websites including WhiteHouse.gov., some historians and patriots still talk about the events of December 7th 1941 as a surprise attack by the Japanese. Reading from the White House website, “65 years ago, more than 2400 Americans lost their lives in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. On that peaceful Sunday morning, the country suffered a vicious, unprovoked attack that changed the course of history.” Last year, when this passage was written, President George Bush proclaimed December 7th 2006 as National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. And, on another government website, it is written, “many Americans, including some military commanders had come to see U.S. lands immune from enemy invasion. That feeling of immunity ended forever on the morning of December 7th, 1941.” If sentiments of an event 66 years old sound familiar, it of course won’t surprise you that the government takes exactly the same position, regarding September 11th, 2001.
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 December 2, 2007 [28:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

See Below!

 

 Islam Crisis Two [58:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download