551 episodes

Hemant Mehta and Jessica Greiff cover the latest news, politics, and pop culture with a focus on atheism and religion.
This is the official podcast for FriendlyAtheist.com.

Friendly Atheist Podcast Friendly Atheist Podcast

    • Religion & Spirituality
    • 4.6 • 1.3K Ratings

Hemant Mehta and Jessica Greiff cover the latest news, politics, and pop culture with a focus on atheism and religion.
This is the official podcast for FriendlyAtheist.com.

    Corporal Punishment and Christianity

    Corporal Punishment and Christianity

    Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!
    Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!
    Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.
    — What I'll remember about Daniel Dennett. (0:28)
    — Catholic priest resigns after backlash involving his criticism of a gay author. (8:43)
    — Christian lawmaker says teachers should be allowed to hit special needs students. (24:38)
    — A Christian ministry urged the Supreme Court to criminalize homelessness. (46:03)
    — Māori atheists say Christian colonization helped push them away from the faith. (1:01:59)
    SPONSOR: Sign up today at butcherbox.com/friendly and use code friendly to choose your free offer and get $20 off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 16 min
    Christian Men's Conference Descends Into Chaos

    Christian Men's Conference Descends Into Chaos

    Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!
    Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!
    Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.
    — Christian Men's Conference descends into chaos over sword-swallowing acrobat. (1:02) 
    — Wisconsin official blames homelessness on "sin," then votes against aid for the poor. (25:15)
    — Christian Nationalist falsely claims Satanist chaplains "don't qualify" to work in schools. (39:27)
    — Tennessee declares Aitken Bible one of its "official state books." (53:37)
    — North Dakota GOP endorses Christian theocrat to run the state's public schools. (1:07:06)
    — Louisiana High Court: Priests have a "right" not to be sued over decades-old abuse. (1:20:15)
    SPONSOR: Sign up today at butcherbox.com/friendly and use code friendly to choose your free offer and get $20 off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 35 min
    Pastor Calls Autism Awareness Week "Demonic"

    Pastor Calls Autism Awareness Week "Demonic"

    Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!
    Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!
    Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.
    — Arizona GOP lawmaker lashes out at "god-haters" who criticized abortion ban prayer. (4:21)
    — Christian school's pastor cancels Autism Awareness Week, calling it "demonic." (19:40)
    — New Testament scholar Richard Hays now says God's cool with gay people. (35:53)
    — The Vatican, a threat to human dignity, calls gender-affirming surgery a threat to human dignity. (45:57)
    — Wisconsin public school district seeks new leader with "conservative, christian values." (1:01:09)
    — Christian woman admits she was fired from Starbucks for being an anti-LGBTQ bigot. (1:11:24)
    SPONSOR: Sign up today at butcherbox.com/friendly and use code friendly to choose your free offer and get $20 off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 24 min
    Richard Dawkins' Cultural Christianity Carelessness

    Richard Dawkins' Cultural Christianity Carelessness

    Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!
    Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!
    Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.
    — This pastor's wedding night "joke" epitomizes Christian sexism. (0:40)
    — Richard Dawkins says Christianity is "fundamentally decent," but Islam "is not." (18:42)
    SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/atheist today to get 10% off your first month.
    — Prominent Christians falsely claim Biden chose Easter to honor trans people. (34:13)
    — Donald Trump is now selling a Bible that a Christian publisher walked away from in 2021. (41:13)
    — New York prisoners, led by atheist, sue state in order to see solar eclipse. (48:28)
    — Christians erect (another) $240,000 cross in Mississippi. (1:03:18)
    — After ruining a school district, Christians in Colorado want to "take over" a city council. (1:09:40)
    SPONSOR: Sign up today at butcherbox.com/friendly and use code friendly to choose your free offer and get $20 off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 28 min
    Jess Piper on the "Fundie Baby Voice"

    Jess Piper on the "Fundie Baby Voice"

    Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!
    Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!
    In this interview, I spoke with Jess Piper.
    Jess was an American Literature teacher for 16 years before deciding to take the plunge and run for office. She ran for the Missouri State House in a deeply red district. And while she didn't win, she continues her activism as Executive Director of Blue Missouri and hosts a weekly podcast called “Dirt Road Democrat.”
    I've been reading her essays at "The View from Rural Missouri" for a while now, but I was amazed by how much one of her recent pieces, about the "Fundie Baby Voice," really resonated with so many people.
    SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/atheist today to get 10% off your first month.
    SPONSOR: Sign up today at butcherbox.com/friendly and use code friendly to choose your free offer and get $20 off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 54 min
    This Christian App Knows Where You Live

    This Christian App Knows Where You Live

    Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free version of the show!
    Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!
    Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.
    — Satanists sue Tennessee district for trying to thwart After School Satan Club. (1:09)
    SPONSOR: This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/atheist today to get 10% off your first month.
    — Evangelicals are using a data-harvesting app to target new potential converts. (22:24)
    — FOX & Friends promotes Catholic app Hallow with on-air (paid) prayer segment. (34:07)
    — Wisconsin Supreme Court: Catholic-aligned charities don't get an automatic religious tax break. (41:27)
    — Despite the threat of Christian Nationalism, 80% of Americans say religion is "losing influence." (55:25)
    SPONSOR: Sign up today at butcherbox.com/friendly and use code friendly to choose your free offer and get $20 off.
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 1 hr 20 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
1.3K Ratings

1.3K Ratings

mitchell.rysavy ,

My Go-To Sunday Show

The ‘00s-‘10s-era Reddit/Internet Atheism was very important and formative for me, and that’s when I started following Hemant’s work. Eventually I fell out of it (not atheism, but capital-A Internet Atheism) but I came back because of this podcast.

Hemant and Jessica have created something incredibly special and comforting. They are both excellent hosts. I’ve had a Sunday morning ritual of sorts listening to them for years now and they were even my first Patreon podcast subscription!

Sending my gratitude and thoughts to both of you, especially Jessica, whose trials and tribulations (a little JCS ref for you) I have empathized with greatly over the past year as I too have had a tough one.

JLC grateful ,

Praise the Lord (of the flies)

Praise the Lord!

These two help keep me sane. I enjoy the banter and the informative discussions.

AniGaiBak ,

See ya later dorks

I am an athiest and am trying your podcast out for the first time. Many times I almost stopped the podcast and went to another because of her unfunny jokes and stupid laughter and ignorance. But Now I can’t even get to the end. See ya later dorks

Top Podcasts In Religion & Spirituality

In These Times with Rabbi Ammi Hirsch
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue
The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Ascension
The Bible Recap
Tara-Leigh Cobble
Girls Gone Bible
Girls Gone Bible
BibleProject
BibleProject Podcast
WHOA That's Good Podcast
Sadie Robertson Huff

You Might Also Like

TheThinkingAtheist
The Thinking Atheist
Thank God I'm Atheist
tgiatheist
The Scathing Atheist
Puzzle in a Thunderstorm, LLC
Cognitive Dissonance
Atheist and Skeptical News
The Atheist Experience
The Atheist Community of Austin
The Skepticrat
Puzzle in a Thunderstorm, LLC