Thank God I'm Atheist

A top CPAC leader sparked outrage this week after defending the bombing of Iranian schoolgirls. During a heated debate on Piers Morgan's show, American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp suggested the girls might be "better off dead" than growing up under Iran's oppressive regime—an argument that left the panel stunned and raised disturbing questions about how far some are willing to go to justify war.

Elsewhere in the episod...

A quiet little mistake at BYU sets off a surprisingly big reaction! When a drink at the Mormon-owned Brigham Young University turned out to contain green tea, it reopened the question of what the Mormon "Word of Wisdom" actually bans, and why a 19th-century health rule still causes confusion today. Frank and Dan unpack the green tea mix-up and the strange logic behind Mormon caffeine culture (because they most definitely do consume...

A Florida congressman has introduced something called the "Protect Puppies from Sharia Act." Yes, that's the real name. The bill claims to defend dogs from Islamic law bans that don't exist, turning imaginary threats into federal legislation. We break down the culture-war paranoia behind it, and how this is what passes for serious governance now.

Elsewhere, we cover a massive Catholic abuse settlement and ...

The Mormon Church has made a move that's raising questions about where it's headed next. President Dallin H. Oaks has appointed Clark Gilbert as the newest apostle, a relatively young (at 55 years old!) leader known for his firm orthodoxy and culture-war posture within church education. For many within the church and without, it feels like a signal about the future direction of the institution, particularly on LGBTQ issues and inte...

As America approaches its 250th anniversary, Donald Trump is launching a rival celebration—"Freedom 250"—complete with a national jubilee of prayer and a rededication of the country as "one nation under God." At the same time, the man linked to infidelity, sexual misconduct allegations, financial fraud, and relentless public dishonesty continues to enjoy overwhelming support from American Christians.

Elsewhere, a group of evangelic...

Pop star Nicki Minaj helped launch Donald Trump's latest scheme—and walked off with a shiny receipt. After backing Trump's new "Trump Accounts" and pouring serious money into the project, Minaj publicly declared that God is protecting Trump—then promptly showed off a Trump "Gold Card," a not-so-subtle symbol of access for sale. This week, we break down the celebrity worship, divine flattery, and raw pay-to...

Donald Trump says God is proud of him. During a bizarre, softball-filled press appearance marking his first year back in office, Trump claimed divine approval for his presidency—offered without evidence or irony. We unpack the religious delusion, the collapse of press accountability, and what it means when a sitting president openly frames himself as God's chosen leader.

Beyond Trump, we take on a parade of church–state absurdities...

A pastor says he's under attack for his faith. The truth is worse... and dumber! After the home of Tennessee preacher Greg Locke was shot up, he immediately declared it an act of Christian persecution (without evidence). When it later became clear the attack had nothing to do with religion, the story took a turn that perfectly captures how grievance, fear, and bad faith keep the persecution narrative alive.

Elsewhere this week: Uta...

In a calculated hedge against hell, Dilbert creator Scott Adams announces a death-bed conversion to Christianity, explicitly framing it as Pascal's Wager—a cynical, calculated play for the afterlife. Christians celebrate, atheists groan, and we unpack why this story is catnip for religious propaganda, why the logic collapses instantly, and why deathbed conversions remain one of Christianity's favorite—and flimsiest—victory laps. (A...

What happens when Trump desecrates a painting of Jesus? Billionaires line up to buy it. At a Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party, Trump signs a painting of Christ—offering a very public glimpse at how faith, money, and power now intersect.

From there, it's a week of religion doing what it does best: embarrassing itself in public. A failed doomsday prophet in Ghana finds out there are consequences when the apocalypse doesn't show up, Ir...

A University of Oklahoma instructor gave a student a failing grade — and lost their job over it.
The reason? Religion entered the chat. We unpack how a routine college assignment turned into a culture-war flashpoint, why academic standards suddenly became optional, and how religious grievance keeps getting rewarded when it collides with higher education.

Also this week: Trump administration officials decide government social media ...

What happens when a man decides an airplane cabin is the perfect place to hold church? This week, we discuss the now-viral moment of a passenger pulling out his guitar mid-flight to serenade a captive audience with praise songs. Some travelers joined in while everyone else stared ahead in silent fury. We talk about public space, consent, religious entitlement, and why "sharing the Good News" at 30,000 feet feels less like ministry ...

What happens when a custody dispute turns into a fight over whether a child is being harmed by religion—and the courts are forced to weigh in? This week, we dig into a disturbing custody case that forces an uncomfortable question into the open: should religion get special protection when kids are the ones paying the price?

We also cover the Mormon Church's latest branding hypocrisy as it pressures independent podcasts to stop using...

It's that time of year again: the War on Christmas is back—and wilder than ever. This week, Dan and Kate dive into the bizarre conservative outrage over a nativity scene depicting the Holy Family as migrants detained by ICE. Right-wing commentators are furious, churches are divided, and somehow this one small display has become a national symbol of everything they think is wrong with America. We unpack the theology, the politics, a...

Nothing says "holiday spirit" quite like Christian leaders panicking over a goth-themed Christmas market, and their dramatic meltdown is far more entertaining than anything on the vendor tables.

From there, we look at an Oklahoma student stunned that her Bible-based gender essay didn't pass a psychology assignment, the Vatican's latest attempt to police monogamy, and a disturbing story out of South Africa where a pastor's self-appo...

The Epstein files have finally started to drip out, and the early reactions are already something to behold. This week, Frank and Dan wade into the bizarre rhetorical contortions spilling out of the right-wing media sphere—from Megyn Kelly's head-scratching attempt to "reframe" things to the Catholic League charging in with one of the most offensive defenses imaginable.

We a...

SCOTUS just delivered a win for marriage equality. After nearly a decade of appeals, lawsuits, and national drama, the Supreme Court has officially declined to hear Kim Davis' case challenging gay marriage… leaving the original ruling in place and the former county clerk on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars. What does this mean for gay marriage going forward? We break it all down.

This week's episode dives into the bigg...

A Catholic school in Pennsylvania put the words "Arbeit Macht Frei"—the infamous phrase from the Auschwitz gate—on the back of its Halloween float. Frank and Dan try to understand how something this shocking made it through so many adults without anyone realizing what it meant, and what it says about religious education and historical ignorance.

Also this week: a "family values" lawmaker caught up in the A...

Christian nationalism, hypocrisy, and pepper-sprayed pastors—oh my! Frank and Dan start in Oklahoma, where LGBTQ+ kids are literally breathing easier now that hateful school superintendent Ryan Walters is gone. Then it's on to a Pentecostal whistleblower who got fired for exposing his bishop's embezzlement, Trump's latest delusional threat to invade Nigeria, and Texas judges who just got the green light to...