Blasphemy In The Bluegrass

National Network of Abortion Funds: https://abortionfunds.org/ Kennedy vs. Bremerton Carson vs. Makin Sabotaging Secular Education: The Supreme Court’s Carson Decision Setting Back the Clocks: Impacts of the Dobbs Decision Community of Reason: Reasonable Discourse Book Club for 1984 via Zoom

John Kiel and Michael Stark interview Callie Wright and discuss a wide range of topics, including: how our country got to this point; mass shootings and the broader problem of gun-related deaths; difficulties with grassroots organizing; pride month and coming out; questioning the worldview you were raised with; identifying as "atheist"; roller derby; and the Kentucky Freethought Convention.

This week’s episode touches on Pride Month and the recent Riseup4abortionrights.org protests @Osteen’s church in the wake of the leaked Supreme Court draft that will overturn Roe v. Wade. We’ll also delve into the church’s tax-exempt status to combat poverty and food insecurity in the U.S. Lastly we’ll focus on a pastor out of California’s weird, ludicrous assertion that the teaching of evolution in schools causes mass shootings.

We discuss Justice Alito's leaked opinion piece poised to overturn Roe v. Wade and its implications plus Christian Academy of Louisville's anti-LGBTQ+ homework assignment. Roe v. Wade Overview https://www.thoughtco.com/roe-v-wade-overview-3528244 Roe v. Wade Poll https://www.politico.com/news/2022/05/04/poll-roe-v-wade-00029889 Fox News Polling Info https://www.foxnews.com/official-polls/fox-news-poll-just-over-half-favor-banning-abortions-after-15-weeks Biblical Abortion Cocktail to Test for an Unfaithful Wife Numbers 5:11-31 Christian Academy of Louisville’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Homework Assignment https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/equality/3490353-kentucky-middle-school-students-asked-to-write-letters-to-imaginary-friend-struggling-with-homosexuality/

In this episode, Jen Scott and J.T. Andrews from the Community of Reason interviewed Dusty Sabourin, Virginia State Director for American Atheists. Dusty’s atheist activism was recently recognized at the American Atheists National Convention when she was awarded the title of State Director of the Year Award. Referenced links:  Educate Us: https://www.facebook.com/educateusaction Voter Pledge: https://www.educateusaction.org/voterpledge/ SIECUS: https://siecus.org/ Nanocon: https://www.nanocon.rocks/ Skepticon: https://skepticon.org/ Kentucky Freethought Convention: https://www.kyfreethoughtconvention.org/ To get involved with atheist activism in Kentucky, contact Michael Stark at mstark@atheists.org. 

Here's where all of KY Gov. Andy Beshear's 2022 vetoes stand https://news.yahoo.com/gov-beshear-vetoes-unemployment-benefit-193407567.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall Tennessee deputy groped woman, forced her into ‘baptism’ in frigid lake waters, lawsuit claims https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2019/10/03/tennessee-deputy-forces-womans-baptism-chattanooga-lake-lawsuit/3850537002/?fbclid=IwAR1LguUdHUJaDQtN5gbpLWLmsvm6vlXsp5ObM5jrvoDU-EO726S8HYiv95E Deputy who witnessed 'skyvvies' clad colleague baptize woman after traffic stop can't escape suit, federal judge rules  https://www.abajournal.com/web/article/deputy-who-witnessed-skivvies-clad-colleague-baptize-woman-after-traffic-stop-cant-escape-suit-federal-judge-rules Soddy-Daisy woman at center of deputy baptism lawsuit found dead in home  https://newschannel9.com/news/local/soddy-daisy-woman-at-center-of-deputy-baptism-lawsuit-found-dead-in-home-wednesday    

American Atheists convention coming up Easter weekend! Visit atheists.org for more information. The story behind one of Pastor Greg Locke's witch accusations. Spoiler: she's not actually a witch. Former Mississippi GOP lawmaker Robert Foster says those who support trans rights should be executed by firing squad. The nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the SCOTUS, and her wonderful answers when GOP senators attempt to trip her up on religion and critical race theory.  (Update: since the recording of this episode, she has been confirmed by the Senate!) Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents  

For this episode, Dan Canon has joined our Reasonable Living group to discuss his new book Pleading Out.  Also, apologies for the uneven release schedule. We are all volunteers doing this in our free time after taking care of our families and jobs, and that can be a bit messy at times. But we will do our best to keep the episodes coming! Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

We'll be discussing KY House Bill 149 and the right to assisted suicide for the terminally ill and we'll talk about Greg Locke, pastor at Global Vision Bible Church and his rant on witches in his congregation. We'll briefly discuss the Missouri bill being debated regarding ectopic pregnancies.   

Apologies to our listeners: There was a mixup with the audio files in the last upload, and we ended up uploading an old episode. Now the audio has been updated with the correct podcast for this week. List of historic documents for SB 83:  https://local12.com/news/local/kentucky-bill-would-require-24-historical-texts-be-taught-as-part-of-history-courses-sb-138 Help for Ukraine: https://www.npr.org/2022/02/25/1082992947/ukraine-support-help American Atheists Convention: https://convention.atheists.org/ Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

Topics: Kentucky House Bill HB43, which proposes exceptions for "houses of worship" from being prevented from having mass gatherings by the government due to a  emergency (such as for a pandemic) and to treat them as an "essential service." https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/22RS/hb43.html Biden's pick for Supreme Court Justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Students walk out of Huntington High School in West Virginia in protest of a Christian revival service that they were required to attend. https://www.npr.org/2022/02/09/1079712717/religion-public-school-protest Contact information for Michael Stark and all of the American Atheists Kentucky Assistant State Directors can be found at https://www.atheists.org/group/kentucky/ Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents    

Topics: Cults, religious and political Kentucky Senator Max Wise has sponsored a bill to probit critical race theory in schools. https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/ky-general-assembly/2022/02/04/anti-critical-race-theory-fervor-triggers-new-kentucky-legislation/6662013001/ Black Folks in American History: Mary Bowser, freed slave who became a spy for the Union within the Confererate White House. https://www.history.com/news/female-spies-civil-war-mary-bowser-elizabeth-van-lew Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

American Atheist statement on Breyer: https://www.atheists.org/2022/01/american-atheists-justice-breyer-retirement/   Fairness Rally Lobby Day: https://facebook.com/events/s/ky-fairness-rally-lobby-day/415494520365513/   UK Students Help Revitalize Historical African-American Community http://uknow.uky.edu/student-news/uk-students-help-revitalize-historical-community   Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

Today's Topics Lebanon Schools response to After School Satan Club  Newt Gingrich floats idea of jailtime for January 6 Committee members Sixth mass extinction in progress ______ Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

Topics: Book banning and "cancel culture" Sexual abuse in the churches (other than the Catholic church) New After School Satan Club in Illinois ——– Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

"Meet a Podcaster" episode: John Kiel interviews Michael Stark. ——– Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents  

Show notes: Alberta Jones Documentary: https://www.leoweekly.com/2021/08/documentary-being-made-about-alberta-jones-louisville-attorney-and-activist-that-was-murdered-in-1965/ Team Kentucky Western Kentucky Tornado Relief Fund: https://secure.kentucky.gov/formservices/Finance/WKYRelief LBGTQ+ Equality at the Fairness Campaign: https://www.fairness.org/ Kentucky 2022 Legislative Session Pre-filed Bills: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/22rs/prefiled/prefiled.html Community of Reason - https://www.meetup.com/CommunityOfReason/ - https://www.communityofreason.org/Home Louisville Atheists & Freethinkers - https://www.meetup.com/louisvilleatheists/ Support this podcast at: https://kysecularsociety.org/ ——– Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

The "lizard sex lady" The rise of astrology How trolling became the new governing for Trumpist Republicans like Lauren Boebert https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/08/politics/lauren-boebert-tom-massie-christmas-card/index.html Ms. Lauren Boebert and her Christmas photo https://news.yahoo.com/lauren-boebert-poses-her-children-150023917.html

End Religious Exemption in Federal Contractors - Take Action: https://atheists.quorum.us/campaign/36644/   Christmas Nice & Naughty List: https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2021/11/26/christian-group-reposts-list-of-naughty-supposedly-anti-christmas-retailers/   Concerns about CRT could ease changes to school councils: https://www.bgdailynews.com/news/concerns-about-crt-could-ease-changes-to-school-councils/article_ba763ea6-7caf-557d-92f0-17c0cba5ac0d.html   Corporate Punishment in Kentucky: https://www.wlky.com/article/new-regulation-could-change-way-corporal-punishment-is-used-in-kentucky-schools/38347203   ——– Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents

Topics: Two evangelical seminaries sue to block vaccine mandates, citing religious freedom https://religionnews.com/2021/11/05/two-prominent-evangelical-seminaries-sue-to-block-vaccine-mandates-southern-baptist-seminary-asbury/ Kentucky college president fired after sexual assault report https://apnews.com/article/religion-education-kentucky-sexual-abuse-by-clergy-sexual-assault-309c163cff9f10e40ef840cb5334a45b GOP Senator Rand Paul's religious litmus test for public service should alarm us all https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/2021/11/02/kentucky-rand-paul-violates-us-principle-religious-freedom/6238841001/   ——– Our intro and outro music is Crescents by Ketsa, https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Raising_Frequecy/Crescents