Thank God I'm Atheist

With Frank under the weather this week, Dan takes the reins solo for a special live-stream edition of Thank God I'm Atheist. Along the way he digs into Christian nationalists attempting to build a new religious stronghold in Washington state, revisits the ongoing debate over whether Mormons are considered Christian by their evangelical neighbors, and looks at Donald Trump's latest honor from an Orthodox Christian leader. Dan also checks in on the Ark Encounter as it approaches its tenth anniversary, discusses new Catholic abuse-prevention guidelines, celebrates the return of the infamous Route 666 to Hell, and spends plenty of time chatting with listeners from around the world. Support the show! www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

A rare albino buffalo in Bangladesh was headed for ritual sacrifice during a Muslim holiday (until people noticed it looked remarkably like Donald Trump). After the buffalo went viral, government officials stepped in, canceled the sacrifice, and gave the animal a new home at a zoo. Also this week: a Muslim principal loses her job after a backlash campaign in Texas, a Christian job applicant demands protection from Pride flags and pronouns, Oklahoma lawmakers debate whether children should be allowed to marry, Congress considers spending $1 billion on security for houses of worship, and Rome's famous "hot priest" calendar turns out to feature models instead of clergy. Plus, Frank and Dan discuss why atheists are surprisingly expensive targets for political campaigns. 💸 No gods. No guilt. Some hosting fees. 💸 Support the show at www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

America is turning 250… and Christian nationalists are determined to make sure the birthday party belongs to them. This week, Frank and Dan dive into the bizarre "Rededicate 250" event in Washington D.C., where Trump allies, religious activists, and culture war celebrities are pushing the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation (and therefore should become one again). Elsewhere: Rudy Giuliani claims he had a heavenly near-death experience, Hillsong founder Brian Houston accidentally posts porn to his followers, Christian nationalist culture warrior Ryan Walters files for divorce, and Texas officials shut down a Muslim community Eid celebration at a water park because apparently even modest swimwear is too threatening for Greg Abbott. Support the show! www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

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 evangelicals hijack a long-haul flight with midair preaching (again!), an Arizona pastor calls for repealing women's right to vote, researchers flag evangelical bias in AI chatbots, a Utah city councilman says your rights are "God-given," not constitutional, and the "He Gets Us" campaign gets a makeover this year for the Super Bowl. Plus: a secular take on Lent and whether giving something up can have value for us non-believers. 👉 No corporate overlords—just you. Help support the show: www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

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: Florida prisons ban the Bhagavad Gita for being "written in code," Oklahoma sheriffs tout Christian jailhouse conversions until lawyers step in, and a Texas county installs a Ten Commandments monument to dare the courts to stop them. We also cover Catholic leaders warning that U.S. foreign policy has lost its moral compass, new Pew data showing Catholicism rapidly declining in Latin America, and a sharp debate over protesters disrupting a Minnesota church linked to an ICE official—forcing the question of where religious freedom ends and accountability begins. 🙏 Support the show and help keep the godlessness flowing: thankgodimatheist.com/donate

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. (Adams passed away at age 68 from prostate cancer after we recorded the show.) Then: the Pope condemns medical aid in dying after Illinois legalizes it, a lawyer is fined $400,000 for warning a school about an accused priest, the U.S. Defense Secretary pushes Christianity deeper into the military, China cracks down on underground Christian churches, Israel prepares to relocate a so-called "lost tribe" from India, and the LDS Church quietly dismantles its all-female Temple Square mission. Support the show: www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

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 accounts are a fine place to preach Christianity, Sarah Huckabee Sanders issues a Christmas proclamation that sounds more like a sermon, and a Colorado megachurch leans hard into child-trafficking panic to push anti-trans ballot initiatives. Plus new Pew numbers on religion in America, a rare LDS feel-good story, listener mail, and yet another reminder that moral panic never really goes away — it just finds new targets.