Thank God I'm Atheist

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 and more like an in-flight nightmare. Also on the show: Franklin Graham preaching about God's love and God's hatred at a Christmas service hosted at the Pentagon; an Arizona lawmaker pushing to force "intelligent design" into public school science classes; the Catholic Archdiocese of New York selling off prime real estate to pay clergy abuse settlements after its insurer refuses coverage; an Anglican bishop cleared after allegedly mishandling multiple abuse cases; a self-styled prophet predicting a Christmas flood and building multiple arks to survive it; and a surprisingly hopeful look at how AI is helping scholars translate ancient religious texts—possibly demystifying scripture faster than ever before. 💙 Support the show: https://www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

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 the word "Mormon," a Utah high school administrator delivering a religiously loaded pep talk that shames struggling students, and a World Cup Pride match in Seattle that sends Iran and Egypt into predictable outrage. Plus: Florida and Texas label a Muslim civil rights group a "terrorist organization," the Catholic Church is forced into a $230 million abuse settlement, and new Pew data reveals that religion's long decline in the U.S. may have temporarily stalled.

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, and the truly unhinged reactions. Then we get into a whole slate of religious weirdness from around the country: A Florida attorney general tries to shut down a Drag Queen Christmas performance Christian rock band Skillet is accused of releasing "demonic" holiday music West Virginia courts weaken vaccine mandates in the name of religious liberty BYU football players quietly scale back their missionary service A Tennessee woman stages a fake kidnapping "lesson" for kids that backfires spectacularly And for our final segment, Dan dives into research on how former members of insular religious communities talk about forgiveness—and how that differs from what their traditions demand.

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-appointed authority went far beyond anything resembling justice. Back in Utah, Sweet Salt—an LDS modest-fashion clothing store—is shutting down, and in Austria, three elderly nuns have staged a bold return to their abbey with the help of an unexpectedly large Instagram following. In our closing segment, Dan shares a thoughtful and deeply personal reflection on the recent passing of his mother—an honest conversation about compassion, autonomy, and the realities families face.

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 also look at Catholic clergy in Chicago suing ICE for blocking access to detained migrants, and the Vatican's "generous" decision to return 62 Indigenous artifacts to First Nations communities in Canada. Meanwhile, Ken Paxton is threatening schools that won't put the Ten Commandments in every classroom, and the UK Supreme Court finally calls out mandatory religious education in Northern Ireland schools for what it is: Christian indoctrination. To close things out, we talk about gratitude and how atheists can navigate Thanksgiving without a divine recipient of their thankfulness. And if you want to support the work we do, visit: thankgodimatheist.com/donate