Tag Archives: secularism

Ep#45 – David Silverman – American Atheists

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President of American Atheists David Silverman (@MrAtheistPants) makes his debut on The #GSPodcast.  He explains how he became an atheist at just six years of age, and how that experience led him to activism.  He spills the beans on this years Atheist Convention in Memphis, with keynote speaker Ayaan Hirsi Ali! We also take the time to discuss his experiences of being in the belly of the beast (Fox News Studios), details on his upcoming book and his ‘ATHE1ST’ license plate.

David also issues a t-shirt related task for my American listeners and educates me on Mystery Science Theatre 3000.

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.
Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker

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Ep#40 – Phil Zuckerman – Living The Secular Life

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Professor of sociology, Phil Zuckerman (@Phil_Zuckerman) joins me on The #GSPodcast to discuss his new book ‘Living The Secular Life: New Answers To Old Questions’.  We talk about the sociological underpinnings for faith, vegetarianism, The Constitution and why secular humanism is preferable to a religious world-view. Also, can kids have a good Christmas without Santa? And I ask the most controversial #GSPodcast question to date: Batman or Superman?

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker

#GSPodcast Theme by Dorian Silk & The MCH


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Mona Eltahawy Confuses Free Speech With Vandalism

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Free speech has been a huge topic of contention in recent weeks, the same weeks which saw the deaths of 75 people and violent rage across several countries in reaction to a horrendously made YouTube video entitled “Innocence of Muslims”. 

Debate has been rampant ever since regarding what constitutes the limits of free speech, and what rights we have, if any to offend “sacred” ideas and beliefs.  New calls have been made to the UN for a Blasphemy Law and the ever-present cries of “Islamophobia!” are as tediously frequent as baby photos on a Facebook news feed.

Amid all this apologist rhetoric, one point seems frustratingly absent, or marginalised:

It is wrong to murder/react violently simply for being offended.

A failure to stand up for this point, and this point alone, is a failure to respond as a responsible human adult.

It is true that bigoted far right groups capitalise on Islamic unrest in order to advance their racist agenda and we should afford them no more than our dissent.  This, however should not distract us from the genuine concerns we have with the unique and reactionary nature of Islam.

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