Thank God I'm Atheist

The J-Dubs are coming to a front door near you, LDS clergy abuse reporting, Florida judge loses election, street preachers vs pagan festival, Singapore decriminalizes gay sex, Christians burn a very surprising book, and BYU goes back on their word and trashes pamphlet that provided LGBTQ resources.

Baylor students mock mormonism ahead of game with BYU, Southern Baptists lose leaders, Bangladesh reverting to secular constitution, Texas considers constitutional amendment to protect religious observance, Saudi Arabia welcomes bikini-clad sunbathers, a Baptist group judges fashion, and a chat about religious conservatives choosing to live in their own version of reality.

Mormon 'American Idol' star comes out as LGBTQIA+, news from the Southern Baptist Convention, Michigan governor ends government funding of 'conversion therapy,' a new rug for the forgetful Muslim, Florida now requires daily moment of silence in schools, a mysterious donation to hate preacher, and the very strange ideas people have about god.

Oklahoma’s “Trump Bibles” have landed in public schools (special editions stuffed with the Constitution and other patriotic texts), but they're conspicuously lacking the amendments that abolished slavery, secured women’s suffrage, and guaranteed civil rights. Frank and Dan unpack the scandal and what it means for education and politics. Plus: the “Jesus Take the Wheel” songwriter dies in a plane crash, Portuguese bikers get their helmets blessed, Peter Thiel ties AI regulation to the Antichrist, churches resurrect Charlie Kirk with AI generated deepfakes, Ryan Walters quits as state superintendent of schools to join an anti-union crusade, and TikTok Christians brace for a rapture that never came. 💖 Support the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/tgiatheist

What happens when faith and bigotry collide? A Texas preacher made headlines after telling white Christian parents they need to give their kids "the talk” about the supposed dangers of Black people. This week on Thank God I’m Atheist: Trump’s “patriotic education” plan turns the nation’s 250th birthday into Christian nationalist indoctrination. Kash Patel sends Charlie Kirk to Valhalla (yes, really). The Taliban bans books by women and cuts more subjects from universities. A Colorado pastor’s crypto scam crashes and burns. A Texas pastor goes full racist with his so-called “talk.” U.S. military academies start accepting the Christian nationalist CLT exam. And for the big topic: Frank and Dan debate the promise (and horror) of human immortality—would we even want to live forever? 👍 Like, Subscribe, and Share to support the show!  🙏 Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/tgiatheist

The Vatican has officially canonized Carlo Acutis (the first millennial saint) sparking headlines and debates worldwide. In this week’s episode of Thank God I’m Atheist, Frank and Dan unpack how the Catholic Church fast-tracked a “patron saint of the internet” and why it matters for modern Catholicism. Along the way, they dive into the historic first female preacher at the National Baptist Convention USA, the LDS Church’s 101-year-old president Russell M. Nelson and his record-setting tenure, and the Department of Defense’s controversial Bible-verse-laden videos under Pete Hegseth. They also explore why your Zodiac sign may be 2,000 years out of date and answer a listener’s question about Christian-heavy choir music in an Utah public school. Finally, they close with their candid reaction to the shocking political assassination of Charlie Kirk in Utah and what it signals about America’s religious and political landscape. 💖 Support us on Patreon for bonus content & ad-free episodes: www.patreon.com/tgiatheist

This week, Frank and Dan dig into the shocking story of a Florida pastor who ran a $50 million call center cult, complete with forced labor, starvation, and abuse in the name of God. They also cover: Kristi Noem funneling Homeland Security funds to churches, the Taliban refusing to let men rescue women after an earthquake, a chaplain abusing detainees in ICE custody, and a Mormon columnist caught in a predator sting. Listener emails tackle everything from schizophrenia stigma to Dobson’s “strong-willed child” legacy. And in the final segment: the Wall Street Journal’s profile of ex-Mormon TikTok influencers—and why Utah Senator Mike Lee is losing his mind over it. 👉 Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/tgiatheist 📺 Watch us on YouTube: youtube.com/tgiatheist Epsiode 716

This week on Thank God I’m Atheist, Frank is joined by Rachel (with Dan off at Burning Man!) for a lively dive into religion’s latest absurdities. Trump’s bizarre new obsession with “getting to heaven” makes the headlines, Kentucky churches are stealing library books in the name of morality, Quebec wrestles with prayer bans in public spaces, and a nurse swaps her grandmother’s medication for “vitamins and prayers” with tragic results. In the second half, Frank and Rachel tackle the empty ritual of “thoughts and prayers” in the wake of yet another school shooting. Why do politicians keep offering platitudes instead of solutions? And what does it say about a country that can't figure out how to protect children? 👉 Support the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/tgiatheist 👉 Watch more episodes + shorts: www.youtube.com/@tgiatheist

This week Frank and Dan take a long, hard look at the legacy of James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and one of the most influential figures of the Religious Right. He spent decades pushing child abuse as “discipline,” spreading anti-LGBTQ hate, and shaping the culture wars that still drag us down today. With his passing, we’re not exactly breaking out the hymns… We also dive into: Mormon women going wild over new, shoulder-baring garments An Episcopal priest who turned psychedelics into his new ministry A Catholic money man trying to steer investments away from LGBTQ rights and Planned Parenthood Bible verse sneakers making their way into the Museum of the Bible Mormon leaders panicking as church members turn to AI to write their sacrament talks 💸 Support the Show Help us keep the show going! Donate at thankgodimatheist.com/donate or join us on Patreon at patreon.com/tgiatheist. ▶️ Watch on YouTube Catch weekly episodes and Shorts: youtube.com/tgiatheist

Oklahoma’s Ryan Walters loses in court while doubling down on Christian victimhood, Pastor Doug Wilson’s growing extremist empire in Idaho gets national attention, and Lindsey Graham warns that “God will pull the plug on America” if we stop funding Israel. Also in the mix: Marjorie Taylor Greene picks a fight with Lindsey Graham A Christian charity fires a pregnant gay woman and wins in court New York pushes back against political churches with a bold new bill A Pennsylvania priest rigs a Corvette raffle And in Arizona, a young candidate who says women shouldn’t hold office is… running for office 💙 Support the Show If you enjoy Thank God I’m Atheist, help us keep it going! Join our community on Patreon and get access to bonus content, early releases, and more. ▶️ More Ways to Listen & Watch Find full episodes, clips, and extras on YouTube: youtube.com/tgiatheist

This week, the Christians found us… and they came in swingin’ (well, typin’). The YouTube comment section lit up with righteous fury after last week’s episode, and we couldn’t resist talking about it. We’ve also got the story of a megachurch pastor returning to the pulpit after prison, a psychedelic mushroom “church” that just beat the state of Utah in court, ICE raids inside places of worship, Missouri’s open push for “Christian conservative” gerrymandering, and the Mormon Church heading back to court over child sex abuse cover-ups. And to top it off, we tear into the most tired, cliché lines believers love to throw at atheists—yes, including Pascal’s Wager.

What do a religious sex club, the Shroud of Turin, and a pedophile at a church fair have in common? They're all part of this week’s wild ride through religious absurdity. Frank and Dan dig into: The airline controversy over booted Jewish teens—anti-Semitism or just unruly French kids? The Shroud of Turin gets debunked with 3D modeling. A Tennessee pastor uses food bank funds to pay for prostitution—and lands in prison. Guess who got kicked out of the state fair? Not the church with the pedophile. The Vatican quietly reinstates a convicted priest after child porn charges. Plus: A Salt Lake City sex club registers as a religion to dodge the law. Is this the ultimate hack to freedom in a theocracy? Watch full episodes + Shorts: YouTube.com/@TGIAtheist Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/tgiatheist

Oklahoma’s ultra-conservative education chief Ryan Walters wants to keep schools “smut-free”—but apparently forgot to turn off his retro porn before a state board meeting. Frank and Dan break down the jaw-dropping hypocrisy and the political fallout. Also in this episode: Indiana’s lieutenant governor proposes the death penalty as a condition for abortion in cases of rape A prominent Christian activist pleads guilty to child porn charges Clergy are quietly letting AI write their sermons Mike Johnson celebrates the IRS giving up on church-politics enforcement And an entire Welsh diocese is caught binge-drinking for Jesus 🍷🍺🍸🪩 Plus, Dan attends Utah’s most Mormon parade and wonders… should atheists crash it with a float?

Ever wondered what it means when a church goes full corporate? Frank and Dan wrap up the episode with a deep dive into the Mormon Church’s 26-story office tower and the billions behind it. But first: witches selling spells on Etsy (and why it violates Etsy’s own rules), Texas making it illegal for secular celebrants to perform weddings, the Magnolia Network featuring a gay couple and triggering conservative outrage, Pride organizers in Newfoundland banning Recovering From Religion, Japan moving to classify forced religious participation as child abuse, and Billy Graham’s family suing over his words being used against Trump.

The IRS just made a quiet but explosive decision: it will no longer enforce the Johnson Amendment, effectively giving churches a tax-free license to play politics. Frank and Dan break down how this opens the floodgates for dark money, bribes disguised as “donations,” and full-blown corruption in America’s pulpits. Also this week: The bizarre satanic panic over viral Labubu dolls Baylor University rejects LGBTQ research funding after backlash A church publicly shames an abuse survivor Pope Leo XIV keeps same-sex blessings—but is it really progress? Catholics promotes a convicted child rapist priest in France And pandemic relief funds mysteriously flow into a Catholic trade school It’s religion, politics, and jaw-dropping hypocrisy—served with a side of laughter and disbelief. Support us on Patreon... www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

Christian influencers are bringing fatphobia back in the name of Jesus—and Frank and Dan are not having it. This week, they dive into the toxic rise of Christian diet culture and how it ties into purity, control, and righteousness. Plus: Iran issues a fatwa targeting Trump and Netanyahu, Canterbury Cathedral starts handing out indulgences, Americans try to evangelize North Korea via plastic bottles, a Michigan teen sues her school over the Pledge of Allegiance, Utah's governor asks the state to pray for rain (again), and the Dalai Lama stirs up international drama by announcing his reincarnation plans.

The LDS Church just quietly published a long-suppressed 1886 letter from prophet John Taylor—declaring polygamy an eternal commandment. Frank and Dan dig into the implications for Mormon doctrine. Also in this episode: A Catholic diocese in the UK fires an atheist accountant after she adopts a child Pennsylvania considers declaring a “Day of the Bible” A Saudi journalist is executed for tweets criticizing the regime Pew Research shows disturbing levels of support for school prayer in US Rastafarian prisoner’s dreadlocks cut by prison guards And the World Humanist Congress ditches Washington, D.C. Stick around for emails, voicemails, and some truly unhinged Christian nationalism.

A failed preacher is arrested for the shocking murder of a Minnesota state senator. Frank and Dan dig into the disturbing religious and political motivations behind the crime—and the dangerous rhetoric fueling it. Also in this episode: • Jimmy Swaggart is somehow still alive • A surprising number of Christians are “cheating” on their churches • A UK town removes a Pride flag after bookstore complains • Louisiana’s Ten Commandments law hits a legal wall • Mike Huckabee sends a terrifying message to Trump • Atheists barely register in federal prison stats Listener mail, petty flags, big questions, and more. Email us: podcast@thankgodimatheist.com Support us on Patreon: www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

A shooting at a Salt Lake City protest. Two state legislators are shot in Minnesota. As political violence grabs headlines across the country, Frank and Dan reflect on a disturbing new reality—and explore the religious rhetoric fueling it. Also in this episode: Iran expands its ban on dog walking Arkansas and Illinois fight to post the Ten Commandments Southern Baptists target gay marriage A far-right Christian gets a top U.S. religious freedom post Faith-healing parents sentenced after their newborn’s death Pope Leo gets worried about AI… and Dan lets ChatGPT suggest how to fix Catholicism Plus, a listener email about Mormonism and modern revelation, and a final segment reflecting on how close we may be to a breaking point—and why peaceful protest still matters. Support us on Patreon... www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

This week on Thank God I’m Atheist: A Republican lawmaker freaks out over a Muslim prayer in Congress—except it turns out the man praying wasn’t Muslim at all. Frank and Dan break down the ignorance and bigotry on display. Plus, a new study explores what happens when clergy take psilocybin (the active compound in magic mushrooms). The results? Surprisingly spiritual. Also in this episode: Denmark pushes stricter bans on burqas and niqabs in schools Christian nationalism is thriving in Moscow, Idaho A Texas pastor demands access to Pride events to spread his anti-LGBTQ message The Community of Christ church names its first female prophet Final segment: AI-generated Bible videos go viral—what happens when religion looks like a fantasy movie? Link to video... https://youtu.be/zzDZeNhmqeg?si=dTwG6dziuQ0BJHDo Support us on Patreon! www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate