217 - Nous Sommes Charlie

American Freethought Podcast

Original release January 11, 2015.

Encore release November 12, 2018.

Encore release August 5, 2017.

We look at last week's attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, which left 17 dead (not including the perpetrators). How much is Islam to blame for these and related occurrences? We also look at the overwhelming worldwide reaction AGAINST such violence, despite Charlie Hebdo's long history of incendiary humor. Some of the reaction has been equivocal, unfortunately, including the Catholic League's Bill Donohue (the Eye of Sauron himself!) calling the cartoonists little more than pornographers and tutting about "the necessity of restraint on the part of artists." Who decides what constitutes restraint? Does Donohue imagine that ANY open criticism of the Prophet will satisfy the extremists?

Plus:

Seventh Day Adventist pastor Ryan Bell just spent the last year living as an atheist, and now he has declared he IS an atheist. Was this a legitimate year of introspection, or just a way to buffer a decision he already made at the beginning of 2014?

David is disappointed that the AARP website (which is supposed to help ensure senior citizens don't get scammed) is promoting such woo as horoscopes and "holistic" remedies.

David recommends the Great Courses series "History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective" presented by Gregory Aldrete. Also, here's a video clip by Professor Aldrete explaining how even St. Valentine's Day is a Christian hijacking of a pagan holiday.