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Free Inquiry Audio Edition

Center for Inquiry

The audio edition of Free Inquiry magazine, the Journal for Secular Humanist Ideas.

society & culture

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04:42

God Takes a Tumble

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/08/14

Ronald A. Lindsay praises S. T. Joshi's The Downfall of God: A History of Atheism in the West, Vol. 2 as a comprehensive and authoritative account of how scientific, philosophical, literary, and cultural developments fueled the rise of atheism from the seventeenth century to today. He argues that the book's depth, breadth, and nuanced treatment of influential thinkers make it the definitive modern history of atheism and a landmark contribution to secular scholarship. Read this article and find

31:23

Crime and Punishment

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/08/14

Bart Laws examines the realities behind crime, punishment, and incarceration in the United States, challenging common assumptions that harsher penalties alone can solve crime. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2026/07/crime-and-punishment/ About the Author: Bart Laws is a medical sociologist and an adjunct associate professor of Health Services, Policy and Practice at Brown University. Subscribe to Free Inquiry:

08:35

A Memoir on Ballooning and Grief

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/08/12

Dennis E. Curry reviews Julian Barnes's Levels of Life, arguing that its unflinching exploration of grief offers a deeply humanist alternative to religious consolation. Through Barnes's memoir of losing his wife, the book portrays grief with honesty, wit, and emotional depth, ultimately suggesting that memory, rather than faith, provides a meaningful path through profound loss. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

08:44

Bill Cooke's Misleading, Meritless Review

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/08/07

Richard Carrier argues that Bill Cooke's review of The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus misrepresents both his arguments and the evidence, claiming the review ignores key sections of the book while attributing positions to him that he explicitly rejects. Carrier maintains that readers should judge his case directly from his work, asserting that his mythicist conclusions rest on a broad evaluation of historical evidence rather than the selective, inaccurate portrayal presented in Cooke's

15:31

Carrier Fails to Carry His Burden

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/08/05

Bill Cooke reviews and critiques Richard Carrier's The Obsolete Paradigm of a Historical Jesus (2025), arguing that its case for Jesus mythicism relies on circular reasoning, subjective use of Bayesian statistics, and selective treatment of the historical evidence while ignoring mainstream scholarship on the historical Jesus. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2026/07/carrier-fails-to-carry-his-burden/ About the Author: Bill Cooke is a senior editor

08:11

Does Work Matter?

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/08/03

Robyn E. Blumner explores how artificial intelligence may reshape humanity's relationship with work, arguing that even if technology creates a future of abundance and leisure, work provides essential sources of purpose, dignity, identity, and personal growth. She examines whether a world without the necessity of labor could leave people struggling to find meaning and fulfillment. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2026/07/does-work-matter/ About the

06:49

Sex: The Strange Journey of One Little Word

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/07/30

Russell Blackford explores how the word sex has shifted in meaning over the past century, arguing that modern society has replaced old religious discomfort with new forms of linguistic squeamishness. He traces how gender increasingly displaced sex in everyday language and how today's algorithm-driven "algospeak" (such as "seggs" or "s*x") reflects a new kind of technological puritanism that can undermine clear, thoughtful discussions about biology and sexuality. Read this article and find

04:30

In This Issue August/September 2026

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/07/29

Ronald A. Lindsay previews Free Inquiry's August/September 2026 issue. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2026/07/in-this-issue-august-september-2026/ About the Author: Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim general counsel for CFI, and editor of Free Inquiry magazine. Subscribe to Free Inquiry: https://secularhumanism.org/subscribe/

05:58

Placating the Gods: The Core of Religion

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/07/17

Ronald A. Lindsay argues that modern religions, particularly the Abrahamic faiths, retain the ancient practice of trying to placate deities through sacrifice and petitionary prayer, differing more in form than in substance from ancient Greek religion. He contends that petitionary prayer is logically incompatible with the concept of an all-knowing, benevolent God and concludes that religion reflects humanity's early attempts to explain and influence an uncertain world rather than a rational

04:41

Just What We Need: More Partisanship in Government,...

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/07/08

Ronald A. Lindsay argues that two recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions significantly expand presidential power and the influence of money in politics, threatening the independence of federal regulatory agencies and further empowering wealthy political interests. He contends that allowing presidents to fire agency leaders at will and removing campaign spending limits for political parties will make government more partisan, less stable, and increasingly dominated by billionaires at the expense of

04:29

Michelle Obama's Manhood, Washington's Prayer at...

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/06/24

Ronald A. Lindsay explores how myths, legends, and misinformation become attached to prominent figures, comparing modern conspiracy theories about public figures and historical myths about George Washington to the legendary development of the Gospel narratives about Jesus. He argues that beliefs are often shaped more by emotion, ideology, and storytelling than by historical evidence or factual accuracy. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

04:06

Why Listen to the Pope, Speaking as the Pope, on AI?

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/06/17

Ronald A. Lindsay critiques the widespread attention given to Pope Leo XIV's recent AI encyclical, arguing that the Catholic Church's theological claims and supernatural beliefs undermine its credibility as an authority on emerging technologies. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/exclusive/why-listen-to-the-pope-speaking-as-the-pope-on-ai/ About the Author: Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim

12:50

Secular Approaches to Moral Education: Building...

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/06/10

Steve Grumette argues that effective moral education should be grounded in empathy, critical thinking, and evidence-based understanding of human moral development rather than religious authority, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to reason through ethical challenges together. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2026/05/secular-approaches-to-moral-education-building-character-without-commandments/ About the Author: Steve Grumette is an Academy

14:42

Can Humanism Help End Witch Hunts in Africa?

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/06/08

Leo Igwe examines how humanist activists in Africa are combating witch hunts by challenging superstition, promoting critical thinking, and helping victims seek legal protection against accusations that often lead to violence, abuse, and death. Drawing on real cases from Nigeria, he argues that reason, science, and human rights advocacy offer the most effective path toward ending witchcraft-related persecution across the continent. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

18:59

How Rock and Sex Affected the Increase in Nones

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/06/05

Mark Kolsen argues that rock 'n' roll and the sexual revolution played a significant role in the rise of religious "Nones" in the United States by encouraging more permissive attitudes toward sex and weakening traditional religious participation. He traces how early rock music emerged from Pentecostal church culture, how conservative religious backlash against rock and sexuality politicized religion, and how younger Americans increasingly distanced themselves from organized faith as the religious

26:02

Medieval Christendom? Are They Serious?

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/06/03

This is a modified version of an article that originally appeared in The Free Press under the title "The Golden Age of Humanity? We're Living in It." Free Inquiry is republishing it with the gracious permission of The Free Press and the authors. Copyright is retained by The Free Press. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2026/05/medieval-christendom-are-they-serious/ About the Author: Steven Pinker is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard

08:45

The United States: Whither?

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/05/27

Ronald A. Lindsay examines competing narratives about American history and identity ahead of the United States' 250th anniversary, arguing that both right-wing myths of a flawless Christian nation and left-wing portrayals of America as irredeemably oppressive distort a more complicated reality rooted in Enlightenment ideals. He contends that free speech, democracy, and gradual moral progress—especially regarding slavery and women's rights—remain the nation's greatest strengths, while warning that

06:51

'Cultural Christian'? So what?

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/05/22

Richard Dawkins argues that calling himself a "cultural Christian" reflects his upbringing in English Christian traditions, literature, and music—not any belief in Christian doctrine, which he continues to reject as irrational. Read this article and find accompanying references at: https://secularhumanism.org/2026/05/cultural-christian-so-what/ About the Author: Richard Dawkins is an English ethologist, evolutionary biologist, and bestselling author. He is an emeritus fellow of New College, Oxford,

04:18

In This Issue June/July 2026 -The U.S.: Where It's...

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/05/20

Ronald A. Lindsay previews the June July 2026 issue of Free Inquiry, The U.S.: Where It's Been, Where It Is, Where It Should Go, Free Inquiry 46.4. Read this article and find accompanying references at: In This Issue June/July 2026 | Free Inquiry About the Author: Ronald A. Lindsay is the former president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, recent interim general counsel for CFI, and editor of Free Inquiry magazine. Subscribe to Free Inquiry: https://secularhumanism.org/subscribe/

03:50

Speaker Mike Johnson: Ideologue and Hypocrite

Free Inquiry Audio Edition ·

2026/05/13

Ronald A. Lindsay criticizes Mike Johnson for distorting the constitutional principle of separation of church and state by arguing that religion may influence government while government must not interfere with religion. He also accuses Johnson of hypocrisy for presenting himself as a devout Christian while consistently defending Donald Trump despite behavior Lindsay argues contradicts basic Christian moral values. Read this article and find accompanying references at:

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