This weekend, tune in to State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, to hear a leading African-American pastor shatter the stereotype of anti-gay Black Christians; to get an update on the state of science education; and to find out what one atheist is doing on Christian radio.
Red Church, Blue Church
A popular, but simplistic, political view of the country is that of “red states” and “blue states.” While it may be useful shorthand for TV talking heads, it doesn’t tell us much about the diverse people populating those states. Too often this shorthand is also used for social issues such as marriage equality and religious groups, as well. So are there “red churches” and “blue churches?” Joining Welton this week is the Rev. Delman Coates, a leading voice for social justice and an unapologetic advocate for some positions that are assumed to be unpopular in Black Christian communities. The Rev. Coates is the senior pastor of the 8,000-person congregation of Mt. Ennon Baptist Church in Clinton, Maryland.
Science in the State of Louisiana
We first met Zack Kopplin over two years ago, when as a high school student in Baton Rouge, he launched a campaign to, quote, “repeal creationism” in response to a loosening set of rules regarding science curricula in Louisiana public schools that introduced the possibility of religiously-driven material in the science classroom. Today, as a student at Rice University, he continues his activism and is working with fellow activists to re-launch their campaign, calling for “a second giant leap for humankind.” He joins Welton this week to discuss the state of science education in Louisiana and beyond.
An Atheist on Christian Radio
Todd Stiefel has quickly become a leading funder of atheist causes through his Stiefel Freethought Foundation. In his home state of North Carolina, he has taken a rather personal – and surprising – approach to sharing his humanist convictions, appearing regularly on evangelical Christian radio to engage with folks for whom Atheism is probably most foreign. Hear from him this week as he explains to Welton how he found himself on Christian radio and discusses the work he’s doing through his foundation.
