A pastor says he's under attack for his faith. The truth is worse... and dumber! After the home of Tennessee preacher Greg Locke was shot up, he immediately declared it an act of Christian persecution (without evidence). When it later became clear the attack had nothing to do with religion, the story took a turn that perfectly captures how grievance, fear, and bad faith keep the persecution narrative alive.

Elsewhere this week: Utah's Republican legislature tries to erase Salt Lake City's Harvey Milk BLVD by threatening to rename it after Charlie Kirk; Texas AG Ken Paxton sues over imaginary Christian discrimination in a driver's handbook; Protestant churches are closing faster than they're opening; an Oklahoma city blocks a new mosque after openly Islamophobic public testimony; Department of Homeland Security quietly gives immigration breaks to religious workers amid a broader crackdown; and a Catholic bishop ignites chaos by dictating the "correct" way to kneel during communion.

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In a calculated hedge against hell, Dilbert creator Scott Adams announces a death-bed conversion to Christianity, explicitly framing it as Pascal's Wager—a cynical, calculated play for the afterlife. Christians celebrate, atheists groan, and we unpack why this story is catnip for religious propaganda, why the logic collapses instantly, and why deathbed conversions remain one of Christianity's favorite—and flimsiest—victory laps. (Adams passed away at age 68 from prostate cancer after we recorded the show.)

Then: the Pope condemns medical aid in dying after Illinois legalizes it, a lawyer is fined $400,000 for warning a school about an accused priest, the U.S. Defense Secretary pushes Christianity deeper into the military, China cracks down on underground Christian churches, Israel prepares to relocate a so-called "lost tribe" from India, and the LDS Church quietly dismantles its all-female Temple Square mission.

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What happens when Trump desecrates a painting of Jesus? Billionaires line up to buy it. At a Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party, Trump signs a painting of Christ—offering a very public glimpse at how faith, money, and power now intersect.

From there, it's a week of religion doing what it does best: embarrassing itself in public. A failed doomsday prophet in Ghana finds out there are consequences when the apocalypse doesn't show up, Iran's theocratic regime faces mass protests fueled by hunger and economic collapse, and conservatives melt down after New York City's new mayor commits the ultimate sin—taking his oath of office on the "wrong" holy book. Plus, Marjorie Taylor Greene stumbles into a moment of clarity about Trump's faith, Chick-fil-A makes things awkward again, and we ask—once more—what any of this is actually doing to the country.

A University of Oklahoma instructor gave a student a failing grade — and lost their job over it. The reason? Religion entered the chat. We unpack how a routine college assignment turned into a culture-war flashpoint, why academic standards suddenly became optional, and how religious grievance keeps getting rewarded when it collides with higher education.

Also this week: Trump administration officials decide government social media accounts are a fine place to preach Christianity, Sarah Huckabee Sanders issues a Christmas proclamation that sounds more like a sermon, and a Colorado megachurch leans hard into child-trafficking panic to push anti-trans ballot initiatives. Plus new Pew numbers on religion in America, a rare LDS feel-good story, listener mail, and yet another reminder that moral panic never really goes away — it just finds new targets.

What happens when a man decides an airplane cabin is the perfect place to hold church? This week, we discuss the now-viral moment of a passenger pulling out his guitar mid-flight to serenade a captive audience with praise songs. Some travelers joined in while everyone else stared ahead in silent fury. We talk about public space, consent, religious entitlement, and why "sharing the Good News" at 30,000 feet feels less like ministry and more like an in-flight nightmare.

Also on the show: Franklin Graham preaching about God's love and God's hatred at a Christmas service hosted at the Pentagon; an Arizona lawmaker pushing to force "intelligent design" into public school science classes; the Catholic Archdiocese of New York selling off prime real estate to pay clergy abuse settlements after its insurer refuses coverage; an Anglican bishop cleared after allegedly mishandling multiple abuse cases; a self-styled prophet predicting a Christmas flood and building multiple arks to survive it; and a surprisingly hopeful look at how AI is helping scholars translate ancient religious texts—possibly demystifying scripture faster than ever before.

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What happens when a custody dispute turns into a fight over whether a child is being harmed by religion—and the courts are forced to weigh in? This week, we dig into a disturbing custody case that forces an uncomfortable question into the open: should religion get special protection when kids are the ones paying the price?

We also cover the Mormon Church's latest branding hypocrisy as it pressures independent podcasts to stop using the word "Mormon," a Utah high school administrator delivering a religiously loaded pep talk that shames struggling students, and a World Cup Pride match in Seattle that sends Iran and Egypt into predictable outrage. Plus: Florida and Texas label a Muslim civil rights group a "terrorist organization," the Catholic Church is forced into a $230 million abuse settlement, and new Pew data reveals that religion's long decline in the U.S. may have temporarily stalled.

It's that time of year again: the War on Christmas is back—and wilder than ever. This week, Dan and Kate dive into the bizarre conservative outrage over a nativity scene depicting the Holy Family as migrants detained by ICE. Right-wing commentators are furious, churches are divided, and somehow this one small display has become a national symbol of everything they think is wrong with America. We unpack the theology, the politics, and the truly unhinged reactions.

Then we get into a whole slate of religious weirdness from around the country:

• A Florida attorney general tries to shut down a Drag Queen Christmas performance

• Christian rock band Skillet is accused of releasing "demonic" holiday music

• West Virginia courts weaken vaccine mandates in the name of religious liberty

• BYU football players quietly scale back their missionary service

• A Tennessee woman stages a fake kidnapping "lesson" for kids that backfires spectacularly

And for our final segment, Dan dives into research on how former members of insular religious communities talk about forgiveness—and how that differs from what their traditions demand.

Nothing says "holiday spirit" quite like Christian leaders panicking over a goth-themed Christmas market, and their dramatic meltdown is far more entertaining than anything on the vendor tables.

From there, we look at an Oklahoma student stunned that her Bible-based gender essay didn't pass a psychology assignment, the Vatican's latest attempt to police monogamy, and a disturbing story out of South Africa where a pastor's self-appointed authority went far beyond anything resembling justice. Back in Utah, Sweet Salt—an LDS modest-fashion clothing store—is shutting down, and in Austria, three elderly nuns have staged a bold return to their abbey with the help of an unexpectedly large Instagram following.

In our closing segment, Dan shares a thoughtful and deeply personal reflection on the recent passing of his mother—an honest conversation about compassion, autonomy, and the realities families face.

The Epstein files have finally started to drip out, and the early reactions are already something to behold. This week, Frank and Dan wade into the bizarre rhetorical contortions spilling out of the right-wing media sphere—from Megyn Kelly's head-scratching attempt to "reframe" things to the Catholic League charging in with one of the most offensive defenses imaginable.

We also look at Catholic clergy in Chicago suing ICE for blocking access to detained migrants, and the Vatican's "generous" decision to return 62 Indigenous artifacts to First Nations communities in Canada. Meanwhile, Ken Paxton is threatening schools that won't put the Ten Commandments in every classroom, and the UK Supreme Court finally calls out mandatory religious education in Northern Ireland schools for what it is: Christian indoctrination.

To close things out, we talk about gratitude and how atheists can navigate Thanksgiving without a divine recipient of their thankfulness.

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SCOTUS just delivered a win for marriage equality. After nearly a decade of appeals, lawsuits, and national drama, the Supreme Court has officially declined to hear Kim Davis' case challenging gay marriage… leaving the original ruling in place and the former county clerk on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars. What does this mean for gay marriage going forward? We break it all down.

This week's episode dives into the biggest religion-and-politics stories making headlines:

• SCOTUS rejects Kim Davis • Marriage equality remains intact
• U.S. Catholic Bishops elect a far-right "culture warrior" to lead the conference
• Transgender Air Force veterans sue the military after losing retirement benefits
• HVAC tech sues employer for forcing him to work with women (Billy Graham Rule meltdown)
• Pastors running as Democrats in 2026 races
• The UK is building a 168-foot monument to "answered prayers" (and it's… actually cool?)
• Plus, this year's Holiday Survival Guide for atheists navigating religious family gatherings.

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A Catholic school in Pennsylvania put the words "Arbeit Macht Frei"—the infamous phrase from the Auschwitz gate—on the back of its Halloween float. Frank and Dan try to understand how something this shocking made it through so many adults without anyone realizing what it meant, and what it says about religious education and historical ignorance.

Also this week: a "family values" lawmaker caught up in the Ashley Madison data leak, ICE detains an Episcopal priest who's legally in the U.S., and the Pope shuts down the "Mary as co-redemptrix" movement. Plus, Bangladesh clerics push to ban music in schools, and churches fail a TikTok test on helping hungry families.

Finally, the guys talk about the outrage over New York City's new Muslim mayor, why so many people equate "Muslim" with "terrorist," and what that says about the fear that still drives American religion.

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