With Frank under the weather this week, Dan takes the reins solo for a special live-stream edition of Thank God I'm Atheist. Along the way he digs into Christian nationalists attempting to build a new religious stronghold in Washington state, revisits the ongoing debate over whether Mormons are considered Christian by their evangelical neighbors, and looks at Donald Trump's latest honor from an Orthodox Christian leader.

Dan also checks in on the Ark Encounter as it approaches its tenth anniversary, discusses new Catholic abuse-prevention guidelines, celebrates the return of the infamous Route 666 to Hell, and spends plenty of time chatting with listeners from around the world.

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Are Mormons Christian? It's a question that's sparked debates for generations, and now the Pentagon has unexpectedly weighed in. This week Frank and Dan discuss the Department of Defense's new list of recognized faith categories, which places The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside its Christian classifications while simultaneously removing atheists, humanists, pagans, and several other minority belief groups from the list altogether.

Elsewhere, we discuss a Christian employee suing over a Pride flag at work, a Presbyterian debate over polyamory, a Colorado gubernatorial candidate's unbelievable personal claims, the rise of megachurch-run colleges, and a UFO religion's latest attempt to prepare humanity for alien contact. Plus a Pride Month conversation about whether churches belong at Pride events.

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A rare albino buffalo in Bangladesh was headed for ritual sacrifice during a Muslim holiday (until people noticed it looked remarkably like Donald Trump). After the buffalo went viral, government officials stepped in, canceled the sacrifice, and gave the animal a new home at a zoo.

Also this week: a Muslim principal loses her job after a backlash campaign in Texas, a Christian job applicant demands protection from Pride flags and pronouns, Oklahoma lawmakers debate whether children should be allowed to marry, Congress considers spending $1 billion on security for houses of worship, and Rome's famous "hot priest" calendar turns out to feature models instead of clergy. Plus, Frank and Dan discuss why atheists are surprisingly expensive targets for political campaigns.

💸 No gods. No guilt. Some hosting fees. 💸 Support the show at www.thankgodimatheist.com/donate

The government dumped a fresh batch of UFO files into the public record, and Christian pastors are already racing to explain what we're seeing. Are they aliens? Secret military tech? Weather balloons? Or… angels and demons?!! Frank and Dan dive into the newly released footage, the religious panic surrounding it, and why "we don't know" remains the most honest (and apparently least popular) answer.

In other news: pastors in Nashville are accused of running a medication rebate scam through a church clinic, a Chick-fil-A franchise gets hit with a religious discrimination lawsuit over Sabbath scheduling, and a former Christian pop star reclaims one of his biggest hits after coming out as gay. Also... protest zones outside houses of worship, student loans for "useless" degrees, and Pope Leo XIV's surprisingly serious warnings about the ethics of artificial intelligence.

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America is turning 250… and Christian nationalists are determined to make sure the birthday party belongs to them. This week, Frank and Dan dive into the bizarre "Rededicate 250" event in Washington D.C., where Trump allies, religious activists, and culture war celebrities are pushing the idea that the United States was founded as a Christian nation (and therefore should become one again).

Elsewhere: Rudy Giuliani claims he had a heavenly near-death experience, Hillsong founder Brian Houston accidentally posts porn to his followers, Christian nationalist culture warrior Ryan Walters files for divorce, and Texas officials shut down a Muslim community Eid celebration at a water park because apparently even modest swimwear is too threatening for Greg Abbott.

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Richard Dawkins spent decades convincing people to think critically about religion. Now he's wondering if a chatbot might actually be conscious. After an extended conversation with an AI he nicknamed "Claudia," the famed atheist author published a baffling article arguing that modern AI may be far more self-aware than we think. Frank is away this week, so Dan and Kate dive into one of the strangest (and most unintentionally hilarious) AI meltdowns we've seen yet.

Also this week: France reckons with stolen Nazi-looted artwork, Norway restores government funding to Jehovah's Witnesses despite their shunning practices, a new Christian phone company promises to protect kids from YouTube and "dangerous" ideas, Southern Baptists continue losing members, anti-Semitic incidents show signs of decline after years of spikes, and the Catholic Church cautiously opens the door to listening to gay Catholics about the damage caused by conversion therapy.

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A Florida pastor who wrote a book about "biblical marriage" has been arrested after allegedly marrying a second woman while still married to his first wife. Frank and Dan dive into the very awkward collision between Christian marriage advice, secret spouses, and a pastor who may have taken "biblical marriage" a little too literally.

Also this week: TikTokers are "speedrunning" Scientology buildings, a strange UK religious cult faces slavery and forced marriage charges, Trump's "anti-Christian bias" task force releases a report full of grievances and very little evidence, a liberal megachurch pastor shakes up Kansas politics, and the Mormon church somehow makes their youth programs even weirder.

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She wasn't catfished. She wasn't delusional. She fell in love... with an AI! And when that digital companion suddenly disappeared, the grief was real enough to take to a Buddhist temple for a memorial. This week, we dig into one of the strangest and most revealing stories yet about artificial intelligence, loneliness, and what happens when technology stops being a tool and starts feeling like a person.

Beyond that, there's a packed slate of stories, from anti-trans policy changes at HUD and a historic Vatican meeting with the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, to slipping support for Trump among Utah's religious voters. We also cover a controversial school tracking system, a major Catholic abuse verdict, listener reactions to that deadly baptism story, and a final segment on the LDS Church suing the Mormon Stories podcast.

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Trump posts an AI-generated image of himself as a Christ-like figure, and suddenly that's what sparks outrage from Christians?! In this shorter "TGIA Light" episode, we dig into the bizarre backlash, the selective standards of blasphemy, and what it reveals about modern religious and political loyalty. We also look at how pastors are increasingly using AI tools like ChatGPT to write sermons, and check in on Trump's "Religious Liberty Commission," which seems more interested in rewriting church-state separation than protecting it.

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Alex Jones turning on Donald Trump wasn't on anyone's bingo card, but here we are! In a moment that feels less like politics and more like a full-blown schism, one of Trump's loudest allies is suddenly calling him out for going too far. Is this the beginning of real cracks inside MAGA, or just another bizarre twist in a movement that's built on them? Either way, it's a rare glimpse of the machine turning on itself, and it's hard to look away...

Elsewhere, a school assembly speaker gets exposed for sneaking Jesus into anti-bullying talks, a baptism ends in tragedy and criminal charges, and a group of nuns would rather sue than care for trans patients. Plus, Trump dreams up a massive, gold-drenched monument for D.C., the Pentagon reportedly picks a fight with the Pope, and an astronaut can't resist bringing Jesus into orbit.

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A top FEMA official says God teleported him… to a Waffle House. Not metaphorically. Not "in spirit." Literally... mid-crisis, mid-life, mid-reality... He claims he was transported miles away as part of a divine encounter, and now he's defending it with scripture! It's the kind of story that would be funny if it weren't coming from someone with real power, and somehow, it only gets worse the deeper you go. (And it's actually pretty funny too).

Also this week: the Supreme Court opens the door to conversion therapy under "free speech," a federal judge rules Arkansas's Ten Commandments monument unconstitutional (for now), and Pete Hegseth's Pentagon prayer situation raises fresh church–state questions. The LDS Church doubles down on anti-trans policy, new data shows Mormons quietly shifting left politically, and a judge blocks an attempt to gut the Johnson Amendment. In the final segment, the Artemis mission takes flight… along with people who think rockets are hitting the firmament.

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