Dan Barker
Encyclopedia
Dan Barker is a prominent American atheist activist who served as a Christian preacher
and musician for 19 years but left Christianity in 1984.
and was ordained to the ministry by the Standard Community Church, California, in 1975. He served as associate pastor at a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) church, an Assembly of God, and an independent Charismatic church. To this day, he receives royalties from his popular children's Christian musicals, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (1977), and "His Fleece Was White as Snow" (1978), both published by Manna Music and performed in many countries. In 1984 he announced to his friends that he was an atheist.
A successful musician, Barker has composed over 200 songs that have been published or recorded. He is the current co-president with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor
of the Freedom From Religion Foundation
, an American Freethought
organization that promotes the separation of church and state. Barker is co-host of Freethought Radio
, a Madison
, Wisconsin based radio program for atheists, agnostics, and other freethinker
s that has included interviews with Richard Dawkins
, Sam Harris
, Steven Pinker
, Julia Sweeney
, and Michael Newdow
. His foundation published his book Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist, and he has written numerous articles for Freethought Today, an American freethought newspaper.
He is a member of the Lenni Lenape
(Delaware Indian) Tribe of Native Americans, and in 1991 edited and published Paradise Remembered, a collection of his grandfather's stories as a Lenape boy in Indian Territory. Dan's father, Norman Barker, was also a musician who played the trombone
. He performed a musical duet with Judy Garland
in the 1948 film Easter Parade.
Barker belongs to a number of high IQ societies.
, Oprah Winfrey
, Hannity & Colmes
, Maury Povich
, Good Morning America
, The Daily Show
, Sally Jessy Raphael
, and Tom Leykis
television programs.
Barker has also appeared on dozens of national radio programs and forums to discuss and debate issues related to atheism
and the separation of church and state. He was featured in a New York Times article about atheists, and has given addresses on religious issues at several events across the United States, including one at Harvard University.
On October 6, 2007, Freethought Radio, the FFRF's weekly broadcast originating in Madison
, Wisconsin on the Mic 92.1 FM was picked up nationally by Air America. This is the first ever national atheist radio broadcast, Freethought Radio
, on Air America
. The one hour weekly show is co-hosted with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor
.
Books
Music albums
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
and musician for 19 years but left Christianity in 1984.
Biography
Barker received a degree in Religion from Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa Pacific University
Azusa Pacific University is a private, inter-denominational, evangelical Christian university located near Los Angeles in suburban Azusa, California. It was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900 in Whittier, California. It began offering degrees in 1939...
and was ordained to the ministry by the Standard Community Church, California, in 1975. He served as associate pastor at a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) church, an Assembly of God, and an independent Charismatic church. To this day, he receives royalties from his popular children's Christian musicals, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (1977), and "His Fleece Was White as Snow" (1978), both published by Manna Music and performed in many countries. In 1984 he announced to his friends that he was an atheist.
A successful musician, Barker has composed over 200 songs that have been published or recorded. He is the current co-president with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor
Annie Laurie Gaylor
Annie Laurie Gaylor is co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and, with her husband Dan Barker, is the current co-president. She is also editor of the organization's newspaper, Freethought Today, which is published ten times per year. She is a self-described feminist and liberal...
of the Freedom From Religion Foundation
Freedom From Religion Foundation
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is an American freethought organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its purposes, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism. The FFRF publishes...
, an American Freethought
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
organization that promotes the separation of church and state. Barker is co-host of Freethought Radio
Freethought Radio
Freethought Radio is a weekly radio show produced by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. It is broadcast live every Saturday on The Mic 92.1 in Madison, Wis. and on Air America, streamed online, and available as a podcast. It is also available through syndication and XM Radio on Air America...
, a Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin based radio program for atheists, agnostics, and other freethinker
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
s that has included interviews with Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, Sam Harris
Sam Harris (author)
Sam Harris is an American author, and neuroscientist, as well as the co-founder and current CEO of Project Reason. He received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Stanford University, before receiving a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA...
, Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Arthur Pinker is a Canadian-American experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist, linguist and popular science author...
, Julia Sweeney
Julia Sweeney
Julia Anne Sweeney is an American actress, comedian and author best known as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and for her autobiographical solo shows.-Personal life:...
, and Michael Newdow
Michael Newdow
Michael Arthur Newdow is an American attorney and emergency medicine physician. He is best known for his efforts to have recitations of the current version of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools in the United States declared unconstitutional because of its inclusion of the phrase "under God"...
. His foundation published his book Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist, and he has written numerous articles for Freethought Today, an American freethought newspaper.
He is a member of the Lenni Lenape
Lenape
The Lenape are an Algonquian group of Native Americans of the Northeastern Woodlands. They are also called Delaware Indians. As a result of the American Revolutionary War and later Indian removals from the eastern United States, today the main groups live in Canada, where they are enrolled in the...
(Delaware Indian) Tribe of Native Americans, and in 1991 edited and published Paradise Remembered, a collection of his grandfather's stories as a Lenape boy in Indian Territory. Dan's father, Norman Barker, was also a musician who played the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
. He performed a musical duet with Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
in the 1948 film Easter Parade.
Barker belongs to a number of high IQ societies.
Media appearances
Barker has appeared on Phil DonahuePhil Donahue
Phillip John "Phil" Donahue is an American media personality, writer, and film producer best known as the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. The television program, also known as Donahue, was the first to use a talk show format. The show had a 26-year run on U.S...
, Oprah Winfrey
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes
Hannity & Colmes was a live television show on Fox News Channel in the United States, hosted by Sean Hannity and Alan Colmes, who respectively presented a conservative and liberal perspective. The series premiered on October 6, 1996, and the final episode aired on January 9, 2009. It was the...
, Maury Povich
Maury (TV series)
Maury is a syndicated American tabloid talk show hosted by Maury Povich.When the series first aired in 1991, the show was called The Maury Povich Show and was produced by MoPo Productions in association with Paramount Domestic Television...
, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, Sally Jessy Raphael
Sally Jessy Raphaël
Sally Lowenthal , better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American talk show host, known for the eponymous Sally talk show she hosted for two decades.-Early years:...
, and Tom Leykis
Tom Leykis
Thomas Joseph Leykis is an American radio personality. He currently hosts The Tasting Room with Tom Leykis, a weekly lifestyle program dealing with fine food and drink, airing weekends mainly in West Coast markets...
television programs.
Barker has also appeared on dozens of national radio programs and forums to discuss and debate issues related to atheism
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
and the separation of church and state. He was featured in a New York Times article about atheists, and has given addresses on religious issues at several events across the United States, including one at Harvard University.
On October 6, 2007, Freethought Radio, the FFRF's weekly broadcast originating in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin on the Mic 92.1 FM was picked up nationally by Air America. This is the first ever national atheist radio broadcast, Freethought Radio
Freethought Radio
Freethought Radio is a weekly radio show produced by the Freedom From Religion Foundation. It is broadcast live every Saturday on The Mic 92.1 in Madison, Wis. and on Air America, streamed online, and available as a podcast. It is also available through syndication and XM Radio on Air America...
, on Air America
Air America Radio
Air America was an American radio network specializing in progressive talk programming...
. The one hour weekly show is co-hosted with his wife Annie Laurie Gaylor
Annie Laurie Gaylor
Annie Laurie Gaylor is co-founder of the Freedom From Religion Foundation and, with her husband Dan Barker, is the current co-president. She is also editor of the organization's newspaper, Freethought Today, which is published ten times per year. She is a self-described feminist and liberal...
.
Publications
Musicals- Mary Had a Little Lamb (Manna Music 1977)
- His Fleece Was White as Snow (Manna Music 1978)
Books
- Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist, (Madison: Freedom From Religion FoundationFreedom From Religion FoundationThe Freedom From Religion Foundation is an American freethought organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its purposes, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism. The FFRF publishes...
, 1992) ISBN 1-877733-07-5. - Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists (Ulysses Press, September 2008) ISBN 1569756775.
- The Good Atheist: Living a Purpose-Filled Life Without God, Ulysses Press, 2011, ISBN 978-1-56975-846-5
Music albums
- Friendly Neighborhood Atheist (Madison: Freedom From Religion FoundationFreedom From Religion FoundationThe Freedom From Religion Foundation is an American freethought organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. Its purposes, as stated in its bylaws, are to promote the separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and nontheism. The FFRF publishes...
, 2002) - Beware of Dogma
External links
- Freedom From Religion Foundation Dan Barker's website
- Dan Barker's page at Freethoughtpedia.com – Also includes links to some of his debates and other resources.
- Freethought Radio
- Former preacher 'de-converts' to atheism
- Celebrity atheists – Dan Barker