Episode 122: New Atheist and Food Socialist Banter

Old College buddy from NYC Rory Evans joins me this week as we revisit the new atheist topics that led to our being friends with discussion of the continuing decline of church membership in the US; this is joined by numbers that support a small decline of the same in the Middle East, though the source is a neocon type.
In the Second Half we rehash the question of socialism broadly by covering a Red State running a town owned grocery; and piece about Black co-ops in various cities. What counts as socialist, capitalist or better economics is hashed about. Rory sticks to a framework of competence, I counter with democratic idealism for the sake of it.

Music Used: Goodbye Apathy, by One Republic

Sources

Latest Poll showing continuing decline of church membership
https://news.gallup.com/poll/341963/church-membership-falls-below-majority-first-time.aspx
Poll also shows possible repetition in the Middle East; but the source isn’t great
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/23/opinion/islam-religion.html
Panhandle FL town creates town run grocery to avoid being a food desert. Not ok to call socialist
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/22/baldwin-florida-food-desert-city-owned-grocery-store/
Reporting about various Black worker grocery Co-ops;
https://www.theroot.com/new-generation-of-black-led-co-ops-want-to-end-food-ins-1840411111