Dan Barker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Barker
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Daniel Edwin Barker
June 25, 1949 Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Azusa Pacific University |
| Occupation | Co-president, Freedom From Religion Foundation, author, musician |
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Daniel Edwin Barker, born on June 25, 1949, is an American musician and activist. He used to be a Christian preacher and composer for 19 years. In 1984, he decided to leave Christianity. Today, he and his wife, Annie Laurie Gaylor, lead an organization called the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). He also helped start The Clergy Project. Mr. Barker has written many articles for Freethought Today, a newspaper about freethinking. He is also the author of several books, including Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist.
Mr. Barker has been a guest speaker at events like Rock Beyond Belief. He is also part of the speaker's group for the Secular Student Alliance.
Contents
Dan Barker's Early Life and Career
Dan Barker studied religion at Azusa Pacific University. In 1975, he became a minister in California. He worked as an associate pastor in different churches. These included a Quaker church, an Assemblies of God church, and an independent Charismatic church.
Music for Kids
Mr. Barker also wrote popular Christian musicals for children. He still earns money from these musicals. Some of his well-known works are Mary Had a Little Lamb (1977) and His Fleece Was White as Snow (1978). Both were published by Manna Music.
A Big Change in 1984
In 1984, Dan Barker told his friends, family, and fellow ministers that he no longer believed in God. Later that year, he appeared on a TV show called AM Chicago, hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show was about "kicking the religion habit."
Dan Barker's Family Life
Dan Barker met Annie Laurie Gaylor when they were both guests on the AM Chicago show. They started dating six months later and got married in 1987. They have a daughter named Sabrina Delata.
Mr. Barker is a member of the Lenni Lenape Delaware Tribe of Indians. In 1991, he put together and published a book called Paradise Remembered. This book is a collection of stories from his grandfather's childhood as a Lenape boy. His grandfather grew up in what was then called Indian Territory.
Leading the Freedom From Religion Foundation
Dan Barker is currently the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) with his wife, Annie Laurie Gaylor. The FFRF is an American organization that supports freethought. It also works to keep government and religious groups separate.
Freethought Radio
Mr. Barker also co-hosts Freethought Radio. This is a radio show for people who are atheists, agnostics, or other freethinkers. The show started in 2006 and is based in Madison, Wisconsin. It has featured interviews with many famous thinkers and authors. Some of these include Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Steven Pinker, Christopher Hitchens, and Philip Pullman.
Dan Barker in the Media
Dan Barker has appeared on many TV and radio shows across the country. He discusses and debates topics related to atheism and the separation of church and state. He has talked about things like nativity scenes on government property and prayer in public schools.
He has been on popular shows such as Oprah Winfrey, The O’Reilly Factor, Tucker Carlson, and Good Morning America. He has also appeared on many international shows.
Mr. Barker was featured in a New York Times article about how atheism is growing in Southern states. He has given talks about his own journey away from religion all over the United States. He has also taken part in more than 140 debates around the world.
Mr. Barker and his wife host their weekly one-hour radio program, Freethought Radio. You can listen to it on several stations in the Midwest. It is also available as a podcast online.
See also
In Spanish: Dan Barker para niños
