Dan Barker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Barker
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| Born |
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 June 25, 1949) is an American atheist activist and musician. For 19 years, he was a Christian preacher and wrote religious songs. In 1984, he decided to leave Christianity. Today, he and his wife, Annie Laurie Gaylor, are the leaders of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. He also helped start The Clergy Project. Dan Barker has written many articles and books, including Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist.
Dan Barker often speaks at events like Rock Beyond Belief. He is also a speaker for the Secular Student Alliance.
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About Dan Barker's Life
Dan Barker studied religion at Azusa Pacific University. In 1975, he became a minister. He worked as a pastor in different churches, including a Quaker church and a Charismatic church. He still earns money from his popular Christian musicals for children. These include Mary Had a Little Lamb (1977) and His Fleece Was White as Snow (1978).
In 1984, he told his friends and family that he no longer believed in God. He appeared on a TV show called AM Chicago, hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show was about "kicking the religion habit."
Family Life
Dan Barker met Annie Laurie Gaylor when they were both guests on a TV show. They started dating six months later and got married in 1987. They have a daughter named Sabrina Delata.
Dan 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 shares stories from his grandfather's childhood as a Lenape boy.
Working for Freedom From Religion
Dan Barker is the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). He shares this role with his wife, Annie Laurie Gaylor. The FFRF is an American group that works to keep government and religion separate. This means they believe the government should not favor any religion.
Dan Barker also helps host Freethought Radio. This radio show is for atheists, agnostics, and other people who think freely about religion. It started in 2006 and has featured interviews with famous thinkers. Some guests have included Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Steven Pinker.
Dan Barker in the Media
Dan Barker has appeared on many TV and radio shows. He talks about atheism and the idea of keeping government and religion separate. He has discussed topics like religious displays on government property. He has also talked about prayer in public schools.
He has been on shows like Oprah Winfrey, The O’Reilly Factor, and Good Morning America. He has also appeared on many international shows.
A newspaper called The New York Times wrote an article about him. It discussed how atheism was growing in the Southern states. Dan Barker has given talks across the United States about his own journey away from religion. He has also taken part in more than 140 debates around the world.
Dan Barker and his wife host their weekly radio show, Freethought Radio. It is broadcast on several stations in the Midwest. You can also listen to it as a podcast online.
See also
In Spanish: Dan Barker para niños
