Unbelievable?

The place where many Christians engage with atheists about belief is online.  But why do both sides turn up to engage in the conversation, and what is the fruit? Todd Pitner and Richard Morgan are adult converts to Christianity who often engage in apologetics debate online.  They meet face to face with Paul Baird - one of the many atheists they debate online. All three are members of the Premier Community where apologetics debate is common at the "Unbelievable?" group http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable They discuss the different style, tactics and motives of those who participate and whether atheists or Christians are prepared to change their mind. For Todd's apologetics website see http://www.iloveatheists.com/ For Richard's musical talents see http://www.myspace.com/morgansoriginals For Paul Baird's new blog http://patientandpersistant.blogspot.com/ For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 27 Mar 2010 - Former atheists conversion experiences - Is it evidence for God? Richard Morgan & Todd Pitner with atheist Gordon Livesey Unbelievable? 12 Sep 2009 - From Atheism to Christian faith via richarddawkins.net - Christians Richard Morgan, David Robertson and Atheist Ed Turner

Peter Byrom says he is "very nearly" convinced of Christianity.  Having dallied with an atheist perspective he now rejects many of those arguments.  However one area of theology he doesn't feel is clear is the question of Adam and Eve and the Fall. Who were Adam and Eve -  a historical couple or a metaphor for the human condition?  Why did their rebellion impact the whole of humanity?  How can we reconcile original sin with  human free will? Peter Sanlon is a lecturer in theology at Oakhill College. He responds to the theology.  Prof Norman Nevin is Emeritus professor of Medical Genetics at Queens University Belfast.  He responds to scientific aspects of the discussion. For Peter Sanlon see http://grace-city.blogspot.com/ or http://www.oakhill.ac.uk/ Norman Nevin is the Editor of "Should Christians Embrace Evolution?" http://www.ivpbooks.com/9781844744060 To see Peter Byrom quiz Dawkins on why he won't debate William Lane Craig http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFamS4RGE_A Peter Byrom is a member of the Premier Community - you can interact with the show there too http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 1 Aug 2009 - Debating doctrine - James White and Roger & Faith Forster debate predestination Unbelievable? 29 Nov 2008 Creation or Evolution - do we have to choose? Denis Alexander & Stephen Lloyd debate

Should people suffering from terminal illness or in terrible pain be allowed to take their own life?  Should doctors help them?  British law currently forbids it but there are voices asking for a change.  At the forefront is "Dignity in Dying" whose Chief-Executive Sarah Wootton argues that allowing people to choose when and how they die is an extension of personal liberty. Revd George Pitcher is an Anglican priest.  He argues in his new book "A Time To Live - the argument against euthanasia and assisted dying", that human dignity requires us to respect human life. Both the legal and Christian ramifications are discussed as they are joined by Revd Paul Badham, also an ordained Anglican who believes that assisted-dying is a moral option. For George Pitcher's book "A Time to Live" see http://www.amazon.co.uk/Time-Live-Against-Euthanasia-Assisted/dp/1854249878/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1281622100&sr=1-1 For Paul Badham's book "Is there a Christian case for Assisted dying?" see http://www.amazon.co.uk/There-Christian-Case-Assisted-Dying/dp/0281059195 For Dignity in Dying see http://www.dignityindying.org.uk/ For an anti-euthanasia viewpoint see http://www.carenotkilling.org.uk/ For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 25 Apr 2009 Euthanasia - Should it be legalised? Lord Dick Taverne & Dan Boucher Unbelievable? 12 Jan 2008 Human Fertilisation & Embryology - are we playing God? Join the discussion at the Unbelievable? group of the Premier Community online http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

"Arguing against God's existence is on a par with arguing against air, breathing it all the while".  So says the website of Sye TenBrugencatte who believes that Christians need to rediscover the power of 'presuppositional apologetics'. Our use of the laws of logic, mathematics, science and morality cannot be accounted for unless we believe in a God who guarantees our perceptions and reasoning is trustworthy in the first place. Paul Baird describes himself as a "freethinker".  He debates whether he is obliged to believe in God when faced by Sye who argues that atheists are effectively "suppressing" the truth of God that is self evident - as described in Romans Ch 1. Sye's website is http://www.proofthatgodexists.org/ Paul Baird and Sye TenBruggencate are both online members of the "Unbelievable?" Group of the Premier Community and will be continuing to discuss there.  Check it out at http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 13 Jun 2009 The Moral Argument For God - Atheist Paul Orton & Christian David Robertson Unbelievable? 1 Nov 2008 - Atheist Bus Campaign: Its creator Ariane Sherine, Humanist Hanne Stinson and Christian Paul Woolley debate

The resurrection of Christ is fundamental to the Christian faith.  However, not all Christians agree on how it should be interpreted. Adrian Warnock is a church leader, blogger and author.  His book "Raised with Christ" aims to put the resurrection of Jesus back at the centre of all Christian theology.  He says that acceptance of the doctrine of the physical resurrection of Jesus is fundamental to being a Christian. Jonathan Clatworthy of "Modern Church" represents a liberal view.  He says that the Bible supports a merely "spiritual" resurrection and that a thoughtful theology requires such a view. They debate the implications of the Biblical interpretation, resurrection of the dead, and knowing the 'power' of the resurrection from their different perspectives.  For Adrian's popular blog and the book see http://adrianwarnock.com/ For Jonathan Clatworthy and "Modern Church" see http://www.modchurchunion.org/ For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 12 Jul 2008 - American Masters of Apologetics Pt 1: Gary Habermas. Unbelievable? 11 Apr 2009 - Atheist Steven Carr & Canon Michael Cole - Did Jesus Rise from the dead? An atheist perspective. Join the debate at the Unbelievable? group of the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

Is belief in the supernatural inherent from birth?  Is Christianity a psychological crutch or a path to emotional wholeness? Is God belief simply a result of evolution?  Would it make belief untrue if it were? These and other questions are discussed by atheist psychological therapist Martyn Frame and Christian tutor of psychology of religion Revd Dr Joanna Collicut McGrath. Martyn believes that religious belief can be given a psychological evolutionary explanation that precludes need for belief in God.  Joanna argues that such theories are sketchy at best and that humanity's religious longings can't be rationalised so easily. For Joanna Collicut McGrath see http://www.heythrop.ac.uk/about-us/college-staff/academic-staff/dr-joanna-collicutt.html "The Dawkins Delusion" co-authored with her husband Alister Mcgrath can be found on Amazon here  Martyn Frame's profile page at the Premier Community http://premiercommunity.ning.com/profile/MartynFrame?xg_source=activity For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 24 Apr 2010 - "Grill a Christian" show - four atheists challenge David Robertson with their objections to faith Unbelievable? 19 Dec 2009 - What does Science Tell us about God?" - Atheist scientist Lewis Wolpert debates believing scientist Russell Cowburn Join the discussion at the Unbelievable? group of the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

'B Strong' is a former Christian who lost his faith after examining the claims of the Bible.  His booklet "Jesus is a hoax" claims, among many things, that the Apostle Paul was mentally ill due to his fanatical pre and post-conversion behaviour.  It also claims Jesus is one of the greatest hoaxes of history. John Tancock (JT) is a Welsh church leader and apologist.  He engages the sceptical arguments on Paul and Jesus.  He believes Jesus is one of the best attested historical character of antiquity and that the Apostle Paul one of his most reliable (and perfectly sane) witnesses. They will continue the debate at the "Unbelievable?" Group of the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable For JT's Youtube apologetics videos see http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=john+tancock&suggested_categories=22&page=1 To get in touch with JT directly email john.tancock@ntlworld.com For B Strong's booklets and blog see http://s2.webstarts.com/wowbooks/ For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast  http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this discussion then you will probably enjoy: Unbelievable? 3 Jan 2009 Bart Ehrman & Peter Williams - "Misquoting Jesus: Do we have the original writings of the New Testament?" Unbelievable? 26 Apr 2008 Proof for the Resurrection - Evangelist Tony Costa & Atheist Ken Humphreys debate.

From shamanism, hallucenogenic drugs, out-of-body experiences, to being "filled with the Spirit".  Christian author and barrister Charles Foster draws on these and many more  to examine the biological evidence of what happens when people claim supernatural experiences. Is there room left for God?  Yes, says Foster, whose own experience of the Holy Spirit led him to research why our brains seem to be wired for God to communicate with us. Susan Blackmore is an atheist and Professor of Psychology.  She reveals how her own 'Out of Body Experience' as a student led to research that ultimately convinced her that no "supernatural" activity is needed to account for these type of phenomena. They debate the issues, including whether Consciousness itself can be given a naturalistic explanation.    For Charles Foster see http://www.charlesfoster.co.uk/ To buy "Wired for God?" visit http://www.amazon.co.uk or click here For Sue Blackmore see http://www.susanblackmore.co.uk/ To buy "Consciousness: An introduction" visit http://www.amazon.co.uk or click here For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast at http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 27 Mar 2010 - Former atheists conversion experiences - Is it evidence for God? Richard Morgan & Todd Pitner with atheist Gordon Livesey Unbelievable? 23 Aug 2008 - Why there almost certainly IS a God: Keith Ward and Robert Stovold Join the discussion at the "Unbelievable?" group of the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

Can we use science to ascertain whether prayer works?  Data from a series of prayer experiments is part of the evidence that US atheist scientist Victor Stenger uses to build the case against God in his best-selling book "God: The failed hypothesis". David Bartholomew is a Christian and Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the London School of Economics.  He has written a paper contesting Stenger's use of data to disprove God as invalid. They debate the issues on whether we can detect or disprove God using scientific methods. For Victor Stenger see http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/VWeb/Media.html For David Bartholomew see http://www.djbartholomew.com/ For the Science and Christian Belief Journal his paper will be published in http://www.scienceandchristianbelief.org For more Christian/non Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast  http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy Unbelievable? 26 Jun 2010 - "Is God a Failed hypothesis - philosophically?" Atheist US physicist Victor Stenger vs. Prof of Sociology Steve Fuller Unbelievable? 14 Mar 2009 - Fine Tuning of the Universe - is it evidence of God? Nicholas Beale vs Julian Baggini To join the discussion visit the "Unbelievable?" Group of the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

The first of two shows featuring atheist US physicist Victor Stenger, author of NY Times bestseller "God: The failed Hypothesis". Stenger claims that Christian belief has been a block to science historically and that science has shown the Universe to look "Exactly as it would if there were no God". Steve Fuller is Professor of Sociology at Warwick University.  He takes issue with the current wave of scientific atheism and in his new book "Science" (The Art of Living Series, Acumen) says that science can't be done without the concept of God at its heart. For Victor Stenger see http://www.colorado.edu/philosophy/vstenger/VWeb/Home.html To buy the book "God: the failed hypothesis" http://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Failed-Hypothesis-Science-Shows/dp/1591024811 For Steve Fuller see http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/academicstaff/sfuller/fullers_index For "Science (Art of Living)" http://www.amazon.co.uk/Science-Art-Living-Steve-Fuller/dp/1844652041 For more Christian/non-Christian discussion shows visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievableor get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes Unbelievable? 6 Feb 2010 - Do we need God to Do Science? Steve Fuller and Thomas Dixon debate Intelligent Design and the Dover Trial Unbelievable? 8 Nov 2008 - Richard Dawkins & John Lennox's Oxford debate - a review with interviews and comment Join in the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable