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Unbelievable?

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Oct 24, 2023 • 1h 18min

Classic Replay: Is the fine-tuning of the Universe evidence for God? Robin Collins vs Peter Millican

From 2016: Science has revealed that the fundamental constants and forces of the cosmos appear to be exquisitely fine-tuned to allow a universe in which life can develop. Is God the best explanation of the incredibly improbable odds of the universe we live in being a life-permitting one? Robin Collins is a Christian philosopher and a leading advocate of the argument for God from cosmic design. Peter Millican is an atheist philosopher at Oxford University. They debate the issues. For Robin Collins: http://home.messiah.edu/~rcollins/ For Peter Millican: http://www.millican.org/ • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Oct 20, 2023 • 1h 26min

Why I believe in God: John Lennox interviewed by Amy Orr-Ewing

In a Premier Unbelievable special, celebrating his 80th birthday, the indomitable Christian apologist, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, and renowned ethicist, Dr. John Lennox, engages in a candid and unreserved interview with fellow apologist and Oxford-educated theologian, Dr. Amy Orr-Ewing. A long-standing friend of Unbelievable, John delves into his life journey, from a childhood in Ireland, to studying Mathematics at University of Cambridge, speaking and defending his Christian faith from Russian to East Germany, and his electrifying debates with formidable atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Peter Atkins, Christopher Hitchens and Peter Singer. This illuminating discussion also delves into the AI and the future of humanity, the problem of evil and other profound questions that continue to captivate the minds of believers and sceptics alike. https://www.gtc.ox.ac.uk/about/fellows/john-lennox/ https://againstthetide.movie/ https://www.amyorr-ewing.com/ • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Oct 17, 2023 • 1h 19min

Classic Replay: Should Christians save sex for marriage? Dianna E Anderson & Sarah Long

From 2016: Most evangelical churches teach young people that sex should be saved for marriage. But Dianna E Anderson's book 'Damaged Goods' claims that the purity culture of the American church she grew up in can be damaging for young people and that sexual relationships before marriage are permissible for Christians. Sarah Long is a youth advisor for the Church Of England and has been involved with the Romance Academy, an organisation promoting a healthy view of sex to youth culture. She believes young Christians should be encouraged to save sex for marriage as the place God intended for sexual intimacy. For Dianna E Anderson: http://diannaeanderson.net/damaged-goods/ For Romance Academy: http://www.romanceacademy.org/content/about-us • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Oct 13, 2023 • 1h 18min

Is there a conflict between religion and science?

Can you be a serious scientist and believe in God, and even believe in miracles?   Tom Rudelius never thought much about God until his brother, a new convert to Christianity, challenged him to explore faith. Tom, now a rising young theoretical physicist based at Durham University in the UK made a journey to unexpected faith, through subsequent doubt and anxiety, and ultimately to a firmer, life-transforming allegiance to Jesus. Phil and Tom wrestle with creation and cosmic origins, the problem of evil and suffering, the compatibility of miracles with science and the plausibility of Jesus’ resurrection. Phil Halper is an atheist, and Youtuber who's interviewed leading physicists from Stephen Hawking, Sir Roger Penrose to Alan Guth for his YouTube series Before the Big Bang. He is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and published several papers in peer reviewed journals on the Problem of Animal Suffering and has a new film on the subject which features other leading atheists such as Peter Singer and Alex O'Connor.   Taking on Phil is Tom Rudelius author of 'Chasing proof, finding science'. Fresh from post doctoral research at UC Berkeley Tom is now Assistant Professor, Mathematical & Theoretical Particle Physics at Durham University, UK. Tom completed his undergraduate work at Cornell, earned a doctorate in physics at Harvard, and has conducted postdoctoral research at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. His research focuses on string theory, quantum field theory, and early universe cosmology.   Phil Halper https://www.youtube.com/@skydivephil Tom Rudelius Website | Twitter | Instagram  • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Oct 10, 2023 • 1h 20min

Classic Replay: Does the problem of evil presuppose God? Josh Parikh vs Cory Markum

From 2016: The problem of evil and suffering is a key objection to the existence of a loving God. But what if the very existence of moral ‘evil’ requires a God? Oxford undergraduate Josh Parikh is a young Christian apologist who won Tyndale Fellowship’s 2015 IVP ‘Young Philosopher of Religion’ Prize for his essay on the problem of evil. He interacts with atheist Cory Markum as they debate the problem. Can real evil exist in a godless universe and could God have sufficient reasons to allow apparently gratuitous suffering? For Josh Parikh’s prize winning paper on the problem of evil : http://www.tyndalephilosophy.co.uk/prize.html For Cory Markum: http://www.atheistrepublic.com/blogs/cory -markumll • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Oct 6, 2023 • 1h 24min

Should our AIs and robots have souls?

Should we be fearful or make friends with our robot helpers?   And how can humans flourish in this brave new world?  One of our guests today on Unbelievable believes the hidden power of humans is that we are imperfect yet essential? Roger Bolton hosts this edition of Unbelievable with writer and theologian Dr. Eve Poole and Prof. Beth Singler, a digital ethnographer.  Our seemingly irrational qualities, like emotions and intuition, are what Unbelievable guest Dr. Eve Poole calls the "junk" code that define humanity, fostering the reciprocal altruism that sustains our existence.  Eve Poole's argument might upset or even offend those with a fairly traditional faith, as she argues that we should consider giving robots 'souls'. But if we give robots, as Eve suggests,  the 'junk code' of humans, will that lead to calls to give robots rights? How do we feel about giving rights to a toaster? Eve Poole did her PhD in Theology and Capitalism at the University of Cambridge and is an expert on leadership and education. Professor Beth Singler is a digital ethnographer based at the University of Zurich. Beth explores the social, ethical, philosophical and religious implications of advances in Artificial Intelligence and robotics.   https://bvlsingler.com/ https://evepoole.com/ • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Oct 3, 2023 • 1h 20min

Classic Replay: Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God? Joseph Cumming & Nabeel Qureshi

From 2016: A Wheaton college professor was recently threatened with dismissal after claiming that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. Justin is joined by two Christian guests to debate the question, Joseph Cumming a scholar of Islamic and Christian thought at Yale and former Muslim Nabeel Qureshi.  For Joseph Cumming: http://www.josephcumming.com/ For Nabeel Qureshi: http://www.nabeelqureshi.com/ • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Sep 29, 2023 • 1h 25min

Do animals have souls?

Do we need to reconsider the moral status of animals? What does the Christian worldview tell us about animals? Do we change our attitudes towards animals if we believe they have capacity for pain and pleasure, challenging anthropocentric views, advocating for animal rights, promoting vegetarianism and critiquing speciesism? Or closer to home people often ask 'will I see my doggie if I get to heaven?'. Host Roger Bolton is joined by Joyce D'Silva and Nathan Rittenhouse to debate this thorny issue on Unbelievable. Joyce D’Silva is Ambassador Emeritus for Compassion in World Farming, the leading charity advancing the welfare of farm animals worldwide. Nathan Rittenhouse is a speaker and preacher and co-founder of the podcast Thinking Out Loud. • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Sep 26, 2023 • 1h 19min

Classic Replay: Was Christopher Hitchens right about religion? Peter Hitchens, Ed Turner & Peter Harris

From 2016: Until his death from cancer over four years ago, Christopher Hitchens was one of the preeminent figures of new atheism: a prolific writer who was eloquent, witty and in great demand for his speaking and debating. Justin is joined by Christopher's brother Peter Hitchens who is a columnist for the Mail On Sunday, atheist blogger Ed Turner, and Peter Harris, a Christian apologist writing a PhD on Hitchens. In this show we assess some of his arguments against religion, including the claim that "religion poisons everything" and belief in God is like believing in a celestial North Korean dictator. For Peter Hitchens: http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/ For Peter Harris: http://www.bethinking.org/author/peter-harris/page/all For Ed Turner: https://edthemanicstreetpreacher.wordpress.com  • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate
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Sep 22, 2023 • 56min

The Robot Race - Part 2: How should humanity flourish in an AI world? - Nigel Crook & Anil Seth

The Big Conversation - Episode 6 | Season 5 In this special two-parter, we explore "The Robot Race". Are developments in Artificial Intelligence spiralling out of control, and what can we learn about ourselves - the human race - in light of AI's rapidly expanding capabilities? Here, in part two, we debate the nature of human consciousness and free will - comparing it to AI and robotics - and ask how humanity should best flourish now that the AI genie is out of the bottle. Speaking into this issue, from two very different perspectives, is Christian believer Nigel Crook, Professor in Artificial Intelligence & Robotics at Oxford Brookes University and author of "Rise of the Moral Machine: Exploring Virtue through a Robot's Eyes"; and atheist Anil Seth, Professor of Cognitive & Computational Neuroscience at the University of Sussex, winner of The Michael Faraday Prize and Lecture 2023, and author of "Being You: A New Science of Consciousness". If you missed Part 1, catch up here: https://www.thebigconversation.show/videos/season-5/episode-5 • For bonus content, updates and more shows sign up at: http://www.thebigconversation.show • Take our survey! https://survey-star.co.uk/robotrace2 The Big Conversation is a video series from Premier Unbelievable? featuring world-class thinkers across the religious and non-religious community. Exploring science, faith, philosophy and what it means to be human. The Big Conversation is produced by Premier Unbelievable? in partnership with John Templeton Foundation. • For Nigel Crook: https://ntcrook.com • For Anil Seth: https://www.anilseth.com • For more robotics by Boston Dynamics: https://www.youtube.com/@BostonDynamics • Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast: https://pod.link/267142101 • More shows, free eBook & newsletter: https://premierunbelievable.com • For live events: http://www.unbelievable.live • For online learning: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/training • Support us in the USA: http://www.premierinsight.org/unbelievableshow • Support us in the rest of the world: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/donate

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