Unbelievable?

As Halloween approaches Justin meets Tam, a Wiccan who explains what he believes and the significance of Halloween (or Sam'hain) to the witchcraft community. Steve Hollinghurst is a Christian with a ministry to the new age and pagan community. He engages with Tam as well as explaining what Christians can learn from those involved in alternative spirituality. MP3 of this show http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/p/618072/sp/61807200/playManifest/entryId/1_nod3zt1y/flavorId/1_3cwmb37l/protocol/http/format/url/a.mp3? For Forest Church http://www.mysticchrist.co.uk/forest_church For Children of Artemis http://www.witchcraft.org For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

When Richard Dawkins tweeted 'abort it and try again' to a follower who raised a question about pregnancy and Downs Syndrome, there was a public outcry. Yet each year over 1000 pregnancies are terminated in the UK because of screening for Downs Syndrome. Ann Furedi is head of BPAS, the UK's largest independent abortion provider. She believes parents should be able to choose to abort for any reason, including disability, gender and even (hypothetically) sexual orientation. James Mumford is a fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture and the author of Ethics at the Beginning of Life. He wrote an article stating that Dawkin's tweet is a sign of a new eugenics towards disabled people. MP3 of this show http://media.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/04fb74d6-ae45-4c1f-9c97-f7fed8bf4873.mp3 For James Mumford's article "Abort it and Try Again": http://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2014/November-2014/Abort-it-and-Try-Again For BPAS http://www.bpas.org/ For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

Christian Philosopher Michael Murray wrote a book in 2008 making a defence of God in the face of millennia of animal suffering. He presents his arguments to atheist Phil Harper (aka Skydivephil). They also discuss the contentious issue of whether animals experience pain differently to humans, after William Lane Craig ignited a debate on the subject after quoting Michael Murray's work in a debate. MP3 of this show http://media.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/6821081e-913a-4789-ae1e-00b10730ad17.mp3 For Michael Murray's response on William Lane Craig's blog http://www.reasonablefaith.org/animal-pain-re-visited For Michael Murray's book Nature Red in Tooth and Claw http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0199596328> For "Skydivephil's "animal suffering" videos on YouTube http://youtu.be/mLSwRcvX72M & http://youtu.be/sKuEbbDi-tQ For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

Several high profile evangelical have converted to The Orthodox Church in recent decades. Is it just for the cool beards and robes? In this discussion we find out about the history of the Orthodox Church and some of its distinctive features. Justin is joined by Bishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church, evangelical theologian Elaine Storkey and Andrew Walker, a convert to Eastern Orthodox Church. MP3 of this show http://media.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/71067e8d-411f-4194-ac60-0d6b68d60dea.mp3 For Bishop Angaelos http://www.copticcentre.com For Elaine Storkey http://www.elainestorkey.com For Deep Church Rising: Recovering Christian Orthodoxy http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/0281072728 For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

Blaise Pascal was a 17th century Christian philosopher and mathematician who said that we all bet our life on the existence of God. So, you are better off believing in God because you've everything to gain if it's true and little to lose if it's not. But you've plenty to lose if you bet on God not existing and it turns out that He does. Kevin Moore is a young philosopher whose new book 'Untrumpable' revisits Pascal's classic argument in terms of 'wisdom'. He makes the case that Atheism is a foolish bet and we ought to live as if God existed. He even says his argument makes the best sense of Psalm 14 (The fool has said in his heart "there is no God"). Norman Bacrac, of the Conway Hall Ethical Society disagrees with Kevin and says that believing in God wouldn't make him change the way he lives as an atheist anyway. MP3 of this show http://media.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/9217e6a8-528c-4877-8c7d-ca22d83ec6c3.mp3 For 'Untrumpable' by Kevin Moore http://www.untrumpable.com For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

The abortion debate reared its head again this summer after controversial tweets by Richard Dawkins made the news. Justin hosts a discussion between Mara Clarke of the Abortion Support Network and Scott Klusendorf of the Life Training Instititute. Mara believes women need to be decide whether to terminate a pregnancy, but Scott says that all depends on whether we are dealing with a human life in the womb.

Nick Spencer is the author of 'Atheists: The Origin of the Species'. He explains the origins of various strands of atheism and why the New Atheism of today is constructed on a myth of its own. Julian Baggini is an atheist philosopher and writer. He engages Spencer on whether atheism was a significant factor in Communist regimes and what the future of atheism may hold. Read Spencer's Book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Atheists-Origin-Species-Nick-Spencer/dp/1472902963 For Baggini: http://www.microphilosophy.net For more faith debates visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

Graham Ward is Oxford Regius professor of Divinity. His new book 'Unbelievable' explores the biology and psychology of belief. Atheist professor of psychology Susan Blackmore joins the discussion in the first part of the show. Is belief a purely material phenomenon of the brain? Though the 'truth' of belief remains under increasing attack, in a thoroughly secularized context, Ward argues that secularity is itself a form of believing. MP3 of this show http://media.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/ba27f310-0401-41ea-a8cb-4e5d24b2ab55.mp3 For Graham Ward's book 'Unbelievable': http://www.amazon.co.uk/Unbelievable-Why-We-Believe-Dont/dp/1780767358 For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: https://www.facebook.com/UnbelievableJB and https://twitter.com/unbelievablejb Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx

Two young, intelligent thinkers join Justin to debate whether atheism or theism makes best sense of the universe. Oxford student and apologist Calum Miller says that the universe we observe is likely on theism but unlikely on atheism. So it makes more sense to believe in God than not. Humanist community leader James Croft disagrees. For Calum Miller: http://calumsblog.com/ For James Croft: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/templeofthefuture/ For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

A discussion on whether the Western church has lost the Hebraic roots of its faith and why anti semitism has been a factor in the church. Salim Munayer directs Musalaha – a charity focused on trying to bring reconciliation between young Jews and Palestinian Arabs. Steve Maltz is a messianic Jew, author and blogger. For Salim Munayer's book Through My Enemy's Eyes: http://www.authenticmedia.co.uk For more faith debates visit www.premierchristianradio.com/unbelievable Join the conversation: Facebook and Twitter Get the MP3 podcast of Unbelievable? http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes You may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 16 Aug 2014 - Israel, Palestine & the Gaza Conflict