God Forbid
ABC listen
Religion: it’s at the centre of world affairs, but profound questions still remain. Why are you here? What happens when you die? Does God matter? God Forbid seeks the answers.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 7, 2025 • 54min
To bare or not to bare: why religion can't make its mind up about nudity
Why do religions tell us to cover up? And how has this affected the way we value, judge, and sexualise our bodies in the modern world?
Jan 31, 2025 • 54min
Living simply in a complex world: how modern monks navigate AI, social media, and climate change
From Hare Krishna to Humanistic Buddhism, modern followers of mindful traditions grapple with maintaining a connection to the world while not falling prey to its modern trappings.How do they do it? And what can we learn from them?
Jan 24, 2025 • 54min
The world's oldest hatred: how anti-Semitism found its way to Australia
With anti-Semitic vandalism on the rise in Australia, and debate over exactly who and what is causing this surge -- how can the international Jewish community respond?
Jan 17, 2025 • 29sec
The spirituality of fishing
Why are so many Australians passionate about fishing? Is it simply the thrill of the catch or is there something deeper that keeps us hooked?
Jan 10, 2025 • 54min
The history of God
Just what did God look like and how did he lose his bodily self?
Jan 3, 2025 • 54min
We know magic isn't real, so why does it still fascinate us?
Magic as we know it today is performance art, harmless entertainment – from Penn and Teller to Siegfried and Roy, David Copperfield to Harry Houdini. But, magic, past and present, is stranger, richer and more complex than you imagine.
Dec 27, 2024 • 0sec
Sawdust and the soul
Jesus was famously a carpenter, and many religious texts associate carpentry with wisdom, humility, and devotion. So, is there something divine about working with wood?
Dec 20, 2024 • 54min
Kindness — a radical idea?
Could kindness be an act of defiance or resistance?
Dec 13, 2024 • 54min
Rebel fighters have overthrown the Assad regime in Syria, what does that mean for its people?
Who is going to rule over the country now that Syria is free from the tyrannical Assad regime?
Dec 6, 2024 • 54min
Faith, disability, and the trouble with 'healing'
People with disabilities have been subject to unwanted prayer, pity, and the promise of healing. But is there space for a more inclusive disability theology?
