Matters of Life and Death

A final classic episode to see us through the Christmas and New Year break. Today we’re returning to an interview with NHS geneticist Melody Redman. Each of us carries around in our cells about 20,000 different genes – a unique set of biological code which shapes how our bodies develop. As scientists better understand genes and how they work, genetics is becoming a more and more important field of modern medicine, particularly in diagnosing conditions. But this comes with a brand new set of ethical challenges to think through. We go on to talk about a new NHS programme in England which is piloting whole genome sequencing of newborn babies. Why are scientists and doctors interested in collecting a child’s entire set of genes and storing them for the rest of their life? What medical benefits might result from this, and what ethical challenges does it throw up? Just because we can now do this, should we? We also consider some of the risks of our increasingly geneticised world and how as Christians we can hold onto our identity in Christ rather than lapsing into genetic determinism. • Find out more about the Newborn Genomes Programme here - https://www.genomicsengland.co.uk/initiatives/newborns • The group Unique helps support people and families affected by rare chromosomal and genetic disorders - https://rarechromo.org/ • Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 • If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com • For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

In this podcast, Sophie Guthrie-Kummer from Choices, a Christian crisis pregnancy centre in London, discusses how to respond to abortion in a constructive and non-inflammatory way. They tackle topics such as non-directive counseling, working in hospitals that carry out abortions, and the importance of empathy and compassion in the abortion debate.

This podcast episode explores the impact of climate change on mental health, particularly among young people, and discusses the growing sense of fatalism and nihilism among climate activists. It addresses the rising climate anxiety among young people and raises concerns about the blame placed on climate activists for instilling fear. The episode also explores the negative impact of unwarranted pessimism on climate change and emphasizes the importance of taking action. It discusses the Christian perspective on climate change and the need for personal and collective action. The episode explores the connection between the Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution era, and the extractive mindset towards the earth. It also compares the secular and Christian understanding of the future and discusses the relationship between climate activism and faith.

This podcast tackles the controversial anti-obesity drug Wegovy and its implications for self-control and public health. It also delves into the debate surrounding the 14-day limit on human embryo research, discussing the motivations of scientists and the ethical concerns involved. Christian perspectives and alternative approaches to medical issues are explored, emphasizing human preservation and ethical considerations over scientific experimentation.

Creation. Fall. Redemption. New Creation. Our series on the theological foundations of Christian ethics and the grand narrative of the Bible has reached the third chapter – redemption. How is the story of what Christ accomplished on the cross a uniquely Christian approach to the problem of evil, and what light does it shed on our approach to everything from artificial intelligence to reproductive medicine? In this episode we discuss the mysteries of the cosmic universal story of redemption – with a lamb slain from the foundation of the world alongside a real historical man dying in a real place and time once and for all. And we try to think through why this redemption story seems to be retold time and time again across our secular culture, from Marvel superhero films to Harry Potter, and why it remains so compelling and yet also strangely impossibly optimistic. • Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 • If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com • For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

John’s on holiday this week so we’re bringing you a classic episode from the Matters of Life and Death vault. A couple of years ago we interviewed Sarah Foot, a Christian palliative care doctor. She spoke about how she treats the physical, mental, social and even spiritual needs of those who are dying, the Christian foundations of the discipline, and what impact her profession has on her. We also discussed the renewed movement to legalise assisted suicide in Britain and other countries, how her colleagues viewed this, the ignorance which lies behind many of the arguments for changing the law, and the implications for palliative care should assisted dying be imposed upon it. - Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 - If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

In this podcast, they discuss the alarming increase in child mortality rates among deprived communities and the lack of awareness around it. They also explore the rise of AI girlfriends and its effects on real-world relationships, including concerns about unrealistic beauty standards. The impact of online porn and artificial intelligence on young men's expectations of relationships is discussed, as well as the importance of promoting real-world connections. They also delve into the church's response to techno-nosticism and the potential divide within the church regarding AI technology.

Explore the myth of conflict between science and religion with Nick Spencer. Learn about the intertwined histories of science and faith, the relationship between epistemic humility, and the surprising religious lives of history's greatest scientists.

This week we dip back into the postbag to look at some more listener questions. First up we return to our episode looking at recent shifts in abortion rates – is the narrative of ‘it’s my body and I’ll do what I want’ what is truly driving increases in abortion figures in recent years, or is that a bit of a myth? We also take a closer look into recent reports that expose how cutting-edge artificial intelligence models are being trained by incredibly underpaid and exploited workers in the developing world. How should we as Christians respond to what is being claimed as the exploitation of workers around the globe in the name of technological advancement that seeks to benefit humanity? Should governments moderate this kind of employment or is there an argument that digital technology is actually positively transforming economic outlook in the third world? Finally we wrap up today’s episode considering if the UK government’s recent AI Safety Summit is meaningless ‘motherhood and apple pie’ platitudes and, if so, how can we actually push for meaningful regulation? - The WIRED article on the underpaid workers from poorer nations helping train AI data sets https://www.wired.com/story/millions-of-workers-are-training-ai-models-for-pennies/ - The UK government’s Bletchley Declaration on AI safety https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ai-safety-summit-2023-the-bletchley-declaration/the-bletchley-declaration-by-countries-attending-the-ai-safety-summit-1-2-november-2023 - Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 - If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com

We last tackled the idea of friendship when we explored the so-called ‘hermeneutic of suspicion’ – that cloud of concern that today hangs over any close relationship between two people. But friendship in the Bible was not inevitably corrupted by sex, coercion, or power plays. Today we pick up some other themes from John’s new book Transforming Friendship to look at paradigmatic friendships in Scripture – Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, Jesus and Mary, Martha and Lazarus, and Paul and Timothy. What do these friendships teach us about the wonderful intimate friendship with God we are invited into by Jesus? Why do we miss the earth-shattering importance of Jesus declaring his disciples will no longer be his servants but his friends? And how can we bring these ideas of faithful, covenant loyalty and vulnerable love into our 21st century friendships? - Find out more about John’s new book Transforming Friendship and how to pre-order your copy: https://www.johnwyatt.com/transforming-friendship/ - Subscribe to the Matters of Life and Death podcast: https://pod.link/1509923173 - If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, visit John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com - For more resources to help you explore faith and the big questions, visit: http://www.premierunbelievable.com