Why the origins of Christianity still matter today
Two thousand years ago, Christianity was an obscure movement with no wealth, power, or friends in high places. Yet within a few centuries, its radical commitment to human dignity, charity and non-violence transformed the Roman world and helped shape the civilisation we live in today.How did a powerless sect became the most influential religion on Earth? From ancient plagues and persecution to today’s debates about faith and society: can Christianity still turn the world upside down?GUESTS:Greg Sheridan – Foreign editor of The Australian and author of several books on Christianity’s modern relevance, including How Christians can succeed today – reclaiming the genius of the early church.Dr Karen Pack – Historian at the University of Notre Dame, ordained minister specialising in the early church and author of Queer Omissions: Unmarried Women and Social Justice Activism in the ChurchThis episode of God Forbid was made on Gadigal land and in Naarm.
--------
54:06
--------
54:06
Gen Y and Gen Z are finding God
It’s hard to believe that one in three young Australian adults go regularly to worship services – more than any other age group. But it’s true and men are leading the charge.It’s a puzzle, because it breaks two longstanding rules of religion: believers are typically female and old.Remember back in 2000. Even the most optimistic priest wouldn’t have predicted that would change. The Cold War was over, religion was set to fade way – replaced globally with rationalism, liberalism and democracy. Generation Xers were finishing the work of their baby boomer parents - rejecting once and for all church moralising, hypocrisy, and dogma.But the children of Generation X are now young adults themselves. And just as the hippie boomers rebelled, Gen Y and especially Gen Z are rebelling against their atheist parents by turning to God.Remembering too, what the so-called rationalist generation bequeathed today’s young adults – a world of debt, insecurity, and climate chaos. Why not look elsewhere for meaning and purpose?GUESTS:Dr Intifar Chowdhury Lecturer in Government at Flinders University, where she studies the political attitudes of young Australians.Dr Anna Halafoff Associate Professor of Sociology at Deakin University, coordinator of their Spirituality and Wellbeing Research Network.Emelia Haskey Undergraduate at the University of Divinity Adelaide where she’s in training to become a minister of the Uniting Church.
--------
54:06
--------
54:06
God, the Big Bang & the fortunate universe
We live in a universe that sustains life – but what are the chances of that? And scientists now believe that if the laws of physics were different by just a fraction – our universe would be either empty, simple, or long ago extinct.If the strength of gravity or the mass of an electron was different by even the tiniest amount, the universe as we know it would not exist. So tiny even that the difference itself is almost beyond comprehension.Why has this cosmic fine tuning come about? The philosophical and even religious implications are so profound, that this is one of the most exciting questions in astrophysics.Which is why it’s so exciting that this week on the God Forbid panel, we have two internationally acclaimed astrophysicists. GUESTS:Luke Barnes - Senior Lecturer and astrophysicist at Western Sydney UniversityGeraint Lewis - Professor of astrophysics at The University of SydneyThis program was made on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation
--------
54:06
--------
54:06
Truth and trust in a post-truth world
Truth used to be something we argued about. Now we can’t even agree on what it is. In a world of fake news and alternate facts, we each claim our personal truth, our own competing version of reality.So, how does science, religion, and philosophy help us navigate truth when certainty is elusive?What does it mean to live in a time when truth itself feels fractured? When the world is so complex – that we yearn for trust as much as truth? And how do we navigate moral or epistemic disagreement without falling into hostility or relativism?GUESTS:DR CAROLYN FOSTER is an astro-physicist at the University of NSW.Prof ALAN DUFFY from Swinburne university of Technology in Melbourne, where he’s pro-vice chancellor too.DR VICTORIA LORRIMAR is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame.This program was made on Warrang, Naarm, and Walyalup
--------
54:06
--------
54:06
Can celibacy actually make us purer and closer to God?
Can celibacy actually make us purer and closer to God? What is it about sex that gets in the way of our divinity?What do some of the world’s major religions say about celibacy or even require of it’s devotees?And, with the very noticeable global decline in the birth rate, are we already seeing a trend towards a more chaste life? If so, can abstinence draw us closer to our spiritual selves?GUESTS:Dawn Eden Goldstein is a theologian, canon lawyer and author of TheThrill of The Chaste: Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes OnDr Maeve Heaney is also a theologian, author, musician and composer and has written on the subject of celibacy and the Catholic Church and author of Suspended God: Music and a theology of doubtDr Samishka Goyal is a philosopher and teacher at Monash University and has written extensively about Hinduism and JainismThis program was made on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation, and Naarm
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.
New Zealand