Unbelievable?

'B Strong' is a former Christian who lost his faith after examining the claims of the Bible.  His booklet "Jesus is a hoax" claims, among many things, that the Apostle Paul was mentally ill due to his fanatical pre and post-conversion behaviour.  It also claims Jesus is one of the greatest hoaxes of history. John Tancock (JT) is a Welsh church leader and apologist.  He engages the sceptical argume...

Can we use science to ascertain whether prayer works?  Data from a series of prayer experiments is part of the evidence that US atheist scientist Victor Stenger uses to build the case against God in his best-selling book "God: The failed hypothesis". David Bartholomew is a Christian and Emeritus Professor of Statistics at the London School of Economics.  He has written a paper contesting Stenger's...

The first of two shows featuring atheist US physicist Victor Stenger, author of NY Times bestseller "God: The failed Hypothesis". Stenger claims that Christian belief has been a block to science historically and that science has shown the Universe to look "Exactly as it would if there were no God". Steve Fuller is Professor of Sociology at Warwick University.  He takes issue with the current wave...

The Bible is often criticised for either supporting or not condemning the institution of slavery.  So how should we treat portions of Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments that relate to slavery?  Why does the Old Testament contain laws regarding the treatment of slaves? Does Paul condemn or affirm the institution? Bob Price is a former US church minister whose doubts about the Bible led hi...

Dr Adam Bradford believes he has discovered a significant new insight into Jesus Christ.  In "The Jesus Discovery" he explains why he believes that Jesus was not an unschooled peasant preacher, as many depict him.  Instead, he claims that Jesus came from a middle class family and would have been schooled in Jerusalem's top school of Rabbis.  This, he says, explains how the religious authorities tr...

In response to listener requests Justin hosts two shows dealing with Homosexuality and Christian faith. This second show addresses whether the church is homophobic in its attitude towards gay people.  Would a gay person feel welcome at an evangelical church?  Should practising gays be allowed to become church members or receive communion?  Has the church focussed on the gay issue to the exclusion...

In response to listener requests Justin hosts two shows dealing with Homosexuality and Christian faith. This first show addresses the main scriptural passages that relate to homosexuality.  Are the prohibitions against same sex acts in the Old Testament relevant to today?  What is the correct interpretation of the apostle Paul's writing on "homosexual offenders" in Romans, Corinthians and elsewher...

Evangelical Christians hold that sexual relations outside of marriage are against Biblical mandate and have negative moral and social consequences. In modern society, as marriage becomes less common and most people are sexually active from their teens, is this belief outmoded and irrelevant? Sue Meyer describes herself as an "Atheist freethinking feminist".  She claims that Christian marriage has...

"The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ" is the latest book from the pen of prominent atheist author Philip Pullman.  It re-imagines the story of Jesus as the story of two twins - one called Jesus, the other Christ.  It is the twin Christ who writes the history of Jesus, turning him into the God-man of the Gospels.  Philip Pullman joins Justin Brierley to discuss whether we should believe the...

Peter Hitchens is a writer and regular columnist for the Mail on Sunday.  Unlike his atheist brother Christopher, Peter is a committed Christian having himself been an atheist in younger years. His new book "The Rage Against God" challenges the anti-theism of his brother and the 'new atheism', taking as its starting point a debate they both took part in two years ago. He debates with atheist Adam...

We mix things up a bit this week with a different format.  Four atheist listeners of the show get their chance to air their objections to Christian faith.  Taking their questions and criticisms is Church pastor David Robertson, author of "The Dawkins Letters". Martyn Frame asks "Would the Universe look different without God?".  Trevor asks "What about Old Testament Laws that we find offensive?". ...

Test of Faith is an initiative aimed at showing that Christian faith and good science are perfectly compatible.  As the Tour reaches london on 19th May we ask "Do we need God, now that we have science?" Denis Alexander is a biologist from the Faraday Insititute in Cambridge.  As a Christian he believes that his science coheres with and supports his faith.  Stephen Law of the Royal Institute of Phi...

What does it take for life to get going in our universe?  Is there intelligence in the stars or right under our nose? Renowned astrophysicist Paul Davies chats to Oxford Professor of Mathematics John Lennox. A popular science author, Davies is also the Chair of the SETI post detection task force.  His latest book "The Eerie Silence" which marks SETI's 50th anniversary examines the likelihood of th...

The Unification church of Revd Sun Myung Moon (aka The Moonies) is often regarded as a cult.  But what do they actually believe about Jesus and his death and resurrection? Christian Nseka is a member of the religion and believes we need to see Jesus' death and resurrection in a new way.  He believes that Christ did not fulfil his mission and that Revd Moon is the new Messiah. Doug Harris runs the...

An Inter-Christian discussion on the beliefs and doctrines that are distinctive of Seventh Day Adventists.  Why do they hold to Saturday as the "true" day for worship and rest?  Are they too legalistic?  What about the failed prophecy of Christ's return that they grew out of?  What should we make of founder Ellen White's teaching on "Investigative Judgement"? David Burnett and Victor Hulbert of th...

Richard Morgan and Todd Pitner both experienced adult conversions from atheism to Christian Faith.  Morgan, whose conversion story two years ago has been told before on "Unbelievable?" questions whether atheists who rule out personal experience as evidence for God are acting consistently. Todd Pitner who was converted two and a half years ago presents his own story and what he believes was a mirac...

Hear the debate that took place after the "Unbelievable?" screening of Intelligent Design Film "Expelled" at Imperial College London in Feb 2010. Against the film: Atheist Prof Susan Blackmore (Psychology, Plymouth) & Theistic evolutionist Prof Keith Fox (Biology, Southampton) For the film: Prof Steve Fuller (Sociology, Warwick) & Dr. Alastair Noble (Former Inspector of Schools) Panellists on both...

Is the doctrine of the Trinity to be found in the Bible?  Was Jesus really "of one substance" with God the Father? US Christian apologist James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries returns to defend the doctrine of the Trinity as he discusses key Old and New Testament texts with Sir Anthony Buzzard of the Restoration Fellowship. James believes the doctrine of the Trinity is implicit and explicit at...

James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries is on the show this week and next defending the Christian faith.  Today he argues the Bible is historically more reliable than the Koran.   Adnan Rashid of the Hittin Institute argues for the Koran and criticises the transmission of Biblical writings. How were both scriptures written and passed on?  Among other things the Koran and Bible disagree on an imp...

A year ago the British Humanist Association launched the "Atheist Bus Campaign" declaring "There is probably no God.  Now stop worrying and enjoy your life". Would we enjoy life and be less worried without belief in God in modern Britain?  Where do humanist values come from? What about the role of faith in school and society?  Their latest poster campaign urges that children should not be "labelle...

Are societies better off with the influence of Christianity?  Are Christians more caring than atheists?  What role should faith play in society? Just some of the questions explored by atheist Michael Shermer and Christian David Robertson. Michael Shermer is president of the US Skeptics Society and Editor of its magazine "Skeptic".  He claims that there are various ways in which Christianity has ha...

This week: As part of Premier Radio's coverage of National Marriage Week we look at two different Christian views of Divorce and Remarriage. Andrew Cornes is Vicar of All Saints Crowborough.  He holds to the traditional understanding that Jesus taught divorce is only permissible for adultery, and that the Bible forbids remarriage. David Instone-Brewer is a New Testament scholar from Tyndale House...

As we look forward to the screening and debate around the film Expelled at Imperial College London on Sat 27th Feb (See www.premier.org.uk/expelled for info on extra screening & debate) two of the panellists join Justin to debate Intelligent Design. Steve Fuller is Professor of Sociology at Warwick University.  He features as a pro ID advocate in the film "Expelled" and was an expert witness in th...

Hundreds of thousands died in the Haiti earthquake of Jan 2010.  Many more are still suffering.  So where was God? Can we believe in an all loving, all powerful God in the face of such suffering and destruction? Roger Forster of The Ichthus Christian Fellowship argues that God suffers with those affected.  Atheist Gordon Livesey believes that if God existed he would act to intervene.  Nick Peters,...

William (Bill) Dembski is an American mathematician, theologian and professor of Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, TX.   Bill returns to defend his latest Book "The End of Christianity" -an argument defending the Christian God against the argument of Evil. How can natural evil and death that have existed for millions of years on an Old Earth view be reconciled to the view that...