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Unbelievable

‘Unbelievable?’ engages in fundamental questions on Christianity with the intention to openly discuss different opinions between Christians and non-believers.

Website: http://www.premierradio.org.uk/shows/saturday/unbelievable.aspx
Location: London
Members: 152
Latest Activity: 3 minutes ago

Welcome to the Unbelievable Group page - all are welcome

Visit the show page at www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable to listen to shows, features and get the podcast

Recent shows:

Shabir Ally - Muslim Scholar (Did Jesus rise from the dead? 04 April 09)

Rabbi Jonathan Romain & Stephen Pacht (Was Jesus the Messiah of the Jews? 09 May 09)

PZ Myers debated Denis Alexander on "Is Christianity at odds with Science?" (27 June 09)

Discussion Forum

Richard Morgan

In defence of atheists. 18 Replies

Started by Richard Morgan. Last reply by James Croft 3 minutes ago.

Steven Carr

Christianity - Is it for scum? 62 Replies

Started by Steven Carr. Last reply by Steve Bray 1 hour ago.

Steven Carr

Why does Satan obey God? 3 Replies

Started by Steven Carr. Last reply by Joliver 8 hours ago.

Tim

Should Christians pray for Steven Carr? 55 Replies

Started by Tim. Last reply by Caral 9 hours ago.

Steven Carr

How easily is God fooled? 1 Reply

Started by Steven Carr. Last reply by Tim 10 hours ago.

Steven Carr

Can I trust the Bible? 1 Reply

Started by Steven Carr. Last reply by Tim 11 hours ago.

Steven Carr

Another blunder in the Gospel of Mark 20 Replies

Started by Steven Carr. Last reply by Tim 11 hours ago.

Justin Brierley

PZ Myers on Unbelievable - is he guilty of "scientism"? (27 June 09) 173 Replies

Started by Justin Brierley. Last reply by Joliver 1 day ago.

Amanda W. Rowe

Did God create evolution? 19 Replies

Started by Amanda W. Rowe. Last reply by Rosemary Nicholson 1 day ago.

Richard Morgan

Why are you here? 21 Replies

Started by Richard Morgan. Last reply by Richard Morgan 1 day ago.

Unbelievable on demand - click on headings to hear the audio and join discussion above

Unbelievable? 4 Jul 2009 - Peter Hitchens debates Islam - 04 July 2009

Peter Hitchens is a well known journalist and Anglican Christian.  Unlike his atheist brother Christopher, he believes Christianity is an essential bedrock for society.  He says Islam will fill the spiritual vaccuum of Britain if secularists have their way.

Ibrahim Mogra represents the Muslim Council of Britain.  He says that Muslims are only interested in living harmoniously within society.

They discuss Sharia Law, multiculturalism, religious freedom and more.

For Peter Hitchens visit http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/

For The Muslim Council of Britain visit www.mcb.org.uk

For more Christian/non-Christian discussions visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast or via Itunes.

If you enjoyed this show you may wish to listen to

Unbelievable? 1 Mar 2008 Sharia law in the UK - Muslims & Christian debate.

Unbelievable? 15 Dec 2007 Jihad & terrorism - Does Islam need to be reformed?

Join the discussion at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 27 Jun 2009 - PZ Myers & Denis Alexander on Faith & Science - 27 June 2009

Atheist Biologist PZ Myers is  an outspoken critic of Christianity.  He believes that faith in God and science are contradictory.  He debates theistic evolutionist Denis Alexander, Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. Is science is at odds with Christianity as PZ claims?

They touch on Fine Tuning, Rationality, and whether God is an inference to the best explanation.

For PZ Myers Blog: http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/

For The Faraday Institute: http://www.faraday-institute.org/

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy

Unbelievable? 13 Oct 2007 Has science buried God? John Lennox & Robert Stovold

Unbelievable? 29 Nov 2008 Creation or Evolution - do we have to choose? Denis Alexander & Stephen Lloyd

Hear more Christian/non-Christian debate at www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast or via itunes

Join the debate at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 20 Jun 2009 Before Nicea - what is the truth about Early Christianity? - 20 June 2009

What did the first Christians believe about Jesus?  Muslim Abdul Haq, the author of "Before Nicea" claims that key doctrines of Christianity were formulated through later councils of the church.  He says that there is no good evidence that early Christians believed in Jesus' divinity or even his crucifixion.

Evangelical Christian scholar Anthony McRoy counters Haq's claims, insisting that the key doctrines of Christianity were well established in the early church and are implicit in Scripture.

For Anthony McRoy www.west.org.uk

For "Before Nicea" by Abdul Haq click here

For more Christian/Non-Christian debates visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast

Join the debate at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 13 Jun 2009 The Moral Argument for God - 13 June 2009

Atheist Paul Orton contacted the show saying he was unconvinced by the claim of some Christians that morality must be based in God, to make sense.  He claims that morality is a product of biological and social evolution and "the changing moral Zeitgeist" determines the morals we hold.

Christian apologist David Robertson claims that you can't make sense of "right" and "wrong" without reference to an ultimate standard - God.  Anything else opens the door to moral nihilism.

Slavery in the Bible, racism and much more enter the discussion as they discuss the practical outworking of our moral foundations.

For David Robertson http://www.stpeters-dundee.org.uk

Click here for the apologetics course he is teaching in July 2009

For more Christian/Non-Christian debate visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast 

If you enjoyed this show you may also enjoy

Unbelievable? 21 Mar 2009 "Challenging Atheist Myths" Part 1 Christian David Robertson & Atheist Adrian Hayter

Unbelievable? 26 Jan 2008 Morality - do we need God to be Good?

Join the discussion at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 6 Jun 2009 A Skeptic in Narnia - 06 June 2009

Laura Miller was captivated by Lewis' Narnia stories as a child.  As a teenager she learnt of the Christian parallels in the books and felt "cheated and betrayed".  Find out why in today's programme and how she has come to terms with Narnia by writing "The Magician's Book".

Michael Ward is a leading expert on CS Lewis and author of "Planet Narnia".  As a Christian the Narnia stories served to deepen his faith, and he has also recently uncovered a rich secret within the books that has gone unnoticed until now.

They discuss how the Christian Narnia affected Miller and some of the criticisms she levels at them in her book. 

For Michael Ward see www.planetnarnia.com

For Laura Miller see www.lauramiller.org

If you enjoyed this discussion you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 8 Dec 2007 The Golden Compass - is it atheist propaganda?

For more Christian/non Christian discussions visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast or via itunes

Join the discussion at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 30 May 2009 Bible contradictions - 30 May 2009

What should Christians believe about the "infallibility" of the Bible?  Are the apparent contradictions that exist a problem?

Derek Tidball is the former Principal of the London School of Theology.  He engages with atheist Gordon Livesey who has compiled a list of, as he believes, errors and contradictions in the Bible.

Find out more about Derek Tidball's books here

You can hear more Christian/Non-Christian debate at www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy

Unbelievable? 3 Jan 2009 Bart Ehrman & Peter Williams - "Misquoting Jesus: Do we have the original writings of the New Testament?"

Unbelievable? 14 Jun 2008 Biblical inerrancy - Can we trust the Bible through and through?

Join the discussion at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 23 May 2009 Buddhism & Christianity in dialogue - 23 May 2009

Geshe Tashi Tsering has been a Buddhist monk since he was a teenager.  He claims that fulfillment in life involves shedding negative mental states and embracing the enlightened understanding of Buddhism.  We are the answer to our own salvation.

Sunil Shivdasani is a Christian from a Hindu background.  He works with Christian Vision for Men.  He explains why he believes Jesus is the true way to enlightenment, why he believes in a creator God and that we need help from God to be saved.

For Geshe Tashi Tsering see  www.jamyang.co.uk

For Sunil Shivdasani www.cvmen.org.uk

For more Christian/non-Christian discussion visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy

Unbelievable? 6 Oct 2007 Buddhism Burma and Christianity - the path of non-violence

Discuss this programme at the Premier Community

www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

Unbelievable? 16 May 2009 Angels & Demons movie - 16 May 2009

Angels & Demons is the sequel to the film "The Da Vinci Code" - both by Dan Brown.  Is Angels & Demons as controversial as Da Vinci? Probably not, but some are worried at the way it represents the Catholic Church and the science/faith debate.

Justin is joined by Jesuit communications director Ged Clapson and Susan Fani of the Catholic League with their reaction to the film.  Theologian & scientist David Wilkinson debates the science angle of the film with atheist Robert Stovold.

For the film see www.angelsanddemons.com

For Ged Clapson see www.jesuit.org.uk

For the Catholic League www.catholicleague.org

For David Wilkinson click here

For more Christian/non-Christian debates visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast or via itunes

Join the debate at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 9 May 2009 - Was Jesus the Jewish Messiah? - 09 May 2009

Jesus was a Jew.  Christianity owes its birth to Judaism.  But did Jesus represent the fulfilment of Jewish Messianic hopes and prophecy?

Jonathan Romain is Rabbi of a Reform Synagogue in Maidenhead and was recently named as one of the most influential Jews in the UK. He believes that whatever Jesus was, he was not the Messiah promised in the Old Testament.

Stephen Pacht is a Messianic Jew.  He believes Jesus is the Messiah the Jews were promised, but has not been recognised yet by many fellow Jews.

For Rabbi Jonathan Romain www.maidenheadsynagogue.org.uk

For Stephen Pacht www.jewsforjesus.org.uk

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy

Unbelievable? 24 May 2008 Jesus & Jewishness: are they compatible? Rabbi Shmuley Boteach & Michael Brown debate

Discuss this programme at the Premier Community

Unbelievable? 2 May 2009 "Did Jesus exist?" - 02 May 2009

While non-Christians may doubt the miracles and resurrection of Jesus, few doubt his actual existence. 

However, Ken Humphreys believes the evidence for Jesus' very existence is scant and that Christian belief in him is the result of "late and fake" accounts.

JP Holding is a vociferous defender of Christian history and doctrine and believes Ken's scepticism is unfounded and biased.

They examine the evidence both in and beyond the Gospels for Jesus' existence.

For JP Holding see www.tektonics.org

For Ken Humphreys see www.jesusneverexisted.com

Hear more Christian/non-Christian debates at www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast.

If you enjoyed this programme you may also be interested in:

Unbelievable? 3 May 2008Josh McDowell answers tough questions on the Christian faith

Unbelievable? 18 Oct 2008 - Why Should I believe in Jesus? Ex-Christian Norman Hansen vs. Amy Orr-Ewing of the Zacharias Trust

Discuss this programme at the Premier Community 

Comment Wall (18 comments)

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18 Comments

Yvonne 2 Comment by Yvonne 2 1 day ago
Hi Justin, have you done an interview with Ken Ham ? I wondered if that might be a good one.
He is from Answers in Genesis.
Skywalker Comment by Skywalker on July 7, 2009 at 9:36pm
***NEWSFLASH*** "Unbelievable" is nominated as a Gold Category Finalist in the 'New York Festivals'. The show was nominated as Gold Medal finalists...and we were immensely proud to have got that far in a competition that drew entries from more than 30 countries.
Jane Comment by Jane on March 24, 2009 at 11:34pm
I'm a Christian. I've joined this group to reply to an Unbelievable thread. May I ask what interests non-believers/atheists have in the Premier Community Christian forum? I'm pleased to see that people in Premier Community have varied beliefs. This reflects the true views of real people. People can be open and say what they think (but keeping to the forum rules) and I like this honesty. I've been able to say what's really in my heart and not what I feel I'm expected to say as a Christian. I don't always agree with what some Christians say about the Christian faith and I can be honest about it. Different Christians do the Christian faith in a different way. My style is democratic where I think people are free to choose what they want to/or not want to believe. I believe that everyone (believer or non-believer) finds favour with God if they respect other people. I don't accept that anyone is condemned to hell.
Steven Carr Comment by Steven Carr on March 23, 2009 at 9:07pm
By the way, David Robertson did not author a series of letters.

He wrote them.
Garfield Comment by Garfield on February 28, 2009 at 3:31pm
I didnt know I was even a member of this group must have pressed the wrong button. bye!
Preplexed Comment by Preplexed on January 17, 2009 at 3:42am
10 Jan 2009 Pod Cast

Goodness me listening to the very well spoken English gentleman I would be talked out of believing in God if the Gospels agreed with this dude may I suggest he read Love your neighbor as yourself and political and supernaturally that impact the world. Dude if you read this I am dyeing because of a disease and in no way has this been given to me by God because He is good and this is not.

If ya see a angry mum running at you, please take my advice and hide as my mum would floor you, but there again I guess you should stand there as it be Gods way of bringing His judgment on you, I know this would not happen as I forgive you for being a numpty
Donald Sproson Comment by Donald Sproson on October 18, 2008 at 5:20pm
Hi Christopher,

This is an interesting comment about dress and veils. To ensure your comment gets the widest consideration, it might be worth starting a seprate discussion here in this group or in the Woman to Woman group (of which I am a member).

Regards. Donald
Donald Sproson Comment by Donald Sproson on October 3, 2008 at 7:27pm
I think Tommy makes a fair point about how some Christians treat the OT and NT differently to fit in with their worldview. However, the point I was trying to make is that I accept that the OT and NT are made up of different types of literature (i.e. history, poetry and visions etc) and therefore a Christian must seek to understand the form and context they were written in and not try and force them unnaturally in literal account of what they believed happened.

That said, as a Christian I accept and believe that God has spoken to the world in a concreate historical and geographical setting (as recorded in those parts of the OT and NT which are historical and geographical). And this is especailly shown in the Gospels in recording the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. In accepting this, I see no contradiction in accepting the miraclous parts of the life Jesus Christ (which I know cannot be proved absolutely) if it fits in with the overall story and message of the OT and NT concerning the salvation of the world through a promised Messiah (Christ).

This is a matter of faith at the end of the day, but in seeking to deepen my faith, it is important not give up on using our rational (God given) minds in that journey.

Donald
Steven Carr Comment by Steven Carr on October 2, 2008 at 8:04pm
I also find it interesting that certain Christians take Jesus entering locked rooms as proof that he had a body animated by spirit after the resurrection, yet Jesus can glow in the dark long before the resurrection, and this does not mean he had a body animated by spirit.

New Testament 'scholarship' consists of ad hoc hypotheses, with no rhyme or reason behind the 'logic'....
Tommy Comment by Tommy on October 2, 2008 at 7:25pm
Donald's comment demonstrates how modern Christians are often happy to allegorise OT passages to better fit with a rational worldview, but if the NT says Jesus walked on a lake, glowed like lightning, or floated into the sky then it must be true because... well, because it was Jesus. Once you're emotionally devoted to the guy, you won't have trouble believing he can do anything.
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