Unbelievable

The first of two programmes focussing on inter-Christian debates over doctrine. 500 years ago the birth of John Calvin heralded the arrival of one who would have a momentous impact on the shape of world Christianity. Calvinism is most often defined by its belief in predestination.  Calvinist James White of Alpha and Omega ministries explains why he believes Calvin was right when he claimed that God's will alone controls the eternal destiny of humans.  Roger and Faith Forster of the Ichthus Christian fellowship defend an Arminian view - that human freewill is part of God's grace when it comes to human salvation. For James White see www.aomin.org For Roger and Faith see www.ichthus.org.uk For more Faith debates visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or via podcast or via itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may wish to listen to Unbelievable? 15 Nov 2008 Does the Trinity lead to polytheism? James White of Alpha & Omega ministries debates Abdullah Al Andalusi Unbelievable? 22 Mar 2008 Easter & the Atonement - does it make sense? Roger Forster debates humanist Marilyn Mason Join the discussion at the Premier Community

What do Christians believe about the immortality of the soul and the justification for punishment?  Has hell been lost as a doctrine in the modern church? In their second inter-Christian encounter James White and Roger and Faith Forster explain their different view of hell.  James White holds to an "eternal conscious torment" view - that those in hell are punished for all eternity.  Roger and Faith Forster believe in "conditional immortality" - that only those in Christ are granted eternal life and those who go to hell cease to exist. For James White see www.aomin.org For Roger and Faith see www.ichthus.org.uk For more faith debates visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or via podcast or via itunes If you enjoyed this programme you may wish to listen to Unbelievable? 15 Mar 2008 Christian Universalism - Will everyone be saved? Unbelievable? 1 Dec 2007 - Salvation: Grace or Works? A Jew & Christian compare approaches Get involved at the Premier Community

A re-broadcast of a classic debate that won a New York Radio Festivals Gold medal. Peter Hearty is an atheist who says that Evolution alone explains the living world around us.  Peter Williams, an Intelligent Design proponent claims that Evolution is a theory with serious problems that only an inference to design can explain.  They debate, and we take calls from Christian and atheist listeners. For Peter S Williams: http://www.arn.org/authors/williams.html Peter Hearty recommends: http://www.talkorigins.org/ For more Christian/non-Christian discussion visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable If you enjoyed this programme you may also like to listen to: Unbelievable? 21 Feb 2009 DNA & the origin of life - the cosmic fingerprints of God? Perry Marshall and Peter Hearty debate. Unbelievable? 30 Aug 2008 Darwin vs Design Darwin vs Design - Dr. Tom Woodward & Peter Hearty Click here to get the podcast or via itunes Join the debate at the Premier Community

You don't have to look far for claims of the miraculous. But what constitutes a "miracle" and do Christian beliefs in this area make sense? Michael Shermer is a well-known atheist in the USA and Director of the Skeptics Society. He says miraculous claims always have a natural explanation. Adrian Holloway is a London Pastor and apologist. He claims to have witnessed the miraculous and says that Michael's skepticism is unjustified. For Michael Shermer see www.michaelshermer.com For Adrian Holloway see www.christchurchlondon.org/team.php For more Christian/Non-Christian debate www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy: Unbelievable? 17 Nov 2007 - Are miracles evidence for God? Miracles and healing - is it evidence for the truth of Christianity? Unbelievable? 10 May 2008 The gift of tongues - faith or fake? The gift of tongues - Faith or fake? Gerald Coates, Mark Johnston & Stephen Pilcher discuss. Join the discussion at the Premier Community www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable

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

Nabeel Qureshi converted to Christianity from Islam after being convinced that the weight of evidence was in favour of Christian faith.  Yahya Seymour's story is the opposite - he became a Muslim after having a Christian upbringing.  They discuss the issues in advance of debates coming up in London. For more information on the debates from Sun 12 Jul 09 to Sat 18 Jul 09 see www.thedebateinitiative.com or www.answeringmuslims.com If you enjoyed this show you may also want to listen to: Unbelievable? 5 Jul 2008 Islam & Christianity -which is more relevant to Britain? Which is more relevant to 21st Century Britain: Islam or Christianity? For more Christian/Non-Christian discussion visit www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable and get the podcast 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former UK Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt recently tabled an amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill seeking to allow people not to be prosecuted for aiding others to die at overseas euthanasia clinics. Those who oppose Euthanasia see this is as part of a strategy to change the UK law that currently prohibits assisted suicide. In this edition of "Unbelievable?" Atheist Peer Lord Dick Taverne (Lib Dem) and Dan Boucher, Parliamentary Officer for Christian charity CARE debate the rights and wrongs of Euthanasia. Lord Taverne believes that the evidence shows Euthanasia is a caring way of dealing with those who are suffering, Dan Boucher believes it will herald a slippery slope to the devaluing of life. Hanne Stinson of the British Humanist Association and Trevor Stammers of the Christian Medical Fellowship also contribute. Should we accept the wishes of those with terminal illness that wish to die? Or are we creating a culture of death? Hear more Christian/Non-Christian debate at www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the podcast You may also be interested in listening to: Unbelievable? 12 Jan 2008 - Human Fertilisation & Embryology - are we playing God? Unbelievable? 19 Jan 2008 Abortion - pro-life vs. pro-choice. For CARE see: http://www.care.org.uk/ For the BHA see: www.humanism.org.uk For the Christian Medical Fellowship see: http://www.cmf.org.uk/ Join in the discussion at The Premier Community

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 2008 - Josh 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