Is Australia a secular state, where religion is truly separate from politics? If not - should it be?Is Australia a secular state, where religion is truly separate from politics?

Is Australia a secular state, where religion is truly separate from politics? <br>If not - should it be?<br><br>Is Australia a secular state, where religion is truly separate from politics?

Breaking the dinner table taboo topic: religion and politics

Can we be truly religious and wealthy at the same time?

How Godly is money?

For RN's Flesh week, a look at Sikh hair practices and Jewish circumcision.

Modding our bodies in the name of God

Is organised religion predisposed to discrimination?

Religion and prejudice

There's a long history of comedians making jokes about religion, but where is the line drawn between offensive and funny?

Does comedy use religion as a punchline or punching bag? 

An acclaimed poet and an Anglican minister discuss being up close and personal with death, and the lessons it taught them about time, the value of care, and life itself.

Lessons at the end of life

In a world where everything is screaming for our attention, we find out how reading offers a refuge from distraction, nourishes us and feeds our souls.

Can reading save us? 

Should we be worried about deathbots? Why does 'ghosting' cause so much grief? And, do our online personas go through reinvention — or reincarnation — in our search for relevance? This is part two in our series on the digital life span.

'Ghosting', deathbots, and rebirth in the digital age

Can 'authenticity' exist on Instagram? Is it OK for 'mumfluencers' to monetise their children? And why are teens turning to TikTok to share trauma stories? We're diving into the metaverse for a special two-part series on how we're memorialising our lives online.

The ethics of mum influencers, TraumaTok, and 'authenticity' online 

If repairing our long-fractured relationship with the animal world is the key to our survival, what is the way back?

Saving animals, saving ourselves

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.

This show is amazing. It’s hilarious and always fascinating. Each episode is completely unique. You’ll learn about religion, ethics, history, and more. The host is cheeky and a tad sardonic; he always has an air of humor while asking exactly the questions you were thinking of while listening. 

Highly recommended.

Love This Show

Respectful but irreverent, this podcast covers religion and ethics in an insightful and entertaining way.  Highly  recommended.

Highly  recommended

God Forbid

Is God beyond gender? What about humans? This week Christian and Jewish trans women describe coming out while in ministry and what it taught them about the divine.

What transgender leaders teach us about God

Loneliness affects one in four Australians, according to a report by the Australian Psychological Society. Why is it so hard to talk about, even though it's so common? James and the panel look at the issue — both professionally and personally.

There's a loneliness epidemic. What can we do?

You can buy a zombie Jesus t-shirt on Amazon — but was Jesus undead? Join guest host Justine Toh and the God Forbid panel as they explore what Easter means for our bodies, our economics and even the end of the world.

Why 'zombie Jesus' might not be blasphemous after all

What's it like to question your foundational beliefs about life, death, God and the universe? Does doubt pave the way to a more robust faith — or a way to unshackle ourselves from religion altogether? Join Justine Toh and our panel as they wrestle with unbelief — the big and the personal questions.

Is doubt the death of faith?

All of us will experience grief and the loss of a loved one at some point in our lives, but why is it so hard to come to terms with? The God Forbid panel looks at grief and mortality.

Is there life after grief?

When was the last time you changed your mind over something significant? Not just what to have for breakfast, when to take the next holiday, or even where to live — but something that challenged your very identity? Guest host Meredith Lake and the God Forbid panel question what it means to think deeply in a post-truth age.

When should you question your beliefs?

Is God in all music — both good and bad? On the first day of Advent, James Carleton and the panel look at the significance of religious music, from traditional hymns to contemporary hits.

'Tis the season to be singing

Religion was everywhere in 2019, and it looks like 2020 will be no different. James Carleton and the God Forbid panel take a look at Australia's Pentecostal prime minister, religious freedom legislation, and what's happening to the Catholic Church.

How religion dominated headlines in 2019

One thing is certain — the world as we know it will one day end. But exactly when and how is a lot more ambiguous. Join James and our panel of doomsday experts as they prepare to face the end.

Facing Doomsday

Disaster recovery chaplains have had their longest summer in years. The drought, bushfires and now floods have ravaged the country and left thousands in need of support. Guest host Justine Toh speaks with three disaster recovery chaplains who were deployed to spiritually support people in the midst of crisis.

Spiritual care in the midst of disaster

It’s International Women’s Day! Join Justine Toh and the panel as they celebrate women’s achievements, fight stereotypes and explore how religious commitment can help – rather than harm – the female cause.

How women of faith are changing the culture

Bronze-age fantasies to some; words of God for others. But for better or worse, sacred texts have an undeniable influence on all our lives. James Carleton is joined by a Coptic Christian, a Muslim and a Sikh to explore how each reads and lives out their scriptures.

Why sacred texts matter (even if you don't believe)

Buddhism is one of the fastest-growing religions in the country, but it seems Australia is changing Buddhism just as much as Buddhism is changing Australia. James Carleton and the God Forbid panel explore enlightenment, suffering and Humanistic Buddhism.

What Buddhism offers the West

How much say do young women of faith have in their religious communities and society at large? Justine Toh and our all-female panel open up about the opportunities, challenges and their personal stories.

The future of faith is female

Voluntary assisted dying was recently legalised in Victoria — is this a progressive step forward for human rights, or a departure from some fundamental understanding about the value of human life?

A matter of life and death — the ethics of Voluntary Assisted Dying

Why are mosques mainly round in shape, and why do many church buildings have long aisles? Join James Carleton and the panel as they unpack the rich heritage of religious architecture.

Building sacred spaces

Australia is a secular society, but there's a religious claim that forms part of the foundation of its liberal democratic values: That all people, regardless of circumstance, have intrinsic value. Judaism and Christianity claim every person is "made in the image of God", but what does this mean in practise? Guest host Justine Toh and the God Forbid panel discuss work, gender, ageing, disability and the need for rest.

Why religions say humans have intrinsic value

Recently one of Australia's best-known poets, Les Murray, passed away at the age of eighty. James Carleton and the panel remember Murray and discuss how his faith influenced his writing.

Finding faith in fiction

If something is true, you should be able to prove it. Sounds reasonable, but is it correct? James Carleton and the God Forbid panel investigate the nature of knowledge and the philosophy of science.

How do we know what we know?

In once way or another, we’ve been falling in love for all recorded history. A Buddhist monk, Christian minister and Muslim scholar join forces to talk about love — what is it, and what does it compel us to do?

A lover's guide to God

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Every Monday & Wednesday.

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