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PODCAST

God Forbid

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.

religion & spirituality philosophy

All Episodes

54:09

Spiritualism

God Forbid ·

2024/05/24

More than half of Australians believe in life after death. Some even believe we can communicate with the dead. In the nineteenth century, the Spiritualist movement claimed to speak with the dead through mediums and seances.This American movement attracted many women; and at a time when they had few rights, Spiritualism gave women a voice as mediums who could take messages from the dead to the living. It used to have followers in the millions, though the escape artist and

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54:05

Making peace

God Forbid ·

2024/05/17

Freud said humans are instinctively aggressive, and as a result, war is inevitable. But could peace be inevitable too?Today, there are more than 100 armed conflicts of one kind or another taking place around the world. In the first decade of this century – war killed around 20,000 people a year. It’s now ten times that number, and it’s happening around the world – it’s not just because of Gaza and Ukraine. How do we make peace amid our instinct for war? And what can Australia

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54:06

The ethics of keeping pets

God Forbid ·

2024/05/10

Many of us regard our pets as part of the family, but can an animal be its best self in a human home? For much of human history, we’ve kept animals primarily to do jobs – to hunt, herd, plough and pull carriages... or just to keep mice out of the hay shed.The idea of keeping an animal as a "pet” - an emotional companion is relatively new. And religion, it turns out, played a part in that historical shift.Of course, pets can enrich our lives, but how we breed, feed and keep these

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54:07

How do you mend a broken heart?

God Forbid ·

2024/05/03

Falling in love is one of life’s great thrills, but it leaves you open to heartbreak – one of life’s great miseries. Romantic heartbreak has inspired countless works of literature, art and music through the ages. It’s a uniquely painful yet universal experience – so, how do you get over it?Do science, faith and philosophy provide some answers?

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54:06

Will evangelical voters be Trump's salvation?

God Forbid ·

2024/04/26

As the US election approaches, presidential candidate Donald Trump has been doubling down on the religious language - selling bibles, preaching retribution and styling himself as a persecuted saviour. Trump enjoys the support of the overwhelming majority of white evangelical voters, but will that be enough to return him to the White House? Guests: D Stephen Long, theologian, Cary M. Maguire University Professor of Ethics at Southern Methodist University Sarah McCammon, NPR

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54:06

Do religions die?

God Forbid ·

2024/04/19

Today, billions of people adhere to one of the “Big Five” major religions, but there are many more religions from history that have died out. Conquests, cultural change and conversions have all caused religions to shift, shrink and disappear. But when can we truly declare a religion “dead”? And could the religions of today die out in the distant future? Guests: Aslan Pahari, Video presenter/producer, ABC Digital Content and Innovation Adam Bowles, Associate Professor in Asian

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53:57

Sawdust and the soul

God Forbid ·

2024/04/12

Jesus was famously a carpenter, and many religious texts associate carpentry with wisdom, humility, and devotion. So, is there something divine about working with wood? Woodwork is the most ancient of crafts. It can offer both solitude and companionship, teach us lessons about patience and failure, and connect us to place, people and stories. Guests:Phoebe Everill, furniture maker and woodwork teacher from Drummond, Victoria Father Dan Groody, Associate Professor of Theology at

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54:06

Is religious discrimination law reform too difficult?

God Forbid ·

2024/04/05

The federal government is unwilling to progress promised religious discrimination reforms unless it secures bipartisan support from the Coalition. Can a compromise be reached, or is this debate likely to be shelved again? Guests:Chris Bedding, is Executive Officer of Faith Workers Alliance and a priest of the Anglican Church in PerthDavid Robertson, Presbyterian minister, director of the ASK project of Evangelism and New Churches of the Sydney Anglican dioceseDr. Renae Barker,

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54:04

No pain, no gain - why we make sacrifices

God Forbid ·

2024/03/28

Why do we choose to endure hardship? Can sacrifices - sacred and secular - make us better human beings? Guests:Justine Toh, Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity. Adis Duderija, Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam and Society in the School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science at Griffith University. Brock Bastian, Professor at the Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

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54:07

Straying from strict parents

God Forbid ·

2024/03/22

What is it like to grow up in a strict religious or cultural household - and what happens when you no longer agree with your parents’ worldview? Guests:David Newheiser, Senior Research Fellow, Religion and Theology, ACU, author of Hope in a Secular AgeLaura McConnell Conti, grew up in a fundamentalist Christian group known as The TruthProfessor Manjula Datta O’Connor, psychiatrist and author of Daughters of Durga: Dowries, Gender Violence and Family in Australia

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54:08

Demonising the "dole bludger"

God Forbid ·

2024/03/15

The modern welfare state emerged in Australia some 100 years ago, but it remains a subject of intense ideological, philosophical and even religious debate.Guests:Verity Archer, lecturer in social work, community and human services at Federation UniversityEve Vincent, anthropologist at Macquarie University, author of Who Cares? Life on Welfare in AustraliaJohn Falzon, Senior Fellow Inequality and Social Justice at the Per Capita think tank, former CEO of St Vincent De Paul Society

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54:08

Is your privacy sacred?

God Forbid ·

2024/03/08

Evolving digital technologies have supercharged our anxieties around privacy and surveillance. These concerns may feel new, but they have always existed. Privacy is central to human dignity, intimacy and wellbeing - but in a world of ever-evolving technologies - is privacy in its death throes? Guests: Anita Allen, Professor of Law and Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania Hugh Breakey, Professor of Philosophy, Griffith University David Vincent, Professor Emeritus, Open

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54:06

Why adults still need fairytales

God Forbid ·

2024/03/01

For as long as we have had language, we have told stories - and some of the oldest stories, are fairytales. What can they teach us about the world, and why do they still appeal?Guests: Marguerite Johnson, classicist, historian and Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland. Tom Wright, theatre writer and Artistic Associate at Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney Michelle Smith, Associate Professor in Literary Studies at Monash University

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54:08

Faith, disability and the trouble with healing

God Forbid ·

2024/02/23

What would make religious spaces more accessible for people with disabilities? Transcript available at the ABC God Forbid website.Guests: Carly Findlay OAM, writer, speaker and activistProfessor John Gilroy, ARC Research Fellow in Indigenous Disability and Community Development at the University of SydneyDr Louise Gosbell, a disability theologian and Research Manager at the Australian College of Theology

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54:06

What does it mean to be clean?

God Forbid ·

2024/02/16

Cleansing rituals are a part of every major religion – from baptisms to Islamic Wudu, to bathing in sacred rivers. Where do these rituals come from and what do they mean to the faithful?

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54:04

Holy bones - the enduring power of relics

God Forbid ·

2024/02/09

From the sacred remains of saints to the revered memorabilia of celebrities and sporting stars, relics are objects that act as a kind of a bridge between the material and spiritual world. But why do religious and non-religious people alike gather to venerate these objects? Is it macabre, superstitious, or simply human?

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54:10

The ethics of surrogacy

God Forbid ·

2024/02/02

Surrogacy – carrying and giving birth to a baby for someone else – has been around at least since biblical times. But as the industry and fertility science advances, Christians and feminists remain divided on the issue.

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54:05

The spirituality of fishing

God Forbid ·

2024/01/26

Why are so many Australians passionate about fishing? Is it simply the thrill of the catch or is there something deeper that keeps us hooked?

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54:06

Summer: Love from ancient to modern times

God Forbid ·

2024/01/19

Love feels the same now as thousands of years ago, yet the rules around it are changing. On God Forbid, join James Carleton and the panel as they explore love in ancient times, to romance and dating today.

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54:04

Summer: The mystery of creativity

God Forbid ·

2024/01/12

Exactly where do ideas and creative inspiration come from? ANd how do we explain when someone is 'blocked'; when the creative line goes dead? And what can be done about it?

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