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 personal questions.
In this episode:
This year, prominent Christians like Hillsong songwriter Marty Sampson and popular author Joshua Harris declared that they lost their faith. What lead to their deconversion? Is unbelief mainly a result of the intellect, the will or the heart?
Doubt is no stranger in many Christian traditions. After all, the idiom ‘Doubting Thomas’ was coined after one of Jesus’ original twelve disciples. But are faith communities today welcoming spaces for doubters?
Philosopher Alain de Botton wants to save religious ideas and practices — yet he doesn't believe in God. Why would an atheist want to hold onto parts of religion? Would doing so be beneficial and valuable, or disingenuous?
More Information
Hear more of Dr Val Webb and Kerry Stewart's conversation on the topic of doubt here.
Read Michael Collett's ABC article God and the problem of sincere disbelief here.
Guests:
Michael Collett is an ABC journalist and digital news producer. Michael grew up in a Christian family, but lost his faith in his early twenties.
Adam Powell is an industrial chemist and scientist. Adam grew up in a Baptist family, abandoned his faith in his teens, only to find it again years later.
Megan Powell Du Toit is an ordained Baptist minister and publishing manager at the Australian College of Theology. Megan is also the co-host With All Due Respect, a podcast about disagreeing well.
Presenter:
Justine Toh
Producers:
Geoff Wood/ Hong Jiang