God Forbid - Podcast

It’s certainly been a year like no other; with the holiday season just around the corner, perhaps it’s a chance to unwind and enjoy a favourite film (or more than just one!) On God Forbid, James Carleton and the panel delve into the world of movies for Hanukkah and Christmas. 

This week, James Carleton and the panel celebrate the International Day of People with Disability – a day declared by the U.N. We’ll hear the personal stories, celebrate the triumphs, as well as examine what barriers and prejudices still exist.

2020 has been a whirlwind of a year: from Black Lives Matter to Cancel Culture and – of course – the way COVID-19 has changed all our lives. On God Forbid, James and the panel review a selection of the hottest topics that made the headlines in 2020.

For many of us, when New Year’s Eve 1999 clicked over, it was a night we’ll never forget. And who can deny how much has changed since then? But how much has religion shaped – and been shaped by– the past 20 years? On God Forbid, James and the panel find out. 

The election of Donald Trump in 2016 shook American democracy to its core. Now that he has lost the 2020 election, it looks like he’s refusing to leave. If this can happen in the world’s most iconic democracy, what hope do the rest of us have? James Carleton and the God Forbid panel examine what it takes for democracy to survive and whether religious belief helps or harms this goal. 

It’s NAIDOC Week, where James and the panel explore this year’s theme “Always Was, Always Will Be.” The panel also open up and share their personal stories of pain and resilience. 

Climate change is impacting the health of our entire planet. But does it affect some people more than others? And what does effective climate action look like? This week, James Carleton is joined by people of different faiths to hear about how they’ve been tackling climate change. 

Can playing games teach us anything about ourselves, and about the world? And what do games have in common with attending church? On God Forbid, James Carleton and our panel explore the world of games and play. 

Did you know that Brazil has more Catholics than any country in the world? It has also undergone a military dictatorship in which religion played a role, and the current president himself identifies as a Catholic – though his wife is an active member of a Baptist church. On God Forbid, James and our panel examine the various ways in which religion has shaped (and continues to shape) the Latin American country. 

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.

In the survival of the fittest, how do the meek inherit the earth? James Carleton is joined by two prominent Anglican theologians with very different ideas to discuss evolution, the ordination of women and how the Bible shapes how they see the world.

What is religious nationalism, and what does it look like in our current global context? On God Forbid, James and the panel turn their attention to the East and the West — from Christian nationalism in the U.S. to Hindu nationalism in India.

If we’re living through a once-in-a-century pandemic, does that mean we need a once-in-a-century set of ethics to deal with it? On God Forbid, James and the panel explore the ethics of protests, vaccines and consent in the midst of COVID-19.

What is true leadership all about - giving or taking? Serving others, or being served? On God Forbid, James and our panel of leadership experts find out. 

Is it possible to be biologically dead, but socially alive? What would that entail? On God Forbid, James and panel find out more about the digital afterlife. 

Is getting older a gift or a curse? What societal stigmas are attached to ageing? And how are older Australians coping during the COVID-19 pandemic? On God Forbid, James Carleton and the panel find out. 

The problem of consciousness – and how we understand it – has been reflected upon since preliterate times. So what is consciousness, and who has consciousness? On God Forbid, James Carleton and our panel find out for RN Science Week.

It’s been 75 years since World War II ended in the Pacific– a devastating tragedy marked by the death of 75 million people. But how did the world – and Australia more specifically – deal with the aftermath of the war?

Why is it important to protect a diversity of languages? And what can ancient sacred languages reveal to us today? James Carleton and our panel of experts find out.

Some of the four million Australians who live with disability say that it’s the misperceptions of others that’s most difficult to face. For others, it’s access to the things that many of us take for granted. This week, James Carleton and the panel take a look at disability and the disability sector–what challenges still exist, and what can we do about them?