Classic:Â Where Is God in Natural Disasters? Reflections from Haiti to Texas
In the wake of the catastrophic and deadly 2025 floods in Texas, that caused widespread devastation, fresh questions are being asked about divine justice and human suffering. This classic episode of the Unbelievable? podcast from 2010 grapples with the topic of natural disaster in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, which claimed over 150,000 lives. The discussion brings together Roger Forster of the Ichthus Christian Fellowship, atheist Gordon Livesey, and philosophy student Nick Peters to explore the theological, philosophical, and emotional dimensions of suffering and natural disasters. While Forster and Peters suggest that suffering may have a place within God's greater plan, Livesey challenges the coherence of belief in a loving, omnipotent God in light of such tragedy. The conversation remains strikingly relevant today, as communities continue to wrestle with the meaning of good and evil in a broken world.
00:00Â Introduction and Overview
00:09Â The Haiti Earthquake: Facts and Figures
00:41Â Panel Introduction and Initial Reactions
00:53Â The Problem of Evil and Suffering
02:52Â Personal Stories and Perspectives
04:38Â Atheist Perspective on Suffering
09:10Â Philosophical and Theological Debates
10:41Â Listener Reactions and Further Discussion
13:43Â God's Role in Human Suffering
17:25Â Debating God's Omnipotence and Love
24:52Â Summarizing Arguments and Next Steps
31:21Â The Problem of Evil and Natural Disasters
31:55Â Human Responsibility and the Role of God
33:55Â Nancy's Perspective on God's Power
35:35Â Gordon's Skepticism and Human Limitations
37:43Â Roger's Explanation of Human History and Divine Purpose
43:25Â Debating the Nature of Good and Evil
50:14Â Final Thoughts and Reflections
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Is Empathy a Sin? Can caring too much ever become morally wrong? Dr. Joe Rigney and Dr. Alastair Roberts
Joe Rigney calls empathy a sin. Alastair Roberts says not so fast. Who’s right?
Today, we explore a question at the heart of pastoral care, public witness, and Christian leadership: Is empathy a virtue to be cultivated or a vice to be resisted?Â
Professor Joe Rigney and Dr Alastair Roberts joined Andy Kind. Joe is the author of The Sin of Empathy, a provocative work that argues that when empathy becomes "untethered" from truth, it ceases to be a virtue and can even become sinful. Alastair, a fellow theologian, has written a substantial critique, arguing that Joe's language has muddied important distinctions and potentially misrepresents a vital Christian posture. This conversation is not about labels, but substance - and we'll explore everything from scriptural foundations to gender roles, pastoral ethics, and theological nuance. Can caring too much ever become morally wrong?
Dr Joe Rigney serves as Fellow of Theology at New Saint Andrews College and is the author of several books, including Things of Earth and Strangely Bright. Joe Rigney, Dr. Joe Rigney, author of The Sin of Empathy.
Joe on X: Â @joe_rigney
Dr Alastair Roberts is a Teaching Fellow of The Theopolis Institute and professor for Davenant Hall, and one of the hosts of the Mere Fidelity podcast. He is a co-author of Echoes of Exodus: Tracing Themes of Redemption Through Scripture (2018).
Alistair's substack: https://argosy.substack.com/.
Alistair on X: @zugzwanged
oon Radiopaper: https://radiopaper.com/AlastairRoberts
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Classic: Can Humanism Exist Independently of Christian Influence? Theo Hobson & Andrew Copson
Justin Brierley moderates a thought-provoking discussion between Theo Hobson, author of 'God Created Humanism,' and Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of the British Humanist Association. The conversation examines whether humanist values of equality and human dignity are rooted in Christianity's shaping of Western culture or can develop independently from a secular perspective. What are the origins of secular humanism? And what is the sustainability of humanist values without religious foundations? This dialogue from 2017 explores the historical and philosophical underpinnings of modern humanism.
For more of Theo Hobson and his book
https://theohobson.wordpress.com/
Andrew Copson’s book is The Wiley Blackwell Handbook of
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Heaven: Dinosaurs, Angels, and Reincarnation? A Mind-Bending Look at the Afterlife
This week on Unbelievable. Do animals go to heaven? Do humans become angels? Do we start families in the afterlife? And what about reincarnation? Is that really off the table for Christians?
Andy Kind spoke with Princeton theologian Dr. Dale Allison Jr. and rising scholar Andrew Hronich for a mind-expanding conversation on heaven, what it is, who's there, and what we might do for eternity. You will not want to miss this one!
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👉 Get bonus content, updates, fascinating articles, and early access to new episodes - absolutely free! Join now at www.premierunbelievable.com 🎉📢
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Is the Turin Shroud the burial cloth of Christ? Alan Whanger vs Hugh Farey
More than a decade ago, Unbelievable? brought together two experts with very different conclusions about the Shroud of Turin—one of the most mysterious and debated Christian relics. Dr Alan Whanger, who devoted years to studying the Shroud, claimed to identify faint images and markings that point to its origins in 1st-century Israel. Meanwhile, Hugh Farey, editor of The Catholic Shroud of Turin Newsletter, has spent decades critically examining the Shroud literature and argues the evidence strongly supports a medieval origin.
Latest Developments (2020s):
Since that episode aired, there have been further scientific investigations and renewed debates. In 2017, Italian researchers used new dating techniques (notably, Raman spectroscopy and FTIR analysis) to argue for a possible 1st-century origin—challenging the 1988 carbon dating that placed the Shroud in the 13th or 14th century. However, these newer findings remain controversial and have not overturned the scientific consensus. The Shroud continues to spark interest not only among believers and sceptics, but also in fields as diverse as history, forensic science, and art restoration.
For Alan Whanger:Â http://people.duke.edu/~adw2/shroud/
For Hugh Farey:Â https://www.shroud.com/bstsmain.htm
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