God Forbid

 Do we really need to suffer? There seems to be so much suffering in the world right now, but for what purpose? How do we respond to it? On this week’s episode of God Forbid, Breann Fallon and the panel focus on suffering and resilience, both personal and collective.

The revelation from US President Joe Biden that, in the last two decades, more school-aged children have died from guns than on-duty police and active-duty military combined, is a stark reminder of the tragic toll of gun violence. Religion, nationalism and politics all come into play in the heated gun debate. Guest presenter, Breann Fallon, explores faith and firearms with the panel on this week’s God Forbid.

Caroline Jones was not only a trailblazing journalist, but also a ground-breaking religious broadcaster. This week on God Forbid, James Carleton and the panel reflect upon the immense legacy of Caroline Jones and the changing nature of religious journalism in Australia.

Can compassion be transformative? While we might not associate being compassionate with being fierce, an act of compassion can be a powerful, even radical gesture. On God Forbid this week, James Carleton and the panel explore the positive power of compassion in testing times. 

Australia — much like the rest of the world — is experiencing a critical shortage of priests. Churches of various faiths are struggling to fill vacancies. So why aren’t more people answering the call? Join James Carleton and the God Forbid panel this week as they consider the growing problem of a shrinking clergy. 

What does it mean to deconstruct one’s faith? What motivates someone to reassess their spiritual or religious path and dismantle their belief system? This week on God Forbid, James Carleton and the panel explore the process, and the aftermath, of faith deconstruction.

There's a complex line between the science of mental health, the experience of spirituality, and practice of religion. All are distinct but so often interrelated. Is religion compatible with modern mental health science? Is your choice a prayer, or a pill? Join James Carleton and the panel as they look at the scientific, spiritual, cultural and personal aspects of mental health.

Australia is one of the only liberal democracies in the world without a Bill or a Charter of Rights. What protections are in place to safeguard our human rights, and are they enough? This week on God Forbid, co-presenters Breann Fallon and James Carleton and the panel explore the state of human rights in Australia, and consider whether a Bill of Rights will rectify the wrongs.

The right of all people to vote in elections, without any discrimination, is one of the most fundamental of all human rights and civil liberties. But when and why would that be taken away — if ever? Even here in Australia, is the right to vote truly equal? On God Forbid, co-presenters Breann Fallon and James Carleton examine the right to vote and the inequalities built into it.

Christians celebrate, and reflect upon, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter. But how much do we really know about the man whose life has shaped the spiritual, and often political, course of history for so many? For this Easter episode of God Forbid, James Carleton and the panel explore the life of Jesus through a religious, political, and historical lens.