The Koran claims that Jesus did not die on the cross.

Mohammed Bahmanpour of the Islamic College in London defends the Koranic view that although "it was made to appear to them" that he died, in fact he was substituted by another.

Jay Smith is a Christian evangelist to Muslims in London and brings to bear Biblical and other historical witnesses to the crucifixion.  They debate the issue and whether the Koran or the New Testament is to be trusted as a revelation of God.

Includes listener interactions with the guests.

Jay will be speaking on "How do I respond to Islam? - 3 questions on God, Jesus and the Trinity that Muslims ask" at Unbelievable?: The Conference, Sat 14 May.  Book your place http://www.premier.org.uk/answers

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 4 Apr 2009 Muslim Shabir Ally & Christian Tony Costa - "Did Jesus rise from the Dead?" - A Muslim/Christian Dialogue

Hear Jay in action in the Documentary "Up the Ladder in Hyde Park" in our Feature section - http://www.premierradio.org.uk/shows/saturday/unbelievable/Features.aspx

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

Music often evokes strong emotions in people. But is there more to the beauty and meaning we find in music than atheism allows? David Robertson contends that the joy and meaning we experience in music is a pointer beyond itself to an ultimate source of joy and meaning in God.

Gordon Livesey is a musician and an atheist. He contends that while we all experience emotions and meaning in music, it ultimately can be explained in scientific terms alone.

They play selections of music including Beethoven, Leonard Cohen, Sixpence None the Richer, The Manic Street Preachers and... wait for it.. the Weather Girls!

For David Robertson http://www.solas-cpc.co.uk

For Unbelievable? : The Conference www.premier.org.uk/answers

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 27 March 2010 - " Former atheists conversion experiences - Is it evidence for God? Richard Morgan & Todd Pitner with atheist Gordon Livesey.

Unbelievable? 21 March 2009 - "Challenging Atheist Myths" Pt 1 Christian David Robertson & Atheist Adrian Hayter.

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

Today's show begins with details of the forthcoming Unbelievable? apologetics conference in London where Justin will be joined by speakers including John Lennox, Jay Smith, David Instone-Brewer and David Robertson.

David Robertson joins Justin for a third round of sceptical questions from Unbelievable? atheist listeners. Andrew in the UK asks about Secular society, Amigo in Japan about trusting scripture and Rob in the Netherlands about Freewill in light of God's omniscience.

For David Robertson http://www.solas-cpc.co.uk

For Unbelievable? : The Conference www.premier.org.uk/answers

For Amigojapan's full story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhAkY-pwUvg

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visithttp://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcasthttp://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 4 Dec 2010 - "Grill a Christian: Round 2" David Robertson answers questions on miracles, hell and prayer.

Unbelievable? 24 Apr 2010 - The "Grill a Christian" show - four atheists challenge David Robertson with their objections to faith

Join the discussion at the Premier Communityhttp://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

In an age of religious pluralism it can seem arrogant for Christians to claim they have "the truth" or the only means to salvation.  So when Jesus said "no-one comes to the Father except through me" what did he mean? And what about those who have not heard the Gospel?

John Hick is a noted philosopher and theologian who is a proponent of a pluralist view of religion - that there is one light (God) but many lampshades (religious expressions).

Chris Sinkinson is a pastor and Bible tutor who has critiqued Hick's work.  He says that pluralism empties Christianity of any content and in its own way disrespects other religions more than his own exclusivist stance.

For John Hick see http://www.johnhick.org.uk/

Chris Sinkinson is a tutor at Moorlands Bible College http://www.moorlands.ac.uk/home/about-us/staff-profiles.php

For his book "The Universe of Faiths" http://www.amazon.com/Universe-Faiths-C-Sinkinson/dp/1842271067

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 10 Oct 2009 - Jesus and the God of Israel Is the divinity of Jesus at odds with Jewish Monotheism? Richard Bauckham & James Crossley.

Unbelievable? 23 May 2009 Buddhism & Christianity in dialogue

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

The UK Government recently outlined a White Paper that threatens to demote Religious Education to a peripheral subject in the curriculum.  More info on the campaign to have it reinstated here: http://www.reactcampaign.co.uk/

Mark Roques of Reality Bites regularly leads RE workshops for students - he says we need more engaging ways of teaching RE.  He also claims there is a hidden curriculum in education indoctrinating students into an individualistic, secularist worldview.

Andrew Copson, CEO of the British Humanist Association also wants good RE teaching but disagrees with Mark's conclusions about hidden agendas in education causing consumerist attitudes among students.

They also debate whether an atheist worldview can account for our belief in reason and freewill.

For Mark Roques and Worldview RE resources see http://www.realitybites.org.uk 

View the Reality Bites paper on secular indoctrination in education http://www.realitybites.org.uk/downloads/RealityBites_Education-Indoctrination-and-God.pdf 

For Andrew Copson and the BHA see http://www.humanism.org.uk

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 29 Jan 2011 - Why do we value human life? Subversive Story Teller Mark Roques & atheist Paul Thompson

Unbelievable? 2 Aug 2008 - Faith & School - do they mix? Jan Ainsworth & Andrew Copson debate.

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

400 years on from the publication of the King James Version of the Bible, there is now a proliferation of translations available.  Some Christians maintain that the KJV has never been surpassed for its style, authority and reliability.

James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries disputes the idea that the King James Version is the "only and best" version Christians should read.  He says that there are translation problems as well as serious issues regarding the manuscripts the translators based it upon.

Revd Kyle Paisley, son of DUP leader Ian Paisley, defends the KJV as the best English version, despite any faults.  He says that modern versions downplay key doctrines of the Christian faith and fail to live up to the prose of the KJV.

For James White visit http://www.aomin.org/

For his KJV resources http://www.aomin.org/catalog/index.php?cPath=53

For Kyle Paisley http://www.freepres.org/church.asp?oulton

For Kyle's sermons http://www.sermonaudio.com/source_detail.asp?sourceid=oultonbroad

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 3 Jan 2009 Bart Ehrman & Peter Williams - "Misquoting Jesus: Do we have the original writings of the New Testament?" 

Unbelievable? 13 Mar 2010 - "Can we trust the doctrine of the Trinity?" Christian James White debates Unitarian Anthony Buzzard

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

Off-duty police men in Bogota, Columbia shoot street children because they consider them to be "disposables".  Using stories such as this Mark Roques asks whether value in human life can be found anywhere other than our being made "In the image of God".

Atheist Paul Thompson argues that we don't need a supernatural explanation for the value we place on human beings.

They discuss the issue of where human value comes from and Mark's "Subversive Questions and storytelling" method of apologetics.

For Mark Roques see http://www.realitybites.co.uk

For Paul Thompson's profile (Sinbad) on the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/profile/Sinbad

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 20 Nov 2010 - "What Good is God?" Philip Yancey speaking to atheist Paul Thompson

Unbelievable? 13 Jun 2009 The Moral Argument For God - Atheist Paul Orton & Christian David Robertson

For written resources see:

http://www.premierradio.org.uk/shows/saturday/unbelievable/Resources/Atheism.aspx#

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

Alister McGrath's new book "Why God won't go away" is a critique of the New Atheist Movement spearheaded by Dawkins, Hitchens, Harris & Dennett.

He chats with atheist philosopher Stephen Law about aggressive atheism and its online form.  They debate whether religion leads to violence and whether Stephen's "Evil God challenge" is a defeater for belief in a good God.

To book a place at the London Book launch on 16 Feb 2011 email [email protected] or phone 0207 5923900

A guaranteed place there and a signed copy of the book for 5 listeners who can answer "What was the name of Alister's 2007 book in response to The God Delusion?" email [email protected] 

For "Why God Won't Go Away" (SPCK) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-God-Wont-Go-Away/dp/0281063877

For Info on Alister McGrath http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mcgrath/

For Stephen Law http://www.cfilondon.org/ or http://stephenlaw.blogspot.com/

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 2 Oct 2010 - The Future of New Atheism - Alister McGrath & Caspar Melville.

Unbelievable? 13 Nov 2010 - The Evolutionary Argument Against Naturalism - Alvin Plantinga vs Stephen Law

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

To mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible Justin Brierley will be presenting a number of programmes looking at issues of Biblical reliability and interpretation in the coming year.

This week he asks "Which translation shoud we trust?"  There are now many different English translations of scripture available.

Atheist Norman Hansen asks how Christians can base their beliefs on a book that is capable of being translated in so many ways.  Don Horrocks of the Evangelical Alliance responds, arguing that the Bible is "God-breathed" even if people disagree about it stranslation in some areas.

They cover issues including the correct translation of the atonement of Jesus, translation of verses regarding homosexuality and disputed sections of scripture from early manuscripts.

For The Evangelical Alliance see http://www.eauk.org

For BibleFresh see http://www.biblefresh.com/

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy:

Unbelievable? 3 Jan 2009 Bart Ehrman & Peter Williams - "Misquoting Jesus: Do we have the original writings of the New Testament?"

Unbelievable? 18 Oct 2008 Why Should I believe in Jesus? Ex-Christian Norman Hansen vs. Amy Orr-Ewing of the Zacharias Trust

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter

For more Christian/non-Christian debate visit http://www.premier.org.uk/unbelievable or get the MP3 podcast http://ondemand.premier.org.uk/unbelievable/AudioFeed.aspx or Via Itunes

If you enjoyed this programme you may also enjoy

Unbelievable? 25 Apr 2009 Euthanasia - Should it be legalised? Lord Dick Taverne & Dan Boucher

Unbelievable? 18 Apr 2009 - Peter Kerridge, Terry Sanderson and Andrea Williams - "I am A Christian" - are Christians being marginalised in society?

Join the discussion at the Premier Community http://www.premiercommunity.org.uk/group/unbelievable and via Facebook and Twitter