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An extract from How To Be An Agnostic. In a magazine called Look, published in 1953, the philosopher Bertrand Russell clarified what being an atheistically-inclined agnostic meant for him, via a series of questions. There is, perhaps, some benefit in juxtaposing excerpts from some of the actual answers he gave with ones Socrates might have… Continue reading How to be an agnostic – Russell & Socrates debate

It’s sort of Doubting Thomas day today, as he refused to believe until presented with the evidence, which he was on the eight day. Or was he? When we made the doubt programmes we asked Rowan Williams about Thomas. It didn’t make the cut. But here’s what he said. MV Perhaps the most famous doubter… Continue reading Rowan Williams on Doubting Thomas

A few kind individuals have asked about sending transcripts of the two In Doubt We Trust programmes. They are online now, as pdfs, as below – these being transcripts almost as the programmes were finally broadcast. In Doubt We Trust – programme 1 In Doubt We Trust – programme 2

My piece just went up at the Guardian’s Cif Belief, as below… I met Rob Bell at Greenbelt, a couple of years back, because we happened to be staying in the same hotel. Though at first, I didn’t know who he was. Rather, I saw him coming. He was dressed head-to-foot in black and was… Continue reading So what does Rob Bell actually say? Part II

I’ve had a couple of enquiries about what’s new in How To Be An Agnostic, compared with the older edition, After Atheism. (i) Introduction, has some new sections, and frames the question differently. Chapter 1 is revised slightly. (ii) Chapter 2, on cosmic religion, as Einstein put it, is almost entirely new. It takes readers… Continue reading How To Be An Agnostic – what's new?

Episode 2, this Sunday – BBC Radio 4, 1.30pm. “We take things very personally at the moment. People get very disturbed and angry when their certainties about themselves and their world are questioned.” So says the philosopher Angie Hobbs. But why? In this programme the writer Mark Vernon, who himself had a crisis of faith,… Continue reading In Doubt We Trust

The twitter megarow over the new book by megachurch pastor, Rob Bell, is a peculiarly American affair. Called Love Wins, it’s attractively presented/cleverly marketed by the publishers, provoking a top ten twitter trend a week or so back. The nature of the row? Universalism. Is everyone saved by Jesus or not? Very American. (Sorry: Bell… Continue reading So what does Rob Bell actually say?

Listening to the first programme on doubt with a bunch of friends, it was interesting how they picked up on different things. One noted the link, made by Angie Hobbs, between resisting doubt and seeking control. Angie said: ‘Is this really a debate about control and a delusion that we can control the world and… Continue reading Doing doubt

If you missed the first programme, but fancy a listen, it’s here on BBC iPlayer…

The first part of radio series I’ve written and presented, In Doubt We Trust, goes out next Sunday on BBC Radio 4 – March 6, 1.30pm. We spoke to a wide range of people in the making of it, exploring doubt not just in science and religion, but politics and economics, at a personal and… Continue reading In doubt we trust