Researchers at the University of Birmingham have conducted a wide-ranging survey on perceptions of religion and science, which suggests that half the UK population believes that religion does more harm than good. 50% of respondents said religion 'has more negative societal consequences than positive', 30% said it 'has more positive societal consequences' and 20% didn’t know. We discuss the findings and weigh up the religious ‘balance sheet’ with Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist, broadcaster and Vice President of Humanists UK; and Dr Musharraf Hussain, Imam, scientist and charity worker in Nottingham.
Also in the programme:
This week saw the UK cinema release of ‘One Life’ – a film about the British man Nicholas Winton who, in the months leading up to World War II, rescued 669 mostly Jewish Czechoslovakian children from the Nazis. One of those children, Milena Grenfell-Baines, tells her story.
The Church of Scotland is on a five-year mission to close places of worship made unviable by a lack of ministers, falling income and dwindling congregations. Reporter Moira Hickey visits Birnie Kirk, near Elgin in Moray, which recently held its last service after nearly 900 uninterrupted years of Christian worship.
Producers: Dan Tierney and Catherine Murray Production co-ordinator: David Baguley Editor: Helen Grady
Church Bucket List; Survivors Redress Scheme; Jewish Time Capsule
Manchester Camerata ; Cardinal Vincent Nicholls and Baptism Error
Leroy Logan; Prayer Wall; Witches Pardon
Wedding law review, ‘Celebration Earth’, the ‘Holy Blood of Hailes’
Andy Burnham, Jonathan Sacks and others celebrate Sunday's 50 birthday.
Medieval Sacristy revealed; The Good Childhood Report; Climate Change Protest
Jewish Spell Book; Detained Sikh; Education Bishop
Britain's Pilgrim Places; Church of England Safeguarding Concerns; Gong Baths
John Hume remembered, Women in Top Vatican Jobs, Yoga therapy
Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki 75 years on; Sheffield Cathedral Choir; Hajj in lockdown
Bishop Michael Curry; Sudan; Westminster Abbey Financial Crisis
Church Finance Crisis; Islam Campus Report; Methodism & Racism
Greyfriars Bobby; Jehovah's Witness; the New Archbishop of York
Cycling Sisters; Leicester in Lockdown; Children's Mental Health
Hajj, Russian Jews and Weddings are back.
The Journey App, Rowan Williams, Black Jews
Post Office IT dispute, Carers week; Places of worship reopening.
Young Black UK Voices; President Trump's Evangelicals; Hagia Sofia
DJ Chaplain; Vatican's Covid-19 Commission; Prayers in the parking lot
George Floyd death reaction, Sikh representation row, ‘Most popular hymn of hope’
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