Monday 23 December 2013

Theism required for inspiration?



I will be on the BBC Radio 4's The Today Programme this Boxing Day at 6:50 am GMT.

Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web and a committed Unitarian, is guest editor on Boxing Day. Sir Tim invited me to present Thought for the Day, a segment that has never (AFAIK) been presented by a Unitarian.

The BBC, unfortunately, denied Sir Tim's invitation because they concluded that it would be too upsetting for listeners to have Thought for the Day delivered by someone - even a fully-fledged minister of religion - who does not believe in God.

Instead, the BBC arranged for a theistic Unitarian minister to present Thought for the Day for Boxing Day.

At Sir Tim’s request, I will present an "Alternative Thought for the Day." Following this, I will be interviewed about the state of theism in the UK and elsewhere and about the potential implication of the BBC's position that non-theists can not offer a “thought” that can inspire.

I'm excited about this opportunity to offer a helpful message and to spread the news that you don't have to be a traditional believer to have values worth sharing and worth living.

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