God Forbid

Since the Stone Age we’ve used, and abused, drugs and alcohol. And some cultures believed their mood-altering effects brought you closer to God.  
But if you go to an Alcoholics Anonymous or AA meeting today, you’ll be told that getting closer to God means getting away from the drink.
AA also welcomes atheists, of course, as the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. But as part of the program, surrendering to a higher power is essential. Not necessarily God, but something outside of the bondage of self.
But why does the twelve step program work brilliantly for some — and fail miserably for others? And what are the spiritual roots of the program? 
And it's not just alcoholism, there are twelve step programs for gamblers, social media and sex addicts, also overeaters and clutterers anonymous. 
GUESTS:
Joanna Thyer, Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Coordinator at the University of Technology Sydney. She's also author of 12 Steps to Spiritual Freedom - Understanding the Christian Roots of Twelve Step Programs, and Steps to Life.
Melinda Lake, psychologist and co-founder & CEO of Australian Recovery Centres in Northern NSW. She's also worked with AABCAP on Addiction in Buddhism and Psychotherapy.
Amber Rules, Clinical psychotherapist and Director of Sydney Addictions Recovery in Sydney's inner west.

Pope Leo XIV has recently slammed the use of God's name to justify what he terms as the "absurd" pursuit of war, specifically challenging military leaders who describe operations in Iran as a holy war "in the name of Jesus Christ". 
Is a "holy war" antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ?  
Sister Brigid Arthur, Rev Tim Costello and Rev Michael Woolf certainly think so. 
All of them have been at the forefront of contemporary societal battles about some of the most pressing issues of our day: asylum seekers and refugees, gambling reform and homelessness.  
So, what can Christian leaders offer us in this context? Can they be holy warriors for our most pressing concerns? 
GUESTS:
Rev Tim Costello  is Chief Advocate for the Alliance for Gambling Reform, Member of the Order of Australia, Executive Director of Micah Australia.
Rev Dr Michael Woolf is Senior Minister of Lake Street Church of Evanston in the US state of Illinois and Co-Associate Regional Minister with the American Baptist Church, and author of Sanctuary and Subjectivity: Thinking Theologically about Whiteness and Sanctuary Movements 
Sister Brigid Arthur is a Brigidine sister who coordinates the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project, which advocates for asylum seekers, and helps them out with practical needs like housing, rent and utilities, friendship.

Fairytales are among the oldest forms of human storytelling, with their roots in the oral traditions of pre-literate societies. 
Over centuries, these tales have been reworked to suit the religious, moral and political order of the day. They are instructive, entertaining and sometimes terrifying. 
Why is there this ongoing appeal – indeed a revival – of fairytales among young and old alike?  
Guests: 
Marguerite Johnson, classicist, historian and Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland.  
Tom Wright, theatre writer and Artistic Associate at Belvoir Street Theatre in Sydney  
Michelle Smith, Associate Professor in Literary Studies at Monash University  
This program first aired in March 2024

It’s Eastern Orthodox Easter this weekend, where the faithful will announce to each other Christos Anesti. Christ is Risen.
Also risen? The fortunes of Eastern Orthodoxy among men – though this is contested. Over the last 50 years, the numbers of people around the world identifying as religious have dropped. But the numbers of Christians seem to have stabilised, just in the last few years. Why?

It’s Eastern Orthodox Easter this weekend, where the faithful will announce to each other Christos Anesti. Christ is Risen.
Also risen? The fortunes of Eastern Orthodoxy among men – though this is contested. Over the last 50 years, the numbers of people around the world identifying as religious have dropped. But the numbers of Christians seem to have stabilised, just in the last few years. Why?