FRESH AIR
It’s one of the oldest faith questions: If there’s an all-powerful and loving God, why do human beings suffer? In his latest book, religious studies professor Bart D. Ehrman wrestles with that question — and with the implications of the often-contradictory answers he finds. In God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question — Why We Suffer, Ehrman meditates upon how the Bible explains human suffering, why he finds the explanations unconvincing, and why he gave up on being a Christian. Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus and more than a dozen other books, chairs the religious studies department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Excerpt: ‘God’s Problem’
If there is an all-powerful and loving God in this world, why is there so much excruciating pain and unspeakable suffering? The problem of suffering has haunted me for a very long time. It was what made me begin to think about religion when I was young, and it was what led me to question my faith when I was older. Ultimately, it was the reason I lost my faith. This book tries to explore some aspects of the problem, especially as they are reflected in the Bible, whose authors too grappled with the pain and misery in the world.
TOMORROW ON RADIO TIMES
Hour One
Marty talks with ERIC FAIR about his service in Iraq and his perspective on torture. Fair served as an arabic
linguist in the U.S, army from 1995 to 2000. From Dec 2003 to May 2004 he was a contract interrogator at Abu Ghraib, Fallujah and Baghdad. He has written about his experiences for the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Allentown Morning Call. He is now a first year student at the Princeton Theological Seminary.
Hour Two
One out of every eight persons is South Africa is HIV positive. Despite the increasing availability of antiretroviral treatment programs for HIV and AIDS, there still remains resistance to testing and treatment. That’s the subject of a new book, “Sizwe’s Test: One Man’s Journey Through Africa’s AIDS Epidemic” by South African journalist Jonny Steinberg.
THE WORLD CAFE
Joining media and performing artists nationwide in a celebration dubbed the ‘Jesus of Cool Resurrection,’ David Dye commemorates the 30th anniversary re-release of Nick Lowe‘s legendary debut record with a look back at his past visits to the World Cafe. This special showcases his top live performances from the World Cafe studio, as well as insights and highlights of Lowe’s career as musician and producer, discussing his childhood dreams, becoming a pop star, his struggles with fame, and also his latest album, At My Age.
NICK LOWE: Cruel To Be Kind