Matters of Life And Death

In the second part of our conversation on robot rights, we explore three Christian responses to calls for robot personhood, spanning the spectrum of hostility to optimism about the development. What Biblical truths and doctrines can we turn to as we wrestle with what is a fundamentally brand new dilemma? And how would our theology and practice as believers change should conscious, intelligent, autonomous robots come to live among us? You can find plenty of resources on the question of personhood and robotics on John’s website: www.johnwyatt.com John co-edited a multi-author book last year called The Robot Will See You Now which brought together Christian thinkers and writers to consider how the rise of robotics and AI might affect everything from the arts to healthcare. You can find out more and order a copy here: https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/

If and when autonomous and intelligent robots come into existence, should they be granted rights, or even personhood? A growing number of technologists argue governments must lay out what status conscious and rational machines would have before they actually have been invented. But how can we decide what is and isn’t a person, and what rights and responsibilities such a thing should have? And how could this philosophical and technical debate affect our Christian beliefs on human uniqueness? You can find plenty of resources on the question of personhood and robotics on John’s website: www.johnwyatt.com John co-edited a multi-author book last year called The Robot Will See You Now which brought together Christian thinkers and writers to consider how the rise of robotics and AI might affect everything from the arts to healthcare. You can find out more and order a copy here: https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/01/the-robot-will-see-you-now/

Abortion is a flashpoint issue in both the church and wider culture, with the very language you choose used as a cudgel for either side. So how can Christians talk about it and respond to it in a way which cools tensions rather than inflames them? How has the church’s thinking on abortion and pregnancy changed over the many decades John has been involved in healthcare? And can a pro-life believer offer truly non-directive counselling to a pregnant woman considering termination, or work with integrity in a hospital which carries out abortions? (This episode was recorded before the news broke about the draft Supreme Court ruling in the United States which would revoke Roe v Wade and the constitutional right to an abortion.) A good place to get help if you or someone you know is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy (or if you'd like to find your local pregnancy crisis centre in the UK) is https://www.pregnancychoicesdirectory.com/info You can find more information and resources on abortion and the beginning of life on John's website: www.johnwyatt.com 

Rates of unplanned pregnancies rose significantly during the coronavirus lockdowns. What kind of support is out there for women (and men) facing this situation, and how can the church try and plug the gaps? In this episode we speak with Sophie Guthrie-Kummer, who runs a charity in London which has offered pregnancy crisis counselling (among other services) for two decades, to hear what this work looks like and how Choices juggles the theological and social hot potatoes of pregnancy and abortion.  You can find more information and resources on abortion and the beginning of life on John's website: www.johnwyatt.com  A good place to get help if you or someone you know is experiencing an unplanned pregnancy (or if you'd like to find your local pregnancy crisis centre in the UK) is https://www.pregnancychoicesdirectory.com/info  You can find out more about Choices here: https://www.choicesislington.org/ 

This is part two of our re-broadcast of last year’s John Stott episode, to mark what would have been his centenary. Is Stott’s vision of lay Christians persuading for Christ in the public square a naïve fantasy in the 21st century? And should we be more cautious before lionising evangelical titans like Stott in this age of scandal and disappointment? (Originally broadcast in April 2021). Resources from John's website from the Stott centenary: Talk and discussion: Quick to listen – lessons from John Stott on grace under fire Interview and talk: The John Stott Centenary – Equipping the people of God for ministry Interview: The life and legacy of John Stott

This month marks 101 years since the late John Stott was born, and his centenary last year prompted a flurry of events to mark the centenary of this highly influential vicar, Bible teacher and evangelical leader. ‘Uncle John’, as he was affectionately known, also had a huge impact on John's life and career and so we dialled in back then to reflect on not just the legacy of Stott’s many decades of ministry, but also to consider whether his vision for how Christians can engage well in the public square was still relevant and meaningful now, more than 60 years after he began making the case. Has society long since moved on, or are there still things to learn and challenges to heed from Stott? (This episode was first broadcast in April 2021) Other resources on John's website from the John Stott centenary: Talk and discussion: Quick to listen – lessons from John Stott on grace under fire Interview and talk: The John Stott Centenary – Equipping the people of God for ministry Interview: The life and legacy of John Stott

In Britain as in many countries there is a growing campaign to legalise assisted suicide and to make doctors prescribe on request lethal drugs to terminally ill patients. In the second part of our interview with Sarah Foot, a Christian palliative care doctor, Sarah explains why her colleagues are overwhelmingly opposed to this, the ignorance which lies behind many of the arguments for changing the law, and the implications for palliative care should assisted dying be imposed upon it. John's resources page for material on euthanasia and the end of life: https://johnwyatt.com/medical-ethics/euthanasia-end-of-life/  An article he wrote about the Assisted Dying Bill introduced to the UK parliament last year: https://johnwyatt.com/2021/07/08/whats-wrong-with-the-assisted-dying-bill/  Our episode about assisted dying from 2021: https://johnwyatt.com/2021/10/08/assisted-dying-the-meacher-bill-radicals-in-the-lords-canadas-slippery-slope-and-fragile-conscience-protections/ 

Over the past 60 years a new field of medicine has emerged – palliative care. In this episode we interview Sarah Foot, a Christian palliative care doctor, who explains how she treats the physical, mental, social and even spiritual needs of those who are dying, the Christian foundations of the discipline, and what impact her profession has on her.   If you want to go deeper into some of the topics we discuss, find more resources to read, listen to and watch at John's website: http://www.johnwyatt.com