Beyond Belief - A secular meaning to life

Ernie Rea and his guests explore the place of faith in our complex world. Each week Ernie is joined by three guests who discuss how their own religious or non-religious tradition affects their values and outlook on the world, often revealing hidden and contradictory truths. In this programme, Ernie asks whether there is a secular meaning of life and how this can be achieved without a shared reference to God or other higher spiritual figure. What is the basis of our morality and can there be any universally held, objective rules of right and wrong if there is no God? Ernie and the panel hear from the writer, AN Wilson, who recounts his journey from childhood belief, through atheism and back to a constant, yet doubting faith in God. In the second half of the programme, the panel discuss how a secular purpose to life is created and asks whether the purpose of life without God, can only be failure? In a secular world, have the terrors of hell been replaced by the terrors of failure? Can belief in God offer redemption where human capacity has failed? The panel comprises Fergus Stokes who was once a Baptist minister and now is a humanist who practises psychotherapy; Dr Sue Blackmore, Visiting Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of Plymouth and who is a Zen Practitioner; and Canon Dr Alan Billings, former director of the Centre for Ethics and Religion at the University of Lancaster. Producer: Karen Maurice.