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Episode details

World Service,13 Sep 2019,28 mins

A believer’s guide to atheism

Heart and Soul

Available for over a year

Michael Symmons Roberts is a Catholic who thinks his faith would be a lot worse off if it were not for atheists. He says all faiths need atheists - after all, you can only strengthen and deepen your belief if you have got someone to challenge your beliefs. Michael also argues that atheism and religion have a common enemy. As religious belief declines in many countries, it is being replaced by new-age beliefs rather than clear and thought-through atheistic positions. As the English writer G.K. Chesterton put it: "When we stop believing in God, we don’t start believing in nothing, we believe in anything." Presenter: Michael Symmons Roberts Producer: Geoff Bird Photo: Atheists and those who oppose religion in government gathered for a rally in Washington DC (Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

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