Radio

Should be worth listening to, to try to understand why some women value their religion, while others suffer because of it.

'What has religion done for woman?' is on Radio 2 next Tuesday, 25th October, at 10pm.

Christians are saying that they're 'Not Ashamed', apparently, and Eric Pickles has declared war on the war on Christmas. I didn't know anything about the Not Ashamed campaign when I came out of the shower this morning and answered the phone from BBC Radio Suffolk. Due to some crossed wires, I was expected to comment on air. Had to ask what I was supposed to be commenting about. So if it makes no sense, that's why.

Anyhow, for a few days you can listen again. I'm on about 40 minutes into James Hazell's programme.

If you missed Margaret Nelson on James Hazell's BBC Suffolk programme this morning, talking about the Pope's visit, you can listen again later online. Click here to go to the BBC website. The item is at the beginning of the programme.

For an alternative view of the Pope's visit, see The Daily Mash.

Just did a radio interview about baby-naming or welcoming ceremonies. Didn't get a chance to say a lot but was asked how much we charge. I said £130. One of the other contributors, a clergyman, said theirs are free. Of course they are - he's paid a salary by his church. We're self-employed. I asked the presenter, James Hazell, to point this out.

To hear the item, wait until the programme is available on Listen Again on the BBC website, and listen from about 11.45am.

To find out more, read about our ceremonies.

Sorry to have delayed posting this, but in case you missed it, last week's Saturday Play on BBC Radio 4 was Slaughterhouse 5, a dramatisation of Kurt Vonnegut's powerful anti-war novel. You have until 4.02pm this Saturday, 20th Februay, to listen on i-player.

Kurt Vonnegut was honorary president of the American Humanist Association. He thought religious doctrine was "so much arbitrary, clearly invented balderdash."

Vonnegut said,

New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.

The BBC Trust today announced its findings on a number of appeals about the broadcast of Radio 4's Thought for the Day and BBC editorial policy on non-religious content.

The Trust found that the editorial policy of only allowing religious contributors to participate on Thought for the Day does not breach either the BBC Editorial Guideline on impartiality or the BBC's duty to reflect religious and other beliefs in its programming.

The discussion about creationism in school science lessons on BBC Radio Suffolk is now online.

It's on James Hazell's programme, 26th October, about 35 minutes in. You have 7 days to listen.