Secular Thought for the Day

Now available. A series of secular thoughts for the day  podcast from www.thinkhumanist.org. I've contributed one that will be there from this Thursday (15th Feb.)...... Other contributors include Anthony Grayling and Stewart Lee. For an article in the Glasgow Herald including edited transcripts of Grayling, Lee's and my thoughts click here.

It is absurd that Radio 4 only allows religious contributions to this slot; just as it is absurd that we have unelected religious leaders with seats in our legislature. There was a flurry of debate about Thought for the Day when Richard Dawkins was allowed a secular one in 2002, but now podcasting is so easy, there are ways of getting round Radio 4's reluctance to cater for a  very significant proportion of its listeners to this slot. If this gets really popular, perhaps Radio 4 will have to revisit its policy.

Comments

[Bernie R]

Hello Nigel,

A few days ago I decided I'd have to try to do something about Thought For The Day, and now I find there are podloads you can downcast about it springing up everywhere.

I read your piece about death, I think rather differently to you about it.

You wrote:

"If, like me, you believe that death is the end of all experience, there is great consolation in thinking that when it has happened there won't be anything else. That's it. We don't worry about the eternity before we existed; why be concerned about the eternity during which we won't exist in the future?"

I don't see why it is a consolation to you that after death there will be nothing else. That's precisely why the idea of death is so upsetting, because life (if you're lucky) is so wonderful, and death means no more of it.

I have related qualms about this: "What is bad about death is what it does to other people: the ones left behind to grieve."

Of course that is one bad thing about my death, but I honestly think my grieving family and friends will get over it a lot quicker than I will.

[George James]

There are two problems with Radio 4's Thought for the Day. First, it is inappropriate being slotted in the middle of a news programme. How would you like the Archers or Farming Today to be interrupted by a three minute advert for God. Second, it is biased. Contributors without a faith-based belief system are not welcome.

As you say, it is so easy now to create blogs and podcasts that Radio 4 is in danger of being lost in the noise. To add to the cacophony another site http://www.secularthought.org launches tomorrow morning, Wednesday 18th February 2009 at 08:00 GMT. This will deliver a stream of reader contributed thoughts of a secular nature and will be another nail in Thought for the Day's coffin.