Religion And Ethics Report - Separate Stories Podcast

Today we explore the question of forgiveness — including one of the most pressing — is it possible for a Ukrainian to forgive Vladimir Putin?

This week Australians have commemorated Anzac Day, again remembering the sacrifice of those in war. But is it more than that? What began in Gallipoli in WWI has now become sacred.

The federal election campaign descended quickly into a game of political 'gotcha.' The two major parties are trying to focus on leadership, stumbles and scandal. But is it possible to create a politics where there are clear distinctions and a commitment to the common good?

With the 2022 election campaign now under way, we check in with one of Australia’s top experts on religious voting trends.

Many Australians will enjoy Easter as simply a long weekend. But in a new book, Dr Kevin Donnelly argues that Christianity underpins much of the Australia we know today.

As Russian troops tried to encircle the Ukrainian capital Kyiv last month, and even began shelling the city, the mayor said almost half the population had been forced to flee. One man determined to stay at his post is Fr Aleksey Samsonov.

An astonishing 85 per cent of Australian companies are not complying with national laws against modern slavery. That’s the finding from the International Justice Mission, a faith-based organisation that fights human trafficking.

What links the Russian invasion of Ukraine with the Saudi bombing of Yemen and the persecution of the Rohingya people of Myanmar? For Pope Francis, they’re all part of World War III.

It’s a controversial ritual of French politics: during presidential elections, nationalist candidates push a combination of anti-immigration and anti-Islamic rhetoric. But at this election, even centrist president Macron is using softer language to advocate similar things.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is fighting to retain power after a vote of no confidence in the parliament. He’s blamed a foreign conspiracy – the United States in particular – for trying to thwart his independent foreign policy.

Pentecostal Christianity is in a three-way race with Islam and Hinduism to become the world’s fastest growing religion. In the English-speaking world, one of its biggest names is the Australian founder of the Hillsong church empire, Brian Houston. But he’s had a dramatic fall. So just how significant is Brian Houston's resignation for the faith?

Muslims from the Russian republic of Chechnya are fighting on both sides in Ukraine. Some are Chechens who despise Putin for laying waste to their capital Grozny in the early 2000s. Others are followers of Ramzan Kadyrov, the warlord that Putin installed as leader of Chechnya.

Another controversial ruler who's been stoking war in a neighbouring country is Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The 36-year-old heir to the House of Saud styles himself as a modernizer, but bin Salman is bombing Yemen and detaining his political enemies — proving that modernisation doesn’t necessarily mean democracy and human rights.

US President Joe Biden has labelled Vladimir Putin a war criminal. Would the simplest way to end a war that Putin started be to assassinate him? It’s a shocking proposition but the concept of tyrannicide goes back to ancient philosophy.

In Argentina, severe drought threatens the livelihoods of tens of thousands of farmers. These extreme variations in weather have led Argentina's former environment minister to call for an economy that works in harmony with nature.

Ukraine's controversial surrogacy business has been disrupted by Russia's invasion, with headlines about surrogate children stranded in the war zone.

As the budget looms, one of the Australia's biggest faith-based welfare organisations, Anglicare, is calling for major changes to support low income Australians — one of which includes a universal basic income.

Vladimir Putin has long styled himself as a defender of Christian values. But his idea of the Russian Orthodox faith as a global political force has a lot in common with the Islamic concept of the Ummah – the worldwide community of believers.

In a sign of growing dissent inside the Russian Orthodox Church, almost 300 priests have signed a statement not only condemning Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine but warning that damnation awaits those who give orders to kill.

Pope Francis has begun his own effort to end the war in Ukraine. In an unprecedented break with protocol, Pope Francis walked across to Russia’s embassy at the Vatican to demand a meeting with the ambassador. He not only condemned the bloodshed but offered the Vatican as an intermediary.