In this bonus episode of Maidenhead’s Questions, Adam and Ian are joined by Jason Roach from London City Mission to respond to some of the hardest questions raised by listeners: Why has so much harm been done in the name of Christianity? What should we make of hypocrisy, bigotry and abuse in the church? And who is the church really for?

With honesty and care, the conversation acknowledges the real pain many people have experienced, insists that abuse and cover-up are evil and must be brought into the light, and explores how Jesus calls Christians not merely to use his name, but to follow his way. The episode also considers why the church is meant to be a “hospital for sinners” rather than a theatre for pretending, and why St Mary’s Maidenhead wants to be a place where people from every background are welcome to explore Jesus.

If you have been affected by abuse, especially within a church setting, please consider speaking to the police if you are in immediate danger or reporting a crime. You can also seek support from Safe Spaces, a free and independent support service for anyone who has experienced abuse in relation to the Church of England, the Church in Wales, or the Catholic Church of England and Wales. You can contact the Safe Spaces team through their helpline (0300 303 1056), their live chat facility or by emailing safespaces@firstlight.org.uk

Why are there so many different religions? Do they all essentially lead to the same God? And is your faith just an accident of geography?

In this episode of Maidenhead’s Questions, Adam and Ian dive into the fifth most popular topic submitted by our community: religious diversity. To help unpack these deep truth claims, they are joined by author, speaker, and Christian philosopher Dr. Andy Bannister from Solas. Holding a PhD in Islamic studies , Andy brings 30 years of experience to a fascinating conversation comparing the foundational claims of world religions.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• The Chosen (Available on Netflix and free online)
• The Greatest Story Ever Told by Bear Grylls
• Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabil Qureshi
• Whose Religion is Christianity? by Lamin Sana
• Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by Richard Baucom

Connect With Us:

If you are wrestling with these questions, you are invited to walk through the "Jesus doorway" and explore the evidence yourself. St Mary's Maidenhead runs the Christianity Explored course three times a year to look directly at the eyewitness accounts.

Join us on a Sunday! We have five services across the day: 8:00 AM, 9:15 AM, 11:00 AM, 4:00 PM, and 6:30 PM.

Does God Even Exist?

On this episode of Maidenhead’s Questions, Adam and Ian sit down with Esther Chidlow from OCCA (The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics) to tackle the ultimate starting point for faith: Does God actually exist?

Moving past simple "blind faith," Esther draws on her background in mathematics and philosophy to look at the rational, historical, and personal evidence for God. Together, the team explores:

• The Big Picture: Digging into philosophical pointers like the cosmological argument and the mind-boggling numbers behind the fine-tuning of our universe.

• Science vs. Faith: Why pitting them against each other is a major category error, and how they actually answer different "maps of meaning".

• The Silence & The Doubt: How to navigate the seasons when God feels quiet, why the Bible gives us full permission to ask hard questions, and how Jesus responds to our skepticism.

Whether you are wrestling with doubt, wondering if faith is just wishful thinking, or looking for solid intellectual anchors in a messy world, this deeply encouraging conversation is for you.

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