New World Radio

Vincent Bugliosi, who successfully prosecuted Charles Manson, is the author of mega best-sellers Helter Skelter and Outrage (about the prosecution of O.J. Simpson). In his latest, The Divinity of Doubt: The God Question, his prosecutorial eye takes on the greatest target of all: God. In making his case for agnosticism, Bugliosi has written a powerful indictment of God, organized religion and theism. And, with his incisive logic and devastating wit, he exposes the intellectual poverty of atheism and skewers its leading popularizers: Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. 

Laura and Christopher examine the capture and death of bin Laden and our nation's response. They share commentary from Marianne Williamson, Wayne Dyer, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Deepak Chopra and more. What do such events mean to the soul of humanity, and how can we utilize this event to move forward in human evolution? What does this say about our shadow side and the pursuit of any who perpetrate significant crimes against humanity?

It's not just the latest tsunami. Peculiar events in nature—millions of fish washing up in California, scores of birds falling from the sky in Italy and the United States, and some 100,000 dead drum fish washed ashore in Arkansas—are happening with more frequency. Are they related? Laura and Christopher take the controversial but cautious step of sharing material from respected source Lama Sing (channeled by Al Miner) that clearly delineates the prospect of accelerating earth changes in our very near future. Rather than fear them, what opportunity might they provide? And how do we find God in the midst of disaster? 

“When we accept the invitation to participate in Spirit's cosmic celebration,” Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith says, “we align ourselves with the Law of Emergence and become vehicles of that which seeks to express in, through and as us.” In this episode, Rev. Beckwith will share how a unified intention and commitment can pave the way for a new spiritual culture to emerge through the New Thought-Ageless Wisdom movement. Rev. Beckwith, founder of Agape International Spiritual Center and Association of Global New Thought, was featured in the best-selling book and film The Secret and has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live. He was also recently featured in the PBS national television special The Answer Is You.

Legendary hip hop producer Russell Simmons has transcended a rough past to become respected not only in the music world, but as an author and proponent of a metaphysical power of possibility. The title of his newest book, Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All, may sound like "The Secret: Part 2," but it's really a forward-thinking inspirational look at what Unity considers New Thought. Is this a first: Hip Hop and Unity-style spirituality? Listen in to hear Simmons talk with Laura and Christopher about his evolution and why this book, why now, and for whom.

Don Lattin, author of the new best-selling book The Harvard Psychedelic Club, examines how the introduction of LSD to American culture—chiefly via Tim Leary, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass), Andrew Weill and Huston Smith—revolutionized the way we see God and forever changed the spiritual landscape of our nation.

Corinne McLaughlin, author of The Practical Visionary and founder of The Center for Visionary Leadership, gives her perspective of the tragic shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson, Arizona. McLaughlin looks at the symbolic, metaphorical and very real meaning of this event—and what it means to the soul of a nation. Laura and Christopher will also wend in clips of Giffords, Jon Stewart and Deepak Chopra, and quotes from Marianne Williamson, Neale Donald Walsch and others.

Author Charles Eisenstein has written a compelling new book, The Ascent of Humanity, which suggests that the gathering crises of our age demonstrate that our current way of being is on the verge of collapse. And this collapse is setting the stage for a revolution in human beingness whose stirrings we already begin to feel. What is the purpose of the grandeur and the ruin we have wrought? If civilization is to collapse, why? And what for? Will we then go back to the Stone Age, or will we be born into something entirely new? More than anything, The Ascent of Humanity and Charles' interview with Christopher and Laura, are about how to create the more beautiful world our hearts tell us is possible.

Historians refer to several Great Awakenings throughout our country's history. Recently PBS's “God in America” highlighted these “Awakenings,” but did so in terms of broad, usually fervent evangelical movements. What about the metaphysical, mystical underpinnings of these movements? Have they been largely missed or skirted by historians? And what of Awakenings to follow? Christopher welcomes Mitch Horowitz, author of Occult America, to discuss the vital underpinnings of spiritual movements—and render insight on some American Awakenings of their own.   

Today Laura and Christopher welcome Unity minister Diane Scribner Clevenger into the studio to discuss an emerging Atheism—with a more pronounced "feminine" tone. The program will also incorporate sound bites from comedian and author Bill Maher, author S.E. Cupp and author Mitch Horowitz.

Is July 4 a psyche birth force? Occult America author Mitch Horowitz joins Christopher and Laura as they discuss the amazing synchronicities that swirl about July 4 and the metaphysical founding of our nation. Did the fact that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on July 4—50 years to the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence—mean anything to the soul of a young nation? With clips from Caroline Myss, Mark Victor Hansen, Jacob Needleman and others.

New Thought churches watched as their evangelical and spiritually conservative counterparts got political in the 1980‘s ... and remain so today. Unlike its American Transcendental founders, has today's New Thought movement been reluctant to speak out on social issues, fearing they could be politically charged? That's the challenge for “Unity in the World” that dares to get involved in the social realms, such as promoting a Department of Peace, despite the possibility of political overtones. Rev. Dorene Lake, co-founder of Unity in the World, joins Laura and Christopher for this one-hour conversation.

From recent 7.0-magnitude earthquakes to the world-galvanizing event of the Icelandic volcano ... are we seeing an indication of quantum change in the earth's geosphere? Or is it simply “weather as usual”? Laura and Christopher speak to author/speaker Gregg Braden (Fractal Time, The Science of Miracles) about these recent events and how they may or may not dovetail into his perspective of what 2012 represents to us ... and the planet.

Almost 80 percent of Christians believe that Jesus will come again ... and 20 percent of them believe it will happen in their lifetime. That's tens of millions of Americans who believe Jesus' return is imminent. Based on what you, ask? Largely on modern Christianity's interpretation of one book in the Bible: Revelation. In some instances it can turn potentially deadly—witness the recent arrest of nine Michigan Christian militia members for plotting to kill “anti-Christ” government representatives, “preparing for the end time battles to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ alive.” With so much focus on one text, might it not behoove us to take it out and give it a once-through with a New Thought lens? Laura examines the "Book of Revelations" and the Second Coming in both literal and metaphorical terms and how it impacts our present generation.

The new HBO series on the life of Jack Kevorkian brings up a moral dilemma: If we are gods, as the Bible suggests, do we not have the right to decide when we die? Is there a soul price to pay if we cut our lives short of our "natural" demise? Or is it a sign of our own divinity if we choose the time, place and manner?

Laura and Christopher speak to Matthew Fox, best known as the catholic priest excommunicated by the Roman Catholic Church in the 1990s. Due to controversy surrounding his denial of original sin, he was forbidden to teach theology by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI), then Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Fox discusses the spiritual crisis that Roman Catholicism now faces and how it may come through this as a more authentic force of love and spiritual awareness. The panel addresses the shadow side of religion in general, including scandal, sexuality and denial.

In Western theology, if you think Satan makes his first appearance in Genesis, think again. From the inception of Christianity, to the Tarot, to modern religion, human beings have struggled with the notion of a devil. And even if you see yourself as a sophisticated New Thought soul-thinker who has moved past the need for such things, what's all this about “the ego”—hasn't it become the new devil? Isn't that just as problematic as the old notion? If you believe in such things as angels, can demons be that far behind? In the end, Satan may be the most misunderstood character in our religious annals … and isn't it time we show him a little sympathy?

Christie Collbran's very public “defection” has placed the Church of Scientology on the front pages again. The most recent National Geographic—not to mention HBO's Big Love series—unearths some of the more notorious elements of Mormonism. As with Unity, these are virtually homemade American religions that have, at times, been assigned the “cult” label by the orthodox mainstream. Perhaps the comparisons end there. What are the truths and myths about these belief systems, where are they headed and what do they have in common with either the conventional or New Thought ends of the religious spectrum?

Is there such a thing as a "true religion?" Is it a choice between literalistic theism and scientism? Where do you fall along the belief spectrum? Friday, March 5, New World Radio host Christopher Naughton and special guest Unity minister Diane Scribner Clevenger interview Jack Call, author of the recent book, God Is a Symbol of Something True: Why You Don't Have to Choose Either a Literal Creator God or a Blind Indifferent Universe. The conversation ranges from the "traditional" belief systems many of us were brought up in to the notion of a personal God, the more deistic views as held by Thomas Jefferson and his contemporaries, to the beliefs of those who just aren't sure.

The Ego—in the classic metaphysical sense—always needs an enemy, an “other” to justify its existence, its fear, its need to vanquish an adversary. Now that we no longer have a definitive enemy as in bygone eras—the British Crown, the Germans, the Japanese, the Russians—who will the Ego now choose as its reason for dissatisfaction? Terrorism is too amorphous. So why not your political enemy as the bogeyman? Niels Nielsen, author of God in the Obama Era, addresses why political squabbles are nothing new but may be reaching a new low. And maybe it signals a new breakthrough beyond the ego's need to blame an enemy.

Okay, admit it—that word has always sent a bit of a shiver up your spine, no matter how metaphysically-inclined you are, right? Imagine how middle America feels about it! When did the word occult get such a bad reputation? Author, media commentator and publisher Mitch Horowitz joins Laura and Christopher and explains, from his new book Occult America, how the occult has shaped American thinking and spirituality and is set to play a bigger role in the years ahead.

It's entertaining, riveting and visually sumptuous. But like many archetypically-driven movies before it—such as Star Wars—does the movie Avatar have similar import with a message that some say is spiritually powerful—and flies under the radar of the conscious mind? Audio includes clips of Bill Moyers, Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung and numerous films.

Laura and Christopher welcome their first phone-in guest of the new year, Dr. Garland Landrith, best known for his appearance in What the Bleep Do We Know? They will examine the latest scientific experiments on the impact of prayer and meditation … and why dedicating yourself to a meditation practice may be the greatest new year's gift you could give to yourself—not to mention the world. The program will examine everything from the Transcendental Meditation studies of the '60s to Larry Dossey's groundbreaking work of the '80s and '90s as well as a somewhat controversial Unity-based experiment of this past decade.

Based on the Thomas Moore account of Celtic Christmas, what are the universal spiritual principles that anchor this celebrated holiday? How do other religions, spiritual disciplines and perspectives contribute to the richness of this venerated date? And how did a pagan celebration morph into the most revered holiday in Western culture?

2012 marks the end of the Mayan calendar. Should we be worried? Or is it all just hype?

Unity calls itself, "a positive, practical, progressive approach to Christianity based on the teachings of Jesus." But does Unity represent a dangerous schism from mainstream, traditional Christianity? Or with its roots deep in American Transcendentalism, is Unity the Great Unknown American religion … possibly on the cutting edge of what Christianity … might become?

There's a new Conservative Bible Project that wants to change what it calls 'liberal bias' in the Bible. Reinterpreting the Bible is as old as the documents themselves. And liberal theology has its own brand of interpretation too. With such a strong conservative interpretation "push," could the result be that the Metaphysical Bible Dictionary is ready to catch?

What does the dramatic increase in psychotropic drug prescriptions in the United States say about the soul of the nation? Why have bipolar diagnoses risen 4,000 percent in one decade? What do recent fines against pharmaceutical companies—the largest in our nation's history—say about our own awareness regarding these medicines and the industry that produces and sells them? Christopher and Laura welcome an in-studio guest who has gone through her own medical experiences. Together they cull information from various sources, including clips from Deepak Chopra, Elizabeth Gilbert, Helen Fisher and others to create an informative, if not controversial discussion. And the biggest wild card? It could be … The Placebo Response.

From town hall blow-ups to shouting at the president in the halls of Congress; from incivility, whether on the tennis courts, the baseball diamond or at award shows, there's a seeming river of anger, if not rage, coursing through our national veins. How does one remain politically and socially active—and yet remain untainted by the seeming lowest emotional common denominator we see in current American society?

With a Newsweek cover looking ominously like the 1967 Time magazine cover asking, "Is God Dead?," Newsweek editor Jon Meacham suggests the decline and fall of Christian America. He cites a recent survey that found that the percentage of Americans identifying themselves as Christians has dropped from 86 percent in 1990 to 76 percent today. Are we seeing the denouement of a Christian America? Is the cultural and political influence of conservative Christianity in the United States waning? And if so, what will fill the void? Laura and Christopher address the issues raised in this recent, seminal Newsweek cover story and roll in audio clips from Clay Jenkinson, Jon Meacham and others.

On election night 2008, after Obama's victory, Oprah Winfrey told CNN, "It feels like a shift in consciousness." That's not the sentiment in some religious circles that see a spiritual foreboding in Obama's presidency. Beyond the notion of hope and change, does Obama's election to the highest office in the United States demonstrate an inner shift in global awareness?

Strict vegetarianism has been the tool of ascetics and adepts inferring the holy life. But even in New Thought circles, that stance softened considerably in the latter 20th century. Now, with global warming and factory farming issues raising our awareness, is vegetarianism, or at least dramatically cutting back on our meat consumption, the path of the conscious spiritual journey?

Laura and Christopher examine two films (Zeitgeist, The God Who Wasn't There) in national consciousness that claim that the Jesus story is nothing more than rehashed myth based on Horus, Dionysus, Krishna, Mithra and other deity-figures. How does metaphysically-oriented Christianity look at these films and their claims? What impact will these films and their message have on the evolution of Christianity and spirituality in general?

Thomas Jefferson, third president and author of the Declaration of Independence, once said, "I trust there is not a young American now living who will die a Unitarian." Much like jazz or baseball, Unitarianism is almost wholly a unique American form of expression. Three of the first six American presidents were Unitarians. Many at the fore of 19th-century American Transcendentalism movement called themselves Unitarians. This religion—Unitarianism—once a staple in the American religious diet, is now barely a blip on the screen. What does it share with other New Thought Religions? And is it readying for a comeback? Laura Barrett Bennett and Christopher Naughton examine Unitarianism in its own words ... and share some of the funniest and good natured-jokes about this long-standing American belief system.

Tired of the Jerry Falwells, Pat Robertsons and the James Dobsons? There is an emerging Christianity that calls itself progressive. And while that might seem refreshing, does it fall into the same political trap as conservative Christianity? A recent Pew Research survey indicates that more and more people are leaving the religion of their parents—and many are seeking out New Thought churches or dropping out of religion altogether. Audio clips of Marcus Borg suggest that people are moving in the new direction of “progressive Christianity” or “progressive Spirituality,” but what is that exactly? And are there pitfalls by co-opting the term "progressive?"

If atheism was once the belief system that dare not speak its name, the times they are a-changing. Of late, books by Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins have sold in the millions ... so this may be the new age of Atheism ... but in the end, could atheism turn out to be spirituality's best friend? We will listen to audio clips of Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens and George Carlin extolling the new atheistic populism. But perhaps their worldview is closer to a progressive, metaphysical worldview than they realize.