Cosmic Questions

Do You Believe In God?

Antonio Monda, a critic for the Italian newspaper “La Republica” posed that question to 18 well-known cultural figures including Saul Bellow, Grace Paley, Elie Weisel and Jane Fonda. The answers he got appear in: “Do You Believe?: Conversations on God & Religion.”

Audio: BBC, PRI & WBUR's Here & Now 4/2/10, Host: Robin Young. Photo: Readers Digest; which took a crack at Life's 25 Toughest Questions.

---

Do You Believe In Popes?

Christian tradition holds that, on the original Good Friday, Jesus went to his crucifixion freely and surrendered his life for something greater. Commentator James Martin, a Jesuit priest, says the day has special meaning for the modern Roman Catholic Church, as its scandal over the sexual abuse of children by priests grows.

Will the hierarchy also freely be willing to surrender to truth?

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in Germany expressed shame at the scandal, and a hot line for victims of abuse by clergy and church employees has been set up. But victims groups continue to press for action from independent investigators and the German government, saying the church has shown itself unable to investigate its own crimes.

Audio: NPR's All Things Considered 4/2/10, Reporter: Eric Westervelt.

The National Catholic Reporter has aggressively covered the ongoing story of child abuse by priests in the U.S. for the past 25 years. It is now among the voices calling for Pope Benedict XVI to answer questions directly as the scandal gains force in Europe and the U.S.

Audio: NPR's All Things Considered 4/2/10, Reporter: David Folkenflik.

---

Do You Believe In Life On Other Planets?

Scientists have found hundreds of big, gassy planets that orbit close to "their" star, though solar systems with small rocky planets, like ours, have been elusive. This might be because they are hard to detect using existing techniques, but an astronomer says he's getting a bit nervous. He doesn't want to think that we are the exception rather than the rule.

Audio: NPR's Morning Edition 4/2/10, Reporter: Robert Krulwich.