Special Guests

  • Philip Yancey — Award Winning Author of The Question That Never Goes Away: What is God up to – OR NOT - in a world of such tragedy and pain?
    In his own words... “Where is God when it hurts? That question formed the title of my first real book, more than 30 years ago. In 2012 I was asked to speak on this topic in three places of great suffering: in Japan, for the one-year anniversary of the tsunami that killed 20,000; in Sarajevo, which endured the longest siege in modern warfare; and in Newtown, Connecticut, a town in sorrow after a gunman killed 20 school children at Sandy Hook. What I learned in these places gave me much new insight on what hope and comfort faith offers to all of us who go through hard times, in tragedies large and small.”
    In his classic book Where Is God When It Hurts, Philip Yancey gave readers permission to doubt, reasons not to abandon faith, and practical ways to reach out to hurting people. And now, thirty years after writing his first book, Yancey revisits the cry of “Why, God” in three places stunned into silence by the calamities that have devastated them. At some point all of us will face the challenges to faith Yancey writes about and look for the comfort and hope he describes. There are reasons to ask, once again, the question that never goes away: Where is God when we suffer? And Yancey, once again, leads us to find faith when it is most severely put to the test.

  • Sacha Sewhdat & Aaron Porteous — Directors/Producers of BELIEVERS: Do We Need Religion?
    Since the 2006 publication of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion and Christopher Hitchens’ 2007 book, God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, religion and God as a concept have been very much in the crosshairs of the Western public. These texts, along with Bill Maher’s 2008 film “Religulous”, are often cited as reasons to stop believing in God. Regardless of one’s opinion of religion or God, there is a lack of understanding and communication of ideology with respect to these concepts. Believers follows a personal investigation of the world’s five major faith systems, Agnosticism, and the new Atheism. Sacha Sewhdat explains, “I decided to find people to talk to who were reasonable, rational and intelligent, and could respond to my questions without getting angry or offended.” However, what began as a simple search for the value of religion in the modern world evolved into a personal journey to spirituality. “In the end, it’s shown me that there’s a lot to know and if I want to be part of this dialogue, and be helpful, I need to give everyone a fair shake.” This documentary will educate and inform your worldview, as well as challenge what you think you know about Religion.

  • THE DATING GAME IS BACK ON TDMS!! — ALL THE SINGLE LADIES - ALL THE SINGLE LADIES (and yes - ALL THE SINGLE MEN)
    Are you single and looking? (Yes there’s a difference!) If so, then Drew wants to help you find that special someone! If you’re up for a bit of fun – we’ll pick up the tab – while you look for love!

    The person selected to be our DATING GAME contestant will receive A FREE 1 year subscription to ChristianMingle AND… after Drew helps you find the best possible match, we’ll pick up the tab for an exquisite night out on the town with HOPEFULLY that special someone, to one of the GTA’s most exclusive restaurants!!

    TO BECOME A CONTESTANT:
    Send us (mingle@drewmarshall.ca) ASAP
    1/Your contact details
    2/Your picture
    3/As much information about you as possible, including why YOU would make the best choice as our next contestant on THE DATING GAME!

    **Contestants must be over 21 and live in the Greater Toronto Area. They also must be available for DATE NIGHT on Friday March 7th and be able to join us in our Oakville studio on Jan 18, Feb 15, Mar 1, Mar 8. (Entries will no longer be received after January 15th – THAT'S THIS WEDNESDAY!)

LIVE! on TDMS - Devoted Souly to the Art of Music

  • Jon Brooks — Recording Artist
    “I write songs to calm those who’ve looked into, and seen, what is in their hearts.  I also write songs to terrify those who have not.” ~ Jon Brooks
    Oh... and then there's this:

    Nominated: 2012 Canadian Folk Music Award - ‘English Songwriter of the Year’
    Winner: Earth Day International Songwriting Competition
    Winner: 2010 Kerrville New Folk 2010′s People To Watch – The Toronto Star
    Nominated: 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award – ‘English Songwriter of the Year’
    Winner: 2009 US National Public Radio’s Mountain Stage New Song Canadian Region
    Winner: 2008 ‘The Mac Beattie Porcupine Award’
    Nominated: 2007 Canadian Folk Music Award – ‘English Songwriter of the Year’
    Winner: Ontario Council of Folk Festivals 2007 ‘Songs From The Heart’
    Winner: International Green Man Review’s '2006 Songwriter Of The Year’

    Click Here for Jon's Video

    * Jon will also be joined today by his good friend, Cary Cooper
    “The Anne LaMott of songwriting…except she can get to the heart of things in 3 minutes instead of 200 pages.” - Guitars In The Classroom

    Oh... and then there's this:
    WINNER Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Competiton 2004
    FINALIST Sisters Folk Festival Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Contest 2009 & 2010
    FINALIST Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase 2007 (Alternate 2011)
    FINALIST Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Emerging Artist Showcase 2004
    FINALIST Mountain Stage Newsong Festival Songwriter Competition 2004
    www.jonbrooks.ca

God Blogger

  • Jeremy Myers
    “Through a series of events, I left my Christian job, abandoned my goals of pastoring a church, and rejected several aspects of my Christian beliefs and practices. I didn’t convert to another religion; I just left what many think of as Christianity. But for me, leaving Christianity is what allowed me to better follow Jesus.”

Pub Crawl

  • Drew & His Mates Crack Open A Few!
    Current affairs, pop culture, even touchy-feely-relational stuff! Listen in OR call and join us, as we crawl from topic to topic!(Got a topic you want the gang from the pub to crack open? Click here)

    TOPICS

    1/ In September, a York University online sociology student asked to be exempted from a group project because according to his “religious views” he did not believe in “intermingling between men and women.” Should the University have granted this exemption based on this country's freedom of religion, or is this an unreasonable request? Do you think that eventually, religious rules will be the undoing of Canada's freedom of religion? Does your religion have certain rules that make it hard for you live and work in the real world?

     2/ Doreen from Abbotsford wrote: I noticed you had previously discussed on your show a couple's question as to whether or not they should un-invite their “sex changed cousin” to Christmas, and it made me think of my family's situation. It's been an ongoing issue that certain family members don't want my son at the family gatherings because of his lifestyle. He is quite involved in the drug world. I've come to accept this, although I'm am struggling with the hatred I am feeling from my nieces and nephew. I asked my one sister whether this feeling was real or imagined on my part, and she said it was real. Partly because of fear on their part and simply because they don't like him. I really struggle with these relatives who are supposed to be the “good ones” who do no wrong. Meanwhile, they have abandoned their own mother when she was down and out. (Things have now been restored.) They give me the cold shoulder at family gatherings, especially the youngest. I am struggling with my anger towards her. I ask myself if I'm actually trying to forgive and am I holding anger just like them? My biggest Christian pet peeve is the “better than thou attitudes!” I've tried to be very nice to her and it seems that me doing that makes her anger and hatred worse! So now I basically don't want much to do with her. I know – the Bible says I'm supposed to forgive 70 x 70 times, but does there not come a time where you need to step away from something and let it take its course in order to heal?

Talkback, etc.

  • W.here's T.he F.aith?
    Join Drew and various religion reporters from an assortment of news outlets, as they catch up on happenings in the world of Religion & Faith & Cults (Oh My!) Today's W.T.F. Guest: Paul Brandeis Raushenbush - Senior Religion Editor for The AOL/Huffington Post Media Group