Hi!
I just got finished challenging Dominik Diamond on talk 107 radio to read the bible, cover to cover, and I'd do it along with him.
He said he might, if he could find the time. I sincerely hope he does, and I intend to follow up with him and see if he'll accept a challenge to read the book his faith is based on, cover to cover, in order.
He describes himself as a committed Catholic and while discussing the Pope's new deadly sins, he suggested that Jesus was basically "about healing the sick", pointing up the irony of the Catholic church coming into conflict with a branch of medicine dedicated to relieving the suffering of millions. I felt I needed to call in and voice my disagreement.
I'd agree that it seems ironic that the church, who's charitable aims are meant to help the sick and poor, opposes the means to end a great deal of modern suffering. I would not agree, however, that Jesus was about healing the sick. His demonstrations of healing (if you'll suspend disbelief and allow for argument's sake that they occurred) were about showing his credentials. They were about convincing the masses, not actually restoring health for it's own sake.
I asked Dominik why God would not simply heal people or eradicate disease if he wanted to help the sick, and Dominik answered that suffering was a result of man's free will, and that if God simply healed people it would make us all "slaves to religion".
The show can be found here but I was sad to find there's no listen again feature for ordinary shows (just selected ones):
http://godlessheathens.org.uk/community/posting.php?mode=newtopic&f=17

