Ethics and Religion Talk
Ethics and Religion Talk: Do I Tell My Friend That Her Husband is on Tinder?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-02-2022 under OPINION
The Rev. Steven W. Manskar, a retired United Methodist pastor, responds: “I think the person to talk to is your friend’s husband. Do not triangulate your friend. Go directly to the person who is causing harm first.” The Rev....
Ethics and Religion Talk - What If There Were No first Amendment?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-19-2022 under OPINION
The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, responds: Unitarian Universalists are strong believers in separation of church and state. Therefore, it would be seen...
Ethics and Religion Talk: 500th Column: Florida Man vs. Tiger!
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-18-2022 under OPINION
Welcome to the 500th Ethics and Religion Talk column. Every once in a while, I like to present a question that breaks the boundaries and challenges our ethical norms, to keep things interesting. The following question is in response to the tragic...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Have a Dog for Dinner?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-11-2022 under OPINION
Linda Knieriemen, Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Holland, responds: “In Christian scripture, (I Timothy 4:4) I read ‘everything (all plants and animals) created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is...
Ethics and Religion Talk: How are You Connected to Co-religionists Around the World?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-04-2022 under OPINION
The Ethics and Religion Talk panelists periodically reach out to their networks of coreligionists, congregants, and students to solicit questions for the column. Questions ought to be addressed to multiple faith traditions (i.e., questions about...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Crises of Faith, part 2
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-28-2022 under OPINION
Eight of our panelists responded to this question. I shared the first four responses last week, and are are the rest: Imam Kip Curnutt, Director of Religious Education and Associate Imam of Masjid At-Tawheed in Grand Rapids, responds: “When it...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Crises of Faith, part 1
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-23-2022 under OPINION
Eight of our panelists responded to this question. I’m sharing the first four this week, and the rest in next week’s column. Rev. Ray Lanning, a retired minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, responds: “...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Should Sex Work be Criminalized?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-14-2022 under OPINION
In most of the country, it's not legal for women to rent their body for sexual use (i.e., prostitution), but in many states, not including Michigan, it is legal to rent their wombs (i.e., gestational surrogacy)? Shouldn't a woman (or a...
Ethics and Religion Talk: How Important is Ethnicity in Casting?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-07-2022 under OPINION
Submitted to an Ethics and Religion Talk Panelist: “Recently comedian Sarah Silverman stated that Jewish actors should be cast for Jewish roles. People of underrepresented subject positions, such as queer performers, or performers of...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Must You be Morally Pure to Dispense Sacraments?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 02-28-2022 under OPINION
Cathy writes: “We have been encouraged to follow the Lenten Gospel Reflections of Bishop Robert Barron during Lent. I am still reeling from an article in which he says ‘In the fourth century, St. Augustine faced the challenge of the...