ethics
Ethics and Religion Talk: Truth vs. truths
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-03-2021 under OPINION
“There are many people today who would advocate for making room for: my truth, your truth, and everyone else's truth. Many of these people would also advocate for making room for God's truth--as an accessory to adorn our lives. This is...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Does the Bible Forbid Cremation
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-26-2021 under OPINION
Rev. Ray Lanning, a retired minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, responds: “There is no ‘Biblical take’ on cremation, because the known universal practice of the people of God under both Testaments was to...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Should I get the COVID Vaccination?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-19-2021 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 science. Any conversation regarding vaccination would...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Why is There Evil?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-12-2021 under OPINION
Father Kevin Niehoff, O.P., a Dominican priest who serves as Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Grand Rapids, responds: “Remember the creation story where the serpent tempted Eve and Adam in the Garden of Eden? Evil has been present since shortly...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Help! My Supervisor is Evil!
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-05-2021 under OPINION
Lisa L. asks, “I have just been fired from my job at a small company. I believe in the mission of the company and most of the employees are good people, but my direct supervisor made my life a living hell and I have a stack of emails and other...
Ethics and Religion Talk: How Do You Identify the Messiah?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-29-2021 under OPINION
Joseph P. asks, “For Christians, Jesus is the Messiah promised in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. I was wondering if any other religions (Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.) are anticipating the appearance of a Messiah...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Is “Election Fraud” God’s Will?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-22-2021 under OPINION
The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, responds: “The truth does not support this statement, ‘pretty strong evidence there was significant...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Help! My Husband Wants to Watch Me Have Sex With a Woman!
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-15-2021 under OPINION
“Christine” writes: “I am praying for help and answers to keep my marriage. My husband and I have only been married 7 months and he wants me to have sex with a woman and watch. I am more outgoing than he is but am not comfortable...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Do Animals Have Souls?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-08-2021 under OPINION
Linda Knieriemen, Senior Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Holland, responds: “Christian scripture doesn’t weight in on this directly but indirectly I can deduce that yes, animals will have some sort of afterlife. In the early...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Is your religion based on Dogma?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-01-2021 under OPINION
Connor writes, “A word that often is used to describe religious teachings is ‘dogma.’ It's interesting that I tend to hear this word used in a pejorative sense so much of the time, as when someone is described as...