ethics
Ethics and Religion Talk: Celebrating our 400th column!
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-18-2020 under OPINION
This column is the 400th appearance of Ethics and Religion Talk in the Grand Rapids Press since we began on July 31, 2012, almost eight years ago. My initial vision, when creating the column, was to model a kind of respectful interfaith dialogue, in...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Is God's Role to be Fearsome or Loving?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-11-2020 under OPINION
The Rev. Sandra Nikkel, head pastor of Conklin Reformed Church, responds: “Yes, God is a divine power to be feared, a holy Being, and a loving creator. Most people believe all, or some, of these descriptions about God. But people have a harder...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Is Family Important? Why?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-04-2020 under OPINION
Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds: “I can’t imagine any of my colleagues arguing with the spiritual, social and evolutionary reasons why family is critical to our existence. I am...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Where does Morality Come From?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-27-2020 under OPINION
Chris Curia, the Director of Youth Ministries at Fairway Christian Reformed Church, responds: “The American Psychological Association defines morality as the belief or value system(s) that pertains to right conduct and distinguishes acceptable...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Are Heaven and Hell Based on a Merit System?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-20-2020 under OPINION
Dr Sahibzada, the Director of Islamic Center and Imam of the Mosque of Grand Rapids, responds: “Everything is created by the Creator therefore Heaven and Hell exist for those who believe in God and follow His discipline of life. Worldly life...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Is Divorce OK?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-13-2020 under OPINION
Rev. Ray Lanning, a retired minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, responds: “ ‘OK’ is hardly the right word for divorce. The prophet Malachi lived in a time when many thought that divorce was ‘...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Addressing Fears in the COVID-19, Crisis, part 2
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-06-2020 under OPINION
Here are four more panelists sharing words of encouragement and hope. Father Kevin Niehoff, O.P., a Dominican priest who serves as Adjutant Judicial Vicar, Diocese of Grand Rapids, responds: “I find a life of social distancing is quite scary...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Addressing Fears in the COVID-19 Crisis
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-30-2020 under OPINION
This week and next, the Ethics and Religion Talk panel shares some words of encouragement and hope to address the uncertainties and fears of living under the shadow of the novel coronavirus pandemic. In the Jewish community, some of the anxiety...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Is Marriage Divine?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-23-2020 under OPINION
[Note: Next week, we’ll address the consequences of Vaughn’s question as it related to the dissolution of marriage.] The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Where does Mortality Come From?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-16-2020 under OPINION
Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds: The sacred Hindu writ, the Vedas, say that when the Primal Unique (God) expanded from transcendence into the spacial-temporal universe. It produced ‘...