ethics
Ethics and Religion Talk: May One Choose Service Providers based on Politics?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-28-2019 under OPINION
Jim V, asks, “If a business owner on moral grounds can refuse to provide a service such as baking a cake for or catering a same-sex wedding, should consumers then have the right to know the moral and political belief of the...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Do I Call Out My Friend's Adultery?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-20-2019 under OPINION
B. asks, “Is it wrong of me to call out a friend who has been cheating on his wife, who is also my dear friend? I am very angry about his behavior, which he does not seem to regret, but others tell me it is none of my business.” The...
Ethics and Religion Talk: When is it OK to Solicit Charity?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-13-2019 under OPINION
Ethics and Religion Talk is seeking one or two liberal-leaning Protestant panelists. Interested clergy, please contact me at [email protected]. Barry asks, “My grandmother, my father and two brothers have all experienced dementia...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Can Human Beings Be Predestined to Hell?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 05-06-2019 under OPINION
Rev. Ray Lanning, a retired minister of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, responds: “Presbyterians confess that ‘God from all eternity, did by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Why is Scripture so Old?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-29-2019 under OPINION
Fred Stella, the Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the West Michigan Hindu Temple, responds: “Hinduism has no such concept of a ‘closed canon’ as is the case with many religions. While we do have a collection of foundational...
Ethics and Religion Talk: What is the Grace of God?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-22-2019 under OPINION
Ty Silzer, a former pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America, responds: “Is His grace extended? Absolutely. He extends it to me when I fail to do works of righteousness. But that’s speaking in very small and daily terms. ‘He...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Can My Car be Cursed?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-15-2019 under OPINION
David asks, “Twice in three months, my car was hit in a parking lot. The first time, I was in the car. Little bump, $600 damage, but I got the insurance info of the driver. Second time, I wasn’t in the car. Came out and found a dent. No...
Ethics and Religion Talk: What Do You Think of Hospice?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-08-2019 under OPINION
I received a question recently by email. Upon thanking the sender, I received an auto-response that the owner of the email had died … five years ago! I wish the story had ended here, mystery unsolved, so I could imagine that this column has...
Ethics and Religion Talk - Afraid of Death
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 04-01-2019 under OPINION
A question submitted to an interfaith panel on approaches to hospice care: If we believe in heaven, why are we so afraid of dying? The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Communication with the Dead
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-25-2019 under OPINION
A question submitted to an interfaith panel on approaches to hospice care: How do your faiths view communications with deceased loved ones? Is this not encouraged or not even possible? The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls...