religion
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...
Ethics and Religion Talk: What is a Religious Lifestyle?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-18-2019 under OPINION
Jim A. writes: While sitting in church this week I pondered the thought, what does it mean to live a Christian lifestyle as my wife and I consider we do? My following thought was how would this be different from living a Jewish lifestyle, a Muslim...
Ethics and Religion Talk: Is There a Stigma about Dying?, part 2
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-11-2019 under OPINION
Two weeks ago, I shared the Christian responses. This week, I’m sharing the Jewish, Hindu, Islamic, and Unitarian responses. The Reverend Colleen Squires, minister at All Souls Community Church of West Michigan, a Unitarian Universalist...
Ethics and Religion Talk: What Should I Do for Lent?
by (Rabbi David J.B...)
Submitted 03-04-2019 under OPINION
Editor’s note: Part two of the responses to the question on the stigma of dying will appear next week, so we can answer this question about Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, this coming March 6. For those unfamiliar with Lent, it is a...