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Commentary

"I'd Rather Not Have a Dad" Chaz's Rock Bottom and Redemption at Guiding Light

Submitted 12-05-2022 under NONPROFITS

Chaz’s rock bottom was a message from his 13-year-old son. “My son would say I was like a rollercoaster ride, up-and-down and in-and-out,” the veteran and recovering cocaine addict said. “My oldest son asked, ‘are you gonna be in or out?"

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Ethics and Religion Talk: Is Your Tradition Opposed to Discrimination?

Submitted 11-28-2022 under OPINION

Is discrimination a violation of your religious principles? Does a religious belief or principle ever supersede a rule against discrimination in the public sphere?

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Ethics and Religion Talk: Are Ethicists Ethical?

Submitted 11-21-2022 under OPINION

A 2013 study suggests that the behavior of academic philosophers or ethicists is not better than other professors. Why do you think this is the case?

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"Guiding Light is Different Because They Live It"

Submitted 11-14-2022 under NONPROFITS

Years of addiction brought Tyler nothing but overdoses, suicide attempts, and hopelessness. At the end of his rope he decided to try something different...

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Ethics and Religion Talk: Responding to Ethical Questions

Submitted 11-14-2022 under OPINION

How often are you consulted by congregants (or other adherents) about ethical dilemmas? Are Americans these days relying on their faith leaders more or less to help them with specific moral problems?”

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Come From Away Tells Heartfelt, Life-Affirming Stories In The Wake Of 9/11

Submitted 11-10-2022 under OPINION

Come From Away, brought onstage by Broadway Grand Rapids, is less about tragedy than what we can build in its remains.

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Ethics and Religion Talk: Being a Respectful Visitor

Submitted 11-07-2022 under OPINION

“I have a curiosity about other religions and have thought about visiting various houses of worship. ... I’d appreciate it if your writers could tell me how they accommodate visitors who are not exploring other religions in order to convert, but simply for purposes of cultural edification.”

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Pirates of Penzance Charms, Entertains

Submitted 10-31-2022 under OPINION

Opera Grand Rapids' staging of Pirates of Penzance, far from a museum piece, reveals the humor and charm pumping through the show's heart.

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Ethics and Religion Talk: The Ethics of Pain Management

Submitted 10-31-2022 under OPINION

Are there any restrictions in the use of pain medications in your religion?

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Ethics and Religion Talk: Impotent Weddings and Platonic Marriages (Part 2)

Submitted 10-24-2022 under OPINION

This week’s column is a continuation of the examination of two fascinating questions prompted by the following story sent to us, touching on issues of marrying when one partner is impotent, or alternatively, living together without the benefit of marriage. Here’s the story:

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