Podcasts from Questions Of Faith related to Ethics & Morality - Moral Dilemmas

For many the thought of living forever is one of science fiction, but it was recently brought to reality with the news of a 14 year-old cancer sufferer whose dying wish was to be cryogenically frozen in the hope a cure would bring her back to life in the future. There has been plenty of debate around the emotional, financial and ethical questions of Cryonics, but where does faith come into it? To answer this, Marc is joined by Reverend Mark Woods and Rabbi Benjy Rickman

According to the Home Affairs Select Committee, approximately 1,600 Syrian refugees have been processed into the UK. It says the UK should do more to resettle Syrian refugees and strengthen border controls to clamp down on the smuggling of migrants. This is a call that many faith leaders have already been making. Marc talks to Edie Friedman of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality and Nina Kaye of Refugees at Home.

From Chilcot to Trident, there's plenty of conflict being discussed in the corridors of parliament. But some Christians are against nuclear weapons and support for Trident and others want to stop our taxes being used to fund defence and wars. Labour MP Ruth Cadbury will introduce a bill under the ten minute rule in Parliament to allow taxpayers to conscientiously object to their money being spent on the military. In this episode of Questions of Faith, Marc Shoffman speaks to the Brentford and Isleworth MP.

Marc Shoffman looks at the reports of hate crime in the aftermath of the EU Referendum. Rita Lobo speaks to Imam Qari Asim, Imam at Leeds Mosque and Editor of Imams Online, on the rise in Islamophobia in recent days and what should be done to tackle this issue. Marc Shoffman speaks to Dr Kirsten Johnson, of the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum and supporter of Christians Stronger in Europe, about what this event means to her as a Christian. Christian author, Symon Hill, analyses the concept of the 'neighbour' in the Bible and how they apply to these difficult times.

All religions would say they welcome anyone who wants to worship. But there can be a lot of challenges, such as access to old religious buildings if you are in a wheelchair, or being able to read the small print of a bible if you are visually impaired. Marc Shoffman looks at the theological teachings behind disability with Naomi Lawson Jacobs, who is researching Disability and Christianity for a PHD. Reverend Bill Braviner and Dave Lucas, both from Disability and Jesus, and Dr Zachariah Duke, Academic Assistant to the Dean Lecturer in Theology and Biblical Studies at the Broken Bay Institute, speak to Marc ahead of Living Fully, a conference in Rome this week that looks at disability and religion.

Marc Shoffman speaks to Dr Keith Kahn Harris, Lecturer at Leo Baeck College and Director of the European Jewish Research Archive at the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, about anti-Semitism and how it can be tackled. Jeremy Newmark, of Jewish Labour Movement, explains why there have been so many incidents of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party.

How does religion fit in the EU Referendum? Lord William Wallace, from Christians for Europe, and Adrian Hilton, Co-chair of Christians for Britain, join Marc Shoffman to discuss what role faith should play throughout the campaign. How big a factor should Christianity play when people come to vote?

Marc Shoffman speaks to Carrie Pemberton Ford, Director of Research for Cambridge Centre for Applied Research in Human Trafficking, and Rabbi Lea Mühlstein of Jewish Social Justice campagn group, Tzelem. The guests discuss what each of their groups aim to raise awareness of human trafficking and ways in which it can be tackled.

From Libya to Daesh, and the debate over the future of Trident, there always seems to be money for war. But are there better ways to spend it? Marc Shoffman speaks to Andrew Smith, from the Campaign Against Arms Trade, looks at whether action against military spending is necessary, while Shuaghan Dolan, from Conscience, explores how the government could deal with global issues such as Isis. Reverend Mark Woods, contributing editor of Christian Today, also explains whether you are pacifist if you are religious.

According to a recent research by the Pew Research Center being an atheist remains one of the biggest liabilities that a presidential candidate can have. Half of American adults say they would be less likely to vote for a hypothetical presidential candidate who does not believe in God. So how big an issue is religion when it comes to choosing a Presidential candidate? Marc Shoffman is joined in the studio by Christian author Steven Sylvester, Chartered Psychologist and Author of DETOX YOUR EGO, and Ben Ryan, from Christian think tank Theos, over the phone.