Podcasts related to Ethics & Morality - Religions

One of the big focuses of the Autumn Statement was housing, with pledges to build more affordable homes. But where does the statement stand on a spiritual level. Marc Spoke to Jacob Quagliozzi, deputy Director of Housing Justice and Paul Morrison from the Methodist Church, to go over the chancellors statement.

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.

The Muslim community has come to the end of its holy month of Ramadan. As well as a month of fasting the festival also has a big focus on charitable giving, known as Zakat. But Islam isn't the only faith that puts charity at the centre of its beliefs. Research commissioned by the BBC in 2014 found that people who have a religious belief are more likely to give to charity than non-believers. Sikhs and Jews emerged as the most likely to share their wealth with a good cause, just ahead of Christians, Hindus and Muslims. The study, carried out for the BBC's network of local radio stations found that levels of generosity across the British public are strikingly high, but highest among those with a religious faith. As many as seven in 10 people in England said they had given money to a charity in the past month. But while just over two thirds of those who professed no religious faith claimed to have done so, among believers the figure rose to almost eight out of 10. Among those polled, all of the Sikhs and 82 per cent of practising Jews had given money in the past month. Among practising Christians the figure was 78 per cent. So what is it about religion that makes people so charitable? Well as one example, in the Jewish faith there is a rule that people should give 10 per cent to charity, known as Tzedakah. Marc Shoffman spoke to Rabbi Yoni Birnbaum of the Hadley Wood Jewish community to find out more.

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.

Religions such as Judaism and Islam have strict rules on modesty when it comes to men and women in the way they dress and look. This has given rise to a whole industry around modest fashion. Marc Shoffman speaks to Anas Sillwood, who runs modest fashion webstie Shukr Clothing, about the teachings in the Muslim faith about modesty. Rabbi Benjy Rickman and his wife, Emily, also explain how modesty plays in the Jewish faith.

From house prices to Help to Buy, the property market is a key economic, political and social issue. But is it a religious one as well? Rita spoke to Alastair Murray, director of projects for Housing Justice, June Morton, chief executive of Jewish social housing group JLiving,

Marc Shoffman discusses the month of Ramadan with Financial Journalist, Amina Zafar, who explains what challenges Muslims face when fasting. Tufail Hussain, Islamic Relief Deputy Director and Head of Fundraising, looks at the campaign behind the charity’s bus adverts and explains how Muslims work out their Zakat. He also talks about Islamic Relief’s projects and how they are monitored.

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.