ethics

Ethics: Seminary Student Preaches Someone Else’s Sermons

What would you do Wednesday! Today I’m going to pick-on set the situation within the realm of Southern Baptists since I are one. It is also more culturally acceptable to use your own as an example, right? (Don’t worry, non-Southern Baptists may also comment.) The created situation involves a seminary student who preaches someone else’s [...]

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Ethics: the Deacons are Freemasons!

What would you do Wednesday! Freemasonry is not as active as it was in the past. It was already on the decline when I left the lodge 13 years ago. Although I imagine the Shriners, of whom all are Masons, are still pretty active. Freemasonry was once a concern in Southern Baptist life. In fact, [...]

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Ethics: Church Discipline Contract Issued

What would you do Wednesday! Today’s situation deals with the uncomfortable issue of church discipline. To make the situation more uncomfortable a church discipline contract will also be involved. The scenario is inspired by real circumstances surrounding a former Mars Hill Church member named Andrew who was issued a church discipline contract to sign.1 Imagine [...]

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Ethics: Prominent Pastor Plagiarizes?

What would you do Wednesday! The question of plagiarized sermons comes up every now and then. Whether or not one should preach someone else’s sermons has been debated in the blogosphere, too. Selling sermons must not be too bad of a business considering the eight sites listed on Sermon Source that continue to sell sermons. There [...]

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Ethics: Church to Lose Funding Over Homosexual Adoption

What would you do Wednesday! The New York Times reported that Roman Catholic charities in Illinois must comply with a new requirement to “consider same-sex couples as potential foster-care and adoptive parents if they want to receive state money.”1 Catholic bishops claim that these requirements infringe on freedom of religion. Catholic charities in other cities [...]

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Ethics: Renting to a Homosexual Couple

What would you do Wednesday! The Michael Medved Show recently covered the topic of the discrimination lawsuit filed against Aloha Bed & Breakfast by a lesbian couple. The B&B owner, Phyllis Young, allegedly denied the couple a room due to her Christian views on homosexuality. The lesbian couple is suing claiming a violation of Hawaiian law [...]

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Ethics: Don’t Quote Me, Bro!

What would you do Wednesday! Today’s scenario is an interesting one involving blogging, although it could be applied to any online writing. The online exchange of words and ideas is amazingly fast. If a blogger has any kind of audience and he posts something that challenges that audience there is probably going to be a [...]

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Ethics: Pastor Opposes Tim Tebow Preaching

What would you do Wednesday! NFL quarterback Tim Tebow gets a lot of news coverage because of the way he and the Broncos are winning football games and, more specifically, for his outspoken faith in Jesus Christ. It could be argued that his Christianity has become more of a story than the last minute wins. [...]

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Ethics: High School Football Practice Changed for Ramadan

What would you do Wednesday! In one of the episodes of TLC’s new TV show All-American Muslim a local high school football team changed their practice time for the observance of Ramadan.1 Ramadan is a month of Islamic fasting where “Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours.”2 Today’s scenario is based [...]

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Ethics: Pastor Admits to Homosexual Orientation

What would you do Wednesday! Thanks to my friend Rhology for this week’s topic. Your main preaching pastor is about to offer a Sunday morning pastoral prayer. Before praying one of your associate pastors steps up to the pulpit to make an important announcement and asks everyone for prayers on the issue. He begins. As [...]

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Ethics: Christian Converts to Islam to Marry Muslim

What would you do Wednesday! TLC’s new TV show All-American Muslim recently had an episode where a Roman Catholic converted to Islam so he could marry a Muslim woman.1 My wife and I had some interesting discussions about this situation. The Roman Catholic mother and father did not seem to be bothered as much as [...]

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Ethics: Whether or Not To Leave a Church Over the Pastor’s Sermons

What would you do Wednesday! Today’s scenario is based on a real life dilemma from a reader who is struggling with how he or she should remedy their situation. I will give the gist of the situation, but the reader who sent the inquiry will remain anonymous. Let’s see what advice you would give your [...]

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Ethics: Pastoral Candidate Answers Questions on the Trinity

What would you do Wednesday! For years T.D. Jakes has been unclear when challenged to give his position on the Trinity. His most recent answers to questions on the Trinity are from a radio appearance in 2010 which I’ve transcribed.1 Even though he mentions that he believes that God exists in “three Persons,” he offered [...]

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Ethics: Deacons Call for Pastor to Resign

What would you do Wednesday! Joe McKeever has a sad post about a real life situation with a great outcome over at SBC Today.1 McKeever describes a call he got from a pastor who was informed by his deacon board that they voted he should resign. Not only should the pastor leave, but he should [...]

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Ethics: Baptism by Pouring-Joining a Baptist Church

What would you do Wednesday! The following scenario takes place in a Baptist church. However, non-Baptists may give share their perspective too. The situation has to do with new members being brought before a local Baptist congregation for membership affirmation. The congregation is gathered and five new members and one family are being affirmed. The [...]

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Ethics: New Church and a Pastor’s Affair

What would you do Wednesday! The scenario for this dilemma takes place with the reader just moving to a new town and visiting a new church. The situation involving the church and its pastor is, sadly, based on a true story. Upon taking a recent promotion your company moves you to a part of the [...]

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Ethics: A Death and the Age of Accountability

What would you do Wednesday! Dr. Lemke recently wrote about the age of accountability.1 In the comment of that post Lemke mentioned that the Presbyterian position which denies the age of accountability has “always been a bit embarrassing pastorally — or as the saying goes, it won’t sell in Peoria.” This post will use age [...]

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Ethics: Church Leader Publicly Drinks Alcohol

What would you do Wednesday! There has been a lot of blogging about Christians and alcohol lately. Today’s scenario will follow suit and deals with seeing a church leader drinking alcohol in public. It’s Friday evening and your out to dinner with a few friends from church. Dinner is in an open area where several [...]

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Ethics: Female Pastor Presented to Preach Sunday Morning

What would you do Wednesday! The inspiration for this week’s post comes from a real issue that happened in a local Southern Baptist association. Surry Baptist Association in North Carolina disfellowshipped Rocks Baptist Church for calling Bailey Edwards Nelson, a female, a their pastor. Then, Dave at SBCVoices asked – Are Churches with Female Pastors [...]

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Ethics: Adding Alcohol Abstinence to the Church Covenant

What would you do Wednesday! Your pastor recently read John Piper’s article Alcohol and Church Membership that explains why Piper pushed to have the phrase on abstaining from the use of beverage alcohol removed from his church covenant. Upon further consideration your pastor decided to do the opposite of what Piper did. He proposed to add [...]

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Ethics: Southern Baptist Pastor Becomes a Calvinist

What would you do Wednesday! All week anticipation of this Sunday’s sermon has been high since the planned topic is election. One of your fellow church members has recently embraced Calvinism so you’re hoping the pastor gives some good biblical arguments to discuss with him. Last year in a sermon your pastor made it clear that [...]

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Ethics: Church Organizes To Ban Mosque

What would you do Wednesday! Local Muslims have found a building in the neighborhood that they’d like to turn into a Mosque. The zoning notice is up and a city hall meeting will be taking place very soon. There has been talk around town both for and against. Some very vocal citizens are absolutely against [...]

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Ethics: If Your Pastor Says You Suck?

What would you do Wednesday! As you roll out of bed Sunday morning to get ready for church the memory of an uncomfortable conversation with the pastor earlier in the week takes over your thoughts. “I never complain. Maybe I shouldn’t have complained about the music,” you think, “but our recent worship songs have been [...]

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Ethics: Which Pastor, Anger or Homosexuality?

What would you do Wednesday! The following scenario was built upon an actual question that was asked to a group of Christian men about which pastor they would choose in a given situation. Read on. I also believe that a measure of homophobia has existed in many Southern Baptists. My evidence? I asked a group [...]

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Ethics: Army Chaplain Preaches for Memorial Day

What would you do Wednesday! It is the Sunday before Memorial Day. It has been a weekend full of Military appreciation. Television stations have run specials with great reminders of the sacrifices of the many men and women who have served and are serving in America’s Armed Forces. The gratefulness of living in such a [...]

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Ethics: Name the Racist Church?

What would you do Wednesday? Tony Morgan recently wrote a post entitled This White Church Doesn’t Want Black Members. His post is the account of a true story of the racism exactly as the title suggests. It is from this sad story that I offer this weeks ethics question. The scenario is that you have [...]

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Ethics: Should Pastors Accept Gifts from Members?

What would you do Wednesday! This weeks question deals with the subject of pastors accepting gifts from church members. Depending on the gift, some may see accepting certain gifts as inappropriate. For example, in 2009, a story broke where there were allegations of inappropriate monetary gifts to a pastor. Tom Rich started a blog over [...]

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Ethics: Your Pastor Reveals He is Gay

What would you do Wednesday! It was a normal Sunday morning worship service. Everything was moving along as usual until the pastor began his sermon. He stood up and began what seemed like a sermon introduction. Instead of preaching he began explaining that he needed to come out or confess something to the congregation. His [...]

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Ethics: Church Member Invites You To R-Rated Movie Night

What would you do Wednesday! It’s Friday night and your husband has already left for a deacon retreat for the weekend. He’ll be home Saturday night so you’ve got Friday night and Saturday free. You will miss him, but know that you will only be apart for one day and it will allow you to [...]

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Ethics: The Abandoned Husband

What would you do Wednesday! Bob married Martha eight years ago, and they quickly had three children. After six especially tumultuous months, Bob came home from work one day and found a note taped to the refrigerator: “Dear Bob, I can’t keep giving anymore. I need some time for myself. Good-bye for now.” The financial [...]

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Ethics: A Church Member Wins the Lottery

What would you do Wednesday! While away visiting relatives in another state one of your friends from church bought a $1 lottery ticket at the influence of his cousin. He never plays the lottery and hasn’t thought much about it. He figured that it was only $1 so what could it hurt? It turns out [...]

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Ethics: A Yoga Class Starting at Church

What would you do Wednesday! Sitting down in the pew on Sunday morning you open the bulletin that you just grabbed on the way in. You look through for anything new going on in your church. One new byline reads: New Outreach Opportunity: New Yoga classes starting, twice a week. Sign up at the church [...]

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Ethics: Terminal Care for an Elderly Cancer Patient?

What would you do Wednesday! Eighteen months ago, a seventy-one-year-old Christian woman developed cancer in a kidney. Physicians removed the kidney. Now, however, the cancer has spread to other parts of her body, including her brain, so she has become permanently unconscious. Her second kidney is now failing, and she needs dialysis. Dialysis might keep [...]

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Ethics: A Homosexual Asks About Christianity

What would you do Wednesday! You have the opportunity to minister to a friend who is a practicing homosexual.You’ve had some passing conversations with him about Christianity. He’s never wanted to engage too much and believes he knows where you stand. He thought it might hurt your friendship if you talked too deeply about Christianity [...]

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Ethics: Aborting Your Anencephalic Baby

What would you do Wednesday! You and your spouse have found out in the last few weeks that the child with whom you are pregnant has been diagnosed with anencephaly, a fatal genetics disorder in which the cerebral cortex of the brain does not develop at all. The skull is somewhat flat and quite deformed [...]

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Ethics: Potential Deacon Struggling with Pornography

What would you do Wednesday! This week’s scenario involves a deacon candidate. One of your friends tells you he has been called to be a deacon. Soon he is going to meet with your pastor(s) and a few of the deacons who will talk to and evaluate his qualifications to be a deacon. The problem [...]

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Ethics: Burn A Koran Day In Your Community

What would you do Wednesday! There has been a lot of discussion about Islam lately. As Sept. 11 approaches I can only imagine how talk of Islam will draw many emotional responses. We’ve talked a bit about the Ground Zero Mosque. Understandably, it continues to be an issue. An issue on which Christians disagree. Today’s [...]

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Ethics: Excluding A Single Parent from Church Membership

What would you do Wednesday! The scenario is that a single mother is a member of your local church. For several years she seemed to be living faithfully for Christ. She was present on Sunday morning and often during other church events. It was difficult for her at times and the church even helped her [...]

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Ethics: Business Bribes

What would you do Wednesday! The scenario is that you work for an international company that works, directly and indirectly, on projects with governments in the Middle East. You the leader on a team for a project that is about to begin. The contract is with a local Middle East government in which several officials [...]

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Ethics: Church Staff An Illegal Immigrant

What would you do Wednesday! The scenario involves a lady employed full-time by your local church. She came recommended by another local pastor and has been employed for six months. You hear a rumor from a friend that she is in the USA illegally. You rebuke your friend for the rumor. You then take the [...]

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Ethics: Immodest Dress In Church

What would you do Wednesday! The scenario is that you are friends with a couple at church who are always in Sunday School (or whatever you might call it). Spring comes and you notice that this couple has stopped coming to Sunday School. Although they do attend corporate worship as usual. You go to your [...]

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Ethics: Resign Church Membership To Avoid Discipline

What would you do Wednesday! The scenario is that a fellow church member whom you are fairly close to is under church discipline. There will be two issues to decide on. Your friend is a single lady. It was discovered that she is having an inappropriate relationship with her boyfriend who attends another church. The [...]

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Ethics: Cohabitation In the Church

What would you do Wednesday! You are friends with two church members who are dating each other. They officially joined your congregation 12 months ago. They faithfully attend corporate church functions and have been singing in the choir for the last six months. Upon having dinner at his place (you thought) it looks as though [...]

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Ethics: Unwanted Pregnancy

What would you do Wednesday! A fifteen year old girl was invited by your daughter to a youth outreach event at your church. Her boyfriend had just broken up with her. She was really upset and needed to get away and thought a church event would be something nice to go to. The gospel was [...]

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Ethics: To Pray In Jesus Name Or Not?

What would you do Wednesday! Consider being in a situation similar to that of Pastor Baity when he was recently fired for praying in Jesus name. Baity got to say one prayer before the N.C. House, but then he was not invited back. He is protesting his firing and the N.C. House prayer guidelines are [...]

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Ethics: Church Staff And Internet Pornography

What would you do Wednesday! Upon borrowing a church staff member’s computer to use the internet a shameful discovery is made. The URL address bar auto-populated with a pornographic website. While nervously trying to close the website an open folder is clicked on and maximized only to find a handful of pornographic pictures. Upon calming [...]

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Adrian Rogers on integrity

Ephesians 6:14a Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth (NKJV) The Girdle Of Truth – The Believer’s Integrity A soldier in Paul’s day had a leather girdle that he tightened about his waist to protect his loins and carry his weapons of warfare, such as a dagger or sword. The belt also held his [...]

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Ethics question: Capital Punishment Vote

The death penalty has been in the news recently. A tough subject to be sure. Consider the three recent news stories below and then the ethical question on the issue. High Court refuses to hear appeal of woman on death row – Linda Carty was convicted of the 2001 murder of Joana Rodriguez in Texas. [...]

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Ethics question: Kill or be killed?

Last night in ethics class we were proposed a scenario that I’m going to propose here. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Ready? Here goes! You and your group are visiting a country that is in the middle of a civil war. All of you are then captured by one of the militias. In order [...]

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