What concerns you most about Memphis? Memphis has all of the elements of greatness. It is a diverse, vibrant, arts-oriented breeding ground for the talents of another generation. What concerns me most is that the tri-state Delta area seems haunted by the past. The potential to become the cultural and spiritual hub of the nation is [...]

Women should have access to the full spectrum of medical options available for birth control in facilities that purport to serve the public. President Obama’s compromise is politically astute but problematic. It assumes that church doctrine in male-dominated religious organizations should be weighed in the balance when women’s health options are being considered. If a [...]

Should grieving be considered a psychiatric disorder? How do you define grief? How do you counsel or minister to those who are grieving? Can/should grief be medicated? If we characterize grief as a disorder, we may have to add love to that list of psychiatric maladies. Like grief, love can make you do some crazy things. [...]

If an entire community could make a New Year’s Resolution, what should ours be for 2012? A New Year’s resolution is an optimistic commitment to work toward a better self, or in this instance, a better community. Memphis needs more optimism and celebration of our history and our hope for the future. The top priority on [...]

What are your thoughts about Father Val’s donation as well as organ donation in general? Have you stated your intent to be an organ donor on the back of your driver’s license? Why or why not? Do you know anyone who has donated organs or received organ transplants? Father Val’s selfless act reminds me that good [...]

What was (or is) your reaction to this photo? What are your hopes (or prayers) for the new board? During the Civil Rights movement we sang “We shall overcome someday” not knowing when or whether we could bridge our differences. This photograph of the united school board in prayer reminds me that many things have changed [...]

Sunday marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. How has America changed since then? How did 9/11 change faith in America? What impact did 9/11 have on the soul of America? Attacks whether personal or collective create ripples of devastation that extend far beyond the event. September 11th was not just an attack on buildings [...]

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial will be dedicated Sunday in Washington. It will be the first monument on the National Mall to honor a non-president. What is Dr. King’s religious and spiritual legacy? How did his ministry influence your own? My dad fled to the North with his family when he was just a [...]

These are fretful times. The economy seems to be in another tailspin. We’re witnessing gridlock in Washington, panic on Wall Street, riots in London, high unemployment and budget cuts all around. Are these difficulties strictly economic and political, or are there moral, ethical and spiritual dimensions to our economic woes? How are these difficulties affecting the [...]

Last week, the Tennessee Senate passed a bill that would forbid public school teachers and students in grades K-8 from discussing the fact that some people are gay. What’s your reaction? How should our schools public and private deal with the subject of human sexuality, and in particular homosexuality?     The Tennessee legislature’s most recent foray [...]

President Obama came to Memphis this week and spoke to the 2011 Class of Booker T. Washington High School about the value of education and dedication. What message do you have for this year’s graduates at BTW and other schools across the community? My message to graduates across the nation is that a new world is [...]

How should people of faith react to the death of Osama bin Laden? Osama bin Laden was killed this week and I am left speechless by the description of the mission and the celebratory response of my fellow citizens. After 9/11, our nation bore not only the loss of loved ones at the sites of the [...]

What gives you hope? Langston Hughes was right.  Life is not a crystal stair, but the human journey is worth the effort because hope courses through our veins and saturates every breath that we take.  Hope can’t be deleted or denied; it is hard-wired into our reality.  I am reminded of the Sudanese children from seven [...]

Should religious objections to fundamental principles of biology be discussed in public school science classes? Yes.  Public school science classes should offer the opportunity for critical thinking and discussions about the latest scientific theories.  Students should also learn that scientific methods and findings are constantly being challenged and tested.  This is a necessary and important part [...]

How can we live responsibly as devout and faithful adherents of one religion in a world (or community) of many religions? The answer to this question requires a “Big Picture” view of our faith.  When we become people of faith and discover the God of all creation, we immediately begin to lay claim to God’s spiritual [...]

The Memphis City Council is expected to consider funding for the ambitious Mayors’ Action Plan to End Homelessness in Memphis and Shelby County. What do you think of the plan? What can and should our faith community — congregations, clergy and people of faith in the pews — do about homelessness in our community. Wouldn’t it [...]

Should the Bible be taught in our public schools? Should our schools also teach students about the Quran, the Book of Mormon, the Vedas and other sacred texts? When it comes to teaching public school students about religion, what is appropriate and what is not? Because I am an ethicist, questions that begin with the word [...]