I am a graduate of medicine and theology with a Ph.D in medical ethics. I tutor in medical ethics at the University of Melbourne, am an (occasional) adjunct Lecturer in Ethics at Ridley Melbourne, and a voluntary researcher with Ethos. I am also a Fellow of ISCAST and a past chair of the Melbourne Chapter of Christians for Biblical Equality. I have special interests in professional ethics, sexual ethics and the ethics of virtue.
by Jesse Galef – Every now and then it’s worth refreshing our memory about how absurd it is to call the God in the Judeo-Christian bible compassionate. Daniel Florien at Unreasonable Faith just released part five of his series called “An Evil God?” focusing on the story of Noah. Remember that this is the unchanging, ever-loving God many people claim to worship. After referring to this little episode as “the Tantrum of All Tantrums,” Dan describes the situation: So everyone… Read more
by Jesse Galef – Baby steps, people, baby steps. Truth Wins Out reports that Focus on the Family president Jim Daly is opposed to the proposed Uganda law which would require killing homosexuals. He’s also against the way the legislation would incite violence against them: “As a Christian organization, Focus on the Family Action encourages pro-family policies. As such, we respect the desire of the Ugandan people to shield their nation from the promotion of homosexuality as morally equivalent to… Read more
by Jesse Galef – When I came home today I saw a package from Amazon waiting for me. Not sure what to expect, I opened it eagerly. It turned out to have been from a Christian friend of mine in college. The book is “Atheist Delusions” by David Bentley Hart. My friend must have known what my reaction would be… Now, I’ve had people send me their random Christian books in hopes of convincing me of something. I tend to… Read more
by Jesse Galef – For some holiday entertainment, I bring you a song by the Australian comedy group Tripod. You know the shepherds who, in the story, followed the star to Bethlehem? Well, there must have been some non-superstitious shepherds who didn’t go off chasing a star… What happened to them? The song is: I Was the Only Shepherd (Warning: Not Safe For Work due to occasional cursing) Didn’t cop a look at the manger, But at least my sheep… Read more
by Jesse Galef – Just when I think things can’t get crazier at the intersection of church and state, Senator Colburn decides to prove me wrong. This started out as a heartless political ploy and turned into something far worse. In the razor-thin supermajority in favor of the healthcare reform bill, every vote counts. When it comes to the vote of a 92 year-old senator, some understanding is warranted, but not given (via Ezra Klein): Another example came last night,… Read more