In Sunday morning’s episode of Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio, I’ll answer questions on the role of government in adoption, sex-selective abortions, expressing frustration, hatred for a friend’s husband, and more with Greg Perkins.
- What: Philosophy in Action Q&A Radio: 19 August 2012
- Who: Dr. Diana Hsieh and Greg Perkins
- When: Sunday, 19 August 2012, 8 am PT / 9 am MT / 10 am CT / 11 am ET
- Where: Philosophy in Action’s Live Studio
This week’s questions are:
- Question 1: The Role of Government in Adoption: What is the proper role of government in adoption, if any? Many religious people recoil at the notion of gay marriage due to its implications for adoption. They fear that the government will then allow gay couples to adopt on a broader scale. I suspect that the government is taking too great a role in adoption, and that’s what causes this particular controversy. So what role should the government play in adoption? Should it screen parents and forbid some people from adopting? More broadly, what would adoption look like in a free society?
- Question 2: Sex-Selective Abortions: Are sex-selective abortions wrong? In Canada, some hospitals refuse to tell prospective parents the sex of their fetus when discovered in a second-trimester ultrasound, because the members of many immigrant groups will selectively abort girls. Apparently, such sex-selective abortions are common enough that the birth demographics in some areas are clearly skewed. Are such abortions wrongs? Should doctors withhold information about the sex of a fetus in an effort to stop the practice? Could a doctor legitimately choose to perform abortions for any reason at 8 weeks, but refuse to do so at 21 weeks simply because the parents don’t want a girl? If so, what’s the moral difference between those two situations?
- Question 3: Expressing Frustration: When and how should I express my frustration to another person? I’ve always found it difficult to determine whether I should express a frustration to another person, whether in a personal or professional context. When and how should I tell someone that they’ve disrespected, offended, or insulted me? Does the nature of the relationship – purely financial or deeply emotional, for example – matter?
- Question 4: Hatred for a Friend’s Husband: Should I spend time with a friend and her husband if I can’t stand him? A friend of mine is married to a man with the same views of love and marriage as Jim Taggart. He is of no value to me, and I hate being in his presence. My friend invites me to spend time with the two of them and other friends of hers. Should I decline the invitations so that I do not grant her husband any undeserved attention or friendliness? Or should I accept so that I can see my friend? To do the latter feels like insulting my friend and betraying my own values.
After that, we’ll tackle some impromptu “Rapid Fire Questions.”
To join the live broadcast and its chat, just point your browser to Philosophy in Action’s Live Studio a few minutes before the show is scheduled to start. If you attend the live show, you can share your thoughts with other listeners and ask me follow-up questions in the text chat.
If you miss the live broadcast, you’ll find the audio from the episode posted here: Q&A Radio: 19 August 2012.
Philosophy in Action Radio broadcasts every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening. For information on upcoming shows and more, visit the Episodes on Tap.
I hope that you join us on Sunday morning!
