Inner Compass SEASON
3 (2002-2003)
Episode Descriptions (long)
#301 RECOGNIZING SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Have you ever paid a compliment or told a joke that seemed to be taken
much too seriously? Or do you know what to do if someone at work is acting
or talking in a way that makes you uncomfortable? Elizabeth McIntyre,
attorney with Miller, Johnson, Snell & Cummiskey P.L.C. describes
how sexual harassment is defined and how the courts decide who’s
responsible for it.
#302 THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH
What do you know about the church closest to your house? Chances are,
not much. Today most churches have forgotten the art of connecting with
their neighborhoods. They are quick to leave city neighborhoods for "bigger,
better" buildings in the suburbs. Eric Jacobsen, author of Sidewalks
in the Kingdom: New Urbanism and the Christian Faith, and Sister Maureen
Geary of the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids offer their ideas on why.
#303 TOLERANCE V. CIVILITY
Although "tolerance" used to refer to respect for other points
of view and people's right to hold them, now it's more of a command to
uphold all viewpoints as equally viable and correct. What should Christians
do with this pressure when the Christ they follow was so uncompromising?
Is there a way to "stay at the table" (and even learn!) while
not implying agreement with those who hold very different beliefs? Join
our talk with Richard Mouw of Fuller Theological Seminary, author of Uncommon
Decency: Christian Civility In An Uncivil World.
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#304 ADOPTION PART 1: THE PARENTS’
VIEW
This episode focuses on children who are removed from their homes, placed
in the foster care system, and eventually into new permanent families.
Guests George Grant, Jr. of the Grand Valley State University School of
Social Work and Sandy Recker, Adoption Specialist for the Kent County
Circuit Court, explain how the process works, where reform is needed,
and how adoptive families can bring hope to little ones who need another
chance.
#305 ADOPTION PART 2: THE CHILD'S VIEW
When you think of adoption, what comes to mind? A host of mysterious,
unpredictable, unaccountable problems, or the beauty of grafting a needy
child into a healthy home? Ron Nydam of Calvin Seminary, author of the
book Adoptees Come of Age: Living within Two Families, describes the challenges
adopted children face throughout their lives and how awareness can help
fight much of the battle.
#306 IS WEALTH BAD?
Most religious writings about wealth treat it as a sell-out to materialism.
The dangers of idolatry are worthy of severe warning, but have we gone
overboard? Isn't it possible to be wealthy both economically and spiritually?
John Schneider of Calvin's religion department discusses the answers offered
in his book The Good of Affluence: Seeking God in a Culture of Wealth.
#307 SHOULD ALL CHRISTIANS SERVE THE POOR?
The Bible says what we do for the least of humanity, we do for Christ.
What if we aren’t doing anything for the poor? What if they never
really cross our path? Bruce Main of UrbanPromise Ministries in Camden
N.J. and author of the book If Jesus Were a Sophomore: Discipleship for
College Students describes what this necessary component of Christianity
can look like.
#308 FOSTER CARE: REUNIFICATION OR ADOPTION?
Some say children should be removed from a family only as a last resort,
if their lives are in danger. And then every effort should be made to
return them, even if it means spending a long time in foster care. Others
say putting the child’s needs first means getting them quickly into
a new permanent home. Let’s hear the arguments from two experts in
the field of foster care: Emily Jean McFadden, professor at the Grand
Valley State University School of Social Work, and Stephene Diepstra of
the Calvin College social work department.
#309 SOJOURNING CYBERSPACE
With almost every technological advance comes a new set of moral questions.
What should we be asking about our use of the internet and cyberspace?
In his new book Habits of the High-Tech Heart: Living Virtuously in the
Information Age, Quentin Schultze of Calvin’s Communication Arts
& Sciences department suggests six virtues that might transform us
from tourists to sojourners on the information superhighway.
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#310 TV TALK SHOWS
What makes a good talk show? What does the evolution of talk shows tell
us about TV viewers and what they want? Does a good interviewer focus
on these demands or provide something more? Our host Shirley Hoogstra
discusses these ideas with Ricky Harris, Calvin alum and host of the successful
talk show “Ricky!” in Germany.
#311 HOW CENTRAL IS CENTRAL ASIA?
S. Frederick Starr describes this region which many have forgotten about
since the Soviet Union broke into a collection of unpronounceable countries.
Until September 11 forced us to pay attention again. Starr, founding chairman
of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at John Hopkins University in Washington,
D.C., tells guest host June Hamersma what we missed in this region’s
past and what we can hope for in its future. (Guest from The
January Series of Calvin College.)
#312 IS THE CHURCH LYING?
Stanley Hauerwas of Duke University Divinity School claims that the American
church is full of liars. He says whenever we ignore the truth in order
to preserve harmony, we are allowing lies to prevail. What happened to
the church's role as a signpost of God's truth, no matter what the cost?
Using Dietrich Bonhoeffer's example, he challenges Christians to be much
more thoughtful about what they are--and aren't--saying. (Guest from The
January Series of Calvin College.)
#313 CHRISTIANS AND RACIAL IDENTITY
Is God black or white? Some white people seem to think they are made in
God’s image, and everyone else is a reproduction of lesser quality.
James Skillen, Executive Director for the Center for Public Justice in
Washington, D.C., and Jacqueline Rhodes, Assistant Dean of Multicultural
Student Development at Calvin College, discuss Martin Luther King Jr.'s
idea of justice for everyone and the frame of mind it requires. (Guest
Skillen from The January Series
of Calvin College.)
#314 ETHICS OF FORENSIC SCIENCE
Rod Englert is a forensic consultant who specializes in interpreting bloodstain
patterns at crime scenes. In this interview he describes the ethical and
spiritual aspects of his job and his view of the American court system.
(Guest from The January Series
of Calvin College.)
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#315 GEOGRAPHIC ILLITERACY
Is geography anything more than an elementary school topic you had to
endure? What harm is there if most Americans don’t know exactly where
Korea or Afghanistan is? Geographer, author, professor, and TV personality
Harm de Blij explains the implications of living in a country whose government
leaders, news reporters, and average citizens cannot find Iraq on a map.
(Guest from The January Series
of Calvin College.)
#316 BIOTERRORISM
The department of public health is one of those silent government institutions
we don’t think about much. But that may all change if the threat
of bioterrorism becomes a reality. Dr. Steven Wiersma, chief epidemiologist
for the state of Florida and one of the key players in handling the anthrax
attacks in Florida, discusses what was learned during that crisis and
where more preparation is needed across the country. (Guest from The
January Series of Calvin College.)
#317 ARGUING FOR ABSTINENCE
It takes a lot of confidence these days to promote sexual abstinence until
marriage, when anyone who watches TV or reads magazines and novels is
bombarded with hundreds of messages to the contrary. Educational consultant
and speaker Rene Rochester makes the possibility seem less remote. She
explains her biblical approach to this topic and how she convinces at-risk
teens to renew their minds.
#318 ETHICS OF AGBIOTECHNOLOGY
If at the grocery store you saw two bins of apples—one labeled “local
farms” and one labeled “genetically modified”—which
would you choose? What if the modification guaranteed against bruises
or mushiness? What are the risks with GM foods, and who decides what’s
safe? Two philosophers tell host Quentin Schultze what concerns they do
and don’t have: Gary Comstock of North Carolina State University,
and Egbert Schuurman of Technological Universities of Delft and Eindhoven
and the Agricultural University of Wageningen in The Netherlands.
#319 BEHIND THE SMOKESCREEN: THE CIGARETTE
SCAM
Keep a promise or tell the truth? In the movie THE INSIDER, the cigarette
v.p./researcher made his choice and marched to the courtroom, flanked
by dozens of police, reporters, and lawyers. In real life it wasn’t
that “cut and dry.” Listen to the true story of Victor De Noble’s
ethical journey on Inner Compass.
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#320 CHOOSING A SUMMER CAMP
How can parents make sure their children will be safe, well cared for,
and properly guided during their time away at camp? Helpful advice is
provided by our three guests: James Van Wingerden, executive director
of Camp Roger in Rockford, MI; Karen Saupe, summer program director at
Camp Mowana in Richland County, OH (and Calvin professor of English);
and Calvin senior Jake Vander Plas, counselor at Mt. Hermon Redwood Camp
in Mt. Hermon, CA.
#321 BRINGING CHANGE TO CHURCH
When someone says “We’re going to do things differently around
here,” do those words make you cringe or salivate? Most people run
for cover. Pastor and social scientist Dr. Edward Seely of the Calvin
Institute of Christian Worship has studied this reluctance to embrace
change and applied it to the church setting. He tells guest host Karen
Saupe what strategies and mindsets people might try when introducing change
in churches.
#322 AIDS IN AFRICA
Why is it that the less we are at risk for a disease, the less we’re
interested in it? We’re fortunate to even have the choice. In countries
where poverty and AIDS mix, the choices are few. Amy Patterson of the
Calvin College department of political science, who studies African development
and the politics of AIDS, gives a picture of the people trying to avoid
AIDS in Africa.
#323 UNREQUITED LOVE
The self-help section of any bookstore is full of advice on how to handle
relationships. But there’s not so much help for the heartache of
loving someone who is indifferent to you. What are good and bad ways to
handle the situation—from both sides of the story? Dr. Laura Smit
of the Calvin College religion & theology department describes her
study of the ethics of unrequited love.
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