Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Is Sex With a Brain-Damaged Man Assault?” There is a man in our congregation who suffered a head injury in an accident. He is now permanently cognitively damaged. He lives in his own home with helpers. He has difficulty speaking and says that he has greater difficulty understanding what is said[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “My Nanny Has a Gambling Problem. Can I Fire Her?” I recently discovered that one of my live-in nannies has a serious gambling problem. Now I know why she always comes home way past curfew and is always short of money. I have never witnessed her stealing anything from us, and[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Should I Turn in My Tax-Cheating Relative?” My relative works in the marijuana industry, which has been legal in my state for almost two years. Nevertheless, he has worked under the table during that time, earning tens of thousands of dollars and not paying taxes on it. I confronted him and[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, here is my take on today’s post, “Mom Left Me the House. What Do I Owe My Brothers?” I am in my early 60s and have two older brothers. Three years ago, my mother died suddenly, and I inherited her home and all its contents. The day after she died, one of my brothers threatened to sue me[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, without imposing values, here is my take on today’s post, “How Do I Deal With a Gun at a Relative’s Home?” The patriarch of our large family came out of the closet as an elderly man nearing the end of his life; he now has a husband who is much younger, whom I will call Tim. The family[…] Keep reading →

kContinuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, without imposing values, here is my take on today’s post, “Can I Keep a Baby My Boyfriend Doesn’t Want?” I am 38 and accidentally pregnant. It turns out my boyfriend does not ever want children, never mind after just a few months of dating; he wants me to have an abortion. I am pro-choice and not attached to[…] Keep reading →

Continuing my series of responses to the New York Times’, The Ethicist, without imposing values, here is my take on today’s post, “Is It O.K. to Protest Trump by Withholding Taxes?” I am increasingly distressed by many of the things that the Trump administration is, and is not, doing. The president himself has declared that not paying taxes ‘‘makes him smart,’’ and I do not trust that my federal tax[…] Keep reading →