Topic: Fame and Privacy

Andrew and Drew put our topic together this week.



Is there a difference between the privacy we expect and the privacy we give others?

On Tuesday, Rochette Joannie, a Canadian figure skater, had the performance of her lifetime. It was a national story because two days prior her mother passed away from a heart attack after arriving in Vancouver to watch her daughter skate. The Canadians have taken great length to protect Rochette from the media and the Canadian Olympic organization has taken some criticism for not allowing reporters to talk to this young skater.

On the radio a reporter said, "It is moments like this, these are Olympic moments!" speaking about the situation surrounding this Canadian skater and expressing his disappointment that the Canadian Olympic organization hasn't allowed interviews.

On the less heroic side of things, another sports figure - Tiger Woods - is under intense media surveillance since admitting to several affairs. Is this really our business?

Finally, do we overemphasize our own private lives on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter? Where should a person draw the line in reading and publishing information about themselves? Is there a perverseness to this obsession?

Here are a few more links to check out:

• Empathy and Voyeurism (NPR)
• Social Media killed privacy (CNN)
• Tiger Woods apologizes to his daughter's pre-school because of paparazzi (Candadian Press)
  

Does our news media ever move from simple reporting to voyeurism?
Is there something in human nature that makes us want to hear in detail about the tragedies and triumphant in other people's live without actually knowing them?
How differently do we invade someone’s privacy and how much do we let them?
Does your faith/spiritually speak these situations?

Topic: Ghosts!

Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever heard of a dead relative returning to visit a person? If you do, you are certainly not alone.

• One of the most popular programs on cable television these days is a program called "Ghosthunters."
• According to a Gallup poll, Americans are very open to the existence of ghosts with over a third of Americans stating they believe in "spirits of dead people" that return. Almost half of the population believe in some form of ESP. 55% of Americans believe that people can be possessed by the devil or evil spirits.
  

This week for unTapped we will discuss anomalous paranormal/spiritual experiences. How do such things fit with your experience, your faith, and your perspective of the world?

Topic: Love

What is Love?

As we approach St. Valentine's Day, love is on many minds. But, what does it mean to love? We'll get perspectives on love this week at unTapped! Join us at 7pm, Shorts Brewing Company in beautiful downtown Bellaire.

Topic: Ethical Preaching

what to do when people behave badly

Most people believe that it is wrong to judge another human being for their actions. However, certain occasions in life need a response. What is our ethical responsibility when we notice our neighbors and fellow humans behaving unethically? We'll examine this topic from three different perspectives - individual, familial, and political.

Here are a few things to consider:

• A Georgia Man was convicted of child abuse. He observed a crying child, walked up to her mother and said “If you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you.” He then slapped the child four times. Did he overstep his bounds? What is our responsibility when someone else's child is misbehaving?
  
• Howard Zinn passed away last week. The thinker is famouse for saying that "dissent is the highest for of patriotism." He felt that we owed it to our fellow human being to check people in power.
• Good Samaritan high speed chase. Is it our responsibility to help police our neighborhoods? would the Good Samaritan have chased down the criminals in Jesus parable, or is it enough to simply care for the victim?

We'll discuss this and more this Thursday night at Short's Brewing Company in downtown Bellaire!