Judaism

Judaism prescribes for its members a system of ethics that applies to their practical lives. A system of debate and discussion has grown up with the rabbis in the leading role, and over time a variety of principles have become widely, although not universally, accepted. Modern developments in medicine and biology have led to the necessity to re-examine the traditional solutions, as have the creation of the State of Israel and contemporary concerns about the environment. Perhaps the most powerful source of new practical ethical issues lies in the area of gender and sexuality, which have challenged the consensus that existed up to now in this area.