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As a convert, this has been a bone of controversy in my family. My Rav, Rabbi Gedaliah Anemer, zt"l, said it was forbidden to enter the sanctuary of a church. Rabbi Maurice Lamm, in his book Becoming A Jew, also does not allow any leniency. When my father died, I brought up the issue because I was asked to speak at the memorial service. Another ...

Nitei Gavriel (Hilchot Yichud, chapter 3, halacha 11, footnote 14) brings several opinions (including R' Moshe) that all half-siblings have the same halachot as full siblings. This is what the Nitei Gavriel says in the halacha as well. He then brings that R' Eliyashev says only half-siblings on the mother's side are considered like full siblings. The reason ...

The gemoro in Pesachim 51A says that father, father-in-law, stepfather and brother-in-law (sister's husband) are forbidden, and that there are those who are machmir on brothers as well. According to Rashi the issue is that it would lead one to impure thoughts, to see the place from where he or his wife were produced, or thoughts about his brother-in-law and ...

http://www.sichosinenglish.org/books/the-laws-of-yichud/05.htm See Beis Shmuel, Even HoEzer 22:1. The permissibility of Yichud of a brother and sister includes half-brothers and half-sisters — Dvar Halachah Hosafos Chadashos 2; Divrei Sofrim Emek Davar 56. However, there is a prohibition of Yichud with a step-brother or step-sister.

See the linked answers. Let's say "not recommended", put mildly. I don't know the nature of this non-Jewish relative connection, that's its own set of issues. But in a nutshell: Judaism traditionally prescribes staying far, far away from anything that looks like non-monotheistic worship or a house thereof. There would be very little issue, as far as I ...

Because the parent is not Jewish, there is no chiyuv (requirement) for you to sit shiva for them. That being said, there is a kibud av v'em (honor for father and mother) issue which must be contemplated when dealing with sitting shiva for a non-Jewish parent. Basically, there is a concern that the person would not be showing proper respect to his deceased ...