A rotating panel of experts from the worlds of philosophy, psychology and religion offer their perspective on the dilemmas that come with living in Southern California.

Today’s question: A Nevada woman who recently bought a used computer at an auction was surprised to find 2,000 patient records from a pharmacy, including prescriptions for alcoholics and AIDS and mental patients. The woman, who said she once lost a job after an employer learned that she suffered from multiple sclerosis, has started a crusade to alert authorities to the privacy issue. What ethical strictures should apply to keep private computer records from being publicly disseminated?

Richard J. Mouw

President, Fuller Theological Seminary

It is difficult to legislate against sheer carelessness, but severe penalties could be a deterrent. The thorny questions pertain to the intentional transfer of files between agencies that claim a legitimate interest in having access. Actually, for some individuals, easy access by professionals to their medical files is a high-tech blessing; they want their unique medical histories readily available in emergencies. Plausible strictures would certainly limit the selling of such files for commercial purposes. Also, patients should be able to find out how their records will be distributed. But in a culture where we constantly contest the boundaries between public and private, there will be no clear consensus on such matters.

Miriyam Glazer

Director, Dortort Writers Institute, University of Judaism

Confidentiality--the belief that you can trust another not to repeat what you have shared--is fundamental to feeling confidence, trust in oneself, self-assurance. Think of the worry, anxiety, hostility, perhaps even paranoia and violence, that arise when trust is absent. Who would seek a therapist’s help, share one’s innermost emotions with a friend, lover or spouse, go to a doctor, or confess one’s sins to a priest? Confidence in confidentiality is vital to a healthy self and a healthy society. Sophisticated technology may intensify our vulnerability, but it alters not at all the profound human need for trust.

Ken Fong

Pastor, Evergreen Baptist Church, Rosemead

Computer technology moves ahead at a mind-numbing clip, quickly creating a wake of newly obsolete hardware. The allure of the latest and greatest digital wonder often is so great that old equipment is soon ignored. Why waste precious time erasing sensitive data that has already been transferred to the new machines? The Nevada woman’s case suggests that individuals or companies unloading old computers should make the time to ensure the privacy of their clients or patients. They should provide a written guarantee to these people that they will erase all pertinent data from their hard drives before getting rid of them. Technology must never be allowed to supersede our humanity.

Compiled by K. CONNIE KANG, Times staff writer