A couple of months ago we lost our pet cocker spaniel, who had been part of our family for over a dozen years. My sister repeatedly makes fun of us for taking it so hard (she's never had any pets), and it's causing a lot of anger and conflict between us. What can I say to her?
How many of the Ten Commandments do I have to keep in order to get into Heaven? I know I've broken some of them, but God surely doesn't expect us to be perfect, does He? If so, I guess no one's going to make it, because I've never met anyone who is absolutely perfect, have you?
I'd like to be a Christian but I know I could never be good enough. I'm like that old saying you've probably heard: I can resist everything but temptation. I guess people like me are just hopeless.
What, in your opinion, is the greatest hindrance to the growth of Christianity today? Is it atheism (which is what I tend to think), or is it some political system that has no use for God?
Our son will be coming home from college for the Christmas holidays, and the last time he was here he let it be known that he didn't believe in God like he used to. We ended up in a big argument because we couldn't answer his questions, but we don't want that to happen again.
I was surprised the other day when our church treasurer urged people to be as generous as possible before the end of the year, and the only reason he gave was so we'd get a big deduction on our income tax. Shouldn't we have purer motives than this for our giving?
If God is a loving God, how can He send anyone to hell? It seems to me that He ought to let everyone into heaven if He truly loves us. I honestly hope it's like that, because I haven't been a very good person (I'm in prison right now), and I don't like thinking about hell.
I just discovered that my fiancé has a drug problem. He says he got into drugs because he was bored and unhappy, but he says I shouldn't worry because when we get married he'll be happy and he won't have any reason to use drugs. Should I believe him?
Does God punish whole nations as well as individuals? I don't understand how He could do that, because even the worst countries must have some good people in them, don't they?
A year ago, I secretly reconnected with my first wife, and before we realized it we were having an affair (which only lasted a few months). I felt like a cheat afterward because we both are remarried, but I couldn't help it. I don't understand myself. Why did I go down that road?
How can I get God's forgiveness? I'm too ashamed to even tell you what I did when I was a young woman, but it has haunted me for years and I know I need God's forgiveness. Or is it too late?
I wish I could say I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this year, but I'm not. My wife died the first part of the year, and although I'll be with some of my children and grandchildren on Thanksgiving, it won't be the same. How can I explain this to them?
