Answers

Read thoughtful responses to a wide assortment of questions from Billy Graham’s My Answer column and other resources.

I don't have much longer to live. How can I make my remaining days useful?

I have a chronic health problem that's only getting worse, and I know I don't have much longer to live. How can I make my remaining days useful? I am a Christian, but most of my family isn't interested in God and I want to do something to leave a spiritual legacy for them.

How can you help someone without making them dependent on you?

How can you help someone without making them dependent on you? My husband's nephew has been living with us for almost two years now. At first, the idea was to help him until he found a job after college but he hasn't even tried to get one for over a year, and he just sits around the house.

If the United States is a Christian nation, why is there so much crime?

I'm a university student from another country, and I'd like to ask you a question: If this is a Christian nation, why do you have so much crime? I respect your religion but it doesn't seem to make a difference in the way people live.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a happy time, but, in the last year, my father passed away and my mother's health is declining.

I'm dreading Thanksgiving this year, because we've always gotten together as a family at our parents' house. During the last year, however, our father passed away and our mother is in a nursing home. I know it's supposed to be a happy time, but I think we're all going to feel sad. Any suggestions?

Do you think I should go on a week-long mission trip with my church? We'll only be there a week, and we can't do much.

Our youth group at church is planning a mission trip just after Christmas. We're going to repair houses in a poor area in one of our big cities. I can't decide whether or not to sign up because we'll only be there a week and we can't do much. Do you think it would be a good idea?

How do we know Jesus was really like the Bible says He was?

I've been reading some of the books that have come out recently about Jesus, saying maybe He was married or Judas was His most faithful disciple, and things like that. How do we know Jesus was really like the Bible says He was? These books might be right instead of the Bible.

Why did God make so many different animals and insects and plants? Couldn't He have just made a few of each kind, instead of millions of them?

I am 8 years old and I would like to ask you a question. Why did God make so many different animals and insects and plants, and things like that? Couldn't He have just made a few of each kind, instead of millions of them?

How far away from God can you get and still go back to Him?

How far away from God can you get and still go back to Him? I'm afraid I've gone too far because I've done just about everything wrong you can imagine. I don't see how there can be any hope for someone as bad as I've been.

Our daughter ran off with her boyfriend, and my husband and I don't know how to deal with it. What would you do in our situation?

Our daughter ran off with her boyfriend a few weeks ago, and my husband and I just don't know how to deal with it. We're telling people that she's left for college, but sooner or later they'll find out the truth. What would you do in our situation? We feel like such failures, both as parents and as Christians.

I know I've hurt a lot of people, but what good would it do to ask them to forgive me? I know they won't do it, and to be honest, I can't blame them.

I'm in prison for embezzling money from my company, and I know I've hurt a lot of people. But what good would it do to ask them to forgive me? I know they won't do it, and to be honest, I can't blame them.

Can we only know whether or not God has forgiven us after we die?

How can I know God has forgiven me? Or can we only know whether or not God has forgiven us after we die? I've asked Him to forgive me dozens of times for all the bad things I've done, but I still feel guilty.

I'm not sure I still believe in God. How can I avoid hurting my parents' feelings?

I'm in my first semester of college, and I admit I'm not looking forward to going home this Christmas. My parents are going to quiz me about what church I'm attending and things like that, but I'm not even sure I still believe in God. How can I avoid hurting their feelings?