How is it possible for both men and women to be made in the Divine Image when the Bible speaks of God primarily in masculine terms? I’m wondering if all the talk I’ve been hearing about the biblical basis for equality between the sexes is just an attempt on the part of liberal theologians to …
Faith Q&As
What do you think about the current emphasis on communal living in some Christian circles? We’re seriously worried about a couple of close friends of ours. Over the past year they’ve become increasingly obsessed with the idea of creating “community.” Now they want us to sell our home, move with them to a rural area, …
How can I regain my childhood faith? I was brought up as a Christian but stopped believing in God a few years ago. More recently, I’ve been feeling as if something is drawing me back to the faith of my childhood. My fear is that this is purely a matter of sentiment and emotion and …
Does God view me as “inherently evil?” I recently heard a pastor use this phrase in a sermon on the doctrine of “total depravity.” It’s been bothering me ever since. In the first place, I think it’s unbiblical. Scripture says that God made mankind in His own image, and that everything He made was inherently …
I heard that Focus on the Family doesn’t recommend gender-neutral Bible translations. What translations does Focus recommend?
What do you think of Christians who adopt a “survivalist/off-the-grid” mentality? Who sell their homes, move to remote desert or mountain locations, stockpile food, grow their own crops, live like “pioneers,” and strive to be as independent of the “system” as possible? I know several people who are moving in this direction. I don’t completely …
Can pagans be good family people? I’m a young Pagan/Wiccan woman and I appreciate many of the articles, Q&As, and other features posted on Focus on the Family’s website. But I wonder what you, as Christians, think of a person like me. Would you agree that a strong, healthy religious belief system of any kind …
How do I seek God’s guidance when faced with major decisions? In other words, how can I get a handle on His will for my life? I’ve been told that it’s important to do this, and for the most part I believe it’s true. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to go about it. I …
Can you offer any suggestions for organizing an effective church outreach to shut-ins and residents of nursing homes?
What should Christians think of the study and use of psychology and psychiatry?
How many times will God forgive me and take me back again? I’m a Christian, but my walk with the Lord has been an on-and-off thing for a number of years. There have been many occasions when I’ve walked away from the Lord only to return to Him again after falling on my face and …
Why is God so angry in the Old Testament and so loving in the New?
What does the Bible mean when it says we are created “in God’s image” (Genesis 1:27)?
Why should I “submit” to a government that I believe is moving in the wrong direction? I love my country and want to cooperate with the political system, but I’m struggling to understand what the Bible says on this subject. How in the world can the apostle Paul tell Christians to submit to the authorities …
Is it “un-Christian” to serve as a public official? I’ve always had a strong desire to inject my Christian beliefs and values into the culture by playing an active role in public life. But a Christian friend of mine thinks this is wrong. He says I shouldn’t assume that the United States is a “Christian …
Will Focus on the Family’s family advice help me if I’m not a Christian? I’ve been listening to some of your radio shows, and I’m intrigued by your guests’ unique insights into the nuts and bolts issues of family life. There’s just one problem: I don’t consider myself a believer and doubt I ever will. …
Why is God so “hit-or-miss” in the way He responds to our petitions for His miraculous intervention? When my son was born with a heart defect and needed open-heart surgery, our prayers were answered miraculously. But when my husband was diagnosed with cancer, his condition deteriorated steadily in spite of the constant intercession of family, …
If God has a plan, why should we pray? Do our prayers really make a difference if He already knows how things are going to turn out? Christian friends have often assured me that God is working out His plan for me and my children. At the same time, they have also urged me many …
How do I answer the argument that everything can be explained in terms of evolution? By way of example: I told an atheist friend that evolutionary theory doesn’t account for altruism or self-sacrifice. If survival is what it’s all about, why would a soldier throw himself on a grenade to save his friend? He said …
Do you have any thoughts on Julius Wellhausen’s (1844-1918) so-called “Documentary Theory” of the Torah or Pentateuch? According to this theory, the traditional “Books of Moses” (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) weren’t written by Moses at all, but by a group of authors who can be distinguished by their different literary styles: the “Jahwist” …
