Some say that the secret to always having your prayers answered is to always pray for things that God wants. They say that God always says yes to those kind of prayers. Bologna.
Earlier I'd written that conservative Christians tend to worry too much about 'liberal issues' and not enough about actually loving people. I thought I'd post today's response...
Having a website is a big responsibility. Most of the time, most people don't think twice about it...after all: they wonder why anybody at all would read their website. If they're convinced that they're not being read, they don't have to think about what they write.
Miranda asked: "If god already knows what we want, why pray?" That's a very good question, and one that lots of people have asked. I'm not sure that anyone has a complete answer...
Christianity, especially the American sort, has its own language. Many people don't speak a word of this curious language...so, as a web designer specializing in working with churches and non-profits, I have to remind a lot of folks to avoid using jargon to communicate.
A lot of people in the Bible had their names changed, or went by more than one name. I appreciate your patience while I compile a comprehensive list of all of them.
Should gay couples appear in your church's pictorial directory? Church leaders are often faced with difficult decisions. In fact, they often have to make critical decisions on a weekly basis. Without taking sides in church politics, I feel for the folks having trouble dealing with this issue.
Doubt is our friend. No, I'm not promoting ignorance. You should know me better than that by now. I'm promoting a mindset: one that makes room for questions...leaves room for doubt...allows others to be elsewhere on the continuum we call faith. Uh-oh.
This is a common question, even if it's not expressed out loud. Science and religion are often seen as in conflict. I suggest that most often, they are not...the problem is one of utility. Here's the problem, in my estimation:
That's what we call 'a loaded question'! First, I find that Catholics are usually very much like other people. =)
Jewish men of that time, by and large, did not speak to Gentiles (non-Jews). They especially did not speak to women. In fact, it's said that they went so far out of their way to avoid contact with women and Gentiles that they would cross the street to avoid passing next to them.
In a word, no. Of course, slavery is mentioned in the Bible, so let's look at the context. There were three kinds of slavery in vogue at that time: involuntary slaves, indentured servants, and bondservants.
