CARING FOR CREATION

I'm really confused. I've been reading literature about animal liberation recently and am considering vegetarianism because of the horrible things I'm discovering. As a Christian, I know God allows us to eat animals, but surely He is disgusted by the painful factory farming techniques of this age, such as battery cages. I also believe that meat consumption contributes to world hunger, and that we are not using our God-given resources wisely. Why do Christians say so little about this issue? Can you offer a Godly and biblical perspective?

Actually, it isn't true that Christians have had little to say about this issue. For starters, check out the Interfaith Council for Environmental Stewardship, an organization of Protestants, Roman Catholics and Jews, which affirms biblical stewardship principles while rejecting their misuse to support environmental radicalism. The home page of the organization is HERE, and its manifesto is HERE .

TOO MANY RELIGIONS

"Why are there so many religions and why is Christianity the right one?" This is a question I am asked by non-Christians.

Let me break your question into three. First, why couldn't many religions be true? Imagine that while travelling to Chicago, you come to a crossroads from which you could travel along a straight road in any of four directions: North, South, East or West. All four roads are labelled "This Way to Chicago," but it stands to reason that at least three of the signs must be wrong. Of course it's possible that none of the roads lead to Chicago (for example, Chicago might be to the Northwest), but at most, only one of them leads there. With religions, it's just the same. Each one says "This way to the Most Important Thing," but they give logically inconsistent instructions, so at most one of them really leads there. Of course, to say that a road doesn't go to Chicago doesn't mean that there's nothing good about it. Maybe it's scenic or historic; maybe there are Chicago tourism booths along the way; maybe, while travelling on it, you can even catch glimpses of Chicago at a distance. Just remember that none of these things will get you to Chicago.

Second, granted that at most one religion is true, then why should we believe that Christianity is the true one? There are lots of reasons. One is that Jesus is unlike any other religious teacher. He claimed not only to teach the Way, but to be the Way — to be God, Himself, in person. Someone who claims to be God is either evil, nuts or God. In the Gospels, we see that He doesn't come across as evil; he doesn't come across as nuts; and only one alternative is left. Here's another reason: Every attempt to explain away the Empty Tomb has failed. If a man makes the preposterous prediction that in fulfillment of prophecy he will rise from the grave, then does it, I think we have a good reason to take his other claims about himself seriously. You can find a good scholarly discussion of the Empty Tomb HERE .

Third, if only one religion is right, why are there so many others? I answer: Why not? There are more wrong answers than right ones to every question. What is two plus two? There is only one right answer, but there is an infinity of wrong ones. Besides, in religion we often prefer the wrong answers. If we don't want God most of all — if we want something else even more than God — then we convince ourselves that this Something Else is God, and that God isn't God after all.

I WAS APPALLED

Some of the responses to your article on abstinence appalled me. I am a 21 year old college Junior who willingly admits her sexual struggles and mistakes. One of my conclusions is that when you are involved in any way with any friend, you give part of yourself. You make yourself vulnerable. When you are sexually involved, you are giving a part you would not give to an ordinary friend, something much more special.

I have had two serious relationships. In the first, I made many mistakes concerning sex. The scars have taken a long time to heal. Part of me is missing. Part of who I am, what I believe is missing. By the grace of God I am being restored, but one day I will have to explain my mistakes to my imperfect husband, whoever he may be, and I pray that God will soften his heart to understand my imperfections too.

I pray desperately that our generation would understand that He has only our good in mind. He requires only what will protect us.

Thank you for your letter, which contained much more than I am able to reprint here. The Lord is teaching you Wisdom.

EMPTINESS IN CHRIST?

I am a Witch and I follow the Wiccan path. It always amazes me when I read sites like yours. You Christians pretend that your religion is correct. You show your intolerance for others by attacking other religions. You cannot conceive that people would be happy without your Jesus. You feel that unless people convert to your religion they are quite unhappy. Happiness is only what people make it to be not how some religion dictates. Spiritually Blind? I think not. That is just your perception from your twisted views. And now that I have said that, I will tell you a little about myself. I used to be a Christian. I was a good Christian. I went to Sunday school and everything. But emptiness is what I felt. Deep dark emptiness. I could not even understand "Why?" I am now a Witch. I enjoy it very much. I am no longer sad or lonely. I have a clear purpose and I am free. Please write back.

I appreciate your letter, but I think you misunderstand what Christianity is about. You see, your words are all about how much happier you are now than you used to be. I take your former unhappiness seriously, and I'm sorry that you never got to the bottom of it. However, we Christians worship Christ because we believe He is the truth, not because He always makes us happy. It is certainly possible to delight in what is false and to sorrow in what is true; that is why false religions exist.

The other issue in your dispatch is condemnation. I think this is a red herring. If you really believed it were wrong to condemn another person's religion, you wouldn't have written a letter in condemnation of mine. God is always to be praised; that which leads us away from God is always to be rejected; and the human beings whom God has made are always to be loved, as I, in His name, love you.

If you have questions you’d like to Ask Theo, send us an email and we'll pass it along to him.