I had heart bypass surgery a few months ago, and I don't like what's been happening to me. I know I ought to be happy I came through it, but I've been depressed and short-tempered since then, and that isn't like me. I know it's hard on my family. Sometimes I wish God would just take me.

“I had heart bypass surgery a few months ago, and I don't like what's been happening to me. I know I ought to be happy I came through it, but I've been depressed and short-tempered since then, and that isn't like me. I know it's hard on my family. Sometimes I wish God would just take me.”

My wife is totally disabled because of a massive stroke, and probably won't ever get better. Now some of my friends are telling me I'm crazy not to find a mistress. How can I explain to them that God wants me to be faithful to her as long as she lives, without sounding like I'm strange?

“My wife is totally disabled because of a massive stroke, and probably won't ever get better. Now some of my friends are telling me I'm crazy not to find a mistress. How can I explain to them that God wants me to be faithful to her as long as she lives, without sounding like I'm strange?”

Our youth leader at church says God has a specific plan for each of us, but I have a hard time believing it. Why would God worry about every little detail of my life, when He has much bigger things to take care of?

“Our youth leader at church says God has a specific plan for each of us, but I have a hard time believing it. Why would God worry about every little detail of my life, when He has much bigger things to take care of?”

Recently I've been dating a man who takes a class with me at our local community college. We are talking very seriously about marriage, but he is much older than I am, and my mother says I shouldn't marry someone who isn't my age (I am 19). Does the Bible say anything about this?

“Recently I’ve been dating a man who takes a class with me at our local community college. We are talking very seriously about marriage, but he is much older than I am, and my mother says I shouldn’t marry someone who isn’t my age (I am 19). Does the Bible say anything about this?”

Do you believe some people can communicate with a person who has died and gone on to the next world? My aunt (who lost her husband recently) has been seeing a medium who claims to be able to do this, but I'm skeptical.

“Do you believe some people can communicate with a person who has died and gone on to the next world? My aunt (who lost her husband recently) has been seeing a medium who claims to be able to do this, but I'm skeptical.”

I sell life insurance for a living, and the other day a man told me he didn't need any kind of insurance because the Bible says God will take care of him and his family. Is he right? This was something new to me.

“I sell life insurance for a living, and the other day a man told me he didn't need any kind of insurance because the Bible says God will take care of him and his family. Is he right? This was something new to me.”

My husband says we ought to let our teenaged sons (15 and 17) start drinking alcohol with dinner when we do, because they'll start drinking soon enough anyway and we might as well go ahead and let them. I didn't grow up this way, but do you think this is a good approach?

“My husband says we ought to let our teenaged sons (15 and 17) start drinking alcohol with dinner when we do, because they’ll start drinking soon enough anyway and we might as well go ahead and let them. I didn’t grow up this way, but do you think this is a good approach?”

How can we be happy in heaven, when we know that people on earth are still suffering and doing cruel things to each other? This has always bothered me.

“How can we be happy in heaven, when we know that people on earth are still suffering and doing cruel things to each other? This has always bothered me.”

I know you try to stay out of politics, but some very controversial moral issues will be coming up in the next election in our state, and some of us feel we ought to take a public stand and try to get them defeated. Should we?

“I know you try to stay out of politics, but some very controversial moral issues will be coming up in the next election in our state, and some of us feel we ought to take a public stand and try to get them defeated. Should we?”

How much of the Bible is literal and how much of it is a myth? Take Jonah and the whale, for instance. Surely that must be a myth, because I can't imagine anyone being swallowed by a whale and then living to tell about it.

“How much of the Bible is literal and how much of it is a myth? Take Jonah and the whale, for instance. Surely that must be a myth, because I can't imagine anyone being swallowed by a whale and then living to tell about it.”

If something bad happened to one of our parents, does this mean God is going to make it happen to us also? My mom died of breast cancer when she was fairly young, and now I'm afraid the same thing will happen to me.

“If something bad happened to one of our parents, does this mean God is going to make it happen to us also? My mom died of breast cancer when she was fairly young, and now I'm afraid the same thing will happen to me.”

I'm afraid my mother and I always had a rocky relationship, but after she died I realized there were a lot of things I wish I'd said — like telling her I loved her, or asking her to forgive me for hurts I caused her. I feel very bad about this, but maybe someone will learn from my mistake.

“I'm afraid my mother and I always had a rocky relationship, but after she died I realized there were a lot of things I wish I'd said — like telling her I loved her, or asking her to forgive me for hurts I caused her. I feel very bad about this, but maybe someone will learn from my mistake.”