“I don’t see how any intelligent person can believe what the Bible says. The people who wrote it thousands of years ago didn’t know anything about science, and anyway, it’s full of contradictions. I’m sorry, but I just can’t swallow the idea that it’s God’s Word.”
“What happens to us right after we die? Do we go immediately to heaven, or are we in an unconscious state (like sleep) until the end of time? My favorite aunt (a woman of great faith) died a few months ago, and not knowing if she’s already in heaven bothers me.”
“We were with our daughter and her family over Easter, and she got very upset at us because we made some pointed comments about the way she lets her children run wild (which we certainly never let her do). Maybe we should’ve been more tactful, but don’t we have a responsibility as grandparents to say something?”
“I guess you could say I’m a “Christmas-and-Easter” Christian, since those are usually the only days I manage to get to church. But what’s wrong with that? After all, I believe in God, and that’s the important thing, isn’t it?”
“As you look back over your life do you think the world is in better shape than it was when you were young, or is it worse? And what do you think it will be like 100 years from now?”
“My aunt is a very bitter person, and to be honest I can understand why, since she’s had some real disappointments. She claims to be a Christian, but I’m not sure if she really is. Aren’t Christians supposed to be kind and forgiving?”
“Does God still do miracles, like He did in biblical times? If He does, why doesn’t He do more of them? Maybe more people would believe in Him if He did. ”
“I’ve had a very difficult life the last year or so, and if God knew how I really feel about Him, He’d probably be very angry at me. But I can’t help how upset I feel at Him, because surely God could have kept these bad things from happening to me, couldn’t He?”
“I find the Bible very uplifting whenever I read it, but no more inspiring than some of the other books I read. Why do people like you say the Bible is unlike any other book but is in a category all its own?.”
“How can my sister and I persuade our mother to move into an assisted living facility or nursing home? We don’t think she can take care of herself much longer, but she’s stubborn and says she intends to stay in her home until she dies.”
“I think people who talk about heaven all the time are just trying to escape from this life and its problems. I think religion ought to focus on life right now, not on some vague pie-in-the-sky idea about heaven.”
“Does the Bible say anything about how to be a good mother? We have three children, and I really want to be a good mother to them, but my home life was so unstable when I was growing up that I never learned much about being a good parent.”