Hi.  Not sure what to do; my daughter is now eleven-years-old, and her friend is into the peace symbol.  She has it everywhere, her clothes, her room, just everywhere; my daughter is starting to like it; my wife doesn't mind it; she likes it also.  For some reason, I do not like it.  I do not even like seeing it.  It bothers me when I see my daughter wearing it.  There is no other sign but the CROSS; Jesus is our Prince of Peace.  I know it represents peace.  I worry; will they mistake that peace for the peace sign that she wears?  I just do not know what to do.  How can that sign represent peace?  I am worried about her.  I just don't want anything that will dim her light.  I want her to be as close to God as possible, but I don't know what to do.  One thing I always remember is not to bring your children to anger; they will be discouraged.  I talked to her, told her how I felt, and she still wants to keep it, and my wife likes it.  She says there is nothing wrong with it.  What do I tell them?  Do I just over look it?  Would like some advice.

Sincerely,
No Outer Peace

Dear No Outer Peace,

Eph 6:4 could be summarized in the idea “pick your battles as a parent”.  This is not a battle worth picking.  The peace symbol is not a religious symbol (although, there have been times where it represented a fanatical worldview), and symbols are not in contradiction to Christ.  National flags are symbols, and yet, they are permissible (1 Pet 2:13-14); many, many, christians proudly wave the American flag in front of their homes without ever wavering in their allegiance to Christ above all others.  The peace symbol simply means ‘peace’ – it is up to your child and your family to give context to that term.

I am in the process of moving out of my apartment and into a house I just bought.  It's well before my lease is up, and my landlord will not let me break the lease.  Because of this, I have been advertising to find someone to sublet the apartment from me.  An unmarried couple is interested in the apartment, and they appear to be planning to live together.  If I were to sublet to them, would I be sinning by enabling this unscriptural living arrangement?

Furthermore, I haven't been able to find a clear answer, but it seems that discriminating based on being an unmarried couple living together may be illegal under the Fair Housing Act.  If this is the case, how should it factor into my decision?

Sincerely,
Landlord?

Dear Landlord,

These are the type of predicaments that test our wisdom and personal judgment.  On the one hand, the argument can be made that you are not causing them to live in sin, and they would just live somewhere else if you don’t sublet your apartment to them.  On the other hand, it is very easy to come to the conclusion that you are yoking yourself to an ungodly lifestyle (2 Cor 6:14).  In short, we would not be too quick to judge another christian’s decision in this area.

However, we can say that it would be impossible for us to sublet this apartment in good conscience if it were our decision, and anything not done in faith is sin (Rom 14:23).  Furthermore, if something becomes an issue of morality, then that supersedes any legal issues.  We must always obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).  The cons of this situation seem to far outweigh the pros.  This couple is openly living an ungodly lifestyle, which sets you up for a potentially damaging relationship as per 2 Cor 6:14-18.  Not only are they harming themselves, but there is a good chance that subletting to them will harm you as well.

Many religions wear symbols of their dedication or “religiosity”.  Despite their sincerity, some may wear prayer beads, crosses, or tattoo themselves as reminders or as objects of worship.  Yes, it is wrong to worship anything but God; however, is it wrong to wear a cross just because it’s pretty?  Or would it be an unwise idea due to the societal connotations?

Sincerely,
A Little Glam

Dear A Little Glam,

Wearing a cross is not inherently a sin, but there are some principles that reveal it to be not a very good idea.  The problem with crosses and other religious garb are threefold:

1. As you stated, some people use crosses, rabbit’s feet, rosary beads, etc. as forms of worship and superstition.  This is wrong.  God soundly condemns superstition, the occult, and idol worship (1 Cor 10:7, Acts 19:19, Matt 4:10).
2. God tells us that it is our character that should proclaim our Christianity – not our clothing (1 Pet 3:3-4).  In an attempt to look the part of being faithful, many people wear crosses, slap “WWJD” bumper stickers on their cars, and tattoo themselves with the words “Jesus Freak”… which rarely leaves the impression they intended.  Let the world know you are a christian because of who you are and how you live.
3. Crosses are designed to be beautiful, ornate, and elegant nowadays – which thoroughly negates the message of the cross.  The cross of Christ was anything but pretty.  It was a torture device intended to inflict the highest degree of pain possible upon the Son of God.  We here at AYP sometimes wonder if Jesus had been killed by electrocution if everyone would have little electric chairs hanging around their necks…

Suffice it to say, wearing religious jewelry, at best, sends a mixed message – at worst, it sends the wrong message.

    How do you know fasting wasn't required in the New Testament?  All we have are the examples; should we follow them?

Sincerely,
Not So Fast!

Dear Not So Fast,

Fasting is a Biblical practice, but there are no specific guidelines for when to do it.  Fasting is the practice of not eating for a designated period of time.  Jesus once fasted for forty days (Matt 4:2).  Fasting is often associated with times of grief and difficult decisions (Joel 2:12)… but not every grieving person fasted in the Bible.  The New Testament doesn’t require fasting, but it also shows the benefits of fasting during times of difficulty or when important decisions needed to be made (Acts 14:23).  If anything, Jesus’ disciples were noted for not fasting as often as the rest of the Jewish community (Matt 9:14), an indication that fasting doesn’t have the same level of emphasis in the New Testament.  There is a time for fasting, but it is purely up to personal discretion.

Does God have a sense of humor?

Sincerely,
Chuckles

Dear Chuckles, 

God definitely has a sense of humor, but just as a child often struggles to see his parents’ funny bone because they are busy raising the child, we often miss God’s sense of humor because we are His children and the works of His hands (1 Jn 3:1).  One of the simplest proofs of God’s ability to find humor is that we are made in His image (Gen 1:27), and we are able to laugh.  Since man has a sense of humor, God must have one also.

Ps 59:8 talks about God laughing at those who think they can outwit Him, and Ps 2:4 says the same.  There are other things that point to God’s sense of humor.  When we look at the animals and created world, we see the invisible attributes of God (Rom 1:20).  God made the platypus – that animal is downright hilarious-looking!

Lastly, there are other anecdotes in the Bible that show God’s sense of humor: the way He destroys the false god, Dagon, in 1 Sam 5:1-5 or how the false exorcists were put to flight in Acts 19:13-16.