My husband, three girls, and I are born-again christians, but in our Hispanic heritage, most of our family is still Catholic.  Please let us know what the deal is with their belief system because to us, it seems that the ends don't meet… and that a lot of what their religion entails is clearly wrong and contradicts what we are learning in the Bible and what we feel and discern as we walk in the Lord.  My husband and I were specifically discussing the topic of "The Virgin of Guadalupe".  Did she really appear in the shroud in Mexico?  Is that name made up?  Is she the same as the Virgin Mary?  And why do Catholics (our family included) worship the Mother of Jesus more so than Jesus Himself?  I don't like that at all... doesn't Jesus prefer for us to love Him before all things and people?  I grew up Catholic, but I never ever felt this serious and passionate about loving our Lord and God, neither did I feel such a hunger for knowing everything about Him!  I'm so glad I am finally saved and know it!!!   Praise be to Him always and forever!  If you can help us with this curiosity, thanks...

Sincerely,
A Disciple

Dear A Disciple,

Congratulations on making such a bold move to make the Bible as the guide for your life.  That commitment to biblical integrity is what sets you apart from your Catholic extended family.  Catholicism places the pope as the head of the church; Christianity places Christ as the head of the church (Eph 5:23).  All Catholic practices exist because the papal hierarchy believes them to be right; sometimes those beliefs agree with the Bible, but many times they don’t.  Catholicism tells priests to not marry, and it forbids certain foods – practices specifically condemned by Paul as false teaching (1 Tim 4:1-3).  Catholics are taught to call their religious leaders ‘father’, but the Bible says that is wrong (Matt 23:9).  Catholic practices like infant baptism (and the teaching that children are born sinful), Vatican councils, cardinal vs. venial sins, etc. have no foundation in the Bible.

Worshipping various Catholic “saints” is a practice that is (as you know) very common in Catholicism, but God tells us that we should worship only Him (Matt 4:10).  In fact, Peter was rebuked when he offered to make a monument to honor Moses and Elijah on an equal level with Jesus (Matt 17:4-6).  Various Catholic monuments, shrouds, relics, etc. are unsubstantiated items that have no Biblical bearing.  Simply put, those items are only “holy” because the Catholic church says they are.  We derive our authority from the Bible, and that is where faith starts (Rom 10:17).

As for worshipping Mary… Jesus is the only mediator between man and God (1 Tim 2:5).  We pray to the Father through Jesus… not through Mary or any other Catholic figure.  We are told to confidently approach God directly (Heb 4:16).  We should ask of God and pray to Him through the name of Jesus (Jhn 14:13-14).  Praying to (or through) Catholic saints is wrong.  As you said, Jesus wants our love before all things and all people.

Catholicism is so deeply rooted in many Hispanic communities that you will find it a constant part of your job as a christian to give Bible answers in hopes of freeing them from this false religion (1 Pet 3:15).  What an opportunity to shine your light for the glory of God (Matt 5:16)!

Is it a sin to be with my girlfriend if she does not believe in God?

Sincerely,
Faithful Boyfriend

Dear Faithful Boyfriend,

It isn't a sin for you to have a girlfriend who isn't a christian, but it is important that you make appropriate boundaries before progressing toward marriage.  The Bible teaches that we should only marry someone if they are in the Lord (1 Cor 7:39).  Marrying an unbeliever will tie you to someone who doesn't have the same values as you (2 Cor 6:14).  The progress of your relationship will eventually need to stall if she doesn't obey the gospel.  Religion is the most important factor in a marriage because it affects your morals, how you raise children, your finances, your hobbies, how you treat one another, and a thousand other elements of your future.  Be very careful when courting an unbeliever.

I am a saved christian.  My question is: why did Jesus "have" to die on the cross for our sins?  I know that He did.  I also know that God does not have to abide by any formality or rules.  He could have given us salvation without the shedding of Jesus' blood if He wanted to.  Is it that He sent His only begotten Son to be sacrificed, just so we could see the love He has for us?  I must admit, I feel His love because He did send His Son to die for me.

Sincerely,
Pondering The Sacrifice

Dear Pondering The Sacrifice,

God sent Jesus to die on the cross, so He could be both a just God and a loving God.  If God had simply forgiven us of our sins without paying for them, He would be a liar because God says that sin is deserving of eternal death (Rom 6:23).  It wouldn’t be right for Him to simply remove our guilt without paying for it.  It would be akin to a judge letting people go free simply because he liked them – a judge like that would be corrupt.

Instead, we see that God is both just and our justifier.  Jesus’ blood pays the price of our sin (1 Jn 1:7).  There are two ways to pay for sin.  We can pay for the sin ourselves by spending eternity in hell, or God’s blood can cover the cost of sin.  The Son of God came down and gave Himself to purchase us (Acts 20:28).  Rom 3:25-26 says that God sent Jesus, so He could show that He was loving and still righteous.

I have recently asked a woman to marry me.  We are both christians and have taken the christian steps towards marriage (abstinence and christian counseling).  I just have a strong feeling this marriage may be against God's will.  I foolishly did not pray before becoming engaged, and now I feel God is warning me that I am not in His will.  If you have any Scriptures or suggestions on finding God's will concerning marriage, please let me know.  Thank you so much for all you do.  God Bless you.

Sincerely,
Cold Feet

Dear Cold Feet,

The Bible is only specific about one prerequisite for marriage; everything else is a matter of wisdom and preference.  Christians should only marry other christians (those who are “in the Lord” – 1 Cor 7:39).  Beyond that, it is important to consider the wisdom of the situation.  Is she someone you can love and care for through the years, and do you believe she will trust you to lead her (Eph 5:33)?

There is no hard and fast rule for who is the right person to marry.  It isn’t too late to pray and ask for wisdom (Jas 1:5).  Since you are already receiving marriage counseling, this may be a question to privately pose to the counselor.  There is obviously more specific details that have been consciously or subconsciously bothering you.  She may be a wonderful match, but it is important that you know where you stand before you make a lifetime commitment (Rom 7:2).

How can there be no pain in heaven if some of our loved ones might not make it there with us?

Sincerely,
Love From A Distance

Dear Love From A Distance,

There will be no pain in heaven because God will heal us.  Heaven is a place where we show up with tears, and God wipes them away (Rev 21:4).  There will be a great deal of pain that we bring with us to the feet of our Maker, but He is the Great Physician (Mk 2:17).  We here at AYP have no idea how God will heal every wound and sorrow in heaven, but we also don’t know how skilled doctors repair hearts and arteries.  If a surgeon on this earth can repair my body and make it whole, certainly God is capable of repairing our hearts and souls.