Is it wrong to be superstitious?  I would think that it would fall into the same category as putting your faith in the occult or any sort of "mysticism".  Is this true or harmless fun?

Sincerely,
Lucky 13

Dear Lucky 13,

Superstition is wrong.  The dictionary defines ‘superstition’ as ‘a widely held but unjustified belief in supernatural causation leading to certain consequences of an action or event, or a practice based on such a belief’.  Superstition means that you are placing trust in the supernatural power of a rabbit’s foot, not walking under ladders, four-leaf clovers, etc.  This is always wrong.  We are supposed to place our trust in God (Ps 56:11).  Superstition is a mild and socially acceptable form of witchcraft or divining.  There is no difference between trusting in a lucky coin and trusting in the astrological tables.  Astrology and horoscopes are wrong (Deu 4:19, 2 Kgs 23:5); witchcraft and magical arts are wrong (Acts 19:19).  Superstition falls into the same category as those practices.

We have been unhappy in our church for a while now and have visited other churches, many invitations coming from friends and co-workers.

Recently, we went to a large church (3,500 members) where everyone seemed to love the Lord and, as all of us, were trying to do the right thing in their everyday lives.

The church had just completed their "Life Center" where various events took place: children learning to play basketball, Olympic-sized swimming pool, all kinds of hobby rooms where everything you can think of was being taught, etc.

They were very proud that five million dollars had been paid to complete this massive "center" that could just as easily have been called a country club within the church. While I was given the tour, I even asked if lower income families could come and have their children learn to swim, play tennis, etc.  I was quickly told, "Members only".  (And they have quite an application for you to present before the board in order to join, not about your faith in God, but more of what your earning capabilities are).

We were unhappy at our church for the simple reason that it seemed like a social event where everyone mostly got together to find out what was going on in everyone’s lives.  They would have a meet-and-greet type get-together, then, almost as an afterthought, a 10-minute sermon where, of course, there was no discussion on the subject matter.

I'm particularly fond of one lady who invited us to the "country club church", and I want to explain to her why deep in my heart I don't think that's what God had in mind for us to call ‘church’.

Help me with scriptures as to why it isn't godly to join together with people who have segregated themselves in this fashion.

It's so much like "clubs" to me, or maybe I'm making too much of it, and they're just likeminded people who want to associate just with each other.

Sincerely,
Middle Crust

Dear Middle Crust,

You are right to be bothered by churches like that one!  They are country clubs disguised as religious bodies.  Their religious leaders are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (Matt 7:15); they lead many people astray by preaching what the people want to hear, instead of preaching the truth (2 Tim 4:3-4).  The church is not a social club; it is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim 3:15).  Paul said it best, “The kingdom of heaven is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Rom 14:17).  The Pharisees were condemned for this kind of grotesque stealing of money from people in the name of religion.  Jesus said that the scribes “devoured widows’ houses” and “loved the chief seats at feasts” (Mk 12:38-40).  The church is not about physical things; it is a spiritual kingdom (Jhn 18:36).  Anyone who teaches otherwise is a liar.

Furthermore, any group that emphasizes money to the point of having people fill out a financial application has thoroughly turned from God’s Word.  James specifically teaches not to show partiality between the rich and the poor (Jas 2:1-5).  James says that when we show partiality like that, we prove ourselves “judges with evil thoughts” (Jas 2:4) and “commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (Jas 2:8-9).  Churches that do what you are talking about are full of heresy and deceit.  Those churches are full of false teachers that lead people away from God.  Members of those congregations are duped into believing they are serving God when, in fact, they are doing nothing of the sort.  Without the illumination of the Scriptures, many people are deceived by this prosperity gospel.

But ignorance is no excuse.  Many will cry out to Jesus, “Lord, Lord… did we not do many mighty works by your Name?”, and on the Day of Judgment, Jesus will tell them, “Depart from Me, I know you not” (Matt 7:21-23).  It isn’t enough to say we believe in Jesus (even the demons do that! – Jas 2:19), we must obey His commandments in order to be His friends (Jhn 15:14).

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT DIFFERENT YOLKS?  I AM SEEING A GUY THAT IS A BAPTIST, AND WELL, I’M CATHOLIC, AND HE STATED TO ME THAT HE WAS CONCERNED ABOUT OUR RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE OF OUR RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES!  HE THEN MENTIONED ABOUT THE BIBLE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THE DIFFRENT YOLKS BUT DID NOT EXPLAIN.  I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS TRYING TO SAY.  WHAT DO DIFFERENT RELIGIONS HAVE TO DO WITH LOVING ONE ANOTHER?  IF POSSIBLE, I WOULD LIKE FOR A BAPTIST PREACHER TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THE DIFFERENCES IN A RELATIONSHIP HAVE TO DO WITH LOVING ONE ANOTHER?  WHAT IS THE INTERPRETATION OF THE DIFFERENT YOLKS IN THE BIBLE?

Sincerely,
SOMEONE THAT REALLY LOVES HER PARTNER REGARDLESS OF THE DIFFERENT RELIGIONS

Dear Someone That Really Loves,

You aren’t going to get an answer from a Baptist preacher here (we are just christians at AYP), but the Bible agrees with your Baptist boyfriend on this one.  God says that we should never be “unequally yoked” (2 Cor 6:14).  Our relationship with God needs to be the central focus of our life (Matt 22:37-38).  Marriage, which is the potential end result of your romantic relationship, is the most intimate union this side of heaven (Eph 5:31).  Marriage to someone that doesn’t have the same values as you is compared to two oxen being yoked to the same wagon with each oxen pulling the cart in a different direction – it will never work!  Solomon is the great example of this.  Solomon was the wisest man on the earth (1 Kgs 4:30-34).  Yet, even with all his wisdom, Solomon’s idol-worshipping wives tore his heart away from serving God (1 Kgs 11:4).  If it can happen to Solomon, it can happen to anyone.

But here is the bright side!  Catholicism isn’t following the Bible… BUT the Baptists aren’t either.  You can tell your boyfriend that he isn’t doing what God says.  Both Catholicism and the Baptist denomination are man-made religions that only take pieces of the Bible and disregard the rest of It.  It is only when we accept the whole Bible that we can be pleasing to God (Ps 119:160).  The world is full of religions that are leading people astray with false teachings.  God tells us that there is only one pattern for His church, and that pattern can be found in the Bible (Eph 4:4-6).  God is not the author of the religious confusion that we see in the world today (1 Cor 14:33).  If you and your boyfriend want to get on the same page spiritually, we would be ecstatic to help teach you about the church of the Bible and how to find one in your area.  Simply e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

What is Freemasonry?  Is it a false religion?  Is it possible to be a christian and Freemason at the same time??

Sincerely,
Free Bird

Dear Free Bird,

Freemasonry is an organization that arose in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.  The rules of this society are many and exceptionally complex – far too much to be addressed in this particular post.  However, they are definitely a religious organization (regardless of what they might tell you to the contrary).  Their beliefs center around the Bible’s teachings on the building of Solomon’s temple and the role of the masons in that construction.  They use the building of the temple as an allegory for how to live.  This is a perversion of the Scriptures – exactly like what Paul warned us against (Gal 1:6-8).  The Freemasons veil religious beliefs under the guise of an innocent society.  They take a portion of God’s Word and throw out the rest.  This is in contradiction to the Scriptures (Ps 119:160).  A christian should never be a Freemason.

As a christian living in America, shouldn't we be concerned about the increasing number of Muslims in our country?  I read somewhere that in twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the US to elect a Muslim president.  Makes me worry that the period of suffering might be right around the corner.  Do you have any thoughts on this?

Sincerely,
Counting The Days

Dear Counting The Days,

One of the most enticing and alluring propositions in the world of religion is to try and pin specific dates to unfulfilled prophecies.  Yet, in the end, that allure always ends up as a wild goose chase.  As we said in the previous post, we cannot be dogmatic on the exact meaning of “the little time” of Rev 20:3.  If we can’t be dogmatic on that, then we certainly cannot be dogmatic on when such a time period would begin.  All we know is that the Lord does not abandon His people (Ps 37:25).  The Lord commands that we not be anxious or worry because He will always provide for those who seek first His kingdom, the church (Matt 6:31-33).  Where the Bible speaks, we will speak, and where the Bible is silent, we will be silent… and in this, the Bible is silent.  We’ll leave the prophesying up to the Lord; each day has enough trouble of its own (Matt. 6:34).