If it is considered humane to “put down” a dog or a cat that is suffering, why isn’t it humane to “put down” a human that is suffering?

Sincerely,
PETA Progressive

Dear PETA Progressive,

Because people aren’t dogs.  Animals and humans may share some similarities between their physical bodies – but humans have eternal souls.  The key verse to understanding this topic is Eccl 3:21.  Human spirits are made in the image of God (Gen 1:26), unlike animals.  When people die, our souls go to God and await the judgment (Heb 9:27).  When animals die, they simply cease to exist.

The difference between humans and animals can only be appreciated through God’s Word.  Without the insight that the Bible gives us into the Creation, we would never know that there is a difference in value between a human and a cow.  Human life has inherent value because God says so.  Without God’s Word, we’d never know.

I may be given an opportunity to be on the reality show ‘The Bachelor’.  Would this be bad?  Also, when you are dating, what point should the line be drawn at for intimacy?  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Moment Of Fame

Dear Moment Of Fame,

The line should be drawn significantly before one begins cavorting semi-nude in a pool with a harem of women.  We admit that we have never seen the television show ‘The Bachelor’, but the commercials alone are enough to paint a pretty appalling picture.  Women are degraded and dress immodestly (1 Tim 2:9), love is replaced with lust (Rom 6:12), and men give a horrible example of what being a worthwhile mate should be (Eph 5:25, 1 Tim 5:2).

Christians are supposed to live godly and holy lives, leaving the intimacy of the sexual realm to marriage (1 Thess 4:3-5).  Reality television shows with this type of content shouldn’t even be watched by Christians.  We live in a world that panders to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 Jn 2:16).  Christians are to seek God with self-control (2 Pet 1:6).  The marriage bed is to be held in honor (Heb 13:4).  Shows like this neither teach self-control or hold marriage in a place of honor.  Yes, it would be bad for you to participate in ‘The Bachelor’.

     Why does the Church teach God created all things in six, twenty-four hour days when time was not created until day four?  In the beginning, God did not create time until day four when He made the sun, moon, and stars, so we could mark the passing of seasons, the passing of time.

Sincerely,
Time To Answer

Dear Time To Answer,

The sun and the moon don’t create time anymore than a watch does.  It is true that the sun, moon, and stars were created on day four (Gen 1:17-19), but they were set to signify time (Gen 1:14), not create it.

Your watch signals you what time it is, but if you don’t wear a watch, time still ticks on whether you keep track of it or not.  On day one, we are told there was an evening and a morning – one day (Gen 1:5).  Time already existed on day one.  The sun and moon just make it easier to keep track of that twenty-four hour day we know so well.

Will the world end in 2012?

Sincerely,
Doomsday Dreamer

Dear Doomsday Dreamer,

Feel free to do your shopping for the holidays in 2012; the world isn’t likely to be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012.  The idea that the world is going to be destroyed or transformed on December 21^st (some say 23^rd), 2012 is based off of the Mayan Long Count calendar.  The Mayan Long Count calendar is a non-repeating calendar that was used in Mesoamerica during the height of the Mayan civilization, and because it is a non-repeating calendar (unlike the Roman calendar which repeats every 365 days), it eventually runs out of days.  The last day on the Mayan Long Count calendar is December 21^st, 2012.  Therefore, some folks are expecting a cataclysmic change to the world order on that day.

Now that we’ve explained what it is, let’s explain what it isn’t.  It isn’t right.  We here at AYP are pretty sure that if God was going to hide the date of the end of the world in a conspiracy-theory fashion, He probably wouldn’t hide it in the calendar of a blood-drinking, child-sacrificing, snake-worshipping heathen culture.  But, hey, maybe that’s just us… (insert friendly chuckle here)

As you mentioned, God promises that He will return like a thief in the night (1 Thess 5:2).  If there is one day this year that you can be guaranteed Jesus won’t return – it is Dec. 21^st, 2012.

Could God have created our universe out of the existing matter (at His disposal) by just speaking to it?

Sincerely,
Seeing Stars

Dear Seeing Stars,

He could have, but He didn’t.  Jhn 1:3 makes it clear that nothing that was made was ever made without God creating it.  God is the beginning of all things, and there is no matter or physical creation that existed before Him (Rev 22:13).  God didn’t just rearrange the existing molecules to create our universe; He created those molecules.