Interesting Questions and Answers

Q1: What happened to all those who lived before Jesus did, when they died? How could there have been a heaven, before Christ?

A: If they were good people, we may be sure they are in heaven with God. Events on earth exist completely apart from the reality of heaven. Time is how we on earth measure the change in material things. Neither God nor heaven are material, physical things subject to change, and are therefore not bound by our concepts of time. No matter when a person lived, whether before or after Christ, at death she will then exist in a heaven without earth-related time, where heaven (and Christ's sacrifice) simply is: then, now, and forever. We cannot use words like "before" or "after" or "until" when speaking of heaven. Christ's sacrifice is outside of our "time," and covers every person who has ever lived.




Q2: If I saw Paris Hilton (I don't like her, but I'm working on what Christ teaches...), and she had a $10 million diamond necklace on (the result of sleeping with the guy who owns Graff Diamonds, and they were mined by workers who were treated very poorly), and if one of those diamonds were to pop out of its setting, would it be against God's Commandments if I put it in my pocket, rather than giving it back, even if I donated all the money to charity?

A: I'm afraid so. The end does not justify the means, no matter how much you load the question. We must never do anything right now that is wrong, even if we think that it will lead to enormous good. We must not even steal from the devil to feed hungry children. That is hard. But it is just complete, absolute trust in God. It is trusting that He knows better than we do. He says not to steal from anyone, so we do not steal from anyone. Period. What happens after that is God's responsibility. There are no exceptions to this. If there were, it would lead to endless rationalizations of our behavior.




Q3: How can God allow little children to be raped and murdered? I would never allow that.

A: Oh, but you do. Four thousand children all over the world die horrible, slow, painful deaths from starvation or dysentery, every day. Your money could help prevent that. Your donations could save many children from a painful death. You are asking God to do something that you yourself are not willing to do. You aspire to be His true child? Save His other children.




Q4: If it's the Sabbath day, but my Mother asks me to help make a shed, do I say yes (to honor my mother & father), or no (to respect the Sabbath day)?

A: Make the shed, without fussing. When you honor your parents, you honor God and the Sabbath. Incidentally, normal recreational activities are fine, like golf or going to a football match. But sometimes work needs to be done. For example, working for "Habitat for Humanity" building houses for poor people would be fine to do on the Sabbath. Working morning to night helping neighbors dig out from a flood or hurricane would be fine. Almost anything necessary for another person's happiness would be fine. God understands all.