The nine commandments
I’ve received many questions about the Ten Commandments over the years, and I always try to indicate that the numbering of the commandments differs depending on the religious tradition.
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Eating meat is not evil
Q: If God loves all of His creatures, why did He create a fierce life situation where to remain healthy His creatures must (kill and) eat other living things?
What kids want to know
Dear Readers: You’re not the only ones who ask me questions. Here are some queries from students in the sixth grade of our religious school. Tell your kids to write to me and I’ll answer them, too, one of these days.—Rabbi Gellman
Trinity hard to fathom
Q: I’m a 66-year-old Lutheran. I have a sound religious faith and have always had a strong interest in learning from reading the Bible. What I’ve never understood is our concept of God the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I don’t know to whom I should pray. I would rather just pray to God. If we’re to pray only to God, though, why all this talk about the other two? Also, we’re commanded to have only one God.—S., Quakertown, Pa.
It’s ‘Thou shalt not murder’
Q: In light of military past, will I ever go to heaven, since one of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt not kill”?
God, Abraham and Isaac
Q: Attending Catholic school as a child, I remember being bothered by the story of Abraham being tested by God. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, up to Him. Once God saw that Abraham was willing to do what He asked, God stopped Abraham from killing Isaac. It was only when I became an adult that the story made sense to me. God only asked Abraham to do what God knew He would have to do one day—namely, to offer up His only son, Jesus, to be killed to save the world from their sins. God needed to know that Abraham loved Him as much as God loves us. Am I reaching in making this connection or is it a reasonable one?—P.
Passover, Easter unite us
For Christians and Jews, all of our religious holidays divide us except for Passover and Easter. Passover and Easter divide us by bringing us closer together. Let me try to explain this exquisite spiritual contradiction.
Evil leads to crisis of faith
Q: I’m a fortysomething male raised as a Catholic. I was generally made to attend Mass on Sundays until I was confirmed. I’ve been happily married for 16 years and have a wonderful 10-year-old daughter who we’re raising as a Catholic. All of this would lead one to assume that I’m a person of faith, or even somewhat religious. Yet, I have no faith.
Essentials of world religions
Q: I saw a T-shirt recently that described various religions’ basic beliefs digested into one sentence for each faith. Why not commit a column to the similarities and differences among the various beliefs? A paragraph on each would be enlightening. Keep up the good work, or the God work, if that’s more appropriate.—D.
Suffering is over in heaven
Q: My question is about heaven, and in particular the belief that we’re united in heaven with the souls of our departed relatives. My late wife of 59 years had a father who was a sadistic pedophile. Not only did he destroy her self-confidence but also her idea of marital life. She confided to me that she tolerated sex only because she wanted to be a mother—and she was a great one! I can’t imagine that reuniting with him would be her concept of heaven. Any thoughts?—G.
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