AS A CHRISTIAN, HOW DO I RECONCILE STORIES FROM THE BIBLE WITH CURRENT SCIENTIFIC THOUGHT?
The Bible contains many stories that contradict each other, and that very fact tells us something important.

DO CHRISTIANS BELIEVE FOLLOWERS OF OTHER RELIGIONS ARE DOOMED?
Christianity consists of people who disagree diametrically on many subjects. Some take the Bible so literally that they include in God's plan only a small minority of the world's population. Other Christians, however, view Christ in a larger perspective and emphasize inclusion rather than exclusion

DO CHRISTIANS REALLY BELIEVE THEY ARE EATING THE BODY AND DRINKING THE BLOOD OF CHRIST WHEN THEY RECEIVE COMMUNION?
Partaking of the Eucharist may be the one moment in the week when my willingness to believe and my desire to connect with a power greater than myself outweigh my self-will and late 20th century cynicism.

DO I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT CHRIST LITERALLY ROSE FROM THE DEAD TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
I believe God will strengthen our faith if we are on a journey to find Him. If someone disagrees with my belief that Christ literally rose from the dead, that does not mean they are not a "real Christian" and I am. I think the only thing you "have" to do in order to become a Christian is simply to seek God.

DO SPIRITUAL PRACTICES THAT ARE MOST OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH EASTERN RELIGIONS HAVE A PLACE IN THE LIVES OF CHRISTIANS?
All spiritual practice in the West and the East is based on the desire to dip one's foot into the water of holiness and there is much we can teach and learn from one another about doing just that.

HOW ARE WE TO RESPOND TO ACTS OF TERRORISM AND THE HATRED EXPRESSED BY SELF-PROCLAIMED "ENEMIES" OF CHRISTIANITY?
We do not know what lies ahead, but putting our faith in God's love is our only real hope for change.

HOW CAN CHRISTIANITY BE CALLED A RELIGION OF LOVE IF "CHRISTIANS" CONDEMN THOSE WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM THEMSELVES?
Christianity is a religion of love because Jesus reveals God to be Ultimate Love.

HOW CAN CHRISTIANS ACCEPT CHRISTIANITY AS THE WAY TO GOD AND STILL GIVE CREDENCE TO THE TRUTH OF OTHER RELIGIONS?
To be Christian in today's context means to be deeply committed to one's own tradition, even as one recognizes the validity of other traditions.

HOW CAN I BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT?
The image of the unexpected arrival of the mother and daughter in the film Chocolat gives us a clue about the nature of the Holy Spirit.

HOW CAN I FIND A DENOMINATION THAT FITS MY BELIEFS?
You might start by examining how you came to those beliefs. If it was through a certain church during your childhood, then that church (or its local affiliate) might be a good place to start.

HOW CAN I KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRISTIANITY IF I QUESTION THE BIBLE'S STATUS AS THE LITERAL WORD OF GOD?
We can take seriously a different kind of knowing. It's a very ancient kind of knowing. The ancients called it intuition.

I AM UNCOMFORTABLE WITH SOME OF THE DOCTRINES PROFESSED IN ORGANIZED RELIGION. IS BELIEVING CERTAIN CREEDS REALLY WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS ALL ABOUT?
I don't think God is concerned primarily about the beliefs in our heads, but about something much deeper within us.

IF CHURCHES REALLY FOLLOWED THE TEACHINGS OF SCRIPTURE, WOULDN'T THEY BE MORE ALIKE IN THEIR DOCTRINES, WITH FEWER DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN, AND WITHIN, THEM?
The Church has really never been of one mind doctrinally—we have been tinkering with the faith ever since we received it, exploring its implications for life in the world, often coming to different conclusions about what they are.

IS GOING TO CHURCH NECESSARY FOR SALVATION?
One of the saddest things in the world is for someone to lose faith in God because they have lost faith in a church. The two are not the same.

WHAT CAN CHRISTIANS LEARN FROM OTHER RELIGIONS?
The wisdom and tradition of other religions help expand the arena in which God lives and moves and has being.

WHAT IF I AM TROUBLED BY THE NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN THAT I FIND IN THE BIBLE AND IN SOME CHURCHES TODAY?
For reasons that I think we are still straining to understand, the Bible and its attendant institutions—Judaism and Christianity—are highly conflicted over women.

WHAT IF I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THE VIEWS OF SOMEONE WHO PROFESSES TO BE A CHRISTIAN?
Disagreement is a fact of life. There is no family, and certainly no church family, free of disagreements. The question should be, "How can I strongly disagree in Christian charity?"

WHAT IS CHRISTIANITY'S STANCE ON HOMOSEXUALITY?
Most Christians hold one of three views regarding this divisive topic. The following excerpt from What Do Our Neighbors Believe? Questions and Answers on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam presents a balanced summation of the three convictions most commonly held.

WHAT IS HOLY EUCHARIST AND WHY IS IT SO SIGNIFICANT?
Holy Eucharist is, among other things, a way Christians remember together what Jesus did for us and give thanks.

WHAT IS THE HEART OF CHRISTIANITY?
Christianity is not primarily about believing; a relationship involves a much deeper part of ourselves than simply the content of our minds.