Editorial Staff

Question: I have been told by a minister that it is wrong to pray to Jesus Christ, since His sacrifice lifted the veil between human beings and God the Father, to whom we should now pray. Is this true?

Question: I read in John 6:44 that no one can find the true God unless God calls him. But I thought we were free moral agents, able to choose for ourselves, so this "calling" makes it seem as if we have no choice. Please explain.

Question: In Matthew 12:32, Christ said, "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come." Why would blasphemy be forgiven when it involves Christ, yet not be forgiven when it involves the Holy Spirit?

Question: I was recently told that it is wrong to use words like "gosh" or "gee." Are these words really all that bad?

Answer: We often hear words like "gosh," "gee," and similar words in conversation today. Although they may sound innocent enough, we should avoid using them. Why? Because these words are euphemisms for the names of God and Jesus Christ. A euphemism is "the substitution of a mild, indirect, or vague expression for one thought to be offensively blunt or harsh" (Random House Dictionary of the English Language).