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From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Why is the Bible called holy when it contains so much greed, lust, and violence? And why does the Bible call for people to be holy when God allows so much evil in the world? – H.B.

A: The Bible tells the truth about mankind, the devil, and sin that prevails. The Bible also tells the truth about ...Read more

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the ordination of 11 women as priests in the Episcopal Church, and the milestone is being cited by some commentators as the beginning of the decline of the denomination.

As an Episcopal priest and a student of American religious history, I heartily disagree.

On July 29, 1974, amid threats of violence, ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’ve never seen our country – and all countries – disgruntled, angry, chasing after happiness, and clamoring for peace while anger boils under the surface. Where have we gone wrong as a people? Have American citizens misunderstood the real meaning of “the pursuit of happiness”? – U.W.

A...Read more

Thanks, dear readers, for sending me signs that you have received from loved ones who have died. I try not to include signs that are either clearly contrived or not really signs at all but just ordinary coincidences. The point of including these “God Winks” is to support those of you who believe, as I do, and as our faiths do, that death is ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Why are some nations worse than others? America is no perfect nation, especially these days, but we were once a country that was an example to the world. What causes such a change? Does the Bible give an example? – G.N.

A: God honored and blessed America as few nations in history, but in recent ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles City Council members Katy Yaroslavsky and Bob Blumenfield withdrew their proposal to provide city funding for security at synagogues, mosques and other religious institutions on Wednesday, saying state funds are now available to cover such expenses.

Yaroslavsky and Blumenfield proposed the creation of a $2 million ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Mediation in the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case will “begin as soon as reasonably possible,” a judge has ruled, thrusting the proceeding into its most critical phase.

During the forthcoming negotiations, attorneys and mediators will work together to determine how much money the diocese and its insurers have to ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Every part of me believes in God. I know He cares for me and hears my prayers. But He seems silent and far away. I know He isn’t, but I don’t sense Him moving in my life. Is there a purpose in this – is my faith too small? – G.S.

A: On the natural level, we tend to neglect the privilege of ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Discouragement is hounding me. No matter where I turn, dark clouds seem to hang over me, making my pathway dark and dreary. I go to church but return home lonely and downhearted. I feel threatened in my work and it is affecting my health, though I’m still young. Is this all life has to offer? – ...Read more

BALTIMORE — A judge is set to decide whether to approve an agreement for the terms of mediation in the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michelle M. Harner is considering a proposed order for mediation crafted by attorneys for the Catholic church, a committee of sex abuse survivors and the archdiocese’s ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My fiancé and I, after dating for a couple of years, are going to be married soon. We’ve completed our education and will settle into our first home together after the wedding. We hope to have a family and desperately want to be responsible parents and build a stable home. All kinds of books and ...Read more

Two well-known evangelical leaders will serve as interim pastors of Gateway Church after its founder and senior pastor, Robert Morris, resigned following revelations of child sexual abuse.

Max Lucado, a charismatic evangelical author and San Antonio pastor, and Joakim Lundqvist, a leader of an megachurch in Sweden, will share the ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I’m fearful of traveling by train and worse by air. How can I overcome this terror? – G.P.

A: The British express train raced through the night, its powerful headlight piercing the darkness. Queen Victoria was a passenger on the train. Suddenly the engineer saw a startling sight. Revealed in ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: I learned in catechism that it is wrong to claim to be righteous, but in a Bible study I am attending, the materials often give Bible verses about being righteous. This is troubling me. How can this be explained? – L.R.

A: Some people confuse living righteously with being self-righteous. To be ...Read more

Q: Dear Rabbi Gellman, thank you for your amazing and sorely needed ministry.

I would like you to share your thoughts on the habit of our current culture to “read a book by its cover”. Of course, the age-old saying is "Never judge a book by its cover”, but everywhere I turn these days, I feel people are paying too much attention to the ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: The Bible says we shouldn’t worry, but as hard as I try, I am surely the chief of worriers. How can I overcome this habit? – C.W.

A: Almost no emotion is as common as worry – and it’s useless. Why? Because most of our worries either concern things that will never happen, or else things we ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: Is it true that we only feel God’s strength when we admit our weakness? That really isn’t taught in church anymore, and I wonder if it’s because we as Christians have become more educated, or are we dismissing the most important part of the Gospel message – acknowledging our sin and asking ...Read more

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

Q: My family spent a week out in the California desert and saw the Fountain of Life in Cathedral City. There was a small group there and the leader said he brings his patients to this place in search of peace and clarity to life. I’m not sure a fountain has that kind of power. The people there looked...Read more

BALTIMORE — The Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy case moved closer to the critical mediation phase Monday, as attorneys for the Catholic Church, its insurance carriers and a committee of sex abuse survivors reached a tentative agreement on the terms for upcoming negotiations.

The agreement is tentative because the lawyers still need ...Read more