Q. I know this is a controversial issue, but what does the Bible say about birth control?  Is this an instance where we must listen to our God-given conscience because there is no direct instruction on the matter?
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We Are To Multiply
In order to gain a context for the answer to this somewhat controversial topic in question, we immediately need to be pushed back to Genesis 1:28 “Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth…” So what is the obvious point that God is making in this verse?  We are to procreate as human beings, as creations of God.

There may be some random passages which speak about mismanaging a sanctioned opportunity to procreate like the strange account of Onan in Genesis 38:9-10, but that seems to be addressing a specific failure to continue a generational family line.
God Values Embryos As Life
Abortion as birth control is obviously forbidden, as well as something like the “morning after pill” because they both tamper with a developing child already conceived (see Exodus 21:22 “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely…”  Notice the woman is referred to as being with child).  Psalm 139:16 says “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed…” (my substance, being yet unformed is all one word in the Hebrew: golem – something rolled together, an embryo, a fetus. The interlinear actually reads: “My embryo saw your eyes”).  So we can see that God has great respect for the pre-born, biological development of a human being, which He calls a child.
Silence On The Subject
There doesn’t seem to be any specific, technical mention about birth control in the Bible. So, while avoiding the problems mentioned above, it seems that God leaves things up to the discretion of the couple. Medically speaking, when making the decision to decide on the right birth control pill, a married couple should do research to make sure that the pill chosen does not tamper in any way with an already conceived embryo. That would be the Biblical thing to do.

This is just one’s humble opinion. Do your own research, formulate your own conclusions, and pray that God will give you insight.

Q. I have been wondering what reasonable boundaries should be for modesty in today’s society.  I know the Bible says that it’s better for a woman to be Godly instead of being more concerned with expensive clothing and makeup, but what about swimming suits and stuff?  If I know that my guy classmates are tempted visually, why should I wear a bikini?  That’s not helping them out.  I guess I just need some clarification about what the Bible says.  Thanks.
Great question!  This is one that many of us ladies ask at one point or another in our spiritual journey… especially if we live in warm climates!  As we grow in our Christian faith, we begin to look at others and their needs and as a result, these types of questions arise…

First, let’s look at Romans 12:9-11-“Let love be without hypocrisy.  Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good.  Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord…”

What a great passage on the way we are to treat one another!

• “Let love be without hypocrisy” – remember love is not a feeling but an action/choice to put another person’s needs above your own. It could be defined as “a self-less humble service to meet another’s need no matter how lowly the service or how undeserving the person served.  It is a willful, joyful desire to put others over yourself, your feelings, your desires, your ambitions, etc”.  (1 Corinthians 13:1-7)
• “Abhor what is evil.  Cling to what is good” – Bikinis are not evil.  In fact, no piece of clothing is evil… but as you said, the response it prompts in the hearts of some is evil (Romans 14:14-16).  This verse reminds us that we are to pursue what is good over what is evil.
• “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love… giving preference to one another” – We are to treat every other believer like a family member… these are the people we look out for the MOST!  We are to prefer others over ourselves.  (Philippians 2:3-4)

That being said, let’s look at the principles of Christian Liberty (Romans 14:1-15:13, 1 Corinthians 10:23-30)

1 Corinthians 10:23- All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me  but not all things edify.

In Paul’s day, the argument in the Christian world wasn’t about bikinis but about whether or not it was sinful to eat meat that had been sacrificed to idols in the pagan temples.  Ex-pagans who were now Christians thought it was a horribly sinful practice whereas ex-jewish Christians realized it was yummy meat and not a big deal.  Kind of like today; some Christians have no problem whatsoever wearing bikinis while other Christians really struggle with the idea because it’s a temptation to their brothers.  Let’s briefly look at 4 principles from 1 Corinthians 10:23-30

Remember that we need to love others and put their needs above our own in everything we do… in our speech, in our attitudes, in our time, in our financial giving… and yes, even in our dress.

Galatians 5:13 - For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Romans 14:15 – Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died.

If you know that wearing “revealing” clothing causes your Christian brothers to stumble into sin and temptation (Romans 14:21) and your conscience is telling you that it’s wrong, then you have to follow what your conscience is saying and “limit your liberty” to wear certain things in order to protect your brother in Christ.  However, we always must be careful not to condemn others if their conscience does not tell them something is wrong (Romans 14:3)

Remember, our goals are always to love and serve others… we can always measure these types of issues by asking “am I showing love to my brothers and sisters if I do ___________?” or “am I serving others if I do ________ or am I serving myself?”

Q. He (Jesus) answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:11-12

In light of this verse why is it that the church as a whole seems to be so ok with marrying people who have been divorced? How does Aletheia deal with this issue?
This question has brought about much controversy in the church over the years. Once again with a proper Biblical perspective, the answer to a seemingly complicated question becomes very simplistic.

The context of the passage in question, along with other New Testament passages, needs to be comprehensively looked at in order to form a more accurate stance on if divorce is acceptable and if it is, when it is acceptable.
How Is Marriage Defined?
The Bible doesn’t contradict itself so in other words, it won’t say divorce is okay in one verse and then it’s not in another. Marriage, as we see it defined in Genesis chapter 2 by Jesus in the same passage in question (verses 6, 7, and 8 ) is understood as:

1. Marriage is between a man and a woman (two humans of different gender). God didn’t create a bunch of humans in the beginning to all inter-marry with each other and trade up a spouse for another. No, it is meant solely and distinctly for two people.

2. Marriage intends for two people to come together and literally “be joined.” This word means to be glued together. Have you ever used gorilla super glue before? That stuff is not intended to lose it’s adhesiveness ever. The same goes for the marriage union. When a man leaves his mother and father to be joined to his wife, this is meant to be forever.

3. When two people are joined in marriage, they become one flesh. This word one is a compound unity term which signifies singularity within plurality. The same term is used to describe the Lord in Deuteronomy 6:4 and a cluster of grapes in Numbers 13:23.

4. Marriage is brought together by God with a command that it not be messed with. In the same passage verse 9, Jesus says what God has brought together let now man separate. God ordains marriage and therefore it shouldn’t be tampered with by man because God is supreme.
Misinterpreting God’s Word
The Pharisees whom Jesus was directing this answer to were trying to trip Jesus up. They were taking out of context a passage in the Mosaic law (Deut. 24:1-4). That passage recognized the reality of divorce and as we see in Mark 10:4, these Pharisees answer Jesus’ statement of “What did Moses command you?” with “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” Moses (through God’s help) knew that divorce was inevitable so the reason for the “certificate” was to protect the woman’s rights within the marriage and to keep things documented. The certificate allowed the woman (or man) to be released from the marriage to be remarried unless the reasons were of an sexually immoral nature.

Obviously Mosaic law taught that immorality within a marriage (adultery) was wrong (Ex 20:14; Lev 20:10). This faction of Pharisees believed that Mosaic law allowed for divorce to take place under any circumstances. They were wrong. Jesus tells them that they are rebellious and proceeds to let them know that divorce is not cool.
What Scripture Says About Divorce
Then, God goes on to use the Biblical writers like Paul to specify the grounds in which divorce is acceptable. It’s not okay under any other circumstance except when a spouse dies (Romans 7:2-3); when there is disloyalty (Matthew 19:9); when there is desertion (1 Cor 7:15). Under these circumstances, a person is allowed to remarry. There is a fourth possibility as well that you can study on your own. 1 Cor. 7:10-11 says “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband…” This opens the door to a possibility of if a woman is in some type of danger and she has no choice but to leave. For the first three reasons, the Bible says that a person can remarry. The last obviously is clear that the wife cannot remarry if she leaves for that reason.

One more note to point out…why would we apply this teaching to unbelievers also? Unbelievers and their actions aren’t held to the same standard as a believer, before they are a believer. In other words, who are we to say that before a person submitted their life to Christ, and they went through a divorce, but then they became a Christian that now they can’t remarry? 2 Cor 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Those who are in Christ are held at a different standard, the standard that Jesus and Paul give us in the Bible. We can’t expect unbelievers to be held to that same standard.

Q. What about practicing homosexuals and the church?
I’m not quite sure the specific question being asked here, but let’s be perfectly clear. Homosexuality is a sin.

Paul says plainly  “do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,” (1 Corinthians 6:9)

As well as here: “the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:9-10) Other clear prohibitions of homosexuality can be found here: Leviticus 18:22, 20:13, Romans 1:26-28.

What else do we notice in these passages noted above? Homosexuality is a sin, just like all the other listed sins: murder, lying, perjury, sexual immorality, adultery, idolatry, etc. It is just as horrible in God’s eyes as any other kind of sin you can find in scripture. And like all other sins we can commit, we need forgiveness of it and transformation into a life without that sin.

As for the original question’s mention of a “practicing homosexual” in the church:  if you’re asking are they welcome in church, the answer is a resounding “YES”. The church is a place where sinners can meet together, hear the bible taught and preached, and where we can repent of our sin, ask for forgiveness, trust in Jesus as God, and be changed. It’s no different than the young man who has a struggle with pornography and comes to church. He is a practicing sinner, but that doesn’t mean we kick him out of church. That’s not the point.

What IS the point is that like all other sin, the pattern of a homosexual life (thoughts, desires, actions) needs to be broken. Through Christ’s power that sin can be forgiven and that person can be transformed and given a new heart with new desires.

Q. If we are not saved by works is it necessary or even beneficial to try to be perfect? Better yet what is the point if we are not actually trying to be perfect but just drawing an extremely conservative line by the world’s standards or even the standards of other Christians?
To begin to answer this we must know what a Christian is. A Christian is one who abides in Jesus and trust him not only in death but in everyday life, through repentance and trusting faith. Conservative or Liberal, in the end its all about how people relate to sin, God, and the Bible. If we want to call ourselves liberal towards sin and the Bible we therefore strip the strict bounds of God, Authority, moral absoluteness and justice. To say someone is Conservative should just mean towards sin, the Bible and God and that these are the authority in the matters of sin, God and the Bible.
We Rationalize Sin
Many people rationalize sin because of its social normative context, and don’t even question their actions as being wrong. In fact the only thing that shows them it is wrong is the Bible. This can be seen in the words people say. For example, in society it is deemed OK to curse, in fact we hear teachers all the time say whatever without a pause. Society doesn’t restrict this freedom; only God does, because it reveals the heart behind the words.
True Faith Leads To Good Works
James 2:14 is all about people who “say” they have faith but but their lives prove they don’t. A true Christ follower abides in Christ (John 15:4-6) and produces the fruit by Him. True faith equals true works. So yes, biblically we are called to strive after perfection (Matthew 5:48), it is the desire of one who abides in Christ. Will we slip and mess up, yes (romans 7:15) but does that give us an excuse? Certainly not (Romans 6:1-2).  We see that we as Christians have every resource to learn,  develop and grow away from sin through that which is in the Scriptures (2 tim 3:16-17). We know we won’t be able to reach perfection here but this is no excuse to deny the command and strive after its divine calling for us (Philippians 3:12).
Priorities
Its all about priorities from here on out; living under human standards or being self disciplined. Allowing God to change us and adapting to his standards (Romans 12:1). This is the true nature of a christian, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25). Thank God he gives us his Spirit to allow us to live this life, because we cannot do this on our own.

Q. There are many people who are against abortion. I believe it is wrong, but shouldn’t women have the choice to choose between right and wrong? After all, don’t we have to choose to accept Christ?
This is an interesting question and of course a very controversial topic in our culture (secular or religious). The first thing we must address is whether the act of abortion is inherently right or wrong in God’s eyes.
Is Abortion Murder?
No matter what you try to call it, “abortion”, “choice”, or a woman’s “right”: having a baby in the womb killed voluntarily is murder. It is taking another life. Sure that life may not be full grown or be visible outside the mother’s belly, but it is medically and scientifically still a life that is being snuffed out.

The bible agrees that babies in the womb are considered valuable just like you and me. For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). The Lord called me from the womb, from the body of my mother he named my name (Isaiah 49:1).

God even “knows” these babies before they are conceived: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). And when you jump to the New Testament you see John the Baptist in Luke 1 leaping with joy while in his mother’s womb in the presence of Mary (pregnant with Jesus).

It is clear that God values babies in the womb as life. Therefor to end the life of an unborn baby is no different than to end the life of an adult. Both are murder, and murder is prohibited; not only in God’s word (Exodus 20:13), but in the US Justice system as well.
The Choice To Choose Right or Wrong?
The original question suggests women should have the right (or the freedom) to choose abortion, even it is wrong. I think if we asked that question about rape or murder we’d get a clear answer. Shouldn’t people be allowed to rape children if they want to, even if it is wrong? No! Shouldn’t people be given the freedom to steal a car from a dealership even if they know it’s wrong and most of us agree it’s wrong? Of course not! That just doesn’t make sense. It’s the same with abortion.

At the end of the day we can all make our own choices, good or bad. But in most countries you are not “allowed” do just whatever you want. Governments exist to protect the people. If there were no laws then there would be chaos. Thus we have US law to protect people from murder, but we also have God’s law which protects unborn babies from being murdered.

So the short answer is no. None of us should be given the “choice” to do whatever we please if it jeopardizes the life of another human being. It’s just that simple.

Q.  We are called to be peace-makers, so at what point, at what limit, at what offense do we carry our peace-making with a peacemaker?
When delving into the topic of when or if we should stand against the worlds violence in a physical way we must first state that evil is real, God is just, and the bible is the source of authority in which we are answering this question.

So lets look at the verse,

“Blessed the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

So a Peace maker is called a son of God; these are individuals who trust God as their father and who by redemption have been given the inheritance of God (1 Peter 1:4, Gal 4:4-7). We see that our Father is a God of Justice and that he is the only one who can sentence a full Just Judgment, which is his perfect desire and nature (psalm 11:5-7. psalm 19:7-9, Psa. 89:14, Deut. 32:3, 4).

As sons of God we are the individuals who are “In Christ”. When in Christ, our thinking has changed on sin and evil in the world (Romans 12) and thus now we have a discernment in the world we live in.
Peacemaking Is Ultimately Up To God
We see God as a God which says he will fulfill full justice to everyone everywhere and for us to be patient (Isaiah 66:16, 51:5). We must understand that the reality of evil comes from the individual heart which does the evil.  No amount of physical war will ever end mans selfish ability to do evil. We are called to love our enemies. In true love comes true desire for Justice. When we see a situation of oppression we are called to have action against it (Isaiah 58). We are never to hate the sinner but true hate of sin is the desire to stop it and protect those that are being affected by it.

So we should strive to be peacemakers in all situations, even to the point of national peacemakers with movements like that of non-violent revolutions (Martin Luther King Jr, Ghandi, Paul, John the baptist). But there is a point when all else fails that action must be taken; not for our personal glory but for protection of the week, and for self defense according to God’s sovereign will.

If no possible way of peace can form, we are called to love; and loving through action is needed. As for self defense, we fight for our bodies because God has given these to us to take care of and rule, but we freely give them up for our faith, so we may witness to others even to the point of death. We must have the world view that God is the only one who can properly punish and judge people/nations, he is in sovereign control of nations and peoples so we must first connect with him and by this have a discerning heart to do his will. Knowing he will never cause us to hate.

Peace on earth will only come through Christ, not some utopic desire through certain human actions. In the end it is good to remind men it is our duty to oversee our family in protection and care (1 Tim 5:8).

(http://www.openbible.info/topics/taking_care_of_our_body)

Q. Why does Paul write such mean things about women?  Why can’t there be women teachers in the church?
In order to understand Paul’s view on women and their role in the church, one must understand the totality of the Biblical view of the value and worth of a woman. Remember, the Bible does not contradict itself. No where in the Bible will you see that women were created as the inferior gender. Genesis 1:27 states “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Not only are women not the inferior gender when it comes to creation, but also in Christ’s church. Galatians 3:28 says “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In both areas of importance here, creation and within the church, everyone is equal.
God Used Many Women To Further His Kingdom
We also know that God worked through and used many great women in the Bible (i.e. Ruth, Naomi, Hannah, Esther, Sarah, Deborah, Hagar, Mary, Martha, Lydia). These women were all very esteemed and valued and are just a few of the many that God elevates in His Word.

This gives us a broader perspective and enable us to realize that Paul would not go against the rest of the Bible, seeing as though  the same God that inspired the Words of the other authors of the Bible is the same God that inspired Paul’s words would lead us to believe that Paul was not trying to be mean, to devalue, or to diminish the woman’s place within the church. In fact, it is the awesome woman Lydia, the seller of fine clothes, who was Paul’s first evangelistic contact and convert in Philippi, who ended up opening up her home to hold the worship gatherings in. Paul understood how important women were and that sometimes when men were no where to be found, as was the case in Philippi, it was a sweet business woman whom God used to help start the church.

The passages in question are probably 1 Timothy 2:11-12 “Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” and 1 Cor. 14:34-35 “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive…”

To get a grasp on what Paul is saying, we must understand the context. When he says “let a woman learn” that was a foreign concept in that day and age.” Women, for the most part, were not permitted to be “learned” or educated. This alone shows the sensitivity by Paul to go as far as to counteract ancient society and culture. When he says “in silence and submission” he is referring to roles. The word submission in the Greek language implies arranging oneself in a military formation (simply, finding one’s place). Within the church, a woman’s role is not to be the teacher.
Equal, But Different
This is backed up in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 where pastors (elders, shepherds, bishops – all of these words are interchangeable) who are called to teach, are supposed to be (rendered in the Greek language) “the male of one female.” It is referring to males. Just as men, according to Scripture are called to be the heads of their wives, they are likewise also called to be heads of the church, submitting of course to the Chief Head (or Shepherd) Christ as we see in 1 peter 5.

In other words, everyone is supposed to find their role. For women in a church setting, it is not to teach (actually to teach just men as is stated in 1 Timothy; it says nothing about teaching other women). But that doesn’t diminish their importance or cancel out the idea that they can have a position of prominence. Because as we know, women were used greatly in the NT church, as we have seen already with Lydia, as well as with Chloe in Romans 16, who was commended by Paul for her incredible service within the church. And there are others.