Q: In the Bible, most prophets and leaders are males. Does that imply that males are better than females?

A: Although that may come off as being the case, that is absolutely not what the Bible is intending.

In the culture of those days, that thought was definitely prevalent in men's minds. There was absolutely this mentality that men were better and women should be confined to the kitchen and pleasing her husband. This is why you see the prophets and leaders being men. But don't overlook such great leaders as Esther or Ruth. They too play a heavy role in the Bible.

As a matter of fact, if you look at Jesus' ministry, He spent a lot of time going against that mentality and including women in His ministry. He had Mary and Martha, His mother was by His side when He was crucified, He healed many women that other people wouldn't even think of touching. Jesus was all about including women and fighting for their rights.

You've got to read the Bible and understand the culture of the day in order to interpret properly. Bottom line is that male superiority is of the past...Jesus came to abolish that (amongst many other things) and there is no need to use the Bible to perpetuate that type of attitude! We are set free by the freedom that Christ has given us.

[answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Dear Pastor, it would be an honour for me to get the following misunderstanding cleared...

"...Assuming that all the souls that get to Earth as babies are equal, as there is only one life on Earth, after which soul either goes to Heaven or Hell; assuming that, I find it unfair for souls to be born in male and female bodies. At some time periods, men or women had more or less chances to become Spitirually Advanced and devote their lives to God. Assuming the reincarnation theory is wrong, how does such injustice happen on Earth?"

The wording used in this question is somewhat vague at points, so I'll try my best. From my understanding, it would seem you're arguing that the gender of a person determines - at least in part - whether they become "spiritually advanced and devote their lives to God." I would respond that the gender of a person is not the determinant factor for devotion to God. The Apostle Paul wrote this in his letter to the Romans (chapter 3):

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.

What Paul is saying is that no one - regardless of race, gender, ethnicity - has an advantage when it comes to seeking after and finding God. Every single person is in the same situation: We have rebelled, sinned against and are separated from God. The only way, therefore, to be in relationship with God is through faith in Christ. This means we put our faith in what God did for us, not what we can achieve ourselves.

That being said, in general, I do believe men and women can think about God and may find their faith in Christ differently because of the way they're hardwired. Women, for example, may relate, feel and ponder the love of Christ more quickly than a man might because they tend to be attuned emotionally. The main point, however, is that gender is not the crucial issue here. It is whether or not you put your faith in Jesus, believe what He did for you and repent of your sin. When you do that, you can have a relationship with God.

What I love about Christianity is that it is very fair and yet JUST. It does not depend on how good you are (or rotten you are); your ethnicity; your cultural upbringing; your talent; your wealth; or even your gender. Christianity says that we are all sinners and that God hates sin. Yet it also tells us that God loves us and sent his Son to die for the just penalty we rightfully deserve. And because of Jesus...

(1) Everyone is welcome (God loves everyone)

(2) Everyone can meet the requirement (Jesus met it for us)

(3) Everyone gets in the same way (Being in a relationship with God - in this life and the next - depends on faith in Christ; not anything you can do)

Hope this clarifies things. Keep asking questions, friend. We'll try our best to help you find answers you're seeking. Also, come to our youth service and learn more about God.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

Q: Is it "bad" to wear short shorts and tank tops?

Okay, there are so many ways in which I can explain this, so I will be "short" and sweet.

Firstly, I suspect that a girl is asking this question, so that is the route in which I will gear my answer to.

It's all about perspective, okay? When it's 30 degrees outside, and you're on vacation in Hawaii, yes, I absolutely think it's fine to wear [shorter] shorts and tank tops. No one expects you to be modest in a turtle neck and snow pants in that scenario.

However, if it's only 10 degrees outside and you want to get attention by wearing skimpy clothing than I would say the following:

1. You're attracting attention in the wrong way (guys should want to get to know you because of your intellect and brains, rather than solely with your physical attributes). In this way, you are also being a stumbling block to those guys who struggle with this sin of lust. Don't put it out there if you know a brother is weak in this area [read 1 Corinthians 8:9-10].

2. Your attitude is wrong and you're really abusing the body that God gave you. It was never meant to "flaunted" that way.

3. You're objectifying yourself. I hate it when I hear guys talking about girls like a piece of meat. It's so rude and completely disgusts me. We are people, with real feelings, with real emotions and real intellect. By putting our body out there and saying "look at me", we are feeding into this mentality that we are just great bodies. In fact, it's insulting for the rest of the women in this world when girls do this because it sends the wrong message and enforces the idea that we can be looked at as such.

4. Lastly, the combination of really short shorts and really low tank tops just look bad. It's not fashionable.


So, in conclusion. No, it is not bad to wear short shorts and a tank top. But please do it appropriately and for the appropriate reasons.



[answered by Pastor KJT, who wore shorts and tank tops in 2007 while vacationing in Hawaii]

Q: Does God have gender?

The short answer is NO. God is does not have gender as we understand it, because he is not human. He is Spirit and because He is Spirit, he can be never defined by genitalia. He can only be defined by intrinsic character. The only exception is when God came to Earth in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Jewish male.

Genesis 1:37 is helpful here: "God created man in His own image...male AND female He created them.” This verse tells us that though God does not have gender, he has two natures that are inseparable, united in a loving and intimate manner. Our earthly male and female relationships were originally intended to be a reflection of what existed in SPIRIT.

That being said, it follows there is another question related to this: Why would God chose to use the male gender as opposed to the female gender? Because it would seem the majority of evidence from the Scriptures indicate that God wants us to know him and understand him as our FATHER in heaven.

This is a hard one to answer, and truthfully – you’re probably going to have to ask God himself in the next life. But I do have a few thoughts. First, perhaps the reason God makes use of The FATHER image is because he wanted to make use of the culture of the ancient days. You see, the patriarch (male leader) in Eastern culture was considered the spiritual guide and the head of the tribe or clan. So maybe that’s the reason God reveals himself to us from the perspective of The Father. He wanted us to understand. Now, just because God has chosen to be addressed in masculine terms DOES NOT mean God is “male.” Now, of course, Jesus as a Jewish man was “male”, but Jesus as God, who existed from all eternity, was NOT male. It was only when he took on flesh that he became ‘male.’

Second, whenever FEMALE gods such as Ashteroth (goddess of beauty and fertility) were worshipped, temple prostitutes were ritualistically abused. All throughout history, and even today, religions that elevate female gods have a tendency to abuse women, and this is most prominent in Eastern cultures, where a woman’s identity is viewed as less than worthless. My point here is to let you know there is a part of human nature that devalues female nature whenever female gods are introduced and given worship.

My third thought: Though some people out there may be right in terms of putting too much an emphasis on the male characteristics of God, I personally am not entirely comfortable referring to God as “Mother.” I’ve been to some places where they take out all masculine references to God altogether (“eternal wisdom”) and I think there is something lost in that.

[Answered by Pastor Ho-Ming]