How Come? Your Religion Questions Answered

Have a 'How Come?' question? Write to us at columnists@staff.beliefnet.com.

Bible

• Jesus
  • What were the disciples of Jesus like?
  • Did Jesus pay taxes?
  • Did Jesus laugh?
  • Why is Jesus called the Lamb of God?
• Values
  • What does the Bible say about pride?
  • What did Jesus say in the Bible about premarital sex?
• Explanations
  • Is the Rapture in the Bible?
  • What does the 82nd Psalm mean?
  • Where is the concept of purgatory found in the Bible?
  • Where did the idea of the infallibility of the Bible come from?
  • Why did it take the Israelites 40 years to get to the Promised Land?

Customs & Laws

• Catholic
  • Headwear form and function
  • Why does the Pope wear a beanie?
  • Can the Pope retire?
  • Why did people stop putting St. Christopher statues on the dashboards of their cars?
• Islam
  • What are the Muslim rules about organ donation?
  • Why don't Muslims keep dogs as pets?
• Judaism
  • What does kosher mean?
  • What are the rules for using electricity on the Sabbath?
  • Why do Jews wear head coverings?
  • Why do some Jews name babies after the dead?
  • What does sitting shiva mean?
• Mormonism
  • Do Mormon girls have to be missionaries for two years like Mormon boys do?

Dress

• Catholicism
  • Why does the Pope wear a beanie?
• Judaism
  • Why do Hasidic Jews dress like they do?
  • Why do Jews wear beanies?
• Hinduism
  • Do Hindu women have to wear saris?
• Sikhism
  • Why do Sikh men have to wear beards?

Food & Diet

• Vegetarianism
  • Why are plants ok if animals are forbidden?
• Judaism
  • What does kosher mean?

Holidays

• Catholic
  • What's a Holy Day of Obligation?
• Christian
  • Why do some Christians wear smudge marks on Ash Wednesday?
  • Why do we have to give something up for Lent?
  • Why do some Christians follow a liturgical calendar?

Interfaith

• Marriage
  • What does Islam teach about intermarriage?
• Conversion
  • What's wrong with Christians trying to convert Jews?
• Religious Leaders
  • What would happen if Billy Graham, Louis Farrakhan, and the Dalai Lama all had lunch?
• Apologies
  • Why did it take the Catholic Church so long to apologize to Jews and other groups?
• Beliefs
  • Why do Catholics believe in purgatory while Protestants do not?
  • Are Protestantism and Catholicism equally Christian?
• Practices
  • What do Christians think of the Enneagram?

  Marriage

  • Announcements
    • Why does the bride's information always come before the groom's?
  • Islam
    • What does Islam teach about intermarriage?

  Other Faith Groups

  • Moonies
    • Are they still around?
  • Quakers
    • Was Richard Nixon really a Quaker?
  • Voodoo
    • Is Voodoo really a religion?

  Religious Beliefs & Practice

  • Atheism
    • Can Atheists still pray?
  • Catholicism
    • What's a Holy Day of Obligation?
    • Are Episcopalians Protestant or Catholic?
    • Do Catholics commit a sin when they skip Sunday mass?
    • Do Catholics believe that the bread and wine actually turn into Christ's body and blood?
    • Why do Catholics believe in purgatory?
    • Did the Third Secret of Fatima refer to the Pope?
  • Christianity
    • What is the Holy Spirit?
    • Why do many fundamentalist Christians dislike psychology?
    • Why do Catholics believe in purgatory while Protestants do not?
    • Are Catholicism and Protestantism equally Christian?
    • Why do some think liberal Christians are wishy-washy believers?
    • Why do some Christians follow a liturgical calendar?
    • What's the difference between religious icons and sports icons?
    • What's the difference between a Catholic crucifix and an Eastern Orthodox crucifix?
    • What practices do Pentecostalists follow?
    • What is the `method' in Methodism?
    • Have contemporary Christians abandoned the Sabbath?
  • Hinduism
    • Why do Hindus believe cows are sacred?
  • Islam
    • How do Muslims who travel a lot pray at specified times?
  • Judaism
    • What is the status of Reform & Conservative Jews in Israel?
    • Why don't Jews refer to their Bible as the Old Testament?
    • Why are Jews still waiting for a messiah?
  • Mormonism
    • Why do Mormons place as much importance on their books as on the Bible?

  Issues

  • Bob Jones University
    • Why does the school have a policy on interracial dating?
  • Clergy Compensation
    • Does ordination have to mean substandard wages?
  • Elian Gonzales
    • Why weren't more churches involved in his case?
  • Organ Donation
    • What are the Muslim laws regarding organ donation?
  • Politics
    • Why was there a fuss when John F. Kennedy ran for president?
  • School Prayer
    • How come kids can't pray at school but members of Congress can have a chaplain to pray for them?
  • Science
    • Why did Kansas allow Creationism to be taught in schools?
    • Does the human genome project have any implications for religion?

  Worship Services

  • Catholicism
    • Why is incense used in some religious rituals?
    • Do Catholics commit a sin when they skip Sunday mass?
    • Do Catholics worry about spreading germs when they take communion?
    • Why do Catholics have to go to church every week?
  • Christianity
    • Why do some churches charge for church seats?
    • Why do some churches pass around collection plates?
  • Eastern Orthodoxy
    • Do Orthodox Christians worry about spreading germs when they kiss pictures of saints?
  • Islam
    • Why do Muslims tend to pray in groups?