I have a cousin who is really mean to me.   He offends me and other people and then pretends that he is only playing.  I can't avoid him because he lives close by and spends a lot of time with my family.   How can I deal with someone like him?

Tired of being Offended

Response:

Dear Tired of Being Offended,

We can identify with this situation.  We do not know if you are a Christian but scripture tells us to live in peace with all men...(that includes relatives too!) Hebrews 12:14.  You may want to sit down and have a serious talk with your cousin and let him know how you feel about his "playing around".   First of all, pray and ask God for wisdom.  James 1:5 instructs us to do so.   God will lead you as to what you should do and how you should respond.

If you know something about someone that's really bad and you think an adult should know, but you are not supposed to say anything, should you tell anyway?

What To Do

Response:

Dear What To Do,

If a person is in danger and/or if the person or situation may endanger someone else, then an adult must be told.  You should seek Godly counsel from a trusted adult.  Again as in James 1:5, you should pray for wisdom in handling the situation.  The God we love and serve never fails to respond to our requests.

Is the word "hell" a swear?

Words

Response:

Dear Words,

The word "hell" is not a swear.  It is an awful place described in the Bible where nonbelievers will spend eternity.  Sometimes people use the word "hell" like it is a swear word.  That should not be.   The word should also never be used by us to condemn someone to the place hell.   The theme of this site, 1 Timothy 4:12 talks about setting an example in speech.   We need to practice that, and watch how  we use words.