questions

The following is a "top ten" list of silliest questions asked on a cruise ship. They were collected in 1998 by Paul Grayson, cruise director for the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

10. Do these steps go up or down?

9. What do you do with the beautiful ice carvings after they melt?

8. Which elevator do I take to get to the front of the ship?

7. Does the crew sleep on the ship?

6. Is this island completely surrounded by water?

5. Does the ship make its own electricity?

4. Is it salt water in the toilets?

3. What elevation are we at?

2. There's a photographer on board who takes photos and displays them the next day. The question asked: If the pictures aren't marked, how will I know which ones are mine?

1. What time is the Midnight Buffet being served?

They say there's no such thing as a foolish question, but the Bible would disagree. Now, any question asked in order to learn something is never foolish, but some questions are asked simply for the purpose of starting an argument. Many of the questions the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus fell into this category (see Matthew 21 for several examples). Jesus was the master at being able to handle those kinds of questions, throwing them back at the questioner without getting embroiled in their debate.

For us, though, the best response to such a question is usually to ignore it. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy:

"But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient..." (2 Timothy 2:23-24).