Christan and unbelievers

[UsagiTsukino]

Hey is it back to be friends with unbelievers? I mean have different friends arrange from Islam to Agonist to atheist.

[Furstentum Liechtenstein]

You may be friends with unbelievers but the friendship will never be as intimate as with another believer.

FL

[melanie]

I chose who I'm friends with based on their character not their religious persuasion.

[RickD]

I chose who I'm friends with based on their character not their religious persuasion.

I guess that rules me out then.

[melanie]

I chose who I'm friends with based on their character not their religious persuasion.

I guess that rules me out then.

I make exceptions for mildly funny klowns

[crochet1949]

I've been told that it's best to have our close friends as believers -- our same religious beliefs -- that way we can be spiritual encouragers. I have had unbelievers as friends -- and we Need to have non-believers in our lives -- how else can we do any 'witnessing' by our lives or conversation. But we Do need to be careful of Who we have as friends.

[abelcainsbrother]

I don't see a problem with it unless you allow them to effect your faith in the Lord and his word.The bible gives us wisdom on what kind of friends we should choose so it requires righteous judgment.It does seem like to me that it is getting harder to find a good friend you can trust.

[crochet1949]

Yes, it IS getting harder to find people to trust as good friends. Maybe we live in such a microwave world -- or we go on a dating site to find a 'relationship'. We fill out an extensive questionaire and hope a machine or whatever to do the work For us -- when we really Need to take time to get to know people. And this is a very mobile society -- we move around so much that it's hard to establish friendship.
Even here on a Forum -- we establish anonymous friendships -- we don't really know each other.
I'd been on another Forum for a long time -- established relationships -- but the atheistic influence was running the good people away and then it 'crashed' -- so I've left that -- even if it Does return -- I'm better off without the negative influence it was having.
A good place to meet people would be through church activities -- maybe college classes - those of similar interests -- and there again -- what do they believe. Maybe as we'd take time to know people -- we Can share our beliefs / find out Their beliefs and find we can lead them to share Our beliefs.

[Audie]

I've been told that it's best to have our close friends as believers -- our same religious beliefs -- that way we can be spiritual encouragers. I have had unbelievers as friends -- and we Need to have non-believers in our lives -- how else can we do any 'witnessing' by our lives or conversation. But we Do need to be careful of Who we have as friends.

Cults try to isolate people.

[Storyteller]

Most of my friends are online friends.

I am generally, a fairly isolated person preferring the world of words and books to real life relationships.

I have a few close friends, not all Christian but they respect that I am and I respect that they aren`t (yet )

I don`t think your belief has to be a deciding factor in friendships, besides, isn`t the idea to preach God`s message? Makes sense to perhaps start with our friends. I don`t hold with force feeeding belief to people, I just hope and pray that I can lead by example which will encourage non believers to at least consider the possibilty that God may be someone they want to know.

So.... believer or non believer you can be my friend.

My BEST friend though, that`s God.

[crochet1949]

The subject of cults has been brought up --yes, they Do isolate people -- maybe define a 'cult' -- the dictionary that I have defines it as a system of religious worship , especially in respect to rites and ceremonies." It goes on further that there is a leader who is worshiped / followed.
That definition would apply to most any group / congregation. The concept of a 'cult' is usually referring to a group in a negative way. Another definition I've read 'somewhere' - refers to any group that does Not teach Christ as being God's Son -- as the risen Savior and adds a persons' translation that has been received via a 'vision' or dream. And there Are 'cults' Jim Jones and his followers? or the group that had been in Waco those years ago. And there are small groups of believers that are just fine. The Holy Spirit is very good at giving us a good inner feeling about a group or giving us an unrest about it. And what are they teaching.
As adults -- most of us have grown up in a particular belief / church. And This thread is talking about Christians and our relationship with those of other belief systems. And one of the posters was saying that he/she considers the Character of the person and not so much the religious beliefs. And, yes, Character is Very important. And there are those who live with high morals, ethics , loyalty. What are their Inner motives? A person automatically gravitates to them. But Should we. It's Still important to know What they believe. Who do they associate when we aren't with them. If they have no problem with 'whatever' and you really Do --do you have conversation about it? Do we know when it's time to leave That particular friendship?
People can have Great character qualities and be 'miles away' from our religious beliefs.