# non-christian friends



## satz (Jan 22, 2005)

how many here have non-christian friends?

how many? how close?

what are your feelings on this?


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## ReformedWretch (Jan 22, 2005)

I have some casual friends that are not believers, but I do not "hang out" with them. Not to be high and mighty, but because we simply have nothing in common. The few things that we may enjoy together is ruined by their talk, habbits, and mannerisms.

I simply cannot stand to spend large ammounts of time with vulgar, crass people.


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## bond-servant (Jan 22, 2005)

I think it is one thing to be 'friendly aquantences' with a non-believer, especially for witnessing.. but as for close friendships, ....

1Co 15:33 Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals." (NASB)


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## Bladestunner316 (Jan 22, 2005)

I learned the hard way.

blade


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## ANT (Jan 22, 2005)

Pretty much, my only non-Christian friends are the people I work with and my neighbors around me. I do not hang out with them, but I often share my faith with my co-workers and let them know if they need anything just to let me know. I will help them with physical things (moving things too big for their cars - I own a van), and invite them over to see my fish tank (pretty large - 120 gallon), little stuff like that just to strengthen the trust and friendship to be able to lovingly tell them their need of Christ. It's pretty amazing when you show interest into their lives and problems how they start to respond differently to you.

It is hard to be around them sometimes, but then I realize, what should I expect from a sinner who does not know the grace and peace of our Lord.

But then again, on the other hand, there are some believers that drive me up a wall sometimes. (Well, to be honest, most of the time.) 

[Edited on 1-22-2005 by ANT]


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## Puritanhead (Mar 2, 2005)

I think I grew up with mostly non-Christian friends... than when I come back home and want to try and live right, I confront reality that it alienates me from those that I grew up with and ran around with back in the day.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Mar 2, 2005)

This is my philosophy with respect to whether it is wise to have close non-Christian friends:

Have communion with few,
be intimate with ONE, 
deal justly with all,
speak evil of none. 

-- The New England Primer


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## Shane (Mar 2, 2005)

I seem to have lost anything I had in common with non Christian friends. Whats enjoyable for them just does not interest me any more.
I still keep contact and try to witness where I can but its not the same.


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## Abd_Yesua_alMasih (Mar 3, 2005)

I seem to be the same as many of you. People like me are always being told by Christians at my Apostolic Church that they should mix more with the world and convert people by good relationships. I simply do not have enough in common with unbelievers to make super-strong friendships. Even when we do have things in common we disagree on our most fundamental beliefs so any relationship is shallow. I do seem to have a few of those shallow friendships who sadly end up being more just people for company than true friends.


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## alwaysreforming (Mar 3, 2005)

I think this has more to do with the quality of the individual friends in question than it has with the fact of them being Christians or not.

I'd rather hang out with, and be very good friends with, an honest, intelligent, interesting, deep, well-informed, trustworthy non-Christian, who has something to say...
than I would with a "Hey, the Lord told me this/told me that", "ain't that annointed!", "I'm too blessed to be stressed", "look at my new Christian underwear" type of a "believer."

I'm so over the shallow, sound-bite Christianity that I can hardly bare to return to the fellowship I once had with many of my Christian friends. All these people want to know about Christianity is: "What do you think God is trying to teach me in this? What job does God want me to take? What house does God want me to buy? What do you think God wants me to do? I just want to be obedient to His voice. I'm just trying to find His will for my life!" 

Uh..., ya ever heard of reading the Bible? Why don't you learn what at least FIVE of the 10 Commandments are, then we can spend a little more time trying to tackle all the mysteries of God's secret will. Your Christianity is completely centered around ONE thing: YOU!

I also have a lot of non-Christian friendships that I have no interest in continuing simply for the vileness and vanity of their lives/speech.

Sure, you can only have true "fellowship" with believers, and I'd rather go over to the believer's house after church on Sunday, even if she's an 80 year old lady, than I would to the house of the non-believer, even if we had much more in common. To have Christ in common is such a blessing, that that's the kind of fellowship I hunger for.

Vanity, vanity, all life is vanity without Christ. But nothing is vanity WITH Christ. He's the only reason I can even go on anymore. If I was an atheist, I'd surely go jump off a cliff right now. (Actually, a long time ago.)

<rant over>


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