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I usually have good discussions with a fellow coworker about religion. He voices his opinions which are pretty much what almost anyone would call conservative. I consider myself middle of the road.
One issue I have a problem with is his views on personal relationships. He keeps mentioning that his pastor talks about eliminating bad influences. According to him, even those who lead an otherwise normal life but havent been 'saved' are bad influences. If friends have get togethers, he will not go because there may be alcohol and that is wrong and will eventually sever those ties.
My argument to him is, arent you supposed to be the good influence. Isnt this your chance to help others? He doesnt see it this way.
Any opinions?
Last edited by matseu; 09-10-2012 at 11:45 PM..
Reason: added word
I usually have good discussions with a fellow coworker about religion. He voices his opinions which are pretty much what almost anyone would call conservative. I consider myself middle of the road.
One issue I have a problem with is his views on personal relationships. He keeps mentioning that his pastor talks about eliminating bad influences. According to him, even those who lead an otherwise normal life but havent been 'saved' are bad influences. If friends have get togethers, he will not go because that is wrong and will eventually sever those ties.
My argument to him is, arent you supposed to be the good influence. Isnt this your chance to help others? He doesnt see it this way.
Any opinions?
Your co-worker isn't just conservative, he's a fundamentalist.
I usually have good discussions with a fellow coworker about religion. He voices his opinions which are pretty much what almost anyone would call conservative. I consider myself middle of the road.
One issue I have a problem with is his views on personal relationships. He keeps mentioning that his pastor talks about eliminating bad influences. According to him, even those who lead an otherwise normal life but havent been 'saved' are bad influences. If friends have get togethers, he will not go because there may be alcohol and that is wrong and will eventually sever those ties.
My argument to him is, arent you supposed to be the good influence. Isnt this your chance to help others? He doesnt see it this way.
Any opinions?
Good Morning matseu.
I would say that you should just be a good influence for him...accept him and try to understand how he feels about certain things and just be his friend. God will take care of him.
He doesn't have to, nor should he, "party" with those who do...as a matter of fact, it is best for him that he does not...he may know something about himself that you do not know...and he may not want that type of influence in his life...which is not a bad thing at all.
I usually have good discussions with a fellow coworker about religion. He voices his opinions which are pretty much what almost anyone would call conservative. I consider myself middle of the road.
One issue I have a problem with is his views on personal relationships. He keeps mentioning that his pastor talks about eliminating bad influences. According to him, even those who lead an otherwise normal life but havent been 'saved' are bad influences. If friends have get togethers, he will not go because there may be alcohol and that is wrong and will eventually sever those ties.
My argument to him is, arent you supposed to be the good influence. Isnt this your chance to help others? He doesnt see it this way.
Any opinions?
I still talk to my non Christian friends, but once they realize you are a Christian you stop getting phone calls a lot of the time. They know what it means. Values change. You're no longer on the same page. So often times things will work their way out and you won't get invited to parties.
It's not good to cut ties entirely though. Be there for your old friends just let them know you don't want to be around that and that you're values have changed. To dump them off is coming off with a self righteous "better than thou" attitude. It shows what kind of friend you were to them. Our first ministry is reaching out to those we know. Love is the great commandment. We might be their only portal for receiving the truth.
We are not drinkers overall, an occassional beer here and there but nothing over the top and we both believe in God and we go to gatherings where there is liquor and see no problem with it at all. We choose not to drink most of the time which is our choice but we certainly don't have an issue socializing with friends who have a couple beers either. In my opinion he is over the top fundamentally and does not truly accept others as they are. It is like worrying (from another thread) about being a server in a restaurant that serves liquor that you as a server are helping other destroy their lives and turn away from God just because they ordered a glass of wine and you brought it to them because it is your job as a server.
I still talk to my non Christian friends, but once they realize you are a Christian you stop getting phone calls a lot of the time. They know what it means. Values change. You're no longer on the same page. So often times things will work their way out and you won't get invited to parties.
It's not good to cut ties entirely though. Be there for your old friends just let them know you don't want to be around that and that you're values have changed. To dump them off is coming off with a self righteous "better than thou" attitude. It shows what kind of friend you were to them. Our first ministry is reaching out to those we know. Love is the great commandment. We might be their only portal for receiving the truth.
I agree. I think there are both sides to it, convictions and discernment. Sometime Christians lack discernment or either convictions that will help them understand their situation.
I usually have good discussions with a fellow coworker about religion. He voices his opinions which are pretty much what almost anyone would call conservative. I consider myself middle of the road.
One issue I have a problem with is his views on personal relationships. He keeps mentioning that his pastor talks about eliminating bad influences. According to him, even those who lead an otherwise normal life but havent been 'saved' are bad influences. If friends have get togethers, he will not go because there may be alcohol and that is wrong and will eventually sever those ties.
My argument to him is, arent you supposed to be the good influence. Isnt this your chance to help others? He doesnt see it this way.
Any opinions?
Some Christians believe that they should only maintain fellowship with other Christians, to help prevent unneeded exposure to temptation and sin. In there defense, there can be cause for moderation if the secular friends (be they athiest, agnostic, non-practiving Christian, or whoever) is going to drunken orgy parties or something, it may be best for the Christian not to go. On the other hand, one must be careful not to hide from the world either. No Christian is going to fight for God's kingdom while hiding from the World in the basement of their church.
One question. Is he a new Fundamental Christian? Many fundamental pastors and churches will want new Christians to limit their worldly contacts initially, until they are able to more strongly defend their faith within the world.
i have learned that most church friends were friends while you were at church. stop attending and they are no longer friends. what kind of friend is that?
Isolationist style Fundamentalism does more harm than good and I don't even believe its biblical. There is nothing about drinking alcohol in controllable volumes, Jesus preached in bars and in dangerous places, and also turned water into wine. Don't hide your light under a bush; or in Church for that matter.
Without knowing much about the behavior in question, perhaps your friend is attempting to follow Scripture.
James 1
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
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