Can Catholics Be Friends With A Sinner?

[VeniteAdoremus]

[quote name='Vasilius Konstantinos' post='1910688' date='Jul 4 2009, 07:45 PM']I will remember this next time I am in Romania and Serbia. "Hey! We are not Europeans!" and then there would be great rejoicing.[/quote]

Exactly Or Britain, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, any Scandinavian country and anywhere east from Poland or Croatia really. Maybe this thread should be "Can Catholics be friends with a European"

[quote name='Vasilius Konstantinos' post='1910688' date='Jul 4 2009, 07:45 PM']I do not think its something to brag about, being European anyways. After all, since I am Native American mostly, I have to ask all of you this Fourth of July to get off my property. Now. [/quote]

I was wondering about that. Isn't that really awkward?

[CatherineM]

Man, you guys were up early.

If I could only hang out with Catholics in a perfect state of grace, I'd be pretty lonely, and could never go to family functions.

Passionately kissing in public, I agree that shouldn't be done. My husband gives me a peck when he drops me off at church, and that's okay, but we always get caught by the same woman, and you'd think she caught us making out in the confessional or something.

About priests in gay bars, there was a priest back home who used to go to the gay AA. The only reason I knew is that it met in the building next door to where my office was, and my former roommate went there when she came into town with me. He told her he went there because he didn't want his parishioners to know he was alcoholic, and didn't want his AA people to know he was a priest.

[Lil Red]

[quote]Can Catholics Be Friends With A Sinner?[/quote]
heck no.

oh wait. then i couldn't be friends with myself, my husband, or my family.

[Lil Red]

+J.M.J.+
[quote name='goldenchild17' post='1910387' date='Jul 4 2009, 02:45 AM']Prayer is as powerful a weapon as anything as far as I'm concerned, so if discussing it doesn't work, I'm sure they're as good a friend as any in this regard and doing what they can. I think people can be friends and get along while still openly disagreeing with each other on fundamental issues.[/quote]

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='1910431' date='Jul 4 2009, 04:17 AM']Oh, and regarding the topic: yes, you can and should be friends with sinners. Otherwise you'd have no friends. Doesn't mean you automatically approve of everything they do.[/quote]
agreed to both these statements.

[philothea]

I go out of my way to try to make friends with people categorically considered sinners (gay, trans, poly, pagan, atheist, what-have-you).

I like people, so it's no effort to be friendly. I figure they could use prayers, and it seems a lot more effective to pray for people I actually know, rather than some nebulous category of strangers. And, most of them have very negative ideas about what Christians/Catholics are like. Meeting a kind, considerate Christian is a big surprise for them. How wrong is that?

I think it's easy and a bit dangerous to hide in a safe, little everyone-is-just-like-me cocoon. Closing my eyes and pretending radically different people don't exist is not at all in touch with the truth. And we're all about truth, aren't we?

And hey... if someday they want to ask about Christianity or the Church, well, they know they can talk to me. I am always open about my own beliefs, though never pushy.

A notable number of people who follow lifestyles the Church disapproves of have no interest in being friends with me, though. Which is kind of ironic, really...

(Note, in my particular case, there is zero risk of anyone negatively influencing my faith. Might not suggest my methods for someone less mature.)

[Gregoriana of Nyssa]

In college, I had a Swiss roommie who was friends with a Frenchwoman; their friends would count how many times they kissed cheeks whenever they met. Different countries have different customs.


[quote name='Vasilius Konstantinos' post='1910688' date='Jul 4 2009, 11:45 AM']I will remember this next time I am in Romania and Serbia. "Hey! We are not Europeans!" and then there would be great rejoicing.

I do not think its something to brag about, being European anyways. After all, since I am Native American mostly, I have to ask all of you this Fourth of July to get off my property. Now. [/quote]

Aww, can I stay? You like me, doncha?

Edited July 4, 2009 by Gregoriana of Nyssa

[Gregorius]

[quote name='Vasilius Konstantinos' post='1910688' date='Jul 4 2009, 12:45 PM']I will remember this next time I am in Romania and Serbia. "Hey! We are not Europeans!" and then there would be great rejoicing.

I do not think its something to brag about, being European anyways. After all, since I am Native American mostly, I have to ask all of you this Fourth of July to get off my property. Now. [/quote]

[alimarie_11]

"Can catholics be friends with a sinner"?

as if catholics aren't sinners?

that makes it sound ..like all catholics are above, 'better' than people who aren't catholic


i think anyone can be friends with anyone,
as long as the person you befriend, doesn't cause you harm

[Kitty]

[quote name='alimarie_11' post='1913217' date='Jul 6 2009, 10:55 PM']as if catholics aren't sinners?[/quote]

I believe this is the first person who has mentioned this...

for shame, people

[KnightofChrist]

Can Catholics be friends with sinners? Yes.

But can Catholics be friends with unrepentant proud sinners? No.

Edited July 7, 2009 by KnightofChrist

[CatherineM]

[quote name='KnightofChrist' post='1913260' date='Jul 6 2009, 11:20 PM']But can Catholics be friends with unrepentant proud sinners? No.[/quote]

That's a good point. What do we say when we do this? That it is okay? That there are no consequences? Not to mention that we put ourselves into a position of slowly having the water turned up under us. We might slowly have our conscience influenced.

The problem comes when the unrepentant proud sinner is a close family member though.

[Vasilius Konstantinos]

I think a good sound statement would be that we define friend as being someone we are affiliated with and an associate is someone we are around whom we do chat with on a general level.

I have few friends whom I hold dear to that are good Christians but many associates who are bad Christians and not people of the Church.

[BG45]

[quote name='Lil Red' post='1910751' date='Jul 4 2009, 02:31 PM'] heck no.

oh wait. then i couldn't be friends with myself, my husband, or my family.[/quote]

Ditto. Had Rexi not had the forethought to state that our Lord was without sin on page three, I would have questioned him as to the nature of Christ and His sacred ministry. After all, the Savior of humanity was often accosted for His ministry...being friends and dining with whores, idolaters, and all the manner of dregs and sinners of Judean society was seen to be of great scandal at the time. Given that Christ, a friend to all of we sinners, would dare associate with us, I think the real question here is somewhat akin to Pilate's nihilistic "What is truth", except that "truth" is "scandal".

[MissyP89]

I think, at the risk of sounding trite, the thread's question would best be answered this way:

[size=7]Um, DUH.[/size]

LOOK at our Lord! Look at who He kept company with--the outcast, downtrodden, and untouchables of society. I dare say He even preferred them to the Pharisees.

If we can't be friends with sinners, then how, pray tell, are we to spread the Gospel? Are you suggesting, Rexi et al, that we should walk up to a sinner, "fraternally correct" them, and walk away?

You remind me a bit of my friend before He had some life experiences. He nearly got beat up a few times for speaking the Truth without compassion or love. You can't just pummel people, or drive-by evangelize, and expect to actually convict people's hearts. My best male friend is proudly bisexual and polyamorous. He knows absolutely where I stand on his behavior, yet he also knows that when he needs me to listen, I'm there for him, and he for me. He may be a sinner, but you know what? [i]So am I.[/i] I can't remove myself from his life because I disagree with him. I could very well be the only witness to the Gospel he has.

Love people. Be salt and light to them. That's how grace sneaks in...and that's what Jesus did.

[Selah]

What on earth?

Can we be friends with sinners? We are ALL sinners. So, by that logic, I can't be friends with any of you. Heck, I can't even be friends with myself, and I gotta tell ya, that's messing with me a little.

So, in short: yes.


[quote]But can Catholics be friends with unrepentant proud sinners? No.[/quote]

So, how do you expect them to become humble, repentant sinners? Should we just ignore them?

Edited July 7, 2009 by Selah