Norseman82 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='Varg' post='1922825' date='Jul 17 2009, 03:17 PM']Don't you realise that preaching to them and trying to convert them will just make them less likely to want to be friends with you?[/quote] We need to look at this from a Catholic perspective. If it comes down to a choice, what's more important, earthly friendships or pleasing God? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selah Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 I would say friendship DOES please God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norseman82 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='Selah' post='1922844' date='Jul 17 2009, 03:31 PM']I would say friendship DOES please God.[/quote] That's not what I asked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selah Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Look, if someone is really, genuinly interested, I will share my beliefs with them. But, I am not going to go out of my way to convert them. That's God's job, not mine. Through my life and how I live, I witness to them. I lead by example. If they see Jesus in me, and ask a question, yes, I will share it with them. Otherwise, I let my lifestyle do the talking for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StColette Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='Varg' post='1922825' date='Jul 17 2009, 03:17 PM']Don't you realise that preaching to them and trying to convert them will just make them less likely to want to be friends with you?[/quote] I didn't preach to them nor try to convert them, that wasn't my objective. Their lifestyle was doing a lot of damage to them, and they saw it too. Sometimes when people get stuck in a certain lifestyle it's very difficult for them to remove themselves from it without a helping hand. Many of them were slipping into depression because of their lifestyle. It wasn't about converting them or preaching to them it was about possibly saving their lives because some were suicidal. Part of being a good friend and a good Christian is knowing how to listen to people. Most people don't want to be preached to, frankly I don't know anyone who wants to be preached to. Most people that have bad lifestyles or practices need someone just to listen to them because often they don't have anyone to talk to or willing to listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resurrexi Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1922596' date='Jul 17 2009, 07:18 AM']Rexi did it ever occur to you that your atheist friend desperately wanted talked out of atheism??Did it occur to you that abandoning him means you are abandoning an opportunity given to you by God to convert someone? The people who argue the most are generally those who need us the most, and you yourself stated he kept bringing up the topic of religion.[/quote] I know this person very well, and I know what the situation was. He does not seem to want to be talked out of atheism at all. Though I no longer associate with him, some other friends of mine do. He apparently constantly argues with others, pointing out what he sees as biblical inconsistencies or reasons why he thinks God cannot exist. He is what I would call a proselytizing atheist. According to someone I know who has talked to him recently, he takes atheism as seriously as I take Catholicism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varg Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='Selah' post='1922842' date='Jul 17 2009, 02:27 PM']Is that what I said? No. I don't do the converting thing. If you did read what I wrote, you would have seen that I said that I believe people need love (which, as a Catholic, God's love being the purest and the love I strive to show others). People need friends, they need to be loved, they need to be told they mattered. To say that we can't be friends because I disagree with you is wrong. It's not what Jesus taught. I would never reject someone, EVER. I have friends who are gay, atheists, Wiccans, among other things. I have friends that go out and get drunk on the weekends. But you know what? I love them. Because they are genuinly sweet people and, while they do things I don't really agree with, I still love them, and I will always be there for them. If one day, they decide they want to become a Christian, fine. If not, I will never, ever, ever, EVER EVER leave them. My goodness, you guys read that wrong [/quote]Sorry, I really did read that wrong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Varg Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 [quote name='Norseman82' post='1922843' date='Jul 17 2009, 02:28 PM']We need to look at this from a Catholic perspective. If it comes down to a choice, what's more important, earthly friendships or pleasing God?[/quote]The first one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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