2 Corinthians 6:14-16" Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people
I've been interested in this topic for a while now since this has been questioned and debated among many Christians on the internet in various forums, websites, blogs, articles etc. It seems many Christians wonder if it's okay to have close relationships with those outside the Christian faith. What about close friends, or relatives or people who are of another religious faith, is okay to have any association with them at all?
I never thought much about this growing up going occasionally going to church or when I was active in my church youth group as I had friends with kids who were Jewish or just secular. I never thought about it that much as I was brought up not to be prejudice against anyone regardless of their race, religion, ethnic background etc and would never considered excluding someone because of their religion. Yet now as an adult who has been starting to embrace my Christ in my life in a way I didn't as a kid, these type of questions have become a interest to me.
It seems Christians themselves have a variety of opinions and views on this subject matter with some believing it's wrong for Christians to have any relationships be it romantic or platonic friendships and even marriages with anyone outside of the Christian faith. Others think it's okay have friends of outside the faith but not date or marry outside the faith so as long as you keep them at bay and not get too close since your best friends should be only be fellow Christians. Some have believed in what is called mission friendships or mission dating in which you date or befriend someone outside your faith for the purpose of persuading or leading them to Christ as they see this as a Christian duty.
While others will that having any relationship outside the faith isn't a sin be it friendships, dating or even marriages but still frown upon it and caution Christians not to let themselves be influenced in anything outside of God's will. I myself read numerous views and advise on this subject by numerous Christians matter and was even perplexed by some of them. I recall on one blog, a girl asked question if her friendship with a Hindu girl was acceptable since she read in the bible believers are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
The answer she got was from a female youth pastor who told her that as Christians we should be friends with those outside the faith but she implied an agenda to get these non-Christian friends to know Christ and become fellow Christians. This person went on to advise the girl that she shouldn't try to accomplish this alone since she might get tempted and brought up Jesus and his twelve apostles who went around place to place spreading the gospel and suggested that she get some strong Christian friends to go with her and dealing with her Hindu friend.
I couldn't help but feel there was some condescension in such a well-meaning but misguided advice. This is mostly because I just couldn't understand what did this youth pastor assumed this girl will be tempted by her Hindu friend and therefore can't be alone together with her and tempted to do what exactly go against her faith to commit some immoral sin? And why she felt this girl needed some strong Christian friends to go along with her to help her Hindu friend know Christ or that it was exactly this girl's duty as a Christian to get her friend to go against her own faith as it that was her only purpose of being her friend. If anything such an action will backfire and drive her Hindu friend away.
This advise left a wake of comments, some from those relating to their own non-Christian friends whom they believe won't join them in heaven after death one even believed her Buddhist friend will go to hell because she's not worshiping God despite claiming that she's a good person and I can't wonder why they would come up with that conclusion if they feel their friends are good people since only God can make such a judgement. The one comment I did agree with was that others from different religious faiths are just as committed to their faith as we Christians are committed to ours.
We have to picture would if the roles were reversed, how would we feel if the non-Christians we have in our lives tried to persuade us to go against our Christian values, against what be believe is God's ways, that are sinful, or just convert to their religion? Of course in that situation we would want to distance ourselves from that person so as not be tempted. Other articles on the internet share similar mindsets that you should "befriend" non-Christians to get them to know Christ but not be their companions in other words be friendly towards them but don't become their best friends form lasting bonds with them or anything.
I even read comments from non-Christians some who were of other religious faiths complain about their Christian friends trying to convert them to their faith and not respecting that faith they already embraced.
Then there was a post from another site from a Christian girl who broke up with her secular boyfriend after her attempts to lead him to Christ failed as he told her he didn't want her to bring up Jesus, God and other parts of her faith again. She decided after that experience she would never date a non-Christian again.
Although that was probably the right choice for her, I can't help but feel she just gave up when she couldn't change her boyfriend's mindset and beliefs to align with hers and he may have felt pressure from her to convert to her faith rather than excepting him for who he was which is why he told her to stop bringing up her faith. I also once read an article from a pastor on steps on how Christians can be friends with sinners. I admit I was a bit dismayed at referring to non-Christians as sinners since we are all sinners including us Christians as none of us are perfect in this fallen world and no one is immune to commit a sin no matter how mild.
Update
I decided to revise this post by dividing it into two or more parts because it was too long.
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