I feel ignored by my nieces and sister-in-law since they have gotten heavily involved in an Evangelical church. I'm not a bad person at all - married 17 years, two kids and I'm a stay-home mom - I just don't go to church and I'm a liberal Democrat. I feel so sad that we aren't close anymore. The "church family" is all that seems to matter to them now. Has anyone else experienced this or done this to family and friends with different beliefs?
2007-03-07 17:52:45 · 26 answers · asked by mindymayg 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
By all means, no. As a Christian and student of the bible, I can tell you that this attitude of "Christians" is not supported at all in the bible. I have been fighting this problem for a long time within the evangelical church. It is an absurdity that does not reflect the love of Christ at all. People mistake the verse that tells us to put away the things of this world to mean separating themselves into a little safe bubble. Jesus hung out with tax collectors, prostitutes, thieves, liars, and murderers, and loved them the same as he loved everyone else. The real reason that they separate themselves is so they won't have to do anything. They'll just sit in their nice little bubble singing pretty songs and saying "amen." As Christians, we are called to be servants, and to love everyone the way that God loves us. None of us are perfect, but there are quite a lot of us who don't operate in a safe bubble. It is especially contradictory to Christian philosophy to turn you back on family. The priorities in the bible are, God first, family second, other people, then waaaaay down at the bottom of the list is self.
2007-03-07 18:48:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
The Bible says we are not to be unequally yoked. Meaning that a christian is "a new creature in Christ Jesus" and to be married to or hang with a nonchristian can affect our spiritual lives. That does not mean we should stay away from or not try to witness to or help the nonchristian find truth in Jesus. When christians are "born again" into the family of believers who are one body in Christ with Christ as the Head, we are changed and seem to be drawn more to hanging with our new family. We have more in common with them and the things that were important prior to being born again seem trivial now. Why not ask them and open yourself up to the peace and joy that they have with Christ and their church families? I'm sure they love you and pray for you. Don't get discouraged, they're experiencing newfounded joy, peace and love that's out of this world. They'll come around more, be patient. You'd be best to join them. But that's your choice.
2007-03-08 02:40:40 · answer #2 · answered by connie 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My brother married a Christian and we have only heard from him once in five years. He has three kids that I have met once. He got sucked right into it, and the fact that I raised him, and he has two nephews here, doesn't matter to him anymore. That hurt, but I have to deal with it. My mother is such a rabid Catholic that I can't even allow her anywhere near me or my kids, the last time she visited, it was because I had told her over the phone that I am an atheist. The police had to drag her out of here because she got so violent. My father is a racist Catholic who doesn't want to have anything to do with me because I married a black man and have two biracial sons, and all three of us are atheists. I have lost my entire family to religion.
Religion is divisive by nature. Don't get caught up in it. If their faith is more important to them than spending time with you, I'm not surprised. They value the dead more than the living and their beliefs cause them to look down their noses at other people, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, because it's a fact. Leave them to their cult, and get on with living a healthy, happy, normal life with your spouse and children.
2007-03-08 02:34:53 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
I recently 'got slammed' by The Holy Spirit to quit smoking, (nearly 30 yrs.) and now, all *I* want to do, is go to that church! So I do, but our Reverand keeps telling us that we're *not* to give up on others.
I can understand how they feel, but they *should* make time for you as well. Have you 'tried' to see things from *their* perspective? Have you gone to their church to find out what the big deal is about? You would probably feel the same way as they, if you allowed Christ into your heart, as they have.
To answer your question further, I used to go to church with my parents,...........now I go to a completely different church with my friends.
2007-03-08 02:16:12 · answer #4 · answered by MilkWeed 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
When a person gets born again they are transformed by the spirit of God and he does separate people from you, it is not that they care less for you, they have just found the spirit of the living God and told you about it and you rejected the God they love so they start hanging with people that have that same born again spirit! The good news is you can get that spirit right now without going to church just by asking Jesus to come live in you by his spirit and then read your bible daily and you will grow in his spirit and they will come back into your life and you will all be of the same spirit and that's what God requires. This is not optional, John 3, if you are not born again by the time you die, you go to hell. That's the requirement, not if you go to church but have you accepted what God did for you in the cross, if you are not born again than you have not! Go read john to the end of the book and see in john 3 and acts 2 the Holy spirit. They have it, that's the difference, but believe me they are praying that you will and so is Jesus himself. Go read john. Its all about Jesus.
2007-03-08 02:06:20 · answer #5 · answered by bungyow 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
I've seen people do this, and I felt like it was so wrong, and not to mention the fact that it makes other people think you think you are better than they are. I don't like it and in the Bible Jesus was talked about for sitting with all kinds of people, but he said you don't have to like the sin but we still love the sinner, we are of the world but we don't have to partake in the same exact things, but if I would have done my family like that then none of them would have never even went to church to begin with and we all had the chance to wroship together, I was the first in my family to be saved at 19 years old. theres no way I wannna leave anybody out, I wanna be in heaven with all my family and friends, but it won't be possible by my witness if I don't even speak to them or interact with them, Yeh you are exactly right.
2007-03-08 02:10:20 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As a born again Christian, they have become what The Bible calls, "A new creature in Christ Jesus." Their old man has been crucified with Christ and has gone away. They are not the same people as you once knew them to be. Their "New Man" is a much better one than before. It's not that they don't love you, but they have different mindsets than before. The things they use to love doesn't take priority anymore.
Try Jesus in your life. Only He can satisfy your soul. He'll give you joy, love, peace, your family, and Heaven too. PEACE!!!
2007-03-08 02:09:26 · answer #7 · answered by David H 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It kind of sounds culty to me too. If they were involved in a typical evangelical church, they'd more than likely be driving you nuts wanting to talk about your salvation.
I'm what most folks would call an evangelical, and I've never heard anyone preach to separate from non-believers, in fact just the opposite - 'go out into all the world' is the standard marching order.
2007-03-08 02:00:45 · answer #8 · answered by super Bobo 6 · 4⤊ 2⤋
My dear friend, I am a born again Christian.
If you were mocking them or standing in danger of their faith, the Bible would recommend that they not spend a lot of time with you.
However, you simply sound sad that you are not close anymore, and I am sad to hear this.
They have found joy and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ. When we become born again Christians, its as if veils have been removed from our eyes, and we can now suddenly see. Its an amazing thing to find truth, and an even more amazing thing to have found Jesus. Think of it as such: they have a new love and they just want to spend time with that new love - as much as possible, because it is truly wonderful. A non believer simply cannot understand it. They have a very real, very personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and because its new, they just want to spend time with Him, in His presence, and with His people.
Its just that its new and that is why they are "neglecting" you. Also, our lives as born again Christians are centred completely on Jesus and when our friends or family's lives are not, we lose common ground. Try to understand this.
However, when they have found their grounding, they should "come back" to you so to speak, and show you what the Lord has done for them through their behaviour.
The Lord does not want them to completely seperate themselves from you, because He loves YOU too - just as much as He loves them.
When my boyfriend got saved many many years ago, because of his character, he embraced his church family and rejected his family, which is not what God wants my friend. As a result, his family is very "off" God and this is of course, not good.
Be patient and try praying!
The Lord be with you and bless you and give you peace.
2007-03-08 02:07:27 · answer #9 · answered by ccc4jesus 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
As a Christian some of my most prized acquaintances are non Christian. The separation Christians are called to does not include division among family members and neighbours except those who are completely intolerable. An example would be someone who refuses to follow the norms of society and continually involves him or herself in criminal or abusive activity.
I Cr 13;8a
2007-03-08 02:00:27 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋