Christian friends, is wisdom also when you temper your social interactions with love?

Question

Which statement has applied the principle of love in an interaction?

#1
If you are gay you are going to hell. I cannot be around you because you are such a sinner.

#2
Your personal life is none of my business. I may not agree with what you do but that is between you and whatever. I simply don't know why you keep bringing it up, it doesn't change the fact we're buds.
Anyhow, when are you AND your friend coming over for coffee?

Another example:

1 - You're an eh? When will you embrace the absolute truth? That is, what I understand to be the absolute truth. You can't possibly believe what you believe because it is all a lie! You're a sinner and I can't possibly hang out with you.

2 - Oh hey thanks for inviting me over for D&D/Movie/Coffee/etc. Cool! Yeah I got big old bag of dice. Hey thanks for sharing with about your beliefs. Those are interesting ideas. It interests me to know that others are as strong in their faith as I am in mine!

I ask this question because I see so many wondering why they are made fun of, people bash them, etc.

Do you think when you apply the principle of love with your interactions you would have a better time of things?

Thoughts?

Is faith such a weak thing that when you are around other folks you feel your spiritual life is affected somehow?

Interesting, no answers yet.

Answer 1

Both #2's show respect (courtesy) for the person and yourself. It doesn't matter if we don't believe the same... it does matter how we interact with one another. When the #1's are applied, the listener tends to close off and if the speaker continues they just might get their rearend handed back to them -figuratively speaking (maybe).

Most people wouldn't want to be treated in the #1 examples... which has always confused me as to why anyone would treat another that way. If someone told me "I can't possibly hang out with you" because I'm a Heathen, I'd have to say "That would be best for both of us" ;-) I don't become friends with people because of their beliefs or their sexual preference. I look more to their actions and words, how they treat other people and how they conduct themselves (I don't hang out with crackheads, for example).

Answer 2

How sad that the best questions often get the fewest answers!

Well, no. 2 is clearly the more loving example. As a Christian gay man, I would never use no. 1 to tell anyone about God. I can tell you honestly that no. 1 does not work. It only alienates gay people from God. This is the main mistake so many anti-gay organizations, churches and individuals make.

The result of no. 1 is what we see today. I know many gay people who will not even consider that God exists due to the treatment they've received from His followers. No. 1 keeps gay people from God. It puts a stumbling block in the path of their faith and the Bible tells us not to do that. The people who take the first path in sharing their faith will have to answer to God one day as to why their actions and words kept others from Christ.

I think the most loving thing we can do for another is to lead him/her to Christ. Often, it has to be gentle, patient, subtle and coaxed by example. At that point, it is between the individual and Christ. Let Jesus do His job!

Answer 3

Im just gonna answer your additional details...

why are people being made fun of...

well look at Jesus...he was heavily made fun of...he was taunted and beaten...but what did he do...he did not strike back at them...he had no pride...know why?..because he knew revenge was not His...but revenge was God's...so turn the other cheek if you're being made fun of..because God will bless you...he will bless the broken...but always make sure you have repented and that Jesus is in your heart....and also..HAVE FAITH...and the golden law is to love neighbors as you love yourself...so you should always love your enemies....

Is faith such a weak thing....

absolutely not...it is the believer that is weak...if you have just a faint of distrust in God...than it wont work...you must trust God with ALL your heart...Faith is never weak...it is the believer that is...remember...faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain....

hopefully you arent confused anymore...god bless....

Answer 4

The second choice is the obvious one as far as I'm concerned. If someone wants to talk about religious beliefs, I'll respect their right to say what they believe, tell them as much about what I believe as they want to hear, and debate any particular issue as long as the conversation remains polite. But a couple of my dearest friends I didn't even know that they considered themselves Christian until I had known them for months; one was working for me part-time, as a matter of fact. When the subject did come up, we enjoyed talking about our different points of view, but it didn't affect our friendship in the least.

I belong to the Ethical Society, where our motto is "deed before creed." For many of us, it is really "deed instead of creed." But some are also involved with a religion in addition to the Society, which seems quite OK with me.