Friends/Family religion

[norwood1026]

I'm sure we all have friends who have different beliefs as we do one of our best friends is a Evangelical Christian who believes you are against or with God. He is one of our oldest & best friend yet has never tried to convert us. Last night him & I talked about this very topic only because we are going to be joining a group of friends who go to his church tonight. I asked him of they knew we were Pagans & he said no & he had no intention of telling them either. As much as he believe his way is the right right he is scared to lose us as friends. It seems he would rather lose his friendship with them of people of his own faith then he would with us. I'm guessing it's because we have never judged him with anything he's told us & they might have. I can't be sure why he does to be honest. On to my question.

Has anyone here lost a good friendship because religion come between you? What about family?

Lastly how did you deal with it?

[rashore]

I haven't lost someone due to religious differences.. But I do currently have some difficulties with it, with my inlaws. They are one faith, and I am another. So off and on I have to fend of questioning of if I'm teaching my stepsons about demons demon raising, or encouraging them to get possessed. Or if I am teaching them spellcraft because they like fantasy movies and books. Apparently even my honor and relationship with their son is rather questionable too. Crap like that. Interestingly, my love is of faith not of his parents or my faith, and all they do is give him the sad eyes for a lost lamb for the most part.

Personally, I just try to stay away from them as much as politely possible because stupid like this almost always seems to pop up when we are visiting.

[Dr. D]

I'm sure we all have friends who have different beliefs as we do one of our best friends is a Evangelical Christian who believes you are against or with God. He is one of our oldest & best friend yet has never tried to convert us. Last night him & I talked about this very topic only because we are going to be joining a group of friends who go to his church tonight. I asked him of they knew we were Pagans & he said no & he had no intention of telling them either. As much as he believe his way is the right right he is scared to lose us as friends. It seems he would rather lose his friendship with them of people of his own faith then he would with us. I'm guessing it's because we have never judged him with anything he's told us & they might have. I can't be sure why he does to be honest. On to my question.

Has anyone here lost a good friendship because religion come between you? What about family?

Lastly how did you deal with it?

I lost a girlfriend once for religious reasons.

She thought she was god.

[olympic1]

I lost a girlfriend once for religious reasons.

She thought she was god.

[norwood1026]

I lost a girlfriend once for religious reasons.

She thought she was god.

Dont they all?

[SilverCougar]

Dont they all?

You mean I'm not?!

[Ebrahim]

havent lost any friends or broke family ties on the basis of religeous diferences...YET

[Boe]

I've lost family over religion. But relgion was the catalyst. If it wasnt that, it would have been something else im sure.

Edited December 2, 2010 by Boe

[Mr Walker]

I lost a girlfriend once for religious reasons.

She thought she was god.

I lost quite a few in my youth because they couldnt accept that i was; or at least deserved to be treated like one.

[Mr Walker]

Seriuosly, not for a long time. I live a life unusaul by modern australian standards.It has never really cost me a friendship or a relationship which i valued, although it restricts some of my social interactions.

When i adopted it i lost a few people who were ofended because i wouldnt drink with them anymore, but that was it for 40 years. perhaps it's because i am a supremely rational religionist. I do not preach or expect others to be like me, although i wont compromise my own behaviours. I put people first and show them love and respect.

My parents wree stunned when i found god ahving been such an athiestic non spiritual hedonist i nmy youth,but overall i think they saw it make something of an improvement in me as a human being, and otherwise not change me much, so they didnt mind (I was 21 /22 at the time)

While they drank, it was always in moderation, and they had given up smoking when we were young children, so they were quite pleased that i stopped smoking and drinking, as a consequence of gods presence.

In general, they saw it as my right as an adult to believe and act as i found reason to.

It also made accomodating my wifes family, who were strong believers, and not too keen on our marriage for other reasons (such as her being 10 years older than me), that much easier. They trusted me as a husband more for being a spiritually based person. They knew that while relatively young, i would love respect protect and care for my wife, and never leave, hurt, or dishonour her in any way.

Edited December 3, 2010 by Mr Walker

[norwood1026]

I'm surprised we haven't lost our friend I was talking about in the OP he is dead said against any religion that isn't his yet he considers us his best friends.

[IamsSon]

I'm sure we all have friends who have different beliefs as we do one of our best friends is a Evangelical Christian who believes you are against or with God. He is one of our oldest & best friend yet has never tried to convert us. Last night him & I talked about this very topic only because we are going to be joining a group of friends who go to his church tonight. I asked him of they knew we were Pagans & he said no & he had no intention of telling them either. As much as he believe his way is the right right he is scared to lose us as friends. It seems he would rather lose his friendship with them of people of his own faith then he would with us. I'm guessing it's because we have never judged him with anything he's told us & they might have. I can't be sure why he does to be honest. On to my question.

Has anyone here lost a good friendship because religion come between you? What about family?

I lost a good friend here in UM because of my views on what is and what isn't sin.

I also lost what I felt would have been a great friendship because I wasn't Christian enough!

Lastly how did you deal with it?

Each time I have spent time examining myself, praying, and reflecting, trying to understand whether it is an indication that I am doing something outside the will of God, if maybe I am wrong in a particular stance, or if there was something I should or should not have done/said.

I lost a girlfriend once for religious reasons.

She thought she was god.

I think I dated her!

You mean I'm not?!

*Hands SC a fresh bottle of rum* Shh, shhh, go back to sleep sweety.

[IamsSon]

I'm surprised we haven't lost our friend I was talking about in the OP he is dead said against any religion that isn't his yet he considers us his best friends.

I think your friend understands a lot about Christ's love, and obviously knows how to treasure the good people that come into our lives. I can understand why he doesn't want to bring your religious views up in the company of his friends. It seems a great deal of Christians are more intent on being right than on loving people.

[norwood1026]

I think your friend understands a lot about Christ's love, and obviously knows how to treasure the good people that come into our lives. I can understand why he doesn't want to bring your religious views up in the company of his friends. It seems a great deal of Christians are more intent on being right than on loving people.

I think I do remember a while back that he did come over & try to preach to my wife when her & I first got married. It didn't go over so well from what she says he offended her from what I do remember. Maybe he's hoping for the right time to try again I don't know. He seems very curious about our faith at times & tends to ask a lot of questions.

[IamsSon]

I think I do remember a while back that he did come over & try to preach to my wife when her & I first got married. It didn't go over so well from what she says he offended her from what I do remember. Maybe he's hoping for the right time to try again I don't know. He seems very curious about our faith at times & tends to ask a lot of questions.

Maybe, like me, he is just curious. Look, I don't try to "convert" people (It doesn't work and usually only results in frustration and feelings of being insulted, etc.) instead I try to be a Christian, to treat others as Jesus did in the Gospels, and to answer questions when they come up and pray not so much that I "convert" someone as just not turn them off. Maybe your friend is simply trying to do the same. Edited December 4, 2010 by IamsSon

[Still Waters]

When I was much younger a friend of my dad used to come to tea sometimes and he would be bad at preaching about the bible. As soon as we sat down at the dinner table he would start. As a family we were chuch goers anyway and his preaching wasn't appreciated. He went way overboard with it to the point where I could see my dad getting quite frustrated at him and a little embarrased too. Eventually he had to ask him to stop. That was many years ago now and they have both passed on since, but they still remained friends up until then.

[norwood1026]

Maybe, like me, he is just curious. Look, I don't try to "convert" people (It doesn't work and usually only results in frustration and feelings of being insulted, etc.) instead I try to be a Christian, to treat others as Jesus did in the Gospels, and to answer questions when they come up and pray not so much that I "convert" someone as just not turn them off. Maybe your friend is simply trying to do the same.

I know a lot of it is they fact he has some fetishes that do not line up with his beliefs & I think he beliefs that if he came out with them he would be ousted in some way. That or they might believe he's possessed or something of that nature. Knowing something about that ourselves he feels like he can be himself with us. I don't think that has anything to do with God for the most part.

[ShadowSot]

Has anyone here lost a good friendship because religion come between you? What about family?

Yes, and yes.

Lastly how did you deal with it?

Not much I could do about it, hard to continue a relationship where in order to make it work you'd have to lie to yourself about your own beliefs.

[+Sherapy]

I lost a girlfriend once for religious reasons.

She thought she was god.

A friend of mine got upset, because I did not believe in the devil, so she quit talking to me for a year or so. Then she showed up one day, on my doorstep, with flowers and said she was wrong. Since, then she has not allowed her religious beliefs to create conflict .

I worked with a Muslim once who heard I was an atheist and wrote me a letter, expressing her concerns for my soul.

I just reassured her and told her not to invest her time in my soul, but her own.

We became good friends after that and she said many times she had a great respect for me.

I grew up with fundie influences and they believe the lore lock stock and barrel, so I have learned over the years how to adapt, to this aspect of the religious, in a way that doesn't burn bridges or create conflict.

Edited December 4, 2010 by Sherizzle