A den of evil? Or a place to let your light shine? Bad company corrupts good character? Be in the world but not of it?

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ethereality said:
It seems conversion occurs through relationship, and not in vacuo. On what conditions should a Christian go to or refrain from such an event? Is it a den of evil? or a place to let your light shine? Does bad company always corrupt good character? Or can we bring them out of quicksand if we remain on solid ground? What does it mean to be in the world but not of it?

My intention is to meet people, establish relationships, perhaps have a little fun, and try to make a positive contribution. Don’t you think these people need more positive relationships in their lives, one which may help them to focus on Christ more than their sexual temptations and troubles?

What do you think?
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I think it depends on your faith. One rock band I played in went from a near occasion of sin to actual sin. Eventually I began drinking my brains out with them and then endangering myself by driving home. Hopefully your faith is stronger than mine was. I think we must all have a zeal for souls in these situations.
 
I feel like Christians should not go to such events because it would give a semblance of support of their lifestyle and such.
 
Especially if it’s at a bar. If it were to be a political rally or something of the “LBGT” community then that would probably be something you could go to… when they’re only sinning with the things they’re saying. That would be a potential forum to evangelize for the faith in… essentially challenging modern heresies face to face. But, going to a place where all of them are sinning is no place for a Christian to go. But definitely send some prayers that the Holy Spirit would shine even in establishments like those. People can find Christ anywhere… even in a bar. That would be the preferred method of “shining God’s light” into such a place… not by actually going into a den of depravity and corruption. Maybe they’ll feel guilty for their sins or recognize that their lifestyle rings hollow. The Holy Spirit is capable of all things :signofcross:.
 
Were you curious? Being a “looky-loo?” I think people in that segment of society will assume you are one of them unless you are the stereotypical “fag hag,” or straight woman that finds gay men safe as friends. Please, no one take offense at that term, it’s used by the gay community, I did not make it up.

If a gay man finds out that you came to such a meeting merely to try and convert him to Christianity, he will likely get angry about it. I think you are really taking big risks here, my friend.
 
ssa_fellow said:
Especially if it’s at a bar. If it were to be a political rally or something of the “LBGT” community then that would probably be something you could go to… when they’re only sinning with the things they’re saying. That would be a potential forum to evangelize for the faith in… essentially challenging modern heresies face to face. But, going to a place where all of them are sinning is no place for a Christian to go. But definitely send some prayers that the Holy Spirit would shine even in establishments like those. People can find Christ anywhere… even in a bar. That would be the preferred method of “shining God’s light” into such a place… not by actually going into a den of depravity and corruption. Maybe they’ll feel guilty for their sins or recognize that their lifestyle rings hollow. The Holy Spirit is capable of all things :signofcross:.
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I don’t even think going to some kind of public LGBT event would be a good idea even if your purpose is to evangelize. It is my understanding that if you start preaching to people like this or sharing the Gospel with them, especially when a bunch of them are gathered together, they are likely to simply get very defensive and you may even have the police called on you and they might accuse you of a hate crime or hate speech. This has happened before where people were sharing the Gospel or preaching to people at an LGBT event and had the police called on them. If I understand correctly, the preachers or Christians sharing the Gospel were actually jailed in some instances too. I am not sure what they were accused of but they were probably accused of something stupid like disturbing the peace.
 
Holly3278 said:
I don’t even think going to some kind of public LGBT event would be a good idea even if your purpose is to evangelize. It is my understanding that if you start preaching to people like this or sharing the Gospel with them, especially when a bunch of them are gathered together, they are likely to simply get very defensive and you may even have the police called on you and they might accuse you of a hate crime or hate speech. This has happened before where people were sharing the Gospel or preaching to people at an LGBT event and had the police called on them. If I understand correctly, the preachers or Christians sharing the Gospel were actually jailed in some instances too. I am not sure what they were accused of but they were probably accused of something stupid like disturbing the peace.
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Thanks for the warning. You’re right, we’re living in a crazy world and an anti-Christian culture in many places – particularly at “prestigious” universities. I hear of all kinds of outrageous things happening, which people are apparently getting away with due to the public being distracted or else not caring (or else regarding themselves as “the public”)…
 
Holly3278 said:
I don’t even think going to some kind of public LGBT event would be a good idea even if your purpose is to evangelize. It is my understanding that if you start preaching to people like this or sharing the Gospel with them, especially when a bunch of them are gathered together, they are likely to simply get very defensive and you may even have the police called on you and they might accuse you of a hate crime or hate speech. This has happened before where people were sharing the Gospel or preaching to people at an LGBT event and had the police called on them. If I understand correctly, the preachers or Christians sharing the Gospel were actually jailed in some instances too. I am not sure what they were accused of but they were probably accused of something stupid like disturbing the peace.
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What about if you have a son-in-law who has a brother who is in a gay “marriage” and you are invited to your granddaughter’s birthday party where her uncle and “aunt” are there? I love my granddaughter and her parents but these two guys calling each other “honey” made me want to gag!:eek:
 
LegoGE1947 said:
What about if you have a son-in-law who has a brother who is in a gay “marriage” and you are invited to your granddaughter’s birthday party where her uncle and “aunt” are there? I love my granddaughter and her parents but these two guys calling each other “honey” made me want to gag!:eek:
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My sympathies. What a world we live in. :rolleyes:

I have no idea how to handle a situation like that, other than to simply tell my child, “We have to pray for those poor people.”
 
Holly3278 said:
I don’t even think going to some kind of public LGBT event would be a good idea even if your purpose is to evangelize. It is my understanding that if you start preaching to people like this or sharing the Gospel with them, especially when a bunch of them are gathered together, they are likely to simply get very defensive and you may even have the police called on you and they might accuse you of a hate crime or hate speech. This has happened before where people were sharing the Gospel or preaching to people at an LGBT event and had the police called on them. If I understand correctly, the preachers or Christians sharing the Gospel were actually jailed in some instances too. I am not sure what they were accused of but they were probably accused of something stupid like disturbing the peace.
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Well I certainly don’t want to advocate anything here. But, I just want to point out that there are plenty of Catholics and Christians being put in jail. And, if the police are going to throw us in jail for preaching the Truth of Jesus Christ to people… then we need to start viewing our country as problematic and anti-Christian as China, or any number of Asian and African countries where Christians are being persecuted.

Jesus calls us to be an evangelistic people. This is the evangelism forum here. So, if the authorities want to arrest us for evangelizing, then so be it. [That’s not to say we shouldn’t try to evangelize in ways where we won’t end up in jail]. But, if certain people out there want us to STOP evangelizing entirely… well I guess they’re going to have to fill the jails with Christians then.

(and btw, prison is a great place to evangelize to and from as well. Just look at St. Paul)
 
ssa_fellow said:
Well I certainly don’t want to advocate anything here. But, I just want to point out that there are plenty of Catholics and Christians being put in jail. And, if the police are going to throw us in jail for preaching the Truth of Jesus Christ to people… then we need to start viewing our country as problematic and anti-Christian as China, or any number of Asian and African countries where Christians are being persecuted.

Jesus calls us to be an evangelistic people. This is the evangelism forum here. So, if the authorities want to arrest us for evangelizing, then so be it. [That’s not to say we shouldn’t try to evangelize in ways where we won’t end up in jail]. But, if certain people out there want us to STOP evangelizing entirely… well I guess they’re going to have to fill the jails with Christians then.

(and btw, prison is a great place to evangelize to and from as well. Just look at St. Paul)
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Specially when he and Silas sang hymns and God joined in to sing Bass! Talk about Jail-house Rock!👍
 
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