Salvete, omnes!
Is it all right as a Christian to have non-Christian friends?
I ask this because of verses saying that one should not be “unequally yoked” and asking how light can have anything in common with darkness. There is also a verse that says that we should not be deceived, that bad company corrupts good morals.
In my experience, while you may not be able to share your deepest, darkest dilemmas with non-Christian friends and get good advice, even non-Christians have a lot more in common with us than I think we would often like to believe, especially if they are men and women of good will otherwise.
I also consider myself a very strong person when it comes to faith and I am not easily influenced. I am also a person who connects very easily with people (believe it or not!), and that, with all kinds of people, because I can usually find at least something in common with them.
That being said, I have been of the opinion that, if one is strong enough to avoid any negative influence of someone who may not be a Christian and who may have some bad behaviors, it is still OK to have them as a friend.
And, we also have examples of Christ hanging with sinners on many occasions. I mean, He could’ve just preached at them, right, without dining, etc. with them? So, He must’ve had a desire to connect on a deeper level with them, and that, maybe even beyond just a desire to trying to “convert” them, but to genuinely love them for who they were, even if they didn’t convert. This, too, has always been my approach. Of course, one, in this case, could always argue that He could hang out with such people because He was sinless and would thus not be negatively influenced by them. However, isn’t Jesus to be our example?
Still, if it is fine to have non-Christian friends, then how are we to handle verses saying that we should not be unequally yoked and saying that light cannot combine with darkness, and verses that state that “bad company corrupts good morals”? I mean, I know that this verse is talking about not hanging out with so-called “brothers” (Christians) who engage in sin, but could it not also be applied even more to those outside the Faith? If not, why not? I mean, even with this verse, yes, it is true that, if we are not careful, bad company can corrupt good morals, but, if we are well-trained enough, can we not resist this? But, again, Paul says to “be not deceived”, so, maybe there were those even in his day, that were making these same kinds of arguments? I do, however, recall at least one of the Church Fathers saying that, if a person were strong enough to resist bad influence, he could have non-Christian fiends, though he qualified it by saying that the purpose of such a friendship should be one of ultimate conversion. However, to me, this seems insincere–to befriend someone and act like you care with your ultimate aim toward conversion. I mean, yes, conversion is nice, but, if it doesn’t happen, I think simply caring about the person and doing good to him/her are godly things to do, right?
I mean, is it all right, even with non-Christian friends, simply to enjoy their company for its own sake?
