Warren has an agenda that doesn't include preaching about sin

Yet you start a thread titled "Warren has an agenda that doesn't include preaching about sin"?

And Jesus only fellowshipped with the righteous too, right? How willwe ever influence sinners if we do not have anything to do with them? Was it a stranger who told you about Jesus or a friend?

 

And the fact that he reiterated that he did not give an endorsement of Prop 8 in the public square - but did speak to his congregation about it, does that make a difference? And the fact that he had said that he had never given an endorsement on Prop 8.....then someone from his congregation asked him about it THEN he gave a statement to his congregation?

Man, I really think this is making a mountain out of a molehill. He did endorse Prop 8 - within 10 days of the election and not in the 2 years that it was being bandied about. That is the context he was talking about.

I wonder why it's so hard for some to see that?

 

I think the issue here is "friendship" and it's definition.

We have many "friends" who are unsaved. We have a sailboat and belong to a yacht club (don't think snooty - think working club that costs less than if we stayed at the marina up the harbor) and have many friends there. We will go away on vacation together and have a number of interests together. I also train my friend's horses and there are friends at the barn who I will do shows with, go out to dinner with, go to their home for parties with. Then there are my children's friends who's parents I am friends with and will do things with.

But then there are our Christian friends. These are also people we do things together with, spend time with, have dinner with, pray with, go boating with, etc. We also have similar interests and have had wonderful memories together.

Now, there's a big difference between the two in the level of intimacy that happens. I still call those who are not Christians my friends, and I would hope that I have an influence in their lives and will someday point them to Christ. But those who are Christians are not just my friends but my brothers and sisters. There is a sweeter fellowship - a more intimate friendship that happens with that.

This whole thing was really, REALLY made clear to me about 5 years ago on our summer cruise (on our own boat, not a big cruise ship). We went with about 8 other boats to places east - Block Island, Newport, Martha's Vineyard, etc. We had a nice trip, enjoyed the kids playing together and the adults spending time together - but they all drink and we don't, they have a different foundation than we do and while we really enjoy their company, it was still exhausting each evening when we went to bed. Then one day in Block Island, a guy came over in his dinghy and said "I see you have kids and we do too. We'd love it if your kids could come play with our kids today! Can they come over?" Of course we wouldn't send our young daughters to a boat that we don't know so my husband brought them and stayed with them. I had a feeling - I watched them and how they were with their kids and I just had a feeling. A few hours later, my husband came back with a grin on his face. Not only was this couple Christians, they were missionaries! They felt God calling them to leave their home in Honduras and minister to the boating community. The dad did odd jobs, staying in some ports for a few weeks at a time as he did his work and they'd hook up with a local church, working with them for the time that they were there.

So we had this couple over for dinner that night (my first time really "hosting" a full dinner for a full family while we were away - it was fun to pull off!). They came to our boat around 6PM and stayed until 1 AM and when they left and DH went to bed, we felt joy, renewed and like we knew these people all our lives. The fellowship was so sweet and it was so fun to worship together (DH had his guitar so we did some singing), pray together and just enjoy life. I saw what a difference it was to fellowship with complete strangers who were believers, and those who we've known for 15 years yet are not believers. There was just a difference - I knew it in my heart.


So, what does this have to do with the subject? Yes, it is OK to have friends who are homosexuals - but they will never be the intimate friends that fellow believers can be. We can spend time with them, have them in our homes, do things together and pray for them - but until they are saved (the same goes for ANYONE who's unsaved - homosexuals, drunkards, gossipers, and the nice little old lady who knits slippers for everyone), we will not have the intimate friendship that comes with being brothers and sisters in Christ. But it is not wrong to count those who are unsaved as "friends".