How do you deal with someone close to you who is knowingly sinning?

If there is a group of people you associate with, say in your circle of closest friends or family even, and there is one or two of them who continue to do what you consider a sin, how do you act around them? Do you avoid them? Change your circle?

Say they commit adultery or theft or slander or something else. But bottom line is that what they do is a sin in your book. What is the right thing to do? If they already know it's wrong, but they live as if they aren't sinning (Because let's face it, many things that are deemed wrong in the past are suddenly accepted by society as okay. Keywords being accepted by society, not right.) , what is the right thing to do?

Funny thing about right and wrong. Society changes it continuously for convenience. Do you see it? I'm asking this to you, especially to those who know what WWJD stands for. What do you think would Jesus do?

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bowman81 · M

We are all sinners. (Psalm 51:5)
Would you live as a hermit then? Jesus ministered to, fed the multitude, and healed the ailing. I don't remember him ever asking them if they were sinners or not.

I seem to remember it was Jesus who said "he who is without sin cast the first stone".

Casheyane · 31-35, F

@bowman81 That's actually the point I was wondering about. Because someone I know wants me to stop associating with the circle altogether.

Mind you, the examples I gave aren't even it. I just wrote those as examples hoping some people can read between the lines.

I know about Jesus dining with sinners and going to their houses. I know about him not throwing rock at the woman the people wanted to throw stones to.

There is this saying about how friends of the same feathers stick together. So there is the warning not to be defined by association with someone who's up to no good. And I think there are also Bible stuff that talks about being careful ln the influences you let in on your life.

So the question remains. To be or to not be a hermit?

BlueVeins · 22-25

@Casheyane So what are the cases you were talking about then?

Casheyane · 31-35, F

@BlueVeins Giving a list would be opening a whole debate, I think. Dealing with LGBTQ for instance. People have different views about it. And then there is this...

"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery." --Luke 16:18

See what I mean?
The way the world works is forcing things upon people. Even corporate starts to change their tone. I don't think there is any such thing as inclusion to all because one way or another, welcoming something means stepping on someone's toe or belief in this case.

BlueVeins · 22-25

@Casheyane

Dealing with LGBTQ for instance. People have different views about it.

Yeah, I think if someone's being homophobic or transphobic, then it's definitely good to address it with them directly. A lotta people were talking about the "harm to others" standard, and transphobia definitely fit into that category. Some might hide behind a "difference of opinion" defense, but ultimately all morality is opinion on some level. I mean, some people hold the opinion that it's OK to murder people, but if they act on that, we still put them in a cage nonetheless.

"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery." --Luke 16:18

Ehhhh the behavior described fits a very bronze age definition of adultery, but not a rule utilitarian definition. If you lived in Jesus' time, you could make a reasonable case that divorcing someone and then marrying someone else is bad because there were no STD tests at the time. But nowadays, the harm caused by adultery boils down to a breach of social contract between romantic partners; divorce terminates that social contract anyway. Besides, stigmatizing divorce kinda pressures victims of domestic abuse into staying with their abusers, which is socially not very good.

Casheyane · 31-35, F

@BlueVeins I did say it would open a debate. So now you see that can of worms.