Why do Christians think its okay to associate with evildoers or absolve their behavior?

Yes people could realize that they too are a sinner. But listen to this: I read the story of a family whose daughter was murdered by two evil men. Instead of reaching out to the murdered young woman's parents who were in a great deal of pain from the injustice, the nun, Sister Prejean, reached out to the PERPETRATORS, praying for them, and trying to help them in any way that she could.

It just so happened that the murdered girls parents were Catholics and were extremely harmed by Sister Prejeans' kindness towards two men who had brutally murdered their daughter.

Can I ask for a vote as to how many people here believed that Sister Prejean was really doing the Lord's Work?

I in no way want to influence anyone else's views but I'll give you my take on this:

I think Sister Prejean is a lunatic.

The article showed her in her nun's outfit holding her cross and looking longingly up at a statue of Jesus. I don't think that woman knows the first thing about doing the Lord's work.

How can something be the "Lord's work" if it is greatly harming another person in the process??

In my opinion - that Nun - who HAD NEVER GIVEN BIRTH, HAD NEVER FELT THE LIFE KICKING WITHIN HER, AND THE INEXPLICABLE BOND OF MOTHER AND CHILD...HOW COULD SHE >>> EVER <<< CLAIM TO KNOW THE TRUE SENSE OF EXTREME, EXCRUCIATING PAIN OF KNOWING THAT SOME DEMONICALLY CONTROLLED EVIL THING ATT allACKED AND VICIOUSLY ENDED THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE?

She couldn't because she never experienced that bond...that intense love.

That Nun who THOUGHT that she was doing all this good (and if truth be told she was probably getting accolades for it from someone) when in REALITY she was probably doing EVIL.

They're my views on how this issue gets very sticky.

Yes people could realize that they too are a sinner. But listen to this: I read the story of a family whose daughter was murdered by two evil men. Instead of reaching out to the murdered young woman's parents who were in a great deal of pain from the injustice, the nun, Sister Prejean, reached out to the PERPETRATORS, praying for them, and trying to help them in any way that she could.

It just so happened that the murdered girls parents were Catholics and were extremely harmed by Sister Prejeans' kindness towards two men who had brutally murdered their daughter.

Can I ask for a vote as to how many people here believed that Sister Prejean was really doing the Lord's Work?

I in no way want to influence anyone else's views but I'll give you my take on this:

I think Sister Prejean is a lunatic.

The article showed her in her nun's outfit holding her cross and looking longingly up at a statue of Jesus. I don't think that woman knows the first thing about doing the Lord's work.

How can something be the "Lord's work" if it is greatly harming another person in the process??

In my opinion - that Nun - who HAD NEVER GIVEN BIRTH, HAD NEVER FELT THE LIFE KICKING WITHIN HER, AND THE INEXPLICABLE BOND OF MOTHER AND CHILD...HOW COULD SHE >>> EVER <<< CLAIM TO KNOW THE TRUE SENSE OF EXTREME, EXCRUCIATING PAIN OF KNOWING THAT SOME DEMONICALLY CONTROLLED EVIL THING ATT allACKED AND VICIOUSLY ENDED THE LIFE OF A LOVED ONE?

She couldn't because she never experienced that bond...that intense love.

That Nun who THOUGHT that she was doing all this good (and if truth be told she was probably getting accolades for it from someone) when in REALITY she was probably doing EVIL.

They're my views on how this issue gets very sticky.

I've read most of the thread and it seems as if some replies are not even on point, or perhaps I am the one who is misreading, anyhow....
I agree with what you are saying and could add tons of examples myself, folks who are in the church doors without fail at every meeting, yet gossiping, backbiting, lying and cheating in their everyday life and they are oh so popular. We are called to be witnesses yes, but we are not called to condone aid and ab

ed sinful ways of others especially if they be brothers/sisters in the faith of Messiah.

I see a world swiftly moving into darkness where deception is rampant and wisdom is rare. In 1 Corinthians we are told evil associations corrupt excellent morals. We are to be set apart from the world and worldly ways. Stand firm sister. We are to love no person on earth more than our Savior, not even a family member can we let get between us and what we know is right.

um I would say the lords work are those things that Christ taught so I might not be the right person to decide based on that story if she was doing the lords work .

forgiving , showing mercy even to those who have done wrong is something Jesus taught so that would be his work if we do that , that’s just my opinion though .

ultimately my opinion doesn’t make any change or difference , but whatever Jesus opinion is about a matter is the right view .

Perhaps this nun's praying for the perpetrators of the injustice done to the family will go some distance to preventing those same perpetrators from committing the same crime again and bringing such pain and loss to another family?

They were already in prison for it. The two men who committed the murder surely did need someone in their life to lead them to the Lord, but while the Nun claimed she wanted to do good, she was hurting the family of the murdered girl. I just think that we have to be careful when we attempt to do good that we are not hurting someone else in the process.

I wasn't seeking an answer. I was perusing what I had lived through and saw that Christians at time ADD to another's grief by going along with another's wrongdoing - maybe stupidly so - but they still do it.

If anything I would like to urge Christians to really think before they act, and before they throw themselves behind a person. It just may be that person is manipulating you to harm another.

I think that like many doctrines, it can be misunderstood and improperly applied.

How was she hurting this family, exactly? The fact that they took umbrage at anyone praying for the souls of the perpetrators is on them. This reminds me of a real-life murder show I saw, where lots of people were weighing in online with their opinions on the murdered woman; the family was glued to all the negative comments, and said those people had to stop saying such things. Guess what? People are not going to stop such behavior. What really needed to stop was the family of the murdered woman reading every hurtful social media comment about their beloved daughter.

I agree social media can get vicious. However, if the family requested that the comments be shut off because they are excruciating I believe that their wishes should be honored. I think change has to START WITH US. AS CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND NOT THROW OUR HANDS UP AND SAY "THAT'S LIFE" THAT'S JUST HOW PEOPLE ARE! THEY'RE CRUEL."

if not us then who???

WE SHOULD TRY TO DO BETTER; TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.

If you've ever experienced gut-wrench, gut-twisting, air-knocked-out-of-you, dizzying emotional pain that leaves you reeling you would not understand. If you have never had a child and knew those intense feelings of love, you would not understand.

If you have never loved another with intense, deep love, you wouldn't understand.

If someone did something so ATROCIOUS to one that you love, the LAST thing that you need to see is some bubble-headed nun fluttering around and acting like she's the very emissary of God Himself, buzzing around fawning over two despicable, repugnant, pieces of garbage that brutalized one that you love.

As Christians, we need to put ourselves in the place of others. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." THIS IS WHAT CHRIST INSTRUCTS US TO DO AND THAT NUN DID NOT DO THAT. SHE DID WHAT LOOKED GOOD IN THE EYES OF OTHERS.

I think that kind of "christianity" is fake. I think the Nun was doing it because of the accolades that she got from onlookers. I could read her face: I know the face - the look - of true compassion, and I know the look of someone who does things for personal gain. If Christians honed their discernment they could read facial expressions too. I've studied body language, and took a course in forensic psychology but anyone can learn to recognize facial expressions. It's sometimes difficult as you can read others and you see so much deception but I'm still glad I took it. I can't bear to watch politicians and newscasters as their lies are so blatant.

If the Nun truly wanted to do the Lord's work she should have begun with the murdered girl's family. She could have waited until their feelings weren't so fresh, and raw, and on fire. Anyone who has ever lived through that type of pain knows the pain of which I speak.

That type of do-gooding HARMS OTHERS AND IS NOT THE GOOD THAT I BELIEVE GOD WANTS US TO DO.

There must be Scripture verses that apply but none come to mind right now.

Unsure how you mean that applies.

um I would say the lords work are those things that Christ taught so I might not be the right person to decide based on that story if she was doing the lords work .

forgiving , showing mercy even to those who have done wrong is something Jesus taught so that would be his work if we do that , that’s just my opinion though .

ultimately my opinion doesn’t make any change or difference , but whatever Jesus opinion is about a matter is the right view .

Yes but there is a right time to forgive and show mercy to those who have done wrong: when they repent. Scripture teaches that IF he repents forgive him - which I believe means that UNLESS HE REPENTS HE DOES NOT DESERVE YOUR FORGIVENESS, MERCY ETC.

Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. - Luke 17:3

This is where I think that we all misuse the forgiveness doctrine and HARM OTHERS.

Yes I think that too. And I think that we do a real disservice to people by thrusting our views on them.

I recall an issue where a teen in our church who was wild was harassing one of my family members and I asked his mother to tell him to stop coming to our house. She freaked out. I understood her as she had a very difficult marriage and had a lot of mental pressures. But I spoke to the pastor and the pastor's WIFE placed herself in the position of judge - I guess she had the erroneous notion that being the pastor's wife automatically conferred on her the duty to deliver appropriate judgements to the congregants.

She came up to me in church and said "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! YOU are supposed to FORGIVE!" She was totally out of line. I could handle it because I'm not a shrinking violet but she could have really hurt someone by placing herself in the position of judge and jury.

I've seen so much wrong in church by "well-meaning" people who THINK they're doing good but end up doing wrong.

I knew someone whose daughter was interviewed by the headmaster of a Christian school. He said something so horrible to that young girl that he should have been fired.

There are outrageous things said and done in the name of doing "good" than we even realize. A family member refuses to go to any independent Bible Church because of how she was mistreated. I just wonder why this isn't discussed more.

I agree social media can get vicious. However, if the family requested that the comments be shut off because they are excruciating I believe that their wishes should be honored. I think change has to START WITH US. AS CHRISTIANS WE SHOULD TAKE A STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT AND NOT THROW OUR HANDS UP AND SAY "THAT'S LIFE" THAT'S JUST HOW PEOPLE ARE! THEY'RE CRUEL."

if not us then who???

WE SHOULD TRY TO DO BETTER; TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.

If you've ever experienced gut-wrench, gut-twisting, air-knocked-out-of-you, dizzying emotional pain that leaves you reeling you would not understand. If you have never had a child and knew those intense feelings of love, you would not understand.

If you have never loved another with intense, deep love, you wouldn't understand.

If someone did something so ATROCIOUS to one that you love, the LAST thing that you need to see is some bubble-headed nun fluttering around and acting like she's the very emissary of God Himself, buzzing around fawning over two despicable, repugnant, pieces of garbage that brutalized one that you love.

As Christians, we need to put ourselves in the place of others. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." THIS IS WHAT CHRIST INSTRUCTS US TO DO AND THAT NUN DID NOT DO THAT. SHE DID WHAT LOOKED GOOD IN THE EYES OF OTHERS.

I think that kind of "christianity" is fake. I think the Nun was doing it because of the accolades that she got from onlookers. I could read her face: I know the face - the look - of true compassion, and I know the look of someone who does things for personal gain. If Christians honed their discernment they could read facial expressions too. I've studied body language, and took a course in forensic psychology but anyone can learn to recognize facial expressions. It's sometimes difficult as you can read others and you see so much deception but I'm still glad I took it. I can't bear to watch politicians and newscasters as their lies are so blatant.

If the Nun truly wanted to do the Lord's work she should have begun with the murdered girl's family. She could have waited until their feelings weren't so fresh, and raw, and on fire. Anyone who has ever lived through that type of pain knows the pain of which I speak.

That type of do-gooding HARMS OTHERS AND IS NOT THE GOOD THAT I BELIEVE GOD WANTS US TO DO.

There must be Scripture verses that apply but none come to mind right now.

That story wasn't the best example but I just think that as Christians we have to be careful in all things - sometimes the good we intend to do ends up hurting others.

God has never given bad advice. Our human nature is full of human wisdom and personal opinion. It is only when our advice falls in line with God’s view, that true wisdom is dispensed. Even then, words can be rejected.

James said,” Understand this, my dear brothers, Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.

Many of us speak too quickly before we pray about an issue.

Dear SaintRose. I do understand, but I also understand the need for people to take personal responsibility. If focusing on something is causing someone pain, they need to shift their focus. We are powerless over the questionable, objectionable, and bad behaviors of others, especially if they have no desire to honor our wishes above theirs.

We have been reading through Lamentations in my church the past few weeks. What strikes me is how, even in the depths of their despair and disgrace, the writer (believed to be Jeremiah?) acknowledges the eternal power and everlasting goodness of God. Truly I am sorry you suffer so much injustice in your life. I do understand also what it is like to be the victim of others' deceitfulness and dishonest motivations, but I choose not to live as a victim. Yes, I have been devastated by losses of many sorts in my life: children, love, and my own inability to live up to the expectations I hold for others. One of the most difficult things for me to forgive myself for was my inability to mother my own child when she was young. This failure haunted me for many years. I was not a Christian at the time, and was in active addiction and alcoholism, which I was delivered from when I cried out to the God I did not believe in, for help. My life was emotionally hellish at the time of my daughter's birth and the eventual failure of my marriage following multiple miscarriages including a still birth, but my daughter today is one of the biggest blessings in my life. Expressing gratitude for what blessings we do have is, I believe, an effectual antidote to those things which can rob us of our peace of mind, which is a precious commodity given the amount of wickedness and evil in the world.

I don't believe we're powerless. We can point something out when someone is doing something to hurt another.