Separation from unbelieving family members

[Shoesnsocks]

Is this a practice of the Mennonites? If someone is not of the faith and leaves church, will they still stay in contact with their family? Or if someone joins from the outside, can they still stay in contact with their unbelieving family? Maybe a weird question but just something I've always wondered about.

[RZehr]

Is this a practice of the Mennonites? If someone is not of the faith and leaves church, will they still stay in contact with their family? Or if someone joins from the outside, can they still stay in contact with their unbelieving family? Maybe a weird question but just something I've always wondered about.

We do not typically teach people to cut ties. The only time we would encourage someone to cut ties is on an individual basis, and under certain conditions. Those certain conditions could be something like if the family, or a family member is actively trying to get the person to sin.
If the Mennonite does cut ties for some reason, it should be viewed as a temporary, conditional pause in the relationship with a goal of reconciliation at some point in the future.

However there will be a natural parting of the ways between you and them because of the differences in belief. But hopefully it is not a cutting off. Hopefully it is cordial.

[Josh]

Most groups do not encourage cutting ties. They do encourage socialising with people with whom you can have your faith and values in common, so drifting away from family can be inevitable.

A few groups want strict separation, like Bruderhof. I would argue these groups are closer to cults and farther away from being a typical Mennonite or Anabaptist group.

[Judas Maccabeus]

Is this a practice of the Mennonites? If someone is not of the faith and leaves church, will they still stay in contact with their family? Or if someone joins from the outside, can they still stay in contact with their unbelieving family? Maybe a weird question but just something I've always wondered about.

We do not typically teach people to cut ties. The only time we would encourage someone to cut ties is on an individual basis, and under certain conditions. Those certain conditions could be something like if the family, or a family member is actively trying to get the person to sin.
If the Mennonite does cut ties for some reason, it should be viewed as a temporary, conditional pause in the relationship with a goal of reconciliation at some point in the future.

However there will be a natural parting of the ways between you and them because of the differences in belief. But hopefully it is not a cutting off. Hopefully it is cordial.

This is my observation as well. I don't really think it is as much difference in belief as difference in lifestyle as one lives out the teachings of Jesus.

J.M.

[Shoesnsocks]

Thanks to all of you. I know it may have been a weird question, but it's just something I've always wondered about. Ever since I first began making efforts to follow Christ, I have had this strange sense that He would require of me to forsake fellowship with my unbelieving family. I have still not done so, but sometimes it nags me. Even today, while reflecting on all around inability to anything Godly, I remembered the saying "He who cometh to me I shall in no wise cast out." and had a sense of relief, only to be followed by the same old persuasion to forsake my family or He would not let me enter into life.

[Josh]

I think as we pursue a godly life our family can be disoriented and not want to be around us.

Often relationships with worldly family slowly are restored a few years later - especially once they see the fruits. Of course, things will never be as close as they once were, but do not lose hope.

[JimFoxvog]

[bible]1cor 7,16[/bible]
I think this reasoning expands well to our larger family. In showing Christian love and holiness, we may win some to belief.

[Shoesnsocks]

What do you suppose would be the context of 2 Cor 6:14

I know that the Bible also teaches that is ok to keep company with people of the world in 1 Cor 5:10.

The doctrine of separation has always confused me on where the line is drawn.

[Wade]

"Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners." - 1 Corinthians 15:33

Separation is hard and I can relate. We have received aggressive phone messages, family threatening to do whatever they can to encourage our children to follow the ways of the world.
It seems when they have opportunity they can try to said words to "evangelize," us and our children to their way.

We don't make much effort to spend time with them but we still welcome them when they come around. It has taken years but slowly they are more and more changing their attitude around us. They have even avoided us for months at a time and other relatives it has been years of us not knowing where they live because they have moved and haven't told us where they live.

There were influences affecting me that I didn't even realize were until being apart from them for over a year...

Please balance this out however with some of the other suggestions posted as maybe your unbelieving relatives will come to Christ one day by help of your consistent witness.

[Shoesnsocks]

That sounds horrible, the part about them not telling you where they moved to and just being overall somewhat malicious to the cause of Christ.
I've heard that this was the norm or even worse in the early church when Jews or pagans were converted.