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child630
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Is it wrong for me, a believer in Christ, to hang out in a bar with my non-Christian friends? I want to know if it will send me to hell?
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child630
Guest
The Bible says to flee from all appearances of evil. Does it look evil? I know getting drunk is wrong. But just hanging out and listening to music, is that sin?
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It will not send you to hell to hang out in a bar.
But
Abraham had a nephew named Lot.
Lot took the best of the land for pasture and set his tent towards Sodom.
Eventually Lot moved from the tent into the city of Sodom.
Then when the Angels came to rescue Lot, and the Sodomites slammed on the door demanding the strangers so they could sodomize these angels. Lot offers up his virgin daughters.
and so the story goes
Lot has a bad end, I do think Lot still went to heaven, but his earthly life was rough, his family was destroyed, his offspring become cursed enemies of Israel and it was of his own DOING, making bad choices. Living and aligning his values with the world.
So what is your motivation in this?
But
Abraham had a nephew named Lot.
Lot took the best of the land for pasture and set his tent towards Sodom.
Eventually Lot moved from the tent into the city of Sodom.
Then when the Angels came to rescue Lot, and the Sodomites slammed on the door demanding the strangers so they could sodomize these angels. Lot offers up his virgin daughters.
and so the story goes
Lot has a bad end, I do think Lot still went to heaven, but his earthly life was rough, his family was destroyed, his offspring become cursed enemies of Israel and it was of his own DOING, making bad choices. Living and aligning his values with the world.
So what is your motivation in this?
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child630
Guest
Thank you. I like music and I like hanging out with my friends. I would never hang out there if my friends didn't hang out there.
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Urbanredneck
Guest
It depends. You could go and be a designated driver and not drink.
Is this a bar-bar with loud music, scandidly clad people, and a strong sexually charged environment like a nightclub? Or is it a bar-restaurant like say an Applebees?
If it's the former I dont think your doing anyone any good.
I think Jesus hung out where the sinners were.
Personally, even back in the day I didn't like bars anyway. Too loud to have a conversation. Too smoky. Not to mention to expensive.
Is this a bar-bar with loud music, scandidly clad people, and a strong sexually charged environment like a nightclub? Or is it a bar-restaurant like say an Applebees?
If it's the former I dont think your doing anyone any good.
I think Jesus hung out where the sinners were.
Personally, even back in the day I didn't like bars anyway. Too loud to have a conversation. Too smoky. Not to mention to expensive.
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psalms 91
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It is fine unless you personally feel it is wrong. Drinking alcohol is not sin, getting drunk is. The only thing I think I would ask myself is does my actions reflect Christ and will others see that in me. If you can project that it doesnt matter where you are or who you are with as that will speak more than any words ever could
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The story about what happened to Lot is just a warning to be circumspect about your time here on the earth and to not get caught up in the things of the world.
Because the slippery slope gets more slippery the longer you align yourself to the values and ideology of the world. And you eventually may become spiritually hardened, or deafened, maybe bitter about your experiences or get a corrupted view of how you understand God, his word, and how God works in this world.
And you have a personal enemy in the devil and his fallen angels that really want to kill you or make your life a living hell.
Jesus tells a parable about the sower. Matthew 13 makes for good study about God and people and what can happen.
The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a cropa hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
10 The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables?
11 He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this peoples heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.[a]
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 The owners servants came to him and said, Sir, didnt you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?
28 An enemy did this, he replied.
The servants asked him, Do you want us to go and pull them up?
29 No, he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.
33 He told them still another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.[c]
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.
37 He answered, The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 Have you understood all these things? Jesus asked.
Yes, they replied.
52 He said to them, Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.
A Prophet Without Honor
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? they asked. 55 Isnt this the carpenters son? Isnt his mothers name Mary, and arent his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Arent all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Because the slippery slope gets more slippery the longer you align yourself to the values and ideology of the world. And you eventually may become spiritually hardened, or deafened, maybe bitter about your experiences or get a corrupted view of how you understand God, his word, and how God works in this world.
And you have a personal enemy in the devil and his fallen angels that really want to kill you or make your life a living hell.
Jesus tells a parable about the sower. Matthew 13 makes for good study about God and people and what can happen.
The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a cropa hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.
10 The disciples came to him and asked, Why do you speak to the people in parables?
11 He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this peoples heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.[a]
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
The Parable of the Weeds
24 Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 The owners servants came to him and said, Sir, didnt you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?
28 An enemy did this, he replied.
The servants asked him, Do you want us to go and pull them up?
29 No, he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
31 He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. 32 Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.
33 He told them still another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.
34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable. 35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.[c]
The Parable of the Weeds Explained
36 Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.
37 He answered, The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.
40 As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl
44 The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net
47 Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49 This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 Have you understood all these things? Jesus asked.
Yes, they replied.
52 He said to them, Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.
A Prophet Without Honor
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? they asked. 55 Isnt this the carpenters son? Isnt his mothers name Mary, and arent his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Arent all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things? 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
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Here are some Bible quotes warning us to have wise companions.
Praying you will be led to good friends who are a good influence.
What Does the Bible Say About Bad Company?
When you say "Hang out in a bar" though, that could mean different things. Sometimes people are in a friendly pub type place where they are socializing in a nice way, not getting drunk or anything. If they are not very prudent in how much they drink, or if they are there just to pick up people for sexual liasons, well...you know...
Praying you will be led to good friends who are a good influence.
What Does the Bible Say About Bad Company?
When you say "Hang out in a bar" though, that could mean different things. Sometimes people are in a friendly pub type place where they are socializing in a nice way, not getting drunk or anything. If they are not very prudent in how much they drink, or if they are there just to pick up people for sexual liasons, well...you know...
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freezerman2000
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No it abolutely won't. Being in a bar is not sin. It just isn't. I know legalistic people will try to convince you it is - I've been through that myself. But it's no more sin than being on a sinful planet is sin. There is no part of this world that isn't under the curse of sin, so if you think you can escape sin by just not going to bars that's ridiculous! A lot of sin takes place right in churches - should you avoid church too if you know of some people who sin go to church? No because we all sin and we have to forgive.
Now if u are an alcoholic then probably not a good idea to go to bars with your buddies. But not everyone who goes to bars gets drunk, some people can control themselves and drink little or nothing. You sound like one of these people so I think it's fine.
Now if u are an alcoholic then probably not a good idea to go to bars with your buddies. But not everyone who goes to bars gets drunk, some people can control themselves and drink little or nothing. You sound like one of these people so I think it's fine.
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1 Corinthians 15:33
Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals.
The question shouldn't be 'is it wrong to do this?'
The question you should be asking yourself is why you're there in the first place.
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His friends aren't necessarily bad company just because they go to bars. I mean if they go to bars and have few morals then yeah they are bad company. But maybe they have some really good traits that are rubbing off on him.
Plus despite what a lot of super conservative people will lead you to believe, if you are going to reach people and influence them, you have to get close to them. It's just what love does. Preach to them from the pulpit and avoid them like they are diseased and trust me they will feel that vibe. They know when they are being truly loved and when they arent.
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BFine
Seed Planter
*Hanging out in a bar doesn't send you to hell but
it has a way of negatively affecting your spiritual walk nonetheless,
I've witnessed this a lot over the decades since I had
friends who regularly frequented bars on Fri. and Sat. nights.
Think about it...
How has your faith walk impacted your friends for the Lord?
Have you presented them the Good News of the Gospel?
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C
child630
Guest
I am not there looking for sex. I am not there to get drunk. I am there to watch people sing. We have fun.
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CounselorForChrist
Senior Veteran
If you read the bible it says once saved, always saved! But there is small print that says "Unless you go to a bar!". 
Kidding obviously.
Its not a sin. One could bring up the issue of drinking, but you said thats not why your there. So don't worry about it. We have an older christian couple that invites us to karaoke at night. Sometimes its at a restaurant, sometimes its at a bar. We go to watch people sing, especially those who have had to much to drink and think they are rock stars. 
Its also a good place to share the Word. The couple that sings brings up God briefly before they sing. Slowly planting the seed.
Kidding obviously.Its not a sin. One could bring up the issue of drinking, but you said thats not why your there. So don't worry about it.
We have an older christian couple that invites us to karaoke at night. Sometimes its at a restaurant, sometimes its at a bar. We go to watch people sing, especially those who have had to much to drink and think they are rock stars. Its also a good place to share the Word. The couple that sings brings up God briefly before they sing. Slowly planting the seed.
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Albion
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Understood.
And, given that information, there is a consensus here that your presence is not sinful. We also think you know where the line between appropriate and inappropriate would be.
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TheyCallMeDave
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If the 'hanging out' includes drinking to excess , debauchery, lust, leading to crude foul talk and jokes.... then it is wrong . If your Walk with Christ is strong and seasoned enough to where you can remain disciplined in these areas while being in a particular wordly environment then it is not wrong to be in such an atmosphere unless you find it too overwhelming and detrimental to your Christian Walk by way of temptations -- in that case, it is wise to forego doing it with these Friends as we must nurture and protect our Walk with Christ above all other things , venues, and pleasures.
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Cactus Jack
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