August 6, 2007

  • Based on your experience, can men and women ever just be friends?

    Well, to start out I will say that my husband is my best friend, but
    that isnt what I believe the question to be asking. I think the
    question is talking about a male and female who are not married being
    friends.

    Is the trend toward intimate friendships between single men and women a good thing? I don’t think it is. I’m not a big fan of opposite-sex buddies. Intimate
    friendships between men and
    women almost always produce confusion and frustration for at least one
    of the parties involved. Close friendships tend to
    involve much time talking and hanging out one-on-one. They tend to
    involve a deep knowledge of the other person’s hopes, desires, wishes,
    dreams and
    personality. They tend to involve the sharing of many aspects of each
    person’s daily lives and routines. In other words, they tend to involve
    much of the  of intimacy and companionship involved in and meant
    for marriage.

    Back when both sex before marriage and close
    male-female friendships were much less accepted and less common in
    society, men and women moved toward marriage earlier
    in life.
    Historically, opposite-sex relationships
    have been reserved for s
    guy and girls intent on marriage, or at the
    very least some kind of romantic pursuit. I can’t think of
    a single Scriptural example of male and female pals. Male/female
    relationships in Scripture led to either marriage or (sin) extra-marital sex.
    Until fairly recently in the West, and up to the present in many other
    cultures, the roles of women have been severely restricted by the idea
    that if men and women who are not married to one another are thrown
    into situations of social contact illicit sexual relations are the
    predictable outcome. Modern Western culture has not produced
    counterevidence to that view, instead it has for the most part chosen endorse unbiblical sexual practices.
    Jesus did not have “close friends” that were women the way men and
    women do now. It would have been totally improper for Him to have been
    alone with a woman He wasnt married to unless she was his relative.
    Jewish custom would not have allowed it.
    Now days men and women think they can be best friends and spend days and days alone together. It is totally improper.

       

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Comments (30)

  • I agree. I’ve had guy friends who started acting in ways that made me feel kinda creepy so I backed off. My hubby is my best friend but I knew I was attracted to him in a romantic way the first time I met him, so there was never a time when we were “just friends”. And I’m thankful for that!!

    I wouldn’t feel comfortable if he had a female friend that he hung out with and did things with. In fact, all our friends are couples that we do things with socially in groups. We’re rarely without each other in social situations. And I like it that way!

  • The question only asks based on experience, and doesn’t have any instances.  So, based on my experience the answer is still yes.  Except this time, I’ll try and literate with a simple example– my best-friend’s fiancé.  We are just friends, and nothing more. 

    I think that counts..

  • So long as both can mutually agree they are just friends, I don’t see why they can’t be. I understand why you would object-after all, even I say that with my guy friends sometimes I can’t help but get an inkling for potential romance, but I don’t think it’s something that should be considered a bad thing.

    Everyone has their preferences for company, and everyone’s personality is different. For me, I happen to enjoy being around guys far more than I do girls. I’m not getting married anytime soon, and I don’t plan on putting all my trust into one guy’s companionship right now. Why not enjoy other guy’s company in a friendly way?

  • What exactly do you disagree with? I’m just curious. The way you answer this question shows where you are in life. I was married once, and my wife passed away tragically. I loved her with all that I am and she was my best friend. Since that time I have put up a wall, a sort of defense for myself to keep people with the wrong motives and intentions out. Alot women also seek men out for relationships and when they are rejected or not shown the same amount of interest they react. Based on the woman and the level of maturity that reaction varies. Some are willing to go on and be friends with the guy, others see that as being impossible and push the person away completely…

  • The only reason I think they can be just friends is because I love all my guy friends dearly but thats all they are.

  • My husband is my best friend too, but I still have guy friends. He has girl friends. No one that he goes away with for days or anything like that…but they are still friends. The question isn’t really asking for what level of friendship, so I think that yes…men and women can be just friends.

  • i completely disagree-im friends with a lot of guys and i have a boyfriend and my guy friends r cool w/ that- and his girl friends r cool w/ that 2

  • Re: your comment.

    Fair enough – I should have clarified that I don’t that ALL men and women have the ability to just be friends, but I do think that there are male/female friendships which can be just that.

    Especially with my gay buddies!  :D

  • Like GlassesWithoutLenses said, the question is based on experiences. And in my experience, guys and girls can be friends. Especially in cases where they are exes because then they’ve gotten the romantic feelings out of their systems anyway. But even if they haven’t dated and gotten that out of their systems, I think its still possible because some people just don’t have the proper chemistry for a romantic relationship but might make great friends. Whether or not that’s “inappropriate” is obviously very subjective, because I don’t think being intellectually close to a guy or hanging out alone with them is inappropriate. If they are just my friend, it’s the same as if I share my daily life with my girl friends or hang out with them. Sure, Jesus might not have done it, but 2000 years have passed since then and things change and what is socially acceptable changes. And he let Mary Magdalene wash his feet, which was considered inappropriate at the time if I’m not mistaken (if I am, I apologize. I don’t actually know the bible that well). But I think saying guys and girls being friends leads to illicit sexual relations is a bit cynical. I can proudly say I’ve never had illicit sexual relations with any of my guy friends, so I just don’t think that’s true.

    Thanks so much for commenting though! I am always interested in hearing different people’s opinions.

  • I was curious to read your vew on the subject, because all you said in your comment on my xanga was that you disagreed, and you didn’t give any reasoning for your dissent.

    Jesus did not have “close friends” that were women the way men and women do now.

    Hmmmm … what about Martha and Mary?

    It would have been totally improper for Him to have been alone with a woman He wasnt married to unless she was his relative.

    The woman at the well? Perhaps it’s not completely correct to say that they were alone, but they were certainly having an exclusive conversation.

    Scripture tends not to mention relationships between men and women, because so many times, it focuses exclusively on men, and the most prominent women in the Bible (Ruth, Esther), are prominent because of their marriages. The way I see it, Jesus didn’t have a problem with being friends with women, seeing as the gospel writers were probably more inclined to write about men, and yet they still included accounts of his conversations with women.

  • What I don’t understand is why, just because the Bible doesn’t have any specific references to male and female relationships, do you find it unethical? I have many, many male friends who are close to me, and we are often alone together, and nothing improper ever happens between us. We are friends, who care for and help each other, and nothing more than that. It’s rather upsetting to me that just because a woman or girl is alone with a man or boy, it is suddenly somehow sinful?

  • Wow… ok.

  • Disagree huh?……Well shows what you know. Now doesn’t it? I think if the right people are lucky enouph or what ever then its possible. It mainly has to do with trust. And you don’t trust a goddamn soul obvously. Don’t trust your self either I see. Ever see When Harry Met Sally?

  • For one your are just trying to justify your trust issues. Someone must have hurt you and that is why you can’t trust your husband or yourself to be friends with the opposite sex. Its all about choices, self discipline, and respect for yourself and your husband.

    It is also the 21st century. Things change. Yeah maybe Jesus Christ could not be with a women he was not married to alone because it would be improper… but it is 2007 people don’t marry early like they used to. Women are treated equally for the most part. Get out and live a little.

  • People like you make me wonder about christianity. It I am supposed to feel that women are not equal, and that I can not be friends with whom ever I feel like being friends with because it is not what is in the bible… that it is IMPROPER to do so then I don’t like God. Why would someone not allow us to be happy? I think your out of your mind.

  • Well, I think that men and women can definitely just be friends. My brother-in-law, Aaron, has several female friends, and he’s in no hurry to propose to any of them. The women’s husbands know him real well, and trust him, and they know he’s not gonna do anything inapropriate and that he thinks their wives are ugly. ;)

    He and I have been friends since the day we met way back in 1971, and we only ever toyed with the idea of maybe one day getting married, it only lasted for about three months, and we were in the 8th grade.

    My husband, even though he won’t admit it, is fairly good friends with one of my girlfriends. (Only you wouldn’t be able to tell cause they spend every waking moment insulting each other…well, either that or ignoring each other.) While I don’t think I’d want him hanging out with her or anything, I’m totally cool with their “friendship”.

    I do know of some cases where it could be wrong, but if done the right way, I don’t think there is a problem with it. And, like the question said, based on my experiences, I think the answer would be yes, they can.

  • Hey! Thanks for visiting my site! =)

    RYC: Idk about grown-ups. I am four years away from being one. =

  • ofcourse!…Most of them have really great girls…&&they know Im happy. &&we def. just kick it and have fun.

  • well, though its uncommon, its not impossible.

    i do agre, however, that in the Bible, no, other people didn’t have the same relationships that we do today.

    i just have normal friends that i talk to. they may have boyfriends, but they know i refuse. so its all good.

  • I understand what you are saying. I do agree to an extent when the relationship is intimate, but what if it is not? All of the guy friends I have, the only extent of our relationship is online chatting. I am not married so I have no feelings of me being deceptive. Also, women and men are different. And I really like to have their input on some things. Men for some reason tend to be direct and tell like it is, a quality I appreciate. I also appreciate that same quality in my bestfriend (who is a girl) she is very tactfully honest with me.

  • Thats. Good.

  • Dear Kristenmomof3,

    When I wrote my blog, I wrote out that if someone were to disagree, then I would like a counterpoint. I check my comments today, and I saw a simple “I disagree” with a smiley. I wouldn’t say that it angered me, but it did spring curiosity into my teenage mind. To feed my curiosity, I decided to go to your blog and see how you responded to the question. After reading it, I got the impression of a traditionalist’s train of thought (I hope by all means that my comment didn’t insult you just now). I am definitely not putting down the traditionalist’s way of thought at all; I respect it even, yet under certain circumstances, I feel tradition is meant to be broken. As stated in my own blog, I feel that men and women are able to be “just friends.” Looking at some of your points, I am still not persuaded to believe that what I believe is to be false. From what I see from your blog, close friendships will “almost always” produce confusion and frustration. I will agree with you that it is possible for these friendships to cause problems, yet may I mention that the question asks “can men and women ever just be friends?” To rephrase the question, is it even slightly, ever so slightly possible that men and women can be just friends? In a sense, you agreed to this question. You clearly stated that there are times, although very few times in your opinion, that a man and women can be close friends without frustration and confusion. Thus, it is completely possible for men and women to be just friends.

    Sincerely,

    SDD

    P.S. If anyone would like to reply to my comment and want me to see it, you are very much better off posting it as a comment on my own xanga, or else I can guarantee you that I will never ever see your reply. Thank you.

  • “I can’t think of a single Scriptural example of male and female pals.”

    Wow… I’d never thought of that! Thanks for that perspective.

    From experience, I do have male friends, but it’s different to my female friendships. While there’s a mutual understanding that it’s “just friends” I think you have to be really careful not to let it led to feelings that could cause one another to be hurt. Human emotions are so unreasonable and fickle at times!

  • I am just as close with my friend’s husbands as I am with them..and I have never thought that the guy should be with me instead of with her. I have very close guy friends that I do share with as they share with me. It is nice to get an unbiased guy view on a topic.

  • hi, thanks for coming by my blog.

    Now I get what you mean.

  • The only reason I say that men and women can be friends is simply because all of my friends are male! I can understand your reasons, but I don’t really have a sex drive. My friends understand that and I’m not pressured into doing anything, nor do I feel like I should be with them.

    So, because I have had great experiences with male friends and because I have great male friends that are much better people than my female friends, yes, I do think men and women can be just friends.

  • Being a christian mother and of a different generation than me, of course you would have a different answer. But the oh so wonderful part of these questions are that you can disagree and the world will keep turning.

  • Have a nice week as well.

  • The whole question was, ‘based on your experience’. Based on yours, I’m assuming you’ve never had a guy friend before your husband.

    Religion aside- I’m Catholic, went through 13 years of Catholic schooling- went to an all-girls high school- and I do have faith in God, and I highly- HIGHLY doubt that God wouldn’t want us all to be friends, both genders.

    I have faith in God and Jesus and all of that, but I have little faith in the Bible, remember, there are many other books and gospels that never made it into the book. We only have what the people back then wanted us to have. We only know what they wanted us to know about Jesus. And his entire teenage years are pretty much missing.

    I have perfectly platonic friendships with men. And if when I die and go to heaven and God has a problem with that, then send me straight to hell cause I am happy with my friends, they make my life happy and complete, they keep me out of trouble, one even makes sure I go to church.

    So remember, BASED on YOUR EXPERIENCE- have you ever had a guy friend? Or do you push guys away in fear of sin?

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