I have a Christian friend who says that we are not to have anything to do with friends or family who are not believers. He said we are to ignore them. I know we are to leave family and everything and follow Christ, but are we suppose to ignore and have nothing to do with them? What is Bible doctrine on this?
I think your friend has misinterpreted the verse about leaving everything behind to follow the Lord. (Luke 14:26) Ignoring our family, even if they’re unbelievers, is contrary to the Lord’s statement that the world will know we are Christians by our love (John 13:35). And in 1 Tim. 5:8 Paul wrote that someone who would not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.