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1) short answer: yes...
longer answer: Because they have different beliefs you need to be wary that you stay the course... Jesus had three major commandments. Love Me, and Love Each-other, and spread the word of God. You can love God, and abandon your friends, but you would be doing them and yourself a dis-service. You would be showing them that Christians are not good people, because they only like to hang out with other Christians... but make sure to make some good Christian friends in real life

2) This question is a little harder to answer... I think I might let Dragonbait field this one because he doesn't care if he offends people. Short answer though is God loves everyone unconditionally, and A LOT!

Kaimana's wife here: If you go to Church you will have some people upset with your bisexuality. I have friends who are bi and they are Christians. Some Christians get so lost in the "rules" of Christianity that they forget about grace and the point of Jesus' death. Everyone has messed up, screwed up and made mistakes. When we choose to follow Jesus our sins are forgiven, but we still crave sin.... well the Bible says it best...

I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. Romans 7:14, 21-23

Is homosexuality or bisexuality a sin? Yes. Is my getting angry at my mom and brother yesterday, and continuing to be frustrated with them today a sin? Yes, and in the Bible a lot more is said about my sin.

WARNING: Shock phrasing ahead.

At first, I was honored when Kenshin deferred to me. Then I saw why, and I was just amused.

And I have to disagree with him, I'm afraid. I do try to avoid offending people; I just don't try very hard, is all.

Point one: We, as Christians, are "in the world, but not of it". There's no way to avoid dealing with people of different faiths. And indeed, I think if God wanted us to "preach the gospel to all creation", He kind of implied talking to people who are different. And even if they still disagree with you, that's no reason for you to withdraw your friendship (consider it a tiny part of God's love. He's not withdrawing that until the Apocalypse, so there's no reason we should either).

And let's not forget that Jesus Himself not only ate with Jews (His own people), but with Samaritans and Gentiles; indeed, I remember a Roman centurion whom Jesus praised for having great faith! A Roman, presumably a follower of the Roman pantheon, managed to impress our Savior. Jesus liked (as well as loved) people who weren't like Him.

So, sure, go ahead. Hang out with your Buddhist friends, and more power to ya. You might learn some things that'll help you in the future ... and who knows? Maybe they'll learn something from you.

Now, let me say this; you can be friends without embracing someone's beliefs, but there will be bleed-over from both of you. That's human nature. It's not a slight against them when I say this, nor against you. So be careful what you do around them ... but, frankly, you should be on you guard all the time anyway, regardless of who you're with. I never thought hanging out with BlckRobe would affect my vocabulary until one day when "frell?" escaped my lips.

As for avoiding that "corruption", to use your own term ... embrace your friends, but embrace God first and more. It sounds cliche, but it's the truth. Now, for some people, it's harder than for others. Dear Meadow (Mrs. 'Bait), for example, is scared spitless of offending people, so it'd be harder for her to say "no, thanks" to anything; she doesn't want to be rude. Me, I'm naturally rude, so I don't mind saying "no, thanks". Still, she can say "no" when she really tries; she's been saying it to me for years. xp Bad example, maybe, but you get the idea.

Point two: Eh, you and you church are both victims of pop culture and faulty human reasoning. Let's have a look at the Bible for a second. Actually, no; let's look in the completely opposite direction.
Okay, before anyone starts flaming me over that, I did censor it. And what he said is right. "Bisexual" is just halfway-homosexual, in a very real sense: you're attracted to you own gender, but not enough to abandon the opposite gender.

And before anyone starts in on the whole homosexual-lesbian "there's a difference" thing ... no, there isn't. By the purest and strictest definitions of the terms, "homosexual" means "same gender". So let's drop this "gay- bi- lesbian" crapola. You're either straight, or you're not.

Okay, now to the Bible.
There's plenty of other verses I could have chosen, but I kinda like this one. Okay, right there, it says the "sexually immoral" are not acceptable to God. Well, "sexually immoral" is kinda vague, especially in this day and age, isn't it? Still, "adulterers" and "homosexual offenders" is pretty specific. So, yeah, the Bible does call that a no-no.

BUT ... what else does it say? It includes drunkards, thieves, liars, and cheaters in the same category of "not permitted in Heaven". I mean, a guy who fudges his dice rolls in AD&D gets the same treatment as a guy who gets plastered to the gills and offers to blow Richard Simmons while kneeling before an altar to L. Ron Hubbard.

Point is ... it's all the same. Really, God only has one law; for the sake of our tiny human minds, He graciously explained it in several parts. But breaking any one part is the same as breaking the whole thing. As Mrs. Kenshin pointed out, we all spend time in sin's prison ... all for the same crime: sin. We just have different versions of sin.

So, yes. Being gay is a sin. Just like lying, just like murder, just like telling Mommy and Daddy to get stuffed, just like swiping your little brother's cookie when he's not looking, just like looking at your best friend's homework answers. It's all the same.

Now, lest you get the wrong idea, look further at that Corinthians bit.

Yeah, these things are all wrong. But God is able to forgive, if we are truly repentant, and He is able to lift from us our fleshly desires ... or at least to moderate them, so they don't rule us.

I speak from experience here. No, I was never gay. Bear with me. I've heard a lot of crap about people saying they're "born this way". Okay, pretending for even a microsecond that I buy that ... so what? I was born with a sinful nature myself. Doesn't mean it's right, certainly doesn't mean it's God's fault. It's my nature, just like it's Ellen Degenerate's natures to be gay and unfunny. And I have to overcome it every bloody hour. Not a day goes by when someone in this town doesn't do something that makes me want to rip their heads from their shoulders, just to clean out the gene pool. (Yeah, my particular problem/addiction is anger and arrogance ... and nicotine.) But God helps me to not only not hurt anyone, but actually be civil -- even friendly and tolerant, in spite of their incredible stupidity.

Some claim they were born gay. I was born angry. My brother was born a lady-killer (seriously). My wife was born a coward. Whoop-te-do. It's still something we have to overcome ... and with Jesus's love and help, we can overcome. Then will He gladly welcome us into the kingdom of God.

At least, that's my take on the whole thing.

Amen Dragonbait, Amen! *applauds*

So maybe you are afraid of offending people, but you definitely arn't afraid of telling them the truth, and what they need to hear