Can we still be friends, if I disagree with you?

Mulan

Let's talk about this.

I have lots of friends on this board. So..........Can we still be friends, if I disagree with you?

I seek out people who disagree with me. I think disagreements can help, as long as they are not completely hostile, insulting, rude, or deliberately hurtful. (Or involve weapons of mass destruction. Oh wait, we're women!)

Surrounding yourself with fawning siccophants is a sure way to end up a complete ass at the end of your life.

So, Marilyn, you ready to go a few rounds??

onacruse

I make too many mistakes! A real friend would tell me how they thought I was wrong. And even if I still thought I was right, I would value their friendship in sharing their differing opinion.

Craig

myself

Mulan, I think it is ok to agree to disagree on issues. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, and if a person can't respect another's opinion they aren't really a friend. You can disagree with me if you want to.

Princess

I can easily remain friends with someone who I disagree with here. The friendship ends when the attacks become personal and name calling starts.

I hate the constant back and forth trying to get someone to change their opinion. Present the facts to support your side then read what the other person has to say. Rarely is there a decent debate here that doesn't quickly get personal. People are quick to call you stupid because they don't agree with you.

I haven't always agreed with things you post mom, and I have told you so. Doesn't change anything though does it?

Rachel

Joyzabel

Can I sleep on it and tell you in the morning? I want a really good dream tonight so that I can be witty and intellectual and informative, without hurting anyone's feelings or losing a friendship over it. Ok?

Sweet dreams!

j2bf

minimus

Here's a question. Do you find that most of the posters on this board are your "friends"? I think that very few people here could honestly be called "friends". And that's not because of anything negative, but because "friends" should be people that truly know you and care for you. Good friends might even die for you. I have some friends on this board that I personally know. I have interacted with many here that I would like to know better.......but sure, we can all be friends, as long as you don't get somebody mad at you...lol

BeautifulGarbage

Yes, Absolutely!

It's when the name calling, questioning of reading comprehension and intelligence, starts that things tend to degenerate to a mud fest.

This thread brings to my mind the person with whom I disagree the most often. Discussions with this person can get quite heated. Politics is an especially sensitive topic. This person being rather ...ahem.."conservative" and me being, well, THE REASONABLE ONE!

This person? My spouse.

Andee

COMF

It's all in how we go about disagreeing, Mulan. Even though he's probably a neat guy in person, I find it hard to like jjrizzo on this board because he has a habit of lumping people who don't agree with his beliefs into little black-and-white categories and assigning selfish or cowardly motives as their reasons for believing as they do. Andi and Neil, on the other hand, are a couple of the most sincere, dedicated Christians I've ever known; yet they are nonjudgmental, and understand things like the influence of circumstance and experience. They're aware that it's possible to be sincere, logical, cautious and thorough and yet still not believe as they do. And they don't condemn or speak condescendingly. At one of our apostafests Andi and I had a discussion about my beliefs, which wound up with her saying that she thought I was exactly where I was supposed to be at this point in my spiritual journey. I doubt that jjrizzo could even wrap his mind around such a concept.

Yes, we can disagree and be friends. All it takes is mutual respect.