Dumping friends over politics or religion

[ErGingerbreadMandude]

I don't know much about them but the sheer confidence of batman is just mind-blowing.

He would get into a sprint race with superman and flash. The reason he would win is always, "because I'm batman".

[Seraphina]

100% depends on the following:

1) How close we were to begin with. I'm a lot more tolerant of close friends, more so when it comes to religion.
2) How much they need to have conversations that are damaging to our friendship.

Most of the time, if I know a friend has a starkly differing opinion than mine, I will just avoid those conversations.

I agree with this.

I have friends back in my rural hometown that I've known since the 70s and 80s and I know at least a few voted for Trump. But why would I let some douchebag like Trump come between our friendship? They are my friends and we have plenty of other topics to talk about besides politics or religion. As long as they don't criticize my personal beliefs, we're fine.

It was also my own willingness to listen to divergent points of view that led me to atheism.

[J a c k]

I see a lot of you mention long term friendships. I moved around so much my whole life that I have very few long term friendships, and those that I have kept even after moving know better than to try and justify racism, or mimicking someone with special needs. I guess I'm safe there.  

No, I don't cut ties every time there is a difference of opinion for whatever matter, but if someone can try to justify racism, or being a bully to a person with special needs, I can't get past that. I'm stuck there. I'm not even mentioning all his other flaws. He's a clown and unfit president in so many ways, but to defend those other two things just to feel good about voting for him, I don't respect that. I respect people's right to vote for who ever they wish, that doesn't mean I have to respect their ideas, or share a cup of coffee. I think I posted about this once, but I had an incident related to a douche mimicking special needs.

I live in a thin wall tiny apartment that shares walls with the neighbors. My five  year old has developmental delay and he could hardly talk a few months ago. He also had these impulses to repeat whatever he could say over and over again. The neighbor's kid (about 18 or 19) thought it was funny to mimic my son in the most obnoxious way. My ten year old and I heard everything. My five year old is getting a lot better thanks to early childhood intervention, but that experience sticks. If any adult can address Trump's obnoxious behavior and think it's ok that he represents us, if an adult can see him behaving that way and not blink... that adult is the same. It's a wall (ha!) I cannot get past (pun not intended). Heh.

Thanks for your responses

[Thumpalumpacus]

Living where I do, there are plenty of douchebag Trumpeteers, and plenty who voted for him for their hatred of Clinton; and plenty who voted for his "America First" plank. Given that, rather than judge them by their vote, I look at their justification.

Now, having grown up much like you (8 schools in 12 years), I count my real friends on one hand, and work others into the mix as circumstances allow. If someone is racist, that's a nix right away, and so I haven't lost any of those Trump supporters as friends, because I didn't allow them in close to begin with. But others, who voted for Clinton as well as Trump (I voted Johnson), I treat them with agreeable disagreement, and most seem fine with that.

[Jesster]

Given that, rather than judge them by their vote, I look at their justification.

This is exactly why I don't judge people for cutting ties with Trump supporters. Many times it's not simply because they voted for Trump; it's because of why they voted for Trump. I can and have retained friendships with Trump voters who I feel don't fully understand the implications of a Trump presidency and what it means to people like me. If they made that vote for more spiteful reasoning, then they are not a friend to me and I wouldn't continue to consider them one. Luckily, for me, the two Trump voter friends I have both seem to be in the first category. I haven't felt the need to cut ties with them.

[Thal]

In the case of Trump though, I get the impression that it's less about "just politics" and more about basic core values. I wouldn't be friends with a rapist or a drug dealer, I wouldn't be friends with bullies, and I won't be friends with anyone who can support a powerful white guy who walks all over minorities and mocks them, while constantly lying about every single thing.

[Mermaid]

I admit find it difficult not to judge people who continually post right wing rhetoric, and rationalize or even defend Donald Trump. I'd like to say I am more evolved than that, but I'm not. Maybe it's because I am so FUCKING angry and afraid that the USA elected this monster.

I haven't broken any relationships with anyone, Facebook or not, but I have definitely cooled off toward them. For their affiliation and also because I think it's terribly disrespectful to post divisive political stuff on Facebook, or talk about it in person. That goes for anyone on any part of the political spectrum. It's very very rude.

[abaris]

I admit find it difficult not to judge people who continually post right wing rhetoric, and rationalize or even defend Donald Trump.

As I said, I had a friend like that. Political view for me to puke over. It never came between us, since there were a lot of other topics to talk about. He dumped me at some point, more than a decade ago. I don't know why, I can only assume. My guess is, his new wife didn't like me very much. That much was obvious, even before he was incommunicado.

[Thal]

I don't keep friends because of whatever topics we have to talk about. I keep friends because they're good people. If I don't perceive them as good people (e.g. Trump voters), I can't be friends with them.

[energizer bunny]

But aren't many of the Clinton voters the ones rioting, burning down cars, making death threats, attacking Trump voters? Accusing the president of being a bully while behaving worse? 

For the record, i don't vote. And even if i did i don't see myself voting for either.