People who are generally nice, but whose views are morally terrible---befriend them, or not?

ModernConservative.com ^ | Christopher Cook

[connell]

It was late 2000 -- early 2001. To protect her identity, let's call her Tereza. Tereza was never a friend---just a work acquaintance. We argued about politics quite regularly at work (lots of down-time in the particular industry we were in at the time). But the arguments were always civil, for one overriding reason----Tereza is a really really really nice person. Seriously, she is calm, sweet, understanding---a lovely and pleasant demeanor. And she was wrong on just about everything she espoused in those arguments. Not just wrong on little details either---her positions themselves, as well-meaning and pleasantly expressed as they were, were morally less supportable, and in many cases, profoundly morally flawed.

Of course, she was similarly shocked that I could believe what I espoused, but that's okay---I am highly confident that I was in the right on just about everything we...

[connell]

Your opinions are invited!
(The author is most likely to see and respond to comments left in the Comments section after the post on the site where the article is posted.)

[Blzbba]

I wouldn't want to be friends with someone as pious and self-righteous as the author.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

I wouldn't want to be friends with someone as pious and self-righteous as the author.

[Old_Mil]

Well, I'd say this. It's one thing to befriend someone who is genuinely a nice person and through a misguided sense of compassion and a lack of reasoning ability is a liberal. Eventually, such people may become conservative.

It's quite another thing to befriend an amoral SOB who is using the Democratic (or for that matter, the Republican) party structure for self-aggrandizement. Such people will only see the light after their party cards are pried from their cold, dead hands regardless of what the party does.

[Sam's Army]

I try not to waste time with folks that are confused about right and wrong. Or worse: that wouldn't dare to make a call on something because they don't wanna "judge".

Personally, my life is a lot less stressful now as a result.

[highball]

I wouldn't want to be friends with someone as pious and self-righteous as the author.

Neither would I.

[connell]

Interesting. Have you never run into a similar question in your life---where a position with moral implications raised questions about a relationship, a friendship? The author has, and many others no doubt have. It doesn't seem to be a simple question. When it is old friends or family, the answer amy also be different than when it is someone you don't know well.

Also, getting a letter like that on the day of 9/11, while watchiong the images of people throwing themselves from the towers...

[Bigg Red]

Prior to 9/11, I could be friends with liberals, but, now, if they espouse such horrible anti-American beliefs as this writer's co-worker stated in her e-mails, I could definitely not be friends with them. I would merely be polite.

As a matter of fact, there are two couples that we once saw regularly and could have become good friends with in terms of their personalities, but their political views have put them out of my circle. I want nothing to do with them.

We can disagree about various social issues and programs, but, in terms of the War, you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.

[Bigg Red]

I try not to waste time with folks that are confused about right and wrong. Or worse: that wouldn't dare to make a call on something because they don't wanna "judge".

^^
Excellent. Succinct and so true! Same here.

[Cecily]

Furthermore, life is too short to waste the time we have on conflict and unpleasantness with "friends."