by Vicki Phipps

Created on: July 28, 2010   Last Updated: September 08, 2010

When opinions come between friends, it means that you and your friend are passionate human beings on opposite ends of any opinionated spectrum. You believe what you believe passionately and you tend to pick your friends accordingly. Even so, we choose to be friends with a diverse group of people for a variety of reasons, some of which have nothing to do with our passionate opinions.

Sometimes we befriend a colleague at work, someone from our church or a friend of a friend due to a common social scene or interest, like Facebook friends. More often than not, your friendship will grow for years before an opinion interferes, and then, one day your friend states an opinion that feels like a punch in the face. Still, I never thought I’d lose a friend over an opinion until 2008 when I entered the Facebook age. Until then, my friends and I never discussed the differences in our political opinions, much less mixed those opinions with our common religious values. There’s just something about a Facebook page that makes us feel safe to say what we’d never say to a friend face to face. It’s ironic, because what we post on a wall always goes into a newsfeed with the whole world watching.

This new, but age old issue will be more likely to rear it’s ugly head during times of political strife and/or among some religious issue which most opinionated people can’t seem to separate from their political views, much less respect your views when they do. That’s why it’s wise to keep in mind that although opinions don’t always have a lot to do with the truth, what you think, say and do has a huge impact on those among you, so I’ll quote what my mama told me a long time ago.

"No matter what you say or do, act as if the whole world is watching you," and by the way, today it’s true. With that wise advice finally ingrained in my brain, the hard way, I’ll try to provide some tips on how to deal with this huge social issue.

1. Be positive and discuss what you are FOR more than what you’re against.

If you have to discuss political issues at all, try to speak of what you support and therefore are for, but don’t mention what you are against, at the risk of insulting half your friends. It won’t make any sense to those who are for what you are against. Besides, it makes you appear to be the enemy instead of a friend.

2. Don’t preach, teach, rant or rave because it makes you look insane.

It’s

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