Yeah, it’s alway a sad thing when politics ruin friendships. I would like to point out that the scenarios you’ve discussed above are very congruous to what a liberal or even moderate sees in very red areas, as well.
The only issues over which I’ll actually fight or lose friendships over are those that hit too close to home. For example, if you have a close relative or friend in Iraq, you may be ok with friends that are against the war but have great respect for the troops, but not with someone who thinks the soldiers are the problem. I can understand, for instance, why a gay person would have a hard time being friends with someone who believes gay people are going to hell and don’t deserve equal rights. Come to think of it, thinking someone’s going to hell for any reason might be a significant barrier to friendship…
