Friendships with People with Opposite Political Views

I have a lot of lefty friends on FB. For the 2016 election, it got very stressed. (I am not American, but it seems like that is all people want to talk about when an election is close!)

I think I unfollowed a few people, then followed them once the election was over and they had settled down.

This American election (2020), I had a lot of people unfollowed. I have one Christian friend in a group of lefties, and I tried to support her. These people were hammering her. Esp with all the nonsense about Trump inciting a riot. I watched his speech from start to finish, and he was very clear about being peaceful and going home. I'm also convinced Antifa etc was behind the incitement.

Anyway, I put these people on 30 day unfollow. When that was over, and the election, I realized what horrid people they were. I'm talking about filthy language, constant attacks on Christians, and out right Satanism.

I got caught up with being witnesses to them. But I had no impact on these ungodly people. I prayed a lot, and finally I gave up on them. I put them on unfollow, and if they pop up again with their horrible attitudes, it is unfriend and ban time.

I can't even discuss Canadian politics with my sister any more. She just screams and attacks me personally, says I don't use critical thinking or good sources. She doesn't discuss the argument. For example, Trudeau is the worst Prime Minister Canada has ever had. I give her 20 things he would be impeached in the US for, and any other PM would have been ousted for, and she will say she doesn't believe me. If I send her links, the sources I give are "rags!" Then she sends me some CBC or other lefty publication, that are totally biased, and worship Trudeau and says I need to read this stuff. Why? So I can be brainwashed by Trudeau's bought and paid for media? Last year there were several big stories about his wrong doing & it was American right wing media that released the story, and most of the MSM in Canada never even reported it.

I could rant forever! I've also examined my heart and actions. Maybe I am at fault or aggravating people. But it comes back to politics. The right wing gets blasted, and the left tries to make itself look good, with no facts or even ethical principles.

I deactivated Facebook and have not used it since early January; I don't plan on logging in anytime soon either. I think one thing that helped me deactivate is using the unfollow feature. At one point I had unfollowed everyone except for maybe 10 people, maybe even less, so I cut down the amount of time spent on Facebook. Even among these 10 people, not many posted frequently. Quitting Facebook cold turkey without using the unfollow feature would have been difficult for me.

With Respect to all of you that are saying "avoid the topic" or even to gloss over it....

The TRUTH needs to be spoken. The absence of the truth will lead to things like what is going on over in China. And these things will impact your daily life.

NEVER be afraid to speak the truth for fear of offending a neighbor, friend, or family member. Are they entitled to their choices/beliefs? Yes.

I can not speak for everyone, however, I want to associate with people that are at least seeking the truth, as well as those who know it.

Why would it have been difficult? I flat out deleted the app last October and never once looked back.

Change the subject, learn how to be good at changing the subject. You can do that by asking them questions that make them feel like you want their opinion about something.

to the politicians, that is why its called telling truth to power.

not just rant and rave and not do anything about it or go on fb and alienate everyone. No point in that. Politicans arent on FB reading your every post, unless you ARE actually friends with them.

Because I'm a minority woman people believe I vote a certain way and so they spill out their political views without me asking, and assume I agree with them. If multiple people are talking about politics, it is difficult for me alone to change the topic especially if I'm trapped (eating out with them, at a meeting, etc.). So, changing topics is not always successful. Because of such feelings, I do not really feel I am part of a church family if I'm being silenced in this way (if I speak out this will cause disharmony). I once emailed a Breitbart article to a group at church, no one responded. Because I work downtown I need to live closer to downtown, so most church attendees in my area are anti-Trump.

How do you have meaningful conversations and bond with people with opposite political views?

I'm done trying to convince others that I'm not a bad person...that's essentially what political arguments come down to nowadays instead of merely having a discussion on politics. This is quite exhausting and futile. So if someone else thinks you are a bad person (or too dumb to understand things), there is no relationship. To be fair, I believe both sides experience this with various topics, on the left (socialism, abortion, etc.) and on the right (against helping poor immigrants, against social programs, etc.). It depends how far on one wants to go to consider that person evil.

It is ok to stand for the truth. There is nothing wrong with that. Just do it in love and humility. Not from a stance of you are so wrong and I am so right. Remember how Christ accepted and ate with sinners? While those religious leaders of the day judged him for it?

This is not really possible in church as politics and religion are intertwined. Christians needs to think and vote a certain way, both sides have ideas on how/what a Christian should believe politically.

Being in Christ we should be of one mind but we can also have our own personal views on things, it is just as a body, when it comes to God we are to be of one mind. An example I will use from a teaching a few weeks ago: Two musicians at church, one prefers acoustic the other electric, but when it comes time to put together the music and what is to be played at church they are to be of ONE mind, and pray and ask God what HE wants. What is the most edifying to the Body as a whole etc... as for politics in general I addressed that in a long post. If you are in God you are not to be of the world, that includes warring over politics, esp. in Christ. We are to respect each other's various viewpoints and treat each other with brotherly love and kindness... In anything we do we should ask ourselves is this what Jesus would do, because sometimes we are the only bible others are going to read.

Raney,
It's not a disagreement of acoustic versus electric. It's a battle for the survival of our civilization. Christendom is under seige on multiple fronts. They are literally servants of satan. They destroy everything that's good and beautiful. They want to feed on the souls of our children. It's not a situation where we can just get along with them. It's a fight for survival.

"For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places."