I think for me it's a difference between beliefs and values. For example, I could have a conservative friend and a liberal friend who agree that healthcare should be affordable and accessible, that no one human is more important than another human, and that it's tragic when someone doesn't receive the healthcare they need due to financial or systemic barriers, but they might completely disagree on how to solve the problem. One might think that more governmental intervention is needed to regulate inflated costs, and the other could believe that government intervention will drive costs up. I could be friends with both of those people, because their political beliefs differ, but the underlying value (inherent human worth) is there in both cases.
If someone were to say that they don't support healthcare access because some people deserve to suffer and then die due to preventable illnesses, then that's a huge conflict of values and no, I wouldn't trust them with friendship. Same with any other issue. If I think the core values of compassion, respect for human life, equality, etc. are in place, then I can seriously disagree with a person and still treasure that relationship. But many disagreements indicate a fundamental unwillingness to value some people as much as others.
Teaching and working with kids has been really hard for me in this way, actually. Really makes adults come out of the woodwork to talk to you about how much they hate kids and how children are subhuman and deserve violence. I can be friends with people who hold a wide range of beliefs about healthy bedtimes, screen access, homework, processed food consumption, or what age a kid should stay home alone. I can't be friends with someone who believes that violence toward children is a special category of violence that is normal and fine, or even beneficial.
If someone were to say that they don't support healthcare access because some people deserve to suffer and then die due to preventable illnesses, then that's a huge conflict of values and no, I wouldn't trust them with friendship. Same with any other issue. If I think the core values of compassion, respect for human life, equality, etc. are in place, then I can seriously disagree with a person and still treasure that relationship. But many disagreements indicate a fundamental unwillingness to value some people as much as others.
Teaching and working with kids has been really hard for me in this way, actually. Really makes adults come out of the woodwork to talk to you about how much they hate kids and how children are subhuman and deserve violence. I can be friends with people who hold a wide range of beliefs about healthy bedtimes, screen access, homework, processed food consumption, or what age a kid should stay home alone. I can't be friends with someone who believes that violence toward children is a special category of violence that is normal and fine, or even beneficial.
