making enemies

they say that one sure way of gaining enemies is to talk about religion or politics. people have died over the years defending their beliefs or attacking other people's beliefs. even when some people belong to one group having (supposedly) homogeneous beliefs, there is always some form of differences, no matter how minute, as people tend to have their own interpretations.

in my case, i tend to talk about religion with my friends, especially with my guy friends. i've had countless coffee shop or street discussions with adz, louie, dexter, edward, oliver, franz, neil, afu, and, recently, with boney. i don't mean to make them my enemies, but it's strange that there are always moments when the topic of religion springs up in conversations with these guys. probably because with my girl friends, i talk about them guys! hehehe. anyways, i just notice that the guys do have the conviction to sway you to their beliefs whether directly or indirectly. most would think that i am someone who has a distorted set of beliefs. that's probably why some would invite me to their cause. but no thanks. i may not be able to verbalize well what i believe, i do have my own set of beliefs.

discussing religion can indeed reach to some form of heated debate. that's when danger can come; when the opposing parties put their emotions too much on the subject. first and foremost, to avoid such painful discussions, both parties should be agreeable on disagreeing. secondly, each should keep in mind that the belief we hold to ourselves may not be the absolute truth. well, this statement is even debateable. hehehe.

but to be really on the safe side, if you don't want to run the risk of gaining enemies, avoid talking about religion or politics! :p