As we change and evolve, some friendships stay with us and some (sad to say) must end. . .it's an initial painful lesson that gets a little (stress 'little') easier as you age. But the best of friends understand this- the ones that don't get it will eventually become too expensive (in one form or another) for you to keep. . .

This would be hard to do,good loyal friends are hard to find,it depends on the situation I guess,

I never turned away from any of my friend even though I felt used at times, in the end some of them turned away from me. Well, it's life. It hurts sometimes, but sooner or later there's a ray of light picking through the clouds. There are lots of good people out there that I haven't met yet!

Well breaking up with a long term friend wouldn't be an easy thing to do because you never know how they will react. Plus it is not a good feeling. But doing it for a moral cause, well it depends on what the cause is. I wouldn't just say see you later to a friend just because they drank or did a few stupid things. I don't think it is worth getting into a confrontation over. But what I would do is distance myself and eventually once they see you are different to them and no longer with them, they will drift apart too. I don't like confrontation so I wouldn't say goodbye, not unless they were really bad friends ie they became really hurtful and gossiped about me and would not stop. What I prefer to do is just distance myself from them. But the sort of friends I choose anyway, I don't think I'd ever have to say goodbye to them. But there is a situation that I have fortunately never been in. That is say if someone became a Christian, fully Bible believing, Jesus loving Christian, but their friends were not only non-Christians, but they did things like drink, swear, party and were generally naughty but nice, ie they were nice people, although a lot of more conservative Christians would disagree with me, I am not a big fan of saying goodbye to them. Because for a start, Jesus ate with sinners (to convert and save them) but secondly, to those non-Christians, who have liked you deeply, have always loved being around you and have had such good memories with you. Then when you suddenly become a Christian, what type of whiteness would that make if you then suddenly snobbed them off and didn't want anything to do with them anymore? If those non-Christians know that a Christian is meant to represent what God is like, what impression of God are you putting across when you just snob them off? It doesn't paint a very good picture of Christianity or God. It tells them that Christians are judgmental and God doesn't really love everyone not unless they are perfect, and it also puts the impression forward that God is all serious and there is no fun in Christianity. That is not the truth at all. I know some Christians get legalistic about those sorts of things, but how is snobbing them off going to convert them? So I say that you should still be nice to them and stay over at their house etc, but just don't join in with the activities you don't approve of and don't show approval to their swearing or their activities eg drinking. And be honest with them if they ask you, 'well I've noticed you don't want to drink with us anymore?' If you are polite and honest, usually people get the hint and respect your opinions. They will only react badly if you get defensive and judgmental. Overall giving up a friendship over a moral issue is positive in the end because it may teach that friend a thing or two, but it will also put you in less compromising situations.

I can't be friends with someone I can't respect.

I'm not the easiest to become friend's with. Tough I'm always friendly I am sceptical to new people. However, if I become your friend , there will be nobody more loyal, supportive and respectful than me, and I demand the same. I believe it's these lines that should not be crossed in friendship, but if you cross them your gone, shed no tears...just ask my former childhood friend of thirty years, who hit on my wife...once.

I've never had the experience but I'd guess that it's probably not a pleasant or life-affirming thing to have happen.