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It\\u2019s the time of the year to dust off the Christmas card list and perhaps delete one or two of the names on it. Who\\u2019s been naughty and who\\u2019s been nice? Who should never have been on the list in the first place? The Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell has made the honest admission that he can\\u2019t be friends with his Tory colleagues, saying he can\\u2019t \\u201cforgive them for what they\\u2019ve done\\u201d to the country. And yet Tony Benn was friends with Enoch Powell. Tee-shirts with the slogan \\u2018NEVER KISSED A TORY\\u2019 have been popular this year, but so have those that read \\u2018EMPATHY IS NOT ENDORSEMENT\\u2019. When it comes to friendship, where should we draw the line? Some believe it is morally corrupting to befriend, date or marry anyone with different values, beliefs and lifestyle to their own. For others, friendship trumps morality, and we should do everything in our power to remain friends with others, short of those who have committed an irredeemably evil act. This goes beyond personal relationships. Many have voiced the concern that hatred is infecting public discourse, where \\u2018opponents\\u2019 who are \\u2018wrong\\u2019 become \\u2018enemies\\u2019 who are \\u2018evil\\u2019. Is this the sign of a more morally-empowered society, or are we are losing the ability to debate and disagree? Do we have a moral duty to befriend those who hold views and values we don\\u2019t share?

Producer: Dan Tierney