I think you're assuming that his delivery was wrong, when in fact it's quite likely that a group formed over shared opinions would have some fairly proactive ideological policing.

Key word is "friends."

The key is humility. By accepting there's a possibility you are wrong and letting others know, you can get away with most beliefs.

I agree with your statements. But it's not that I am shunned from the group, it's that some have self-shunned. What was a batch of friends that could fill a backyard BBQ with 30+ people is down to about 10. I'm still the most left field of the bunch. There's still a literal communist (which I find abhorrent) that I love and see at least once a month. But there's also a bunch of people I really enjoyed hanging out with that I now only see rarely, and definitely not when I host an event.

I think what you may be onto there, is that some of those people were not really your friends, in the sense you thought they were.

The ones that don't come over anymore are the ones that think about it and decide they don't want to see you bad enough to take the time. Doesn't mean they hate or despise you. They may still consider themselves your friend, but they're not, at least in the way you had thought.

Ten loyal friends is a big number :-)

I like you