I'm not confusing them at all.
I am friends with people who I deeply disagree with over religion and beliefs.
I don't smile in their faces and curse them behind their back: to their faces I say what I believe, and we argue over it from time to time. We agree to disagree, often, but at least we respect our individual beliefs, and we can recognize that there is a great deal more we agree on.
My Grandfather was a devout Christian, and fairly conservative: he loved me until the day he died, and I know every day he prayed I'd hear God's grace. We would never see eye to eye on this, yet his belief was not hatred, it wasn't rejection, it wasn't disavowal of my life and happiness. Yes, there was something between us like a wound that couldn't heal, and it never did heal, but it didn't stop him loving me, and it didn't stop me loving him, and it didn't mean he was mean, cruel or even rude to me or my boyfriend.
We argued about God, the world, goodness, evil, sin, grace, and we disagreed and were stronger for our arguments. My beliefs are stronger, clearer, more meaningful to me because of our disagreements.
I wish I could have convinced him to believe in a world that was just slightly different, but I couldn't -- but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have done, without hesitation or consideration, anything at all to help me if anything happened that I needed his help on.
It makes me sad now that he's passed, that I know the last time he prayed, he prayed for my soul, believing I was on a path away form God.
Yet, we agreed on so much more then we disagreed on. We agreed on the value of good works and what it meant to help people and leave the world better then we find it. He was proud of me for my accomplishments, my successes, and when I was sad he comforted me.
There isn't this wall between us and them: we are all far more alike, with far more concerns alike, then what separates us.
That's just one relationship, but its not the only one by far. I can be, have been, will be, friends with those who are strong in their faiths that diverge from my own. Its a choice. You can choose to make them the enemy, or you can choose to recognize your shared humanity. Choosing to be friends with them is how you can begin to show them that you are a human being just as they are, and not just some other.
The alternative is to demand recognition and deny their own humanity because it doesn't embrace you. Its your right, you don't have to be the better person, but the world would be a much better place if we all gave it a try first.
That doesn't mean you stop fighting for your rights, but that struggle doesn't have to make people who disagree into enemies -- even if they can't see themselves as anything else.
Change one mind, show one person there's such a thing as you, who is a real, thoughtful and good person, and you change the world a little bit.