Andrew Blackmer sits on the third floor of the Johnson Center, George Mason University’s primary hangout, discussing religion with his friends, who include Muslim, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist students.

Their routine religious discussions are invaluable, the junior religious studies major said.

“When you connect with people from different faiths, you can form new ideas,” Blackmer said. “The different perspectives are a blessing rather than a detriment.”

These discussions are quite often spirited – sometimes becoming outright heated disagreements. But while Blackmer and his friends disagree with regularity, they continue their interfaith dialogue as if nothing had ever happened.

The group once talked spiritedly about the usefulness of religious students organizations. One of Andrew’s friends said these groups were useless and run like cliques. Another friend said these groups served a valuable purpose and quite often held engaging events.

This particular discussion, which flowed more like a debate, lasted for more than a week.

“Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree,” Blackmer said.

In scenarios like these, the group of friends’ willingness to talk out their differences keeps the friendship going, Blackmer said.

Blake Alberger, Blackmer’s friend, is a witness to some of these discussions and a participant in others. While he does not consider himself devoutly religious, he has picked his spots and jumped in on an argument or two.

“Our views on certain things may be different, but we can still have similarities on other issues,” said Alberger, a senior. “Talking about religion is only one aspect of our conversation.”