If two friends ask you to judge a dispute, and you don't accept... You might loose two friends since both of them think they are right and will not understand you do not support them.
Then they aren't my friends. If a "friendship" is that delicate, I'm better off, without.
I have extremely close friends, with whom I have deep, fundamental, disagreements.
I have absolutely no problem, telling people that they are dreaming, if they think they can extort me into taking their side.
"Support" can mean that I won't participate in destructive behavior. I often can't stop others from doing it, but I can make sure I don't get dragged into the cesspool, and be ready with towels and a power washer, when they get out.
That would be a mildly weird reaction to "I don't want to get involved in your dispute", in _most_ cases. (I think there are edge-cases where not wanting to get involved might in itself be taking a stand, but certainly for everyday disputes most people wouldn't take offence to "I don't want to get involved").
I have extremely close friends, with whom I have deep, fundamental, disagreements.
I have absolutely no problem, telling people that they are dreaming, if they think they can extort me into taking their side.
"Support" can mean that I won't participate in destructive behavior. I often can't stop others from doing it, but I can make sure I don't get dragged into the cesspool, and be ready with towels and a power washer, when they get out.