I would have to bitterly disagree with any thread where some one's or some group's ideas are forbidden from the onset. Any thread should be allowed to evolve into any conversation it is lead to. However, for debate--especially debates concerning science or history-- there is a prerequisite involving the protagonists: there must exist some rudimentary knowledge of the subject at hand. Sadly, that doesn't always happen on anonymous internet forums.
The problem--to which I am willfully guilty of--when religion takes over a thread is that basic scientific and historical precedents are completely ignored by religious people when it suits their "argument"(usually a lack of an argument).
For example:
" One thing is clear. Free speech, freedom of thought, and opinion, freedom of belief, and liberty are not friends of militant atheists. They are elitist, condescending, mean spirited, crude, fascist totalitarians intent upon aggressively propagating their dogmatic doctrines of intolerance by force if necessary. "
Once a person displays purposeful ignorance of this sort, people with an education tend to get a little chippy. I mean, has this person never heard of Thomas Paine? The Marque de Sade? Clarence Darrow? Carl Sagan, Benjamin Franklin, Democritus, James Madison, John Lennon, Samuel Clemens, Thomas Edison...etc? You know, "militant atheists" who helped deliver the
free speech, freedom of thought, and opinion, freedom of belief, and liberty he has become accustomed to?!?!?!?!?!
Talking about your religion is fine. Evangelicalism is fine with me as long as it is honest. However, religious people must understand that their beliefs DO NOT have to be respected or placed equal to any scientific theory. There is no logical basis for a "creator", and no evidence whatsoever of any sentient, controlling, omnipotent force. Believers have "faith", that is enough for them but not everyone else. Having said that, conversely, believers MUST have
respect for science and history. They can not invent "controversy" where none exists, like with evolution, carbon dating, genetic mapping, red-shift measurement, ocean temperatures, fossil records, paleontology..... They can not use the bible as a historical or scientific record, ever. And they can not post pictures of galaxies that lie 150 million light years away as "proof of god" one day, and imprison astronomers the next. If they refuse to show respect, they should be ready to accept the same lashing scientists receive when their ideas come up short on evidence or logic; a severe, condescending, out-right thrashing of their hypothesis and philosophy.
Christians MUST accept science as fact. Until this happens there can be no real debate.