I always liked hearing Christopher Hitchens debate on the subject. I watched one of his debates in front of an audience with Dinesh D'Souza where the crowd was clearly on D'Souza's side, and when D'Souza would engage in circular logic as a defense, the crowd applauded so loudly as to shut down Hitchens. It was horribly unfair, intellectually dishonest, and no one learned a thing (except perhaps some unkind things about Hitchens' opponent and that opponent's lack of confidence [or knowledge] in his position.) You could see Hitchens' justified frustration.
The same thing would have happened if D'Souza had debated Hitchens on his turf. All you have to do is listen to politicians, particularly Dems, make statements or take any position. If the politician doesn't resort to shouting people down, the supporters do it for them.
Really? I think there's more, but here's a start. - this was in reference to someone saying they were an atheist As with your political ideas, I strongly suspect your "atheism" also comes from your perception of what modern society (dictated largely by the media and the elite) would approve of. Your perception is that sophisticated people don't believe in God, so you don't believe in God. Because your identity is dictated by others, you haven't bothered thinking it through, picking up a Bible, or taking any steps to ensure that this is an intelligent or reasonable choice. When you say that you are an atheist, you aren't telling us what you are; you're telling what you are not. That's not true of an actual atheist who has examined the evidence and concluded that there is no God. You are saying that you are an atheist in the same way that I can say that I am not a funeral director. I probably could have become a funeral director, but I had no interest in that profession. Nevertheless, being not a funeral director is not an identity for me. If I wanted to identify myself by what I am not, there would be no end to the titles that I could hold, including a whole lot of things that I've never even heard of. I am a Christian. I am not a Muslim. One defines me, but the other doesn't, and this despite the fact that I do have a Quran and could tell you something about Islamic theology, including the differences between the various factions. Am also not a Mormon, but I own a copy of the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, and have probably read more of them than most people who identify themselves as Christians have the Bible.