The problem is twofold: first, in order to have absolute faith in one's political or religious views requires a mental firewall that cannot be penetrated by any argument. This results in forum exchanges that are like desperate sieges: messy,bloody, expensive and with little benefit to either party, sapping the enrgy of the surrounding region (this site).
Second, just about any other topics can be debated with some deference to facts. Sure, lots of people get precious about their opinions about sports, flightsim add-ons, music, etc... but even the most hard-nosed fanboy will eventually shrug and say "to each his own", or "yeah, good point but I still like/dislike this thing; I guess it's just me" whereas this is not the case when it comes to "P" and "R".
For most people, religion and politics are not philosophical subjects open to debate but are in fact cornerstones of the foundation of their self-image; specifically their image as a member of some social or ethnic group. It's an extension of simple tribalism, which is hardwired into us. No good can come from attacking these beliefs directly, which is bound to happen sooner or later in any thread on either of those subjects.
Anyway, I've crawled out far enough on this particular limb... but all in the name of Philosophy, which I trust is still welcome here.
