I've always tried to stay away from political, religious, and sports discussions because of how heated they can become. I believe we should all try to be a little more empathetic with our opinions, trying not to hurt others, and we should also be a little more tolerant of other people's opinions and not take their comments personally.
If we all start getting intense about each other's comments and respond in kind, things get out of hand.
There are many intelligent people here, with a lot of knowledge and experience in some disciplines. I believe I've learned from everyone, and it wouldn't be wise for the forum to lose that direction.