I have an ulterior motive : ) I am writing a book and I use their thought process or lack thereof for my antagonists. It seems to add an extra dimension to their characters that I am not able to add on my own. They seem much more 'real'. The internet is a wonderful research tool : )
I have no illusions about actually swaying anyone's opinions. These discussions merely harden stances. They are wonderful though for bouncing ideas off of antagonistic people and seeing the responses. My failing as a writer is that I am too logical, people as a general rule are unthinking and emotional.
I'm always on the lookout for a new, original or thoughtful argument against mainstream science.
I haven't seen any, but I have, over the past five years, encountered several dozen arguments that I was unaware of. Researching them has improved my knowledge of science. Arguing back has forced me to clarify my thoughts.
too true, good luck!