Well if you can give us all a sure-fire, 100% way to disagree with others that will never offend anyone, ever, I am all for that.
Part of believing you are right about something is being able to explain why someone else in your view is wrong about their view. Or in discussing non-absolute issues, why your view is better than theirs.
To date there is no way not to irritate other people when you’re explaining why your view is right/better than theirs. The only way is to ban discussion of everything. And that would mean no more exchange of ideas.
Exchange of ideas cannot occur without people becoming defensive. Nobody wants to think they are wrong. It is part of the human condition to want to be right. It’s hard to be wrong. It’s harder when you think or feel the other person’s trivializing it or making fun of you.
The real problem is people who don’t realize this fact (you can’t have free exchange of ideas without friction), and think ALL exchanges are just out there to taunt and goad another person. And believe me there are people that just exist to stir things up and argue for the sake of arguing. That isn’t constructive. When you run into people like this you know it. Most of the stuff here isn’t that. I don’t read every post but from what I do read I don’t get that impression.
The computer flame wars do not really bother me. I look at the Mac vs. PC rivalry much like I look at sports rivalries.
But it does seem to be a bit different to me when the religious types snark at each other. I can’t help but feel disappointed (Which is strange because I am not religous. Not yet anyhow.) when I see Christian types of whatever denomination bashing their fellow Christians over what to an outsider appear to be very minor doctrinal points rather than celebrating and cherishing the points they have in common.
Rather than wondering how many angels can fit on the head of a pin, I sometimes wonder if Guardian Angels ever get the urge to knock heads together like angry nuns on a playground.
Just agree with everything I say and you'll do fine.