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Thank y'all for your replies! I'm not suggesting withholding any material information. I merely hope that all parties make an effort to "put themselves in the other guy's shoes." IMHO, that will help all of us to raise the level of mutual respect.

The recent couple of days has made me believe that your idea of shunning was correct.

Troll-calling should be made on an individual basis, not as a consensus. PatrickHenry may shun Gore3000, but I will not, and so forth. I do not agree that any recently-accused posters in here are trolls...

I'm not suggesting withholding any material information. I merely hope that all parties make an effort to "put themselves in the other guy's shoes." IMHO, that will help all of us to raise the level of mutual respect.

I agree...but let's explore what those things mean. When I see someone seriously maintain that the universe is 6000 years old, it is clear to me that the person is deeply mired in ignorance. Putting myself in their shoes, if I were holding beliefs so deeply in conflict with established facts, I would insist upon being disabused of them immediately. For me to patronize them by saying, "OK, that's your perspective," or, "well, your 6,000-year history of the universe is just as valid as my 13.7-billion-year history," would just be rank disrespect.

I challenge people's misconceptions because I respect them as adults, and because I wish all of my own misconceptions to be destroyed as soon as evidence permits. In fact, that's what it means to choose a career in science.