Because then, Guest bemused, we've thrown our intellects out the window along with our integrity, just to stoop to the religionists' level to try and beat them at their own game.

Thanks, but instead of trying to win through intimidation, which is what the military hawks and the Christian right are doing, I prefer using what little native intelligence I possess to try and influence peoples' thinking through my natural powers of persuasion instead. Granted, it isn't as successful a way of influencing others as the fear mongering tactics used by the right, but I can easily live with that.

In my experience, it is those religionists who believe more than they think, who are usually the ones most intimidated by the use of intellect and the powers of intellectual persuasion. In knee jerk reactionary fashion, they nearly always reach immediately for their preferred measure of last resort first, and try and dominate the conversations they know they will lose, because they are conversations using intellect and knowledge, rather than superstition and belief.