The debate here gets icky because of social loafing and people with control issues.Most people stop thinking when they reach their current limit of understanding and it causes tension which keeps us stupid.If you feel tension rising on a subject let it out by exploring it, sat in the park or somewhere alone.Brainstorming in groups has its pitfalls,plenty of good research done shows this.When people feel stupid or out of their depth they panic and a sort of social grooming kicks in where we all try make our particular group feel better.Usually with meaningless yeh buts n attacks.
          As for intolerance every human animal i have met has some energetic lid/repression,even the most enlightened.(unless they go Robinson Crusoey)
          Not a criticism post as imo at least you don't shy away from topics here and i never realised there was active mods so can't be that bad.