Like MMario I have friends of all persuasions both here and in the real world.

There may be a small group of people on the forum who behave in the way that John describes and maybe, because they are so vocal, they seem to make up a large proportion of the population. However, if you note the names on a regular basis, the number of contentious posters is relatively small.

From my own point of view I really am not concerned with another person's political, religious or sexual preferences, so long as they don't try and force me to adhere to the same ideas. Mutual respect is what keeps a lot of us coming back to the 'Cat on a regular basis, whether above or below the line.