I guess the idea was to rope people in by posting dull stuff, and then turn it into a soapbox.
Why do people insist that you have to respect goofy "beliefs?" You have to respect people, including people that belief goofy things. You don't have to respect the belief itself. What does that even mean? If you're a Christian, for instance, how could you possibly "respect" a belief (in, say, reincarnation) that you are 100% certain is wrong? Being polite and civilized is how you respect people.
(not that you should listen to me about being respectful)