Why do we lose marks for an honest opinion?

I have yet to see any blatant bigotry or racism. There has been a tremendous amount of Christian bashing, but that's to be expected on any forum that allows youth and the uncouth.

My answers are always meant to help the asker better understand the given subject. If I don't know the answer, I don't reply, some do just to annoy. That's their freedom of speech in action, but what a waste of bandwidth.

I too get sick of some of the stuff I read and walk away for better endeavors. But this is as good a chance to rest as watching TV, which is mostly a vast wasteland.

God's blessings to you!

Perhaps you do not agree with most others on religious matters. This would make you a person who is on the outer edges of current religious thinking. I do not agree with many others in this area also, but I think an exchange of ideas is good, if it is done politely, and with respect for the other person. That means no putting people down because you disagree with them. This forces everyone to organize their thoughts. If you are a believer, a little prayer can also help.

Yahoo Answers is not a free public forum, but one which is run by a business, which imposes rules on those who use it.

The rules are meant to provide a level of safety and civility. A disagreement is usually fine, but a slur or demeaning comment is not.

People do not lose points for disagreeing. Their posts will be removed for insulting another though.

Dialogue? I thought that was against the rules.

Because the world is JAM packed FULL of secular humanists who are offended at virtually everything except Starbucks, bookstores and smart cars.