Yes, Absolutely. I think it's really great that you try to open up a dialogue about these contentious subjects.
Also, I'd hate to fault anyone who stated that our beliefs should be proportionate to the facts. However, this statement is itself a value judgement and not a fact. Therefore a person who chooses not to proportion their beliefs to the evidence can't be criticised for making an objective error in doing so. As to whether the beliefs themselves are empirically justified, this is a separate issue, and one that informs most of these discussions. However, I think the distinction is important.
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