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Politics and Religion are the two subjects that stir up passionate hatred more than any other subject. And it's true that most people, if you disagree with them on politics or religion, will get very ugly about it.

Because those are the two subjects that have the widest variety of opinion. Everybody is right and wrong at the same time depending on your point of view.

Many people define themselves by their ideological views and an attack on their beliefs is like an attack on them. The art of civil discourse is learned, but this format is too confining.

There is actual science behind this. When it comes to politics, you'd think people were thinking logically right? Wrong. Testing has shown repeatedly that when discussing politics or political ideology in general, the "logical" side of the brain shuts down and the parts that control emotions light up like a Christmas tree.

I'll put it another way: to most people, politics *IS* religion. On any given issue, people listen for a moment to the initial views, and then make a choice in line with their personal philosophy. To question that philosophy, or even the issue, is to question the person. People tie their Id and their sense of self to the same issues; once someone chooses a candidate to root for, they begin to identify with that person on the basis of political belief.

That's why it brings out the worst: you are, in essence, challenging a person's most core beliefs.

Because people get frustrated when others do not share the same point of view.

However if we all thought alike, this would be one boring world.