[Dion]

Originally Posted by Thor

When I actually get into a debate with religious people, the most important things I want to know before we begin are:

#1 Is the (insert holy book) the literal word of God or the writings of its religious scholars.
#2 Do you believe in Hell, and that there are clear rules about who goes there.
#3 Do you believe in separation of Church and State.

Specific to Catholics, I always like to find out, do you believe in transubstantiation, that priests should be celibate and that women should not be allowed into the priesthood.

Specific to all Religious, do you believe in an intervening God that touches our world with miracles, or has any influence on events in human history, or a non-intervening God who started this all and left it to us to with as we see fit.

Generally that gives me a real good idea where we can agree and what is worth debating.