Hi, LB,
The way I look at it (for what it's worth.) is this:
Private moderated forums often have rules about content. So they, depending on the forum and the charter, have the right to determine what goes on there and what does not.
As opposed to the way things SHOULD be. I agree with you wholeheartedly that those of critical or skeptical inclination should be totally free to converse on pro tech forums without getting censored or slammed for expressing anti/skeptical opinions. This is a "way it spozed to be" type thing. That's is not the same thing as the way it is. It's more, ok, in a perfect world, this is what we would have.
On my forum, small potatoes as it is, I not only encourage but allow dissenting opinions. That's because I was greatly influenced by alt.religion.scientology and, later, by the way ESMB is. People who have very different opinions from ESMB admins are encouraged to speak their minds. It's great. It's wonderful. So was a.r.s. in its heyday.
But, if there's a forum where the rules happen to be, only pro Scn or pro whatever is discussed, then if it's a private forum, then that's just how it is.
I'm sure there are fora for mainstream religions and political groups and such where it's got to be one way or the high way. I will respect their RIGHT to do that but I will never agree with actually having that.
There's a critical forum out there, can't remember which one, but it totally disallows any pro Scn on it. Personally, I'm not so sanguine about that, but hey, it's not my board. It's theirs.