1. I've been on HN long enough - as a member and lurker - to have a pretty good idea on how the discussion would go.
2. I think the best discussions are had between people who can assume good faith. I don't think a public "debate" with randoms on the internet is the place for that.
If you really want to know, you can email me. But I don't think it's that important.
With a one on one conversation, you're being judged by one person and one person only. You can express ignorance, honest but controversial beliefs you may not wish to commit to the internet for all eternity, and so on.
Public forums with imaginary internet points are a skinner box. HN may be better than a lot of others but it's still the same beast.
The medium is the message so to speak.