The question is never should there be a debate. On every question significantly contested, there is in some sense a debate ongoing.

The question is how should the debate be structured, so that forms of argument and evidence likely to elicit truth are not outshouted by appeals to prejudice, sophistry, selection bias masquerading as erudition, aggressive mere assertion, engendering trust at an emotional level, all the many tricks orthogonal to truth that nevertheless persuade.