And that highlights the problem: these debates are won or lost on emotion and social cues, and have little to do with truth. Certainly any scientist could win against a creationist college student on facts and reason. But that's not what the debate will be about.

There's no one to adjudicate the debates and declare a winner (that is, no one both sides could possibly agree on), including the scientific or Bayesian method. Because of this the progression of debating higher-level opponents (on either side) won't work. In almost every debate both sides will declare that they have won.