Religion Debate Topics — page 11
3,675 debate topics, all ages. Debatable motions with arguments for and against. Open the arguments below, pick one at random, or present them full-screen.
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- 501.
Abortion is morally acceptable from an atheist perspective
For
- I have here a debate I decided to play devils advocate with to make a point that you have no ground to stand on to be pro-life if there is no god. http://www.debate.org... but unfortounatly my newb opponent could not even keep his account active long enough to finish 2 rounds…
- For one last time I give clarification on the 'all babies that can die must' comment. by all that 'can' I mean all that we can afford to lose, by all that we can afford to lose I mean whatever that number is that sceintiest calculate out to be the amount of population the next…
Against
- My opponent now wants to not clarify but qualify his definition of what he meant when he said can that qualification was never made before now my opponent has brought scientist into the "meaning" of the word "can." I will say however that you previously stated that against my…
- thank you for you timely response I understand what my opponent is trying to say about his phrase that all babies that can die must. I didn't take it at the most literal sense I took it at face value, however when the phrase is examined and defined can is literally a word that…
- 502.
Abrahamic religions do more harm than good to society
For
- yes, but they did not wipe out an entire race. it was horrendous act of war, that was deemed a necessary evil. the japanese government was still left standing and the emperor was still the head of the governent. it was something that sent a very clear signal, but it was not a…
- it is just not right to wipe out an entire species and race. there is no possible way to justify the slaughter of children by the actions of their fathers, people simply change in due time. genocide can not be defended in any way possible. i find it quite ironic with you saying…
Against
- Pro: ishmael was abrahams son- Who was born to Hagar out of wedlock. God rejected Ishmael and his descendents because he was a violent maniac. God has a name in the Bible, Jehovah. Muhammed came along thousands of years later, created his own religion, claimed he got it from a…
- Pro: "it is just not right to wipe out an entire species and race..." Those surrounding the Israelites were on the constant attack and barbaric. During WWII, the U.S. chose to drop 2 atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki which led to the end of the bloodiest war in world…
- 503.
Satan is a better moral figure than God
For
- For starters God wants you to live your life bound by rules. Whereas Stan wants you too live your life however you would like. Dumb ignorant people won't be able too see this, you have to sit back and really look at the facts. You lie and you sin, you sin and you go to hell.…
Against
- Hopefully my opponent comes back. Extend.
- Extend again.
- 504.
Agnosticism should be recognized as a religion equal to Christianity
For
- Using myself as an example to prove my point, I do have faith. I'm glad you brought this point up, because I see how faith is used by people and I am usually disappointed. Here is what faith means to me, and how I can employ it while keeping the humble opinion that I don't…
- Thank you for taking my challenge, Cody. You'll notice, if you look up agnosticism on dictionary.com, that there will be listings of the word with and without the word religion in it. Simply naming dictionary definitions of the word is not enough, and we must ask ourselves what…
Against
- I agree with what you say about agnosticism being a faith But this is what you also said "But faith is not synonomous with religion. You can have faith IN a religion, but whether or not the principles of that religion are going to help you or not is a different story." You only…
- Ok, so no definitions since they will always differ. Well... Religion, I suppose we both agree, is a series of beliefs. And agnosticism, I will accept from you, a believing in something, but can't discover what. Fair enough? But there is something else that goes along with…
- 505.
Religion should be outlawed
For
- In an attempt to refute my earlier statement, the lovable(valued) Con predictably stumbles blindly off the cliff with the flock of so called "believers",and lands right smack on the 'proverbial' rock below, proving my point. As humans, we are genetically prone to be…
- By definition: religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies. Granted it is supported by the original law of the land; however, those laws are, and often…
Against
- Here is the Pro's response to my four earlier points1) Not all religion focuses on higher powers which is what the Pro is basing this claim on - FORFEITED2) People have a right to believe what they want since it is their own body and their own mind they are allowed to think and…
- The Pro has kept his arguments extremely short and very limited in scope, Just the way I like it ;D The Pro's entire argument rests on a single statement " Given the modern circumstances of our society, we should be intelligent enough to safeguard against such influence for the…
- 506.
The Abrahamic God exists
For
- My pleasure! Lord knows its a difficult subject. 1. Accept P1 P2, P3. A woman gets drunk and hits her husband. By our definition an evil act. The only way for God to remain perhaps Omnipotent and definitely omnibenevolent is to stop the act. A welcoming notion for the husband…
- My position is that there is a higher power with the Bible, Torah and Koran Qur'an being allegorical creations of man used to personify what I and many others accept as God. Universe Creation It is a generally accepted fact that the universe as we know it was created. The…
Against
- Once again, Stades forfeits.
- As Stades has forfeited the round, and I have successfully defended my arguments and shot down theirs, I have nothing more to say.
- 507.
Religion is not a major cause of war and oppression
For
- Looks like I win.
- My opponent has conceded the debate with silence.
Against
- All too often, people cite religious difference as the reason for war and oppression. This is simply not the case. My resolution is that that there is an underlying part of human nature that is responsible for war and religion CANNOT be cited as the cause.
- 508.
Jesus contradicted himself about the use of violence
For
- con may have addessed the 'cheek' verse, but he didn't address the other verses i gave. particularly how during his arrest he said not to use violence, the later said he wasn't opposed to violence if only he had help.
- jesus contradicted himself regarding use of violence how do all of the following things reconcile? i actually have some theories but they could be better, and am curious if there's anything better. Jesus told people not to intervene in his arrest process: "And behold, one of…
Against
- I rest my case.
- "Those who live by the sword die by the sword" was a condemnation of conquest and imperialism. We saw what Britain and Denmark did to their subjects and they will pay for what they've done throughout history and the fact that neither of them even have the guts to apologize…
- 509.
Religious belief is a form of mental disorder
For
- sure
- religion is holy, not good claims nature is random, machines are specified morality is knowledge, belief is a lie bless=be less pure claims.. obviusly based in religion, so no wonder there
Against
- ......I can't understand a word of that
- All religions have one common characteristic that is doing and being good. Now of course good is a term that can mean many things but to say religion is the cause of all evil would contradict all of human development. You say nature isn't random, I disagree nature is a response…
- 510.
Religion is not important
For
- You must have missed something when you were reading from God's word. God does not categorize us into religion. People do that. God loves all of us equally, regardless of religion, status, or income. Religion is not important because you will have God's love either way. Some…
- I looked up religion at dictionary.com as well. I found this: noun 1. belief in, worship of, or obedience to a supernatural power or powers considered to be divine or to have control of human destiny at BBC religion was described as this: Religion can be explained as a set of…
Against
- Pro says "it is often said that people turn to religion when they are in trouble. Why would you turn to religion and not God?" I am not sure of my opponents point here as the definition that he provided for religion includes the belief in, worship of, or obedience to a…
- Is religion important? Dictionary.com has 7 definitions for the word important. My argument will function around these definitions. (1) 1: "of much or great significance or consequence:" Religion has been and still is of great significance. More than 80% of the world is…
- 511.
God can rightly be considered flawed
For
- Enlightening response, and timely too. On the part about me not showing how God sinned, I did state how. I said that the bible defined sin as breaking one of God's laws (the ten commandments). God broke his own commandments, you even admitted in your rebuttal that God broke his…
- You have a good point, I have failed to specify which God I was talking about. 1. I am talking about the God from the Christian Bible. 2. I can neither prove that God does nor does not exist, as is the case of all mankind. So, that being stated, the only way we can even…
Against
- Thank you for such a timely response.Strawman: the 10 commandments are not the only commandments. In fact, there are 613 commandments that G-d gave to Moses. Strawman: We are created in G-d's image; therefore, he is flawed. Remember: this was BEFORE the fall. What does it mean…
- Thank you for your quick reply. You have yet to show how G-d sinned and refute my argument that G-d, by definition, is all good and thus cannot sin. Let's take a look at the ten commandments--ESPECIALLY the one that says, "Thou shalt not kill."The commandment is about respect…
- 512.
The Bible is not the greatest book ever written
For
- It is a good point that Mein Kampf is bought a lot because of its controversy. But there is no possible best book because it is subject to opinion and the book has very inspirational stories and very predictable stories. The story of David is an amazing story but the story of…
- You make a good point that this book is known worldwide but so is Mein Kampf. You're greatest point however is its morals. While it has great morals,there are disgusting things within. "This is what the Lord Almighty says... "Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction…
Against
- I agree with you that borrowing from other stories is... a bit annoying. But once again if you consider the time period the book is from, most people couldn't read and most stories were passed down by word of mouth. it actually makes sense that we see a lot of borrowed material…
- The Mein Kampf has sold the 2nd highest number of copies with the Bible selling the all time highest number of copies so there is no doubt that these two works are similar based upon the number of copies that they have sold. However I think that the Mein Kampf sells many of its…
- 513.
Christianity is a false religion
For
- Hello, Brian! I thank you for accepting this debate. It is my burden of proof to show any contradictions, failed prophecies or any other thing that I feel would be a proof that the Bible is wrong.C1: Contradictions prove the Bible is false. The Bible is supposedly inspired by…
- Greetings,I will be arguing that Christianity is not the true religion. Throught this debate, I will be revealing: Its contradictions; Failed prayers; Failed prophecies; Division amongst Christians; Scientific inaccuracies; and Historical mistakes to prove that christianity is…
Against
- I thank Kohai for this debate. And I thank my Father in heaven for giving us his Word through the prophets and finally through Christ, and for giving his worshipers his Spirit to give us understanding. In this debate I will endeavor to show that:"Failed prayers" do nothing to…
- We can (and will) discuss the merits of specific texts that seem to contradict one another. But there is something more fundamental that needs to be addressed concerning my opponent's argument: Why should the Christian approach the nature of the Bible inductively rather than…
- 514.
Scientology is a fraudulent organization
For
- Expand my arguements.
- Scam: a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, esp. for making a quick profit; swindle. dictionary. com I will assert that scientology is a scam. Its founder, L. Ron Hubbard is a science fiction author, and not a prophet. Dianetics, a self-help book Hubbard wrote in 1950,…
Against
- I do not know if you are aware of the fact that as the instigator, you bear the burden of proof. You offer no definition for the word "scam", and you offer no proof that Scientology could be considered one, with the sole exception of your quote. Even without a definition of a…
- 515.
Satanism is a good thing
For
- There will always be conflicting idologies and beliefs, but that does not nessicarily mean that anything that causes conflict is bad. Fighting for what you believe is worth fighting for, or else we'd all be so submissive we couldn't stand up for ourselves. Like Isral for…
- Cults are, indeed, anti-social. If they are bad as you state, then it is probably a good thing that they (and other cults) do not commune with society. However, not every form of Satanism is a cult. I would like to point out that you are specifying on only Theistic Satanism.…
Against
- You have accepted my definition, Theistic Satanism. Therefore, it is this form that our debate concerns. I am indeed saying that dogmatic, organized religion is generally detrimental to society, for the given reasons. I have explained that Satanism harms society as an organized…
- 1. People are naturally unified through the tendency toward civilization. Religion divides them and subdivides them. First, Christians turn against Muslims, then, it's Protestants versus Catholics and Shi'ites versus Sunnis. This creates conflict, rather than lessening it (the…
- 516.
The Bible is provably false
For
- I decided to discuss this topic due to my conversion to Deism 2 months ago. I wanted to discuss the Bible, specifically whether or not it is provably wrong, and whether or not this matters to Christianity as a whole. Rules: 1)The Burden of Proof is on me, the pro, to prove the…
Against
- I should probably justify myself in choosing this version of the bible just in case. This bible does not list many of the miracles of Jesus because Jefferson, just like Pro, was a Deist. Jefferson did include many of Jesus's parables in his bible which could've easily been…
- No comment
- 517.
Atheism is widely misunderstood by society
For
- Accordion to my original location in space.. My fault could be the case. Worry about religious chomps not a bit. Form it not containing word war best. Crooked eye seems votes 3 to 1.
- Um, okay? I don't understand the thing about the comments. This is the second round of a debate, right? However, I guess. That sometimes happens. I might have been unclear also. Sometimes, I tend to get definitions from Oxford dictionary. Therefore; it is likely that we are not…
Against
- Sorry my fault.. Worst debate ever! Anyways.. the people who left comments on my opening debate, I was letting them know that I didn't really have a clear topic for debate! I was struggling with people in my life wanting me to choose a position in the theist/atheist game! I…
- Note to all who made comments: I apologize that my topic for debate was not determinable! I guess I was almost in debate with myself whether or not to call myself anything (theist, atheist)... My rant spilled out from frustration because it seems like no matter which side you…
- 518.
Atheism is a religion
For
- Just to continue basically where the last argument left off or add a little more in here. The whole point in this debate is to get people educated and to start thinking unconventionally. When we think of atheism , we automatically think in the context of non -belief. Likewise…
- "First of all we have to settle what the definition of religion is. The oxford dictionary defines religion as: "The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods". By this definition it is clear that a human being can not be a god,…
Against
- I'll start of by apologizing that i couldn't post a second argument due to lack of time. My opponent has made some interesting arguments on how to define what religion is and who a religious person are. So far i haven't seen any sources from the instigator that backups his…
- First of all we have to settle what the definition of religion is. The oxford dictionary defines religion as: "The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods". By this definition it is clear that a human being can not be a god,…
- 519.
The Bible contains contradictions
For
- 1. "Originally, when God created Adam and Eve, he created them to live forever." Show me where it states that in your bible. Because if true, then that means that your god had no intention of creating any more humans so that the human race could fall. Regardless those two…
- There are a good 1,000 super massive hypocritical contradictions and inconsistencies in your bible to truly make it unreadable. It is one of the main reasons why the christian god would ---never--- use text as a form of communication. 1. GE 2:17 Adam was to die the very day…
Against
- 1. Originally, when God created Adam and Eve, he created them to live forever. When he said the day you eat of the fruit you will surely die, it is talking about how it is the beginning of a death. Adam lived 930 years because he ate of the fruit. If he didn't, then he would…
- I haven't fully read the Bible but I am willing to listen to any questionable contradictions you might thing are in the Bible.
- 520.
The watchmaker argument for God is logically sound
For
- It rests on a subtlety. Argument Imagine you are walking across a field, take a nap, wake up, and see a watch lying upon the ground. You wouldn"t assume that it had come together by chance, because it is too complex. Rather, you would assume that it had a conscious and…
- Straw Man. This argument asserts that atheists believe the universe happened by chance, when this is not true. The question then becomes, what do atheists believe caused the universe? False Analogy. The Watchmaker Argument assumes that because 2 things are alike in 1 or more…
Against
- I MUST ADMIT THIS IS NOT MY NORMAL STYLE OF DEBATING. HOWEVER, I FEEL THIS LIST FORMAT WILL BE ADEQUATE FOR THE DEBATE. LISTED BELOW IS THE ARGUMENT AS MY OPPONENT PUTS IT, ALONG WITH THE FLAWS WITH IT. ANY ONE OF THESE FLAWS ALONE IS DEVASTATING, LET ALONE ALL 12.WATCHMAKER…
- Resolution:THE WATCHMAKER ARGUMENT FOR GOD IS LOGICALLY SOUNDThis debate discusses the topic of the Watchmaker Argument. Con argues it is flawed, while pro argues the opposite.Argument Imagine you are walking across a field, and see a watch lying upon the ground. You wouldn't…
- 521.
Religion should not be imposed on young children
For
- Yay I won!! :)
- But religion isn't just going to church, it consists of so much, young children don't just blow it off like its nothing, children won't know what to believe, so they would take in the whole bible and the church and what their parents tell them to do as something they have to…
Against
- When young kids go to church they do not care.I will admit I agree with you that religion shouldn't be forced on young children I just challenged myself to this debate. I will point out that legally parents have that right.
- I accept.
- 522.
God is merely imaginary
For
- I'll keep this short and simple. Something imaginary is something that only exists within the imagination. The imagination is "the ability to form new images and sensations that are not perceived through senses such as sight, hearing, or other senses." [wikipedia.org] So that…
Against
- I extend my arguments
- I agree with the definition my opponent uses for for imaginary.I'll summarize my opponent's argument as follows1. God has never been perceived.2. No evidence for God's existence3. The image of God comes from the Bible, a book.4. Concept of God is formed by Bible not…
- 523.
Objective morality requires a Christian God to exist
For
- I pass this round, as agreed from the 1st round.
- Con: "Both of these assertions are the ramblings of an indoctrinated person brought up in the church."Con loses conduct points for his innappropriate and misguided attack on my character.I offered two arguments right from the get go: One from intentionality and one from…
Against
- That is not a loss of conduct per pro, when he asserts that a certain group of people are unable to act *morally* because they are not of a certain religion. That is by definition indoctrination. The truth hurts sometimes, but saying someone is incapable of acting moral when…
- Rebuttals and rebuilding arguments R1) Without God Morality does not exist at allThis is where my adversary fails to understand my argument. He is assuming God is the only basis for objective morality, but if there is another way to gauge how objective morality can be weighed…
- 524.
The United States is not a Christian nation
For
- Contrary to popular mythology, our founding fathers were not Christians: they were deists. Take for example Thomas Paine: before Thomas Paine, most Americans were royalists, but in 1776 he published a pamphlet entitled 'Common Sense 'which changed public opinion and led to the…
- The resolution is that America is not founded on Christianity.
Against
- Ill accept the debate, Assuming by America you mean the United States of America, I will attempt to prove not only was the USA founded on Christianity it is to this day still largely influenced and it's doctrines continue to be influenced by Christianity.
- More or less, yes that is exactly what I am saying, I wish you had elaborated more on your point about Roman and Greek Republics being the basis of the Constitution but I'll just have to make assumptions as to what you mean't. Assumption 1: The Roman Republics ran in a…
- 525.
The natural world shows evidence of a flawed creator
For
- ...
- Thanks for the debate!
Against
- I may not be taking this argument to seriously, as I am an atheist, but I'm not sure if you are actually following my arguments."Adam and Eve: Christianity's goal is not to be more powerful than God - it is literally not possible."CHRISTIANITY'S goal isn't to be more powerful…
- For this debate I will be the devil's advocate: I am personally an atheist, but this question seems intriguing so I decided to accept the challenge.You need to remember that your argument is God is incompetent, to claim that he is not completely benevolent or even all powerful…
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