Our World Would Be Better Off Without Religion

First off I would like to question why this is a debate topic you presented. I feel that if you reflect back on yourself, you will find that while atheism is the opposite of religion, it is in many ways close to a religion itself without the acknowledgement of a greater being; you consider yourself part of a community of like-minded people, you feel that what you are doing (claiming the world would be better off without religion) in this life matters because of its eternal outcomes, and you believe that there is a single person worthy to live for (yourself). I am very pleased that you admit that not all wars have been caused by religion. I think that it can be agreed upon by both of us that while religion has been responsible for some human conflicts, human nature, differences in opinion, and selfishness are more likely the causes for war. I don"t think this can continue to be a cause for debate, although the point that replaces it can; the positive outcomes and benefits of religion outnumber and outweigh the negatives including the conflicts between people over religion. As far as your attempt at a point including Hitler, it is false. Hitler was not inherently hateful toward religion, and in fact hoped to make a religion of him. I, like any good human, find the loss of life from the holocaust awful and felt extremely sad walking through the holocaust memorial museum in Washington D.C. months ago. However, where your point falls very short is the idea that Hitler killed these people simply because they were Jews. Hitler"s goal while governing Germany was to expand his country and "return it to its former glory". Not only Jews, but also gypsies, communists, and anyone who directly opposed Nazism was also killed. Hitler killed because he was a sick human being who did not value life and because his end goal involved removing those who opposed him, not because religion in itself was inherently bad. We once again agree to disagree on the homosexuality topic, and if you would like to further voice your opinion on this topic there are many debates on this site that revolve around it. I will not continue to debate this topic with you unless you feel that it is somehow relevant to your explanation of why religion should be done away with. My stance remains, homosexuality is not God-honoring, and because God created us as sexual and heterosexual beings (Adam and Eve) it is against the will of my God. I do not believe that people should be subject to violence based on their beliefs, but I do believe that homosexuality is wrong, and is happy to see people cling to and fight for heterosexual marriages only in court and within our political system. On the topic of women"s rights, I would appreciate that you do not make a claim about religion unless it applies to the MAJORITY. I understand your frustration with the Quran and again hope that you will look for another debate over the topic of Islam, rather than make a claim that religion in itself is sexist because it is not and it sounds ignorant for you to say so. I stand by my claim that religion unites people in ways that nothing else can. I am personally glad that you are enjoying life, I hope that everyone does. The hand is always our for you to take if you feel like entering a religion, and if not I hope you continue to enjoy your life. However, my claim is true. Ask yourself the following questions: would you feel safe telling someone from your book clubs, choirs, dance teams, or baking classes your deepest secrets and feeling safe about it just because you share that one thing in common? Would you ever consider dying for any of those things? If the answer is yes, they might be more than a hobby? The way that religion brings people together cannot be replicated by any earthly thing. I really do hope that you see a purpose in life, and I hope that anyone in our audience that is asking similar questions to the ones I asked in my first post will truly look into what drives them to live a good life and what make them happy and sure and what their hope is in. Is it enough for you to be living for yourself and to accomplish your own desires? What brings you peace when you think about death? How can you be sure that the 80 years that you spend on this earth improved it? What will happen to you after you die, or to your loved ones after they die? My religion answers these questions for me and I would love to know where you derive your answers. Because while you talk of many people living there lives without religion, the majority of people on earth are religious so some extent and look to religion to answer their deepest questions. It's good that the idea of making a better world drives you to a social change, I"m glad that something does. But what does it matter? Who cares what we do? If our actions don"t have an eternal effect, what effect do they have at all? Religion answers questions like that and touches every part of life. While I understand that you are not religious, and I acknowledge that you have the right to decide what you want to pursue and believe in, I am very surprised that you believe that the world as a whole would be better off without the structure, community, and hope that religion alone provides.