Organized religion

"If you don't believe it, then you are not forced to stay" If I don't believe it I'm not allowed to stay. "I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God to restore the gospel in these latter-days" No you don't. Unless you can PROVE that God exists, then you can't make this statement. One cannot say they know China has more gold than the U.S. unless they have counted every single gold ounce in both countries. You may BELIEVE it with your whole heart, but not know. My opponent continually tries to argue that because it's free will to join, it is not brainwashing. She uses the statement: "The LDS church is the FASTEST growing religion on Earth, now obviously we didn't hold everyone at gunpoint and tell them that they HAD to join the church or they would be shot. They joined of their own choosing." It's not getting them to join that brainwashes people, it is having a specific, unbending belief. I am not saying that the goal of organized religion is to brainwash. I am saying by preaching a ridged gospel or philosophy, it cannot help but brainwash. "being baptized by someone with the priesthood is the only way, the right way" "the only way, the right way" So if I am not baptized by the priesthood then I am not going to be saved. If I lead a great life, am happy, and contribute to society but am not baptized in the priesthood then I will not be saved. By saying "the ONLY way, the right way" is a perfect example of my previous statement of a church saying: "this and ONLY this". "I am always asking "Why do you believe that?" not in a condescending way, but out of honest curiosity. I never condemn or look differently on those of a different faith then my own" Brainwashing does not mean that you will hate anything other than what you are taught. It means you will be washed of thought for other opinions. My opponent states that she always asks "Why do you believe that?" because she does not understand. Why does she not understand? Because it is not what she was taught to believe. It is an example of my earlier question: "Do you believe the Islamic religion?" It is not what she was taught to believe, so she cant say straight up that it is true. I'm sure if one were to ask any open minded Islam if the believed the LDS religion, then they would say they don't know. So Organized religion of any kind cannot help but lead to a cleansing of other philosophies. In conclusion: While religion and the search for a hope for something after this life is good, when that search is limited to the barriers of an organization it inherently will lead to a "this and only this" pedagogy. Moreover, my opponent is making speeches as if I were saying that the organized religion brainwashes people to get them to join. I never make this statement. Instead, I say that once one has joined a religious organization that organization, for better or for worse, cannot help but try and wash the brain of beliefs from other religions, hence brainwashing. Any organization, be it church or company, must look out for it's own best interests. What is the single largest threat to any well being? Competition. Any religion besides LDS is a threat the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints. Each church is competing for the non-member's support. Missionaries try and gain support. By doing this the take from the pool of potential followers of any other religion. Competition. To win one must defeat the competition, endorsing said competition is not going to make that happen. If the Catholics all say "Hey, don't come to this church next week. Instead, come to the First Baptists Church across the street," then they will lose support. The idea of religion is not to brainwash, the organization probably isn't thinking: "hey let's brainwash some people". However, the organization, solely to keep itself in existence, must teach an independent philosophy. Thus excluding other religions and brain washing the congregation to think only in terms of the specific church. Please note that because this is my last speech it is unfair for my opponent to get up here and make new arguments. I will never get a chance to debate them. IF, she has better arguments, then she should have said them when we would be able to debate. I don't think she will, just something to keep in mind. I would like to thank my opponent in all sincerity for the discussion. I enjoy talking religion with an open minded church goer of any denomination solely because it gives me a new perspective that is based in logic, not just narrow minded mumbo-jumbo. I had fun and I hope you did to.