Our World Would Be Better Off Without Religion

I would like to make it clear, my opponent is arguing that the world would be better off without religion and I am debating that the religion is not only good for society, but also necessary for it. In response to my opponent's first claim, I will agree that wars have been caused by religion, and one may remember the crusades that occurred during the dark ages, as well as the term "jihad" or holy war used by Muslims today. I will counter that this claim is ignorant. Surely my opponent doesn"t believe that religion is the only thing capable of causing a war? It is human nature to have different ideas, and when different people with different ideas come together, there is a possibility for war, regardless of whether or not the differences are religion based. Different ideas are inevitable, and to blame world conflict solely on religion is ignorant. As far as LGBT rights, that in it is a debate for another time. Should people be performing sexual acts with people of their own gender? My religion says no, it says that both marriage and sex should be between a man and a woman. However, one definition of religion is that it is " a particular system of faith"; also known as a belief system, and I would argue that my opponent is "religious" (has her own particular belief system) concerning LBGT rights. How can someone make the claim that we should get rid of religion if they are going to hold so tightly to there own beliefs? Are religion and beliefs not intertwined? Lastly, my opponent claims that religion diminishes the value of women. This is far from the truth. The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:7 "Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect". It seems apparent that religion is looking out for women. The Bible also says in the Ten Commandments that we "shall not commit adultery". It is clear that Christianity is very approving of females, making your claim that rape is OK clearly false. I will argue, in what I hope will take less than 4 rounds for my opponent to realize, that religion is vital to society and individuals. Many who remember religion from their freshmen-in-high school history class will also remember the 5 functions or religion. These are as follows; Social Cohesion: Probably the most direct proof that our world would be better without religion is the amount of social cohesion that religion provides. People around the world gather together in places of worship with others every single day of the year. They celebrate holidays that honor people and events that have previously impacted their religion. Many people attend collages and universities that are based around their religion and/or their set of beliefs. Religion provides a sense of community IN A WAY THAT NO OTHER ISSUE OR TOPIC can. People feel at home when talking to others who share their religion and are likely to grow when they have the support of other humans that only religion can bring. Meaning for the mundane: Religion answers questions that every person asks at some point in their life. Why am I here? What is the purpose in life? Does what I do matter to anyone, and will it shape the future? The answer to all of these questions is found in religion. I, as a religious person, can say that I belong to God and am a child of God. I know that my purpose in life is to both honor God and bring others (maybe my opponent) to a life with him. I can be assured that my actions do matter because they serve as a witness to others as to the life of Christian people, and will have a long-term effect, including eternal life in Heaven after death. Social control: Would you ever think about killing someone? Is it okay for you to steal from a business or a friend? Should you show respect to your parents? All of these questions are answered by religion, and these answers are the base for out morals and our laws within society. Religious or not, the vast majority of people around the globe will agree that each of the questions above have the same answers, and that certain responses to these questions are inherently wrong. The religious base for our modern morals and laws cannot be replaced, and positively benefits law-abiding citizens and religious people alike. Psychological support: When someone is felling down, angry, abused, oppressed, or in any other way not good, they will often look to religion for a sense of hope. My question to my opponent is this; without a religious base for your understanding of life, what hope do you have for anything beyond this life? Religion provides hope for people as they go through their lives, and the psychological support that religion alone provides is crucial for a happy life of purpose and fulfillment. Amongst other instances, religion provides hope after the loss of a loved one. The grief after the loss of a family member or close friend is often only bearable because the griever knows that their loved one will have life after death, and also that they can have hope for reuniting with them in the future. Religion as an agent for social change: Religion plays a huge role in improving not only our lives but also the lives of every individual in society and our world. When I and others like me see people struggling, our religious beliefs prod us to do something as though we were helping God himself. We draw this need to help others from Matthew 25:40 which says "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me' ". By helping others, we are honoring God. Through religion, Society is improved and people are helped in ways that might not otherwise happen. I was surprised to see this as a debate topic and wonder if my opponent will reconsider her claim that the world would be better without religion after she considers the many unique and positive benefits that religion offers. I look forward to a good debate and hope that the voting audience can come to a conclusion about the necessity and benefit of religion following this debate.