Christianity, in it's extreme form and in general, is detrimental to society.

My apologies for the delay. School has been keeping me preoccupied and I had some trouble logging in. I do ask that you forgive me if I do not debate in the correct format, and encourage anyone with better experience than myself and my opponent to feel free to leave comments and suggestions whenever there is an error in the format we debate, or if there is something that we do that deviates from the norm. Onto the the debate ... I have seen arguments posted in a sort of opening statement, followed by contentions that are numbered, in order to allow for the opponent to easily refute them, so I will use this in order to make things easier for my opponent and myself. Opening Statement: Christianity, in it's extreme and strictly interpreted form, is detrimental to society. I am not very religious myself (though I am a practicing Buddhist and believe in the sanctity of mankind); however, I have seen the good that religion can do at certain levels, and value the pure ideas that are put forth by Christianity, however, feel that the religion should either be revised or depleted, based on the following contentions: 1. Christianity has gotten to a point in which it has begun to impede progressiveness in our society. I feel that the God of Christianity has turned from a source of explanation, to a staple and an excuse. We have gotten to a point where people have stopped asking questions on how things occur and happen (on a scientific level), and simply throw God in and wipe their hands clean of the situation. The point in which God begins to deplete the need for scientific inquiry and research is the point in which God should be questioned. The same can be said for the political scheme in America today, where religion is influencing education, legislation, and actions in government, when it was intended to be separated. I have seen the things that religion can do positively, and admire them. But it is beginning to attack the ideals of humanity, and the American Dream here on domestic soil. 2. Strict Interpretation of the Bible is harmful to society. The bible is a great and storied book (as I always say, the greatest book ever written ... Next to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), but recently we've seen people get too far into their interpretations of it; namely, I mean this to talk of campaigns against homosexuality and abortion and the like, things of that nature. Those Christians who use the bible and their religion to support their claims have fallen into trouble with "picking and choosing", so to say, which portions of the bible we should pay attention to, and which we should not. Obviously, there are problems that arise here. 3. Personal Responsibility Recently, I have also witnessed instances of personal responsibility being absolved by "God's plan". I don't very much think that this is a positive direction for our (let's face it, mostly Christian) society. I have witnessed people take an overly conservative approach to their lifestyles and who rely to heavily on God's personal influence in their lives. This is harmful to society also. Concluding Statement: For these previous statements, I deem that Christianity, as it stands, is harmful to society, and at the very least requires some revision. I apologize for any ambiguity in my response, and am open to all questions of clarification, and will give specific examples in my next round. I thank the competitor for the upcoming spirited debate. "Live Long and Prosper"