Religion Dose more harm then good

I hope it proves interesting! Benjamin Franklin stated that "Religion will be a powerful regulator of our actions, give us peace and tranquility within our minds, and render us benevolent, useful and beneficial to others". It is because I agree with this quote that I negate the topic "Religion Dose more harm then good". (For all reading this, my opponent misspelled "Does". The proper topic is "Religion does more harm then good"). For a roadmap, I will go AC-NC. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "A pig caused hundreds of Indians to kill one another in 1980. The animal walked through a Muslim holy ground at Moradabad, near New Delhi. Muslims, who think pigs are an embodiment of Satan, blamed Hindus for the defilement. They went on a murder rampage, stabbing and clubbing Hindus, who retaliated in kind. The pig riot spread to a dozen cities and left more than 200 dead. " When I see this, I think of car accidents. One could just as easily claim that cars do more harm than good because thay have killed people in car accidents. The problem with that statement and my opponent's case is that the benefits are excluded. That will be what I do in my case. Both side's will be presented and the benefits of each, weighed. So far my opponent only provides harms to mine. You should disregard this argument because this scenario is improbable. "This swinish episode tells a universal tale. It typifies religious behavior that has been recurring for centuries. " Actually, this swinish tale tells an improbable, hypothetical scenario. You only provide one instance, so it isn't recurring for centuries. "Ronald Reagan often called religion the world's mightiest force for good, "the bedrock of moral order. " George Bush said it gives people "the character they need to get through life. " This view is held by millions. But the truism isn't true. The record of human experience shows that where religion is strong, it causes cruelty. Intense beliefs produce intense hostility. Only when faith loses its force can a society hope to become humane. " I agree with Reagan and Bush, so extend that. Religion is the mightiest force for good, and a bedrock of moral order. I would also like to point out, if the view is held by millions of people, that gives it more reason to be true. We can debate this all we want, but it's your opinion vs those of millions. Also, you say the only way society can BECOME humane is to lessen the force of religion. But there are society that are already humane who have religion in them. You point out that where religion is strong, it causes cruelty. This doesn't only lack evidence, it's kind of lame. Where religion is strong, there COULD be varying opinions, but not always cruelty. Also, to the voters, note that he might prove some of these arguments with scenario's, but note that his past scenario was improbable. Let's not go off "what if's" or "This happened once". So I thank my opponent for presenting these harms, but here are the left out benefits. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- C1) Religion is good for SOCIETY "The collective and cooperative peaceful existence of large numbers of people was made possible in the first instance by organized religion. What is more, this large, organized and peaceful existence of a large number of people was what made agriculture, aqueducts, education, literacy and exploration all possible" [1] "It goes without saying that historically-speaking, religion has been a massive force for good in human civilization. " C2) Religion is good for the INDIVIDUAL. [2] A) The strength of the family unit is intertwined with the practice of religion. Churchgoers are more likely to be married, less likely to be divorced or single, and more likely to manifest high levels of satisfaction in marriage. B) Church attendance is the most important predictor of marital stability and happiness. C) The regular practice of religion helps poor persons move out of poverty. Regular church attendance, for example, is particularly instrumental in helping young people to escape the poverty of inner-city life. D) Religious belief and practice contribute substantially to the formation of personal moral criteria and sound moral judgment. E) Regular religious practice generally inoculates individuals against a host of social problems, including suicide, drug abuse, out-of-wedlock births, crime, and divorce. F) The regular practice of religion also encourages such beneficial effects on mental health as less depression (a modern epidemic), more self-esteem, and greater family and marital happiness. G) In repairing damage caused by alcoholism, drug addiction, and marital breakdown, religious belief and practice are a major source of strength and recovery. H) Regular practice of religion is good for personal physical health: It increases longevity, improves one's chances of recovery from illness, and lessens the incidence of many killer diseases. In conclusion, the benefits of religion AND society far outweigh any improbable harms of society. Thank you for this debate, I look forward to your response. [1] . http://paulitics.wordpress.com... [2] . http://www.heritage.org...