BeIR/webis-touche2020 huggingface dataset:
Faith in a god or gods is a bad thing.

The instigator has failed to offer much at all in terms of a case for his condemning of 'faith in god or gods'. He has also offered little by way of a definition for that which he condemns this faith with. I must repeat myself:1: "falling short of a standard"2: "not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable"By what authority or method does the instigator set his standard in this case?I'm sure I do not need to explain in any great depth the complexity of study which has gone and continues to go into 'good/bad'. I also am (almost) sure that I don't have to point out to my opponent that "WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY" is generally not considered as a moral authority (it isn't even that well thought of as a dictionary!)My opponent claims "faith in god or gods is bad". By what means did he come to this conclusion? To which standard does he hold his claim to?http://web.utk.edu... "...unjustified hatred, unjustified violence, and other BAD things." So, the inquisitions.My opponent needs to explain what was 'bad' about the inquisitions, why the hatred and violence it perpetuated was unjustified. None of us like war, none of us like death, but for the most part we accept it as a necessary evil in face of a significant threat. My opponent also has to explain why the inquisitions could only have been carried out by those with faith.The holocaust.The Nazis had various elements of religiosity, but few people would describe deity faith as a core factor of their decimation of Jewish peoples. My opponent would do well to consider the many philosophical, political, social and economical factors which tend to considerably outweigh religiosity for most historians. http://library.thinkquest.org...Unfortunately I am hindered my the set character limit, my opponent has so far shown no causal relationship between a faith in a god and... anything.PS: Should I point to all the clever and nice things that religious people get up to?!
Faith in a god or gods is a bad thing.

Once again, I am winning by default. I have made my claim and offered proof for it, yet my opponent has failed to challenge me. As for looking up "bad," that in itself was sufficient. By what authority? Well, let's see, WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY. If that's not authority enough, then I'm confused as to what I'm supposed to do right now. As mentioned earlier, faith in a god or gods is a bad thing BECAUSE it causes unjustified hatred, unjustified violence, and other BAD things. If the con side wants examples, then here they are: The Inquisitions (of which there were three; see Jonathan Kirsch); The Holocaust (based on Christian dogmatism and myths of an Aryan race, both instances of faith in a god or gods); Slavery (which was upheld in the U.S. for hundreds of years because of faith in a god or gods); The stunting of intellectual growth (which occurs BY DEFINITION as a part of faith, since faith is belief without evidence and causes people to stop seeking the truth through the intellectual pursuit of the scientific method -- or, if they don't stop altogether, to do so a lot less than they would have absent such faith); The molestation of thousands of kids (which never would have happened without the Catholic Church, which in turn would have never come into existence absent faith); And many, many other examples. These things are all bad. Checkmate.
Faith in a god or gods is a bad thing.

"So please, for round two, I beg you to give me a challenge."Unfortunately the instigator has offered very little for me to challenge!The instigator claims that faith in a god or gods is a bad thing, he has not yet made an argument for his claim. I suggest that before he continues he familiarises himself with the concept of the burden of proof. To aid my opponent I provide a link to text that provides a fair explanation of the BoP, I hope it helps:http://www.qcc.cuny.edu...Having discovered 'BoP' it is hoped that my opponent will provide an argument in support of his assertion.It is also hoped that my opponent clarifies his definition of 'bad'. Although I appreciate his undertaking the arduous journey to Merriam Webster's domain, I feel that he has returned with little of value. 1: "falling short of a standard"2: "not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable"By what authority or method does the instigator set his standard in this case?3: "causing or capable of causing harm" 4: "engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior" 5: "feeling unhappiness" 6: "having a fault"BoP is on the instigator.I hold that it is imperative that the instigator provide a comprehensive explanation of his stance on 'bad'. I offer some reference to aid my opponent and the debate:http://plato.stanford.edu...http://plato.stanford.edu...http://plato.stanford.edu...http://plato.stanford.edu...http://people.wku.edu...
Faith in a god or gods is a bad thing.

So far, the con side has done nothing to disagree with me. He even asked me to lift the word limit for this debate, and yet, for his first round, he has written fewer than the minimal 500 character limit, so I'm a bit confused... As to what I mean by "bad," it is not my responsibility to look in the dictionary for my opponent. But, in the spirit of getting along, and because I feel bad for my opponent's inability to debate me thus far, I've found various definitions of the term so that my opponent does not have to do so. After finding these definitions, I've realized that I'm willing to use any and all of the first six found in Webster's online dictionary: 1: "falling short of a standard" 2: "not conforming to a high moral standard; morally unacceptable" 3: "causing or capable of causing harm" 4: "engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior" 5: "feeling unhappiness" 6: "having a fault" So far, I have asserted that faith in a god or gods is a bad thing, according to any and all of these six definitions, and so far, the con side has failed to challenge even a single one of those claims. Unless/until those claims are challenged, I win. So please, for round two, I beg you to give me a challenge.
Faith in a god or gods is a bad thing.

Faith in a god or gods is a bad thing. It stunts intellectual growth and allows people to say and do things for bad reasons. As Sam Harris has pointed out, beliefs have consequences, and some of the consequences of faith in a god or gods include narrow-mindedness, closed-mindedness, arrogance, ignorance, delusion, unjustified hatred of others, and unjustified violence toward others.
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

Yo it's true this world it got no hope or anything to hold on to I'm praying for the people contained by sins, this is nuthin' new Prayin' for an outreach, a cut through, so the truth they pursue So many talents and debuts that could be used as God's pas de deux The human kind itself don't know the truth even though they try to seek it Society is crushed with temptations to Christ I went to now they must submit What they need is an evangelist to explain the relationship with Christ to go legit This might be a shock but when they do this all the inclination, shame and guilt be quit Evil attracts those of this world, this bad yet about it there's no doubt Grace is amazing to those who use it to help their lives, for God they goin' all out We Christians are part of God's plan, embraced in his palm we are his wrinkles Our job is to reach out to those who still feel guilty cuz they weren't saved, it's simple Why is it so hard for us to reach out and create a revolution with side affects great? 'So many strings attached' but it's a lie we say as we chew the words we all ate God's love is amazing to anyone and us who is seeking and wanting to not-just-know but feel the truth But we need to spread His heart to others cuz God n' Satan's fightin' like Wolverine and Sabretooth.
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

The Lord is my strength and song, he's my great salvation He keeps my foundation strong in the face of an evil nation There are many things in which i can compare predestination such as the shinin' sun on the unforgiven, i know it's causation The holy man is separate from the world, even though he faces adversity God's wrath is brought upon the wicked, but the holy man prays for mercy The Law of Moses brought wrath, but through Jesus, he brought a new journey Man has become one certain individual but after Christ, he becomes a new person Yes i rapped usin' worldly terms, but i am still a Christian forever engraved in God's palm No sin that i commit in real life or online will separate from security in salvation, the calm That i stand strong with God's grace always bestowed upon me though i do wrongs Ritual impurity cannot separate the faithful from the presence of God's sacred songs Faithful to Jesus can be compared to the construct of human marriage Despite ramblings, shamblings, there is a complete unbreakable bondage Man was made 1st then the woman, both are interdependent in God's image I'm like David in the ancient of days, prayin' for a change of my ways Despite doin' evil, i am always saved by the one who is worthy of all praise so i pluck these strings on my lyrically tuned lyre, removin' the sting of hell-fire To see the beauty of God's grace in it's fullness in paradise is my only desire Moses face was veiled, Jesus face became fully and divinely revealed That hidden wisdom which was from the beginning is no longer concealed
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

You said you wanted to do a rap excluding negativity I'm about to rap as deep as the complexity of relativity We're about to move around our emotions like gravity I'm specializing in good and evil through divine eyes of the realities we got as a premise I'm speakin' of the love, benevolence, n' goodness from God to save us from demise Do not answer a fool according to his own folly or you'll be just like him Do not even mimic his ways or his life, you'll only be bound to live in sin Channel energies like two thousand synergies and live according to the sacrifice Don't babble like the fool void of knowledge of his creator or of his son: Christ JasperFrancisShickadance wanted to rap battle positive, so i'm lettin' her spit a-sick lyric With lots of insight into the sustain' forces of the world deep in the mind of God's spirit
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

Ever heard of the Saved With Amazing Grace mission? No matter how we sinned and cussed at one another in the past Jesus took that guilt and nailed it to the cross, 'dis was not a miscast We just need to say yes to His deal he asked us to surpass at long last Like a movie director or a misnamed criminal (Gru) we can be engraved in His palm; part of His loving, undisputable cast. [1] . http://www.collinsdictionary.com... [2] . http://en.wikipedia.org... [3] . http://www.wheelessonline.com... [4] . http://www.google.com... [5] -. http://en.wikipedia.org... -
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

What is it called when two opposite emotions in a person collide with aggression? It either makes someone feel want to find their meaning or else they get depression Humanity doesn't have the literal ability to actually grasp the concept of our crazy creation When you know you are loved yet are feeling rejected, life becomes a confusing digression Why are there atheists if there is no God? because of the helpless seeking? People are born into different families with unique opinions, no conceding Lil Wayne may been right sayin it's a Godless America for bespeaking E'ryone has places to go and things to do but for the truth they're beetling How are people too selfish and brainwashed to not accept the honest facts? They don't want their lives to change because of the Creation proof that enacts When love and hate interact in someone's lives they feel ruined, it's hard to relax Our brain says you only have one chance at life: this goes for all races, whites and blacks Hence, 'live it the best you can' you say, 'if you live it bland it'll be over so don't let nuttin distract' But in reality your life soda stand is sinking in a Fanta sea and it's too confusing to ignore or detract So if you put mankind's common sense and the facts together, what do ya get? Cognitive thought ending in mystification and that's set unless you wanna bet Why? Because peeps don't wanna ruin their lives, they're alert by only one threat This is wrong because if they gain the whole world and lose their life the truth is all that's left What wouldn't Jesus do in a situation where we're looking for a revolution to start? His culture was different but we can learn from his parables for where we play our part Jesus isn't accepted by this world, only in the Bible is a miracle considered amazing off the chart We need to step out of the box armed with Bible toxic, stirring hobo people's hearts like at Walmart [1] 'Why does my heart feel so bad' a YouTube vid asks in an ad Cuz it aches for the way people express that they're sad The Hood, where humans walkin round trying to look rad The rich, who think they got it all but at heart they aint satisfad Our evangelizing should NOT involve criticizing but abiding in honesty and love Letting go means letting God do the real work, sending the Spirit's fire from above Real eyes realize real lies [2] so grasp that today with your prayer'n faith you're proud of! [1] http://redditjs.com... [2] https://www.google.com...
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

To the atheist, there must empirical evidence that God exists To the Christian, there must powerful faith that always persists Overall, Christ is the center of the universe who we praise in the midst Bias creates a wall between us all, forming one perspective All human minds are collective, all minds are subjective Knowing the real truth from the absolute is being objective The light shines, darkness fades, thus salvation is elective Nature can never contradict God's Word like a pre-programmed robot Death is merely the absence of the living essence, hence things rot I must have faith in the Christ who gave me my very birth Passin' through this temporary phase of life of hell on earth he stretches the firmaments, he hangs the whole earth over nothing such is the fate of the wicked one of whom like gravity he's crushing Satan has no power over this spiritual chaotic state of existence God creates peace, God creates evil, it's all in his perfect consistence Man ought to have learned from our father, from his heart n' conscience Better is the man who stays humble than the man who prides himself in college After all, good things come from above, focus on connecting with intimate knowledge For in Jesus Christ, he is the complete character of God of whom all should acknowledge We must always show compassion to our neighbors but how can we when we are helpless? This may be a moral dilemma, but look to the rhema (1) the shema (2) God is simply jealous He wants our hearts and minds with a transfusion through Christ' blood transfusion New knowledge of the heart that saves us from confusion of the ultimate evil illusion The evil deceives himself into thinking that the self shall utterly be over elevated Heaven is in the highest where it belongs, carnality shall justly be disseminated Lookin' at present circumstances, battlin' the inner chaos from inside: the yetzer hara (3) Cuz it's tryna rob me of God's fresh n' livin waters, this desert is as dry as the Sahara 1. http://en.wikipedia.org... 2. http://en.wikipedia.org... 3. http://en.wikipedia.org...
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

No christian can reach out to the atheists if the evangelist doesn't know the basics Might be called a miracle if a deist is an evolutionist yet he preaches Jesus' ethics The world sometimes says 'coexist' but that's impossible with everybody's opinions If we all stay with the Bible and it's morals we be like the criminal Gru and his minions Jesus Christ is amazing, his love is never ending and his ways are incomprehensible, see By the Leaders in his time on earth He was called criminal like the character in Despicable Me But in the end Jesus rose again and nobody could fathom without superstition his eccentricity Some things are explained without science or human brains, figure that out in God's Word clearly The pain and suffering, madness and sorrow, it won't end in a while because of Satan's vile Why is it Christians inner city aren't persecuted, why we never do God's Word old style? Sometimes it's fine, like we got ta reach out to all nations an' cultures - even hip hop But we can't be carried away by this earth's trap of sinful nature, our motives can't stop Love, peace, joy, and fruitfulness dey-all-come from the Holy Spirit to make us savant God's people gotta obey, be inspiration to all da others so we be influentially nonchalant So many ways to overcome the sickness of sin but the only one that works is not jaunt We might show the only truth to people even though we will be martyred and they will taunt "For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power and love and sound judgment" Bible says we must use our talents to confront sin and evangelize, these words are ancient yet convenient This preachment only easy to say, but to do this all a challenge for us all to take for advancement Others will show amazement when they realize the merchant in the storefront is Christ who owns us all with penchant. The biggest lesson to learn from all this crazy word riot Probably comes best out of the mouth of peace and quiet In God's eyes many things are to utterly dispute and displease Without Christians to carry out the gospel the truth is an eyelet. If you don't know of this infinitely powerful love that contains us all I encourage you to look further into this seemingly fantastic future ball But know that it's reality, the key to small happiness that revolves around a book God's world without humanity's Satan nature to intervene is perfect, just take a look.
Christian rap battle: Truth_seeker vs. JasperFrancisShickadance

In the beginning of the world, between good and evil, there was harmony with God on my side, the Devil as my enemy, i gotta get rid of what's harming me Young lady, you must live according to the righteousness as it's your only certainty What is the way to keep a man's way pure? to keep fast to God's word Don't stray from the silence, no evil words in the midst of an spiritual bird Stay within the presence of the holiness of God, in the heavenlies But you must respect your friends and continually bless enemies Seek peace with all men, but be wary of spiritual forces that change courses But then you realize that it was nothing but all illusions runnin wild as horses Seek the tree of life because true wisdom comes from the Jah-man above Oh what a more enlightened way man could've had if he hadn't left his 1st love Jesus is the only way to find wisdom, you cannot mold your life into the clay that you so desire Your life must follow the unpredictable pattern of the refiner of the holy fire like David's lyre Moldin' your life to the pattern, the invisible, indivisible image of the one who reigns higher In the name of the most highest, channel your life to free yourself from all suffering like rivers Because to the stillness of waters God will lead you, the one whom from the evil one, he delivers Moral confusion comes to those who seek their own vanity, insanity is repeating into false humanity There are many opinions of reality and illusion, so you must submit to the revered one of Christianity The hope of the world holds in the fate of the path so chosen in the Messianic age In the meantime, the holy spirit keeps burning in a violent passionate blood red rage Convertin' people to the Holy one of Israel, God is all consuming fire movin' in your ribcage No matter how many technological advances mankind makes, he can't keep it in a cage Science progresses to the skies, but deception lies in wait, in disguise as hell is on the rise Deep inside, emotional barrages, screaming, the soul cries for truth, not swallowin' lies Evil is the absence of the absolute goodness of truth, seek goodness my youth Chaotic forces can combust, but unite in order just as Jewish and moabites, Ruth The spiritual bloodline was metaphysical, beyond genetic, free from the sinful heretic The wicked cannot infect the holiness of God, no disrespect to the one who is perfect
Everyone should donate to charities and fundraisers

Charity in the form of a dollar or two put into the bucket of the guy with the Santa costume not only is not obligatory, it is social coercion. The charities themselves rife with political and religious agenda. Government spending on the same common social issues is more efficient. Over all of time, charity in the form of dollars spent is a fairly new concept. The self-aggrandizing, and shaming of those that don"t give, or don"t give as much as another, removes the altruistic nature of the act. Charity exists with or without money. When our ancestors were hunter gathers, they showed charity to one-another. Potentially sometime in our future when money is no longer a concept, charity will exist still. ------------------- I too am very new to the site, this will be the first completed debate. I appreciate this one, and hope more will follow. Regards TBR
Everyone should donate to charities and fundraisers

The past is the past, besides people used to behead their king! Do you think they even knew what compassion was, if that's what people did? They didn't think about others in the world because they didn't have advanced technology and ways to find out the health and economic status of the rest of the world. Besides, most people had enough of their own worries back then to donate. Personally, I think that the creation of fundraisers and charity was considerable and compassionate, and we don't only need to give money right? People use the money to buy things they need, but we can also give them clothes and food. If it is religiously offensive to donate some food or clothes? Neighbors always help each other, sometimes go to each others' houses for meals or holidays. If it is religiously or politically offensive to accept or show help and kindness, based on my opinion, this world would be cold and cruel. This might seem unprofessional to some, but I would like to thank you for debating on this subject... I always wanted to know some people's opinions on this subject, and this is my first debate, so thank you very much. I'm new to this organization or website, and I think this is a great way to test our debating and reasoning skills. I enjoyed this debate very much.
Everyone should donate to charities and fundraisers

Now the "Everyone should" is full of caveat. - If I believe in the mission of the organization - If they don't conflict with my religious or moral principals - If I am not unhappy with the individual soliciting for the organization Now, I have a personal endorsement for a particular charity or two? Well, Unicef has one of the worse overheads of any large charitable organization, yet another reason to choose to not donate. The last point, "some human beings with as much right to live as you have are dying out there.". People have been dying for four-hundred thousand years. Charitable giving , in the form of money, can only be as old as the oldest monetary system. If we insist that giving money is mandatory as a part of compassion, is it also true that there was no compassion for 399,000 years?