Religion has had a positive effect on society on balance.

Thanks for your reply pro. This certainly has been an interesting debate and I wish you best of luck R.1 I am going to change my rebuttal style a bit. However, regarding pro's bashing on my source, In the 1980s, serious outbreaks between Christians and Muslims occurred in Kafachan in southern Kaduna State in a border area between the two religions, propagated by extreme leaders who were able to rally a young, educated group of individuals who were feared that the nation would not be able to protect their religious group. Furthermore, the site gives the sources in this case it came from "The economist". R.2 This part of my opponent's argument in regards to the Witch incident is actually quite surprising. Yes, jealously was partially driven as well but certainly not entirely. The villager's justification to beat the lady was because she was a Witch. Ladies and Gentlemen, that's a JUSTIFICATION. Honestly, there is something wrong if people believe that after killing someone their justification is not their jealousy, however it is the fact that she was a witch. R.3 Now, the crusades argument from my opponent is simply absurd. The crusades did not occur to the rise of Islam, simply because the the Turkish Muslims took control of the holy land. Therefore, it is irrelevant if the Christians and Muslims lived peacefully. Prior to this, the Arabs had been in control of the land. However, the Arabs had allowed Christians to pilgrimage and visit the city of Jerusalem. In 1070, when the Turks took control, they began to refuse Christian pilgrims into the area. The crusades began when Byzantium,asked the Pope for help to stop the Turkish for taking over the Holy Land, the Arabs had control of the holy land before however the Turkish would let Christian pilgrimage in the holy Land. (1) R.3 The following part of my opponent’s argument is quite interesting. My opponent’s main points are that religion is what causes ideas to spread and where morality developed. This is not exactly the case. “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads” -Leviticus 20:13 “Do not allow a sorceress to live.” -Exodus 22:18 “If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness. “ -Proverbs 20:20” (It appears that many teenagers shall be put to death) “Whoever sacrifices to any god, except the Lord alone, shall be doomed. -Exodus 22:19 (It is morally justified that all other non religious shall die) “ They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.” -2 Chronicles 15:12-13 (I am an Atheist. Please do not kill me, even if it is justified in your religious text) Deuteronomy 13:13-19 mentions to kill the entire town if one person is a nonbeliever. (Please do not kill the entire city of San Francisco, even if it is morally justified by religion.) You see, it even states in the religious texts that many immoral things are justified. Clearly, religion is indeed immoral. Conclusion Many parts of my opponent’s argument misunderstood religion to eras such as the Enlightenment or paces such as the Salon. Churches are a time to pray, while salons and the enlightenment era spread ideas. The crusades was due to the the Islamic Turks capturing the Holy land, preventing christian pilgrims to spread their religion. This shows how religion actually may PREVENT ideas to spread. Pro had insulted me numerous times throughout the debate resulting in poor conduct. Furthermore, it is debatable on a whole other subject how morality existed before religion, therefore religion is not the cause of human morality. Pro failed to rebut such claims of the modern religious immoralities and religious drama. (E.g mother kicking 13 year old out of home).