azza1625/createdebate-arguments huggingface dataset:
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Religion is specifically a set of beliefs that exist outside of science, determined through philosophy and story-telling.I can grok religion being defined as a set of beliefs, but question what you mean by referring to sets of beliefs that exist "outside of science". Beliefs, be they labeled religious or secular, or if they are of the sort recognized as scientific fact, are formed by experiencing patterns of events. Religion and science's very existence depend on adequate recognition of patterns. Those who try to account for as much as possible do not necessarily have a superior approach to those who have an ostensibly overly simplistic outlook. With greater understanding comes the potential for greater blunders. Have you ever considered viewing religion from a scientific or technological standpoint? Have you ever considered that what we call science is a branch of philosophy? It seems to me that as soon as one sets a standard to live by they are practicing religion. At SOME point one must break from asking why and decide..THIS is what I value, THIS is the reason I bother get out of bed in the morning, THIS is the example I will honor. I don't have all the data, but I've seen enough to know what I value.If a religious belief can be tested, similar to science, then that part of it is science and not religion.Who would presume that there are phenomena which cannot be so tested?<By this, if one asks if the influence of non-scientifically based reasoning can have a negative impact on society, then yes, it's very much NOT a pointless question.According to whose standards of what qualifies as "scientifically based" reasoning? What is the scientific basis for determining whether an event complex's impact on society (btw which society?) is ultimately positive or negative?
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

but question what you mean by referring to sets of beliefs that exist "outside of science".Empirical science differs from religious tenets in the methodology for how conclusions are reached, accepted, and rejected. In science, every new theory proposed needs to demonstrate itself as being at least as consistent with observed reality as a former theory (null hypothesis) and then add more to it (ability to make accurate predictions.) A theory that repeatedly fails to predict the outcome of events accurately is quickly dropped.Religion's approach to explaining things typically comes from interpretations of words/ideas/thoughts of earlier people. Even if you discount the loss of the original meanings of these writings and stories, it still originates from individuals who tried to explain their experiences without performing explicit tests on them (tests intentionally designed to attempt to prove them wrong.) Example: Muhammad is said to have heard the word of god spoken to him through the archangel Gabriel. Assuming he honestly believed this, why should anyone else? It's based on one man's word, who, even if he believed it himself, could very well have dreamed it up in any number of ways that to him seemed real. Religion bases itself on beliefs that originate in ways one can't test. For that reason, I see no credibility in believing anything that originates from religion.Who would presume that there are phenomena which cannot be so tested?What I'm saying is, what makes a statement religion is that it has a religious origin, not a scientific one. If "god" said the Earth is a body moving around the sun, that could be tested and therefore is part of science, but the part that this statement came from "god" is untestable because again what kind of experiment can be conceived to validate that this statement originates from a supreme being? The testable part is science, adding the unverifiable religious origin makes the statement in entirety religion.Creation myths are an example as well. Some Christians believe the Earth to be roughly 6,000 years old. This can be tested and overwhelmingly refuted. Science moves on, religion clings to this claim.According to whose standards of what qualifies as "scientifically based" reasoning? What is the scientific basis for determining whether an event complex's impact on society (btw which society?) is ultimately positive or negative?I'm speaking about human society. Scientifically based reasoning means experimentally verifiable. Take a claim, form it into precise quantifiable terms, and derive tests that can either support or refute it. Non-scientifically based reasoning means any kind of statement that can't be tested, and therefore can lead to illogical social policies. The Catholic Church says that gay marriage is wrong, but it's entire premise for this is interpretation of words written a long time ago by people who had different cultural views. Cases like this illustrate how ideologies without a rational, verifiable basis can produce unethical outcomes.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

Conclusions are reached by no other means than recognizing patterns despite the limitations of our current perceptive and cognitive ability.Or by a willingness to believe in conclusions that defy recognized patterns, even to the believer. Coercion, brainwashing, fear, and faith all have a place in allowing people to draw conclusions that they know don't make sense.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

youre right religion is who we are our culture it is who we are we cant help it
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Studies show that religion makes people happier, but why? Who really knows? However, perception of religion being bad is the conflicting views on God or deity, which causes turmoil and hate.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

I am not sure if you are implying that religion is as DarkMatter525 described it. Most people say they feel peace at heart
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Studies show that religion makes people happier, but why? Who really knows?I'd hazard a guess that it's because religion gives hope, and answers the more troubling questions in a way that relieves the responsibility.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

When you think about it. It seems like this is reasonable. But the majority of people are happy with religion because they have found peace and "where they belong"
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

actually no. In Scandinavian countries, in particular, have achieved high levels of economic growth and stability, and yet the influence of religion there is in a steep decline, perhaps the lowest in recorded history. Coincidence of not, those countries also rank among the world's happiest populations.in the Netherlands' Erasmus University Rotterdams' annual World Database of Happiness the same Northern European countries that score low in religiosity rank high in reported levels of happiness (U.S. ranked 27th.)
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

It may have to do with the economic system, because I know socialism breeds happiness.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

But as religion generally despises equality and public ownership of mind and property, you wont find many heavily religious socialist countries.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

perception of religion being bad is the conflicting views on God or deity, which causes turmoil and hate.I agree. I'd add that all government and religious conflict is based on the problem of authority. Most would agree that serving the "greater good" is ideal, but since we don't all agree on what serves the greater good or much less how to define the greater good, we are stuck in the crossfire of competing ideologies that almost universally regard violence as a tool that serves their concept of greater good. Unfortunately for us, so far authoritarian structures prevail. If government based on the consent of the governed ever becomes the norm, I'll be amazed.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

I don't think that all religious and political conflict is out of interest for the "greater good," i think it's often and perhaps more frequently motivated by self-interest, hatred, and the ideals of a brainwashed mind. Do you think that those old frauds in the Vatican sit around thinking of ways to serve the "greater good," or do you think they sit around figuring out how to maintain or improve their own status and, if full social regression isn't possible, at least maintain the status quot? And i think that politicians are more interested in their careers and in garnering public support than in actually doing whatever they consider to be the "greater good."
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Some people's ideas of "greater good" are less inclusive than others.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

.... so much so that it no longer includes any attempt to great the good for anyone but themselves? At which point it kind of ceases to be the greater good and becomes instead self interest?
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Religion is great! For individuals, I mean. For the world, well, it really just depends on how you spin it. People who use religion as a weapon are pretty fucked up and probably deserve only the worst the world can offer.But even to such a thing that's brought so much hate from the intellectual community, it serves a pretty nice little purpose that I like to keep repeating because it seems pretty relevant: Religion gives people hope. Seems kinda dumb or cheesy, I know, but really, you want some pessimists, you get a group of people together who have no reason to believe anything will get any better and see what happens. You give them a religion, and suddenly? They have something to at least hope for, and believe it or not, it can help them, the delusion that is, get over all of the pessimistic attitudes they have. Plus, it gets rid of this really nasty problem of existential anxiety. Once people kind of lose that feeling well, they stop worrying about it and can get on with their lives.It's a friggin' wonder drug. (And you don't even need a needle.)
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

Religion is a beautiful lie, and reality is a painful truth.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

I think the truth is beautiful.I think the universe is beautiful without a god.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Then why tell ourselves the truth? People don't want to believe that they've got nowhere to go when the end is nigh, and if they perform, feel, and act better when they have something to cling to, let them.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

Oh sure, let them believe in a lie. Because at least with religion, you have an excuse to hate others.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

You are completely missing my point and twisting my words. Bravo.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

If people need to cling to spirituality for solace I've said before the are more than welcome to. I wouldn't do anything to stop them even if i could, and i dont think anyone else should try to stop them, either. But we've inflated religion up to ridiculous proportions, and the liberties it takes with other peoples freedom and human rights are unforgivable, as is the brainwashing of an unformed mind. If you're a spiritual person, you dont need religion, you don't need clergy or dogma, and counting yourself as a sheep in religions flock you do your part to enable and strengthen an institution that uses you to legitimize infringing on other peoples beliefs. That is why religious people need to be told the truth, not to strip them of spirituality or the "kingdom of heaven is within" kind of mentality, but to allow that mentality to bloom to the fullest possible extent.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

I think you're describing the difference between spirituality and religion. And spirituality would be enriched if it wasn't contaminated with the hate, oppression, self-loathing, and submission of religion. To be a spiritually enlightened as you can be, i think the first thing you need to do is dump religion. Then you can have hope that has nothing to do with the celestial drama detailed in scripture, and hope free of clergy. If all that religion was and ever was was just a belief, i wouldn't have such a problem with it.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

I'm not saying there's not much better alternatives. Personally I hold a few insane spiritual beliefs myself, but it's easier than the alternative or whatever. There are a lot of things in religion that I don't approve of, but I'd hope people would take what old books say with a grain of salt anyways.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

The alternative?You mean reality? Sheesh. Have COURAGE, bro. You need a hug or something? Reality is beautiful, cause you're beautiful and so are other people. Don't let religion make you an idiot. Think for yourself and if life isn't that great without a god, then MAKE IT GREAT. Invent something to make people's lives easier.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

religion is good if there would no religion then their would be no enjoyment in the life people would not be recognized religion is good for the world as god is 1 there no discrimination in cast or religion.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

im not at all religious and i really enjoy life so your wrong. .
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

No discrimination? Have you not seen how Islam uses the holy war to promote violence? Have you not seen the hate towards homosexuals, atheist, and those of other religions? Religion is a Huge cause of hate and violence throughout the world. If you don't agree with their beliefs, then soon you'll be damning each other to the point where you now will fight and kill each other.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

YOU ARE THE SOURCE OF ALL PURITY AND IMPURITY, NO ONE PURIFIES ANOTHER.BUDDHIST PROVERBS.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

I think so, yes.What's wrong with someone believing something, if it makes their life easier to live?
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Well, I am actually an atheist, but, I feel myself leaning towards maybe. To me, religion is like someone's hope, you can't just stomp on it and say it's horrible and bad and disgusting. No, sometimes, it is that, sometimes people do go out and do crazy things for religion, but sometimes they don't. Sometimes, religion connects everyone, inspires everyone, and gives hope.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Religion is good for the world. It can help people be pure and sin free. But look out for temptation.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

In your eyes. But is it a sun to not believe in the same thing that you do? If yes, are you not judging me for not following the same path you self righteously set out for yourself and then expected all to support you? Is it not a sin to judge? To not accept? Why is it that highly religious people do not practice what they preach?
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

without religion there really is nothing to separate who we really are whats the point of being someone if you don't have your own beliefs about things there's no point in it i say without religion there is no life worth living/.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

So you're saying life is meaningless without religion? That sounds pretty depressing to me.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Religion is not "bad." the depths people go to FOR their religion IS bad. Some religions try to force their way into everybody's everyday life. for instance Christians against gay marriage. You religion should be just that YOUR religion. you can follow the words of whatever book you wish. that shouldn't mean that everybody else has to live the same way you do. that reasoning led to war, mass genocide, and the killing or suicides of many. Religion can also be a good thing. It can unite otherwise completely different people and keep them within the compounds of morality.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

“I believe that religion has been overwhelmingly beneficial to humanity. [Hitchens] is wrong. Yes, you can find atrocities. Yes, you can find modern, comfortable, bourgeois people feeling constrained by disapproval of Bible-quoting parents and so on. But these are minor compared to the limits placed on potentially primitive and barbaric behavior by this code. It’s absolute madness to say that the code of conduct that religion has taught has not been beneficial to humanity. It’s absurd—it’s absurd on the face of it.”—Camille Paglia
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Religion is good but we are using it in bad way as it is necessay because to closely identify the people.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Yes since it serves as a guide to the lost and gives hope to the hopeless. Although its leaders are give trouble to the world, its teachings help humanity become more humane although one must not believe in everything they read in spiritual texts. Its fine to follow religion as long as it does not hurt anyone.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Religion is good for the world but with some strings attached: Religion must not spread hatred or condone war.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

if there was no religion, there would be no equality.. every religion teaches equality... the reason for the current world being unequal is only that half of the people are atheist. The other half who have a religion, they dont follow it in a right way.. Religion is good if it is followed in the right way and without being tampered by people for their self need :)
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

there would be no equality..religion caused inequality all over the world.every religion teaches equality...if that was true why was their ever slavery?he reason for the current world being unequal is only that half of the people are atheist.actually its because majority of the population is Christian.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

All religions teach blind faith. That in itself is enough to warrant the whole thing being called "bad".
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

What? No! that is not true. Some scriptures actually give you challenges if you doubt the religion.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

Then why is it a taboo to question religion. We ask questions that go against the beliefs of it, and it is considered wrong to talk against it.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

when is it taboo? I don't know of a religion which hates getting questioned. At least mine doesn't hate questions.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

At least mine doesn't hate questionsIn quite a few Islamic countires, it's illegal to even say that Islam is false. If that's not 'hating questions', I don't know what is.http://dohanews.co/post/21205860268/could-kuwait-give-the-death-penalty-for- a-tweet  if you want a little context.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

However this is not based on a single thing in the Qur'an because then Muhammad would have killed the Muslims who were questioning him when he said he went to Jerusalem and back in one night.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

More specific please .
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

One example is in one of the Qurar'an challenges to produce one chapter like the the Qur'an if you doubt it is divine, the Qur'an's recitation is so beautiful and the literature & pronouncitiaon is so complex that till now, not one has managed to produce a chapter like it. So beutiful that when the pagan leaders of the tribe of Quraysh heard that the recitation causes people to convert they decided to ban people hearing the recitation and called it "magic poetry". You may not be convinced but I am showing you that the Qur'an does not tell you to believe in God blindly.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

Asking someone to write something is not encouraging criticism about the religion, and its effects on humanity.The Dalai Lama once said that if science proved Buddhism wrong, then Buddhism would change to match the facts. I find this amazing, and see nothing of the sorts from any other religion.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

I did not say it encourages criticism, the verse says that if you doubt then make a chapter like it. I don't really understand what your argument has to do with this. It basically does not say that I need you to be blind and not use logic to accept this religion.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

Chuck's original post claimed that it taught blind faith. Encouraging someone to write something that meets or does not meet some arbitrary standards of writing is not 'not teaching blind faith'. Banning any opinions that differ from yours (me saying Islam is false is illegal here), and following with pure devotion something when its truth is questionable - I mean it is simply up for question, I'm not saying it's false - seems somewhat blind.The very definition of faith, which you will not deny you have, is blind. I have a somewhat blind faith is Atheism. All I'm saying is that there are no hard facts when it comes to religion (or lack of), everyone who takes a side does not know if they are correct.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

True, it is natural, but there is a difference between complete blindness and some blindness but gives some kind of reason
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

True, I don't think that any religion or belief is completely rational. Socrates first made famous the idea that 'we know nothing'.That's why I don't call any religion 'stupid', and always make sure I justify my belief in Atheism. There's lots of information, and all you can do is look at it all and make a rational decision. And that's why I dislike it when anything seeks to make itself be seen as fact, or calls for others to ignore evidence.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

I find it rational to believe in a deity, you find it not..................................................
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

Exactly, and I don't really care which way you go. Why assholes on either sides are still assholes, however right they think they are.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is bad

i believe that the world has no need for religion we all could use some standard of morals but no one needs someone man or woman telling them they are living their life incorrectly.
Debate: Is religion good or bad for the world?
Side: religion is good

The problem with that is. Who will decide what is good and what is bad? In Nazi Germany, it was good to kill Jews. It is a known fact that if you believe in a set of rules are ordained by God, you will immoral breaking them.