Debate Blog: Does Religion Make the World a Better Place?

       In the Communication 101 class debate I argued for the motion “This House Believes that Organized Religion Makes the World a Better Place.” My first main point was that religion is here to stay, and there’s no getting rid of it. If anything, religion is only getting stronger in the world and we ought to accept those who are religious. I addressed how it is a myth that secularization is a necessary product of modernity. The continent of Europe is the exception – the only place where religion is not getting stronger. We must include the entire world if we are to get a full scope on religion. 84% of the world is religious (and a good number of the other 16% still hold “religious beliefs”, i.e. belief in a higher power. I cited the origins of religion, as well as a few historical figures that were heavily influenced by their religion (Francis of Assisi, Mother Theresa, Muhammed Yunus, Gandhi). Both my partner and I discussed the power of self-healing prayer in medicine, and how “positive thinking” often derives from people’s faith. I argued that we cannot deny people the right to believe in a religion. One does not have to be religious in order to see how it ties communities together and does good deeds for people all over the world.

       I thought that the debate was fun as well as a learning experience. I think we had some strong points that hopefully made the audience question their preconception of religion. Considering the amount of time we had to make out arguments, I would have changed some of my last points for a stronger conclusion statement. I thought that my partner and I did a good job of dividing the labor, not stepping on each other’s shoes, so to speak, in the debate. Our research and preparation was vital and helped us develop each of our arguments (which often did not conform to our personal opinions). I thought that my partner in the debate, Derek, was very well prepared. His speech was informative (full of statistics), and persuasive at showing the positive side of religion.

Bibliography

Davis, Jeanie Lerche DavisWebMD. "Can Prayer Heal?" WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2013. <http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/can-prayer-heal>.

"The Global Religious Landscape - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life." The Global Religious Landscape - Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Pew Research Center, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. <http://www.pewforum.org/global-religious-landscape-exec.aspx>.

Hawkins, David R. Power vs. Force: The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 2002. Print.

Science Refutes God. Perf. Lawrence Krauss, Michael Shermer, Ian Hutchinson, Dinesh D'Souza. Science Refutes God. Intelligence Squared Debates, 5 Dec. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2013. <http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/past-debates/item/728-science-refutes-god>.