Introduction
Religion is a set of beliefs that guide a person’s life. Many religions also have a god or gods who are worshipped by the religions’ practitioners. A global poll showed that 59 percent of the world’s population is religious. Today Henry and Ashley will debate whether we need to have a religion. Let’s see what our debaters have to say about this topic.



Constructive Debater 1 Henry
We need to have a religion. I have two reasons why. First, people need to have a set of beliefs to live by. Religion provides people with direction on how to live. For example, many religions have rules against stealing and lying. Secondly, it is good for people to have faith in a higher being. Many people feel comforted believing that a god or gods are looking after them.



Constructive Debater 2 Ashley
We do not need to have a religion. I know that religion is helpful to many people. However, religion also causes wars. People fight because they do not believe in the same god. It is also difficult to make friends with people of other religions. Therefore, it is not necessary to have a religion. We just need to remember that the most important thing is to respect the beliefs of others.



Rebuttal Debater 1 Henry
People do not fight because of religion. Religions often have good guidelines on how to live. Most religions even call for peace and nonviolence. People generally fight because they do not respect the beliefs of others. Everyone should have a religion because it is good to be part of a religious community that helps and supports us. However, I agree that it is very important to respect the beliefs of others.



Rebuttal Debater 2 Ashley
It is good to be part of a religious community. It is also good to have a clear set of religious beliefs. However, it is not necessary to have a religion. Many people are not part of any religion. I do not believe that people need to have a religion in order to know that stealing, lying, or cheating is bad. Finally, it is a personal choice to believe in a higher being.



Judge’s Comments
The winner of today’s debate is Henry. Ashley said, “Religion also causes wars. People fight because they do not believe in the same god. It is also difficult to make friends with people of other religions.” However, her statements are not true in every case. She committed the “sweeping generalization” fallacy.

Karen Lee