The Instigator
Derek.Gunn
Con (against)
Winning
37 Points
The Contender
bthr004
Pro (for)
Losing
18 Points

Christianity is true whereas Hinduism and Buddhism are false

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Started: 6/2/2008 Category: Religion
Updated: 3 months ago Status: Voting Period
Viewed: 200 times Debate No: 4311
Debate Rounds (2)
Comments (15)
Votes (17)

 

Derek.Gunn

Con

I believe religions and their gods are the products of Man.

These religions have conflicting claims as to the origins of everything.
Either one is right, or they're all wrong.

Science has far better explanations with consistent support from many bodies of evidence.
bthr004

Pro

It is also ones own personal opinion on the credibility of such evidence, based on science or otherwise.

Since the topic and spirit of this debate is the three religions, and why Christianity is true, and Hinduism and Buddhism false. I am interested to hear why con believes Hinduism and Buddhism is more credible than Christianity.

My theory that Christianity is the truist religion, is not based on factual evidence or personal stake,.. but simply the impracticality of applying the lifestyle required of, to be considered a true follower of the Hinduism and Buddhism faiths, as those faiths compare to the very practical application of the beliefs in everyday life required to be considered a true Christian.

First Buddhism,...

The very fact that most definitions of religion require a belief in the existence of one or more deities. That would disqualify most branches of Buddhism from being considered as religious groups.

A deity is a postulated preternatural or supernatural being, who is always of significant power, worshipped, thought holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, or respected by human beings.

Christianity has one God, and his human form, or son, that is the Savior of mankind, the Lord Jesus Christ. This makes Christianity in different from Buddhism, and by definition the most QUALIFIED religion.

"Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I vow to cultivate compassion and learn ways to protect lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to condone any killing in the world, in my thinking, and in my way of life." Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh.

One of the most defining and unique characteristics of Buddhism is a vegan lifestyle. As the quote by Buddhist Monk Hanh above, Buddhist believe killing animals and manipulating them for human benefit is a sin and most believe the greatest of sins.

This very belief is in fact proving impractical, socially and economically by even Buddhism's own followers.

6.32 million Indians practice buddhism, 80% live in Maharashutra. Maharashutra is the leading dairy producing state in India. In fact India is the leading dairy producing country in the world, and a leader in modern dairy technology such as automated milkers, Embryo Transfer, and Artificial Insemination. Several of the leading dairy producers are Buddhists, showing the impracticality of even the most sacred of beliefs.

"And God said, Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in His [own] image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." -----Genesis 1:26 -28.

The belief that god made humans the dominate the species on this earth is as practical in the proving sense as why you, the human, reading this on computer made by a human, and not your dog reading this, on a computer, made by a dog. Humans are obviously the dominate species of the world, an observance even the most adolescent minds can comprehend.

Hinduism,...

Again, the same principle beliefs that human life has no dominance over other species, makes it as equally impractical as Buddhism.

So even as my opponent has described to me in other debates, as to why humans are in fact the superior and dominate species,... Even my opponent has come into agreement with Christianity and its basic principle beliefs that humans are the dominate, and chosen race. Where as Hinduism and Buddhism do not believe in such theories, despite vast contrary evidence. Making the Christian BELIEFS in the most practical sense of the most TRUTH, and the basic principle beliefs of Hinduism and buddhism, FALSE.
Debate Round No. 1
Derek.Gunn

Con

The advantage of science is that it's evidence isn't based on what people claim.
Science is the best way we have of establishing the truth about natural things.
It doesn't rely upon ancient books or what people want to believe.
Religions do.

We want to believe that dying isn't the end, that we'll go to "a better place".
So nearly all religions have a heaven or "happy hunting grounds" or drinking halls in the sky - or we are reincarnated and come back again, or we achieve nirvana.

Anyone can claim anything... hence people and the books they write cannot be implicitly trusted.
Consequently one cannot trust any religion based on what people claim.
Science suggests via natural evidence that Man evolved into being just like every other animal.

You claim that Buddhism and Hinduism aren't as "true" as Christianity because of their impractical lifestyles, and that having one god (and Jesus, his human manifestation) makes Christianity the most "qualified" religion.
1) Surely a belief is true or it's not?
2) Why should practicality matter?
3) How does Christianity's semi-monotheism make it true? ("qualified")

You go on to point out that the Buddhists and Hindus aren't perfect -
by eating dairy products and not asserting dominance over other animals respectively.
If Christianity rendered it's adherents perfect, you might have a point here.

Certainly humans are able to dominate other animals, thanks to our free and dexterous hands, our ability to communicate, our relatively large size, longevity and very large brain to body-mass ratio.
You seem to feel this makes us special.
We wouldn't appear so special if a virus or bacteria were to evolve and wipe out the entire human population.
It may not be likely, but it's entirely possible.

No, I don't believe we're the chosen race/species/people.
Nor have I seen any reason to believe Christianity is anything special.

"If horses had gods, those gods would be horses" - Herodotus, 500BC
bthr004

Pro

Con has yet to make a valid argument as to why he believes Hinduism and Budhism or equal or great truth than Christianity, he is in fact by rules of THIS debate to take that stance. His un attached platform to his side of the debate has brought nothing to counter my points.

This would be like a debate about how Milk is better than apple juice, yet I only talk about how great cherry coke is.
How is apple juice better, con?

I stated Christianity is better qualified as a religion than buddhism by the definition I gave stating the belief in one or more deities. As to which Buddhism wouldn't qualify by definition of religion.

Again, I never said as to why I believe humans are greater,.. I have not taken personal stake in this debate at all. You listed off parts of the human anatomy as if that were to prove something other. I simply stated that Christianity has accepted their role as the dominate species, a role given to them by their God. Buddhism and Hinduism do not except that position at all, despite the obvious circumstances of the human race, thus, by simple, basic, fundamental, principle beliefs, because of Christianity, when compared to Hinduism and Buddhism, is of the MOST truth!!

"Herodotus was a horses @$$."- brthr004

"A legitimate conflict between science and religion cannot exist. Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."
- Albert Einstein
Debate Round No. 2
15 comments have been posted on this debate. Showing 1 through 10 records.
Posted by Derek.Gunn 2 months ago
Derek.Gunn
Righto, well I'd best get my work out of the way first, then I'll send you another challenge.

I'm surprised you think my debate was weak.
I thought my opening 2nd and 3rd sentences sewed-up the debate all by themselves.

Oh well, we'll be in touch.

Cheers
Posted by bthr004 2 months ago
bthr004
So.. are you going to try to make your stance about how science is true, and christianity false,... I mean you DID do a pretty poor job of proving the equality or greater truths in Buddhism and Hinduism. Yes I will debate you again, with as many rounds as you would like. I first need to alert all of my friends to vote on this last one though, I can not bear the thought of losing again to another poorly structured debate.
Posted by Derek.Gunn 2 months ago
Derek.Gunn
You're quite right.
I could have done better, however I do have stronger arguments.
Should we try again? Perhaps with more rounds?
Posted by bthr004 2 months ago
bthr004
Just for sake of THIS debate,... I mean the actual structure of the debate and the points put forward,... I thought Derek.Gunn putup a weak stance, Not that mine was good, but only two rounds. Mine was better. LOL.
I was not baked also,.. drunk perhaps, but not baked.
Posted by Derek.Gunn 2 months ago
Derek.Gunn
And here to counter a half-baked claim based on bthr004's quote from Einstein, is another;

"It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious
convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I
do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied
this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me
which can be called religious then it is the unbounded
admiration for the structure of the world so far as our
science can reveal it." - Albert Einstein
Posted by HandsOff 2 months ago
HandsOff
Well, now he has just enough knowledge to be dangerous. The I.D. movement and the like have actually emboldened him to begin spreading these half-baked theories.
Posted by Derek.Gunn 2 months ago
Derek.Gunn
Well, that's a step in the right direction.
If chariot wheels were able to survive that length of time in the sea, the probability increases a little.
It's quite difficult to get people to understand that our knowledge of anything in the natural/real world is made up of probabilities based on evidence.
Posted by HandsOff 2 months ago
HandsOff
His views are also backed by historical correlations to biblical stories. In other words, if he could verify that there was once a world-wide flood, then the story of Noah and his ark is therefore true. And if charriot wheels are discovered at the bottom of the red see, then they must have come from the Roman soldiers who were killed after the Red Sea was parted and then closed again.
Posted by Derek.Gunn 2 months ago
Derek.Gunn
A good example of being too credible (gullible).
It's very lucky therefore that your friend did not visit a schizophrenia ward.
Posted by HandsOff 2 months ago
HandsOff
I have a christian friend who distinguishes the validity of christianity from the others by the fact that JC said he was the son of god, and no others did. This translates to the notion that if Buddha would have simply claimed to be the son of god, my friend would now be a buddhist.
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