PART 3: HARD QUESTIONS
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- Ground Zero: Is There a God?
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- Question 1: Does religion impede scientific and medical progress, such as stem-cell research or comprehensive sex education?
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- Question 2: Can religion coexist with demands for evidence and empirical reasoning?
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- Question 3: Can religious experiences be explained through psychology and neuroscience, making religion redundant?
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- Question 4: Is religion still necessary in a world where science and technology can provide answers to many of our fundamental questions?
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- Question 5: Does religion perpetuate harmful myths and superstitions?
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- Question 6: Is religion a genuine source of comfort, or a coping mechanism for existential dread?
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- Question 7: How can religion address the issue of its scriptures containing factual errors or contradictions?
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- Question 8: Does religion encourage or justify violence, extremism, and terrorism?
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- Question 9: How does religion deal with issues of gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights?
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- Question 10: Is religious freedom a cover for discrimination and prejudice?
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- Question 11: Is religion compatible with human rights and individual freedoms?
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- Question 12: Does religious indoctrination amount to child abuse or cognitive impairment?
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- Question 13: How accountable are religious institutions for instances of abuse or financial fraud?
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- Question 14: Is religious proselytizing ethical, particularly in vulnerable populations?
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- Question 15: Are religious doctrines relevant or outdated in the context of modern ethical dilemmas, such as artificial intelligence and gene editing?
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- Question 16: How can religion compete with the growing number of non-religious ethical frameworks, such as humanism and secular morality?
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- Question 17: Is religion necessary for morality and ethics?
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- Question 18: How can religion be reconciled with the increasing diversity of beliefs and values in modern societies?
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- Question 19: How can religion be adapted to the challenges of the 21st century, such as environmental degradation and global inequality?
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- Question 20: Does religion have an undue influence over political decisions, such as abortion rights or end-of-life choices?
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PART 5: LIGHTNING ROUNDS
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- Question 31: Can morality exist without religion?
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- Question 32: Are all religions equally valid?
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- Question 33: How do you reconcile the existence of evil with an omnipotent, benevolent deity?
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- Question 34: Is religious faith compatible with scientific evidence?
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- Question 35: Can someone be spiritual without being religious?
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- Question 36: Should religious institutions be taxed?
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- Question 37: Is religion more unifying or divisive for society?
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- Question 39: Does religion have a place in public education?
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- Question 40: How do you define a "true believer" in any religion?
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- Question 41: Is it possible for someone to change their religion genuinely or is it merely for convenience?
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- Question 42: Should children be taught about all religions equally in schools?
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- Question 43: Does the concept of hell promote morality or fear?
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- Question 44: Is atheism a form of belief or a lack of belief?
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- Question 45: Can religious texts be interpreted in many ways, and who decides the correct interpretation?
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- Question 46: Should religious beliefs influence healthcare decisions?
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- Question 47: Is it ethical to convert others to your religion?
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PART 6 Section A: Avoid Asking
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- Avoid Asking 85: “If there's no God, why is there something rather than nothing?”
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- Avoid Asking 86: “How can you trust science when it changes so often?”
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- Avoid Asking 87: “Why do most people believe in God if there's no evidence?”
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- Avoid Asking 88: “Isn't atheism just another form of faith?”
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- Avoid Asking 89: “Why are there so many accounts of divine experiences if there is no God?”
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- Avoid Asking 90: “Doesn't atheism lead to nihilism and despair?”
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- Avoid Asking 91: “To what do you attribute the order and laws of nature?”
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- Avoid Asking 92: “What about the historical evidence for Jesus?”
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- Avoid Asking 93: “Isn't life without God meaningless?”
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- Avoid Asking 94: “Why do atheists celebrate religious holidays?”
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- Avoid Asking 95: “How can you explain love without God?”
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PART 6 Section B: Wield Wisely
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- Wield Wisely 101: “Is there historical evidence that nonreligious systems have entirely supplanted religion’s role in shaping ethics, the arts, and the search for meaning in any complex society, past or present?”
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- Wield Wisely 102: “How can societies effectively safeguard against harmful trends and the potential hazards of untested ideologies without the enduring moral and ethical frameworks provided by religious systems?"
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- Wield Wisely 103: “Do you acknowledge religion’s role as a repository of the foundations of societies?”
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- Wield Wisely 104: “Do you recognize the significant role religion has played in shaping the norms that influence our understanding of sanity and identity?”
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- Wield Wisely 105: “Given that secular worldviews have existed throughout history, and the scientific method has been refined for centuries, why haven’t secular frameworks supplanted religious ones?”
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