Religion is good for society

I really wish we could of seen that debate play out. It seems like the best topics are the ones that have the worst debates.

If anyone has to instigate any debate against Islam he or she shall do against me.

"Positive effects of religion:

Religion often helps people believe that their lives have a purpose.
2. Religion supplies people with direction and meaning, which benefit one’s mental health.

3. Some people attest that their religious beliefs are the source of the courage they need to keep going in life (“The Lord is my strength”).

4. Most people want to believe that there is more to reality than just the physical, scientific universe, and religion teaches us that indeed, there is.

5. The religious view that “everything happens for a reason” can be comforting during difficult times.

6. The religious view that “God has a plan for you” makes life seem less chaotic.

7. Religion allows people to believe they’ve been forgiven when they feel regret and remorse over things they’ve done wrong.

8. Religion allows people to believe that someone (God) understands them and loves them.

9. Religion teaches us to be kind to others.

10. Religion teaches us to serve others.

11. Religion teaches us to forgive others.

12. Religion promotes humility.

13. Religion promotes gratitude.

14. Religion makes the concepts of right and wrong seem more palpable.

15. Religion can help people accept painful things about the world.

16. Religion reminds us that some things can never be known (“God only knows”), which can help to relieve anxiety.

17. Religion can help people come to terms with their own faults and shortcomings.

18. Religion teaches us to focus on what really matters, rather than worldly success.

19. The hope for the afterlife can be a source of comfort for people who are unhappy in life.

20. The hope for the afterlife can also be a source of comfort for people who have recently lost a loved one.

21. In general, the hope for an afterlife makes death seem less frightening.

22. Religion provides us with role models (e. g. the saints).

23. Religion builds community. The deep sense of community that one finds in religion is difficult to find anywhere else.

24. Religion provides a structure to time (e. g. the Sabbath).

25. Some people find religious rituals to be very meaningful (e. g. reciting the Takbir).

26. Religion is the origin of most of the world’s holidays, and holidays are fun.

27. Religion has been the inspiration for much art and music over the centuries.

28. There is evidence that religious people have a lower suicide rate than nonreligious people.

29. Religious groups have been a driving force behind some progressive movements in history, including the abolitionist movement and the Civil Rights Movement.

30. Early Christianity was much more supportive of women than were most other societies at that time. Christianity (arguably) played a role in the long-term development of women’s rights in the Western World.

31. Many religious institutions and organizations provide medical care (and other necessary services) for people all over the world."

https://medium.com/illumination/positive-and-negative-effects-of-religion-7ec841feef07