Religion debate motions

Closed-community reality TV shows follow outsiders or insiders entering closed religious communities (e.g., the Amish community) to show how strict beliefs, rules, and lifestyles shape everyday life.

Evangelism is the process through which churches recruits followers. Churches typically adopt one of two approaches when first approaching potential members. The Relational Approach seeks to attract and retain followers primarily through emphasizing the friendships, community, and social support that religious participation can provide. The Proclamation Approach seeks to attract and retain followers primarily through establishing affinity between the individual and the divine. Common ways include proclamation of the gospel (e.g., sharing that Jesus atoned for humanity's sins through His sacrifice), Catechism, etc.

A religious leader is an individual who guides a community in spiritual beliefs, practices, and moral teachings within a religion. They can have influence in interpreting doctrine and leading rituals.

For the purpose of this debate religious surveillance is a persistent monitoring of the behaviour of followers within a religion. This exists as a heightened expectation to follow a prescribed timeline and bio markers of age in reaching rites of passages such as marriage, child bearing etc. This occurs both in secular and nonsecular states.

Christian nationalism is a political and ideological belief that a nation should be closely connected to Christianity in its laws, identity, and government. Supporters believe the country was founded as a Christian nation (or should become one) and that Christian values should guide public policy and national life.

Historically, religious figures like the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and the Catholic Popes have been central figures in the quest for world peace. Their involvement in conflict resolution, humanitarian crises and others often involve peace negotiations, religous messaging to address these conflicts, meetings with world leaders, amongst so many others.

Charles was born religious. He personally had negative experiences in the church that began his arc towards becoming atheist. He lived a lonely life dedicated to his research of disproving God. He is now an established scientist with uncontestable proof to the inexistance of God. A few years later, Charles is married and lives in a religious town with healthy commmunity and moral values. He has friends in the church and regulary attends church activities. He feels like he belongs to a family.

The Holy See is the central governing body of the Catholic Church (including the Pope). The term "two-speed Church" refers to an approach within the Catholic Church in which local or regional churches determine doctrines and practices or adopt reforms at varying paces, depending on their context.

Religious closeness is the belief that God is everywhere and in everything. It preaches that individuals should consider the divine implications of their daily actions (e.g. cooking, gardening, work, etc.) and act as if they are doing them for God and in the name of God. Religious distance is the belief that God is distant from the world. It preaches that individuals can only find God by religious practices (s.a. praying, meditating, giving offers, etc.) and should only be contacted for significant decisions (e.g. choosing who to marry, dodging the draft, etc.).

Religious Councils are councils of religious leaders from the dominant faith in a country which advise governments on whether their laws comply with religious scripture before they are passed. Their advice is non-binding.

The traditional ontological belief in Christianity is predicated by a hierarchical theory of structure, where authority flowed from the top down, and laws—both moral and civil—were seen as expressions of this divinely ordained structure, with the church playing a central role in interpreting God's will and enforcing moral order. In contrast, the Two-Kingdoms doctrine holds that there is a separation between the divine and the earthly. In this view, all people and institutions in the earthly realm are equal in nature and authority. Law in the earthly kingdom is judged by human reason and justice rather than divine hierarchy, and no person or institution mediates another's relationship with God.

For the purpose of this debate, pilgrimages are physical journeys to sacred religious sites. Examples include the Hajj to Mecca in Islam, the Camino de Santiago in Christianity, and the Kumbh Mela in Hinduism.

Sectarian minorities are groups that differ from the dominant sect of a religion in beliefs, practices, or identity. These typically include religious communities such as Shia Muslims in Sunni-majority countries, or other smaller Islamic sects (e.g., Ismailis, Ahmadis, and etc.).

"This isn't dogma, just my thought: I like to think of hell as empty. I hope it is." - Pope Francis

Religious reinterpretative groups are movements, organizations, or schools of thought within a religion that reinterpret existing religious texts, doctrines, or traditions. Examples include Liberation Theology, Islamic Feminism, Arya Samaj* etc. *Arya Samaj is an Indian Hindu reform movement that rejects hereditary caste and untouchability as later distortions, advocating for a merit-based social order

Rumspringa is a tradition in some Amish communities, typically beginning around age 16. Amish youth are given the chance to engage with non-Amish society (e.g. adopt modern clothing and technology, explore life beyond their community's strict norms, etc.) for a period of time, before deciding whether to be baptised into the Amish church.

Purgatory is the concept where those who are seen as 'morally grey' or 'morally neutral' are placed into an afterlife which is neither heaven nor hell, but somewhere in the middle. This is in contrast to most religious beliefs which only have a heaven or hell

Human nature refers to the characteristics, feelings, and behaviors that are considered typical or innate to humans. It includes qualities that are believed to be part of being human across cultures and time.

In this debate, "a world where God sometimes does wrong things" means a world where God can make mistakes or act unfairly, just like humans sometimes do. "A world where God is always right" means God never makes mistakes and everything He does is always good and perfect.

The heads of religious organizations such as the Dalai Lama and the Indonesian Ulema Council have heavily pushed for the protection of the environment and the implementation of environmental sustainability. This is based on the common core tenets of religions, that promulgate the idea of "stewardship" over Earth.

The quote "God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him." is a famous statement from Friedrich Nietzsche's The Gay Science, published in 1882.

For the purposes of this debate religious neutrality means the state treats all religions equally. Religious indifference means the state does not engage with religion at all, not privileging, not recognizing, not accommodating

Liberation theology blends Christian doctrine with political activism, particularly in Latin America and Africa, advocating for the poor and oppressed.

Side B Christians are Christians who identify as experiencing same sex attraction but nevertheless believe that homosexual sex is sinful and therefore attempt to remain celibate.

Springtime celebrations were widely practised from different cultures and mythology, signifying the celebration of fertility and rebirth, after the dead winter, with the bunny symbolizing fertility blessing and the eggs symbolizing the creation cycle itself, stemming from multiple pagan beliefs. Christianity didn't entirely reject the significance of the Springtime celebration but re-adapted it into one of its stories. The story of holy sacrifice, resurrection, and re-birth of believers.

A devoted religious scientist makes a groundbreaking discovery: God undeniably exists. However, this revelation comes with a harrowing truth—creation itself was designed with a singular purpose: to sustain God by feeding on human suffering.

*this includes prohibiting religious symbols in public spaces, not providing funding to religious schools and charities, not having an official state religion, etc.

When dealing with religious extremism within the community, religious leaders can choose to focus on either community-based reasons (e.g. highlighting a lack of condemnation for extremism within the community, failure to address misinterpretations of religious texts, or inadequate efforts to promote tolerance and understanding among followers), or individual circumstances (e.g. highlighting factors like poverty, war-induced trauma, or mental health issues affecting the specific individuals involved in the attack).

The divine right of kings is a political and religious doctrine of a monarchy. It follows that only God can judge a monarch, and that any attempt to depose, dethrone, resist or restrict their powers runs contrary to God's will and may constitute a sinful act. In a theocracy, without the concept of the divine right of kings, religious leaders and institutions govern the state directly and have the divine authority on earth.

The 1986 People Power Revolution was a nonviolent protest that led to the end of Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s 20-year dictatorship and the inauguration of Corazon Aquino as President of the Philippines. An estimated two million people participated in the revolution. Religious groups played a significant role in the protest, alongside opposition political parties, military defectors who opposed Marcos, and militant groups. Religious groups were led by then-Archbishop of Manila, Cardinal Jaime Sin, who called on Filipinos to surround the police and military headquarters to protect military defectors. Additionally, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) wrote a statement opposing Marcos, calling out the government's systematic voter disenfranchisement, widespread vote-buying, tampering of election results, and political violence.

"Honorable poverty" is the doctrine that excess, waste, and opulence are all sinful, and states that the accumulation of all wealth beyond what is necessary to meet one's basic needs is immoral.

For Anglican churches to be 'in communion' is for them to recognise each other's sacraments and bishops and view each other as being part of one overall church. The Anglican Communion is a denomination of regional churches who are in communion with the Church of England (CoE). Currently the Anglican Communion is divided over liberalising reforms (e.g. the ordination of females priests and bishops, the acceptance of and performing of same-sex marriages). The major conservative block within the Anglican Communion is the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches. These divides have also caused splintering of Anglicanism in the USA, with the conservative Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) splitting from the liberal Episcopal Church. The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches recognise the ACNA, but the CoE and other more liberal Anglican churches do not.

In Buddhism, salvation is described as achieving nirvana, a state of liberation from the "three poisons" of greed, hatred, and ignorance. It is attained through personal practice of meditation, self-enlightenment, and virtue. Alternatively, salvation in Christianity is understood as being saved from sin and eternal damnation. Salvation is granted by God's grace, through faith in Jesus Christ and following divine teachings.

A miracle is something amazing and unusual that happens, which people often believe is caused by God or a higher power because it doesn't seem possible by normal means.

For the purposes of this debate, dominant political parties are ones that have won multiple elections and have been in power for a long time. We will assume power can be handed over in a fair election.

There is an all knowing, all powerful God who created the universe and all life within it. After the creation, God has let the universe follow its own course, with limited interventions. God is no longer necessary for the continuation of the universe and its natural laws. There is no other God. None of this is revealed to humanity at the moment

Dystheism is a theological concept that refers to the belief in a deity or deities who are not wholly good or benevolent, and may even be considered malevolent or evil. Significant examples of religions that exhibit a dystheistic perspective include the belief system of the Ancient Greeks, who worshipped gods that frequently engaged in conflicts among themselves and manipulated humans for their own entertainment. Another example is Hinduism, where one of the gods, Shiva, is directly associated with deliberate destruction directed at people. The term ""morally infallible"" refers to the idea that an entity, typically a deity or a divine being, is incapable of making any moral mistakes or committing any morally wrong actions. In other words, a morally infallible being is perfect in its moral judgment and behavior, always acting in alignment with moral principles and never engaging in morally objectionable acts.

Various religions around the world incorporate the idea of environmental protection and conservation either implicitly or explicitly. For instance, Genesis 2:15 in the Christan Bible includes instructions from God to 'till and keep' the Garden of Eden and emphasises the idea of 'stewardship' over the Earth. In the Surah Al-A'raf 7:31, the importance of avoiding wasteful behaviour is highlighted.

Many religions advocate for the divine destiny. This is seen in for example, the Christian scriptures and Islamic belief in al-qadar. That is, God has a predetermined plan for each one of his creation.

For the purposes of this debate, religions that "center the self" embrace human existence and individual experiences as special. Believers are asked to consider their choices and experiences, struggles, and connection to God as uniquely important and a path to salvation. In contrast, religions that "reject the self" explicitly reject the idea that human existence and individual experiences are special. Believers are asked to accept individual experiences as temporary and unimportant, and individuality as an illusion that causes unhappiness.

B: Introvert' Catholics believe that the Church should remain discrete from the modern, secular world, keeping as close to tradition as possible, and being actively-countercultural. 'Extrovert' Catholics see the Church as responding to the needs of the world, and are more tolerant of making doctrinal change to align with changing social values. Pope Francis is very much an 'extrovert'.

The phrase 'Benevolent God' refers to the popular depiction of God as a being of the highest mercy, full of absolute kindness, compassion and capable of forgiving even the most atrocious wrongdoings.

Historical religious sites are places and structures that were made for religious worship. Over time, they have gained importance in both the religions they represent and in world history.

Under Epicureanism, individuals are instructed to have desires which are simple and easy to access. For example, individuals are advised not to desire wealth because you are not guaranteed to access it.

Being morally fallible is defined as being able or being likely to make mistakes on issues of a moral nature for example on certain religious teachings or core values.

You are the oldest living son of a king, with one younger brother. Your kingdom is unstable, death and disease are rampant, even within the royal family. You feel obligated to help as much as possible. Bishops in your country are powerful and rich religious leaders.

The late Hubert Dreyfus and Sean Kelly's book, All Things Shining: Reading the Western Classics to Find Meaning in a Secular Age, addresses the question of finding meaning in the contemporary world. The preface sets out the book's project: The world doesn't matter to us the way it used to. The intense and meaningful lives of Homer's Greeks, and the grand hierarchy of meaning that structured Dante's medieval Christian world, both stand in stark contrast to our secular age. The world used to be, in its various forms, a world of sacred, shining things. The shining things now seem far away. The first chapter, entitled "Our Contemporary Nihilism," focuses on the angst caused by the many choices we now have compared to previous generations. In response people typically adopt a self-confident persona to mask their insecurity, or they become paralyzed by their obsessions and addictions. But neither mollifies our existential anguish, as anxiety pervades western civilization, as our former religious moorings have been lost. In the Middle Ages, for better or worse, nearly everyone believed that God created them and determined their fate. One could choose to turn away from God and sin in medieval times, but being an atheist or rejecting religious ethics altogether wasn't an available choice. But today ethical prescriptions are tenuous, and nihilism is a viable option. The faith that once comforted does so no longer—today even fervent believers face existential questions. But Dreyfus and Kelly present us with a third option: the ability to find your own sacred meaning in the everyday— the ritual of drinking your daily cup of coffee, the music that puts you in a trance of pure bliss, or the sacred attachment you have with a sports team. They describe this as a practice of neo-polytheism, where we imbue sacred meaning in the flow of our daily lives. One where our desires, and fancies come to define our own personal God. Yet this everyday is often informed by the vices of capitalist consumption, of falling into the trap of advertisement and vanity. By finding meaning in your own individual niche, one also risks erasing the embedded moral conflicts, and inequalities that accompany the expensive world of coffee and sports. And they also hold the risk of losing touch with community, and the collective force of sharing religious experience in an institutionalized setting.

Babasaheb Ambedkar had made a historic declaration on October 13, 1935 at Yeola (in Nashik district) of his resolve to renounce Hinduism. As a follow-up of this declaration and in order to have a blueprint for the tasks ahead, a conference titled Mumbai Ilakha Mahar Parishad (Mumbai Province Mahar Conference) was organised from May 30 to June 1, 1936 at Mumbai. In the conference, Ambedkar made a detailed and passionate speech, which was published under the title "Mukti Kon Pathe?" ("Which Path to Salvation?"). In "Mukti Kon Pathe?" Ambedkar outlined two considerations in changing religion – existential and spiritual. In explaining the existential consideration, he mainly indicated the pitiful plight of Dalits. They suffered atrocities at the feeblest violation of the caste code as perceived by the caste Hindus. Coming to the existential aspect of this problem, he observed that the lack of strength of Dalits was the root cause of the perpetuation of this conflict. Dalits did not possess any of the three strengths human beings are expected to possess, namely, the strengths of numbers, wealth and education. If Dalits relied upon their own strength, they could not hope to escape their prevailing miserable state. He thus justifies his call for conversion as an existential necessity for Dalits. It followed that the religion they convert to should have a sizeable community in the country, with Islam, Christianity and Sikhism implicitly constituting his zone of consideration. The spiritual consideration in the change of religion was related with enhancing the worth of an individual. Since the Hindu religion did not have any place for an individual, it could not provide spiritual solace to anyone. According to Ambedkar, the real objective of a religion should be the spiritual development of individuals: "[B]irth of an individual is not for service of the society, it is for his or her own emancipation." He saw the necessity of three things for the development of an individual – compassion, equality and freedom, which he saw in Buddhism.

Karmic balance refers to the view that individuals who behave in a blameworthy manner will face punishment and suffering, and those who behave in a praiseworthy manner will lead eternally happy lives in the after-life. Divine grace refers to the view that irrespective of the morality of their actions in life, individuals will be forgiven and access eternally happy lives in the after life.

For the purpose of this debate, "God's light" refers to the concept where God bestows a believer with faith and/or sense of religiosity. Non-believers are seen as people who were simply not bestowed with faith, rather than individuals who actively or passively strayed from faith.

The Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of the largest schools of Tibetan Buddhism, with the closely connected Panchen Lama second to the Dalai Lama in the hierarchy. Upon the death of either the Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama, a search for the reincarnation is conducted in order to select a successor. The Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama each have supreme authority in the process of recognizing each other's reincarnations i.e. the Panchen Lama must approve the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and vice-versa. In 1995, the then-six year old Panchen Lama was kidnapped by the Chinese government. His whereabouts are still unknown, but the CCP have stated that he is living a normal life in China with his family. The Dalai Lama is unable to choose the next reincarnation of the Panchen Lama without confirmation that the current Panchen Lama is deceased.

The World Of Total Belief, God exists, is benevolent, and bears a striking similarity to existing conceptions of monotheism in our world. This is a world that looks exactly like our own, except for the fact that everyone believes in God and agrees on God's key features. This belief cannot be challenged by anyone in this world.

For the purposes of this debate, there are two dominant narratives within the LGBTIQ+ movement regarding religion: one where the discourse seeks a constant critique of religion and another where the narrative seeks to generate a reinterpretation of religions to give acceptance to the community.

A papal conclave is convened when the College of Cardinals needs to appoint the successor of The Pope. The College of Cardinals is appointed by the current Pope and usually consists of ordained bishops.

For the purpose of this debate, the concept of Divine Gift is the concept wherein God bestows a believer with faith and or sense of religiosity. Non believers are seen as people who were simply not bestowed with this gift, rather than individuals who actively or passively strayed from faith.

The "tests of God" refers to the belief that hardships and difficulties in life only exist to test one's spiritual and emotional strength

Fantasia is a world where everyone is equally happy, but nobody can become more happy or sad during their lifetime. On Earth, people are much happier or much sadder than others, but have the ability to become more happy or sad during their lifetime

The timer is a hypothetical device that can be implanted in a human. Once a person with this implant reaches the age of 21, the device activates and their remaining time is displayed on their forearm. When the time elapses, the person dies. Whilst implanted with an active timer, a person cannot die of natural causes. The timer has an initial time of 24 hours. In a world in which the timer exists, time is the currency used in all monetary transactions. This means that people are able to earn more time in their timer via employment, they are able to exchange time for goods and services and are able to exchange time between each other. Once implanted, the timer cannot be removed.

1. The Parmenides principle says that there is a single unchanging reality (being), even if our understanding of it keeps varying over time. It is popularly summarised as "whatever is, is, and what isn't, cannot be." Followers try to understand "what is", by investigating into unchanging objects, and discussing how they can be known through reason. 2. The opposite position is Skepticism, which refutes the possibility of developing "knowledge" of any objective reality. It states that there are varying degrees of plausibility, on the basis of which we form beliefs to live our lives by, and having beliefs is the best that we can ever do.

Hijra mythology believes that hijras have the power to bless or curse. This has resulted in fear of the hijra community, as in some areas they are hired as tax collectors to ensure compliance. They often force themselves into special occasions, such as weddings or the birth of a child, to demand payment in exchange for blessings. As a result, Hijra communities often live-in close-knit communities, isolated from mainstream society.

Rumspringa is the Amish tradition of sending off 18-year-olds to live in the outside world for 1 year, after which they may choose or not to return to the Amish community.

The notion of "God's Plan" within many religions suggests that God has a plan for each and every person; with regards to how their life turns out on Earth and that everything happens for a reason

You are 6 sentient otters in a trenchcoat successfully masquerading as a human living a comfortable life as an accountant in the Midwest USA.

the "born this way" narrative suggests that an individual's sexual orientation and gender identity is something they are born with, thus rendering it innate and unchangeable. For decades, this perspective has been the rallying cry of the LGBTQ+ movement in order to advance political change and cultural acceptance.

There is a red button that if pressed, would end all of humankind. If it is not pressed, life will go on as it is for everyone.

Folk Saints are dead people recognized by the general population as saints who were not officially acknowledged as saints by the Catholic church. Unlike regular saints, they lived lives that the church considers sinful. They are popular in many regions, especially in Latin America. Examples include Sarita Colonia that answers the prayers of sex workers & LGBT people; and Juan Soldado that answers the prayers of people who commit low-level crimes out of financial desperation.

For the purposes of this debate, there are two dominant narratives within the LGBTIQ+ movement regarding religion: one where the discourse seeks a constant critique of religion and another where the narrative seeks to generate a reinterpretation of religions to give acceptance to the community.

A YOLO trennd (You Only Live Once) means a lifestyle or trend that many young people have adopted as a way to better enjoy life in the present, and not to think about saving up for the future

Neo-Paganism refers to the modern religious movement which revives indigenous and/or religions that may be polytheistic (e.g. Hellenism, Hinduism, Shamanism, Indigenous Magick, etc.). Many practitioners oppose the organization of religion (i.e. eclecticism). Conversely, New Atheism is a movement arguing that superstitions, religions and "irrational beliefs" should not be tolerated but heavily criticized and countered. Advocates are anti-religion, antitheistic, and promote "rationality".

The belief in all major religions is that what happens to an individual after they die is determined by their actions here on Earth (i.e the sum of one's good and bad deeds). In Karmic-based religions the belief is that if an individual's good deeds outweigh the bad deeds, the individual is reborn in circumstances that offer them a better quality of life in their next life (and vice versa). In religions which are based on eternal reward-punishment, the belief is that at the end of one's life, depending on the good/bad deeds one has done, the individual would receive either an eternal reward (eg: ability to enter heaven/eternal paradise) or receive an eternal punishment (eg: eternal suffering in hell).

For the purpose of this debate, the "test of god" refers to the narrative in which religious followers are taught that their difficulties in life (which may include but are not limited to personal struggles, relationship woes, economic difficulties, natural disasters) are tests of God through which their spiritual and emotional strengths are tested.

In Abrahamic Religion, the False Messiah is predominantly recognized as an evil figure prophesized to take the form of a human being that will wreak havoc and bring about the End of Days. However, some believe that the False Messiah is a metaphor for a degenerate state of humanity where evil and wickedness prevail.

The "Veil of Ignorance" is a thought experiment in political philosophy, in which we make a choice, without knowing our position in society, i.e., despite knowing how society is, but not who we would be once born. || Rapture is a city outside out of the jurisdiction of any nation, and it can't have any contact with the outside world. In the Rapture there are no laws and formal rules.

The veil of ignorance is a thought experiment/theory of philosophy meant to be undertaken by a group of people tasked with constructing an ideal society. For the purpose of this thought experiment they assume no class, privileges, disadvantages, and personalities. They are asked to consider which principles and laws they would select for the basic structure of society, but with no knowledge ahead of time of what position they would end up having in that society.

Several religions recognize self-denial as a requirement to attain salvation or transcendence. Self-denial presents itself in different religions in the form of celibacy, asceticism, abstinence, giving up material or sensory pleasures, etc.

Guilt-based religions are systems that base morality on self-introspection while shame-based religions are systems that base morality on social pressure

The rationalist community is broadly defined by these beliefs: First, that rational inquiry and empirical evidence are the best tools to make sense of the world, and that it is essential to confront human biases. Second, that our world is a harshly neutral world, with physics indifferent to our suffering. Third, more subjectively, that it is right and good that we look upon the world and have opinions about how to change it. That it is wrong that millions struggle in poverty, or die of malaria, or are trapped by systems we built ourselves that are indifferent to our struggles. Recently, we have seen the creation of rituals around celebrating these beliefs, such as a celebration of the winter solstice, where a group of rationalists "'ate some food, sang some songs, and lit some candles' and 'told stories about why the universe was the way it was and about what kind of people we wanted to be.' At the end of the gathering they extinguished the last candle in the room and sat for a moment in darkness."

There's a pale romance to the watchmaker God of Descartes and Paley; He drafted and installed us in the Apparatus. He loved to tinker; but having perfected what He had to do, stood off shrouded in his loneliness.

For the purposes of this debate, there is a Simp Spirit that has the capacity to know the truth and intensity of every debater's simping and quantitatively identify the most simped-for individual. This individual will be bestowed the power of Simp God, which gives them epistemic access to everyone's simping and the intensity of that simping.

In Once Upon a Time, the Evil Queen curses all fairytale characters to live in a fictional town in real-world Maine. There, the characters (except the Queen) are robbed of the memories of their true selves and live an un-aging/endless existence, which the Queen derives amusement from. The town's only hope is Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, who was transported alone as a baby to the 'real world' before the curse was cast. The curse therefore does not apply to her and she is unaware of her true identity. It is prophecised that Emma may be able to break the curse on her 28th birthday (if she comes into contact with the town). 5 years into the curse, Snow White and Prince Charming 'accidentally' wake, and have the means to escape the town and find their daughter (now growing up as an orphan). However, they would likely doom the rest of the town to live under the curse forever. Alternatively, they can put themselves back under the curse.

The chosen one is a common fantasy trope. Their identity typically revolves around a task that has been set aside for them, which they typically pursue without much hesitation or complication. Examples include Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker, and Harry Potter. The chosen one is often, conveniently, an orphan or complicated child.

In Canada, a registered charity must have a clearly-defined purpose that falls into at least 1 of 4 categories. These include 1. relief of poverty, 2. advancement of education, 3. advancement of religion, and 4. other tangible social benefits, such as environmental advocacy or health research. A charity can also fall into multiple categories (i.e. a homeless shelter with tutoring programs, a church that runs a food bank), if they form a significant portion of its activities.

There is a world in which humans can communicate with the dead. This communication is painful for the dead and disturbs them in their eternal rest.

Rumspringa' is an Amish tradition of sending off 18 year olds to live in outside world for 1 year, after which they may choose to return to their community

In Christian theology, universal reconciliation is the doctrine that all sinful and alienated human souls—because of divine love and mercy—will ultimately be reconciled to God.

TH prefers a world where every individual is perceived to have equal access to a deeper connection with religious deities (as opposed to e.g. religious leaders being perceived to have more such access)

Eternal after-life is where after your physical death, your consciousness survives in some form for eternity. As opposed to this, re-incarnation is where the consciousness of the deceased individual is transferred to a newly born individual.

An individual's post-trauma reconstructed identity refers to the concept that an individual's identity is fundamentally reshaped as a result of traumatic lived experiences and that their identity is no longer what it once were. Pre-trauma identity reconstruction is a psychological strategy which attempts to dislodge the ways trauma has shifted a person's identity and to "bring back" the identity of the individual to what it was pre-trauma.

Religious education is the teaching of a particular religion and its varied aspects: its beliefs, doctrines, rituals, customs, rites, personal roles, etc.

Sinification is a process by which non-Chinese societies have come under the influence of Chinese culture, particularly Han-Chinese culture, language, societal norms, and ethnic identity. Historically this process was mainly institutional. De-sinification is the deliberate reversal of that process. (discouraging mixed ethnicity marriages, adopting non-Chinese names, celebrating religious holidays instead of national ones, etc.)

A tiny percentage of the population (~750,000 people globally) have genetic markers dormant in their DNA which can be activated by a chemical called Terrigen. If an affected human is not exposed to Terrigen, their life will continue normally. If they are exposed to Terrigen, they undergo a process of change, Terrigenesis, which irreversibly changes their DNA and every cell in their body. In the process, the individual may undergo drastic physical changes and will develop their own supernatural power (e.g. shooting lightning, creating powerful vibrations, super speed).

Proselytization is the attempt to convert someone from one religion, belief, or opinion to another.

CHALLENGE: You will gain a speaker point if your introduction includes an impression of Donald Trump. MOTION: Heaven banning would involve social media companies using bots to interact with banned individuals while preventing real people from seeing their posts. Someone who has been heaven banned would not necessarily realise they had been banned. Social media companies would have discretion over the process of heaven banning, e.g. they might phase in bot followers.

For the purposes of this debate, assume that all gods exist in a competitive market. Gods must compete for human belief in order to gain strength. If belief falls below a certain level, the God will exist only as a memory, or even disappear eventually. For example, Greek gods are a memory but have no concrete form nor power. There are innumerable forgotten gods who society has simply moved past. Gods can be created or brought back into existence if human belief in them is sufficient. Gods themselves, while shaped in appearance and priorities by how humans imagine them, are all knowing and autonomous. Humans are unaware of the deity marketplace. Minor gods are either gods in non-major religions or minor gods in major religions.

Religious pluralism is the belief that the divine is transcendental and unknowable to individuals, and hence all religions are merely equally valid interpretations of the unknowable. Religious inclusivism is the belief that only one religion is correct and true, but individuals who did not have to opportunity to be converted into the one true faith can still attain salvation, if they abide by the moral codes they have.

Free will, in humans, the power or capacity to choose among alternatives or to act in certain situations independently of natural, social, or divine restraints.

Religious groups commonly engage in political affairs at an international level. For example, the Quakers, as a historic peace church, operate offices at the United Nations. Another example is the Taliban, which is a religious group as well as a non-state actor

Indoctrination means teaching someone to accept beliefs uncritically. In the case of religion, this can include (but is not limited to) emphasising strict adherence to religious teachings and not presenting alternative viewpoints.

The Mormon church is one of the most active churches in terms of proselytizing its religion worldwide through missionary activity. Missions are usually performed by young men and women (recent school graduates, around 18-20 y.o.) who spend up to two years of their lives living and converting people in randomly assigned countries. Going on a mission is regarded as a virtue and Mormon children are socially conditioned to see it as one of the fundamental aspects of fulfilling their religious duties. Missions are mostly financed by missionaries themselves or sometimes partially financed by the church. For the purposes of this debate, this concept is described as a "rigorous mission scheme."