Instigator / Pro
0
1522
rating
18
debates
58.33%
won
Topic
#1776

Modern Western values owe more to Enlightenment philosophy than to religion.

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
0
0
Better sources
0
0
Better legibility
0
0
Better conduct
0
0

After not so many votes...

It's a tie!
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
4
Time for argument
Three days
Max argument characters
10,000
Voting period
Two weeks
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
0
1438
rating
7
debates
14.29%
won
Description

I will be arguing that the moral, political, and social values of the modern West (meaning Europe, the United States, and other European-derived cultures) are more closely connected to the ideas propogated by 18th-century Enlightenment thinkers than to Judeo-Christian religion. Ideas I will be focusing on include humanism, democracy, science, secularism, human rights, rationality, and progress. My opponent must argue in favor of religion as the primary influence on today's Western values, as opposed to the often anti-religious Enlightenment.

Rules:
1. No new arguments in the final round from either side
2. BoP will be shared between debaters. Each side must attempt to prove that their position is correct.

Structure:
Round 1 = Opening arguments
Round 2 = Rebuttals
Round 3 = Rebuttals
Round 4 = Final rebuttals and summary

I will be taking a risk by allowing anyone to accept. Here's hoping for a challenging and spirited debate!

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@Phenenas
@BiblicalChristian101

Forgot all about this one. Sorry it went unvoted.

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@BiblicalChristian101

I'm surprised that no one listed what those Modern Western values are. If they had been listed, we would have been able to see that every one of them has corollary in Bible.
Every western value is based on the axiom that all men are created equal, and the men who expounded it used God, if not always as an entity, but as a concept to ground the idea of intrinsic, inalienable rights. It is actually the enlightenment philosophy that owes more to Christianity. Hat tip to con.

I don't think this debate will do justice to the theme. Though I am debating this I have another one on the same subject that will go more in depth if anyone is interested. I have it titled The Bible is the Foundation of Western Civilization.

hol up

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@Phenenas

Secularism is not anti-Christian.

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@Dr.Franklin

There was certainly philosophy in the late Roman Empire, but nothing like that of the Enlightenment. Historians consider the Enlightenment to have started in the mid-late 17th century, at the earliest.

Also, do you not realize that religious skepticism and secularism were the Enlightenment's defining characteristics?

enlightenment philosophizes goes back to christian rome

CHRISTIAn rome

This is a really cool one where I don't have a particular opinion. I might've taken it but I'm too busy atm. Looking forward to following this one though