Ever since mankind has been roaming the Earth, people have been philosophizing on the role of religion in their existence and wondering if there was an “intelligent being” that put them here on this Earth. Whether it was the Christian God, the Muslim Allah, the Supreme Being of Scientology, the Flying Spaghetti Monster of Pastafarianism, or the evolution of the Atheists, people will argue until they’re blue in the face about their religion. To me, only one thing is for sure, nobody really knows what happened because none of us were there. But don’t let that get you down, there are plenty of arguments for and against all sorts of different religious beliefs. From the highly believable to the “you can’t seriously believe that, can you?” and everywhere in between, CreateDebate presents to you the top 10 Religious Debates of All Time.

10. Was Ra, the Egyptian Sun God, the father of all the Pharaohs?

Ancient Egyptians believed that Ra was the Sun God, commander of the sky, earth, and underworld. He is the most central god of the Egyptian pantheon. Most Egyptians believed that Pharaohs were the sons of Ra and erected solar temples and obelisks in his honor. However, some Egyptians did not believe that Ra created the Earth but didn’t have an appropriate outlet to vent their frustrations (especially if they preferred their heads to remain attached to their body).

9. Was Haile Sellasie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopa God incarnate?

Rastafarians believe that Haile Sellasie I is the living God incarnate, or the Messiah, who will lead the people of Africa and African diaspora to freedom. Rastafarians believe that exiled Africans will one day return to Ethiopa with the help of the Messiah to escape the oppression caused by Babylon. The Rastafarians movement was started primarily in Jamaica, although the ranks of Rastafarians throughout the world is estimated to be near 1 million strong.

8. Is Scientology a cult?

The Church of Scientology, originally founded by L. Ron Hubbard, believes “that Man is basically good, that he is seeking to survive, [and] that his survival depends on himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe” (from Church of Scientology’s statement of beliefs). However, many people believe that this Church is a cult that was set up as a tax shelter for Hubbard’s Dianetics book profits and that is primarily intended to extract large sums of money from their celebrity cult members.

7. Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene?

This debate was popularized by the highly successful (and highly controversial) book “The DaVinci Code” by Dan Brown. The book claims that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, had a child, and the Church covered it up through the years for self-serving reasons. While Brown has stated that the book is fiction, it has caused much debate and controversy, especially within the Roman Catholic Church.

6. Are Mormons Christians?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the Spring of 1820 after publishing the Book of Mormon, one of the faith’s scriptures, which Joseph Smith said he translated from plates of gold that were buried near his home in a place shown to him by the angel Moroni. Many traditional Christians reject Mormonism as a Christian religion, claiming that the story of Joseph Smith and the Golden Plates is fiction and that he was not a prophet.

5. Was the Flying Spaghetti Monster responsible for intelligent design?

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (CoFSM) was founded in 2005 by Bobby Henderson to protest the teaching of intelligent design in school. Bobby parodies the theory of an intelligent designer by professing belief in a supreme creator made of spaghetti and meatballs. The CoFSM has gained a huge following, primarily on the Internet in response to the Christian movement to teach intelligent design in classrooms.

4. Is Islam a religion of violence or a religion of peace?

This debate has received much attention, not only on CreateDebate but throughout much of the mainstream media since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. While Islam’s central tenets preach, several extremists have taken passages from the Qur’an such as, “Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme.” (8:39)” to mean that Muslims are called to kill any non-Muslim to ensure Islam is the supreme religion of the land.

3. Jesus Christ: Fact or Fiction?

Christianity claims that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who was sacrificed to absolve believer’s sins so that Christians could receive eternal life. The Christian Bible teaches of many miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth and of his resurrection from the dead. However, many people dispute that he was the Son of God and that the writings of the Bible are embellished stories chosen by the Church to further their mission.

2. Was Mohammed a pedophile?

The Qur’an (Mohammed’s testimonies) and Hadiths (other’s reports on the life of Mohmmed) depict Mohammed marrying a 6 year old girl for his third marriage. Many people believe that this practice (uncommon in present day) should be viewed as pedophilia. What do you think?

1. Do you believe in God?

This debate still reigns as the Most Popular debate on CreateDebate thus far. Many people define themselves by their religious beliefs (or lack thereof), which is why it deserves the spot as the number one religious debate of all time. It seems to me that everyone, no matter what gender, nationality, ethnicity, or age has an opinion on this topic, and they love to share it.

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