On The Subject of Memetics: Memes began as a metaphor in Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene for the promulgation of ideas and information. It was later taken on as a serious idea by Susan Blackmore, Aaron Lynch and others. Critics of memetics think the idea has gone too far and that there is no basis […]

On The Issues Involved in Intelligence and IQ: The Intelligence Quotient has been under scrutiny for decades yet it continues to be used in testing within our educational institutions. What is intelligence? How advanced is our understanding of the concept and how applicable are IQ tests in generating worthwhile results? Many people believe intelligence is […]

On The Quest for Immortality: Today, many scientists are coming to the startling–some might say disturbing–conclusion that medical science will, in the foreseeable future, be able to extend the human lifespan indefinitely and thus put an end to physical death. Would the end of death be a net gain or loss? Here we present two […]

On The Subject of Housewives: Housewives, also called domestic engineers, are decreasing in number as more women enter the workforce. Part of the feminist and women’s rights movements see this as evidence of their success in liberating women. Others think simply the choice now afforded women concerning the subject, is the criterion of success. Debate […]

On The Subject of Homosexuality: The majority of opposition in society on the subject of homosexuality comes from the religious community with the Bible being referred to as supporting evidence for their position. In the secular community, however, some people also consider homosexuality to be wrong, unnatural or immoral. Their reasons are varied, including referral […]

On The Issue of Home Schooling: Many parents today are opting to teach their children at home. Reasons for chosing this option include the dumbing down of our educational system, the methods used in teaching, the knowledge and understanding of teachers, and the continued support of religion within our public education system. Opponents to the […]

On The Issue of Gun Control: The subject of Gun Control captures the interest of many Americans, not to mention other people living in our global community.. The diversity of laws, or the lack of law enforcement in the United States, surrounding the issues of gun control are being questioned by government and the public, […]

On The Issues Involved in Genetic Engineering: Genetic Engineering has been a hot topic in the media ever since Dolly, the cloned sheep, was successfully engineered. Since then we have seen a variety of clones made as well as several advances in medicine afforded by genetic engineering. The debate on the subject has brought a […]

On The Issues of Gay & Lesbian Marriage: Gays and lesbians, along with heterosexual supporters, have been campaigning the government to legalize gay marriages. Society, for the most part, is still lobbying against such change. The issues involved are quite simple: homosexuals simply want the same rights that are afforded straight people. Opposing parties, however, […]

On The Issues Involved in Feminism: Feminism has expanded in meaning over the past few decades, incorporating many different viewpoints, some often contradicting one another. Feminism ranges from mild to extreme and employs a variety of strategies and methods to secure equal rights for women within our societies. What approaches should be taken? Which should […]

Meet the Debators The topic for this debate is: Is There a Rationalist Case Against Euthanasia? Arguing For A Rationalist Case Against Euthanasia is Joseph Eiche Brief Bio Coming! Arguing Against A Rationalist Case Against Euthanasia is Jim Bruce Brief Bio Coming! Go to the Debate Forum for lively discussion on the issue of Euthansia […]

About the Euthanasia Debate The topic for this debate is: Is There a Rationalist Case Against Euthanasia? The debaters have agreed to the following debate format: Opening statements, submitted independently of one another, 1 December 2000 First rebuttals, submitted independently of one another, due 1 January 2001 Second rebuttals, submitted independently of one another, due […]

On The Issue of Euthanasia: The debate over euthanasia or assisted suicide has been raging within the media. Public awareness and opinion on the variety of issues involved has reached unprecedented levels. Also called "mercy killing", euthanasia evokes a great deal of emotional reaction and moral indecision, often at the expense of a rational investigation […]

On The Subject of Cryonics: The technology of cryonics seeks to cheat death by freezing people in the hope that future medical technology will revive them. Since its beginning in the 1960s, cryonics has not garnered much support from the general public or medical community. Even secular non-religious people, which should be more inclined to […]

On The Subject of Conscription: Conscription, or compulsory military service, has often found opposition from the religious community based on their belief. Some Americans suggest that the country would better off if it were restored, saying it would bring a better sense of duty and patriotism to the people. On the same side, are those […]

Meet the Debators The topic for this debate is: Is There a Humanist Case For Capital Punishment? Arguing For Capital Punishment is Daniel Strain Daniel T. Strain, an artist by profession, lives in Houston, Texas. He is the founder and former Director of the Houston Secular Humanists (HSH) and the former Chair of the Houston […]

About the Capital Punishment Debate The topic for this debate is: Is There a Humanist Case For Capital Punishment? The debaters have agreed to the following debate format: Opening statements, submitted independently of one another, 1 January 2001 First rebuttals, submitted independently of one another, due 1 February 2001 Second rebuttals, submitted independently of one […]

On The Issue of Capital Punishment: Capital Punishment is still used in the US Penal System as punishment for serious crime. Great controversy exists on whether it is a just solution, a moral one, and an effective one. Arguments are many and varied both for and against capital punishment. It is often assumed that the […]

On The Subject of Cannibalism as a Survival Strategy: Survival pushes humans to extreme measures. Cannibalism is one of the strategies taken that society has deemed extreme. Cannibalism is still practiced in many societies and was very common in civilizations of the past. Modern cases have surfaced showing that civilized people have resorted to cannibalism […]

On The Subject of Artificial Intelligence: Advancements in the field of artificial intelligence continue to rage forward. Skeptics question how successful research in this field will be. Advocates believe the field offers valuable insight into human intelligence and consciousness and will provide useful knowledge. Critics disagree, believing that vary little comparison can be made and […]

On The Issue of Animal Rights: The inhumane treatment of animals is a popular subject within society today. Animal Rights Activists campaign tirelessly against the exploitation of animals, sometimes going to extremes. There is a diversity of opinion that exists on the subject of animal rights; touching on such issues as sentience, intelligence, the benefit […]

On The Issue of Affirmative Action: Affirmative Action is part of the socialist political platform but it can also be found in various facets of our society. Many interpretations exist on the issue, along with varying degrees of support and opposition. Plainly put, affirmative action seeks to restore, or initiate, equality of opportunity among all […]

On The Evolutionary Adaptation of Religious Belief: Does religious belief have survival value? Was it naturally selected for in the environment of our ancestors or is it an example of cultural selection? Some people claim that if religion were completely maladaptive and useless, it never would have stuck around so long and became a dominant […]

A Secular Case Against Abortion Closing Statement by Jen Roth   Introduction I would like to thank Richard Carrier for agreeing to this debate, the Internet Infidels for agreeing to host it, and Amanda Chesworth for coordinating it. It has been extremely refreshing to participate in a discussion of abortion without being subjected to accusations […]

The Secular Case Against Abortion by Jennifer Roth It seems that I was premature in proclaiming that Mr. Carrier and I had reached agreement on a number of key issues. I had hoped to focus attention on the question of the definition of a person, since I believed (and still believe) that to be the […]

Second Rebuttal Jennifer Roth Before getting to the main subjects of dispute which remain between us, let me quickly summarize the surprising number of points on which Mr. Carrier and I seem to agree. We agree that both the mother and father of a child have obligations toward that child. (Assuming that a "child" is […]

First Rebuttal Jennifer Roth In his opening statement, Mr. Carrier identified two sources of disagreement on moral issues: disputes over facts, and disputes over values. I agree with his assessment; however, some disputes do not lend themselves to easy categorization. Take, for example, the question of when a human individual comes into existence. The answer […]

A Secular Case Against Abortion By Jennifer Roth Introduction First of all, I’d like to thank Richard Carrier for agreeing to this debate, and the Internet Infidels for sponsoring it. I hope to find that this format will allow us to go beyond the soundbites and emotionalism that characterize all too many discussions of abortion. […]

Meet the Debators The topic for this debate is: Is There a Secular Case Against Abortion? Arguing For A Secular Case Against Abortion is Jennifer Roth Jennifer Roth works as a system administrator for the Academic Outreach divisions of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She sits on the board of directors of the Seamless […]

Abortion is not Immoral and Should not be Illegal Closing Statement by Richard C. Carrier Conclusions on the Main Issues The present debate is about two things: what the facts are and what the universally shared values are that relate to those facts.  After all that has been said in this debate, there does not […]