The United Church of Latter Day Hedonists is the world's latest and most exciting religous cult.

I have seen that there is good money to be made out of religion these days, especially if you run your own church.

http://www.philcooke.com...

Actually, I could do with a new yacht, and I've always fancied a private jet, so I have decided to use the good offices of debate.org to argue the viability of establishing the United Church of Latter Day Hedonists with me as the Supreme Leader.

The basis of my religion will be praising Humanity by indulging in gratuitous pleasures as a tribute to mankind's exploitation of Earth's bountiful gifts.

Church services will include the following activities:

* Feasting
* Drinking
* Smoking
* Dancing
* Unmitigated, unbridled and uninhibited communal sex sessions

In addition, there will be special Church outings. I envisage:

* Track day events where members of the congregation can drive some of the world's fastest and most exotic cars.
* Trips by private jet to Amsterdam, Bangkok, Jamaica, Rio de Janeiro, Las Vegas, Monte Carlo and other exciting destinations.
* Weekend cruises on a private yacht (my current boat is probably not big enough, but I should soon be able to upgrade it using donations made to the Church).

This all this sounds a lot more appealing than hymns, Bible studies and tea dances, wouldn't you agree?

I negate: The United Church of Latter Day Hedonists is the world's latest and most exciting religious cult.

Reasons for topical negation:

A) The Church has yet to be totally established as either a church or cult, thus the resolve cannot be affirmed, since it uses the word "is" not "will".
B) Exciting is subjective. I personally don't like this idea, and I do not find it exciting. Thus, making a statement that it IS the most exciting is making a subjective belief objective.

Contentions:

I. My opponents cult is the same as the Church of Satan.

www.churchofsatan.com

Essentially, what my opponent plans on doing has already been done. What's the point of making a new church when virtually the same thing has been created. They believe in self-serving pleasure, sex, drinking, etc. Thus, the necessity of my opponents cult is in question.

Thanks to my opponent, CIRrO, for accepting this debate.

In his rebuttal, he wrote:

"The Church has yet to be totally established as either a church or cult…"

Ah, yes, I admit my argument rather falls down there! I should have phrased the title in the future tense and I, therefore, concede this point.

He continued:

"Exciting is subjective. I personally don't like this idea, and I do not find it exciting. Thus, making a statement that it IS the most exciting is making a subjective belief objective. "

I think believe my opponent is in a small minority in not finding the activities of the Church of Latter Day Hedonists' exciting and I will prove this as follows:

The amount raised annually by the Church of England in legacies, special events, the letting of church halls, bookstalls, fundraising and parish magazines etc. is �250 million ($497 million)

http://www.cofe.anglican.org...

The amount spent annually in the UK on grub, booze, baccy, music and porn (items essential to a hedonistic lifestyle) is �81,903 billion ($162,872 billon)

http://www.statistics.gov.uk...
http://www.guardian.co.uk...
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com...

In other words, the United Church of Latter Day Hedonists' activities are 328,000 times more popular than the Church of England's.

The next tenant of my opponent's argument was that the United Church of the Latter Day Hedonists essentially already exists in the guise of the Church of Satan. I'd never heard of the Church of Satan so I checked it out – thanks to my opponent for the for the link.

I can see that there are some superficial similarities between the two religions and I expect many Satanists will convert to Hedonism once we are properly established, but there are some important differences – for example we don't believe in "destroying" people that irritate us in some way and we don't believe in magic.

Of course, the most important difference between the two religions is that the United Church of Latter Day Hedonists' primary function is to provide a handsome, tax-free income for the Supreme Leader (i.e. me).

Many thanks in advance to the voters for your generous support and if any of my fellow debaters are interested in establishing a Hedonist Church in their local area, please let me know! Just think - you could earn mega-bucks tax-free, just for helping people have some guilt-free fun!

"Ah, yes, I admit my argument rather falls down there! I should have phrased the title in the future tense and I, therefore, concede this point."

Response: Ok, my opponent has conceded topical defeat. Thus its imperative to negate right here.

"I think believe my opponent is in a small minority in not finding the activities of the Church of Latter Day Hedonists' exciting and I will prove this as follows"

Response: It doesn't matter if I'm in the minority. your likings are still subjective even if 99% liked and 1% didn't. Also, at one time, the majority liked slavery, but that didn't make it right. My opponent has failed to refute my subjective point. You can drop all his ways of it being exciting; its subjective.

"The next tenant of my opponent's argument was that the United Church of the Latter Day Hedonists essentially already exists in the guise of the Church of Satan. I'd never heard of the Church of Satan so I checked it out – thanks to my opponent for the for the link.

I can see that there are some superficial similarities between the two religions and I expect many Satanists will convert to Hedonism once we are properly established, but there are some important differences – for example we don't believe in "destroying" people that irritate us in some way and we don't believe in magic."

My Response: Since the Church of Satan does include ALL the example you gave, then my points still stand. Not all satanists believe in magic, since most modern satanists are atheist humanists. So, essentially, the Church of Satan includes all the examples you gave, thus the necessity of your Church is in question.

"Of course, the most important difference between the two religions is that the United Church of Latter Day Hedonists' primary function is to provide a handsome, tax-free income for the Supreme Leader (i.e. me)."

My Response: Well, that's selfish. you probably make fun of little children too. :p Lol, so anyway, that has nothing to do with anything really.