America: From a Fallen Child Star to the Head of the University of the West

Chapter 92 This is a good thing!

Sean noticed that several audience members who were originally in the negative numbers now had positive numbers above their heads.

This is a good thing.

Catherine glanced at the time: "Alright, time's up for the first topic. Let's move on to the second: Is secular humanism sufficient to support a healthy society?"

"Mr. Kirk, please make your statement first."

Charlie Kirk took a deep breath and swung his Martian Power Punch into the air, clearly trying to get himself in the right state of mind.

"Thank you, host," he said. "Before we get to that topic, I'd like to respond to some of Mr. Pan's points."

"Mr. Pan said that true morality should be unconditional and should come from self-choice rather than external authority. This sounds beautiful, but it ignores a basic fact: human beings are weak."

"We all know what is right, but we often fail to do it. We know we should help the poor, but we often turn a blind eye to homeless people when we walk past them on the street."

"That's why we need God. Not because we don't know what's right, but because we need the strength to do the right thing. Faith gives us strength, motivation, and a goal to pursue that transcends ourselves."

"Without this power, without this goal, human society will degenerate."

He walked to the other side of the podium and changed his posture.

"Let me show you what a society without God is like."

"Over the past few decades, the Western world has been experiencing a crisis of faith. More and more people are leaving the church, and fewer and fewer people believe in God. Secularism has become the mainstream ideology, and traditional values ​​are being ridiculed and attacked." He laughed.

"And the result?"

"Divorce rates have soared, single-parent families have become the norm, and children are growing up in broken homes. The sexual liberation movement has led people to treat sex as entertainment, forgetting that it should be a sacred expression of marriage and love."

"Drug abuse is rampant, suicide rates are rising, and young people are lost in the fog of nihilism, unable to find meaning in life."

"Is this the gift that secular humanitarianism gives us!?"

"Perhaps it can provide individuals with a philosophical sense of fulfillment, but it cannot build a healthy society. It cannot provide the stability that families need, the cohesion that communities need, or the sense of direction that young people need," he said seriously, raising his fist. "Only by returning to faith, returning to tradition, can we heal this ailing society."

On his home turf, he finally received even more enthusiastic cheers than before.

As Sean listened to these words, he secretly pondered how to respond.

Charlie Kirk's argument has a glaring problem: he attributes all social problems to secularization while ignoring other possible causes. There are far too many factors contributing to modern anxiety and disorientation, and these may not be directly related to belief or lack thereof.

But he also knew that mere rebuttal was not enough.

He needs to provide an alternative vision, one that doesn't depend on God but can still give people meaning and direction.

"Mr. Pan, it's your turn now," Catherine said.

Sean walked toward the podium.

"Mr. Kirk has just painted a very pessimistic picture," he began, "but I would like to ask: is this picture accurate?"

"He said that Western societies are degenerating, with rising divorce and suicide rates, and young people losing their way. But he forgot to mention that in the past few decades, these same secular societies have seen a significant drop in crime rates, an increase in life expectancy, higher levels of education, and unprecedented advancements in science and medicine."

"If secularization is really as terrible as Mr. Kirk says, how do we explain these advances?"

He took a few steps and changed his angle to face the audience.

"Of course, I'm not saying that modern society has no problems. We do face many challenges, but the solution to these problems is not necessarily to return to religion."

Let me tell you another story.

Charlie Kirk narrowed his eyes, his favorability rating plummeting.

This guy must be a master storyteller!

Then, Sean began to lie on the spot: "A few years ago, I had a friend named Mike. He was a devout Christian who went to church every Sunday and regularly attended Bible study groups. His life seemed perfect: he had a stable job, a happy marriage, and lovely children."

"But one day, he told me that he had actually been struggling with depression."

He said he never dared to talk about it in church because he felt that as a Christian, he shouldn't be depressed. He should have joy, hope, and faith. If he was depressed, it must be because his faith wasn't strong enough, or because he had done something wrong.

"This idea made his condition worse. He not only had to suffer from the pain of depression itself, but also from the shame of not being able to meet the standards of faith."

"In the end, it was a therapist, not his pastor, who helped him. He learned to accept his vulnerability, to seek professional help, and to stop measuring himself by an impossible standard."

"He's much better now. He still goes to church and still believes in God. But his understanding of faith has changed. He no longer sees God as a judge who demands perfection from him, but as a friend who accepts his imperfections."

"I'm telling this story not to attack religion. Religion is an important support system for many people. But the problem is, when religion becomes a pressure, when it makes people feel that they must meet certain standards to be accepted, it is no longer a help, but a harm."

"Therefore, I believe that as a human being, existence itself has value. It's just that a person's value does not depend on their beliefs."

"As for social issues—" Sean's tone turned serious, "I admit that we need some kind of common bond to unite people, but that bond doesn't necessarily have to be religion."

"In fact, in today's society, using religion as a social bond is dangerous. This is because different religions have different doctrines, and these doctrines are often mutually exclusive."

"You believe in Christianity, he believes in another religion, and I don't believe in any religion. If we all insist that our own beliefs are the only truth, how can we possibly coexist peacefully?"

"The value of what I just discussed lies precisely in the fact that it provides a common platform for people of different faiths."

On this platform, we temporarily set aside our metaphysical differences and focus on our common goal.

"This is not a denial of faith, but a protection of freedom of religion."

He nodded to the audience and then returned to his seat.

The applause erupted, this time louder and longer than after Charlie Kirk's speech.

Sean looked at the numbers above his head and noticed a significant change. Many viewers who had previously had negative or low positive numbers now had double-digit numbers.

Several people even had numbers exceeding 50.

Of course, some people saw their numbers drop, and even the most staunch conservative supporters became more hostile towards Sean because of his remarks.

But overall, the scales are tipping in his favor.

In the middle of the audience, Anne Sanchez's eyes sparkled.

"He's amazing!" she excitedly told her roommate. "He turned every attack into an opportunity to counterattack."

"Really?" My roommate frowned. "I think some of his views are quite dangerous. Like that part about the Bible he mentioned—"

“That’s true,” Anne said. “There is indeed a lot of content in the Bible that would be unacceptable by today’s standards. Most Christians selectively ignore it.”

"But that doesn't mean the Bible is wrong —"

“I didn’t say it was wrong,” Anne interrupted. “I just said that we need to…”

We must use a critical eye. This is not disrespectful; on the contrary, it is a sign of respect.

My roommate fell silent, seemingly unsure how to respond.

“Anyway,” Anne continued, “I think today’s debate was much more exciting than I expected. Regardless of who wins in the end, I think this kind of dialogue was valuable.”

Meanwhile, the free debate session began again.

Charlie Kirk changed his strategy again. He stopped trying to defeat Sean with pure logic and started appealing to emotions.

"Mr. Pan," he said, "you've talked a lot about freedom, about choice, about personal responsibility. Those all sound very good. But let me ask you a question."

"Please speak."

"What do you think about when you're lying in a hospital bed, facing death?"

"This is a very personal question," Sean said with a wry smile.

"Yes. But it's also a fundamental problem," Charlie said. "We will all die. Faced with that fact, we need some kind of solace, some kind of hope."

"I believe in God, so I believe that death is not the end, but the beginning of another journey. I believe that my deceased loved ones are waiting for me in heaven, and I believe that one day we will be reunited."

"But what about you? What do you believe in? When it's all over, what will you have to rely on?"

This is a tricky question.

Sean knew that if he answered "nothing," it would seem too cold and nihilistic. But if he made up something he didn't believe, it would seem hypocritical.

He thought for a few seconds, then spoke.