When things are described as "controversial," it's usually done with a negative connotation, as in "a controversial new law that many feel restricts their freedom." It seems people tend to describe something as "controversial" only if they personally disagree with it.
I am looking for a word that has the same meaning of "causing equally strong opposing views" without that negative connotation. The only synonyms I have found so far are "contentious" and "argumentative," which both have the same negative connotation of someone deliberately trying to provoke an argument.
Best Answer
Polarizing or divisive might be what you're looking for. Polarizing isn't often used this way (in the figurative rather than technical meaning) in my experience, but it should still be a recognizable term.
Divisive (being the adjectival form of divide) clearly refers to a thing that divides, but may also carry slight negative connotations in a similar way to the other words mentioned in the question.