5/29/03
- Suggested topics will include:
- Are
games, not schools, more responsible for teaching kids to "think"?
If so, what are the pros and cons involved?
- This
April, ACT scientists made the world's first healthy clone of
an endangered species (banteng cows). Is
cloning the answer to saving endangered species, or will it undercut
habitat-conservation efforts?
- It appears
that as of Tuesday, May 27th, Ontario will be decriminalizing
marijuana. A person would be able to possess no more than 15 grams
of pot without incurring a criminal offense. It would be handled
like a traffic violation, with a fine of 100 or 150 dollars. Is
this a reasonable approach? Should this be done in the US? Why
or why not?
- Democratizing
Iraq—A Pandora's Box? What is involved in doing that? Changing
a regime involves changing the institutions that are the infrastructure
of the nation— the banking system, the health care system,
the civic structures, the taxing system, the energy sector, the
business system, transportation systems, the policing systems,
and ultimately the voting systems. All of these depend on imposing
order which is new on a population who are accustomed to a secular
dictatorship. What we are seeing now is the emergence of three
major religious sects and conflicts among them. People who are
so deprived and angry engage in large-scale looting. The infighting
among warlords for control of various regions indicate a very
long range plan for democratizing Iraq. This concept has yet to
be sharply defined in specific terms, and for which there seems
to be no clear plan for accomplishing it. An additional question
is whether American democracy, as we know it, is exportable, and
whether it is suitable for Iraq.
- Which
is stronger—nature or nurture? The latest science says
genes and your experience interact for your whole life.
- A
muslim woman sues to wear veil for driver's license. Should
a person be allowed to cover their face for religious reasons
when getting their picture taken for a driver's license?
- What is "family"?
How has our idea of what "family" changed in recent
years? There has been an increase in the number of adults staying
single, gays entering into relationships, married couples staying
childless, and other individuals seeking "alternative lifestyles".
How do these change our view of "family"?
- Are non-theists
adequately represented in today's hollywood produced movies and
television shows? How about religious diversity? Or religious
tolerance? With various polls showing that non-religious individuals
make up between 7 to 14 percent of the U.S. population, why do
we still see so few atheist characters and themes in movies and
television? Do shows that contain freethinking characters, such
as Law and Order, provide a good representation of the majority
of freethinking views?
- The word FEAR is
used extensively these days to describe the state of the American
public. What fears are felt by each of you? To what extent do
you feel these fears, if any, interfere with your ability to think
clearly about these issues? What is the basis for believing that
the fears you hold are based on valid perceptions of the world?
What do you DO to deal with any of your fears?
- Send your
topic suggestions to: info@freeinquiryforum.com
Quote
of the week: "I don't unveil ... because it would be disobeying
my Lord" [Sultanna Freeman, Islamic woman involved in lawsuit
concerning being able to wear her veil for driver's license photo
- source]
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