• INFORMAL DISCUSSION - For the first 30 minutes of the Thursday night forums we will have informal discussion. This will allow for late arrivals, food & drink ordering, and new attendees to become acclimated.
• ANNOUNCEMENTS - Any events, news, or other items that you feel are of interest to the group can be announced at the start of Free Inquiry Forum.

TOPICS for Thursday (7/8/04):

1. John Kerry has announced his choice of John Edwards to be his vice presidential running mate. Was this the best choice for Kerry? What will Edwards bring to the ticket? What weaknesses will the G.O.P. look to expose? Do you think the Kerry-Edwards ticket has a chance at beating the Bush-Cheney ticket? Who do you think will come out on top during the debates between Cheney and Edwards? (Online Discussion)
2. Bill Cosby told a room full of activists that black children are running around not knowing how to read or write and "going nowhere." He also had harsh words for struggling black men, telling them: "Stop beating up your women because you can't find a job." Is Bill Cosby justified in his criticism of some segments of the black community? Is anti-intellectualism an epidemic in this country? Does the black commmunity have more of a problem with anti-intellectualism than others? What is the solution to anti-intellectualism? (Onlince Discusson)
3. Iraq's interim government has agreed on the final draft of the general amnesty law for Iraqi insurgents involved in armed resistance against coalition forces. Is granting amnesty to Iraqi insurgents the right approach?
4. The Bush-Cheney reelection campaign has sent a detailed plan of action to religious volunteers across the country asking them to turn over church directories to the campaign, distribute issue guides in their churches and persuade their pastors to hold voter registration drives. Is this inappropriate? Could this jeopardize churches' tax-exempt status by involving them in partisan politics? The Southern Baptist Convention, a conservative denomination closely aligned with President Bush, said it was offended by the Bush-Cheney campaign's effort to use church rosters for campaign purposes. Will these efforts to mobilize church members end up doing more harm than good?

Quote of the week: "I oppose abortion, personally. I don't like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception. I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America." [John Kerry in an interview with the Telegraph Herald - Source]

Send your topic suggestions for an upcoming FiF to: info@freeinquiryforum.com

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