• OPEN DISCUSSION - For the first 30 minutes of the Thursday night forums we will have informal open 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 (10/14/04) & Monday (10/18/04):

1. Discuss the second Presidential Debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Who do you feel won the debate? What questions, if any, do you feel should have been asked that weren't? Has the media done an adequate job of pointing out the dubious and false statements made during the debates?
   Discuss the third Presidential Debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry. Who do you feel won the debate? What impact will these debates have on the election?
2. The U.S. Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it would decide whether displaying the Ten Commandments on government property, including at a state Capitol or a county courthouse, violated church-state separation. Are government displays of religious documents and symbols unconstitutional? Should the Ten Commandments be considered a religious symbol or more of a cultural and historical symbol? Why is it considered so important to hang the Ten Commandments on government property by some people? How significant are the Ten Commandments to our history? How well do they represent our current laws, rights, and democracy?
3. Columbus Day is a legal holiday in the U.S. that celebrates the day Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492. However in recent years, the holiday has been rejected by many people who view it as a celebration of conquest and genocide. Should Columbus Day be a legal holiday? Is the rejection of a holiday celebrating Columbus justified? Should a day celebrating indigenous people take its place?
4. Open Discussion.

Quote of the week: "Even though I don't personally believe in the Lord, I try to behave as though he was watching." [Christopher Reeve - Source]

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