• 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 (11/11/04) & Monday (11/15/04):

1. Exit polls show that the majority of voters picked "moral values" as the issue that most influenced their vote. Do most conservatives and liberals view "moral values" differently? What are the most important "moral issues" to most conservatives and why? What are the most important "moral issues" to most liberals and why? Which "moral issues" will be considered most important to the majority of Americans in the future?
2. When President Bush first took office, the nation's abortion rates were at a 24-year low. Since then it appears that the number of abortions occurring in the United States has actually increased. Why have abortions increased under an anti-abortion president? How probable is it that Roe v. Wade could soon be overturned? Are there other ways in which the reproductive rights of women are in jeopardy with Bush as president?
3. The biggest survey to date of the Arctic climate, by 250 scientists, concluded that global warming is heating the Arctic almost twice as fast as the rest of the planet in a thaw that threatens millions of livelihoods and could wipe out polar bears in less than 100 years. The report mainly blames the melt on gases from fossil fuels burned in cars, factories and power plants. How worried should we be about this report? What about the possible benefits of easier accessible oil and natural gas drilling from less extensive and thinner sea ice? Why does the current administration continue to claim there is not enough evidence for global warming? Will the United States continue to oppose the Kyoto Protocol?
4. Open Discussion

Quote of the week: "We believe in biblical principles; I'm sure they [liberals] believe in biblical principles. But I don't understand how they can defend abortion and homosexuality. That's wrong." [Roberta Combs, president of the Christian Coalition of America - Source]

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