• 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 (3/3/05) & Monday (3/7/05):

1. This week the U.S. Supreme Court will hear two cases involving the legitimacy of the Ten Commandments that are visibly on display in public government settings. In prior decisions, in one case a Federal Court ordered them removed, but in the other the Federal Court allowed them to remain. Those in favor of their presence, including the Bush administration, say the Ten Commandments remind us of our legal heritage, part of which is unmistakably Christian and has become secular enough to display in public. Those opposed say that government displays of the Ten Commandments are a clear endorsement of one sectarian religion over others.  Which side is correct, and which outcome do you favor?
2. Americans are divided over the economic and social impact of Wal-Mart, the country's largest and most successful retail chain. Some view the company as a progressive force in retailing, dramatically reducing prices while offering a wide range of desirable goods and services to almost every community. Others fault the company on its low wages, lack of employee benefits, and the burdens Wal-Mart operations add to local communities that must subsidize the social and other costs created by large numbers of underpaid employees.  Is Wal-Mart and its policies good for America's cities and towns, should Wal-Marts continue to spread across all communities, or do unfunded costs to society caused by Wal-Mart make additional stores questionable or even undesirable? (Recommended Viewing/Reading - PBS/FRONTLINE: Is Wal-Mart Good for America?)
3. The Terri Schiavo case may be nearing an end, along with the life of this famous hospital patient. Her survival on life support for 15 years has been a public struggle between those, such as her parents and the Governor of Florida, who think that keeping her alive is the only ethical and moral thing to do.  Others, such as her husband, believe that her condition is hopeless and past saving, and that she should be allowed to expire in peace. The case could be resolved as early as this week. What are your thoughts about the ethics of a right to die vs. the morals of taking a human life, particularly in this case?
4. OPEN DISCUSSION.

Quote of the week: "From a religious view, putting the (Ten Commandments) in a courtroom is idolatry. It constructs a god, not the God of Israel or Jesus Christ, but a god that is useful to us, because it gives us the illusion that we really do have this deep agreement, when we don't." [Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe professor of theological ethics at Duke Divinity School, in ABC news article "Display This!" 4-30-98]

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