Debate and Discussion
For more formal discussion for politics, religion, current affairs and other matters
364 topics in this forum
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- 29 replies
- 5.7k views
I've always found this question intriguing, particularly because of the ways I see different cultures dealing with it. For instance, I see a lot of American students (in particular, I'm certain they're not the only ones) talk about 'graduating' from High School when they finish the IB and having a rather fancy affair with costumes and hats. Conversely my own experience was that one day I had to turn up for school, the next I didn't, and I received my IB certificate in the post, and to my knowledge there's no British concept of graduation until you finish your degree at University. So my question is: What does 'graduation' mean to you and what's the point of it? Is it a go…
Last reply by Grumps, -
- 2 replies
- 947 views
Good chance it will be repealed once the GOP takes over next year, but assuming it stands, what are your thoughts? I don't really care tbh...
Last reply by IBVeryStressed, -
Gay Marriage 1 2 3
by ShineeLikeMe- 51 replies
- 7.3k views
Alright guys. Intense battle going on in the of California for the past decade. Gay marriage. Proposition 8 which banned the right for gays to marry just got struck down about a month or two ago. There are basically two sides to this. Proponents claim that legalizing gay marriage will give gays the 1024 federal rights they do not have. Opponents of gay marriage claim that this is just another step in the gay agenda and that this goes against the Biblical teachings. And then theres the issue of the word marriage in general. Should we allow gays to marry and have their federal rights but just call this union something different (i.e civil union, domestic partnership), or…
Last reply by Morpheus, -
- 12 replies
- 6.1k views
Okay, I wrote this a while back and I found it on my computer today. It's basically a little rant I went on after an especially annoying session with the english teacher from h*ll. What had happened was there was a class discussion on romance. We were arguing how people became attracted to one another. The teacher's opinion was that the only factor that there was in considering a mate was the personality or inner beauty. This opinion was shared with the majority of the class, but the few who dared to raise their heads and oppose it got verbally destroyed by the teacher. Not through logic, or an argument, but by cutting one such student off mid-scentence with a "WOW, *inse…
Last reply by Grumps, -
- 10 replies
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Do we all have a 'human right' to a free education? Does education at any point stop being 'basic' and become an additional thing (e.g. post-16? University?) -- in which case, should it remain free and, if not, how should it be paid for? And to add to that -- should all degrees be treated equally? This is in part sparked by the UK's current debate about University funding where tuition fees have gone from free to just over £3,000/year, now set to potentially rise as high as £12,000 (but more likely £7,000) depending on which news article you read and level of optimism! Edit: ended up at £9,000. Good luck with that future peoples 'cause I'm safe . As we're all students the…
Last reply by wombat123, -
- 2 replies
- 1k views
34 Senate seats, all 435 House seats, 37 governorships, and too many local issues/candidates to name will be up for grabs in three days, on November 2nd. Pres. Obama's approval/disapproval rating currently sits at 46/48. Due to a combination of various factors including a poor economy and the unpopularity of the recent healthcare reform, Republicans are poised to take control of the House of Representatives as well as ending up with 30 state governors. The Democrats, lucky to have the class three Senators up for re-elections in this hostile environment, look likely to retain a slim majority of somewhere in the neighborhood of 52-48, though their leader Harry Reid may lose…
Last reply by wombat123, -
- 60 replies
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wich is better: compulsory voting or non-compulsory and why?
Last reply by ezra, -
- 2 replies
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Look, I don't believe in God but I'm really tired of people thinking they're so intelligent because they are atheists. I honestly don't believe you need to be that intelligent to realize religion is silly and false, so can atheists stop thinking they're entitled to being pretentious snobs all the time? Seriously, you recognized a fallacy in society...you're not that smart!
Last reply by tommytomato, -
------------------------------------ i think being more intelligent/educated makes people dislike you, because of jealously. if you come to my school, and see how they treat the ib kids, its pretty brutal, we get ridiculed at, joked at and verbally abused all the time because of the fact that we're in this hard program that prepares us for the future, but instead of giving up, we stick together, which builds a great deal of teamwork. But in general my IB friends, are cheerleaders, football players, basketball players, actors, officers, etc, and we don't have a problem with being unhappy. Maybe overworked, but never unhappy, we're actually quite an optimistic bunch. I just…
Last reply by Reality ninja, -
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- 27 replies
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http://www.euronews.net/2010/02/15/pope-meets-irish-bishops-over-paedophilia-scandal/ 4 Bishops had to offer their resignations? I don't think this is a matter of losing your highprofile job, I think more reporting should have been made about the conviction of these bishops, no? anyway what does everyon think? contraversial eh?
Last reply by Daedalus, -
- 44 replies
- 16.7k views
http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lifematters/for-love-or-money-20090608-c0j3.html I had to pause when I came across a blog out of South Africa that read, “I think a way forward, or backwards some of you might say, is to encourage our smart, savvy and capable daughters to marry for money.” Since I co-authored a book with a similar premise, this sassy assertion definitely grabbed my attention. The blog’s author Jackie May, an editor for The Times world pages in South Africa, penned these seemingly heretical comments after learning of alarming research by Dr. Caroline Gatrell at Lancaster University in England. Dr. Gatrell found, “women who explicitly choose career over kids …
Last reply by ~Lc~, -
- 20 replies
- 4k views
I always try to obtain clean music because I feel like I can save myself some embarrassment should I be playing it in my car. I thought this was pretty straightforward and normal but I got a question the other day about why I listen to clean music, and it really got me thinking. I'm fine with swearing in my music and I'll keep it in, but one thing I cannot have is the n word. I think it is out of line and I feel uncomfortable just listening to it even thought it doesn't offend me personally. What do you guys think? 1. Do we have a responsibility to play clean music if we're blasting it in our car? 2. What do you think about artists using the n word? Is it okay for us to…
Last reply by Austin Glau, -
- 70 replies
- 8.9k views
okay so i have heard that scientists say that students work better in classes of the same gender, but some people say that this is not true, what do you guys think about having single gende classes? i was in a single gender class for the last 2 years because my school test drove the idea, sadly there won't be any single gnder in grade 8, but i had a great time and i agree that our school marks are better then the ones we had in co-ed, firstly, mny were able to be themselves and there were no boys to outshine them, bu i also see this as a pro because we have no competion within the class with boys (outside class is another story..... ) so do you agree, disagree?
Last reply by LeMaki, -
- 2 replies
- 952 views
Well I realise that not everybody will be able to take part in this and that some people won't have much if any knowledge of it, but for anybody who is interested by it, whether or not they're eligible to vote, I thought it would make a good discussion -- largely because the outcome is, in my opinion, very undecided. Unlike in other big elections (e.g. in the US) where the agendas are at extremes and you can have some person-politics as the President is very significant, I personally think the agendas of both main parties are close and none of the candidates really qualify for people-politics. Actually, I would go so far as to say that we now have three main parties rathe…
Last reply by paullaucm, -
- 11 replies
- 2.3k views
Well, insofar as I am concerned, Apple are particular culprits when it comes to this. I bought my new iPod Nano (the latest generation) only to find that both my sets of speakers and my iPod charger are now all qualified as "unsupported devices" and although the Nano will play music on the speakers, it will no longer charge off them, nor will it charge from the wall-plug charger (which is actually Apple brand). Unlike iTunes, I can't just download a previous version of these things The question is, to what extent do you think these companies should be allowed to try and force a market monopoly? Monopolising a market, technically illegal (so I believe - they have big inst…
Last reply by Daedalus, -
- 29 replies
- 10.2k views
This is bloody scary. I didn't think it was THAT long since I was in elementary school. Ok it has really been a while, but still... The video is a bit long but interesting. But scary. Discuss.
Last reply by theloserwins, -
- 15 replies
- 1.7k views
Warning: may contain slight racism/xenophobia/anti-religion. Hello, Yesterday, I happened upon this article: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20100814/tpl-obama-endorses-mosque-plan-near-grou-10170b4.html I'm not a huge fan of Obama's (in that I don't really care because politics is something I hate with all my heart) but I still defend him when people say he's the anti-Christ by using the world's laziest reasoning system: generalising his name: Hussein= Saddam Hussain. Obama= Osama bin Laden. The Bible says that everybody will love the anti-Christ for the first few years of his reign. He'll stop wars, clear the atmosphere, make everybody friends, etc. That will not come just…
Last reply by Windstorm G-man, -
- 28 replies
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To insects and creatures far smaller than we are, humans appear large and extremely powerful. Thus, are we seen as a "God" to a creature like a mosquito. If this is the case, might it imply that our "God" if he exists, is not aware of his role as our protector? I don't know if I am making any sense, but I was thinking about this for a while the other day and decided to pose this question to you guys.
Last reply by Austin Glau, -
- 2 replies
- 1k views
So I've been following the discussion here: http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/non_aviation/read.main/2226297 about the recent Israeli attack on the flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza, which, I might add, is a Palestinian Territory. The Israeli army attacked the group in International Waters. There are conflicting reports but eyewitness accounts state that the activists on board the Mavi Marmara were not armed and they were only trying to warn off the IDF Commandos with their hands as they boarded the ship but the IDF came in shooting and wounding. The IDF, however, states that they boarded with paintball guns and handguns, that were only to be used in an adverse…
Last reply by Tilia, -
- 32 replies
- 4.2k views
Well if Obama gets elected, the United States would be looking for some country to model their Universal health care after and I heard that France has the best healthcare system in the world. I would like some input because i personally don't like Universal healthcare for several reasons such as the fact that the doctors get paid alot less, care is not very good etc
Last reply by Bishup, -
- 15 replies
- 2.4k views
Well at present the political climate in the United Kingdom sucks (and that's an understatement) -- the Prime Minister has become a figurehead for uselessness such that it's irredeemable, a significant proportion of ministers in important positions have resigned, there's been the MP expenses scandal (basically many ministers were making illegal claims for expenses, such as one who claimed £1600 for his duckpond...) and since the economic crash, the government has lost both the faith of much of the population and also ability to coordinate. Anyway, the point in me explaining that is that, as a consequence of all this turmoil, the outcome of the recent elections for the Eur…
Last reply by Caustica, -
- 18 replies
- 3.2k views
Worst 100 Sexual Perversions Now I know this comes from an unreliable site but reading through them, it got me thinking.... should these sexual perversions be .. accepted into society? I mean they don't really harm anyone (except a couple which I'm sure are against the law such as bestiality and pedophilia), but sexual perversions that involve objects, should they be well accepted into society or should we try to suppress in fear that this misconduct would spread since nowadays sex is widely accepted and sooner or later people would need more "interesting" ways to have sex...
Last reply by Austin Glau, -
- 0 replies
- 721 views
I live in Greensboro NC and the Civil rights museum is opening up in February for the Woolworth's Greensboro 4. There is a bunch of controversy going around. One, the American history museum in DC is giving the Woolworth's counter back to Greensboro on loan. Why cant we have it forever? It's like the only positive thing in our history of our city. Also, the Gay community is posting flyers and sending letters saying that the G4 did the sit-in for ALL equality. im pretty sure the G4 werent even thinking about the Gay community. What do all of you think about all this stuff going on. BTW, im watching the documentary in my homeroom class right now.
Last reply by ivanthegiant, -
For those who do not know: Ritalin is a drug originally developed to enhance the concentration of children with ADHD. The idea was that they would no longer be educationally/academically disadvantaged for life because they'd not been able to concentrate in school. Anyway, the drug definitely works (and is widely prescribed for kids with the condition as it has few side-effects). So somebody had the bright idea that it be tested on the elderly in order to help with conditions such as dementia in terms of continuing good brain functioning for as long as possible - and indeed it worked for that too! It's not yet widely given to the elderly suffering from these problems (to m…
Last reply by Sparkling, -
- 14 replies
- 8.3k views
I have a feeling the discussion can take a TOK turn but I'll just post it here for now. Pillow Angel Ethics What kind of doctors would agree to intentionally shorten and sterilize a disabled six-year-old girl to make it easier for her parents to take care of her? The question has had message boards steaming for days, but the answers are in no way easy. Dr. Daniel Gunther and Dr. Douglas Diekema, who first revealed the details of "The Ashley Case" in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, think that many of their critics don't understand the nature of this case. Talk to them, and you confront every modern challenge in weighing what medicine can do, versus what …
Last reply by thinkgreen95, -
- 6 replies
- 1.4k views
For those living in the United States, do you believe Obama's Health Care Plan should be passed? Why or why not? If not, do you have a better plan?
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 11 replies
- 2.2k views
http://www.edwatch.org/updates07/021907-terror.htm In short (amongst various rantings & ravings), the guy who wrote the article above proposes that by promoting the idea that there is no objective knowledge/there are no objective truths, the IB denies terrorism. What do people reckon? Does the denial of objective knowledge and the idea that we should accept all different opinions and views equally mean we ought to be okay with terrorism? Does the IB actually promote this through Theory of Knowledge?
Last reply by Taigan, -
- 9 replies
- 1.3k views
So, in the last couple of days T.V, newspapers, radio and internet have been reporting continuously about the development of the swine flu in Mexico. However, one thing that really called my attention is the report of many cases of mexicans in other countries that are going through unrespectful, and sometimes even inhumane treatment in airports mostly. I completely agree that countries should have preventive measures when receiving mexicans in the moment, but there is definitely no need of treating them as inferior or violating basic human rights. So, what do you think? Is it possible to see evidence of rascism in these situations? Isn't it a little contradictory consider…
Last reply by Taigan, -
- 9 replies
- 1.9k views
Agnostics..! Why can't agnostics take a position for once..! Either become atheist or accept the existence of God. Are agnostics too weak to make an opinion and join either side? Are they using pascal wager argument and think that by not denying the existence of God that they may at least have a little bit of hope?
Last reply by Johann, -
- 6 replies
- 1.6k views
Oh. My. God. Let's just get this over with... I'll be brief for now... For those of you who don't know, and don't want to check Wikipedia: FOX News is an American Broadcasting Company, Headquartered in New York City. For the past little while now, FOX is now being looked at funny by many people in North America, and (I believe) it reaches out to European, and South Asian viewers as well. The reason behind this is as follows: As you all know, EVERY News Broadcaster is biased in some way, shape, or form. For example, CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corperation, the oldest Broadcasting Station in Canada) has a very strong feeling towards the CANADIAN Identity, in the same way tha…
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 5 replies
- 1k views
I personally think that Obama has been doing a decent job in the Oval Office with the exception of one thing, the budget. I am totally against any deficit whatsoever and the Obama administration is going to be running one to the tune of 1.75 Trillion dollars What does everybody else think of Obama's fiscal policy?
Last reply by davidns, -
- 8 replies
- 1.2k views
Do you guys support the claim that the elections were rigged to protect Ahmadinejad since he had support of Supreme Ayatollah Ali Sistani? IMO, the voting fraud is a bit of a complex matter to me. I'm neutral on the issue; I'm not an Ahmadinejad support nor a Mousavi supporter. But their policies are most intriguing to me. Ahmadinejad, for example, has my support for the right to develop nuclear energy--in peaceful methods, though. It is proven that he actually used some of that nuclear energy to fuel the country's energy. What I don't support, however, is his hardline strategies, especially on women. In many ways, Iran is so similar to Saudi Arabia; the only difference i…
Last reply by Sandwich, -
- 5 replies
- 962 views
Ok, it has been almost 5 months since Obama officially became a president. I would say many have a very negative view on the US due to George Bush's policy which resulted in the deaths of thousands of people. Personally, my view is changing right now because of Obama's policy which is sort of keeping hope that he'll be able to change things and fix the disasters Bush caused. The way he is referring to muslims, islamic world, and barely using the phrase 'war against terrorism' which was like Bush's motto, is doing a great job in changing the view the islamic world is having on America. However, what I have known recently is that the congress seems to have a greater power …
Last reply by Mattias, -
- 18 replies
- 2k views
http://thebulletin.us/articles/2009/01/23/...2b810594663.txt Anyway, most of you would know that Gitmo has been closed by the new President of the US, Barack Obama. Some of us are against it (*cough*flsweetheart422*cough*) while I'm sure some of us agree with the move. The fact that they kept multiple detainees without trial on a foreign land where no human rights laws apply is a tragedy in itself. If someone's worried about where the detainees are going to go, here is a crude, yet simple, solution. Execute the convicted prisoners, have a trial for the ones that have yet to go on a trial and release the ones that are not criminals back to their own countries. I don't g…
Last reply by Mattias, -
- 24 replies
- 3.1k views
I've learned alot about the current world issues. there's wars, starvation, disease, genocide, pollution, etc. and yet it seems like no matter how much people agree that these things are wrong, we still feel so powerless and put it aside hoping that someone else will solve it. i admit to this. i know that we need to solve these issues, or we're no better than the people commiting them. Like during the holocaust, the bystanders could have had so much influence if they worked together. but they were all afraid and continued living life saying, "it's okay, it's not us" I hate it when people say this. because these things could very well happen to us tomorrow if countries dec…
Last reply by Vvi, -
- 30 replies
- 5.3k views
I don't expect there are a lot of Koreans here but honestly, is suicide the new 'trend' in Korea or something???? In the last month, I've lost count of all the suicide stories in the news among Korean celebrities. Model Kim Ji-hoo commits suicide Wednesday October 8, 2008 Following the suicide of actor Ahn Jae-hwan last month, following the suicide of Choi Jin-shil (whose death was related to accusations regarding her friend Ahn’s suicide) earlier this month, following the suicide of transgender entertainer Jang Chae-won just a day later, we have, sadly, yet another suicide. On October 8, news was released of the suicide of model Kim Ji-hoo on October 6. Not many other d…
Last reply by Mattias, -
- 0 replies
- 511 views
Mao and Stalin have set the stage and now it will be interesting to see how Obama's FYP works out. Personally, I liked the other Commies more, but I'm a tad biased. Obama's first Five Year Plan is all about turning America green, moving all American medical records to national databases, updating technology in pubic education institutions, and investing in expanding our broadcast internet capabilities. This post is intentionally general. Feel free to read up on it a bit more and post your thoughts here. This site is pretty biased, but don't hesitate to post some useful sites of your own. http://spectator.org/archives/2008/08/14/flower-power So what do you think about it…
Last reply by flsweetheart422, -
- 34 replies
- 3k views
i got this idea from....Vvi and its a very serious issue....i agree.... infact...my real TOK Presentation(not the mock one)...was about AIDS in africa....and i attached a copy of my presentation....just incase you want to take a look at it:)..i've done with my best friend...although our aim was to actually discuss the issue of african being ignored....we had to include some other stuff... anyhow... so yeah...about africa....i agree...it IS sad:(....because like...african is just like any other continent in the world...africans are proper human beings like anyone else...how come they're not treated the same way...?! and what gets me more...is the HUGE AMOUNTS of money spen…
Last reply by exploretheworld, -
- 0 replies
- 679 views
Alex Jones and David Icke fans, this place maybe a heaven for you all to express your ideas. So talking about the G20 summit and the New world Order, how many of you support it and how many of you stand against it? Supporters: Beliefs: It will help fighting global recession. Forming a global ruling capitalist system, will help understand each others very well, and unitedly take steps for solving problems which might also include national problems. Detractors: Beliefs: Bilderberg grotup and elites, and the silent global economical takeover. Recession was a planned event by the bankers. Hope-nosis, Obama is a liar, does things opposite of what he says. 99% members of his …
Last reply by Solaris, -
- 11 replies
- 1.5k views
We talked about this in TOK today under the subtopic 'values'. Although it didn't seem to me that there was much 'value' in this issue, but it was quite interesting. We have read that article about David Sharp, the climber who died on his way to the Everst mountain summit. Here's the article: David Sharp His death was a huge debate in our class and world wide, as many climbers passes by him and didn't offer any help. He needed first aid and oxygen supply more than anything more demanding. We were asked, if you were a climber that happened to see him like that, would you stop to help him, call rescue team or whatever, or would you just keep on going and hope he's going to …
Last reply by Psychobabble, -
- 44 replies
- 6.9k views
Hey everyone! So i was inspired to start this topic when i say the post "what does the world think about America?" and it made me think... well i have a pretty clear idea about the world view of America... but I'm not to sure about what people think of my own country? And what a better place to find out than by asking a group of internationally aware, up and coming group of young people from around the world. So here is my question- How does the world (or you personaly) view Australia? Just leave you thogughts as well as what counrty you're from. -Thanks a million. -Soph x
Last reply by Ruan Chun Xian, -
As I'm sure many people have noticed, there is a lot of anti-US sentiment in the world today. As a US citizen, the question I have to ask is, is this how everyone in the global community feels? I was hoping that IB students from around the world would be able to help me answer this question. The only thing I ask is that you list your country, and whether your response is meant to reflect your personal opinion, or the opinion of your country as a whole. Thank you, and may the force be with you.
Last reply by Ruan Chun Xian, -
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- 1 reply
- 613 views
So there is a thread for the United States, Australia and Arabs. Hence, I felt obliged to start one on Canada (Also since Canadians are all about finding their own unique identity seperate from the United States:P) So, what do you guys/ your country as a whole think of Canada? (Please mention what country you are from/ currently reside in)
Last reply by 1-2-3, -
- 30 replies
- 3.3k views
There has been recent controversy in California over the legalization of gay marriage. Proposition 8 seeks to rescind the decision to allow gay/lesbian people to marry. A yes vote on 8 will take away gay marriage. A no vote on 8 will keep gay marriage as is. Right now, I am not allowed to vote but I wanted to make sure that all California voters understand what prop 8 means. A lot of people are confused and think that a "yes" vote will keep gay marriage. It is the other way around. Personally, if I had the right to vote, I would strongly be a "no" on proposition 8. Everyone should be given equal rights regardless of their sexual preference. It goes with the opinion that g…
Last reply by josephchoi, -
Well, more and more the topic of global warming has come up at my school. Mostly we've been talking about the problems, solutions, personal habits, and the future. I'm just curious what you guys have to say for this topic.
Last reply by bolan14, -
- 6 replies
- 1.1k views
OK, so as some of you may have heard, an alleged copy of the "Top secret" (well, I guess that’s a little disputed now) ACMA (Australian Communications and Media Authority) website blacklist was released today on wikileaks.org (a website frequently used by anonymous whistleblowers to release confidential information to the free world), and as it would appear, has subsequently been added to the list, (none of my methods of getting around on the net yield me with their homepage, so they may just be getting hammered be people who want the list, but most likely they have been blocked out). The ACMA Blacklist is completely run by the ACMA – a Department of the Australian Fed…
Last reply by deissi, -
- 5 replies
- 836 views
after seeing the other post on Australia I was wondering what people think about Korea. Many people might not even know there is a country called Korea. But if you didn't know all the big companies like Samsung, Daewoo and all the big electrical companies originally belongs to S. korea. Anyway. Tell me your thoughts about Korea. Don't worry I won't be offended in anyway. I just want to hear people's opinion.
Last reply by HJ:), -
Animals vs humans 1 2
by Haney- 30 replies
- 3.4k views
ok, so we're in tok one day, and the teacher pops the topic- what makes humans different from animals. I say nothing, or very little. we're advanced, sure, but that doesn't mean we hav something animals don't. its the same, cept that perhaps ours has developed more? what do you think? be prepared- i might argue this- i love arguing
Last reply by Mahuta ♥, -
- 47 replies
- 5.3k views
With the US forcing "Democracy" down everyone's throat, I'm forced to think, is democracy really the solution to everyone's problems? Actually, is it the solution for every country? A few case studies: 1. Iraq: Under Saddam Hussein's "Dictatorship", the country was actually running, there were relatively no suicide bombs, and the economy was actually stable. 2. Pakistan: Under the new democratic rule, the economy has tumbled down, bombings are on the rise. The economy has deprecated because they've allowed for a corrupt democratic government to me elected. 3. Afghanistan: Yes, this is an exception to the rule, the Afghans do have a better quality of life under Hamid Karza…
Last reply by Mahuta ♥, -
- 50 replies
- 5.3k views
http://www.alternet.org/story/97907/sarah_...beliefs/?page=1 Biased but interesting. It's unmistakable that religion should NOT be mixed with politics. How she was even picked for VP... that baffles me. Discuss.
Last reply by theone00,
