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Forum: The Crucible

The serious stuff. Debates and discussions on politics, religion, etc.

  1. Sticky thread Sticky: About the Crucible

    These are just general guidelines and may be added to or changed if and when the need arises. The forum is a place for serious debate, discussion of news and current events, and also witnessing, if you must. Whether it's the deep discussion on...

    Started by Zuul‎, 15 Nov 2009 07:38 PM
    • Replies: 0
    • Views: 32,578
    15 Nov 2009 07:38 PM Go to last post
  1. WTC Controlled Demolition (eyewitness accounts)

    this thread is an attempt to examine all eyewitness accounts and their implications and meaning for the way history will view the events of the attack on the WTC on Sept. 11, 2001. This thread in great debates was covering the physics of involved...

    Started by bookbuster‎, 25 Mar 2009 05:30 AM
    5 Pages
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    • Replies: 246
    • Views: 12,229
    01 Apr 2009 03:22 PM Go to last post
  2. (Potentially) Controversial Opinions

    Mellodome seems to be a fairly homogeneous place, so I'm not sure how a thread like this will work. But let's give it a shot - post an (honestly held) opinion that you think is an unpopular one, on Mellophant in particular or to the wider world. And...

    Started by Myrnalene‎, 12 Feb 2010 02:28 PM
    5 Pages
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    • Replies: 201
    • Views: 23,354
    05 Mar 2010 05:44 AM Go to last post
  3. If I could go back in time, I'd argue against the 2nd Amendment

    I think the 2nd Amendment was a mistake and that it has caused more harm than good. I don't want guns outlawed, but I also do not think they should ever have been given Constitutional protection. I think they should be treated like any other item...

    Started by Julie‎, 14 Mar 2009 01:48 PM
    4 Pages
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    • Replies: 156
    • Views: 10,415
    13 Apr 2009 04:14 PM Go to last post
  4. Wake Up, American People In Support Of Decency And Honour.

    Over on messageboards like the Straightdope and the James Randi Educational Forum, if you want to comment on 9/11, you are immediately referred to a 10,000 page NIST Bible and other important works that you are meant to have read, in order for your...

    Started by ivan astikov‎, 10 Aug 2010 03:45 PM
    3 Pages
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    • Replies: 129
    • Views: 16,068
    20 Aug 2010 10:40 AM Go to last post
  5. What are your political values?

    I don't want to know if you define yourself as "liberal" or "conservative" or "Democrat" or "Republican". I want to know what, specifically, you care about. Liberal and conservative are going to mean wildly different things to different people,...

    Started by Zuul‎, 09 Jan 2010 12:25 PM
    3 Pages
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    • Replies: 125
    • Views: 13,419
    12 Jan 2010 10:01 PM Go to last post
  6. Historians are convinced Jesus existed: why?

    I'm curious about this. I've read in a few places that the consensus amongst historians was that Jesus did exist. What is the evidence for this? The only evidence that I know of is a reference to "followers of Chrestus" by a Roman historian...

    Started by CRSP‎, 06 Mar 2009 10:15 AM
    3 Pages
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    • Replies: 105
    • Views: 11,536
    04 Apr 2009 05:37 PM Go to last post
  7. Roman Polanski arrested

    After several years residing in France, Roman Polanski has been arrested on a journey to Switzerland pending extradition to the USA for the charge of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. He fled America over 30 years ago from a charge of...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 28 Sep 2009 07:01 AM
    3 Pages
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    • Replies: 105
    • Views: 9,422
    04 Nov 2009 06:59 PM Go to last post
  8. Animals have no rights, and their suffering is morally irrelevant.

    As some of you may know, I have argued this position before as an aside in other threads, but I think it deserves its own topic. Increasingly, there have been calls for more "humane" farming and scientific research—calls to avoid causing animal...

    Started by Vox Imperatoris‎, 05 May 2009 10:50 PM
    3 Pages
    1 2 3
    • Replies: 103
    • Views: 15,893
    10 May 2009 12:11 PM Go to last post
  9. Is it ethical to give children unusual names?

    This is not the first study I've seen on this subject. Essentially, this study found that there is a correlation between first name desirability and scholastic aptitude. Others, like clinical psychologist C.R. Snyder, claim that strange and...

    Started by Zuul‎, 20 May 2009 08:19 AM
    2 Pages
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    • Replies: 98
    • Views: 9,313
    15 Sep 2009 02:28 PM Go to last post
  10. Are this man's views xenophobic, or at the least intolerant?

    Ban The Burkha Come on you feminists, you're letting the side down!

    Started by ivan astikov‎, 15 Jul 2009 02:08 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 97
    • Views: 8,816
    27 Jul 2009 08:43 PM Go to last post
  11. Dialectal Indulgences

    http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/publicInfo/mtspwfy/documents/MTSPWFY-Sco.pdf I know Scots is a vibrant and somewhat discreet dialect of English but I wonder what good brochures like the above do. It just seems like a magnet for ridicule....

    Started by The Original An Gadaí‎, 01 Apr 2010 04:42 AM
    2 Pages
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    • Replies: 93
    • Views: 17,737
    06 Apr 2010 11:54 AM Go to last post
  12. The weird infatuation our society suddenly has with autism

    I've noticed this weird trend where autism is suddenly viewed by the public and various media outlets as some kind of disease that confers mystical powers onto the afflicted person. I do understand that some autistic people have certain talents, but...

    Started by fsghjvdhkjschks‎, 12 Apr 2009 03:12 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 92
    • Views: 13,679
    13 May 2009 01:20 PM Go to last post
  13. Ask the Roman Catholic

    I'm not sure how many people will be interested in this, but I was just encouraging OneCentStamp to start an "Ask the Ex-Mormon" thread, and we already have an "Ask the Pagan" thread, so I thought, why not have a theme? As an advance warning,...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 02 Jun 2009 02:14 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 88
    • Views: 6,985
    08 Aug 2009 10:30 AM Go to last post
  14. Why are liberals always sucking Barack Obama's dick?

    I'm sure he is a decent guy (personally), but what's with all this asskissing and deification? Seems only fair, considering the Reagan thread

    Started by Oakminster‎, 03 Mar 2009 01:54 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 82
    • Views: 5,421
    18 Mar 2009 08:45 PM Go to last post
  15. Non-existence is better than an afterlife

    I'm an atheist, I probably score a 6.5 on Richard Dawkins' 1 to 7 scale, with 7 being complete non belief. I was watching Ghost Whisperer yesterday (this is my 0.5% failure) even though I don't believe in the supernatural I do enjoy fiction about...

    Started by Walker in Eternity‎, 17 Mar 2009 04:17 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 78
    • Views: 6,446
    06 Apr 2009 02:54 AM Go to last post
  16. Assisted Suicide

    Last night I watched a local news report on a 26 year old man with an incurable and very painful disease who wants to die. An anti-assisted suicide person was interviewed and her reaction was so strong in feeling that she knew what was best for the...

    Started by jali‎, 19 Mar 2009 02:34 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 74
    • Views: 12,695
    04 Apr 2009 05:47 PM Go to last post
  17. A followup to the right to have children thread

    Inspired by http://www.mellophant.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10671 I feel that part of the requirement for having children is the ability to provide a stable home environment with both parents pulling their share of the load. The child should...

    Started by Clothahump‎, 11 May 2010 05:04 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 74
    • Views: 15,589
    18 Jun 2010 01:21 PM Go to last post
  18. Dealing with Somali pirates

    Currently a dozen or so pirates are in custody of a freighter and a US destroyer, USS Bainbridge, is on the way to negotiate a resolution to the issue. This is not going to be an isolated event. The pirates are getting more bold and more...

    Started by Inigo Montoya‎, 08 Apr 2009 05:41 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 70
    • Views: 6,732
    20 Apr 2009 11:01 AM Go to last post
  19. Welcome to the next Pandemic

    So, it looks like the latest virus outbreak which is going to wipe out mankind is Swine Flu, following on from Ebola, Sars and Bird Flu. Story Here Of course, the next stories are that all Americans are being told to wear face masks if they...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 27 Apr 2009 03:35 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 69
    • Views: 9,286
    11 May 2009 06:24 AM Go to last post
  20. Taxes on unhealthy foods?

    Taxes on junk food, or at least on certain types of junk food, have been suggested in a lot of jurisdictions lately. I haven't heard of any place actually implementing it, but I'm expecting it to show up in California or New York sometime pretty...

    Started by Exy‎, 11 Aug 2009 03:58 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 69
    • Views: 5,783
    14 Aug 2009 10:43 AM Go to last post
  21. Ask the ex-Mormon

    Hey, in the interest of trying to provide some more content to the forum, I'm starting this thread. As a bit of background, I attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, AKA the Mormon church, from age six or so, until 2005. I feel...

    Started by OneCentStamp‎, 03 Jun 2009 02:56 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 66
    • Views: 3,713
    17 Jun 2009 12:21 PM Go to last post
  22. Under what circumstances is it justified going to war?

    Unless you're a complete pacifist, you must agree that there are some circumstances where declaring war is morally justified. What are they? There seem to be some obvious cases, like acting in self defence, where most people would agree that war...

    Started by CRSP‎, 05 Apr 2009 02:44 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 66
    • Views: 7,784
    22 Apr 2009 12:26 AM Go to last post
  23. Cloning Neanderthals for a slave race.

    My view regarding the ethics of such a thing is that as they were extinct already, any life that we gave them, whether it be the crappiest jobs that are hardest to fill, rooting out terrorists from cave systems, or fulfilling vital medical...

    Started by ivan astikov‎, 29 Mar 2009 02:16 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 66
    • Views: 4,561
    31 Mar 2009 07:24 AM Go to last post
  24. Poll Poll: Full-Body Airport Scanners

    Now, I'm a BIT more modest than the average person (an understatement if you've ever heard one ;)), but I literally cannot believe that we are seriously discussing using sensors detailed enough to see what kind of privates you have to screen people...

    Started by Vox Imperatoris‎, 10 Jan 2010 12:51 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 65
    • Views: 14,158
    20 Dec 2010 10:10 PM Go to last post
  25. Assisted Suicide Revisited - Suicide for Emotional Reasons

    Well! It's as if the world heard our discussion and brought us a real life example of what I feared in our scramble to make assisted suicide legal. Swiss Assisted Suicide center aims to help a perfectly healthy woman die alongside her terminally...

    Started by jarbabyj‎, 02 Apr 2009 02:40 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 62
    • Views: 6,095
    09 Apr 2009 03:49 AM Go to last post
  26. New Name for Great Debates

    This is the only forum that still has a SDMB name. I'm thinking it needs a new one. Personally, I'm partial to "Plato's Academy" but other suggestions are welcome. When we've got enough suggestions, I'll do a poll and run it by Crispy for his...

    Started by MsRobyn‎, 04 Mar 2009 11:45 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 62
    • Views: 8,460
    05 Mar 2009 02:50 PM Go to last post
  27. Need help with current American slang - "gay" means what?

    Short version of the question: 1) When Americans in 2009 say "that's so gay," what exactly do they mean? 2) Is this insulting to homosexuals, or is it something gay and straight alike can say without exhibiting prejudice? Longer version of...

    Started by Hatshepsut‎, 06 Jul 2009 05:43 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 62
    • Views: 6,491
    13 Jul 2009 01:56 PM Go to last post
  28. British MP's Expenses

    Ok, so over the last few days the Telegraph has been releasing details of MP's claimed expenses starting with the cabinet and now moving onto the Shadow Cabinet. It looks like they were the only ones willing to pay for the info from an unnamed...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 11 May 2009 04:14 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 60
    • Views: 4,700
    18 Jun 2009 04:49 AM Go to last post
  29. Why is it that we can't say "retarded" anymore, but "crazy" is all right?

    Now, don't get me wrong, I'm trying to weed the use of "retarded" out of my vocabulary. But why is it that "crazy" is still ok? I don't think that crazy is an appropriate label for a mentally ill person, so why is it ok to use it as a perjorative...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 03 Mar 2010 11:48 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 59
    • Views: 43,063
    04 Mar 2010 08:44 PM Go to last post
  30. Asking a bride's parents for her hand

    There is a huge (HUGE) discussion on another forum I read about the practice of a potential groom discussing his intentions to marry with his bride-to-be's parents. I have to say, I would hope that any man who I would be on the verge of marrying...

    Started by Myrnalene‎, 08 Jan 2010 01:27 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 57
    • Views: 10,282
    09 Jan 2010 06:41 PM Go to last post
  31. Thoughts on Feminism in the new millenium.

    I've had this on my mind for a while now, and it's become more relevant to me given my current status as a stay-at-home mom (something I'd never really envisioned for myself). There have been major shifts over the years in regards to what...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 20 Oct 2010 02:52 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 57
    • Views: 9,534
    25 Oct 2010 03:12 PM Go to last post
  32. Are there any arguments against gay marriage that don't involve religon? (that also make sense?)

    As the title says. Are there actually any arguments out there that are against gay marriage that dony involve religion and actually make any sense? The only arguments i've read are "marriage is between a man and a woman!" and "marriage is about...

    Started by The J Word‎, 18 Apr 2009 12:12 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 56
    • Views: 8,230
    24 May 2009 08:05 PM Go to last post
  33. If a gay person transitions gender, does that mean s/he wasn't gay?

    Chastity Bono, who announced 20 years ago she was gay, has been on the cover of The Advocate and a vocal worker for GLAAD, now says he's transgendered, and began transitioning earlier this year. So does this mean he's not gay after all? I don't...

    Started by WhyNot‎, 11 Jun 2009 07:27 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 55
    • Views: 8,564
    16 Jun 2009 09:36 PM Go to last post
  34. Principles of Discourse

    What are the principles we want to establish for serious discussion here, and more generally? We have the chance at the outset of a new forum to discuss what these principles should be, and ideally to have them endorsed by the Mods and New PTB here....

    Started by prr‎, 10 Mar 2009 07:21 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 55
    • Views: 7,777
    18 Mar 2009 12:36 PM Go to last post
  35. (Male) Circumcision: Harmless cultural tradition or horrific genital mutilation?

    I read another message board from time to time that is somewhat obsessed with crunchy-granola style naturalism, and the members are anti-circumcision in the extreme. I certainly understand the logic that if there's no good reason to surgically...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 07 Dec 2009 02:30 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 55
    • Views: 8,357
    17 Apr 2010 01:45 PM Go to last post
  36. France bans full face veils for Muslims

    The French parliament has recommended a partial ban on women wearing full face veils. This ban will be in effect in hospitals, schools and public transport. Effectively, if you wear a full face veil, don't go out into public. The French are saying...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 26 Jan 2010 08:17 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 55
    • Views: 7,966
    14 Jul 2010 01:03 PM Go to last post
  37. Defeating the Axis took 6 years, defeating the Afghans is gonna take how long?

    Granted, neither the US or the UK is on a total war footing like they would have been during WWII but how come it has taken them and their NATO allies so long to destroy the Taliban and/or bring stability to Afghanistan. I mean there doesn't seem to...

    Started by The Original An Gadaí‎, 24 Feb 2010 02:53 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 55
    • Views: 6,469
    19 Mar 2010 06:41 PM Go to last post
  38. Why don't the Republicans want Romney?

    With Chris Christie now bowing out of the Republican race, Perry losing it in the debates, Palin keeping quiet, Bachmann, Hunstman and the other fading from view, it is looking more and more like Romney should be the Republican Candidate to go...

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 05 Oct 2011 10:23 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 55
    • Views: 49,102
    13 Dec 2011 11:04 PM Go to last post
  39. Are we headed toward a new cycle of very high taxation on the rich?

    There is a lot of frustration out there in the world about the financial sectors, about the ultra-wealthy, about oil money and banking money and haves versus have-nots. A just-released poll says that 75% of Americans know someone who has been...

    Started by Julie‎, 24 Mar 2009 10:32 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 54
    • Views: 6,147
    31 Mar 2009 03:22 PM Go to last post
  40. Poll Poll: Voting thread for new Great Debates name

    The other thread's now into its second page, and it's got some serious contenders. Please vote for one. If there is a tie, it'll go to a run-off. I took the names with serious support, so Syllojism didn't make the cut. (Sorry). Voting will close at...

    Started by MsRobyn‎, 05 Mar 2009 02:01 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 54
    • Views: 6,433
    11 Mar 2009 08:54 AM Go to last post
  41. Should there be a personal asset cap?

    Some folks think that individuals should not be allowed to own assets over a certain amount, to prevent wealth from accumulating in the hands of a few. I'm not in favor of it, but I was wondering if anyone else here is. And if so, what should...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 14 Feb 2011 10:18 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 53
    • Views: 8,386
    23 Mar 2011 01:04 PM Go to last post
  42. Why are conservatives always sucking Ronald Reagan's dick?

    I'm sure he was a decent guy (personally), but what's with all this asskissing and deification?

    Started by fsghjvdhkjschks‎, 02 Mar 2009 08:59 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 52
    • Views: 12,228
    09 Apr 2009 01:08 PM Go to last post
  43. Ask the person who pays her maid $140 a month

    It's true. We have two maids, a driver, and two guards, because that's just how it is done in Indonesia. I learned a long time ago "do not talk about your staff when you are back in America," because people have no idea of the real circumstances,...

    Started by Hatshepsut‎, 16 Jun 2009 09:48 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 51
    • Views: 4,107
    26 Jun 2009 08:17 AM Go to last post
  44. What is the REAL reason pot is still illegal?

    Not really interested in a debate about whether or not we should replace the gay marriage issue with legalization of dope as our favorite polarizer. But seriously, what independent studies have been done concerning the effect of occasional and/or...

    Started by Inigo Montoya‎, 18 May 2009 12:42 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 51
    • Views: 4,986
    03 Jun 2009 12:09 PM Go to last post
  45. Free will in God's universe

    As Julie and I completely hijacked another thread, she suggested we start our own thread. Here it is. I'll begin with stating several assumptions necessary to the argument: - God exists, though not necessarily as the concept offered in...

    Started by phouka‎, 16 Mar 2009 02:31 PM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 51
    • Views: 6,139
    17 Apr 2009 10:17 AM Go to last post
  46. No atheists in foxholes?

    It's a popular idea (I'm not going to use the grossly overused and misused term "meme") that people like me, who wickedly refuse to believe in God, will change their tune PDQ when they find themselves in terrible danger (e.g., in combat, on a plane...

    Started by Baldwin‎, 04 Mar 2009 06:44 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 51
    • Views: 5,533
    14 Apr 2009 02:03 AM Go to last post
  47. Should state benefits (food stamps et al) be tied to certain foodstuffs/products?

    In the United States people on low income or who have no income can be eligible for food stamps. I don't know a whole lot about how this system works but one of the controversies over the use of foodstamps is that people shouldn't be allowed buy...

    Started by The Original An Gadaí‎, 25 Mar 2010 11:34 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 51
    • Views: 16,588
    26 Mar 2010 07:33 AM Go to last post
  48. Billionaires bid to curb over-population.

    Eugenics with a good PR team, or some kind-hearted rich dudes with the best of intentions? You decide!

    Started by ivan astikov‎, 26 May 2009 04:42 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 50
    • Views: 4,572
    06 Jul 2009 01:54 PM Go to last post
  49. Should Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize

    Apparently for his 9 month contribution for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". Ok, he has certainly captured the imagination of people out there in terms of his position as POTUS....

    Started by CatInASuit‎, 09 Oct 2009 07:56 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 50
    • Views: 4,411
    20 Oct 2009 01:57 PM Go to last post
  50. Do people have a right to have children?

    I recently was part of a spirited discussion over the right to have children. The two sides of the argument basically fell along these lines: Side A: Everyone has a right to have children if that is what makes them happy/will fulfill them. If...

    Started by Sarahfeena‎, 28 Apr 2010 11:41 AM
    2 Pages
    1 2
    • Replies: 50
    • Views: 7,535
    12 May 2010 06:21 AM Go to last post

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