# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=253 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 254 --- ## [Symbolic Cannibalism](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-cannibalism/672674)
**Author:** [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Replies:** 48\ **Last updated:** [November 9, 2013, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/symbolic-cannibalism/672674 "2013-11-09T12:42:02Z")
So, I was talking with my wife about religion, and somewhere along I mentioned the symbolic cannibalism of Jesus offering his body and blood ,“This bread is my body, this wine in my blood” and all. And she just flatly st… --- ## [What is the argument against Snowden](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-argument-against-snowden/673306)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 108\ **Last updated:** [November 9, 2013, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-argument-against-snowden/673306 "2013-11-09T04:59:20Z")
Has this been debated to death yet? Probably, but doing a search would require a level of effort I normally only reserve for watching TV. So it keeps coming to light that the NSA broke the law and spent a lot of effort s… --- ## [What if your son rapes your daughter?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-your-son-rapes-your-daughter/672657)
**Author:** [@sweeteviljesus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweeteviljesus)\ **Replies:** 79\ **Last updated:** [November 8, 2013, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-your-son-rapes-your-daughter/672657 "2013-11-08T21:34:26Z")
This is hypothetical for me (I don’t have a daughter) and I am not sure if this is GD or IMHO, but here goes: How would you as a parent deal with the situation if you discovered that your son had raped your daughter? P… --- ## [Whatever happened to Bernhard Goetz?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-bernhard-goetz/115501)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [November 8, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whatever-happened-to-bernhard-goetz/115501 "2013-11-08T21:09:59Z")
Did he ever spend a day in jail for the infamous subway shootings in New York? --- ## [What if the Spanish Civil War had been avoided?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-spanish-civil-war-had-been-avoided/673371)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [November 8, 2013, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-spanish-civil-war-had-been-avoided/673371 "2013-11-08T19:32:03Z")
This thread got into a debate about whether the Republic winning the Spanish Civil War would have been even worse than Franco winning, which made me think about a different what-if? The Popular Front’s victory in the 19… --- ## [An improved school system?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-improved-school-system/672961)
**Author:** [@Gateway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gateway)\ **Replies:** 57\ **Last updated:** [November 8, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-improved-school-system/672961 "2013-11-08T17:40:05Z")
I think the world may be improved with this kind of school system: -You take out higher math except the basics. Most adults don’t use that stuff in day to day life. -You take out most of chemistry, for the same reason. … --- ## [Why did slaves believe the same religion as their masters?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-slaves-believe-the-same-religion-as-their-masters/673138)
**Author:** [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [November 8, 2013, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-slaves-believe-the-same-religion-as-their-masters/673138 "2013-11-08T05:57:08Z")
During the Holocaust, there was a noted rift in how Jewish people viewed God and their religion as a result of their ordeal. I specifically remember the supposed quote carved on the wall of the concentration camp saying … --- ## [Are Unions Obsolete?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-unions-obsolete/671343)
**Author:** [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Replies:** 73\ **Last updated:** [November 8, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-unions-obsolete/671343 "2013-11-08T03:46:37Z")
There seems to be in the Anglo-sphere, a dearth of Unions which are effective, why is this so? Is the legacy of the ‘Winter of Discontent’ and the ways in which they are perceived to stifle productivity still in the mind… --- ## [So how are those health care exchanges coming along?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-are-those-health-care-exchanges-coming-along/671841)
**Author:** [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Replies:** 166\ **Last updated:** [November 7, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-are-those-health-care-exchanges-coming-along/671841 "2013-11-07T14:33:15Z")
It’s three weeks since the exchanges went online. For most of that time, Congress kept us entertained and thus prevented too much attention from getting paid to the rollout of the exchanges themselves. Now that enterta… --- ## [the concept of faith](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-concept-of-faith/667270)
**Author:** [@TARL\_FURY](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TARL_FURY)\ **Replies:** 500\ **Last updated:** [November 7, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-concept-of-faith/667270 "2013-11-07T13:27:12Z")
This is where the lines can get a little fuzzy- which is my reason for trying to start a great exchange of our philosophies. I would define myself as an agnostic, which for me means that I doubt any kind of spontaneous c… --- ## [Former UN Ambassador Bolton thinks israel needs to strike against Iran's nuclear capability now!](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-un-ambassador-bolton-thinks-israel-needs-to-strike-against-irans-nuclear-capability-now/673030)
**Author:** [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/former-un-ambassador-bolton-thinks-israel-needs-to-strike-against-irans-nuclear-capability-now/673030 "2013-11-06T20:59:22Z")
Former UN Ambassador Bolton seems to think Israel’s window in this option is closing. Will the Israeli’s strike without US backup or not? Are we compelled to support Israel if they strike unilaterally? Israel does not h… --- ## [Are the concessions made by the Founding Fathers morally reprehensible?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-concessions-made-by-the-founding-fathers-morally-reprehensible/672830)
**Author:** [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Replies:** 68\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2013, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-the-concessions-made-by-the-founding-fathers-morally-reprehensible/672830 "2013-11-06T17:46:34Z")
I’m going to try my best not to poison the well and make sure to keep a pretty open mind, but the thoughts of the new Steve McQueen movie, “12 Years a Slave”, haunt my actions today. I just watched the movie last night … --- ## [Inner city schools are not failing their students](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inner-city-schools-are-not-failing-their-students/672758)
**Author:** [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Replies:** 66\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inner-city-schools-are-not-failing-their-students/672758 "2013-11-06T11:47:43Z")
Jumping off from the IQ thread: it is my assertion that the movie Waiting for Superman is rubbish, as are the standards of No Child Left Behind. I believe that no matter what they do in terms of closing schools down, reo… --- ## [I think we should move towards a twenty hour work week](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-we-should-move-towards-a-twenty-hour-work-week/674054)
**Author:** [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Replies:** 110\ **Last updated:** [November 15, 2013, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-we-should-move-towards-a-twenty-hour-work-week/674054 "2013-11-15T09:45:55Z")
I never have enough time to do all the things that I need and want to do. Working 40 hours a week, housework and laundry and grocery shopping and tending to 2 acres, leaves me with little time for recreation. The fact … --- ## [From a purely genetic standpoint, how does it make sense that the average IQ of African Ams is 85?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-a-purely-genetic-standpoint-how-does-it-make-sense-that-the-average-iq-of-african-ams-is-85/672041)
**Author:** [@bita\_malt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bita_malt)\ **Replies:** 386\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-a-purely-genetic-standpoint-how-does-it-make-sense-that-the-average-iq-of-african-ams-is-85/672041 "2013-11-06T01:54:32Z")
I’ve been following the debates regarding the “black-white iq gap” and whether it is hereditary or environmental and one confusing thing just recently occurred to me: Those on the hereditary side always say that mixed r… --- ## [Did Hinduism Exist Before the 19th Century?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-hinduism-exist-before-the-19th-century/673127)
**Author:** [@nani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nani)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [November 5, 2013, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-hinduism-exist-before-the-19th-century/673127 "2013-11-05T22:49:35Z")
There are many scholars who argue that “Hinduism” didn’t exist as a distinct religious identity before the 19th century. If you check out Wikipedia’s article on Hinduism, for example, you can see the following stated: A… --- ## [The Rise of Labels and "Privilege"](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-labels-and-privilege/672560)
**Author:** [@Oedipus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oedipus)\ **Replies:** 72\ **Last updated:** [November 5, 2013, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-rise-of-labels-and-privilege/672560 "2013-11-05T07:07:04Z")
I’m trying to wrap my head around this recent shift in how women’s rights and lbgt groups seem to come up with new labels every day. While it makes sense to have labels for certain things, I feel like I starting to draw … --- ## [Consequences of ability to exercise self-control being determined before adulthood](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-ability-to-exercise-self-control-being-determined-before-adulthood/673083)
**Author:** [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [November 4, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-ability-to-exercise-self-control-being-determined-before-adulthood/673083 "2013-11-04T22:14:58Z")
We regard being polite as a complex trait of personality that is largely in the control of any adult, regardless of her genetic makeup or upbringing. It is simply a matter of choosing to say “please” and “thank you,” an… --- ## [Pagan military chaplains](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pagan-military-chaplains/626235)
**Author:** [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Replies:** 76\ **Last updated:** [November 4, 2013, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pagan-military-chaplains/626235 "2013-11-04T06:47:17Z")
Heard this whopper – the military is inducting chaplains from the Church of Satan! Of course it’s BS, but I need to prove that it’s BS. I did some research, and I discovered that various Pagan groups are indeed trying … --- ## [Why do obesity rates vary among various races](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [November 4, 2013, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-obesity-rates-vary-among-various-races/672706 "2013-11-04T02:51:19Z")
Please don’t say lifestyle. Among adults the obesity rates (in the US) among blacks are about 50%, about 40% for latinos, about 33% for whites and about 11% for asians. So what causes this exactly? Did whites and asian… --- ## [What is "Original Sin"?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-original-sin/670109)
**Author:** [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Replies:** 315\ **Last updated:** [November 3, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-original-sin/670109 "2013-11-03T21:38:37Z")
Per Wiki but if the story of Adam and Eve is only a parable(as I’ve been told by many), then what is the Original Sin? --- ## [Can we hope? A small step towards MiddleEast Peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-hope-a-small-step-towards-middleeast-peace/672947)
**Author:** [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [November 2, 2013, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-hope-a-small-step-towards-middleeast-peace/672947 "2013-11-02T23:20:03Z")
A young couple in Lebanon after having the country’s civil marriage, has now had a child. He belongs to no Sect, has no defined religious affiliation at all. Sect has been, IMHO, the prime driver of violence in Lebanon. … --- ## [New Press Law in the UK](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-press-law-in-the-uk/672740)
**Author:** [@Pjen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pjen)\ **Replies:** 63\ **Last updated:** [November 2, 2013, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-press-law-in-the-uk/672740 "2013-11-02T08:55:00Z")
Today a form of voluntary regulation of the press became law in the UK. This allows the Press to seek protection from libel cases by agreeing to a system of regulation and rebuttal. How much of an inroad to Press Free… --- ## [Martin Feldstein on Obamacare's fine](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/martin-feldstein-on-obamacares-fine/672889)
**Author:** [@cornopean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornopean)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [November 2, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/martin-feldstein-on-obamacares-fine/672889 "2013-11-02T00:07:15Z")
I found this interesting. Prof. Feldstein notes how easy it is for people to circumvent Obamacare by simply paying the fine and lowering their employee’s pay accordingly. For me, it just confirms that govt laws often r… --- ## [Public works programs - an acceptable solution for (much of) the US's current economic woes?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-works-programs-an-acceptable-solution-for-much-of-the-uss-current-economic-woes/672262)
**Author:** [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Replies:** 53\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-works-programs-an-acceptable-solution-for-much-of-the-uss-current-economic-woes/672262 "2013-11-01T17:11:41Z")
I suppose this is an issue that could almost be placed in GQ given that there is accumulated empirical evidence to inform the discussion as well as a good deal of economic theory underlying it (or so I am led to believe … --- ## [Does Nordic Social Capitalism Work?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nordic-social-capitalism-work/671043)
**Author:** [@IceQube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IceQube)\ **Replies:** 81\ **Last updated:** [November 1, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-nordic-social-capitalism-work/671043 "2013-11-01T02:34:01Z")
Or is it a myth that people in the Nordic countries are economically successful and that they’re really in shambles? --- ## [Sexual orientation is neither nature nor nurture, but culture?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-is-neither-nature-nor-nurture-but-culture/672629)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 49\ **Last updated:** [October 31, 2013, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sexual-orientation-is-neither-nature-nor-nurture-but-culture/672629 "2013-10-31T21:29:10Z")
I think that’s what this blog post (that someone approvingly linked to online) is saying. It’s definitely arguing that sexual orientation is most likely not inborn, yet that it’s also not a choice. Thoughts? --- ## [Which software company(s) wrote the Obamacare .gov system?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-software-company-s-wrote-the-obamacare-gov-system/670687)
**Author:** [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Replies:** 75\ **Last updated:** [October 31, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-software-company-s-wrote-the-obamacare-gov-system/670687 "2013-10-31T18:31:05Z")
I find it interesting that in all the brouhaha about the colossal failure of the Obamacare Internet roll-out, the prime contractors have not even been identified, let alone held up to account. For comparison–this is not… --- ## [Does Occupy "Pepper Spray cop" deserve 38 K worker's compensation claim](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-occupy-pepper-spray-cop-deserve-38-k-workers-compensation-claim/672180)
**Author:** [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Replies:** 76\ **Last updated:** [October 31, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-occupy-pepper-spray-cop-deserve-38-k-workers-compensation-claim/672180 "2013-10-31T17:47:53Z")
I’m sure you all remember the video of the UC cop, Lt. Pike, spraying various protestors with pepper spray. He was just awarded by a judge a $38,000 settlement in a worker’s compensation claim for all the stress the inc… --- ## [JFK fatal head shot](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-fatal-head-shot/672117)
**Author:** [@LynnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LynnM)\ **Replies:** 123\ **Last updated:** [October 30, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jfk-fatal-head-shot/672117 "2013-10-30T22:11:00Z")
How do adherents of the Oswald-as-lone-assassin theory explain the fatal head shot that pushes JFK back and to his left? How could a bullet fired from behind JFK do this? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=252) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=254)