 | SEXUALITY.
Acceptance and understanding for alternate lifestyles. Homosexuality,
Bisexuality, Transgender, Fetish, Alternative lifestyles. What is "normal" and
how can people learn greater understanding for practices that deviate from common norms?
Does Christianity condemn alternative sexual practices? Are these things wrong? Should
government have the right to decide what people do in their bedrooms?
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| ATHIEISM
and FREETHOUGHT. Secular ideologies and morality. The role of secular wisdom in
our lives. The truths of atheistic and non-theistic beliefs. Can humankind be
"good" without "god"? Why do people choose atheism and what does it
actually mean? Are atheists and freethinkers "bad" people? Should our nation
discriminate against those who are atheists in regads to holding public office? Are
atheists treated unfairly in our society?
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| EXPLORING
THE "SELF" AS PART OF THE "WHOLE". Who are we, what makes us
the people we are? What influences our decision making and preferences? What value do we
place on personal responsibility? How far does that extend into the world around us? How
do we see the influence of our society/ our influences upon it?
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| RELIGION
AND FAITH. The search for our personal truths. Explorations into faith and
beliefs. Mythological origins of world religions, the value of faith and
"spirituality" in society and in personal lives. Negative aspects of systems of
faith. How our beliefs effect our decisions, and what manner these faiths become part of
our "beliefs". Why do you believe what you believe?
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| DIVERSITY
IN THE MODERN DAY. An exploration into what diversity actually is and how far
reaching an influence and factor it has become in our lives. Basic historical background
into the "growth" of tolerances. What is acceptable and what is not. Where do we
draw the lines between acceptable and unacceptable; normal and abnormal. Ways to improve
our own ability to value and respect cultural, religious, and other forms of diversity.
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| AMERICAN
CULTURE AND GOVERNMENT. Where is this nation in respect to other nations in the
world? In relation to other nations throughout history? Political efficacy, what it is and
how we learn it. What democracy really means and how we can move closer to the pure state
of it. Why government fails, ideas and reasons and solutions discussed.
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| SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY, friend or foe? Exploration into the ideas of scientific
discovery, manipulation of nature, medical technology and other aspects of what our
"knowledge" creates in our world. Is this all of benefit to the race as a whole?
What are the positive aspects? What are the negative aspects? Where should mankind draw
the line in "mastery" of his environment? What are the fears and are they valid?
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| OUR
MINDS, OUR SELVES. An exploration into the different things that help or hinder
our ability to process information. Why we learn better under some circumstances? Why are
some teachers better than others? What is necessary in order to really begin opening the
mind up to the full extent of learning that it is capable of? Does our culture hinder our
ability to do this? Are there influences that impede our progress? Have we
"learned" NOT to learn certain things, and how can we retrain our minds to think
in a different way? Emotional intelligence, and what that means. How do we find it, and
how do we help grow the ability to use it.
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| LINK
BETWEEN SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE AND SPIRITUAL WISDOM. Ancient alchemical ideas
explained. Is there anywhere that "god" and "science" truly meet? What
are the opposing issues, and how might they be resolved to gain greater understanding? Is
"faith" a valid state of thought, or essentially a way of saying "I
don’t know"? Astronomical knowledge in the ancient worlds, pyramids and Egyptian
wisdom, etc…Are there any links between the two separate opposing sides?
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| CRITICAL
THINKING. What is critical thinking, and why is it so vital? Areas in which it is
necessary to learn these skills. Examples of how these skills are manifested, and examples
of how they are not being properly used. The harm in not thinking for yourself. The power
that critical thinking gives to us, and how it can be most readily used for our benefits.
How have cultures, over history, indoctrinated the people to HINDER critical thinking
skills? What about our current society? Do we truly THINK for ourselves?
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| MEDICINE
AND HEALTH. Is our idea of modern medicine really HELPING us all? Healthcare
system explored. Costs for medical care explored. Medical advancements, the good and bad
side of "discovery". Artificial extension of life; an unnatural thing that we
have no right playing with? Global ramifications of overpopulation (is this due the state
of medicine preserving too much life?) Are we acting in accordance with natural law, or
causing our own problems? AIDS and other viruses, what are their purpose, and some
theories behind where they came from. Germ warfare explored. Cloning, Genetic
determination of offspring traits, etc. Is this RIGHT?
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| ENERGY
AND PHYSICS. All matter exists as one element, basic and pure? Or is it?
Explanations and insight into he Physical reality base don energy, the ways it works and
does not. The things we can control and what we cannot. Energy manipulation, a link to the
mental abilities and telepathy? Exploration into the "occult" philosophies in
regards to energies and the manifestation of these ideas through history.
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| NATURE
STUDIES AND NATURE BASED FAITH SYSTEMS. The link between "divinity" and
"physical reality" What are the principles of such systems of belief? Where did
they originate, and upon what premises? Defining terms of relevance. Link to modern day
faiths as well as scientific truths now understood. What did these people know that we did
not? Exploration into the many different areas of such studies and beliefs. The moralistic
base in such thought.
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| CHAOS
THEORY and Mathematical explanation of our world. Explore the many theories
proposed by scholars in regards to different truths about our existence and our world.
Idea that everything is in constant fluctuation, we are in constant motion. All is part of
all. Nothing is "predictable" Randomness is the key to survival as well as a
basis of our understanding of our own lives and surroundings. What is Chaos theory, and
how does it pertain to our lives? How can such in depth subjects be more easily
understood? Where are the links? Where are the questions? What is fact in regards to these
ideas?
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| INDIVIDUALITY
AND SELF EXPRESSION. Why is each person an individual. How does one show that?
Reasons for choices we make in regards to style and expressionistic acts. Behaviors caused
by society? Reactive or proactive manifestations? What does it signify? Where is the line
to be drawn? What goes too far and why. Influences that hinder our own expression, and our
reactions to them. What happens that makes a person pull away from the "normal"
standards? What does this represent? Symbolic of what? Exploration into these ideas.
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| COLLEGE
EDUCATION as a means to diversify the mind and open up to the differences around
you. Higher learning is tool for growth. How can this be accomplished? What is needed to
make an impact where we feel changes need to be made? Agreeing to disagree; the art of
debating respectfully. Learning from diversity. Respecting peers and learning from them.
Changing the mind’s perception of our education, and diversifying the ways in which
we can fully grow. Examination of the many ways we can benefit from higher education and
the ways in which we choose to.
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