Articles written by Vera Wexler

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About me - Vera Wexler

I'm just your average Jewish girl who wants to be an Orthodox Rabbi...it's not like there aren't enough of those around these days, right?

I love learning, and I love sharing what I know with other people. The world exists on people teaching and learning from

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Entertainment > Movies (Other) Which side of the force in the Star Wars movies is more powerful: The light side or the dark side?: 2 of 16
How do we know the Dark Side is more powerful? Simple: The Light Side never actually wins.Let's examine each of the trilogies separately:1) Episodes I, II, and III: The entire story arc running through Episodes I, II, and III is orchestrated by Palpatine, culminating in his crowning himself Emperor of the Galaxy. He increases... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Bible Study Should the bible be taught in public schools: 5 of 27
Of course the Bible should be taught in public schools. After all, all the other philosophical works on which much of our current though is based are taught. Why shouldn't the Bible be taught along with Aristotle and Plato, Homer and Virgil?Many people look at this question, and immediately think of the Bible as religion rath... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Personal Morals & Values Are you obligated to be moral?: 12 of 32
Am I personally obligated to be moral? Or are people in general obligated to hold with some sort of moral code? The answer to the first is resoundingly yes, since I am religious and believe in a God who obligates me to uphold the moral code set forth by my religion. The answer to the second is much more complex, since it requ... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Political Issues Should Amtrak receive more federal funding?: 3 of 7
Amtrak should definitely receive more federal funding. After all, the airlines are heavily subsidized, so why shouldn't other forms of travel be subsidized as well? Should we really allow the government to determine which forms of transportation are the most valuable? Also, train travel is much safer and much more cost-effect... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religion & Spirituality (Other) Should the Bible continue to be used for swearing-in ceremonies and in courtrooms?: 140 of 254
No, the Bible should not be used in secular ceremonies, since it goes against one of the fundamental principles of our democracy, the separation of church and state. If we are going to make a huge deal out of a statue of the Ten Commandments being erected in front of a courthouse in Alabama, then we should be making an even b... More..
Health & Fitness > Depression How to spot a suicidal friend: 14 of 25
It is often not hard to tell when a friend is suicidal, though many people tend to ignore the warning signs because they don't want to believe that their friends might be in danger.The most obvious signs are:1) Self-mutilation - If any of your friends start cutting themselves or stabbing themselves with sharp objects, it is t... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Terrorism Is Al Qaeda growing stronger despite global anti-terrorism efforts?: 23 of 30
Of course Al Qaeda is growing stronger, because the United States is trembling in fear before it. The amount of power Al Qaeda has over the world is directly proportional to the amount of precautions that its enemies take. Every time Al Qaeda tries something new, the United States leaders start running around like chickens wi... More..
Politics, News & Issues > War & Peace Should America or other powers charge for liberating the oppressed in other countries?: 6 of 7
The underlying question in this debate is, do governments have any responsibility to be moral? The answer to that is emphatically no. After all, who defines morality? The president? Or, dare I say it, religion? Morality should not be the driving force behind what governments choose to do; they should leave that to the many hu... More..
Entertainment > Movie Reviews Movie reviews: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 62 of 70
Order of the Phoenix is definitely the best yet of the Harry Potter films. It captures all of the important points in the book while at the same time it plays well as a film. All of the main characters are growing up in a realistic way, and the shorter haircuts on the boys in this film cause them to have a more mature appeara... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Government & Policies Should the words "under God" be in the US Pledge of Allegiance?: 29 of 32
Many people make the argument that the words "under God" should not be in the Pledge because many Americans don't believe in God. While this is certainly a compelling argument, it ignores the fact that many people who do believe in God, even the Judeo-Christian God who the Pledge is referring to, also object to those words be... More..