Rational


 * Part of the series on Pseudoscience Main Topics Alternate historical chronology - Astrology Creation science - Crop circles Dogon people - Erich von Däniken Face on Mars - Lunar effect Non-materialist neuroscience - Paranormal Perpetual motion - Ufology Alternative medicine Other topics 2012 Apocalypse - Attachment therapy Ball lightning - Bermuda Triangle Cryptozoology - Dianetics Feng shui - Food woo Graphology - Laundry balls Lie detection - Neoshamanism Out-of-body experience Parapsychology - Phrenology Polygraph - Pseudoarcheology Reincarnation - Shroud of Turin Supernatural - Technical analysis Tunguska - Tutankhamun's curse William Strauss and Neil Howe The 2012 Apocalypse is the belief that the human species will come to an end in 2012. This bizarre idea is based on the Mayan calendar, [1] which ends on the date corresponding to our December 21st 2012 CE. The Mayan calendar was based on 256 year cycles, and the one the calendar was written in ends in late 2012. The belief that this is a prediction of the world ending is something akin to believing the world is going to end on December 31st because you have to throw away this years calendar, and go out and buy one for next year. A number of pop culture books and websites have tried to give this idea some scientific support, [2] but as per normal with pseudoscience, only the evidence that fits the belief is cited.  Basically, if everything is fine the morning of December 22nd, 2012, then we can finally put this nonsense to rest and go back to throwing wild parties.  The comic strip Wapsi Square uses the 2012 apocalypse as a major plot unifying point, though this was not revealed until well into the comic's run. It also presents the lead character, Monica, as a confirmed skeptic who considers the weird "supernatural" things she encounters on a daily basis as simply a part of her world she doesn't understand yet.   Footnotes ↑
 * Abomination is a term frequently used in the Bible to refer to acts that are abhorrent to the Jewish and Christian (and probably Islamic) God, Yahweh or Jehovah (and probably Allah). The English word "abomination" as used in the Bible is a translation of at least four different Hebrew words, so, how exact can it be?  Such acts include but surely are not limited to: Images and other paraphernalia of forbidden cults The worship of heathen deities or heavenly bodies The practice of witchcraft and kindred arts Gross acts of immorality The falsification of weights and measures Evil devices Evil deeds Eating animals that are unclean On occasion, lewdness and harlotry.  Public stoning was frequently seen as being a fitting punishment for engaging in abominations.  Lesser abominations resulted in being "shut off from your people." [1] [2] The Abomination could also refer to The Incredible Hulk's rival monster-thing [3]  See also Homophobia Yeti  Footnotes ↑ Hartdegen, Fr. Stephen J., General Editor,  Nelson's Complete Concordance of the New American Bible, G.R. Welch Co., Ltd., Toronto, Canada ↑ Hastings, James, editor, Dictionary of the Bible , Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1963 ↑ I smell biblical foreknowledge !   "
 * Academics, not unlike "experts", are people who have studied a particular field for many years, becoming one of a small collection of people who are knowledgeable about one area. Academics tend to write at length about topics they are interested in (and sometimes even contribute to topics no one cares about).  One difference between academics and professors is that academics do not necessarily teach and are not necessarily associated with a particular university.  Generally, it is advisable when challenging academics, professors, or other experts that you show you are equally educated in the area you challenge them on, and that you are well read on the topic you wish to contend.   See also Professor Scientist Lenski affair S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is an organic compound composed of adenine, the sugar ribose, and three phosphate groups. ATP serves as the major energy source within the cell to drive a number of biological processes such as photosynthesis, muscle contraction, and the synthesis of proteins. It is broken down by hydrolysis to yield adenosine diphosphate (ADP), inorganic phosphorus, and energy. ADP can be further broken down to yield adenosine monophosphate (AMP), additional phosphorus, and more energy. When the phosphorus and energy are immediately used to drive other reactions, such as the synthesis of uridine diphosphate (UDP), an RNA precursor, from uridine monophosphate (UMP), the pair of reactions are said to be coupled. New ATP is produced from AMP using the energy released from the breakdown of fuel molecules, such as fats and sugars. Extracellularly, ATP has been found to act as a neurotransmitter. ATP receptors are widespread through the body. On its own it is known to have effects in the arteries, intestines, lungs, and bladder. It is also often released in tandem with other neurotransmitters.   Structure The structure of ATP has an ordered carbon compound as a backbone, but the part that is really critical is the phosphorous part - the triphosphate. Three phosphorous groups are connected by oxygen atoms to each other, and there are also side oxygens connected to the phosphorous atoms. Under the normal conditions in the body, each of these oxygens has a negative charge, and the negative charges repel each other. These bunched up negative charges that are forced together in the molecule represent a great deal of potential energy waiting to be released.   See Also Molecular biology  "
 * Ad hoc means thrown together (literally, to this). In modern usage, this phrase has two fairly distinct meanings, depending on whether it is being used in argumentation or government.   Argument, debate, and science In argumentation, an ad hoc until experimentation or study can be conducted on it.  However, when used to support an argument or an explanation, it is seldom a solid argumentative strategy.  Many creationists use ad hoc arguments to explain away evidence that contradicts their underlying beliefs, rather than revising those beliefs.  The constant creation of new ad hoc arguments to undermine evidence is a good sign that they are not arguing in good faith.   Politics In politics, ad hoc refers to the creation of "temporary" committees or processes to handle new situations.  In many cases, these temporary creations end up becoming permanent.  The constant " ad hoc " tinkering often creates solutions that work well in the short term, but end up creating a system that no one would have consciously devised.   "
 * Affirmative action is a term coined to describe policies designed to make up for historic oppressions, particularly racism and sexism, and for other circumstances which cause a minority to be disadvantaged, such as disabilities. These policies are most prevalent in the United States , due to its history of slavery and difficulty in getting over it.  In its crudest forms, affirmative action would mean giving some sort of benefit to a person of a historically oppressed group over that of a historically advantaged group, all other things being equal.  Employers using racial quotas are an example of this.  Affirmative action was seen as a good thing when it was first started, as there was no way for most blacks or women to compete with white males on an even footing, due to the inability of blacks and women to get the jobs or educational opportunities open to white males.  In essence, if a black person or a woman was able to compete with a white man for a job, then it was obvious that they had worked harder and against more obstacles than the white man, and were thus a better candidate.  However, it has come under attack recently for being a form of reverse bias against white males.  This neglects the many institutional advantages white males still possess.  Some states have since banned affirmative action policies.  [1] Most interestingly, its biggest opponent on the Supreme Court is also one of the most visible beneficiaries .   Footnotes ↑ Most notably, Michigan, at their State University undergraduate level.   "
 * Continent - 2nd largest on our Earth. Birth place of humans, unless you buy into the UFO theories or think man came from dust.  Egypt peaked early. Slavery was a blight on much of the African continent following European technological ascendancy.  Colonialism was a curse, making many African states Also, there's AIDS.  Bush thinks the best way to stop that is abstinence-only education.  Unfortunately, it fails massively, as a study reported in the 24 September issue of the Economist notes.  Bad news.  Africa is the native home to over 2000 language groups, almost 1 billion people, climates ranging from the dryest of deserts, to the thickest of jungles, to ice covered "no one but penguins would live there" zones.  And speaking of animals, where else will you find lions, rhions, great apes, and zebras.  It even has its own goat [1] .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Airborne is a dietary supplement which is marketed in check out lines everywhere with the totally unfounded claim that it wards off harmful bacteria and germs, and helps prevent the flu and colds. The "miracle" formula was supposedly created by Victoria Knight-McDowell, an elementary school teacher, and is said to contain herbal extracts, amino acids, antioxidants, electrolytes, synthetic vitamins, and other ingredients, and can be purchased in three different forms:  a tablet which can be taken orally or dissolved in water, a chewable "Gummi" lozenge , or a concentrated powder.  On March 4, 2008, Airborne Health Inc. agreed to pay $23.3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit brought against the company because  there is no evidence that the supplement wards off harmful bacteria and germs. Customers were told that they could be refunded for any Airborne they ever bought.  Get your money back from teh greedy corporate bastards here!  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Alan Keyes is a conservative speaker, political activist, and candidate. Contents 1 2004 Illinois Senate race 2 Views on homosexuality 3 Family Values, Keyes-style 4 Keyes on guns and abortion 5 Keyes on religion 6 Keyes in film 7 Footnotes  2004 Illinois Senate race The 2004 campaign was notable for a variety of reasons: Jack Ryan's former wife is well-known actress Jeri Ryan Keyes entered the race, despite the fact that Republican then-Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was from Illinois and very well known statewide with a very conservative voting record, and therefore a stronger challenger to Obama than Keyes Contrary to Keyes' claims, he was never the party favorite, and he was never drafted.  [1] Keyes' 11th-hour entry prompted infighting among the Illinois Republican Party, and many state Republicans refused to support him.  [2] Prior to jumping in to the race as Ryan's replacement, Keyes had no ties to Illinois.  Discussing Hillary Clinton 's 2000 run for the US Senate from New York, he had said "I deeply resent the destruction of Federalism represented by Hillary Clinton's willingness to go into a state she doesn't even live in and pretend to represent people there, so I certainly wouldn't imitate it." [3] Keyes was defeated by Barack Obama, 70%-27%, the largest margin in state history.  Obama has since come into national prominence.   Views on homosexuality Keyes has been outspoken in his opposition to homosexuality in general and same-sex marriage in particular.  In a 2004 interview with gay activist Michelangelo Signorile, the following exchange took place: KEYES: And they are adopting the paradigm of family life. But the essence of that family life remains procreation. If we embrace homosexuality as a proper basis for marriage, we are saying that it is possible to have a marriage state that in principle excludes procreation and is based simply on the premise of selfish hedonism. This is unacceptable.  SIGNORILE: So Mary Cheney is a selfish hedonist, is that it?  KEYES: Of course she is. That goes by definition. Of course she is.  SIGNORILE: I don't think Dick Cheney would like to hear that about his daughter.  KEYES: He may or may not like to hear the truth, but it can be spoken.  [UNIDENTIFIED VOICE]: Do you really believe that, that Mary Cheney . . .  KEYES: By definition, a homosexual engages in the exchange of mutual pleasure. I actually object to the notion that we call it sexual relations because it's nothing of the kind.  [UNIDENTIFIED VOICE]: What is it?  KEYES: It is the mutual pursuit of pleasure through the stimulation of the organs intended for procreation, but it has nothing to do with sexuality because they are of the same sex. And with respect to them, the sexual difference does not exist. They are therefore not having sexual relations.   Family Values, Keyes-style [4]  Keyes on guns and abortion "... at a Gun Owners of New Hampshire meeting ... He received a raucous standing ovation when he stated that gun owners are pro life and their guns are to defend the lives of the unborn." [5] This apparently aligns his position on abortion with that of Randall Terry - the "right" solution to the "problem" is to shoot the doctors.   Keyes on religion Keyes has expressed his support for the teaching of Biblical creationism in public schools and overtly Christian prayers by state government.  [6] He has also argued that faith-based initiatives, when provided by Jews , promote enmity, whereas those provided by Christians do not.  [7] He has argued that America was founded as a Christian nation and remains such [8] , despite an 18th-century treaty declaring the United States was not founded on any religion, and the Constitutional stipulation that treaties be the supreme law of the land.  [9] [10]  Keyes in film Alan Keyes is featured in the documentary film FUCK as one of the "conservative" commentators decrying the use of the word.   Footnotes ↑
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Alchemy is the attempt at science that was a precursor to modern chemistry .  It sought to figure out ways to turn one element into another, among other things. A famous proponent of this now discarded attempt at science, was Sir Isaac Newton. Newton's attempts to unravel the mysteries of chemicals and elements may have taught him many new things, but never the one holy grail of alchemy. Ideally, alchemists wanted to turn junk metals into gold.  Although, if this had been mastered, the value of gold would have dropped precipitously, destroying the economies of most of the nations of the time, once the secret got out. Which was one reason alchemists were supremely jealous of their trade secrets, another being their complete lack of progress.  Eventually physicists figured out how to turn one element into another - certain heavy elements can readily be caused to form lighter elements and isotopes, if enough dynamite is packed around concentrated samples of them, and hydrogen can be turned into helium if enough heavy elements are made to change around an appropriate sample of tritium [1] .   Footnotes ↑ A heavy isotope of hydrogen, with two neutrons in the nucleus.   "
 * Evolution People Charles Darwin Alfred Russel Wallace Richard Dawkins Science Evolution Evidence Genes Alleles Natural selection Pseudoscience Young Earth Creationism Old Earth Creationism Intelligent Design " Microevolution " vs. " Macroevolution " Alfred Russel Wallace is the co-discover of the Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection . Not that you would know it by the way the likes of Ann Coulter and Michael Behe talk.   Natural Selection Wallace is co-discoverer of Natural Selection because he wrote an essay about it on the spur of the moment while suffering from malaria. He sent the essay to Charles Darwin, who realized that Wallace had come-up with the same theory of evolution that he had spent 20 years working on. Not wanting to be scooped, Darwin arranged to have both Wallace's paper and some of his own writing presented at a meeting of the Linnean Society. Without Wallace's permission.  Thus Alfred Wallace is the co-discoverer of the Theory of Natural Selection.  [1] Wallace didn't publish as extensively on Natural Selection as Darwin did, and he published other things as well. For example, Wallace was in the Malay Archipelago when he came up with Natural Selection, dashed off an essay that would ensure his place in history, and then went back to exploring the region.  Wallace wouldn't return to the subject until 1864 CE. Later he expressed doubts about whether human intelligence could be the result of natural selection. He also became a spiritualist in the late 1860s.   Later in Life Wallace would become one of England's most well known naturalists. He wrote a wide variety of works and wide variety of topics, and toured the US lecturing. He died at the age of 90 in 1913.   Footnotes ↑ Alfred Russel Wallace: A Capsule Biography  "
 * Evidence of Facts! Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 until his death in 899. While not the only English monarch called "Great" (Egbert, Cnut, and William the Bastard were all called this at some point), he is the only one to whom the appellation has stuck, because of his epic victories against the Vikings, his political skills, the founding of the Royal Navy, and his promotion of laws and liberal arts.  Contents 1 Rise to the throne 2 War with the Danes 3 Political achievements 4 Death 5 Contribution to Rationality  Rise to the throne His father was King Athelwulf. He was the youngest son and was preceded on the throne by his brothers Ethelbald, Ethelbert and Ethelred.  His mother was Osburga of the Isle of Wight.  The oldest brother, Athelstan, and his son, died soon after defeating the Vikings (generally called "Danes" by the English, although most may have come from Norway) in a sea battle at Sandwich. Ethelbert and Ethelred also died in battle. Alfred distinguished himself in the Battle of Ashingdon, leading the attack upon the Danes, while his brother King Ethelred I was still at prayer.  Upon the death of Ethelred at the Battle of Meretun in 871, the Witangemot crowned Alfred king. His older brother Ethelred was survived by two sons, Athelwold and Athelhelm (aged four and two years old), but they were passed over.   War with the Danes Alfred inherited the throne of a kingdom on the brink of extinction. The Danes had already overrun the kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia and East Anglia. After a surprise attack at Chippenham the Danes routed Alfred and Wessex until he and a small group of survivors took refuge in the swamps of Somerset at the Isle of Athelney (now a small hill on a farm in Somerset).  From here Alfred organised the resistance to the Danes until he was able to defeat them and reconquer Wessex.  He made peace with the Danish leader Guthrum at the Peace of Wedmore, and divided England between Wessex and the Danelaw, and Guthrum became a Christian.   Political achievements Alfred reorganised defences by establishing fortified settlements called "burhs" and a standing navy with large ships able to engage and defeat the Danes at sea.  Having stabilised his kingdom, Alfred began to re-establish learning by translating Latin works, such "The Consolation of Philosophy" by Boethius and "Cura Pastoralis" by Pope Gregory and establishing the Anglo Saxon Chronicle.   Death Alfred died in 899, apparently of an illness he had much of his life which caused him great pain.  It is now hypothesised that this may have been Crohn's Disease.   Contribution to Rationality Alfred had some of the Bible translated into English, as well as many other key texts, and sent explorers to the Baltic and emissaries to India.  Five hundred years afterwards the Church was burning men such as Wycliff and Tyndale for doing just that. The perceived threat of this was that if ordinary people were to have access to religious works- particularly the Bible - they would question the teachings of the Church- which is exactly what happened. These facts show just how far ahead of his time Alfred was in the quest for Rationality in religion and in science. Alfred also wrote that the Earth was round and not flat.  He established five editors to assist his project- one of whom was called "Werewolf".   "
 * Allopathic is a term invented by homeopathetic medicine founder Samuel Hahnemann, and used by quacks, to disparage evidence-based medicine, and the real doctors and other trained professionals who practice it. No one knows what its roots are, but it bears a superficial resemblance to the primitive therapod reptile Allosaurus .  " Allo " is a derivation of the Greek, meaning "different".  Generally, allopathic medicine refers to "the broad category of medical practice that is sometimes called Western medicine, biomedicine, scientific medicine, or modern medicine," [1]  See also Evidence-based medicine  Footnotes ↑ [
 * Amicus Curiae is Latin for "friend of the court." The term is used for a brief submitted by someone who is not a party to a legal case, but has some interest in the outcome. For example, the ACLU often submits amicus curiae briefs in civil liberty cases, even if they have not been retained to do so.   "
 * Amnesty International Logo Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights. Their vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Amnesty is independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion. It does not support or oppose any government or political system, nor does it support or oppose the views of the victims whose rights it seeks to protect. It is concerned solely with the impartial protection of human rights.  AI has a varied network of members and supporters around the world. At the latest count, there were more than 2.2 million members, supporters and subscribers in over 150 countries and territories in every region of the world. Although they come from many different backgrounds and have widely different political and religious beliefs, they are united by a determination to work for a world where everyone enjoys human rights.  AI's national sections, members and supporters are primarily responsible for funding the movement. No funds are sought or accepted from governments for AI’s work investigating and campaigning against human rights violations.   Recent Controversy with the Catholic Church A senior Vatican cardinal, Cardinal Renato Martino, has urged Catholics to stop donating to Amnesty International because of its new policy advocating abortion rights for women in cases of rape, incest or if they face health risks. Cardinal Martino, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, accused Amnesty of turning its back on its mission to defend human rights  Amnesty's goals At the 27th International Council meeting, 2005, it was decided that: " Amnesty International’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.  In pursuit of this vision, Amnesty International’s mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.  " This manifests itself as Amnesty's goals: Abolish capital punishment Put an end to extrajudicial executions and "disappearances" Put an end to torture and ill-treatment Put an end to unlawful killings in armed conflict Ensure conditions in prisons meet international standards of human rights Ensure rapid and fair trials for all prisoners of conscience Ensure free education to all children worldwide Put an end to the recruitment and use of child soldiers Promote economic, social and cultural rights for marginalised communities Protect human rights defenders Protect the rights of refugees migrants and asylum seekers  External links Amnesty International Website Catholic Church speaks out against Amnesty  "
 * Professors Zachary D. Blunt, Christina Z. Borland, and Richard E. Lenski’s paper “Historical contingency and the evolution of a key innovation in an experimental population of Eschericha coli ” [1] has received a lot of attention on the net.  This is, in part, due to the apparent support for evolution given by the paper but, mostly, due to Andrew Schlafly ’s remarkable correspondence with Professor Lenksi .  The paper in question looks at a particular event in an experiment tracking the nature of bacteria over many generations that, so far, has lasted twenty years.  One change observed was that a strain arose that was able to metabolise citrate (“eat it”), something this particular bacteria is normally unable to do in the presence of air.  Whilst the paper is admirably clear it is a technical paper requiring good knowledge of biology for a thorough understanding.   We present here a layman's interpretation of the study.  The study is often hailed as demonstrating a beneficial mutation arising in the laboratory and therefore it is considered to be waving the flag for evolution and challenging creationism on  many levels .  The paper itself, however, does not enter into this debate.  Instead, the question reviewed is how the mutation arose and the implications of this for two conflicting views on how mutations come to be.  The “Cumulative”  view is that mutations appear largely at random with the result that for any, broadly enough defined, trait there is a high likelihood that this trait will be presented for natural selection to operate on.  The “Contingent” view is that mutations are restricted not just in terms of chance and whether or not they survive to be passed on but in the possibility of them arising in the first place.  Contents 1 Poker analogy 2 The team’s results 3 Wild conclusions (ours, not the team's!) and further questions 4 See also 5 Footnotes 6 External Links  Poker analogy The paper begins by characterising natural selection as a determining process that needs a random process, mutation, in order for novelty to arise.  Evolution is a combination of deterministic natural selection acting on the raw materials of random mutation.  For the purposes of this layman's commentary, we shall make use of a Poker analogy - though of course the paper itself uses no such explanatory device.  Poker is a game that is built on deterministic decisions (betting and folding) being made on purely random data.  In the variant called “Texas hold 'em” each player receives two cards face down, from a shuffled pack, before decisions are taken.  High pairs, two Aces or two Kings are particularly strong hands and a player, if exceptionally cautious, may decide to enter the betting only if he receives such a hand.  We can crudely characterise the “Cummulative” position as mirroring this situation.  Mutation corresponds to the shuffling of the deck and the deals, the decisions of the player corresponds to natural selection.  Each shuffle and deal is completely independent of earlier shuffles and, if he sits there long enough, the player can expect to receive a high pair to play at some point.  If we know the betting habits of the player we will be able to predict that, at some point, he’s going to play a high pair.  The “high pair” will evolve, all you have to do is sit and wait.  The “Contingent” position is that future shuffles are, partly, determined by previous shuffles.  Indeed the deck itself is partly determined by previous shuffles.  If our player plays from Monday to Sunday then the chance things that happen on Monday affect the possibility of what type of thing can happen on Tuesday.  As the range of possibilities (the deck) changes the player may be sitting in the game when there are neither Aces nor Kings in the deck (they may be “Baces” and “Dings” instead).  In such a situation, even if we know that the player will bet if he has a high pair, we cannot predict that he will play a high pair.   The team’s results The team found two things that would suggest that, at least in this case, the “Contingent” position is correct.  Firstly the mutation in question arose after very many generations and quite enormous numbers of bacteria.  In our poker analogy our player had been playing from Monday to Sunday and first saw a pair of Aces on Sunday.  The chances of receiving a high pair are 119:2. We should not necessarily expect to receive two high pairs in the first 119 deals, but the more deals sat through without any high pairs the more we can be confident that "something is going on".  “Something”, thought the research team, “is going on”.  Finding what was going on depended on new research.  The team repeated the experiment with different generations of the bacteria (they had preserved a sample of every 500th generation).  They took bacteria from generation 20,000 and cultured them, from generation 10,000 and cultured them etc. etc.  In other words they got the pack in use on Monday, the pack in use on Tuesday etc and started dealing.  They found that the mutation re-occurred, but only from bacteria cultured from generation 20,000 and up.  Re-culturing the strains from earlier generations simply didn’t reproduce the mutation.  This is what we would expect to see given the “Contingent” position and what we would expect not to see given the "Cumulative" position.  If we pick up a deck of cards used on Monday and deal away we get different results from a deck of cards used on Saturday. They are different decks, the results we see are not just chance variations in outcomes but different ranges of outcomes determined by the history of that deck.  The early generation decks have Baces and Dings.  Aces and Kings entered the decks of cards in use from Saturday morning on.  If we pick up one of the later decks and start to deal, and only if we pick up one of the later decks, we find our player receiving high pairs.   Wild conclusions (ours, not the team's!) and further questions The team’s next aim is to find out exactly how the genes of the mutant E. coli “code” for eating citrate.  This is likely to involve firstly mapping all the mutations that have taken place and then trying to find which of the dozens that are expected results in citrate-eating.  Fortunately for us we don’t actually have to do all this hard work and can run off into wild speculation.  A common criticism of evolutionary theories is the assertion that “no new information” arises as a result of mutations.  This assertion is reconciled with the commonplace observation of apparently “new” features by reasoning that the feature was already there: the adaptions we see reveal potential, they do not create it.  In the paper we are presented with a description of something that is new: the potential to develop citrate-eating.  It would appear that this, at least, is not “already present” we can try and try to “reveal” it in early generations but we will fail.  You can shuffle a Monday deck all you like but you won’t get any Aces.  Of course this is just one mutation (although others have been described [1]).  The team have shown that new information can arise: it leaves open the question of whether enough arises.  Bio-diversity.  As if we didn’t need telling, the team’s results add to the idea that once something is lost in nature then it’s lost.  A mutation arising depends on history as much as chance and we are unable to re-wind the clock.  “Punctuated Equilibrium”.  There is quite a debate between those who think that evolution happens gradually by small, incremental steps, and those who think that evolution happens in “bursts”.   Has a “burst” now been seen in the lab?  The team has seen 30,000 generations of non-citrate-eating stability, a nice steady equilibrium, followed by a “massive population expansion” (p7904) of citrate-eating bacteria.  Who’s going to win?  The team point out that citrate-eating and non-citrate eating E. coli co-exist quite happily.  The citrate-eating bacteria are not as good as the non-citrate eating bacteria at munching glucose.   The team wonder whether it is better to specialise in eating citrate and leave the glucose-eaters alone?  Or will the citrate-eaters adapt to eat glucose as well and march on to lab-domination?  Will the bacteria become new species? Lenski himself speculates on this in the paper: " Will the Cit+ and Cit- lineages eventually become distinct species?  ", and he concludes that more time is necessary to tell.   See also Potentiating mutation Historical contingency Conservapedia:Schlafly's alleged Flaws in Lenski's Study  Footnotes ↑ Lenski's Paper  External Links
 * Forrest_Gump ↑ ↑
 * This is a fork page and distinguishes between several uses of a title or phrase. If you came via a link, you can help by changing the link to the appropriate article from the list below.  Perhaps you were looking for our mascot, or just some good eating ?  Or even one of these...  Andrew Schlafly , High Warlord of Conservapedia.  User:GodlessLiberal , a commie.   "
 * Animal Farm is a novella by George Orwell about an insurrection of farm animals against the human owner of the farm as an allegory for authoritarianism communism, and its eventual betrayal and usurpation by Josef Stalin (represented in this book by the evil pig Napoleon) and the atrocities committed in its name. Perhaps the best known quote from the work is, "All animals are created equal, but some are more equal than others."  Footnotes Full text at Project Gutenberg Australia . Note: may still be under copyright in your home country. Examine your local laws before downloading.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * 5 on the list ↑
 * Christian Apologetics, or simply, Apologetics is the field of philosophy and theology devoted to a systematic and supposedly rational defense of Christian beliefs. This defense does not extend to the actions of Christians--it focuses solely on finding "rational" reasons to believe in the tenets of Christianity.  There are many different branches of apologetics, some focusing on evidence, some on ontology, but all share the purpose of removing "faith" from Faith.  Most arguments focus on the tenets of Christian faith being inherently true, but some change the nature of knowledge itself, redefining reason, and falling back on such circular ideas as biblical inerrancy .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Please cite your sauces. For example, Mornay sauce can be found on page 35 of Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire [1], below "Matelote blanche" and above "Mousseline".  Famous citations "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose." -- William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)  Footnotes ↑ Escoffier, Georges Auguste, Le Guide Culinaire , 4ème ed. Paris: Flammarion, 1921, ISBN 2082004831 .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Ma-ma--ma-ma The aquatic ape theory (or aquatic ape hypothesis as it is better known) is the proposal that wading, swimming and diving for food had a large evolutionary effect on the ancestors of humans and is in part responsible for the split between the common ancestors of humans and other great apes. The hypothesis is in contradiction to the more established hypothesis that the environment of evolutionary adaptiveness for hominids was the savannas of the Rift Valley and the more recent hypotheses that the environment was forests or even that it rapidly fluctuated. Contents 1 History 2 Theory 3 Objections to the theory 4 Reception 5 External links 6 Footnotes  History The hypothesis that the morphological divergence of hominids was dictated by an aquatic environment was first formulated in 1923 by the German physician Max Westenhfer and marine biologist Sir Alister Hardy. Hardy was inspired after returning from an Antarctic expedition where he noticed the subcutaneous blubber fat layers of whales and seals and saw parallels to humans. Hardy, for fear of jeopardizing his scientific career, did not publish his ideas until 1960.  Elaine Morgan took up the fight in 1972 when she discussed the aquatic ape hypothesis in her book The Descent of Woman.  Morgan has been the primary proponent of the hypothesis, and culminated her argument in 1997 with the publication of The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis.  [1]  Theory The major divergence between the great apes and hominids can be placed somewhere between 5-7 mya based on the fossil record. During this time significant differences in anatomy developed including: Bipedalism [2] - which the theory claims was assisted by the supporting effects of water.  Hairless skin [3] - with the exception of the head which still needed to be shielded from the sun. Meanwhile primates such as baboons and vervet monkeys which live on the savannah have neither lost their hair nor developed an upright posture.  Increased subcutaneous fat [4] Greatly expanded brain size - which was promoted by the protein-rich fish diet.  A hooded nose which prevents water from entering the nostrils [5] Greasy skin with an abundance of sebaceous glands, which can be interpreted as a waterproofing device [6] Elaine Morgan, the primary proponent of this hypothesis, claims that these traits are common in aquatic mammals. She claims that these demonstrate convergent evolution of mammals living in an aquatic environment. The aquatic stage would have been about 5 mya until about 2.5 mya when the grassland expansion begun.  but in a littoral setting they may be vital.   Objections to the theory There are said to be several problems with this idea. The first is that convergent evolution predicts adaptations serving similar function, not similar structure. The wings of a bat, a bird, and a bumblebee are products of convergent evolution in solving the problem of flight, but they are structurally very different. Morgan's convergent evolution adaptations focus on structure.  The second problem is that many of the supposed differences can be explained just as easily in reference to grassland (savanna) adaptation, and many aquatic mammals do not have the supposed traits. Loss of hair is a good example -- most aquatic mammals actually have kept their hair. The subcutaneous fat is also suspect, since much of the published research has shown that there is very little difference in number of fat cells or their distribution between other primates and humans.  [7] While humans do have, on average, a greater deposition of fat percentage than other primates, when these primates are not kept on a restricted diet the difference evaporates. The increase in subcutaneous fat then seems to be a product of current human diet, not evolutionary adaptation.  However, human babies are born with a thick layer of subcutaneous fat - unlike apes - and covered in a waterproof 'grease' like harbour seals.  Some claim that the "hairless skin" alleged difference is rather weak as humans do, in fact, have many fine hairs on their arms and legs.  It is clear, however, that humans are substantially more hairless than any other great ape. Several other savannah species have also lost much of their hair including elephants, rhinoceroses, and naked mole rats.  Although it is interesting to note that both elephants [8] and rhinoceroses [9] are theorised to have evolved from aquatic ancestors so they may not be the best counter-examples.   Reception The aquatic ape theory has mostly been ignored by palaeoanthropologists and its strongest reception has been in popular literature and magazines. Very little research has been published in scientific journals directly supportive or critical of the theory.  Morgan blames the poor reception to the idea on people's perception of herself personally, since she has no advanced degree, and at the time was a self-professed fervent feminist .  Supporters of the theory claim that this lukewarm reception resulted from the fact that Elaine Morgan was not a member of the palaeoanthropological establishment - detractors maintain that the lack of convincing evidence may have played a role.   External links Elaine Morgan's web site .  Elaine Morgan quoted on the aquatic ape theory.  A strong critic of Elaine Morgans's quoting techniques.  Wikipedia's article on Elaine Morgan.  An interview with... Elaine Morgan!  Wikipedia's article on the aquatic ape hypothesis.   Footnotes ↑ ↑ A Theory on the Evolution of the Habitual Orthograde Human Bipedalism - The "Amphibisce Generalistheorie": Niemitz, C ↑ The Aquatic Ape: Elaine Morgan ↑ Was man more aquatic in the past? (NewScientist): Hardy, A.  ↑ Evidence for the unique function of docosahexanoic acid (DHA) during the evolution of the modern hominid brain (Lipids): Crawford, M et al ↑ Kingdon, Jonathan. (2003) Lowly Origin Princeton University Press, 242 ↑ Pond, Caroline M. 1991 "Adipose Tissue in Human Evolution", pp. 193-220. The Aquatic Ape: Fact or Fiction? Edited by Machteld Roede, Jan Wind, John M. Patrick and Vernon Reynolds. Souvenir Press: London.  ↑ aquatic elephant evolution ↑ aquatic rhinoceroses evolution  "
 * *Argument from beauty is a common argument from creationist that appeals to the existence of beauty as a metaphysical property that can not be explained by materialistic mechanisms. They argue that beauty can only come from some supernatural omnipotent being such as God . The biggest problem with the argument from beauty is that it ignores the fact that the perception of beauty is a psychological phenomenon that is easily described in terms of evolutionary principles and neurological models of sensory processing. Also it ignores all the non-beautiful and even down right disgusting things in the universe. A related argument is the argument from female orgasm which contends that since a lack of sexual climax in (some unfortunate) women is not a hinderance to reproduction, the existence of the female orgasm in general can only be explained as the superabundant gift of a generous Creator.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Argument from ignorance or argumentum ad ignorantiam in its most formal definition is a logical fallacy that claims the truth of a premise is based on the fact that it has not been proven false, or that a premise is false because it has not been proven true. Another form that this fallacy can take is the form that of an argument from personal incredulity (also known as argument from personal belief or argument from personal conviction) which is that one's personal incredulity or credulity towards a premise is a logical reason for acceptance or rejection. Almost all the claims from the anti-science movement revolve around some form of personal incredulity or argument from ignorance.  These people will pick some aspect of a currently accepted scientific theory and argue that it must be wrong because they do not believe it explains some aspect of the natural world. Common examples of this are such claims as "you can't prove global warming is caused by humans," "I don't see how evolution could increase the complexity of an organism," " material properties of the brain cannot presently explicitly explain consciousness so it must be caused by non-materialist processes." More complex hypotheses can also take this form, such as Michael Behe 's irreducible complexity, which is nothing but an argument from personal incredulity.   See also Russell's Teapot  "
 * Argument from ignorance or argumentum ad ignorantiam in its most formal definition is a logical fallacy that claims the truth of a premise is based on the fact that it has not been proven false, or that a premise is false because it has not been proven true. Another form that this fallacy can take is the form that of an argument from personal incredulity (also known as argument from personal belief or argument from personal conviction) which is that one's personal incredulity or credulity towards a premise is a logical reason for acceptance or rejection. Almost all the claims from the anti-science movement revolve around some form of personal incredulity or argument from ignorance.  These people will pick some aspect of a currently accepted scientific theory and argue that it must be wrong because they do not believe it explains some aspect of the natural world. Common examples of this are such claims as "you can't prove global warming is caused by humans," "I don't see how evolution could increase the complexity of an organism," " material properties of the brain cannot presently explicitly explain consciousness so it must be caused by non-materialist processes." More complex hypotheses can also take this form, such as Michael Behe 's irreducible complexity, which is nothing but an argument from personal incredulity.   See also Russell's Teapot  "
 * The creationist model of the ark Noah's Ark was a gigantic wooden vessel in which Noah supposedly saved every kind of animal [1] of the earth from the great flood . [2] This myth is to be found in the Bible Torah, and Qur'an .  [3] It is most likely just one of a number of retellings of retellings of retellings of the same general Mesopotamian flood story, an example of which is the story of Utnapishtim, the King of Shurrupak, from the Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh.  [4] Contents 1 Construction 2 How much water?  3 The animals 4 Archaeological
 * 5 See also 6 External links 7 Footnotes Construction The construction of the Ark supposedly took 70 years.  [5] The Bible says it was built of "gopherwood" (essentially a transliteration from the Hebrew of a tree name that nobody understands anymore), 300 cubits [6] long by 50 cubits wide by 30 cubits deep.  The Ark would have been a sizeable fraction of the size of an aircraft carrier or a battleship, and a wooden boat that size would have been too leaky and flexible to withstand the stresses of global flood conditions.  [7]  How much water?  Since the area of Earth is approximately 200 million square miles, and the height of Mt Everest is approximately 5.5 miles, the amount of water that needed to be supplied (and disposed of) in the Great Flood is about 1.1 billion cubic miles.   However, the atmosphere is only capable of holding the equivalent of one inch of precipitation in the form of water vapor.   The animals According to the Bible, Noah was instructed to load the Ark with two or more of every kind of animal on earth at the time. The logistics involved in rounding up the animals (chasing down every nematode, netting every last songbird and riding herd on the rhinos) and  and getting them on board the Ark are amusing to contemplate. Then there is the no small matter of collecting and loading a year's supply of the correct kind of food for every single species. How did they keep enough meat for all the carnivores without the benefits of refrigeration? The meat required by the T-Rex alone would have been prodigious. Keeping the predators seperated from each other and from the species they would ordinarily have eaten must have proven a formidable task. Finally, disposing of the enormous quantities of fecal matter such a menagerie would produce over the course of a year must have tried the patience and fortitude of even the most devout of Noah's super-devout family. One hopes they had plenty of room deodorizer. For an image of pure bedlam one may imagine the view of Young Earth Crackpots, who picture dinosaurs [8], goats, saber-toothed tigers, deer, and mastodons all happily sharing their ocean cruise on board the Ark.   Archaeological search Many creationists , both Christian and Muslim , have searched for the remains of Noah's ark, but in vain.  Astronaut James Irwin participated in one such search in the 1970s.   Every time they find the Ark Turkish authorities invariably swoop down, expose their film, confiscate their wood samples and deport them, forcing believers to settle for using Google Earth to look for it.   See also Global flood Examples of God personally killing people  External links The article at Talk Origins  Footnotes ↑ For a discussion of the number of each kind Noah took with him, see this article .  ↑ The skeptics dictionary ↑ Wikipedia ↑ Wikipedia ↑ Answers in genesis ↑ Genesis 6:15. Also, What's a cubit? About a foot and a half, but maybe bigger depending on what source you use.  ↑ Some wooden craft in this size range were indeed constructed in roughly this time period, but they were used as barges on inland waterways. which is much less stressful on the boat.  ↑
 * Creationary_Perspective "
 * an evolutionist! [14]  Frank Zappa on Andy Domestic goat ( Capra hircus). The brown one is Stacey "Is there anything good inside of you?  If there is, I really wanna know.  Is there anything good inside of you?  If there is I really wanna know.  Is there anything good inside of you?  If there is I really wanna know, Andy." Andy - from the Mothers of Invention album, One Size Fits All  Mr. Schlafly goes to Washington Even the good Christian people of Virginia could not be persuaded to be represented by this smarmy twerp.  He attempted to run for Congress in 1992. In a masterstroke of political timing, Andy decided to spend $84,725 of his own money [15] on his campaign for a seat in the House of Representatives (VA 11), in the same year that Bill Clinton would sweep into the White House on a wave of popular discontent with the Republican incumbent, George H. W. Bush. No fewer than nine Schlaflys blew their god-fearing dollars on this abortive campaign, though most of them to the tune of a decidedly less crazy $1000 each.  [16] Only 11% of voters in the Republican primary shared the vision of " Andy Schlafly for Congress " and he finished in a dismal 5th place.  [17] Incidentally, a blog has been erected proclaiming Andrew Schlafly's running as a candidate in the 2008 presidential election. Such characters as Rob and Conservative also make appearances on the blog, supporting their overlord in his presidential bid.  In case you couldn't tell, it's probably parody.   A drawer full of smoking monkeys Look - he's taking another puff!  Schlafly, who refuses to deny putting gerbils in his anus for sexual pleasure [18], had received his J.D. from Harvard Law School the previous year [19] and claims to have been awarded a magnum of Laudrup cum for his efforts. He also claims to have taught a course in administrative law as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall Law School. Given the insight and intellectual rigor of his lectures on Conservapedia, his failure to advance further can only be attributed to his growing sense of disgust at the moral vacuum at the heart of liberal academia.  Striding purposefully out of this den of relativistic iniquity, he was admitted to the New York State Bar Association in 1993.  [20] [21] before moving into private practice.  [22] He was later appointed general counsel to the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), a motley collection of "conservative" quacks, cranks and god-botherers not to be confused with the infinitely more credible American Medical Association (AMA). Andy had clearly found his niche and, in between filing spurious amicus curiae briefs on behalf of assorted wingnut causes, even found the time to pen such charming documents as Had an abortion? Call an attorney!  Classy stuff.   Into the rabbit hole Andy's conversion to Young Earth Creationism happened at around the age of 40 (circa 2000 CE). It is not known what caused him to renounce the bountiful fruits of the Enlightenment, [23] but he describes the process as having taken "several years" and as being "based [on] a thorough open-minded application of logic and science." Readers will be doubtless heartened to hear that he found his faith greatly strengthened as a result of this self-inflicted intellectual lobotomy (and acid).  [24] Around this time, he also began delivering online lectures for his mother's Eagle Forum "University" ( REGISTER TODAY! It's Free). Not content with warping the impressionable homesckooled minds therein, he waded further out into the godless intertubes and formed a successful comedy double act with his mad elder brother Roger on the talk.origins Usenet group. Dubbed "Rogandy," their surreal creationist stylings provoked mirth and disbelief in almost equal measure.  A stroll through Andy's Usenet profile reveals a man adrift from reality and impervious to reason and argument. He made 3280 posts from May 1999 to August 2001, with talk.origins (1168) bearing the brunt of his attention. Gems abound within, including this June 2000 post to k12.chat.teacher where he tries to draw a link between "behavior-modifying prescription drug[s]" and US school shootings. Regular readers of Conservapedia will know that the blame has now been firmly placed at the door of the "atheistic" nature of the institutions themselves. Also worthy of mention is this wonderfully succinct evaluation of the Schlafly debate experience: "...arguing with Andy is like playing chess with a small child who doesn't know the rules." [25] Godspeeding now with extreme prejudice, he emerged from the intertubes and began teaching real life classes of homeschooled Jesus-Jugend in 2002. He claims over 120 kills to his credit [26] and was awarded the Distinguished Homeskooling Cross (with Two Oak Clusterfucks) at a secret ceremony in Heaven. Yesterday.  (Above image copyright © 2007, Rudis Muiznieks. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License)  Andy and "information" For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Andrew Schlafly "We have certain principles that we adhere to, and we are up-front about them. Beyond that we welcome the facts." Andrew Schlafly, Esq.  Frustrated in his attempts to insert his religious and political viewpoints into innocent articles at Wikipedia , on or about 2005, Mr. Schlafly decided to start an "encyclopedia" of his own, one that would conform to his strong biases in every way.  So, along with a few dozen of his monkeys chained to typewriters homskollar protégés , he founded his heavily-moderated blog Conservapedia It also affords him the luxury of being able to define terms into existence, and, when challenged on their legitimacy, insist that others do his research for him, or not complain.  [27] His grasp of how information works is exemplified by statements such as: "Well, yes, you are literally correct, but figuratively that [information] reinforces the thesis." [28]  Deceit LOL with liberal deceit !  Deceit is Schlafly's favorite word. To him it is synonymous with liberal .  [29] Apparently, real conservatives are incapable of any kind of dishonesty, whereas liberals raised in the moral vacuum of public schools resort to deceitful means with depraved abandon.  Cries of " Deceit " are also his main weapon. If you're in the pits of Conservapedia and Schlafly -- or any of the Schlaflettes -- scream " Deceit !" at you, that would equal the screaming of "Witch!" or "Illuminati!" in 15th century Spain in front of Torquemada. You don't stand a chance with maniacs.  Basically, Schlafly makes up crazy lies all the time as a short cut to winning debates. He will usually block whomever is likely to call him on these lies [30] as a matter of convenience, i.e. it allows him the polite fiction that this deceit is true and valid thus shoring up his fragile ego. His fellow groomers Ed Poor and Karajou have also picked up on this technique: "it's easy and fun!" Along with deceit , Andy has recently started equating liberalness with closed-mindedness, imploring people who disagree with him (the vast majority of the earth's population) to "open their minds", for when they do they will surely agree with him. The humour of this is increased exponentially by the fact that Andy, who utterly refuses to accept anything except those portions of Biblical literalism that support his bizarre approach to reality, is perhaps one of the most closed-minded people on the planet.  What's really funny is that Andy himself has done teh deceitz, back when he had a "job".  [31] From footnote
 * 82 of the above link: “ “with the intent to avoid the payment” ” See Psychological projection Further accusation of deceit “ I noticed that you say that one of your favorite articles on your website is the one on “Deceit.” That article begins as follows: “Deceit is the deliberate distortion or denial of the truth with an intent to trick or fool another. Christianity and Judaism teach that deceit is wrong. For example, the Old Testament says, ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.’” You really should think more carefully about what that commandment means before you go around bearing false witness against others.  ” — Professor Lenski  Andy and legal incompetence Andrew Schlafly His claim that people who vandalize his website ( Conservapedia) could be sentenced to up to 10 years in jail under 18 USC § 1030 .  [32] (see Conservapedia:FBI Incident) Allowing Conservapedia editors to add every random image they find under fair use, whether or not the images are actually so.  Not realizing that when claiming that Richard Dawkins acquired his position as professor through wrongful means, he is in fact accusing either Dawkins, Oxford University or both of criminal behaviour.  Andy and Conservapedia have a notoriously difficult time understanding slander, libel, and other forms of defamation, and how they work in the actual law.  More detail!  Much of his poor grasp of legal concepts and theory is probably related to the fact that he is not and appears to never have been a practicing lawyer. An extensive search of legal indexes yield roughly 29 cases that Schlafly has been involved in. Every single one of those was as an amicus curiae filer for the quack mouth piece Association of American Physicians and Surgeons . Essentially Schlafly's whole legal career appears to be signing his name to court filings that the AAPS makes in cases it has no actual involvement or substantial interest in.  See also: Call me, I'll sue, Andy Schlafly  Mr. Schlafly has tremendous difficulties with the English language, and struggles to write correctly formed sentences using correctly spelled words.  A humble clerk with writing problems like his would risk getting the sack for incompetence.  In an unfortunate choice of battlefronts, he has made grammar and spelling an essential foundation of his debate against liberals .   Some examples of his own postings reveal the thin ice his arguments are based upon: Aug 10th, 2007 You don't see how sometime can estimate when the truth when someone else conceals it???? Don't ever become a cop, then, or a judge, or a juror, or a teacher, etc. Godspeed [33] I looked at your contributions today, and found a serious of insertions of the form Citation needed or more obnoxious banners.  [34] July 21st, 2007 I don't pages that link to cp:Deletedpage does show up in random page searches. Do you think they do?  [35] July 13th, 2007 (Should have been statutes) Criminal States Governing the Internet [36] February 26th, 2008 (A real gem - while arguing about grammar and word usage) You're "sources" for that ungrammatical claim...  [37] April 4th, 2008 Childbirth prevents against breast cancer.  [38] May 11, 2008 Conservapedia has long observed that girls are injured in sports at much higher rates than boys, and how liberals denial or downplay it.  [39] May 23, 2008 (This one is priceless) See if you can learn out to spell "superior".  [40] June 20, 2008 I have to run an errand but want to you everyone know, as I've said before, that it's only productive to discuss something with somebody who has an open mind.  [41] July 1, 2008 Unlike Wikipedia, we respect person's own talk pages.  [42] Many other examples of his appalling spelling and slipshod grammar exist throughout his blog, and he delights in creating new ones every day.  Among his favorite terms are two that we have elevated to the status of deserving their own articles:  Godspeed and " you're clueless !"  Will he ever become poor?   Did you know?  So proud!  1417 This Timberwolf has earned 1417 points in Contest 3!  (Scoring Error) ∞ This Timberwolf has earned ∞ points in Contest 3!  God has promised Andy that he can break open one of the Seven Seals come Judgement Day. The details are yet to be firmed up with the Lamb, but Andy has his fingers crossed for the sixth and fondly imagines himself tearing it wide open with a fearsome cry of " Godspeed!  ". He has been known to spill his seed during these daydreams, but God assures him that it's OK if he's only fantasizing about smiting, and hasn't touched his pee-pee in a bad way .  Jesus recently told Andy that the Adultress Story was true. Andy explained how, in that case, Jesus had definitely let the side down a little that day. Jesus could find no flaw in Andy's logic.  Andy is a big fan of The Clash, but he's not a lover of Goth music of any kind. He's also quite partial to a bit of the Red Hot Chile Peppers.  [43] Andy has a real laugh that exceeds his monotone "Ha ha ha".  The "Ha ha ha" originated when his "clients" would crack poorly attempted jokes.  [44] Andy sounds like Bert from Sesame Street.  [45] Andy asserts [46] that "judges laugh at hearsay (and so do we)" [47] This article is now the top-ranked trusworthy Schlafly article on teh internets!  That Andy is the reincarnation of the Titan, ΕΠΙΜΗΘΕΥΣ ( Epimetheus , literally "AFTERTHOUGHT") .  Extras: Flaws: [48] Power Feats: Dimensional[Hell]) While (probably) not a member of the KKK or such, Andy's subtle racism is made quite clear by his refusal to recognize that a black person can make any accomplishments without affirmative action. Except perhaps Clarence Thomas. (See cp:Barack Obama) Who knew that Andy was running for President ?!  Known aliases: Teh Assfly - the correct pronunciation of his user account at Conservapedia, "Aschlafly".  Sometimes corrupted to "Teh Arsefly".  Nanotyrannus Dr. Babyshakes Der Führer The Andyman - so-called because, just like the Candyman, Andy shall appear to you in person if you look into a mirror and assert that public schools don't discourage vandalism eleventy million times.  Ashfly - dirty little devil Ignatius J. Reilly Lionel Hutz Miguel Sanchez Andy belongs to a "sacred bloodline" stretching back to the 'Lost Tribes of Israel.' We're not even making this shit up!  (Scroll to near bottom and engage tinfoil hat .) Andy believes that faith is a uniquely Christian concept.  (The comment is under section 3.)  Members of other religions who believe they have faith are wrong, as is every major dictionary ever published.  Andy believes that Terry Schaivo should have been considered for canonization .  "Fun, but kind of sad when one realizes the state of mind some live with." Aschlafly self-reflecting at  19:56 on 23 July 2008 (EDT) [6] Once got a little drunk, with sexy results.   Argumentation style It has been theorized (by one user in particular) that Andy picked up his argumentation or debate style largely from this website.   Direct access to truth Andy's conviction that he is always right is summed up best in this Ozy and Millie strip from Sunday, August 27, 2000: Copyright D.C. Simpson, used with permission.   The cocoa edit Before he goes to bed Andy likes to edit a random article while supping his cocoa.  Sep-27-2008 - Ave_Maria_University Sep-28-2008 - Schnauzer Sep-29-2008 - Shibboleth Sep-30-2008 - Policy formulation Oct-01-2008 - Accretion Oct-02-2008 - Eye-glasses Oct-04-2008 - Fields_v._Shelter_Mut._Ins._Co.   People who think Andy smaht His Mommy , much in the same way that a parent will tell their obese, clubfooted, hydrocephalic daughter that she is pretty .   Praise and respect for Andy  Examples of RationalWiki defeating Andy Schlafly In August 2007, a law student trumped Andy's knowledge of law, when Andy tried to baselessly assert that RationalWiki had committed copyright violations.  Pwned.  For the latter half of 2007, this article was a Google sponsored link from the search phrase, "Andy Schlafly."  On 27 March 2008, information provided by RationalWiki assisted Princeton For Choice in defeating and embarrassing Schlafly at a "debate," where he tried to link abortion and breast cancer.  [49]  Gallery of deceitful liberal mockery These contributions are examples of the well-known tendency of liberals to rely on deceit and mockery when they can't argue their biased points successfully.  Please also enjoy our fine selection of Assfly songs and poetry , and anagrams . Now with added deceit!  i herd u liek homskoolerz This is Andy when he edits Conservapedia.  IMMA CHARGIN MY GODSPEED!!!!  I can haz beta blocker?  For defense only!  [50] Im on ur site drinkn ur coolade!  Childhood: Andy Pandy loves playing with all the boys and girls.  Andy PantsDown?  ...sick brilliant...  Andy fighting the liberal scum from his fortress.  Schlafly, detecting liberals Young Andy, guided by the hand of Christ.  This is his persecution complex.   Publications Hate filled rants American Medical Association's Secret Pact with the Federal Government by Andrew Schlafly, Esq.
 * " See Also' s may or may not have anything at all to do with the article subject" - TK, Conservapedia sysop [52] External links GBS YouTube:Andy Schlafly - HPV Andy Schlafly on All Things Considered Finally, A Truthful Online Encyclopedia.  Andy Schlafly's “success” story Lewis Black Exposes Right Wing Media Paranoia Reads just like an Andrew Schlafly manual of style  Footnotes ↑ See Conservapedia:MexMax ↑ Reference deceitfully memory-holed by the Assfly.  ↑ Now that he has a good year and a half's experience at running God's Wiki, all he wants to do is help out by reverting the liberal vandalism in the Bible.  God, please make him a sysop.  [1] ↑ They fuck you up, your mum and dad.  ↑
 * 1992 ↑ ↑
 * Kevorkian_speaker ↑ ] ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Burned, see here: ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ Red Hot Chile Peppers ↑ Source: Too many personal conversations with his son-in-law . ↑ Andy arguing against HPV on MSNBC (he lowers his voice for TV) [4] ↑ ↑ A joke told about hearsay which made the Chief Justice Warren Burger laugh during a dinner conversation with Andrew Schlafly in late 1991.  [5] ↑ Note: these are not flaws from Andy's point of view ↑ The pre-prepared by RW attendee's initial report is here ↑ ↑ We thank you, Dr. Lenski !  ↑ Pre-expand include size: 8362 bytes Post-expand include size: 5561 bytes Template argument size: 3553 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * "If you are in possession of this revolutionary secret of science, why not prove it and be hailed as the new Newton ? Of course, we know the answer. You can't do it. You are a fake." Richard Dawkins Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline.  Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Part of the series on Pseudoscience Main Topics Alternate historical chronology - Astrology Creation science - Crop circles Dogon people - Erich von Däniken Face on Mars - Lunar effect Non-materialist neuroscience - Paranormal Perpetual motion - Ufology Alternative medicine Other topics 2012 Apocalypse - Attachment therapy Ball lightning - Bermuda Triangle Cryptozoology - Dianetics Feng shui - Food woo Graphology - Laundry balls Lie detection - Neoshamanism Out-of-body experience Parapsychology - Phrenology Polygraph - Pseudoarcheology Reincarnation - Shroud of Turin Supernatural - Technical analysis Tunguska - Tutankhamun's curse William Strauss and Neil Howe Astrology is the belief that people's lives are controlled by the position of the sun, moon, and planets at the time of their birth.  This widely believed idea has never produced any worthwhile predictions, in spite of having several different formulations across disparate cultures.  It is an excellent example of woo .  Contents 1 The scientific point of view 2 Value to science 3 Ken-style quote mining 4 See also 5 Completely bullshit external links  The scientific point of view The scientific view, in the most candid form, is that astrology is a load of nonsense perpetrated by ignorant fools or those wishing to exploit others. It is, for lack of a better word, crap. However, in the interest of neutrality, the scientific point of view will be spread out below, but will come to the same conclusion: astrology = crap.  There is no known mechanism whereby a person could be significantly influenced by distant celestial bodies.  The fundamental natural forces are the strong and weak nuclear forces, the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force.  The strong and weak nuclear forces are not applicable to interactions between people and objects such as planets or stars.  Newton's law of gravitation can be used to show that at its closest approach to Earth, the planet Mars exerts approximately the same gravitational force on a person as a 50 ton, fully-loaded big rig placed 15 meters from that same person. The star Alpha Centauri A has a mass of 1.1 solar masses and is one of the three stars closest to Earth, yet its  gravitational pull on a person is comparable to that of a 100 gram cellphone at 9 meters.  Electrostatic forces also become negligible at these astronomical distances.  Whatever the mysterious force may be that astrologists claim to cause the effects of the movements of the celestial bodies on human physiology, it is not backed up by scientific research.   Value to science Like many protosciences , astrology provided the original foundation of the modern science of astronomy .  As natural scientists started trying to understand what the bright things we see in the sky are, where they are, and their relationship to each other, astrology was able to provide some thousands of years of observations to develop hypotheses from.  Also, to a lesser extent, accurate "horoscopes" of figures in the past and clear mentions of what were then "astrological" events may help modern historians with efforts to assign accurate dates to the past.   Ken-style quote mining “ What utter madness in these astrologers, in considering the effect of the vast, slow movements and change in the heavens, to assume that wind and rain have no effect at birth!  ” —Marcus Tullius Cicero, 44 B.C.E  See also Sun sign Pseudoscience Lists of pseudosciences Lunar effect Horoscope  Completely bullshit external links None of these links are endorsed by RationalWiki but are presented (for your amusement only) as examples of the genre.  The Book of World Horoscopes - Horoscopes for every country in the world Pre-expand include size: 4466 bytes Post-expand include size: 3968 bytes Template argument size: 291 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * An atheist is a person who does not believe in any gods. What this means is covered in much more depth and with significantly less snark in our atheism article. In principle, it can mean that a person doesn't believe in a god. Therefore it can also apply to Christians, who most certainly don't believe in Thor or Zeus for example. Steven Roberts said this succinctly when he said " I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. " [1] Contents 1 Dogma 2 Atheists in society 3 See also 4 External links 5 Footnotes  Dogma There are many facets to atheistic dogma!  Here are a few choice high water marks: Stealing (and eating) crackers Eating grilled cheese sandwiches, even if an image of Richard Dawkins or a goat appears on them.  Hunger trumps piety.  Oppressing and suppressing Christians Not getting hit by someone's karma Nightmares about bananas and peanut butter .   Atheists in society In the US, atheists are the least trusted and liked people out of all social groups. Possibly because of their cracker stealing banana fetishes. They top the charts when people are asked "who would you least trust to be elected President" or "who would you least want to marry your beautiful, sweet, innocent Christian daughter." Many have lost jobs and been harassed out of their homes for what is essentially a lack of any belief that could act as motivation to cause harm.  Some people would like to tattoo "In God We Trust" on to atheist foreheads before booting them out of Jesusland , possibly to work as slaves in the Mines of Moria.  Others want them outright banned from existence. If Atheism isn't a hanging offence in Texas, they probably wish it was.  There are also those who believe that they shouldn't be allowed to vote.  [2]  See also Atheism List of second-generation atheists  External links An Atheist Meets God God Loves Atheists  Footnotes ↑
 * Cover Story This article is randomly featured on the Main Page. Please keep this in mind and be sure your edits are of the quality level that implies.  For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Atheism Some people think this is the symbol for atheists.  Looks more like the logo for the "Annapolis nukes" triple-A baseball team...  Atheism is the absence of belief in any gods.  This includes the Abrahamic God (s), Zeus, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and every other deity from A to Z.  The terms "God" and "god" are used interchangeably here, with the deliberate intent of ignoring the privileged position Yahweh has held in English grammars.  Atheism is logically the default state for any human being, as there is no empirical evidence of the existence of any supernatural entities.  This was stated most famously by Bertrand Russell in his famous "teapot argument" which suggests that we must start with disbelief when it comes to any concept - be it an interplanetary teapot or vengeful god - until argument or evidence successfully implies otherwise.  Contents 1 Atheism throughout history 2 Misconceptions about atheists 3 Why do people become disaffected with religion?  4 Types of atheism 4.1 Pragmatic 4.2 Theoretical 5 Apatheism 6 Types of arguments for atheism 6.1 Logical 6.2 Evidential 6.3 Moral 6.4 Experiential 7 What god is being denied?  8 Religious views of atheism 9 Atheistic view of the Bible 10 Atheism and American bigotry 11 Famous quotes 12 Demographics 13 See also 14 External links 15 Footnotes  Atheism throughout history logic and rationality .  Democritus, who conceived of the atom hypothesized a world without magic holding it together.  Critias, one of the Thirty Tyrants of Athens, preceded Marx when he called religion a tool to control the masses.  And Socrates , the founder of the system of Western thought, was accused and executed for the "crime" of teaching atheism (a charge he denied at trial, unsuccessfully).  It is not until recent history, however, that the term known as "atheism" began to carry its current connotation.  In an increasing number of countries around the world it is a neutral or unimportant label.  The nation of New Zealand , for example, has thrice elected an agnostic woman to be Prime Minister.  However, in more religious areas such as the United States or Saudi Arabia the term carries a heavy stigma of unpleasantness.  Indeed, prejudice against atheists is so high in the United States that one study [1] found that they are America's most distrusted minority.  From a rational standpoint, the reason for this distrust in these nations is unclear.  There is no stated creed with which to disagree (except perhaps for "strong" atheists, whose only belief is that there are no gods).  Nor are atheists generally organized into lobbies or interest groups.  There is no political action committee for atheists, unlike the many PACs that lobby on behalf of various religions.  And yet an atheist would be the least likely to win election to the Presidency of the United States.  Only 49% of the American population would vote for an atheist.  In contrast, no other grouping - including Mormons , African Americans, and homosexuals - would fail to get at least 79% of the potential vote based on that single trait alone.  [2] One reason that atheists are so mistrusted and distrusted in the United States is because Christians have managed to implant the concept that without religion (Christianity is best, but others will do in a pinch) there can be no morality.  And who trusts someone who has no morality?  The reasons that Christians have been able to get away with this are many, varied and complex.   Misconceptions about atheists Some clarifications about atheism must be made clear immediately.  Please consider all of the following.  Athism is not a religion , contrary to what some critics may claim (see secular religions).  Atheists do not worship Charles Darwin !  Although some think that atheism requires evolution to be a complete worldview, [3] there is no worship of anything in atheism.  That's the point. If atheists worshiped Darwin, they wouldn't be atheists.  While atheism may require evolution, the converse is not true: evolution does not necessarily imply atheism.  At least this is the conclusion of those who believe in non-overlapping magisteria and theistic evolutionists .  Equally, though, there are those such as Richard Dawkins who would most certainly argue that evolution implies atheism.  Atheists are not a unified group.  In fact, a disaffectation with organized religion of any kind is what drives many to become atheists.  Why would these individuals immediately organize an alternative group?  It just doesn't follow.  Debate within the atheistic community is robust, and the fact of this debate presupposes no dogmatic mandate from an organized group.  It follows from this that there is no atheist equivalent of the Bible Koran Atheists do not deny the existence of the Christian God because they "hate God" or simply "want to live in sin."  Atheists do not believe in any gods, and, consequently, the concept of sin.  Some may wish a god did exist, some very much dislike the god portrayed in the Bible, some simply do not care, and many will fall somewhere in between these definitions.  In any case, the God character in the Bible is seen as fictional, and feelings about him are seen as no more or less consequential than, for example, whether or not one thinks Hamlet or Dumbledore were good people.  "No gods" does not equal "no morality."  There are strong humanistic , cultural, and genetic bases for morality and ethical behavior, and atheists recognize this fact.  Atheism and agnosticism are not mutually exclusive, and atheists are not "actually agnostic because no one can ever know whether God exists."  Atheism is a statement of a lack of belief , not a lack of knowledge.  Most clear-headed believers and atheists alike would agree that no one in this life can ever know if God exists, and thus both groups are technically agnostic.  Atheism takes the position that it is rational to believe that gods don't exist, based on logic and evidence.  The evils of Communism are not inextricably fused with the values of atheism. In reality, the evil actions of Stalin and others had more to do with the power struggles of the time than with the political or religious beliefs of these tyrants.   Why do people become disaffected with religion?  These are some of the reasons given by atheists: The hypocrisy of professed believers and religious leaders, who exhort their followers to help the poor, love their neighbors and behave morally but become wealthy through donations to the church and carry love for certain neighbors to an immoral extreme.  The contradiction between talk of a loving god and a world in which children starve to death and innocent people are tortured .  The enmity among different religions, and even among sects within the same religion.  The insistence by fundamentalists that their holy texts are literally true, leading to attempts to undermine education by censoring scientific knowledge that seems to contradict their beliefs.  The fact that most world religions posit that all other faiths are wrong, which suggests the possibility that no religion is right, and further suggests that, because the vast majority of believers in any faith are born into it, being a member of the "correct" group or "the elect" is a mere accident of birth.  The evidence provided by daily experience suggesting that there are no events that cannot be explained by common sense and scientific study.  A rejection of the absurd idea that a supreme all-knowing deity would have the narcissistic need to be worshipped, and would punish anyone for worshipping a different god (or none at all).  Historical evidence that organized religion, while professing a peaceful moral code, is often the basis for exclusion and war as well as a method to motivate people in political conflicts.  Lack of conviction in the existence of a divine being, or a gut feeling that there isn't one.  A conclusion derived from rational thought.  Questions about the contradictions in Holy Books that religious leaders refuse to address.   Types of atheism There are many ways to describe different types of atheism.  Some of these are explained below. In all types of atheism natural phenomena are explained through science without resort to supernatural explanations, and morals are not based on religious precepts. See also apatheism .   Pragmatic Pragmatic atheism (sometimes equated with "weak atheism" or "implicit atheism" or "negative atheism") describes the state of living as if no gods exists.  It does not require an absolute statement of God's non-existence.  The argument is based on the fact that there is no evidence that gods, spacial teapots or fairies exist and that we have no reason to believe in them. This argument could also be classified as extreme agnosticism .  Pragmatic atheists however are frequently reluctant to make the statements like "Gods (or fairies) do not exist", because of the great difficulties involved in proving the absolute non-existence of anything.  Consequently many pragmatic atheists would argue that the burden of proof does not lie with them to provide evidence against the weird idea that gods exist.  They would argue that it is up to the supporters of various religions to provide evidence for the (unique) existences of their various supposed (multiple) deities and that no argument is necessary on the atheist's part.  Christopher Hitchens put it another way when he said: "What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence."  Theoretical Theoretical atheism (sometimes equated with "strong atheism" or "explicit atheism") makes an explicit statement against the existence of gods.  Often, theoretical atheism specifically combats religious beliefs and other arguments for belief in some god (or gods), such as Pascal's Wager , and argument from design because religion is seen as a distraction from work needed to solve world problems such as poverty, disease and crime.  Most theoretical atheists would disagree with pragmatic atheists about the inability to disprove the existence of gods.  While gods (or fairies) cannot be absolutely proven not to exist, their existence could be provisionally described as extremely improbable.  [4]  Apatheism An apatheist has no interest in accepting or denying claims that god gods exist or do not exist. An apatheist considers the very question of the existence or non-existence of gods or other supernatural beings to be irrelevant and not worth consideration under any circumstances.   Types of arguments for atheism  Logical An example of a logical argument for atheism is that the existence of a god would defy the known laws of physics, demonstrated in all other aspects of the universe.  The argument from design is often given as proof of a creator, but it begs the following logical question: if the world is so complex that it must have had a creator, then the creator must be at least as complex and must therefore have a creator, ad infinitum .   Evidential An evidential argument for atheism would be saying that all evidence points towards there being no gods, or at least that there is no evidence pointing to there being any.   Moral One important ethic stressed by many is "truthfulness", and many atheists believe that religion presents an inherent attack on truth.  Atheists sometimes ask the question: "Can you think of an evil act committed by a good man because of his religion ?" The answer to this is clearly,"Yes", and it invites the obvious follow up question: "Can you think of an evil act committed by an atheist because he is an atheist ?   Experiential Just as the born-again Christian "knows" that God exists, the day-to-day experience of the atheist demonstrates quite clearly that there is no supernatural being responding to human prayer and fighting against evil in the universe. The God described in the Old Testament who constantly intervened in human affairs, razing entire cities and turning people into pillars of salt for peeking, is nowhere to be found, and neither are any others.   What god is being denied?  There is also the question of what god is being denied.  If the god being denied is the interventionist God which some theists hold to exist, then the argument against the existence of this being is easy.  The lack of any demonstrable interventions demonstrates its lack of existence.  In  this case absence of evidence is evidence of absence.  However, if the god being denied is of a more non-interventionist deist type, then the above argument doesn't work. But, by the same token, worship of this non-interventionist god would also seem rather pointless.   Religious views of atheism  The Bible , in common with other books which contain the only revealed truth, is a bit irritated with those who do not believe in either it, God, or Christianity .  It includes ad hominem attacks of the type: The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."  - Psalm 14:1 (KJV) Since the Old Testament is more or less the same as the Jewish Tanakh, the above quotation goes double, substituting Judaism for Christianity.  (Other religions are invited to add reasons why their holy books have the only revealed truth.) [5]  Atheistic view of the Bible Since atheism is not a unified belief system ("religion"), there is no single "atheistic" stance on most topics other than the nonexistence of God.  Atheists may view the Bible and other religious works as literature, mythology , epic, philosophy, agit-prop , irrelevant, history , or various combinations thereof.  Many atheists see religious works as interesting historical records of the myths and beliefs of humanity. By definition atheists do not believe any religious text to be divinely inspired truth . In other words, "Dude, it's just a book" (or, in fact, a whole bunch of different books).  There are several types of evidence to support the idea that "it's just a book." Textual analysis of the various books of the Bible reveals vastly differing writing styles among the authors of the individual books of the Old and New Testaments, suggesting that these works represent many different (human) voices, and not a sole, divinely inspired voice. The existence of Apocrypha, writings dating from the time of Bible that were not included into official canon by Jews or Christians (and peppered with mystical events such as encounters with angels, demons, and dragons), further suggests that "divine authorship" is not a reliable claim. Within Christianity, there are even differences among sects regarding which books are Apocrypha and which are included in the Bible, or which are included under the heading "Apocrypha," indicating that they constitute holy writings but are not meant to be taken as literally as the other books.  The Book of Tobit, for example, is included in the Catholic Bible but considered Apocrypha by Protestants and wholly absent from the Jewish Bible.  Another problem with the "divine authorship" of the Bible is the existence of texts that predate it but contain significant similarities to certain Biblical stories. The best-known among these is the flood story , found in numerous versions in texts from across the ancient Middle-East, including the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, which bears textual similarities with the Biblical account. Another such story with apparent Babylonian origin is that of the Tower of Babel. It has been suggested that some of these stories were appropriated by the Jews during the Babylonian Exile.  Studies of the history of the Bible, although not undertaken with the intent of disproving it (in fact, many Biblical historians set out to prove the Bible's veracity), shed light on the Bible's nature as a set of historical documents, ones which were written by humans and affected by the cultural circumstances surrounding their creation. It should be noted that this type of rational discourse neither proves nor requires an atheistic worldview: one can believe that the Bible is not the infallible word of God either because one adheres to a non-Judeo-Christian religion or because one is a Christian or Jew but not a Biblical literalist. These criticisms of Biblical "truth" serve mainly to counter the arguments of fundamentalists, who are among Atheism's most vociferous critics.   Atheism and American bigotry Research in the American Sociological Review finds that atheists are the group that Americans least relate to for shared vision or want to have marry into their family. What is equally disturbing about the responses in this table is that it shows that almost 30% of Americans seem to be racists .  This Group Does Not At All Agree with My Vision of American Society: I Would Disapprove if My Child Wanted to Marry a Member of This Group: Atheist 39.6% 47.6% Muslim 26.3% 33.5% Homosexual 22.6% Not asked 13.5% 6.9% Recent Immigrant 12.5% Not Asked Hispanic 7.6% 18.5% Jew 7.4% 11.8% Asian American 7.0% 18.5% African American 4.6% 27.2% White American 2.2% 2.3%  Famous quotes “ I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.  ” ~ George H.W. Bush [6] “ We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further ” ~ Richard Dawkins “ Yeah I know because there's no fing 'cause I can't see it. Nathan reckons there's no God, its [religion] bollocks innit?  ” ~ Vicky Pollard “ I ... do not ... believe ... in ... God ” ~ George Washington [7] “ We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.  ” ~ Eugene Wesley Roddenberry  Demographics The atheist conspiracy against God is everywhere!  Specific research on atheists conducted in 2006  suggests [8] that the true proportion of atheists is 4% in the United States, 17% in Great Britain and 32% in France. A 2004 Telegraph poll found that 44% of Britons believed in a god, 35% did not, and 21% did not know.  [9] Many studies put atheists in the higher intelligence group of the population. A recent meta-analysis of 39 eligible studies from 1927 to 2002 was published in Mensa Magazine , and concluded that atheists are more likely to be of higher intelligence than their religious counterparts.  [10] According to an article in the prestigious science journal Nature in 1998 the belief in a personal god or afterlife was very low among the members of the U.S. National Academy of Science.  Only 7.0% believed in a personal god as compared to more than 85% of the general U.S. population.  [11] This also suggests that the more intelligent subjects are more unlikely to believe in god or supernatural powers.  A recent study published in the Annals of Family Medicine suggests that atheist doctors are more likely to care for the underserved compared to religious ones. (35% vs 31%) [12]  See also Antitheism Agnosticism Apatheism Deism Theism Methodological naturalism The Brights Movement RationalWiki Atheism FAQ for the Newly Deconverted  External links American Atheists and The American Humaist Society debate the existence of God [1] Some thing about some other thing - ScienceBlogs  Footnotes ↑ ↑ The God Delusion .  Dawkins, Richard.  ↑ Richard Dawkins , an early chapter in The Blind Watchmaker .  ↑ See Monkey typewriter theory ↑ This section refers to the Conservapedia Atheism article, available here ↑
 * Atheist thumper is a usually pejorative term used to describe "fundamentalist atheists " [1] [2], or anyone perceived as aggressively pushing their disbelief in fairy tales upon the faithful . It is a play on the the phrase " bible thumper ", which is a reference to the tendency of holy rollers to thump their Bible while preaching to the faithful and heathens alike. What exactly the atheist thumper is supposed to be thumping remains undefined.  As an insult, its target domain is broad, and can extend to anyone engaged in a public show of secular humanism or anyone in the insulter's eye seen to be wielding science as a weapon against their religion .  Contents 1 Thumpin' atheists everyone knows 2 Far more obscure atheist thumperers 3 Hives of thumpery 4 A Joke one person likes 5 External links 6 Footnotes  Thumpin' atheists everyone knows Notable individuals that have been or could be accused of as being atheist thumpers include: Richard Dawkins wrote The God Delusion.  Paul Zachary Myers , famous cracker collector, appreciator of left-handed fruitbats, world's greatest lover.  AC Grayling.  [3] Wrote Against all Gods.  Mao Zedong destroyed a billion peoples' "immortal" souls.  Bastid!  Karl Marx Bertrand Russell wrote such blasphemous tracts as Why I Am Not a Christian.  James Randi all-round troublemaking skeptic.  Christopher Hitchens wrote god is Not GREAT.  John "we're bigger than Jesus" Lennon tried to debauch the world's youth by exhorting them to "imagine no religion"  Far more obscure atheist thumperers Edgerunner76 - RationalWiki user and professional jerkass  Hives of thumpery Places they tend to congregate to organize their thumping include: Freedom From Religion Foundation members brainwash their children to believe what they don't.  Unitarian Universalist Church hasn't decided if talking about "gods" would offend their members yet.  (UK) national secular society Yup! we're over here too.   A Joke one person likes Some at RW think "atheist Thumper" describes a famous bunny rabbit after his friend Bambi was shot, but this statement is likewise unsupported by any "facts".   External links If you think we are pulling your leg with this one, just google it - it's been all over the blogs for years!   Footnotes ↑ It is often argued that there can be no such thing as a "fundamentalist atheist" anymore than there can be a fundamentalist "Anti-Flying Spaghetti Monsterist".  ↑ However, it is also argued that this is not true.  ↑ A C Grayling homepage  "
 * torture is torture. The object of power is power."- George Orwell 1984 Authoritarianism is a very interesting phenomenon.  Its adherents don't necessarily want to "tell you what to do" - as long as, if they disagree with you, someone else in power will tell you what to do.  It is this honoring of power over reason that makes an authoritarian.  The authoritarian loves rules, and loves to apply them.  On a site such as this, which is run as a mobocracy - that is, pretty much an anarcho-syndicalist arrangement - the authoritarian finds themselves lost, as we care more about the spirit of our "rules" than strict adherence to them.  People who are raised to strictly follow specific writings as unquestionable display a strong tendency towards authoritarianism.  As such they are very dangerous to democracy and the health of any society in which they live.   In government Authoritarian governments seek to perpetuate the power of the rulers.  They will often use fears of disorder to justify their rule, as in Egypt, under a continuous state of emergency since 1981.  [1] [2] State control over the media is also a common component of authoritarian control, as it allows the government to effectively control the populace's views, particularly of foreign events.  Religious policies vary, ranging from theocracy [3] [4] the common thread is the suppression of the potential threat posed by independent religious leaders [5] .  Heavy-handed policing and arbitrary detention suppress any dissent that survives the government's other methods of control by placing the regime's opponents in government custody.   See Also Wikipedia, on Right-wing Authoritarianism  Footnotes ↑
 * Ayn Rand was the author of vast doorstop tomes like Atlas Shrugged and the ripped-off biography The Fountainhead, and other boring books spouting booby-hatch level thinking on libertarian themes. Rand also claimed to be a philosopher.  Contents 1 "Philosophy" 2 "Literature" 2.1 Shatlas Rugged 2.2 The unauthorized biography of America's greatest architect 3 The drooling fans 4 Environmental perspective 5 Medical perspective 6 Biography 7 External links 8 Footnotes  "Philosophy" While Rand considered her philosophies to be so well-reasoned as to be completely objective (and even called her philosophy Objectivism), it is generally agreed that what she really created [1] was a highly moralistic personality cult, complete with shunning of dissenters and highly screwed-up sexual politics.  [2] Rand summed up her philosophy with the following principles: Metaphysics: Objective Reality Epistemology: Reason Ethics: Self-interest Politics: Capitalism [3] and with the one-liner "To live, man must hold three things as the supreme and ruling values of his life: Reason, Purpose, Self-esteem." Detractors feel that Rand considered all those properties to be perfectly expressed in herself. Whatever the case may be, Objectivism is essentially Libertarianism with hangups, usually disguised as pseudologic.  Not every Objectivist is a Rand fanatic, but those that are not are shunned by the mainstream Objectivist movement.   "Literature"  Shatlas Rugged Actually reading this novel has been compared to pushing one's head through a light-year of refrigerated saltwater taffy.  To save you reading over a thousand pages of turgid prose, here is Atlas Shrugged .  No "spoiler" alert is necessary: [4] Everyone else is wrong: The world goes to Hell in a handbasket, except for them, 'cos they're in their seekrit mountain hideout.  [5]  The unauthorized biography of America's greatest architect The Fountainhead is a not-at-all disguised biography of Frank Lloyd Wright.  It's message is to stick to your guns if you are a genius architect, and the fools who dissed you and made you build houses will come to their senses, even if the roof leaks terribly or the decks bend.  Books that actually admit to being about Frank are better, since they usually include photos and drawings of some of his incredible work.  Oh, and will be written better.   The drooling fans Generally, the work of Ms. Rand is hugely enjoyed by people with the literary sensitivities of 11 year olds who imagine they have fierce political sophistication.  [6] To outsiders they often come off as greedy, callous wankers with economic OCD.  Her fan club is founded on the premise that "A is A".  Arguing about Aesthetics in an Armchair while Assuming that Anarchism is Anathema is the same thing as Activism.   Environmental perspective Ayn Rand's books are the second greatest (after John Grisham's) single destroyer of the Brazilian rainforest, as vast swaths of trees must be ground down to produce the copious quantities of paper required to print the thousand-page doorstops.   Medical perspective In order to fit The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged into mass market paperback editions, some extremely tiny print was used.  Attempting to read either of those books in paperback can lead to eyestrain, headaches, and creeping nearsightedness.   Biography Ayn Rand was born as Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum in Russia in 1905, moving to the USA in 1926 where she became, initially, a successful screenwriter. Her novels championed "objectivism", promoting capitalism and the pre-eminence of the individual. She died in 1982.   External links A libertarian critique of Rand's thinking from Reason magazine  Footnotes ↑ At least outside Objectivist circles...  ↑ Skeptical author Michael Shermer, in his book Why People Believe Weird Things (2ed, 2002, Owl Books, ISBN 978-0805070897), devotes a whole chapter to a highly personal and scathing rebuke of Objectivism, which he had once been a believer in. The essay can be found online here: The Unlikeliest Cult in History ↑
 * Ayurvedic medicine (at least as practiced by Deepak Chopra) is a form of alternative medicine that claims descent from ancient Hindu medicine, filtered through the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's bastardized form of Hinduism for Westerners known as Transcendental Meditation .  External links Ayurveda article at Wikipedia (not very useful -- heavily slanted towards Ayurveda with little presentation of outside research) Skeptic's Dictionary entry S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The title “Baal” in the Bible could refer to any local god. Literally the word simply means “master” or “lord” and consequently every local tribe would have their own “Baal”.  He turns up in another incarnation as Ba‘al Zebûb (literally “Lord of Zebûb”), and subsequently as Beelzebub, again proving that Christians can't spell.  Later Christians converted him into the demon Baal - an assistant of Satan, or Satan himself.  While the ancient Israelites were on their way from Egypt to the promised land (and after they arrived) they were constantly looking for ways to get into Baal's good books - but exactly why Baal was such an attractive deity for the ancient Israelites is a bit of a puzzle.  They had ample evidence of the existence of God as he had killed thousands of them personally while they were on their way to the promised land and after they arrived.  Oh. Ahh, yes I see.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The Babel Fish is an invention of the well known atheist Douglas Adams, who used it in his series of books called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . It is a small creature, whose existence the Guide calls "the oddest thing in the universe". If worn in the ear, it feeds on the user's brainwaves and excretes a matrix which encodes every known language, thus allowing the person immediately to understand anything in any language. In the Babel Fish entry in the guide, reference is made to how Oolon Colluphid used the existence of the Babel Fish to argue for the non-existence of God : "I refuse to prove that I exist", says God, "for that would deny faith, and without faith I am nothing".  "Ah", says man, "but the Babel fish is a dead giveaway. It proves you exist, and therefore you don't" "Whoops, I hadn't thought of that", says God, and promptly disappears in a puff of logic.   Origin of the term "Babel Fish" Babel in Adam's Babel Fish has origins with the Tower of Babel story contained in Genesis .   Hoax spawned by this story An amusing hoax was spawned by this story which appeared for a time on both WP and CP.  It referred to a certain concept called "Khalufid's Fork", which was allegedly conceived by an "Arabian philosopher" called "Ul-an Khalufid".  The argument was suspiciously similar to that presented by "Oolon Colluphid".   Before we get too smug though, we must remember that we were also taken in for a while. The article on Conservapedia is in the running for the longest surviving hoax article. It was posted on 5th April 2007 and finally deleted on June 12th 2008, having been edited by six different people , other than the original author .   Footnotes  "
 * Bacon is a vegetable . It is also the universal sandwich improver, not to mention hella addictive on its own. Bacon is far tastier than, say, hamburgers (thus the existence of the bacon cheeseburger), but not quite so much as kittens. Or sex .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * This page was, at some point, merely a redirect to Andrew Schlafly . But no more, for it has been improved!  Bacteria are single-celled organisms with cell membranes and walls, lacking the more complex organelles such as mitochondria and chloroplasts, which are themselves thought to have been bacteria at some point. They reproduce by binary fission and share genes through transfer of plasmids, small ring-shaped chains of DNA .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Bangladesh (a.k.a. The Artist Formerly Known As East Pakistan) is a country in South Asia. During British rule in India, Bangladesh was the most prosperous party of India.  However, mismanagement hatred by (The Artist Formerly Known As West) Pakistan (prior to Bangladesh's initial name) and corruption since have made it one of the poorest places on earth.  It gets hit by natural disasters fairly often, generally of the monsoon variety.  And, when it gets hit, it get hit hard.   Don't see also New Gwenson John Okewa  Footnotes S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Etymologia i odniesienia biblijne ↑ Think of the English verb burgle made up from the noun burglar . Or, maybe more relevantly, the noun ilk (meaning kind) with an ultimate origin from a pronoun meaning "same". See references to back-formation or folk etymology .  ↑ entry for min, page 262, volume 5, of The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew , David J. A. Clines, editor, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001, ISBN1-84127-217-5. Also: page 392 of Chaim Rabin, "Etymological Miscellanea", pages 384-400, Studies in the Bible , edited by Chaim Rabin, volume 8 of Scripta Hierosolymitana , Jerusalem: Magnes Press of the Hebrew University, 1961 ↑ The American journal of human genetics ↑ The creation museum teaches super evolution ↑ Wikipedia article on cancer Pre-expand include size: 2075 bytes Post-expand include size: 1658 bytes Template argument size: 21 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Behaviorism is a doctrine in psychology that holds that all human behavior is a result of environmental conditioning, and can be studied and predicted like any other natural science. As a consequence of this viewpoint, Behaviorists believe that human behavior can, in fact, be molded to the desired ends by appropriate intentional conditioning. Conversely, behaviorists held that much neurotic or psychotic behavior is the result of anti-social or self-destructive behavior resulting from harmful conditioning while while growing up in a dysfunctional family. Part of the philosphical underpinning for behaviorism was that, in order to create a more scientific approach to psychology, it was necessary to dispose of concepts that were not observable or falsifiable. The behaviorists thus dispensed with the concept of the unconscious or subconscious mind and concentrated on quantifiable and observable phenomena.  Behaviorism was originally based on the research of Ivan Pavlov, of the famous salivating dogs. While most people are familiar with his conditioning of dogs to salivate when they were fed after the ring of a bell, few are aware of the fact that he measured very precisely the quantity of saliva excreted by each dog, documenting the fall off in response as the conditioned response was extinguished over time in the absence of the reward of food associated with the sound of the bell.  B.F. Skinner is a well known proponent of this view, and formulated his own variant, Radical Behaviorism.   "
 * Benny Hinn is a faith healer televangelist prophet, minister and, more importantly, a crank. His purveyance of bullshit is second to none. He performs his acts anointments called "Miracle Crusades" on large stadiums to be broadcasted on "This is your day", his television program who's target audience suffers from false hope .  His ministry is suspect of misusing its funds.  Benny Hinn is known to stay in $4000 a night hotels.   External link A Miracle Crusade with fitting music S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The Bermuda Triangle (boundary approximate) The Bermuda Triangle is an area near Bermuda where many ships, planes and people have mysteriously disappeared, with no trace of them ever being found. Over the years, a mythology has built up around these events, which have been attributed to almost every pseudoscientific phenomena imaginable. In most cases, the Devil’s Triangle is synonymous with the Bermuda Triangle. Some commentators use this moniker to refer to a similar area in the Pacific Ocean near Japan, but the latter area is more commonly known as the 'Devil's Sea'. Contents 1 Mysterious occurrences 1.1 Flight 19 1.2 Popularity 2 Is it even true?  3 Reality is weirder than fiction 4 Footnotes  Mysterious occurrences Part of the series on Pseudoscience Main Topics Alternate historical chronology - Astrology Creation science - Crop circles Dogon people - Erich von Däniken Face on Mars - Lunar effect Non-materialist neuroscience - Paranormal Perpetual motion - Ufology Alternative medicine Other topics 2012 Apocalypse - Attachment therapy Ball lightning - Bermuda Triangle Cryptozoology - Dianetics Feng shui - Food woo Graphology - Laundry balls Lie detection - Neoshamanism Out-of-body experience Parapsychology - Phrenology Polygraph - Pseudoarcheology Reincarnation - Shroud of Turin Supernatural - Technical analysis Tunguska - Tutankhamun's curse William Strauss and Neil Howe The mysterious nature of the Bermuda Triangle, if it exists, manifests itself as an unusually high rate of disappearances of aircraft and marine vessels in the area. Among the more highly publicized events are: The disappearance of Navy Flight 19 on December 5, 1945 (and the Martin Mariner rescue plane sent out to find it) The disappearance of the SS Marine Sulphur Queen on February 4, 1963 The paranormal experience of airplane pilot Chuck Wakely in 1964 The disappearance of expert yachtsman Donald Crowhurst on June 29, 1969  Flight 19 The most famous event associated with the Bermuda Triangle was the ill-fated “Flight 19”, a training mission of US Navy bombers on December 5, 1945. The planes and their 14 crewmen never returned, and no wreckage has ever been located.  It is believed that the commander of the flight misidentified a group of islands, causing him to erroneously believe that he was over the Florida Keys, rather than well out into the Atlantic Ocean. Compounding this error, he assumed that the aircraft instrumentation was faulty, and continued heading out to sea. As the planes continued to stray, radio contact was eventually lost, and the planes likely ran out of fuel. The weather also turned bad, and darkness fell.  In the following days, one of the search planes suffered a fatal fuel-tank explosion en route to the search area.  [1] The Navy originally reported that the squadron was lost due to pilot error, but following protests from the commander’s family, this was changed to “causes unknown”. The secondary tragedy of the search plane was reported as if “it too never returned”, creating a sense of profound mystery where there was none.   Popularity As early as 1950, people began to notice an unusually high frequency of tragedy in the area of the Bermuda Triangle. In 1952, George X Sands wrote an article in Fate magazine about the phenomenon. In 1964, Vincent Gaddis wrote an article in Argosy which attached paranormal causes to the disappearances. In 1969, the book Limbo of the Lost by John Wallace Spencer led to a documentary The Devil’s Triangle.  In 1974, Charles Berlitz published The Bermuda Triangle, which recounted the long history of shipping losses in the area, and examined particularly the events of Flight 19. While the essential details were correct, Berlitz dramatized the disappearance significantly.  The Bermuda Triangle became a bestseller, and many people began to speculate on the reason for the high frequency of mysterious disappearances. Speculations in the popular media have included extraterrestrial alien abductions, space-time anomalies, advanced civilizations from Atlantis , and other supernatural causes.   Is it even true?  Before attempting to explain the high levels of disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle, it is necessary to ascertain whether there really is such a thing. This area is one of the busiest shipping areas in the world, so a correspondingly higher level of typical ship disappearances would be expected. The Southeast coast of the US is also prone to violent storms, suggesting that a more frequent occurrence of non-supernatural disappearances would be expected.  It should be noted that one could arbitrarily pick any three points in the ocean roughly the same distance apart as those making up the Bermuda Triangle and, assuming sufficient traffic, discover a similar number of unexplainable sinkings. Crazy shit go down in the ocean yo [2] [3] .  It turns out that the Bermuda Triangle is no more dangerous than other similarly storm-prone areas. Heavier traffic in the area corresponds to a higher number of disappearances. Moreover, insurance rates for shipping and travel within the Bermuda Triangle are no higher than anywhere else.  Airplane crashes are, almost by definition, extraordinary events, and thus always occur as a result of an improbable sequence of events. Nevertheless, the official explanation for the disappearance of Flight 19 is both plausible and consistent with the facts: a group of flight students got lost, ran out of fuel, and crashed at night in an unknown location.  Disappearances of ships at sea are, of course, mysterious, but not unexplainable: the ocean is a dangerous and unpredictable place. The sea obscures or swallows up all evidence. We are not used to large objects disappearing, but the sea is obviously more than capable of making any large object vanish entirely.  Librarian Lawrence Kusche conducted independent research into many of the incidents associated with the Bermuda Triangle. His work was published in the book The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved. He found that the most highly publicized cases were often full of sloppy and incomplete research - Kusche preferred, where possible, to use original sources for each incident. He noted inconsistencies between the stories of popular writers and the testimony of witnesses. He also pointed out that descriptions of clement sailing weather did not agree with official weather records of stormy weather, and that reports of mysteriously missing craft were publicized, but reports of their return or other resolution were not. Kusche concluded: "The Legend of the Bermuda Triangle is a manufactured mystery... perpetuated by writers who either purposely or unknowingly made use of misconceptions, faulty reasoning, and sensationalism." (Epilogue, p. 277).  The BBC TV Horizon documentary about the Bermuda Triangle, first aired in 1977, featured a broad variety of opinion on the subject, but was very favourable towards Kusche's conclusions.   Reality is weirder than fiction Aside from supposed supernatural effects, the Bermuda Triangle is not without fascinating and dangerous anomalies and phenomena.  There is known to be a large deposit of methane clathrates (water ice containing interstitial methane) on the sea floor in the region of the Bermuda Triangle. Sudden melting of large deposits are known to occur. These could conceivably release enough methane into the water, that upon reaching the surface, the density of the water would be suddenly decreased. This could conceivably then, cause a large ship to sink suddenly without warning.  [4] Portions of the Bermuda Triangle are known for the Sargasso Sea, a profusion of seaweed that once made passage by ship difficult or impossible. Bioluminescent bacteria surrounding this seaweed can produce an eerie glow at night.  So-called Freak Waves have been proposed as a possible cause of the mysterious sinking of ships in calm water. It is believed that unusually large waves may suddenly appear, caused by the focused coincidence of smaller waves. The phenomenon is poorly understood, and seems to occur with a greater frequency than current theories explain.  It has been proposed that the South Atlantic Anomaly (a point of increased electromagnetic activity caused by a weak spot in the Earth’s magnetic field) could cause compass problems and other instrumentation failure on ships and airplanes. However, this area is quite far from the Bermuda Triangle.  [5]  Footnotes ↑ The Un-mystery of the Bermuda Triangle ↑ Didn't you see Jaws? Or Titanic for Christ's sake?  ↑ In oldie speak  - "Worse things happen at sea".  ↑ [1] ↑ What is the South Atlantic Anomaly?  Pre-expand include size: 1746 bytes Post-expand include size: 1683 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * This is a list of the best of the forums on RationalWiki. Since many great discussions of issues germane to the site's goals crop up there from time to time, we thunk it smaht to provide a way to find them for your enjoyment and mental stimulation.   Atheism  "A little present for you all"
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Biblical scientific foreknowledge is the idea that the Bible can be used to predict future events.  In general, fundamentalist Christians who believe in this take events that have passed and then interpret these events in terms of what they perceive to be biblical prophecy .  When such believers have attempted to use such "prophecies" to anticipate actual future events (such as the second coming of Jesus) they have been wrong.  A reasonable observer may then question the usefulness of such "prophecies".  Like most books of prophecy, the Bible had a 100% success rate when predicting events that had already happened, and a zero success rate of predicting things after its date of publication.  Contents 1 Artificial selection described in the Bible 2 Equivocation, and Biblical scientific foreknowledge 3 Gaps between science and the Bible 4 See also 5 External links 6 Footnotes  Artificial selection described in the Bible Ironically, the Bible contains what some hold is a description of artificial selection.  Specifically, in the book Genesis Jacob affects the mating habits of goats that he is tending, as part of a scheme to take ownership of his father-in-law Laban's herd.  The result is that as the goats multiply, a larger and larger percentage of the offspring become dark colored, spotted, and speckled, and as a consequence, the property of Jacob.  Genesis was written a little before Darwin was born.  Of course, the Genesis account does not explain the biological mechanisms of this process, or how it occurs naturally.   Equivocation, and Biblical scientific foreknowledge To be equivocal is to be indistinctly related to two facts or theories For a relationship to be causal, cause and effect must be unequivocally related: there can be no other cause to the alleged relationship.  For example, global warming is not caused by a decrease in sea piracy, because the two are not unequivocally related.  There is no proof that one would not have occurred without the other.  Similarly, the below "relationships" between the Bible and science are equivocal as to cause and effect.  The words in many of the Biblical quotes do not testify to a deliberately made scientific statement, and are open to interpretation in many cases as to whether or not they even appropriately describe the science they allegedly "foretold."  The presence of equivocality makes a statement of Biblical "foreknowledge" highly suspect.   Gaps between science and the Bible These "Gaps between Science and the Bible" are from a Christian textbook, [1] which appears to be aimed at students of approximately middle school age.  "Many important scientific truths were revealed in the Bible thousands of years before they were discovered by scientists." Interestingly, quite a few of the biblical references provided have no relation at all to the "scientific truth" they supposedly reveal.  Amazing factoid Citation [2] Science finally catches up, lag time in years [3] Comments by the sane Earth is a sphere Isaiah 40:22 [4] 1500 CE, 2500 [5] Sounds more like a flat circle under a tent. A drum circle, maybe?  The water cycle keeps the land watered Job 36:27-28 [6] Ecclesiastes 1:7 [7] Amos 5:8 [8] 350 BCE, 1600 Pretty good here.  Jesus is my weatherman.  Earth is suspended in space Job 26:7 [9] 1700 CE, 3600 What they never tell you about this verse is later, in Job 38:4-6, God directly tells Job that he is wrong and rebukes him for his insolence.  [10] This statement is also at odds with one found in Psalms 104:5 [11] The universe is running down Isaiah 51:6 [12] Psalms 102:26 [13] 1800 CE, 2500 Apparently entropy will not affect Isaiah's attitude problem.  The Psalms reference could mean almost anything.  Ocean currents flow through the sea Psalms 8:8 [14] 1800 CE, 2800 I see no reference to the Gulf Stream here. Must be a mistranslation.  Blood sustains life Leviticus 17:11 [15] 1800 CE, 3300 In this case it appears that the blood also has magical atoning properties.  The universe is made of invisible things Hebrews 11:3 [16] 1900 CE, 1900 Quantum mechanics would fall apart completely if this was not known.  God bless us, one and all!  The earth's crust rests upon a foundation Job 38:4 [17] Psalms 104:5 [18] 1900 CE, 4000 Plate tectonics owes Job an enduring debt - and Archimedes was wrong about his hypothetical lever.  Stars produce sound Job 38:7 [19] 1900 CE, 4000 Some stars make music, yes.  Others make movies. Oh, and angels are real, too.  The stars cannot be numbered Genesis 15:5 [20] Genesis 22:17 [21] Jeremiah 31:37 [22] Jeremiah 33:22 [23] 1600 CE, 3000 Only the fourth citation supports the claim.  Stars are incredibly distant from the earth Job 22:12 [24] 1700 CE, 3800 But how much more distant than the moon?  Stars differ in magnitude 1 Corinthians 15:41 [25] 1650 CE, 1550 Interestingly, it does not identify the sun as a star.  We now know that it is.  The winds form a circulating system Ecclesiastes 1:6 [26] 1800 CE, 2700 Can't argue with that - Mr. Eccles nailed it.  Earth rotates on its axis Job 38:12,14 [27] Luke 17:31,34 [28] 1600 CE, 3550 These verses have nothing to do with this claim, unless they are in some sort of code!  Man's body is composed of the same materials as the earth Genesis 2:8 [29] Genesis 3:19 [30] Psalms 103:14 [31] 1800 CE, 3200 Where would biochemistry be without this important "inside information"?  The universe suddenly appeared out of nothing Genesis 1:1 [32] Psalms 33:6,9 [33] 1900 CE, 3400 Actually, these say God made the universe.  That's not "appearing out of nothing".   See also Eternal Productions:101 Scientific Facts and Foreknowledge Lists of pseudosciences Pseudoscience  External links Scientific Foreknowledge in the Bible, from Submitted to a Candid World  Footnotes ↑ ↑ All the following verses are NIV, from
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Biblical literalism Biblical literalism is the theological view that the contents of the Bible should be seen as literally true, as opposed to being interpreted as allegory, literature, or mythology . Literalism is the basis of several different pseudoscientific positions, such as Young Earth Creationism Deluge Theory and the Flat Earth Theory .  Literalism, inerrancy and infallibility It is important to distinguish between the related, but separate concepts of Biblical literalism, Biblical inerrancy, and Biblical infallibility.  The two former terms are often used interchangeably. Strictly speaking, however, they differ in that: Biblical literalism. A strictly literalist position insists that every word must be taken as literally true. Also, in its strictest form, it would regard current translations to be the end product and would not consider references to older works.  Biblical inerrancy. A position based on Biblical inerrancy would claim that some passages, while inerrant in their original form, need to be interpreted according to context. They can also be interpreted in a poetical or allegorical manner.  Biblical infallibility is the least radical position.  It holds that the Bible is an infallible source regarding questions of faith and redemption, but not on questions of science and history. These people are willing to accept scientific facts like evolution as true, unlike those in the 2 previous categories.  The actual interpretation of these questions further depends on the various denominations and theological schools of thought.  People who adhere to literalism tend to have never genuinely thought out their religion properly, and instead use it to discriminate against those ethnic or social groups whom they despise. Generally these people have a very low level of IQ, and a basic inability to logically deduct and think rationally.  [1] It is a necessary fact of life that doubting one's own religion and all the things one learned from one's family is the most important step one can take to living the life of a Model Christian. Many educated Christians who do not believe in Biblical Literalism would maintain that interpreting the Bible literally, and therefore giving the genocidal tendencies of the Old Testament precedence over the love and compassion of Jesus Christ in the New Testament is fundamentally wrong.   See also Problems with biblical inerrancy Biblical criticism  Footnotes ↑ Bell, Paul. "Would you believe it?" Mensa Magazine, Feb. 2002, pp. 12–13  "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Abstinence programs Bisexuality Boston Marriage Child sexual abuse Anal sex Groomer Informed consent Marital rape Polygamy Pron Sex toys Testicles Transsexual Bigamy is being married to two people at the same time. Bigamy is a subset of polygamy but not all polygamists are bigamists.  Only those polygamists who are bigamists are bigamists.  But all bigamists are polygamists.  Truck drivers are notorious for having two wives, because they are on the road all the time and can get away with it.  You just tell your wife in Des Moines you have to drive a load to Dallas.  When you are done spending time with your wife in Dallas, you tell her you have a load of freight to take to Des Moines.  When she complains "why are they always dispatching you to Des Moines", don't let on that you have another wife there.  Best not to let both of your wives show up at the same time in Union, Nebraska and show each other pictures of their husband at the bus station.  Terrible cottonpickin' thing.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1073 bytes Post-expand include size: 737 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Bigfoot and his current cave companion Bigfoot (also known as Sasquatch) is a mythical creature alleged by some to live in remote North American forests in the Pacific northwest and in the Canadian province of British Columbia.  As there is zero real evidence for the existence of Bigfoot the study of the "beast" is considered to be a pseudoscience .  Bigfoot is sometimes described as a large, bipedal hairy hominoid creature, and many believe that this animal, or its close relatives, may be found around the world under different regional names, such as the Yeti of Tibet and Nepal. Bigfoot is also one of the more famous examples of cryptozoology, a subject that has been dismissed as pseudoscience by mainstream researchers.   Bigfoot and science Mainstream scientists and academics generally "discount the existence of Bigfoot because the evidence supporting belief in the survival of a prehistoric, bipedal, ape-like creature of such dimensions is scant" (from Skepdic). In addition to the lack of evidence , they cite the fact that while Bigfoot is alleged to live in regions that would be unusual for a large, non-human primate, i.e. temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere, all other recognized non-human apes are found in the tropics, in Africa, continental Asia or nearby islands. The great apes have never been found in the fossil record in the Americas. No Bigfoot bones or bodies have been found.  The issue is so muddied with dubious claims and outright hoaxes that many scientists do not give the subject serious attention. Napier wrote that the mainstream scientific community's indifference stems primarily from "insufficient evidence ... it is hardly unsurprising that scientists prefer to investigate the probable rather than beat their heads against the wall of the faintly possible" (Napier, 15). Anthropologist David Daegling echoed this idea, citing a "remarkably limited amount of Sasquatch data that are amenable to scientific scrutiny" (Daegling, 61). He also suggests mainstream skeptics should take a proactive position "to offer an alternative explanation. We have to explain why we see Bigfoot when there is no such animal" (ibid 20). Most who have expressed an opinion consider the stories of Bigfoot to be a combination of unsubstantiated folklore and hoaxes.  Grover S. Krantz concedes that whilst "the Scientific Establishment generally resists new ideas ... there is a good reason for it ... Quite simply put, new and innovative ideas in science are almost always wrong" (Krantz, 236).  On May 24, 2006 Maria Goodavage wrote an article in USA Today entitled, "Bigfoot Merely Amuses Most Scientists". In it she quoted John Crane, a zoologist and biologist at Washington State, "There is no such thing as Bigfoot. No data other than material that's clearly been fabricated has ever been presented."  Other regions There is a similar myth in the Himalayan region about a large, hairy creature they call " Yeti ".  In the Appalachian region, we simply call them "Grandpa gone bad".  In spite of their primitive appearance, they are usually fine hands with a homemade still.   Footnotes Daegling, David J, Bigfoot Exposed: An Anthropologist Examines America's Enduring Legend, Altamira Press, 2004, ISBN 0-7591-0539-1 Napier, John Russell Bigfoot: The Sasquatch and Yeti in Myth and Reality, 1973, E.P. Dutton, ISBN 0-525-06658-6 Krantz, Grover S., Big Footprints: A Scientific Inquiry into the Reality of Sasquatch, Johnson Books, 1992, ISBN 1-55566-099-1  "
 * This article is only a brief description of the subject, and is not intended to give a full explanation.  Check out the "see also" or "references" sections, or Wikipedia's article for more detail.  Biology life, including the origin, distribution, structure, and function of living organisms, as well as their classification. Biology evolved out of other natural sciences and medicine as a discipline of its own in the mid to late 19th century. Along with chemistry and physics it is now one of the three sciences that are commonly taught in schools .   Main fields of study Biology is a wide-ranging discipline, from the small scale operation of biological molecules , to the larger scale operation of organs and organisms, from bacteria and fungi to plants and animals.  Biochemistry - The border between biology and chemistry , this is the study of the molecules and chemical reactions of biological processes.  Botany - The study of and classification of plants.  Cell Theory - The physiology and morphology of cells, the "building blocks" of life.  Ecology - The study of the relation between populations of organisms and the environment.  Evolution - The study of the changes in lifeforms over billions of years, from simple unicellular organisms to complex multicellular species.  Exobiology - Speculation about possible life outside the planet Earth .  Genetics - The study of heredity and variation of traits within a species, concentrating on the DNA molecule and how it causes such things.  Paleontology - The study of fossilized remains of former living organisms and their traces, excreta, etc.  Physiology - The study of how the organs and systems in an organism function to sustain the individual's life and reproduce the species.  Taxonomy - The classification of all living things.  Zoology - The study and classification of animals.   Resarch Biological research underpins most of modern medicine. The knowledge of how enzymes and cells work is essential for the production of effective drugs. Biologists also study bacteria and viruses which cause illness and most importantly, can track what can and cannot kill them.   Evolution Biology also underpins evolutionary theory . Genetics and the study of DNA falls under biology as well as the tracking of evolutionary changes in species. Evolution is an important underlying principle of modern biology and is the basis for knowing where biological processes came from and how they will react to different stimuli.   "
 * Blasphemy is an impious utterance or action concerning God, gods, or sacred things. Frequently the definition is extended to include anything which would be regarded as “bad language”. Blasphemy is considered by some to be barely anything more than a thought-crime committed against a non-existent entity. In places with strong religious based law, blasphemy laws can be, and are, used against those who don't even subscribe to the beliefs being blasphemed against.  Blasphemy in Modern Law In the times of the Old Testament, blasphemy was punishable by death and used to be a criminal offense in many western states.  Although the laws may still exist on the statute books they are not now enforced in most western countries.  [1] .  In the UK the obsolete blasphemy law was repealed in 2008.  [2] However, blasphemy prosecution do still occur throughout the world: The Austrian artist Gerhard Haderer created can published a satirical book about a cannabis-smoking, surfing Jesus . The book was published in Austria. He was subsequently tried in absentia for blasphemy in Greece and received a six month sentence.  [3] . (The sentence was revoked on appeal.) The death  penalty for blasphemy still exists in a number of Muslim countries such as Iran [4] Pakistan [5] and Saudi Arabia .  [6] Even in the "new" Afghanistan blasphemy remains a capital offense. In January 2008 Sayed Pervez Kambaksh was sentenced to death for blasphemy after a five minute trial.  This  followed reports he had downloaded from the internet un-Islamic material on women's rights.  [7] Indonesia is a little more liberal, there you only get a four year jail sentence.  [8] In potential EU member Turkey , Islamic creationist Harun Yahya succeed in getting Richard Dawkins ' website banned on account of its alleged blasphemous content.  [9]  See also Actions which demand the death penalty in the Old Testament Ten Commandments Jerry Springer the Opera blasphemy suit Religulous  Footnotes ↑ Review of European blasphemy laws ↑ UK repeal Blasphemy law ↑ Greece sentence artist to six months for blasphemy ↑ Iran's death penalty for apostasy ↑ Pakistan death sentence for blasphemy against the prophet ↑ Saudi Arabian death sentence for blasphemy ↑ Afghanistan blasphemy death sentence ↑ Indonesia - four years in jail for blasphemy ↑ Turkey silences Dawkins  "
 * Blind faith is jumping from a building when someone tells you it's on fire, but you don't check to see if there's anyone down there to rescue you. Or if the building's even on fire to begin with. Blind faith is the sort of thing people who think a smile and a firm handshake qualifies as due diligence promote as a virtue.  Blind faith is believing that two boats and a helicopter don't count as divine intervention.  [1] Blind faith is [relying on] the evidence of ... things not seen.  Blind faith is kissing Karl's ass because two weird guys told you that Hank wanted you to.  Blind faith is considered a virtue (in others)... by salesmen, politicians, con artists, and evangelists.  Blind faith is the ability to ignore scientific evidence because someone you trust told you to.  The difference between faith and blind faith has yet to be demonstrated.  In the end, blind faith means that one is, well, blind .  Blind Faith was a rock band in the 60s famous for having Ginger Baker, Eric Clapton, and Steve Winwood in the band and a naked 11-year-old-girl on their only album cover. A little weird, that. The album included two songs with religious overtones, In the Presence of the Lord and Can't Find My Way Home .   External links Kiss Hank's Ass  Notes ↑ Joke... the punchline runs basically to - Rabbi: "God, why did you abandon me?" God: "I sent you two boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?"  "
 * The Brights Movement describes "brights" as follows: [1] A bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview. A bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements.  The ethics and actions of a bright are based on a naturalistic worldview.  As a consequence "The Brights Movement" is naturally open to anyone who has a rationalistic or naturalistic worldview.  Contents 1 Aims 2 History 3 Enthusiastic brights 4 Reception 5 Footnotes  Aims The movement describes its aims as: To promote the civic understanding and acknowledgment of the naturalistic worldview, which is free of supernatural and mystical elements.  To gain public recognition that persons who hold such a worldview can bring principled actions to bear on matters of civic importance.  To educate society toward accepting the full and equitable civic participation of all such individuals.   History The term "bright" was coined (or stolen) to be used in this context in 2002 by Paul Geisert.  [2]  Enthusiastic brights "Enthusiastic" brights supposedly include Daniel Dennett James Randi, Steven Pinker , Richard Dawkins , and .  [3]  Reception The brights movement has met with mixed responses, even from those who it would technically include.  Many find the choice of the term to be embarrassingly condescending - perhaps useful as snark or psrodt, but not as a name for a broad based umbrella movement.   Footnotes ↑
 * The story of the Global flood told in the Bible maintains that that at least two of every clean large animal were present in a vessel somewhere in the middle east. This mandates that animals from all over the world had to travel thousands of miles to the ark. The species coming to the ark would have faced insurmountable obstacles. Contents 1 Obstacles 1.1 Oceans 1.2 Distance 1.3 Climate 1.4 Predation 1.5 Food 2 Creationist claims 2.1 Supercontinent 3 The obvious solution 4 See also 5 Footnotes  Obstacles  Oceans Animals unique to Australia, the south pole, the Americas, and every other miscellaneous island would have been forced to cross oceans to reach their destinations. The claim that animals could swim this distance is bizarre. Most land mammals have very limited swimming capabilities. Monkeys, llamae, snakes, moose, and countless other animals would drown within minutes. Even if for a miracle all these animals were proficient swimmers they would have died of dehydration and starved to death long ago while they were swimming.   Distance There are some animals that are too slow to make the journey, The sloth, for example, has an average speed of 5 feet per minute.  [1] Even if the sloth could take a straight line from central America to the middle east that would still be over 7 thousand miles which would take roughly 14 years.   Climate The change in climate would also render the movement unfeasible. Animals adapted to cold climate such as polar bears would die in the deserts of Palestine.   Predation  Food Some animals have fairly limited diets.  Koala bears only eat eucalyptus leaves, a species not normally found in the Middle East.  Pandas prefer bamboo, which has the same problem.   Creationist claims Some creationists have suggested that all the animals before the flood would have lived in close proximity to the ark. This creates more problems then it solves. If all animals were suddenly lumped together in Palestine there would be mass extinctions.  First every animal would be unable to coexists in the same climate. Some animals like polar bears require cold environments while others such as cold blooded desert reptiles require a hot environment.  The lesser animals would also fall victim to the higher predators. Dodo birds and penguins do not have what it takes to compete with wolves and the large cats. Marsupial mammals (such as platypuses and kangaroos) don't do well competing with placental mammals (virtually every mammal outside of Australia, except for opossums in the Americas).   Supercontinent Creationists will claim that before the flood all the land was in a single super continent. This is a completely defective argument. Saying that the world was a single supercontinent only 4,500 years ago creates innumerable problems. It is true that there have been a number of supercontinents in the earth's history, but the most recent, Pangea, broke up over 200 million years ago.  [2] We know that the world 2,000 years ago was about the same as it is now, so creationism requires that all the tectonic activity of 200 million years be compressed into 2,500 years. Tectonic shifting is what causes earthquakes so if the continents were to rearrange themselves so quickly it would be recorded in history. Primitive people would most likely be impressed by earthquakes measuring 10+ on the Richter scale happening every two weeks.   The obvious solution Goddidit , you atheistic, anti-school prayer evilutionists! God can do anything!  It says so in the Bible .   See also Global flood  Footnotes ↑ HyperTextBook.com ↑ Breakup of Pangea  (200 mya - Present)  "
 * The only good thing about British Columbia is that it's right next to Alberta . This, my friends, is God's Country. Great weather, cool people, great skiing, sushi, golf year round, BC bud ...if you can't be happy here, you can't be happy anywhere.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * British Israelism is a variant of fundamentalist Christian theology based in pseudoarcheology . In general it claims the lost tribes of Israel migrated to the British Isles and were the ancestors of today's Anglo-Saxon English people.  It was a popular theory in the 19th century.  Today it is mainly found in small sectarian groups like the Worldwide Church of God (founded by Herbert W. Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong Gene Scott pyramid woo and astrology to come up with some unreadably dense books that you can't make heads or tails of.  While most British Israelists are merely eccentric and not particularly racist, the exception is Christian Identity which is a specifically white supremacist variant of British Israelism popularized among the Ku Klux Klan and related groups during the late 20th century.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * A brown dwarf is a sub-stellar object. Typically its mass would be far above the range of what might be considered a gas giant planet.  However, their mass is also insufficient for nuclear fusion to begin.  The most common lay term would be a "failed star".  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Please cite your sauces. For example, Mornay sauce can be found on page 35 of Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire [1], below "Matelote blanche" and above "Mousseline".  Famous citations "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose." -- William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)  Footnotes ↑ Escoffier, Georges Auguste, Le Guide Culinaire , 4ème ed. Paris: Flammarion, 1921, ISBN 2082004831 .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Carbon dating, also known as radiocarbon dating, is a scientific procedure used to date organic matter. It depends upon the radioactive decay of carbon-14, an unstable isotope of carbon.  A measurement of the proportion of C-14 as opposed to C-12 remaining in the sample is made to determine how long ago the carbon was "fixed" from the atmosphere. Carbon dating has a certain margin of error, usually depending on the age and material of the sample used.  Carbon-14 has a half life of about 5700 years.  Because the level of atmospheric C-14 is not constant, dates must be calibrated based on C-14 levels in samples of known ages.  [1]  See also The completely unrelated C-decay theory .  Radiometric dating  Footnotes ↑
 * Carbon dating, also known as radiocarbon dating, is a scientific procedure used to date organic matter. It depends upon the radioactive decay of carbon-14, an unstable isotope of carbon.  A measurement of the proportion of C-14 as opposed to C-12 remaining in the sample is made to determine how long ago the carbon was "fixed" from the atmosphere. Carbon dating has a certain margin of error, usually depending on the age and material of the sample used.  Carbon-14 has a half life of about 5700 years.  Because the level of atmospheric C-14 is not constant, dates must be calibrated based on C-14 levels in samples of known ages.  [1]  See also The completely unrelated C-decay theory .  Radiometric dating  Footnotes ↑
 * Cafeteria Christian is a term of scorn that can be applied to various followers of Christianity . It implies that the person in question selects which of the principles of Christianity they intend to adhere to, assembling their beliefs from what is available rather than following the teachings of one particular denomination as a whole. The purpose of the term is to imply a casual support of the faith, without any genuine identification with its principles.  Another term used for "lightweight" adherents is "C. and E. Christian", implying that they only pay attention at Christmas and Easter, holidays that pay off in presents and chocolate bunnies.  Since "C. of E." also refers to the Church of England (i.e. the Episcopalians), this fact provides much opportunity for humorous puns on Espicopalians' supposed worldliness and lack of devoutness.  The original title of this article was "Cafeteria Catholic", which makes the choice of following or abandoning doctrine clearer, since the Roman Catholic Church has clearcut rules for its followers.  "Cafeteria Catholics" are "Catholics in name only", and ignore any aspects of Church doctrine that inconvenience them (such as proscriptions against birth control). An alternate, Catholic-specific term to "C and E Christians" is "Lily and Holly Catholics," where Lily refers to Easter and Holly to Christmas.   See also Jack Mormon Ad hominem  "
 * Calvinism is a belief system held within parts of Christianity, usually the Presbyterian and Reformed traditions. Calvinism is named after the sixteenth century reformer and theologian John Calvin, and was influential on the Puritan movements of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.  The five points of Calvinism are remembered using the mnenomic, TULIP: Total depravity.  Every person is born with a sinful nature, unable to serve God .  Nor can anybody turn to God of their own will.  Unconditional election.  God has chosen a few select people whom he will bring to "salvation".  These people were chosen by God to be saved from the beginning of time.  Nobody can have any individual say in the matter.  Limited atonement.  The crucifixion of Jesus was only to save those select few, not everybody.  Irresistable grace.  Those few whom God has chosen for salvation will turn to God and will be unable to resist his grace.  Perseverence of the saints.  Those few who are converted to Christ will remain saved, and cannot lose their salvation because they were predestined by God to be saved.  The Calvinist belief system is sometimes summed up as belief in predestination .  There are also some believers in Calvinism who take these five points to their logical conclusion.  They are often called "Hyper-Calvinists".  Hyper-Calvinists will typically refrain from any evangelistic attempts at converting "sinners", believing that only God will do the converting.  More "moderate" Calvinists do believe in personal evangelism, believing that they can be God's instrument in reaching those he has chosen to be saved.  What this means in practical terms is all us filthy pagans heathens atheists homosexuals adulterers drug users, masturbators , and other depraved sinners were predestined by God to be this way, and can never be "saved".  This, of course, leads one to wonder why God would even bother with those that are not predestined.  Fred Phelps is known to subscribe to a particularly whacked variant of the Hyper-Calvinist belief system.  He not only believes that filthy reprobates are predestined for hell , but also that God actively hates them and brings about their untimely deaths.   "
 * This article is only a brief description of the subject, and is not intended to give a full explanation.  Check out the "see also" or "references" sections, or Wikipedia's article for more detail.  For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Cambrian explosion The Cambrian explosion was an apparent burst of organic activity observed in the fossil record of the cambrian period ca. 530 million years ago. It included the appearance of major organisms and the diversification of older ones. There are many potential reasons for why this event occured and science in general has still not yet reached a full consensus [1] .   Footnotes ↑ But we're pretty damned sure it was a global flood that did it S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1595 bytes Post-expand include size: 1131 bytes Template argument size: 14 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * (This article is about the disease. For information about the astrological sign, see here .) There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Cancer Cancer is a malignant growth caused by uncontrolled cell reproduction.  It may spread to tissues other than those in which it originated.  Cancer may be treated medically with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy.  This kind of cancer sucks.  The people who seek to profit from desperate cancer patients and their families by offering BS "cures" also suck.  Due to the fear inspired by the disease, its victims are especially susceptible to charlatans.  The number of quack treatments of cancer grows much more quickly than the number of real treatments.  Purveyors of quackery are not limited to treatments tested scientifically, which significantly speeds the marketing process.   Quack cancer treatments Laetrile Color therapy Shark cartilage Kombucha tea Lemonade Diet Shiitake mushroom Faith healing Oxygen therapy i.e. hydrogen peroxide and ozone Fasting  See Also Homeopathy  External links American Cancer Society 125 Fake cancer cures (FDA)  "
 * Canola oil is a vegetable oil derived from the rapeseed plant, a subspecies of the turnip. It is named for its home country of Canada . Unlike standard rapeseed oil, which has relatively high levels of cardiotoxic fatty acids such as erucic acid, and is used only for industrial purposes, canola is derived from special breeds of the rape plant selected for low levels of erucic acid.  Some people who get their knickers in a twist about almost any new food plant don't like canola oil very much, which is a shame because it's a nice substitute for olive oil where the olive flavor would be too much.  Due to objections by PETA, the Bush Administration stopped the practice of renditioning suspected members of al Qaeda to Turkmenistan, where they have their arms and legs boiled in in beef tallow.  They now fly them to Uzbekistan for interrogation because that country's secret police uses only 100% canola oil.   External links Snopes.com on canola oil S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * A case-control study is a study design that looks for relationships between types of data. It is used especially in epidemiology.  It differs from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in several ways, and is usually considered a somewhat weaker type of evidence .  Rather than randomly assigning a group of subjects to different exposures (treatment vs. placebo), it takes groups of people who already have the condition in question, matches them with a similar group that does not, and uses statistics to look for commonalities and differences between the groups.  For example, one particular study [1] was designed to look at the relationship between head injuries and wearing bicycle helmets.  By looking a groups of people who were injured in bicycle accidents, and comparing the rates of head injuries in groups that did or did not wear helmets, the authors were able to find a strong association between not wearing a helmet and sustaining a serious head injury.  There are limits to this type of study, especially in establishing causation (vs.  correlation).  Perhaps the group of people who wore helmets had more careful habits in general and were more careful riders.  This type of study is invaluable, however, as designing an RCT to look at this association would be unethical.  (Imagine randomly assigning 300 people to ride with helmets, and 300 without for a year, and seeing which group had more head injuries--yuck).   Footnotes ↑  "
 * Casey Luskin is a lawyer and one the primary shills for the intelligent design advocacy group the Discovery Institute . The irony of putting a lawyer at the head of the largest ID "research" organization is lost on most of its followers. S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The Christian Broadcasting Network was founded by Pat Robertson in 1961. Its most notorious show is The 700 Club, a show which gives Robertson and others the chance to mouth off and make absurd statements.  In 1990, CBN was sold to International Family Entertainment, Inc.  In '97, IFE was sold to Fox Kids Worldwide, Inc.  In 2001, Disney bought the Fox Family channel and renamed it ABC Family.  CBN programs have aired in 71 languages, and reached 180 countries.  As part of the deal when CBN was sold to Fox, the channel would be required to show The 700 Club twice daily, regardless of ownership of the channel.  The message boards at the CBN website feature the typical range of commentors, from good-natured friendly christians to crazy fundy loons who think Harry Potter is the anti-christ.   External links Official website S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Er... how many yer burning? So many that Uncle Foxtrot Charlie Charlie don't wanna know.  Got a case of white line fever right about now so we gonna pull over and cut some z's at the next rest-em-up place, catch ya on teh flip-flop, we gone.  Squirrel 10-7.  Two things: 1. I don't actually remember what that question means.  2. WP tells me that UFCC is the United Farmers Co-operative Company.  Interesting... (And I didn't understand anything after "white line fever". You meanie) Four wheelers.... who think they are truckers.  This that three-legged beaver we was talkin' about?  Driver, you wouldn't know a four wheeler if that bucket of bolts yer drivin' broke down at teh choke'n'puke Duck boys, bear on the horizon!  Take it down good buddy.  I may be yer buddy but I ain't yer "good" buddy driver.  Anyways better get out of teh hammer lane cuz that bear is lookin' at you .  Good buddy only applies over CB, in person, it means your teh ghey. So get over it.  It means the same thing on CB..also, doing the Barry (talk) 16:55, 27 November 2021 (PST) thing is not appropriate for teh CB, but going 10-7 before Uncle Foxtrot Charlie Charlie triangulates where this not-entirely-barefoot signal is coming from is.  We gone, 10-7 fer real this time.  Breaker breaker 1-9, what's your 20?  The bear is over the hill, repeat, over the hill, let's get this convoy rolling!   "
 * For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Cdesign proponentsists The term " cdesign proponentsists " came into being following the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial in Pennsylvania over the legitimacy of intelligent design as science . A crucial piece of the defense (Pro-intelligent design) was a book called Of Pandas and People which was marketed as a science textbook for middle and high school children. During the trial, previous copies of the book were subpoenaed for review. It was demonstrated that, whenever previous versions of the book had the word "creationist" or " creationism " or some similar form, it had been replaced in almost all cases with the term "intelligent design" in later editions.  This evidence and things like the Wedge Document helped to lead to John E. Jones III's verdict that intelligent design was the same as creationism and that the ID movement was a subversive attempt to inject creationism into the classroom.  Investigations subsequent to the case showed that, in one particular case, an editor had apparently copied and pasted "design proponents" over the word "creationists" but had not even done a proper job resulting in "cdesign proponentsists".  [1] [2]  Originally stoled from Raght heah .  But we've since corrected the errors.  The talk page is also pretty good, but I declined to steal that.   A new meme The story has now been promoted to "internet legend" status, and one can now find versions of this story which claim: That every instance of the word "creationist" was changed to "Cdesign proponentsists". In fact only one word was changed.  That this particular error was noticed during the trial.  It was not, in fact, noticed during the trial as this transcript shows.  The reality remains.   Footnotes ↑ How the text changed to Cdesign proponentsists ↑ Missing link: “cdesign proponentsists” .  This entry is recommended reading for its hilarity.   "
 * A Celibate: Pope Innocent X. Velasquez 1650 Celibacy is the ascetic practice of forswearing all forms of sexual contact, often as part of a religious tradition. Celibacy of some sort is featured in many major religions, including Hinduism and the Roman Catholic Church . Celibacy is only a semi-permanent choice for Buddhist monks (see Celibacy in Buddhism). Unlike abstinence, which is largely a secular practice and a major component of conservative sexual education, celibacy is considered to be permanent, in general, and a vow of celibacy precludes an individual from marriage. In most monastic orders of the Roman Catholic Church, lifelong celibacy is a compulsory feature of priesthood.  Contents 1 Requirement 2 Can't resist temptation 3 See also 4 External links 5 Footnotes  Requirement The requirement of celibacy is what makes some Roman Catholic priests, monks and nuns miserable. If they keep their vow of celibacy they are not allowed to do anything with a partner, or even to themselves , ever. The Pope told them not to do it, and God is pleased if they do what the Pope says. If they’re frustrated and miserable God is still pleased.  Some believe that God originally said "celebrate" not "celibate" but this was garbled in transmission.   Can't resist temptation Not all priests, monks and nuns have the will power to stay celibate. Some engage in what would be considered healthy relations with consenting adults. If caught, they are typically defrocked. Others, sadly, interfere with the healthy emotional development of children they have access to. Strangely enough, when caught, these perpetrators of a terrible crime tend to keep their jobs. And their bosses who played a part in the cover up get sinecures at the Vatican as a reward.  [1]  See also Human sexuality Religion  External links See the Wikipedia article on sexually active popes.  Here’s what a nun’s naughty bit looks like.  It also features a monk with an erection.  This one works as desktop background but leaves a space.  Here’s a monk and a nun almost naked.  This one is the right shape for a desktop background.  Neither are copyrighted.   Footnotes ↑ Cardinal Bernard Francis Law of the Boston Archdiocese, specifically.   "
 * Cell Theory is the theory in biology that cells form the foundations, the basic unit of all living organsisms . All organisms that have been recognized as alive are composed of cells, although viruses are somewhat of a grey area and any evolutionary precursor to the cell would obviously not be a cell.  Another "theory" Despite cells having been obseved with various microscopes for a century, it is still considered a theory . Just like the theory that the earth moves around the sun, that gravity pulls things to other things and that the diversity of life is explained by natural selection .  The origin of the theory comes from observations as early as the 17th century of the cell like appearance of organsisms close up. Cell theory has since evolved and altered as evidence and technology has allowed scientists to look closer at them, starting at first to identify large systems such as the nucleus and cell wall and moving into smaller sections with larger names such as the endoplasmic reticulum or the mitochodria .   The complexity of the cell As was mentioned to great anticlimax in the film Expelled , in Charles Darwin's time, the cell was thought to be simple but now it is considered to be a vast and complex machine. However, this inocorectly assumes that the nature of the cell has a direct bearing on how evolution by natural selection works, which is simply not the case. Just as if evolutionary theory was thrown out completey the complexity of the cell and cell theory would remain unchanged, the changing knowledge of the cell's complexity has no effect on evolution and natural selection. Indeed, a claim such as Ben Stein 's in the movie and his promotional interviews would be akin to saying that Newton's theories of gravitation and newtonian mechanics are wrong because Newton had no clue as to the structure of the atom and it's place in the formation of the materials affected by his laws of motion.   See Also Cell Organelle Evolution  "
 * Censorship, technically, is when the state engages in activities designed to suppress certain information or ideas. In the past, this has been done by burning books, jailing dissidents, and swamping people with government propaganda.  In modern times, the same techniques can be used, but in places like China it is complemented with a nation-wide Internet firewall and the cooption of journalists.  Contents 1 General usage 2 Burying the needle in straw 3 Timing bias 4 Free speech zones 5 The Bible 6 Censorship in films 6.1 Self censorship 7 See also  General usage More generally, the term is also used any time people in positions of power try to prevent facts or ideas embarrassing to them from coming to light.  This can be done by editorial boards of periodicals and journals, or by those who run web sites .  It should be noted that, while citizens in most Western countries are safe against government censorship, this type is not (and cannot be) illegal.  To force a journal or web site to promote ideas the owners and editors find anathema would also be a violation of free speech.   Burying the needle in straw In modern times, due to ubiquitous channels of mass communication, a kind of censorship can be performed (intentionally or otherwise) by swamping the people with other information to hide some particular point.  Counterprotests "shouting down" a group of people are sometimes accused of being censorship, but since they don't usually actually prevent or deny the free expression of what they are protesting, again, this is not really censorship.  But the waters can get murky at times!   Timing bias Also, there is the now almost time-honored way of releasing "bad" political news - do it on Friday evening, after the major news outlets have wrapped up their stories.  By Monday, it's not news any more, and often gets much less attention that it mgiht have otherwise.   Free speech zones The United States has recently seen more use of this insidious form of censorship.  In order to "accomodate" demonstrators at high-profile events, they are shepherded into a pre-assigned area rather being allowed their right of free assembly.  These areas are usually placed well out of the media spotlight - for instance, at the 2004 Democratic Party Convention in Boston, the "free speech zone" was some distance away from the building where the convention was held - in a wasteland of construction debris and fences under a roadway that was partially dismantled.   The Bible If the Bible were a new book, and not sensitive for religious reasons, it would certainly continue to face censorship in many or most Western countries for its unsuitable content . Prior to the Protestant Reformation, Bible translations into local languages were often censored or prohibited.   Censorship in films Capalert is a "film rating" web site with a strong Christian bias.  There is also an organisation out there which sells special DVD players, and software you can download for any DVD they have worked on.  The result of playing the DVD with their "annotation" software is that "objectionable" portions are deleted.  Many "rental" and even "on sale" videos are censored.  Scenes involving nudity , especially of the male frontal variety are usually removed.  Sometimes one will see both versions on offer, with different ratings on the box.  When offered as television broadcasts, similar steps are also taken, with additional editing often employed to make the film fit its time slot.  For American television, bad words are also bleeped, cut, or voiced over.   Self censorship Producers of films also engage in two kinds of self censorship.  Both kinds involve paying attention to the "standards" while making the film in order to achieve the desired rating.  One seeks to obtain a "friendly" rating (such as G or PG in the US) by reducing objectionable material.  The other, perversely, seeks to obtain a racier, or cooler rating in order to promote the film's "adultness", usually to teenagers who wouldn't be caught dead paying to watch a "family friendly" movie.   See also His_Dark_Materials Conservapedia Talk:Censoring Lenski's RW ref  "
 * CERN, or the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is located near the city of Geneva in the country of Switzerland . CERN is among the world's largest particle physics laboratories, currently employing approximately 2500 staffers. [1] Scientists at CERN are currently conducting final tests on the Large Hadron Collider , which is scheduled to begin colliding in October of 2008, after it has been fully vetted by having it do lower energy tests.   Footnotes ↑
 * He was known as "Che". Now he's just a T-Che. Morons everywhere who don't know a shit about Che, now wear T-shirts, caps, and (God bless them) maybe underwear with the famous Che face all over the place. Ernesto "Che" Guevara, also known as "The Che" or simply "Che", was a doctor, politician and guerrilla leader. Though he first became politically active in his native Argentina, Che went on to fight for Marxist revolutionary causes in Cuba , Guatemala, Africa and Bolivia.  Contents 1 Formative years 2 Idealistic years 3 Revolutionary years 4 Death and legacy 5 Controversy 6 Footnotes 7 Los Links  Formative years A clean-cut Che Guevara.  Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born on June 14, 1928, in Rosario, a small town in Argentina. He was the oldest of five sons from the marriage by Ernesto Guevara Lynch and Celia de la Serna, both from aristocratic families but with little conservative values. Guevara's mother married while being pregnant, something highly censurable for the time.  [1] Guevara's parents divorced in 1948, but remained living under the same roof. This was also controversial for the Argentinian high class. The family moved constantly and before he left the country in 1953, Che had lived at least in twelve different houses.  [2] A fan of rugby and literature—especially Pablo Neruda, Jules Verne, Marx and even Sigmund Freud —Che began his medical career at the University of Buenos Aires in 1948. However, he never abandoned his political interests, studying the works of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the process of decolonization and industrialization in India.  [3]  Idealistic years The iconic image.  On January 1st, 1950, Che made his first trip, in a "Cucchiolo" bicycle with a motor, to visit his friend Alberto Granado in Córdoba. From there, Che continued towards the northwest to know the poorest provinces of the country, like Tucumán, Jujuy, Catamarca, and La Rioja. In total, he traveled 4,500 kilometers.  In 1951 Che was hired as an assistant doctor and embarked in a state oil ship. In these trips he traveled through the Atlantic coast of South America to the then-British colony of Trinidad and Tobago, passing by Curaçao, British Guyana, Venezuela , and several ports of Brazil .  But the most important travel he made was in 1952. Che Guevara undertook an 8,000 mile trip by motorcycle, raft, truck and foot, from Argentina to Peru, along with his friend Alberto Granado. Guevara narrated this episode in The Motorcycle Diaries , which was adapted in 2004 for the motion picture of the same name.  In his Diaries , Che wrote extensively about the widespread poverty, oppression and disenfranchisement throughout South America, and influenced by his readings of Marxist literature, Guevara decided that the only solution for the region’s inequalities was armed revolution.   Revolutionary years Che in full color.  Che went to Guatemala in 1954, where he witnessed the overthrow of the constitutionally-elected government of Jacobo Arbenz --the result of a CIA-organized operation.  [4] Forced to leave Guatemala, Che traveled to Mexico, where he met none other than Fidel Castro and joined the revolutionary 26th of July Movement for the guerrilla expedition Castro was organizing to fight the Batista regime in Cuba.  He was also a central leader of the political organization that in 1965 became the Communist Party of Cuba. Guevara headed numerous Cuban delegations and spoke at the United Nations and other international forums. In April 1965 he left Cuba and spent several months in Congo-Kinshasa where first tried his hand at the fermenting revolution without much success.   Death and legacy Che Guevara arrived to Bolivia in November 1966, where he headed a guerrilla detachment to fight the René Barrientos dictatorship. Wounded and captured by U.S.-trained Bolivian troops on October 8, 1967, he was murdered the following day. On October 10, his hands were cut off as a proof that Che was dead. His body is buried in Santa Clara, Cuba, since 1997.  Since then Che has become an icon of leftist movements and his picture is frequently used a a symbol by revolutionaries throughout the world. Opinions on this phenomenon vary. Certain people are of the opinion espoused by Robert Ebert, "Che Guevara makes a convenient folk hero for those who have not looked very closely into his actual philosophy, which was repressive and authoritarian. Like his friend Fidel Castro, he was a right-winger disguised as a communist. He said he loved the people but he did not love their freedom of speech, their freedom to dissent, or their civil liberties. Cuba has turned out more or less as he would have wanted it to." [5]  Controversy It being the nature of revolutions that people die in them, Che's reputation differs depending on one's point of view .  To some he was a freedom fighter.  To others he was a mass murderer, who executed prisoners -even children- without mercy and trial.  Or was he both? Or neither?   Footnotes ↑ Guevara Lynch, Ernesto (1987). Mi hijo el Che, p. 123 ↑
 * He was known as "Che". Now he's just a T-Che. Morons everywhere who don't know a shit about Che, now wear T-shirts, caps, and (God bless them) maybe underwear with the famous Che face all over the place. Ernesto "Che" Guevara, also known as "The Che" or simply "Che", was a doctor, politician and guerrilla leader. Though he first became politically active in his native Argentina, Che went on to fight for Marxist revolutionary causes in Cuba , Guatemala, Africa and Bolivia.  Contents 1 Formative years 2 Idealistic years 3 Revolutionary years 4 Death and legacy 5 Controversy 6 Footnotes 7 Los Links  Formative years A clean-cut Che Guevara.  Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born on June 14, 1928, in Rosario, a small town in Argentina. He was the oldest of five sons from the marriage by Ernesto Guevara Lynch and Celia de la Serna, both from aristocratic families but with little conservative values. Guevara's mother married while being pregnant, something highly censurable for the time.  [1] Guevara's parents divorced in 1948, but remained living under the same roof. This was also controversial for the Argentinian high class. The family moved constantly and before he left the country in 1953, Che had lived at least in twelve different houses.  [2] A fan of rugby and literature—especially Pablo Neruda, Jules Verne, Marx and even Sigmund Freud —Che began his medical career at the University of Buenos Aires in 1948. However, he never abandoned his political interests, studying the works of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the process of decolonization and industrialization in India.  [3]  Idealistic years The iconic image.  On January 1st, 1950, Che made his first trip, in a "Cucchiolo" bicycle with a motor, to visit his friend Alberto Granado in Córdoba. From there, Che continued towards the northwest to know the poorest provinces of the country, like Tucumán, Jujuy, Catamarca, and La Rioja. In total, he traveled 4,500 kilometers.  In 1951 Che was hired as an assistant doctor and embarked in a state oil ship. In these trips he traveled through the Atlantic coast of South America to the then-British colony of Trinidad and Tobago, passing by Curaçao, British Guyana, Venezuela , and several ports of Brazil .  But the most important travel he made was in 1952. Che Guevara undertook an 8,000 mile trip by motorcycle, raft, truck and foot, from Argentina to Peru, along with his friend Alberto Granado. Guevara narrated this episode in The Motorcycle Diaries , which was adapted in 2004 for the motion picture of the same name.  In his Diaries , Che wrote extensively about the widespread poverty, oppression and disenfranchisement throughout South America, and influenced by his readings of Marxist literature, Guevara decided that the only solution for the region’s inequalities was armed revolution.   Revolutionary years Che in full color.  Che went to Guatemala in 1954, where he witnessed the overthrow of the constitutionally-elected government of Jacobo Arbenz --the result of a CIA-organized operation.  [4] Forced to leave Guatemala, Che traveled to Mexico, where he met none other than Fidel Castro and joined the revolutionary 26th of July Movement for the guerrilla expedition Castro was organizing to fight the Batista regime in Cuba.  He was also a central leader of the political organization that in 1965 became the Communist Party of Cuba. Guevara headed numerous Cuban delegations and spoke at the United Nations and other international forums. In April 1965 he left Cuba and spent several months in Congo-Kinshasa where first tried his hand at the fermenting revolution without much success.   Death and legacy Che Guevara arrived to Bolivia in November 1966, where he headed a guerrilla detachment to fight the René Barrientos dictatorship. Wounded and captured by U.S.-trained Bolivian troops on October 8, 1967, he was murdered the following day. On October 10, his hands were cut off as a proof that Che was dead. His body is buried in Santa Clara, Cuba, since 1997.  Since then Che has become an icon of leftist movements and his picture is frequently used a a symbol by revolutionaries throughout the world. Opinions on this phenomenon vary. Certain people are of the opinion espoused by Robert Ebert, "Che Guevara makes a convenient folk hero for those who have not looked very closely into his actual philosophy, which was repressive and authoritarian. Like his friend Fidel Castro, he was a right-winger disguised as a communist. He said he loved the people but he did not love their freedom of speech, their freedom to dissent, or their civil liberties. Cuba has turned out more or less as he would have wanted it to." [5]  Controversy It being the nature of revolutions that people die in them, Che's reputation differs depending on one's point of view .  To some he was a freedom fighter.  To others he was a mass murderer, who executed prisoners -even children- without mercy and trial.  Or was he both? Or neither?   Footnotes ↑ Guevara Lynch, Ernesto (1987). Mi hijo el Che, p. 123 ↑
 * *This is a fork page and distinguishes between several uses of a title or phrase. If you came via a link, you can help by changing the link to the appropriate article from the list below.  Perhaps you were looking for our mascot, or just some good eating ?  Or even one of these...  Jesus Christ , or the general class of Messiahs ?   "
 * Dominionism is a political and religious philosophy that seeks to make the United States government a Christian theocracy . Most Dominionists try to avoid using this name, however, it is usually applied to any Christian movement with these explicit or implicit goals. In this case "Christian" usually means extreme fundamentalist Protestants.  They believe that all the Old Testament laws should be kept, and enforced by the U.S. legal system.  This would entail a substantial increase in the use of capital punishment .  Additionally they also believe that that biblical injunctions regarding slavery should be followed [1] [2] .  The "Republic of Gilead" in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale represented one scenario of a Dominionist takeover in the United States after an environmental disaster drastically reduced the reproductive capacity of the population.  Its ideologies are promoted by authors such as Gary North .  Contents 1 Dominionist theology 2 Also see 3 External links 4 Footnotes  Dominionist theology See the main article about this subject, Millennialism .  Dominionism is often connected with the theological position known as postmillennialism, which envisions a period of one thousand years prior to the eventual Second coming of Christ during which the "Kingdom of God" will gradually gain ground against the forces that oppose it. For that reason, these "hard dominionists" usually work towards a general Christianization of society in the belief that this will help bring about the "Kingdom of God" and eventually the Second coming.  In this, they differ from the premillennialists , who believe that the Second coming itself will mark the beginning of the millenium, and thus tend to focus more on the conversion of individuals than of society as such.   Also see Actions which demand the death penalty in the Old Testament Slavery in the Bible This may or may not be the same as Christofascism .  God hates shrimp Millennialism Spiritual warfare  External links Citizens for the Ten Commandments - This website advocates Dominionism, or something very much like it.   Footnotes ↑ Christian Reconstructionism, Dominion Theology, and Theonomy ↑ God and the Death Penalty Pre-expand include size: 1156 bytes Post-expand include size: 108 bytes Template argument size: 39 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The Christian Exodus movement is a group of dominionists who want to take over a state in the United States [1] then secede from the Union to become their own little theocracy . Some of us cynics wish them Godspeed .   External links The Christian Exodus website  Footnotes ↑ Preferably South Carolina S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * In most of North and South America, Cristóbal Colón, or Christopher Colombus in English, is recognized as the most significant of the early European explorers of the Americas . Despite small visits and settlements by earlier explorers, especially from Scandinavia, Columbus was backed by the power of the empire of Spain, opening the door for the large-scale exploration and exploitation of the Americas.  Current controversies surrounding Columbus in the U.S.  involve the implications of his "discoveries" for the native populations (i.e., enslaving them, genocide).  The Italian-American community often sponsors Columbus Day celebrations, and Native American groups often protest these.  Columbus's origins are an area of debate, especially among amateur historians.  He is believed to have been born in Genoa, but others posit that he may have been Jewish , escaping the inquisition that engulfed Spain after the expulsion of the Moors.  In fourteen hundred and ninety two, C olumbus sailed the ocean blue.   External links Another poem: Please Mr. Columbus  "
 * Warning: Procede at your own risk. The content of this article is very disturbing.  Enter  "
 * The Church of England, also known as the C of E or the Anglican Church, is a Protestant Christian church, and the state religion of, not surprisingly, England. Other Anglican or Episcopal Churches throughout the world are affiliated with the Church of England.  The South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu is one of the world's most famous Anglican clerics.  As every schoolboy knows, the Church of England was founded when, in 1534, King Henry VIII refused to put up with the Pope 's objections to sanctioning his divorce.  Henry, being King and having the wherewithal to do so, declared the English Church to be split from the Roman Catholic Church , and put himself at the head of the new church - after Jesus Christ of course.  Some of the emerging Protestant theology was adopted to further the division, and Henry took advantage of his new ecclesiastical leadership to forcibly close down England's monasteries and convents, confiscating their wealth and land.  Over the next century or so, the theology and practices of the Church shifted back and forth under various regimes, sometimes appearing Catholic in all but name, sometimes fairly Puritan , before settling somewhere in the middle.  The Church has a minor role in the British government, with Bishops sitting in the House of Lords, and has usually backed government policy.  In recent decades, church attendance in British has dropped considerably and the Church of England's influence is becoming increasingly irrelevant in society.  Despite a heavy presence of stuffy, old fashioned conservative types, the Church of England has become increasingly progressive and tolerant, compared to many other Christian churches.  Since 1992, the Church has accepted women as priests, although as yet they cannot be appointed bishops.  Some homosexuals have also been accepted as clergy in Anglican churches, including Bishop Gene Robinson in the New Hampshire diocese of the Episcopal Church.  These moves have been met with strong opposition from many traditionalists.  The Church of England also broke with historical tradition by opposing British involvement in the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq .  Unlike more fundamentalist forms of Christianity , Anglicanism does not demand a literal interpretation of Biblical passages such as the creation great flood and virgin birth .  Modern Anglicans are also usually very tolerant and respectful of other Christians.  The Church of England doesn't tend to put the fear of Hell into people -- all it really offers is tradition, rituals, tea, and jumble sales.  On balance, Anglicanism should be considered a mostly harmless (though somewhat boring) branch of Christianity.   "
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 * Circumcision is a procedure whereby the foreskin of the penis is removed, traditionally required of all male Jews and Muslims (we just snip it a little to make it look bigger). For some reason the majority [1] Male circumcision is generally considered distinct from female circumcision, which many Westerners erroneously believe always involves excision of large parts of the most sensitive parts of the vulva, including but not necessarily limited to the clitoris and the inner labia. In fact, there are many forms of both male and female genital cutting and alteration. The most common form of so-called female circumcision is clitoridotomy, also known by the WHO as Type I Female Genital Cutting, which can entail the removal of the clitoral prepuce ("hood"), which is homologous to the male foreskin, or both the clitoral prepuce and the glans clitoris, which is homologus to the glans penis ("head"). While considered traditional in some African cultures (primarily sub-Saharan Africa, the Sudan, and parts of Egypt), most Westerners consider genital cutting, when performed on female children or adults without their consent, to be incredibly barbaric and misogynist, because they are a major mutilation of a girl or woman's genitals, and because they can deny a girl or woman most sexual pleasure.   Footnotes ↑
 * Please cite your sauces. For example, Mornay sauce can be found on page 35 of Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire [1], below "Matelote blanche" and above "Mousseline".  Famous citations "The devil can cite scripture for his purpose." -- William Shakespeare (The Merchant of Venice)  Footnotes ↑ Escoffier, Georges Auguste, Le Guide Culinaire , 4ème ed. Paris: Flammarion, 1921, ISBN 2082004831 .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Part of the series on U.S. Discrimination Law Standards of Review Rational basis review Intermediate scrutiny Strict scrutiny Other Legal Theories Substantive due process State action doctrine Defining Moments in Law The 14th Amendment Plessy v. Ferguson Brown v. Board of Education Loving v. Virginia U.S. v. Virginia Romer v. Evans Lawrence v. Texas Modalities of Constitutional Law Textualism • Originalism • Dynamism Issues in Constitutional Law Same-sex marriage Gay rights Civil rights Civil rights are those rights and protections given to a person by law. They are complementary to, and enhance, the basic human rights that all people should enjoy. The term has received its greatest usage and exposure in the United States where, to the wonderment of the rest of the civilised world and a fair portion of the uncivilised world, in spite of the opening statement in their Declaration of Independence, that "all men were created equal" [1] the U.S. institutionalised in law, discriminations of the most basic and purile kind that took nearly 200 years to dismantle.  Attempts had been made during that time to criminalise racial discrimintaion but as history and examples such as the Civil Rights Cases demonstrate, these attempts were not successful.  The dismantling began in earnest with the 1964 passing of the Civil Rights Act which outlawed segregation in U.S. schools and public places. In spite of the change to the law, which gave blacks some of the same civil rights as whites, the changes foreshadowed by the Act often had to be won again in the court room or by massed action to have the Act enforced.  Once the worst of the racial discriminations were criminalised, the fight then moved to other arenas, particularly that of the rights of women, the minefield of abortion , and equal rights for homosexuals.   Footnotes ↑
 * Cover Story Nominee This page has been nominated for random inclusion on the Main Page. Please discuss its nomination on the talk page Instructions here For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Same-sex marriage Marriage, of course, is the legal contract that joins two persons upon the (sometimes pretextual) [1] basis of love [2] , to constitute a new family.  In common law, certain rights and privileges attach to marriage: the right to inherit property flows to one spouse, as does the right of hospital visitation, the right to sue under wrongful death statutes, etc., etc.  Thus, marriage encapsulates more than a poetic union.  Rights and responsibilities attach as well.  A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Abstinence programs Abortion Gay sex Hand job Homosexuality Nuremberg Files Penis Santorum Sexual identity Sexual revolution Sodomite Sodomy Venereal disease Same-sex marriage Contents 1 Status updates 1.1 Nations 1.2 Religions 2 American legal arguments for same-sex marriage 2.1 Possible equal protection arguments 2.2 Substantive due process and the race analogy 2.3 Objections to the race analogy 2.4 Conduct or status?  3 Other arguments for same-sex marriage 3.1 Equality 3.2 Basic human rights 3.3 Happiness 4 Arguments against same-sex marriage 4.1 Characterizing the opposition 4.2 Happiness - for whom?  4.3 It's yucky 4.4 Is religious opposition somehow more credible and salient?  5 Conflict of laws - American and European perspectives 6 See also 7 Footnotes  Status updates  Nations Gay marriage is a contentious issue in the United States , with only two states, Massachusetts [3] and California [4] , allowing actual marriages, and several others allowing legal unions under various other names which carry the same effect as marriage.  Such states include Vermont New Hampshire Connecticut , and New Jersey , all of which have civil unions , which give all the benefits of marriage without the word "marriage." Oregon (and California, before the In Re Marriage cases) offers domestic partnerships that give all the benefits of marriage as well.  Washington Maine , and Washington, D.C.  offer limited benefits through domestic partnerships, and Hawaii offers an even more limited amount of benefits. Other states have explicitly banned gay marriage, and through various Defense of Marriage Acts , at both the federal and state levels, do not recognize any marriages consecrated outside of their jurisdiction, if it violates their own laws or public discretion - New Mexico is unique in recognizing all foreign marriages.  Rhode Island and New York have also recognized some "foreign" marriages.  In other states where gay marriage hasn't been banned outright, the issue remains open.  Canada , by contrast, legalized gay marriage in the province of Ontario in 2003.  [5] Other provinces shortly followed suit, and it was legalized across the country in 2005, surviving a second vote called by the Conservative government of Stephen Harper in 2006, who following the vote declared that the he "[doesn't] see reopening this question in the future." [6] Several other countries have legalized gay marriage, including the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Spain, and Norway [7] , with a number of others allowing civil unions to varying degrees. Some other countries, including Germany, require all marriages to receive a civil union in order to gain legal recognition, and a religious marriage ceremony on its own is not legally recognized.   Religions some of them, these can be explicitly called "marriages" while others use language such as "service to give blessings to God for their relationship" [8] .   American legal arguments for same-sex marriage Please see our Fourteenth Amendment article for a primer on types of discrimination, and methods of fighting discrimination.  Both are referred to in some of the sections below.   Possible equal protection arguments The easiest, most open-and-shut case for gay marriage goes like this: "prohibiting gay marriage classifies on the basis of sexual orientation.  Sexual orientation discrimination is repugnant to the Constitution.  Please allow gay marriage, or allow civil unions that confer the same benefits."  This makes the most sense, and is the easiest formulation to state.  However, the issue is a little harder...  The preceding argument is an equal protection argument.  However gay rights have, thus far, only been advocated on substantive due process grounds (building from the due process clause), as in Lawrence v. Texas .  [9] The same case ardently refused to address gay rights as an equal protection issue, and refused especially to suggest that gay rights deserve any special protection under the equal protection clause.  Without this special protection ( strict scrutiny , hopefully at some point) such rights can be removed or abridged with a merely pretextual reason, effectively preventing an equal protection argument for gay marriage from succeeding.  Romer v. Evans the Supreme Court intimated that homosexuality may be entitled to a higher form of protection, noting that "animus laid bare" is not enough to justify discrimination.  This suggestion at least leaves the door open for an equal protection argument.   Substantive due process and the race analogy The Supreme Court has once before tackled the right to marry.  In Loving v. Virginia [10] the Supreme Court invalidated a Virginia statute which voided and forbade any marriage between members of different races (miscegenation).  The aptly-named Lovings successfully sued Virginia to invalidate the law, although it took until the Supreme Court to win a favorable verdict.  formal equality [11] This was the holding of the case - or, its primary legal significance.  Importantly, though, as an afterthought, the Court tossed in one comment at the very end of the opinion, saying that the Court had no need to reach the argument that the due process clause could protect, as fundamental to the American way of life, the right to marry .  Although merely one line of dicta [12] , this line suggests that the Court at one point recognized a fundamental right to marry.  A theoretical argument for same-sex marriage could make use of this dicta , defining marriage as a "fundamental right" which is "deeply rooted" in the nation's history, implicit in the concept of "ordered liberty," and the restriction of this right should be struck down upon strict scrutiny unless it is "narrowly tailored to a compelling state interest." [13] The Supreme Court has consistently held that such rights are due protection.  [14] Opponents will rebut, exclaiming that gay marriage is not a fundamental right - and therefore should be subject to the comparatively lighter form of judicial review, rational basis review .  The dicta in Loving , proponents can argue, suggests otherwise.  Even if evaluating gay marriage under substantive due process triggers only rational basis review , though, restrictions on gay marriage arguably fail even this moderate test.  Persuasive authority, found in Goodridge v. Dep’t of Public Health [15] , suggests that restrictions on gay marriage do fail rational basis review, finding such restrictions are arbitrary and capricious, since: There is no showing that restricting marriage to heterosexual couples will further any state interest: no state actor can prove damage to heterosexual marriages if gays are allowed to marry, Discrimination based on immorality fails, since this is impermissible in the wake of Lawrence v. Texas , and, The state (here, Massachusetts) conceded that gay parents are good parents.  However, any substantive due process argument for same-sex marriage would have to establish, as a predicate, that same-sex marriage is a type of conduct , since substantive due process generally protects only conduct.   Objections to the race analogy Conservatives object strongly to any attempt to analogize between racism and homophobia, and discrimination against gays and discrimination against non-white races.  [16] The objection is based upon the assumption by said conservatives that sexual preference, unlike race , is not inborn (immutable).  The obvious objection is that, in fact, sexual preference is immutable, [17] or, if not immutable, is so highly correlative with personal identity that it defies classification as a "choice," and should still be legally protected.  A more appropriate analogy than race, in this case, would be religion - religion is a choice... although a deeply personal choice... and therefore, the law protects (and should protect) individuals from discrimination on the basis of such deep choices (and it does, in the case of religion).   Conduct or status?  Although marriage has traditionally been described as a status - a quality that inheres as a result of a legal imprimatur - gay rights activists have increasingly sought to characterize marriage as a type of conduct.  This characterization is a deliberate legal and rhetorical strategy that builds upon the fact that, although marriage fits more neatly within the description of a "status," certain aspects of marriage - the fact of the couple's presentment to the community as a joined entity, as well as the personal expression qualities of engaging in a marital relationship - suggest that marriage can be defined at least partially as a type of conduct.  [18] This new characterization has important ramifications for the law of same-sex marriage.  As discussed in Lawrence v. Texas , homosexual conduct is protected at a high level - somewhere between rational basis review and strict scrutiny .  Status, though, is protected at a low level.  Although this distinction itself may fade before the law comes to conceive of homosexual relationships as "conduct," this plan of attack is yet another potentially successful legal strategy.  [19]  Other arguments for same-sex marriage  Equality  Basic human rights  Happiness Being married to the partner of your preferred gender allows participants a much happier domestic life, and better sex. Or at least, sex with a gender you're not desperately unattracted to.   Arguments against same-sex marriage  Characterizing the opposition Most arguments against gay marriage suggest that allowing persons of the same sex to marry will somehow destroy the family, destroy marriage, or destroy both at once.  At least one court has found such argumentation to be ridiculous... and many normal, non-judgemental people agree.  [20] A real problem with arguing for same-sex marriage is that allowing same-sex marriage is much more contentious than allowing same-sex civil unions with all the same rights as marriages.  [21] Because the word "marriage" is considered inherently better than the word "civil union," allowing for same-sex civil unions would still let opponents of same-sex marriage hold what they consider to be a position of superiority over homosexuals, due to the implication that the government holds heterosexuals in higher regard than homosexuals.  [22] The religious right often attempts to argue against gay marriage by conflating gay marriage with civil unions, and deliberately trying to whitewash over the possibility of civil unions as an intermediate step between no-rights and marriage.  Since the religious right has a lot to gain from this deliberate mischaracterization, we should not expect it to cease.  However, it is critically important to remember that, when talking about the right to same-sex marriages, few people are talking about forcing churches to marry homosexual couples.  This would, in fact, be illegal.  [23] After all, churches will - and should - do what they want, and some churches have already started to marry gay couples.  What most people are talking about are the federal benefits that flow from marriage - inheritance, veterans benefits, etc.  It's about equal rights.  Not forcing Christian churches to marry gay couples.  Just rights.  And the idea of equal rights is - or should be - an American tradition.  Always remember this point.   Happiness - for whom?  As discussed above, in a community allowing same-sex marriage, the two partners in the union experience greater personal happiness.   However, when same-sex marriage is banned, those who experience greater happiness are those uninvolved with the relationship, for example, Bible-thumping preachers, right-wing moralists, busybodies, etc.   These people gain tremendous personal pleasure from the unhappiness of others.   It's yucky Seriously, have you ever seen two guys kiss? Unpleasant. And the feelings it stirs up, the twin repulsion and attraction... UNCOMFORTABLE. Clearly, such activities must be banned. Not letting them get married is a good first step.  On the other hand, two girls making out is teh awesome and is to be encouraged, so this argument might need a little work.  Some people used to (and some still do) feel that interracial marriage was wrong, and that a black man kissing a white girl, or vice versa, was creepy and uncomfortable.  Simply being uncomfortable with it is not a reason to ban it.  Two people speaking Spanish between themselves in front of you on the bus may make you uncomfortable, but is it really a good idea to say that speaking Spanish (in, say, a predominantly English speaking country) should be illegal?  As laws are founded on objective proof and logical discourse, one person's squeamish reaction to two people of the same sex getting close should not and cannot be used as a legal argument against them marrying.   Is religious opposition somehow more credible and salient?  Many Christians attempt to argue that, since their opposition to gay marriage is based on religious grounds, allowing gay marriage or prohibiting discrimination against gays is somehow infringing upon their religious liberty.  [24] The short answer is, "Tough." The long answer is that describing hatred or discrimination as religiously-motivated is not curative: it does not make it any less evil.  Discrimination against women and people of different races has also been justified on the basis of religion... but it is still wrong.  Mass murder has been justified on the basis of religion.  That doesn't make it right, though.  This is a basic underpinning of a pluralist society.  Where there are multiple versions of "reality" and "morality," the one that should be used to form laws is the one that doesn't hurt people.  That simple.  As every citizen has the right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness", any such activity that could interfere with those basic rights is prohibited: the whole "your right to swing your fist ends where my face begins" idea.  The legal answer is that, regardless of religion, when a discriminatory action is identified, Congress has the power by the Fourteenth Amendment to eradicate that evil.  Further, free exercise does not include hate crimes.  And finally, speech against homosexuality - like all hate speech - is protected by the First Amendment, to a degree.  [25] So religious freedom is unharmed, so long as does not infringe upon another's freedom.  John Stuart Mill would be proud.   Conflict of laws - American and European perspectives Same-sex marriage presents an interesting difficulty in the American federal system.  Where some states may allow gay marriage, others may not, and pursuant to the Defense of Marriage Act , states may even refuse to honor the rights that come with a same-sex marriage (such as the right to sue, the right to inherit, etc.).  This proposes a problem in three different ways.  Suppose a couple runs to Massachusetts or California, gets married, and returns to their home state, which forbids gay marriage.  Should the home state nonetheless honor the duly executed marriage?  Suppose a couple lives and is married in a state where it is legal, but then moves to an intolerant state.  Should the new state recognize the marriage?  Suppose a couple lives and gets married where it is legal, and travels on a brief vacation to an intolerant state, where for some reason their marriage becomes a legal issue.  How should the new state treat the marriage?  A gay couple married in Massachusetts actually tried to get divorced in Rhode Island , where such a move has been declared illegal.  [26] You'd think they'd be eager to untie that knot!  Professor Linda Silberman proposes a solution: a same-sex marriage should be evaluated under the law of the domicile of the married couple, not the law where the marriage was solemnified (as was the common law custom).  [27] Thus, in situations (2) and (3), the same-sex marriage should be honored, even by a reluctant state.  In situation (1), which can best be characterized as an attempt to evade the law of the home state, the marriage should not be honored.  This solution best preserves a state's interest in protecting its morality (somehow), but also preserves the rights of the married couple.  This approach presumes that the Defense of Marriage Act - which permits states to completely ignore a same-sex marriage where convenient - will not (or should not) be taken advantage of by states to spitefully nullify legitimate out-of-state same-sex marriages.  However, many states (Nevada, Georgia, etc.) have declined Professor Silberman's persuasive analysis.  This issue is extremely important, since marriage creates such real and beneficial legal effects.  Under the Defense of Marriage Act, states like Nevada and Georgia can prevent the widow of a gay marriage from receiving anything from his or her partner's estate... for no reason other than intolerance and spitefulness.  At a less dramatic level, there are many situations where being "family" provides vital legal rights, such as hospital visitation, approval of care, etc., and the only way for two unrelated people who share their life to be "family" is for them to marry.  Apparently, " family values " have even reached into the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  Article 16, part 3 says: "The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State." [28] Yes, let's protect the family... but what is a "family"?  [29]  See also Gay rights Lawrence v. Texas Romer v. Evans U.S. Discrimination Law  Footnotes ↑ European family politics in the Middle Ages.  ↑ Or there being a baby on the way: a "shotgun marriage".  ↑ As of May 17 2004, due to a court decision.  Attempts to override the decisions by ballot initiative were blocked in the state legislature.  ↑ As of 5 PM PST June 16 2008, due to a court decision.  A ballot initiative to alter the state constitution will almost certainly ensue.  ↑ It should be noted that Canada has not yet been destroyed by God as an example unto others.  ↑ The Globe and Mail , on gay marriage referendum.  ↑ On June 12 2008, Norway legalized same-sex marriage (effective January 1, 2009).  They also made adoption easier for same-sex couples, and made lesbian couples eligible for state-funded fertility drugs.  [1] ↑
 * A War on War War on Christmas War on Civility War on Culture War on Drugs War on Editing War on the Flag War on Flames War on Iraq War on Nuclei War on Racism War on Science War on Terror War on the Union War on Grammar A civil war is any war that occurs within a state, rather than among states. Most civil wars today start due to nationalism , either as break-away movements by nationalities within a state or to "right wrongs" that have been committed against a particular nationality.  Sometimes this takes the form of a "holy war," as well, as different religious factions line up against each other.  Due to the extremely high feelings created by a civil war, they tend to be the bloodiest and most intractable wars possible.  Examples of this include the civil wars in Rwanda and Yugoslavia .  Most other nations are loathe to interfere in a civil war for this reason.  However, civil wars often have effects beyond the border of the state experiencing it, as refugees flee to bordering states or combatants try to use neutral states as a hiding ground.  There have been many cases where a civil war has changed history for the entire world.  Prominent examples include the Russian Civil War, the Spanish Civil War, and the Chinese Civil War.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1212 bytes Post-expand include size: 1028 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Child sexual abuse Cunnilingus Fœtus Gerbiling Homosexuality Love Penis Polygamy Prostitution Sexual orientation Transsexual Virgin Yoni The clitoris is an organ in women that is formed from the same tissues that would become the glans and upper shaft of a penis if the embryo had been exposed to, or responded to androgens (“male” hormones). While its male counterpart has the triple function of providing a conduit for eliminating waste, delivering sperm to the female, and being a source of pleasure when stimulated, the clitoris is unique among sensory organs in that it has no other function (as far as is known) other than to stimulate pleasure centres in the brain. It is larger than formerly thought, extending internally around both sides of the uterus, and possibly also defining the mysterious " G spot ". [1] Despite this, it is still, although less so than formerly, a mystery to many males, and until the sexual revolution of the 1960s was largely unknown to them.  Conservatives and fundamentalist Christians believe that you shouldn't mess with a clitoris before marriage, if ever.  It can be supposed that women through the ages have known about the "little button" but have never been able to publicise its presence. Despite being far smaller than the male glans, the clitoris contains about 8,000 nerve endings, compared to only 4,000 nerve endings in the business end of the penis. If men had a clitoris the "thinking about sex every 20 seconds" would probably increase to every 5 seconds.  wild ass guess!  Contents 1 Artwork 2 Barbarism 3 Euphemisms 4 See also 5 External links 6 Footnotes  Artwork Pictures of clitorises are widely available on the internet, often in graphic detail and totally unconnected with medical or physiological websites. Given the existence and historically "female only" knowledge of the clitoris, it is surprising that lesbianism hasn't been a more popular sport in the past - or maybe it has.   Barbarism Mutilation of the genitalia, including the clitoris, has been widespread in Africa, the Middle East, and (considerably less frequently) in South America, India and Indonesia. It is often justified on grounds of beauty! Migration has brought the practice to countries which were hitherto free of it.  In cultures where this mutilation is extremely common, women may wonder how a woman without mutilation can enjoy sex.  Such sentiments are common among cultures that are ignorant about both sides of the issue, for instance, in the US, women wonder how women can enjoy sex with mutilation, even though anecdotal evidence strongly indicates that (some forms) of mutilation still allow the owner of the genitalia to enjoy sex.  Although, they could all be faking it…  Euphemisms The little man in a boat The dearth of euphemisms must have some social significance. Most women will, if pushed, refer to their "clit" , if at all.  They do prefer that you continue pushing if you start.   See also Penis Sex Cunt  External links Wikipedia :  Female genital cutting Amnesty International:  Women's Human Rights World Health Organization:  Female genital mutilation  Footnotes ↑ Although the G-spot's descriptions often put it as more likely to be related to Skene's gland, which is the female homologue to the prostate .   "
 * Cloth coat Republican is a phrase that conjures the "old wing" of the Republican Party in the United States . The "cloth coat" is intended to contrast with the "fur coat" worn by the privileged wives of political men.  The "ideal" was Pat Nixon, the wife of Richard M. Nixon, a self-made man, who was utterly paranoid in so many ways we will only address one here: he was from the "folk", not the select few who went to Ivy League colleges and lived lives of pre-ordained privilege.  As such, he hated the people who had managed to climb the ladder of power with assistance from their relatives and backgrounds, and tried to emphasize his struggle to succeed in spite of all odds.  Classic quote that encapsulates his particular perspective: "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around anymore".  Dwight D. Eisenhower was also arguably a "cloth coat Republican" - as were, probably, many members of the party before the ascension of Ronald Reagan and the Bush dynasty.  Would that the party once again represented Main Street and the Rotary Club types who built it, rather than Wall Street and extraction industry executives.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Clustering illusion is the cognitive bias of seeing a pattern and applying meaning to that pattern when it is in fact due to a random or meaningless cause. Humans have a natural tendency to recognize patterns in anything. This is most likely an evolutionary mechanism because sensing a meaningful pattern in something that is random is less costly than missing a meaningful pattern. A simple way to understand this illusion is to imagine casting ten pennies in a one foot square space. Unless all of the pennies fall in an exactly even distribution, which is extremely improbable, some pennies will be closer to each other than others and seem to form a cluster or group solely from the random distribution.  Many aspects of intelligent design and creationism rely on this bias. In fact, the main argument for both is "if it looks designed it must be designed." This is basically an applied research paradigm built on the clustering illusion.   See also Texas sharpshooter fallacy S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Cocaine is a drug refined from the coca plant. In its refined form, it presents as a white powder at one end of a rolled-up hundred dollar bill, of which the other end is attracted to one's nostril.  Ingestion of cocaine results in euphoria, general power-tripping, but, sadly, eventual psychosis .  Cocaine can also be chemically manipulated to make "free base", which can be smoked, although danger to your polyester shirt becomes an issue.  Likewise, it can also be processed into a smokable "rock" form known as "crack" cocaine , possession of which carries one hundred times the penalty of the powder version.  This is because responsible white businessmen snort the powder version in order to promote the American ideal as go-getters, whereas ghetto-dwelling Bad People smoke the rock version, in order to better groove to the rap song "You're in teh Ghetto because you are inferior".  Cocaine can also be used as a local anesthetic.  If your tooth hurts, get a little and rub it your gum, while waiting for your dentist appointment.  Once upon a time, the "real" Coke (Coca Cola) truly was "the pause that refreshes", since its active ingredients were cocaine and the kola extract, caffeine .  Bottles of the "real Coke" are now most likely held in private collections, much as old bottles of wine, or classic stashes of chronic , to be gently consumed and enjoyed by connoisseurs.  Cocaine (or, in reality, the raw leaf of the coca plant) is also known as Bolivian Marching Powder.   Also see Rogaine (not) Propane (huh?) Eric Clapton  "
 * A code word is a type of term of art whose meaning is intentionally obscured, usually in order to increase acceptability to outsiders. Many, though not all, such terms are also snarl words . Many Christian terms, including "salvation", "pagan", and the like, were code words in the original Greek and Latin forms.  See also Loaded language Milk before meat S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Colonialism is the act of one country taking over some other area and settling it or ruling over it. It appears very similar to imperialism, although colonists can be invited by the receiving country.  Colonialism has been around since at least the Classical World, as it is well known that the Phoenicians and the Greeks colonized much of Northern Africa .  Usually, when speaking of colonialism, people are referring to European colonialism.  European countries - most notably Britain, France, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands -  engaged in large amounts of colonialism, starting in the 15th century and ending in the 20th.  Most of the world's surface is composed of former colonies.  For example, all of the Americas and Australia, and almost all of Africa and Asia were colonized at some point.  Some states, such as France, still have overseas colonies.  However, the largest colonial empire was that of Great Britain, which ruled much of Africa and the Middle East, along with India, China, Australia and a large part of North America.  Colonialism as a world-wide system ended after World War II , due to a multitude of causes.  In part, many of the old colonial powers came to accept the need for self-determination in the colonies.  At the same time, there had been great advances in "asymetric warfare", as evidenced by the ability of the poorly-equipped Vietnamese forces to fight off both France and the United States.  These days, accusations of colonialism are most often levelled at the United States Israel , and China .  This might be unreasonable, since Russia , via the former Soviet Union , colonized much of eastern Europe and western and northern Asia.  Attempts by East Germany Hungary Czechoslovakia , and others to remove the colonial yoke were forcibly put down, though clearly in distant times - Germany is now one nation and Czechoslovakia is now the Czech Republic .  Russia under Dmitry Medvedev shows signs of trying to revive this modality, though with little more military action than border-scuffles with small nations. It must be said that they pursue worldwide colonization with some trepidation when in comparison with that of the recent activities of the United States .  A particular branch of study, " postcolonialism ", has arisen to study the effects and aftermaths of colonialism on different parts of the world, from the point of view of the former colonies.  It particularly focuses on differences in colonial structures and their results.   American colonialism Some critics of American Foreign Policy argue that it amounts to little more than modern-day colonization.  There are two main forms of colonization which the Americans pursue.  One is establishing " free markets ", so that foreign markets can freely be flooded with American goods.  [1] This can also be associated with the privatization of national assets, which usually fall into the hands of private American contractors.  [2] The  Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq planned to sell approximately 150 of 200 state-owned enterprises in 2004, [3] prompting critics from the Washington Post to claim: "It took L. Paul Bremer, the U.S. administrator in Baghdad, no more than a stroke of the pen … to accomplish what eluded [Republicans] over the course of a decade and two presidential campaigns".  [4] The other is military occupation.  The American Armed Forces currently have permanent bases in 61 countries worldwide.  [5] They have a military presence in over 100 countries worldwide, including 100,000 troops in Europe, 77,000 in the Pacific and East Asia, and a total of 270,000 troops in foreign countries not currently in action.  In Iraq and Afghanistan, there are 240,000 more servicemen and women.  [6] "Seldom has history seen such a dominant, unilateral power astride the international scene." This is taken from a report to Congress and the President: "Commission on Review of Overseas Military Facility Structure of the United States" .  [7] The ambitions of the American foreign policy are clearly stated and not at all secretive, as seen in this extract from the above Commission: "We have undertaken a transformation of strategy that is far-reaching in its implications on our ability to defend ourselves at home and to pursue our interests in the world. We have formulated new doctrines, organized new unit structures, developed new weapons, communications, intelligence, logistics, and command and control systems, and sought new allies and altered basing locations at home and abroad. We are adopting new techniques and procedures, shifting our forces around the globe, and otherwise launching a myriad of innovations." [8] Any thinking person must wonder what could be implied by "our ability to defend ourselves at home and to pursue our interests in the world ", when the American government insists its current military actions are purely defensive measures, put in place to "counter terrorism".   Footnotes ↑ Examples given of the modern Iraq conflict [1] ↑ [2] ↑ [3] and [4] ↑ [5] ↑ [6] ↑ [7] and [8] ↑ [9] ↑ [10]  "
 * Compassionate conservatism is an oxymoron . It implies that a conservative being compassionate is unusual and noteworthy and that 'normal' conservativism is somehow by nature lacking in compassion (which is sadly often true), as to say that conservatism is compassionate, one must be capable of compassion, as well as, if possible, love, intelligence and rational thought.  Marvin Olasky, who authored a book about 'compassionate conservatism', is a Dominionist . Thus, in his ideal of society, many people would be treated in a less than compassionate manner.  The juxtaposition of these two words was first brought to the general attention by (then Texas Governor) George W Bush (Olasky was an advisor to Bush in his first Presidential election campaign) in 1999.  [1]  See Also Paleoconservatism  External link ↑ Extract from Wall Street Journal S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * A concentration camp is like a jail, only without the hygienic conditions and concern for prisoners' basic human rights. Typically, they are used to isolate groups of people identifiable by some "outsider" trait from the general population for some trumped-up reason. The term was first used by the British to describe facilities used to detain Boers in South Africa during the Boer War.  When speaking of concentration camps, two examples come quickly to to mind - the camps that Jews in Europe were herded into, after the ghettos , by the Nazis, as a middle stage in the Holocaust , and the Japanese "internment" camps in the United States , both dating to World War II .  The "Indian" reservations could also be considered examples, as could some of the P.O.W. camps during the U.S.  Civil War Concentration camps were designed in no small part to remove "undesirables" from their social and political contexts, reducing them to the status of "non-persons." Reflecting Hannah Arendt and especially Michel Foucault , in States of Exception, the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben writes about how camps like Auschwitz represented "the most biopolitical space ever to have been realized, in which power confronts nothing but pure life ." [bolding ours]  Other uses A concentration camp is like a Bible camp , except it's for kids with ADD.   "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Clitoris Cunt Anal sex Gay rights Gender Gender identity disorder Heterophobia Natural childbirth Orgasm Penis Santorum Sex Slut Confirmed bachelor is a euphemism applied, historically, to seemingly eligible men who over the course of their life seem to just never quite get around to marrying a nice girl and settling down. The implication is that they might just possibly be homosexual, and thus have no use for the sacraments of marriage, at least as far as they involve heterosexual coitus.  It does not imply that they hang out at the docks meeting sailors, or that they enjoy the educating of young men.   See Also John Schlafly Sir Cliff Richard Boston Marriage (for the ladies)  External Links Funny He Never Married , the transcript of a 1968 Marty Feldman sketch.  Pre-expand include size: 1045 bytes Post-expand include size: 595 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A consumer is an end user of a product or service. In modern capitalist economies, it is important that they truly "consume" the product, and throw it away, so they will have to buy another one.  This keeps the cogs of the invisible hand turning and the pin factories hustling and bustling.  In kinder, gentler systems, they are also considered to be "people," and as such, to have "certain inalienable rights" not to be consumed themselves by the product or service.   See also Planned obsolescence S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * First and Second Corinthians are Epistles from Paul of Tarsus to the Greek church of Corinth. Contents 1 First Corinthians 1.1 Feminism 1.2 Famous Quotes 2 Second Corinthians 2.1 Famous Quotes  First Corinthians First Corinthians was likely written some 20 years after the death of Jesus, when Paul was in Ephesus.  This would date  the letter between 53 and 57 CE [1] .  Like most of the Epistles, Cor 1 was written to address what Paul saw as theological problems in the Church of Cornith, focusing on divisions of the leaders of the church.  He asks them to seek Church Unity and to step away from the devisive Pagan ideas that threaten the Church with God's punishment.   Feminism The epistle is a breakthrough for the rights for women.  For the first time, St. Paul relented and allowed women to learn how to avoid eternal damnation too.  Just as long as they asked their questions the hell away from him.  1Cor.14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.   Famous Quotes 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New International Version Bible If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  I Corinthians 13: 1-2 I Corinthians 13: 11-13  Second Corinthians This is also an authentic letter of Paul's, written after the 1st letter (and a missing letter, called the "letter of tears") failed to have effect on the Church.  There is discussion that the Epistle included in the Cannon is actually 2 letters joined, and that the harsh rebukes are separate from the letter that asks to visit.   Famous Quotes II Corinthians 9:7 Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 2563 bytes Post-expand include size: 2372 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
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 * Covenant marriage is an old a new idea propounded by certain groups of socially and religiously conservative Americans to combat the rising tide of divorce in states without same-sex marriage . The concept is basically to add a clause to the marriage ball and chain contract to nullify the now-legal availability of "no fault" divorce, forcing unhappy couples to either assault one another or engage in adultery in order to obtain a divorce.  Seen as the perfection of human interaction, this contract is part of a predictable lifestyle: Being homeschooled in order to absorb the "right" values Practicing anal sex abstinence only Those weird father-daughter dances Seeking to marry a conservative Finding one and blushingly deciding that the abstinence thing needs to be cured Having clumsy, awkward sex (like it usually is the first time) Realizing that a wedding needs to happen soon Getting one of those new-fangled "covenant marriages" to make sure it lasts Being blessed with a miracle, typically about two months premature Putting a down payment on a used double-wide in a nice park Getting killed by a tornado S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * For the drug, see Methamphetamine Crank is a pejorative term applied to someone who holds extremely unorthodox views on a subject and feels compelled to repeatedly try and tell the world about it. No amount of evidence contrary to the crank's view point will cause the crank to question his beliefs. The crank is usually an amateur in the field he is arguing against, but sometimes individuals with expertise in that field will go off the deep end (often medical or psychological issues can be traced to the point where an expert become a crank, such as strokes, nervous breakdowns or schizophrenia). Cranks emerge in all fields of study and claim all kinds of crazy ideas, from being able to square the circle with a pencil and a compass, to biblical literalists in the creationism movement.  Synonyms include kook and crackpot (the latter of which has led to the creation of the term "psychoceramics" as the name of the study of such people).   Famous cranks Well known cranks and their ideas include (links to their sites included until we have full articles here): Neal Adams - Expanding earth John A. Davison - Proscribed evolution Eleni Papadopulos-Eleopulos, Peter Duesberg - AIDS denialism Duane Gish - creationist writer and professional debate-mangler David Icke - Alternate history, alien races, conspiracy theories Richard C. Hoagland - "Face" on Mars, aliens, NASA conspiracy theories.  L. Ron Hubbard Scientology Gene Ray - Time Cube Viera Scheibner - Anti-vaccinationist Andrew Schlafly - Creationism, abortion causes breast cancer, liberalism causes all societal ills, revised chronology AIDS denialism , and many more. (But he's not really "famous", even in inverted commas) Zecharia Sitchin - Reinterpreter of Sumerian mythology and perpetuator of the " Zeta Reticuli " alien conspiracy theory Immanuel Velikovsky - Planetary catastrophism , a revised chronology , and more Ernst Zündel - Holocaust denial Most everyone on this list  Other Uses A crank is also a type of mechanical device for transmitting rotary motion, consisting of a handle or arm attached at right angles to a shaft.   External links Crank Dot Net —directory of crank (and anti-crank) websites.   "
 * Etymologia i odniesienia biblijne ↑ Think of the English verb burgle made up from the noun burglar . Or, maybe more relevantly, the noun ilk (meaning kind) with an ultimate origin from a pronoun meaning "same". See references to back-formation or folk etymology .  ↑ entry for min, page 262, volume 5, of The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew , David J. A. Clines, editor, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001, ISBN1-84127-217-5. Also: page 392 of Chaim Rabin, "Etymological Miscellanea", pages 384-400, Studies in the Bible , edited by Chaim Rabin, volume 8 of Scripta Hierosolymitana , Jerusalem: Magnes Press of the Hebrew University, 1961 ↑ The American journal of human genetics ↑ The creation museum teaches super evolution ↑ Wikipedia article on cancer Pre-expand include size: 2075 bytes Post-expand include size: 1658 bytes Template argument size: 21 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  A wise man once said...  Creationism (also known as bullshit , or brainwashing [1] ) is a teleologic explanation of existence, specifically: that all the universe and life was directly created by God (i.e. through magic [2] , not Big Bang abiogenesis or evolution), and that there is a purpose to all creation known only to the Supreme Deity (who is not talking).  Belief in a literal reading of Genesis is foundational to creationism, a tenet shared by fundamentalist version of Christianity Judaism , and Islam , and popularized by the American Christian fundamentalist movement.  In recent years, there have been attempts to come up with scientific rationalizations for these beliefs.  Intelligent Design creation science , and cdesign proponentsism are three labels that have been applied to creationism in an attempt to create scientific legitimacy.  The Discovery Institute is the leader in finding quasi-scientific rationale for creationism through the Wedge strategy .  The word "creationism" is very often used as a synonym for " young earth creationism " on this site, since the other varieties of creationism are sometimes more benign.  Contents 1 Categories 2 Old earth creationism 3 Young earth creationism 4 Intelligent Design 5 Two creation stories 6 Muslim Creationism 7 Creationism and Darwin are reconciled 8 See also 9 External links 10 Footnotes  Categories Creationists can be categorized in a number of ways, including: Religion :  Creationists can be of virtually any religious stripe, from fundamentalist Christians to Pastafarians - or (in the case of alien life seeding) of no religion at all.  Interpretation of Genesis :  Young earth creationists believe Genesis is historically and scientifically accurate.  No one else does.  Age of the Earth :  Most sane people think, based on voluminous evidence, that the Earth is billions of years old.  Young earth creationists believe that Earth is almost exactly 6,000 years old.  Identity of creator :  Biblical creationists believe the creator was the God of the Bible , or YHWH .  Advocates of (un) intelligent design commit bald-faced lies in public - and even commit perjury - relative to their concept of the identity of the creator.  [3] Extraterrestrial creationists believe that creation was performed by beings from another planet, or beyond the solar system, who came to earth by accident or on a life-seeding mission across the galaxy. Some even suggest that the creators of the whole universe were from a parallel universe and that we will also someday create parallel universes.  [4]  Old earth creationism Main article: Old earth creationism Old earth creationists accept conventional dating methods for the age of the Earth ( deep time), including radiometric dating and ice-core dating.  Nevertheless, they believe that life was deliberately created.  Evolutionary Creationists believe the creation event took place, and life subsequently developed through the process of evolution.  Day-Age creationists believe the creation took place as recorded in Genesis, but that each of the "days" represents a vast period of time.  Gap creationists believe that the Earth was created millions of years ago, but then laid waste, and repopulated as recorded in Genesis 1:2 and on.  Other OECs believe that Genesis records the terraforming of the Earth, rather than the creation of the Earth ex nihilo .   Young earth creationism Main article: Young earth creationism YEC rejects radiometric dating methods based on criticisms of the method, and instead accepts Ussherian calculations of the creation.  While they acknowledge that microevolution occurs, they reject naturalistic abiogenesis and common descent , based on a number of criticisms of both concepts.  Instead, they believe that God created various lifeforms in something resembling their present forms, and that microevolution subsequently led to a degree of diversification among species.  Some also believe that the universe itself is only 6,000 years old.  In these cases, physical constants, such as the speed of light , are often reinterpreted as "inconstant" to explain phenomena such as distant starlight .   Intelligent Design Main article: Intelligent Design Who made the maker?  Intelligent Design (ID) is an idea fundamental to the "mainstreaming" of creationism.  It is the teleologic argument or belief that complexity requires design.  Emergence and complexity theory are inherently incompatible with ID.   Two creation stories According to Genesis 1, God creates the world in six days , resting on the seventh, with Man and Woman being created simultaneously, after the plants and animals.  However, according to Genesis 2, God creates Man, then the plants and animals, then Woman.  Which is right?  According to Andy Schlafly, "on the account of creation in the Bible opinions vary as to what should be interpreted literally and what is figurative.  However, there's no dispute among Christians (and other religions) that God could have created the world exactly as written in one of the accounts in Genesis." [5] Apparently, the creationist answer to this conundrum is... to not answer it.  RationalWiki editors eagerly await a compelling reply from creationists .   Muslim Creationism Although creationism in the west is more usually associated with Christianity, the Muslim world has it's own brand of crazies.  Probably the most famous being the Turk Harun Yahya .   Creationism and Darwin are reconciled You saw it here first The recent discovery of a 1903 article that manages to get both the Creation and Darwin versions of the origins of Man into one neat package.  [6]  See also Creation Week Creation and social history Creationism in Schools Evidence against a recent creation Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Expelled:Leader's Guide Fundamentalist debate tactics Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District List of creationist papers published in Nature List of scientists who became creationists after studying the evidence Lists of pseudosciences Pseudoscience Shakespeare authorship The incontrovertible evidence of common descent Willful ignorance  External links A list of Things Creationists Hate .  It's a BIG list.  Lewis Black explains Creationist Bullshit Geological Society of London doesn't like creationism (or Intelligent Design).   Footnotes ↑ By the very vocal 15 to 45% (depending on who conducts the poll) of the US population and a minimum of 50% of scientists  who believe that evolution occurred without God's direction, as well as the 60 or so percent that say evolution occurred (and God may or may not have intervened) ↑ .By which some creationists would refer to Arthur C. Clarke 's statement that "all sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" --- if you're not smart enough to understand it.  ↑ See Cdesign proponentsists .  ↑
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  A wise man once said...  Creationism (also known as bullshit , or brainwashing [1] ) is a teleologic explanation of existence, specifically: that all the universe and life was directly created by God (i.e. through magic [2] , not Big Bang abiogenesis or evolution), and that there is a purpose to all creation known only to the Supreme Deity (who is not talking).  Belief in a literal reading of Genesis is foundational to creationism, a tenet shared by fundamentalist version of Christianity Judaism , and Islam , and popularized by the American Christian fundamentalist movement.  In recent years, there have been attempts to come up with scientific rationalizations for these beliefs.  Intelligent Design creation science , and cdesign proponentsism are three labels that have been applied to creationism in an attempt to create scientific legitimacy.  The Discovery Institute is the leader in finding quasi-scientific rationale for creationism through the Wedge strategy .  The word "creationism" is very often used as a synonym for " young earth creationism " on this site, since the other varieties of creationism are sometimes more benign.  Contents 1 Categories 2 Old earth creationism 3 Young earth creationism 4 Intelligent Design 5 Two creation stories 6 Muslim Creationism 7 Creationism and Darwin are reconciled 8 See also 9 External links 10 Footnotes  Categories Creationists can be categorized in a number of ways, including: Religion :  Creationists can be of virtually any religious stripe, from fundamentalist Christians to Pastafarians - or (in the case of alien life seeding) of no religion at all.  Interpretation of Genesis :  Young earth creationists believe Genesis is historically and scientifically accurate.  No one else does.  Age of the Earth :  Most sane people think, based on voluminous evidence, that the Earth is billions of years old.  Young earth creationists believe that Earth is almost exactly 6,000 years old.  Identity of creator :  Biblical creationists believe the creator was the God of the Bible , or YHWH .  Advocates of (un) intelligent design commit bald-faced lies in public - and even commit perjury - relative to their concept of the identity of the creator.  [3] Extraterrestrial creationists believe that creation was performed by beings from another planet, or beyond the solar system, who came to earth by accident or on a life-seeding mission across the galaxy. Some even suggest that the creators of the whole universe were from a parallel universe and that we will also someday create parallel universes.  [4]  Old earth creationism Main article: Old earth creationism Old earth creationists accept conventional dating methods for the age of the Earth ( deep time), including radiometric dating and ice-core dating.  Nevertheless, they believe that life was deliberately created.  Evolutionary Creationists believe the creation event took place, and life subsequently developed through the process of evolution.  Day-Age creationists believe the creation took place as recorded in Genesis, but that each of the "days" represents a vast period of time.  Gap creationists believe that the Earth was created millions of years ago, but then laid waste, and repopulated as recorded in Genesis 1:2 and on.  Other OECs believe that Genesis records the terraforming of the Earth, rather than the creation of the Earth ex nihilo .   Young earth creationism Main article: Young earth creationism YEC rejects radiometric dating methods based on criticisms of the method, and instead accepts Ussherian calculations of the creation.  While they acknowledge that microevolution occurs, they reject naturalistic abiogenesis and common descent , based on a number of criticisms of both concepts.  Instead, they believe that God created various lifeforms in something resembling their present forms, and that microevolution subsequently led to a degree of diversification among species.  Some also believe that the universe itself is only 6,000 years old.  In these cases, physical constants, such as the speed of light , are often reinterpreted as "inconstant" to explain phenomena such as distant starlight .   Intelligent Design Main article: Intelligent Design Who made the maker?  Intelligent Design (ID) is an idea fundamental to the "mainstreaming" of creationism.  It is the teleologic argument or belief that complexity requires design.  Emergence and complexity theory are inherently incompatible with ID.   Two creation stories According to Genesis 1, God creates the world in six days , resting on the seventh, with Man and Woman being created simultaneously, after the plants and animals.  However, according to Genesis 2, God creates Man, then the plants and animals, then Woman.  Which is right?  According to Andy Schlafly, "on the account of creation in the Bible opinions vary as to what should be interpreted literally and what is figurative.  However, there's no dispute among Christians (and other religions) that God could have created the world exactly as written in one of the accounts in Genesis." [5] Apparently, the creationist answer to this conundrum is... to not answer it.  RationalWiki editors eagerly await a compelling reply from creationists .   Muslim Creationism Although creationism in the west is more usually associated with Christianity, the Muslim world has it's own brand of crazies.  Probably the most famous being the Turk Harun Yahya .   Creationism and Darwin are reconciled You saw it here first The recent discovery of a 1903 article that manages to get both the Creation and Darwin versions of the origins of Man into one neat package.  [6]  See also Creation Week Creation and social history Creationism in Schools Evidence against a recent creation Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed Expelled:Leader's Guide Fundamentalist debate tactics Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District List of creationist papers published in Nature List of scientists who became creationists after studying the evidence Lists of pseudosciences Pseudoscience Shakespeare authorship The incontrovertible evidence of common descent Willful ignorance  External links A list of Things Creationists Hate .  It's a BIG list.  Lewis Black explains Creationist Bullshit Geological Society of London doesn't like creationism (or Intelligent Design).   Footnotes ↑ By the very vocal 15 to 45% (depending on who conducts the poll) of the US population and a minimum of 50% of scientists  who believe that evolution occurred without God's direction, as well as the 60 or so percent that say evolution occurred (and God may or may not have intervened) ↑ .By which some creationists would refer to Arthur C. Clarke 's statement that "all sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" --- if you're not smart enough to understand it.  ↑ See Cdesign proponentsists .  ↑
 * Note: CreationWiki actively discourages non-creationist rational minds from entering their site, by requiring account approval. However, account approval is an easy process, generally completed in under a day, and not apparently compassing any broad restriction.  At least three RationalWiki editors have, by November 2007, signed up for the site successfully...but the administration there grows less tolerant.  Contents 1 General Information 2 Statistics, of which 95% are true 3 Relationship with RationalWiki, Conservapedia, and other WikiProjects 4 Treatment of Non-Creationists 5 Goal of "Peer Review" 6 Cultural Issues on CreationWiki 7 See also 8 Footnotes  General Information Although it is not immediately apparent, CreationWiki differs from its sister site Conservapedia in that it is not meant to be read as a parody.  Although it contains the same mixture of half truths, outright lies and deliberate distortions, its authors, sadly, hope it will be taken seriously.  Only article pages are viewable to non-users: this is, apparently, an unintentional restriction that is being rectified.  [1] Compounding this secrecy is the difficulty involved in account creation.  New accounts must be "requested" of the site's administrators, who may decline to create a new account for the requesting party.  While the implied suggestion is that non-creationist requests will be denied, several non-creationists have been approved and contribute to the site.  Since CreationWiki's secrecy measures make its management and operation somewhat opaque, this article seeks to "pierce the veil," and explain CreationWiki to the curious masses.   Statistics, of which 95% are true As of 20 October 2007, the site's main page had been accessed 310,525 times, and 3,198 articles had been created.  [2] CreationWiki sees itself as a serious site dedicated to furthering the peer reviewed body of creationist knowledge.  Insofar as this goal is an inherent contradiction, it is fated to fail, but taken seriously, nonetheless.  The site's contributors may number large, but the number of contributors who are "seriously active" are comparatively small, potentially limited to the founder, and one or two additional users.  [3] Some frequent contributors are, in a comparison with Conservapedia, young students who are either homeschooled or part of young-earth Christian creationist -oriented private schools.  [4]  Relationship with RationalWiki, Conservapedia, and other WikiProjects It has a medium-sized article on Conservapedia [5] but no article on RationalWiki , although there is a link from the article: Anticreationist debate tactic under the section Examples of more anticreationist hate [6] .  Unfortunately the link to RationalWiki doesn't work.  Despite this (inactive) link, administrators have stated that linking to RationalWiki is illegal, although the word "RationalWiki" may be mentioned, and so is not subject to the same damnatio memoriae as "RationalWiki" faces on Conservapedia.  [7] CreationWiki also has an article on (or more properly a side-by-side "refutation" of an article from) EvoWiki [8] along with a link to the site.  Many Conservapedia administrators contribute to CreationWiki.  CreationWiki founder Chris Ashcraft uses his own name at Conservapedia, but has only one contribution as of 20 October, 2007.  Conservapedia's Conservative is CreationWiki's Creationist , Wikipedia's KDbuffalo , and our Newton .  Conservapedia's TerryH is CreationWiki's Temlakos .  Karajou uses the same name on CreationWiki .  Mostly retired Conservapedia user Ymmotrojam is Tmajor at CreationWiki.   Treatment of Non-Creationists Non-creationists are not allowed to edit content on CreationWiki.  [9] Apparently, the same editors are subject to being grouped in to a secret classification, known as "limited." [10] The class cannot be discussed, and the user with "limited" rights may not inquire as to what the status actually is.  [11] Strictly speaking, someone without rights cannot inquire as to what rights he lacks.  Also, non-creationists are discouraged from editing "user_talk" pages, and debate from them is similarly out of vogue.  In a private e-mail with CreationWiki creator Chris Ashcraft , he explained, “ Debate is only appropriate from those holding to a Creation POV.... Limit all posts to article talk pages. (Article talk pages only).... You may engage in peer review of articles, but do not use the UserTalk pages.  [12] ”  Goal of "Peer Review" One of CreationWiki's goals is to facilitate " peer review " of creation science , but it is unclear what "peer review" means in the context of CreationWiki.  While the site disparages traditional peer review [13] - since it, of course, always finds creationist viewpoints wanting - it has its own method of peer review for CreationWiki articles, to which (apparently) no articles have yet been subjected.  [14] One must wonder of what use peer review is, where only creationists may participate in the process fully and freely.  The misunderstanding of the goal of peer review runs deep: the site's founder states that the goal of peer review is to "uphold the majority consensus," and that atheists and creationists are not "peers" for the purpose of peer review.  Presumably, the conclusion is that this is the only reason that creationist claims fail scientific peer review.  [15]  Cultural Issues on CreationWiki CreationWiki may accurately claim to be more culturally invested in mainstream America than Conservapedia.  An interesting observation is that the site's logo is a "Stargate" - an emblem from the eponymous movie, and the later SciFi Channel television series Stargate: SG-1 [16] and Stargate Atlantis [17] .  The television shows and movies are definitively "anti-creationist," to use the website's own rhetoric, in the sense that they often refer to a "history" ranging back millions of years (rather than thousands), never discuss Jesus Christ , and make an open farce and anti-democratic enemy out of the fundamentalist, literalist, and mind-numbing evil of the "Ori," villains in the last seasons of Stargate: SG-1 .  This is to say, they are anti-creation in the same sense that Harry Potter is anti-creation.  However, CreationWiki is able to embrace the series as "fun" nonetheless.  [18]  See also Uncyclopedia Conservapedia EvoWiki  Footnotes ↑ Private e-mail with Chris Ashcraft.  ↑ Main Page .  ↑ As of 20 October 2007, "Ashcraft," "Tmajor," and "Temlakos" dominated any "Recent changes" list.  As of the same date, two weeks of prior inference and analysis suggests that, at any time, fifty changes in ten hours is the average for CreationWiki.  ↑ North Sound Christian Schools, for example .  ↑
 * Critical thinking is an approach to gathering data and making inferences about the world. It draws heavily on ideas from the Scientific revolution and advocates an approach of data acquisition and rational assessment. When applying critical thinking the goal is to collect as much relevant data as possible, and then asses that data for accuracy, and finally use the data to arrive at the most justified conclusions possible. Critical thinking is an on going process and even ideas that one feels are well supported need to be occasionally reevaluated to see if new information might change ones mind.   Critical thinking uses many aspects of formal logic and informal logic . It also focuses on discovering bias propaganda delusion and deception both in the sources of ones information and ones own views and approaches to reasoning problems out.  It appears our friends at Conservapedia have a problem with this concept.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Part of the series on Pseudoscience Main Topics Alternate historical chronology - Astrology Creation science - Crop circles Dogon people - Erich von Däniken Face on Mars - Lunar effect Non-materialist neuroscience - Paranormal Perpetual motion - Ufology Alternative medicine Other topics 2012 Apocalypse - Attachment therapy Ball lightning - Bermuda Triangle Cryptozoology - Dianetics Feng shui - Food woo Graphology - Laundry balls Lie detection - Neoshamanism Out-of-body experience Parapsychology - Phrenology Polygraph - Pseudoarcheology Reincarnation - Shroud of Turin Supernatural - Technical analysis Tunguska - Tutankhamun's curse William Strauss and Neil Howe Crop circles are geometric designs of crushed or knocked-over crops.  Initially made by two old Englishmen, who thought up the idea in a pub when they should have been reminiscing about the good times with their beshhtt friend evah, the phenomenon grew during the 1990s thanks to publicity in the tabloid press and many copy-cats pranksters Rare photograph Gullible people, however, believe they are made by flying saucers , even though the original pranksters 'fessed up to it. The assumption is that although the aliens are intelligent enough to evade the radar detection systems of the entire earth, they are not smart enough to notice they have left evidence of their landing, or to find something better to do than knock over crops. Others believe that they are the result of plasma vortexes or various forms of secret government activity.  These explanations seem unnecessary when it is known that teams of perfectly ordinary human beings construct crop circles for a hobby [1] (which every one should have).  Many crop circles are geometric patterns far too complex to be the result of a natural phenomena.  Both the hoax-theory and the alien-theory proponents point to these as evidence of an intelligent source, though they disagree on where it comes from.  (They're both wrong.  Crop circles are actually made by the Fair Folk .) None of the supernatural theories explain why, during the quarantine of the British countryside during the foot-and-mouth epidemic of 2001, the number of crop circles being made fell dramatically, to rise again when the footpaths were re-opened [2] . Except, of course, if the aliens were afraid of exposing their live stock to such a disease -- or were busily engaged in spreading that particular plague themselves.   See also Roswell Extraterrestrial UFO  Footnotes ↑ Circlemakers ↑ Disease brings poor crop of circles Pre-expand include size: 2443 bytes Post-expand include size: 2283 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The Crusades were an attempt by the Christian nations of Europe to force the Muslims out of present-day Israel (and some of the surrounding lands). The first one worked remarkably well.  After that, they all went down hill.  One even attacked the Christian city of Byzantium (was Constantinople).  In modern usage, a crusade is any really strong mission or movement based on some kind of moral or ideological backing.  Most often, it is used to suggest a foolish endeavor, but not always.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * A cryptid is an animal claimed to exist, but for which there is no type specimen or formal description. The claims can be made either by cryptozoologists (people who attempt to use scientific methods to discover such creatures), or can be claimed by people who think they saw a strange creature. Contents 1 Well-known cryptids 2 Cryptids and creationism 3 See also 4 Footnotes  Well-known cryptids Cryptids are reported from many parts of the world, but some have achieved worldwide fame despite proof of their existence being lacking. these include: Bipedal, ape-like creatures such as Bigfoot, the Yeti etc.  Loch Ness Monster .  Animals occurring far outside their usual range, such as big cats in the United Kingdom.  Mythical beasts such as dragons or unicorns are not cryptids - nobody who isn't batshit crazy is seriously claiming that they may exist.   Cryptids and creationism Some creationists state that reports of surving dinosaur -like creatures in remote parts of the world disprove evolution and prove a young earth. There is even a website devoted to this topic: Genesis Park.  [1] Why surviving dinosaurs would disprove evolution (when known mesozoic survivals such as magnolias and crodilians do not) is not adequately explained.   See also Chupacabra  Footnotes  "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Abstinence ball Adultery Breast Cunt G spot GLBT God hates shrimp Hand job Masturbation Pervert Same-sex marriage Sex toys Watersports Cunnilingus is oral stimulation of the female genitalia. Not to be confused with Noam Chomsky - a cunning linguist - this is as good as it gets for all concerned. For most women, it is the provider of the most pleasure possible from another person.  In fact, many will only experience orgasm during appropriate provision of this delightful stimulation.  This runs counter to a lot of misinformation about sex, that promotes the idea that intercourse should be enough.  If you're a Conservative Christian that has to be in the missionary position.  [1] Sadly, this erroneous concept lowers the quality of sexual relations for large numbers of men and women alike.  When in doubt, try it.  Ask what feels good.  If results seem slow in coming (sorry!), just keep doing it as long as she wants you to.  Keep paying attention to what feels good.  If she says to keep going exactly the same way, don't worry if your jaws and tongue get numb [2], just keep doing it.  Also keep in mind that when you think you're "done", you might not be.  Ask, or gently continue.  Don't just stop.  The organ in question (well, one of them) No, really... don't stop.  This article needs attention from a woman .  Guys can contribute, but may not have as much to offer.   Footnotes ↑ See the Wikipedia article on Missionary_position
 * History missionary. ↑ They will, believe me Pre-expand include size: 1749 bytes Post-expand include size: 1024 bytes Template argument size: 83 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * For those of you in the mood, RationalWiki has a fun article about Curse of Ham . The Curse of Ham refers to an incident in the Bible, in the book of Genesis , regarding Noah (after the Great Flood) and his sons, Shem, Japeth and Ham.  Here is the text from Genesis, chapter 9: 20 Noah , a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.  21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.  And the Bible says Noah was a virtuous man.  22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers outside.  24 When Noah awoke from his wine and found out what his youngest son had done to him, 25 he said,"Cursed be Canaan! The lowest of slaves will he be to his brothers." 26 He also said, "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem! May Canaan be the slave of Shem.  [1] Some Biblical scholars believe this anecdote to have been added to the scriptures as rationalisation justifying the Israelite conquest and enslavement of the Canaanites later in the Old Testament .  Contents 1 Racist interpretations 2 Strange Elements 3 See also 4 External links 5 Footnotes  Racist interpretations The Cananaanites, descended from Ham via his son Canaan, have historically been regarded as the ethnic ancestors of the black peoples of Africa .  Although Genesis does not identify Ham's skin colour, some ancient Jewish writings, including part of the Talmud , state that either Ham or Canaan had his faced "blackened" by God as part of curse, in punishment for Ham seeing Noah's nakedness and not covering him, or, in some variations, for copulating while aboard the Ark .  This idea became more widespread in Europe during the middle ages, as an argument for the inferiority of the black race, whose dark skin was believed to be an outward sign of the curse, and to sanction some instances of slavery.  The theory was at its most popular during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, to justify the slave trade and the American use of slavery.  Noah's decree that Canaan should be the slave of Shem was seen as God's command that Africans should be the slaves to white Christians .  Although overwhelming discredited and largely forgotten, racial arguments based on the Curse of ham are still clung to by some some white supremacists , including those at Stormfront .  During 2008, various ultra- conservative and racist blogs and websites invoked the Curse of Ham as an argument against Barack Obama 's campaign for the United States Presidency. Apparently white supremacists can't think any better than the Bronze Age herders who wrote that part of the Bible.   Strange Elements There are a number of curious points about this "curse": Why weren't  any of Ham's other sons (Cush, Egypt or Libya) cursed as well as Canaan?  [2] Why was Canaan was being punished for Ham's misdeeds, when Deutronomy clearly states that children should not be punished for parents' misdeeds?  [3] Shem and Japheth acted as equal partners in covering their father, but Japheth's reward seems to be greater.  The whole idea that every black person in the world is permanently cursed because some far distant and almost certainly mythical ancestor saw his father drunk and naked, aside from being appalling racist, just doesn't make a whole lot of sense at all.  Ham's son was Cush, and Cush's son was Nimrod, and Nimrod is the founder of four cities in Mesopotamia which became the Babylonian empire. Even assuming Mormon or Catholic-sized families, there would be enough people in the third generation after Noah to found a village, maybe, but hardly a nation.   See also Ham Ken Ham Ham the Weather Wizard  External links The Brick Testament account of Noah's insobriety and the Curse of Ham Curse of Ham at Wikipedia  Footnotes ↑ Genesis 9:20-27, translation is the New International Version.  ↑ Genesis 10:6.  ↑ Deut 24:16 .  Note that this counters Deut 5:9 and some other Old Testament extracts which stipulate that God punishes "children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generations".  Some have interpreted this as indicating God's hatred of entire families or races descended from sinners.  Pre-expand include size: 1323 bytes Post-expand include size: 605 bytes Template argument size: 21 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * David Icke is a British former football player, television sports presenter, and former spokesman for the Green Party who, in recent years, has devoted his life to informing the world that it's actually secretly controlled by evil shape-shifting lizard-people from the 4th dimension. Some people have taken offense to this, claiming that "shape-shifting lizard-people" is a "code word" for " Jews ". However, this is just silly. But then again, so is Icke. In 1991, he announced on the Terry Wogan chat show that he was "the son of God" and that Britain would be devastated by tidal waves and earthquakes, leading to claims that he was mentally ill. He also began wearing all purple all the time which furthered claims he was either disturbed or perhaps a reptillian himself. He was even passed over for Celebrity Big Brother in 2006 for being "too weird"!  Icke considers himself the most controversial writer in the world. People who don't pay much attention to the weirder sections of the bookstore consider him "who?", which puts him in somewhat the same category Ward Churchill occupies among liberals.  Contents 1 List of people thought to be reptilian overlords 2 Important Notice 3 Footnotes 4 External links  List of people thought to be reptilian overlords Hail to the chief!  Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Knight of the Order of the Elephant, Colonel-in-Chief of the South African Railways and Harbours Brigade, monarch of all Barbados.  George "Dubya" Bush Bush the elder Bill Clinton Al Gore Ted Heath Death Adder (Actually, the case for this one is pretty convincing) Kris Kristofferson (Add more!) Boxcar Willie.  [1] If any of these individuals are seen sacrificing children or drinking blood, they should be reported to the zoo constabulary post-haste.   Important Notice Anyone whose "Legal defense fund" is vital to continuing their work should be approached with caution.   Footnotes ↑ Proof? "[Boxcar] Willie was a first cousin of actor Tommy Lee Jones who attended Harvard University where he was Al Gore's roommate. Jones is also on the board of directors of St. Mark's School of Texas, an exclusive prep school which he also attended before Harvard. The emblem of this school is an illuminati type shield with lion like those of British royalty." from the davidicke.com "Who's seen a reptilian then?" forum  External links Icke's own website Pre-expand include size: 1761 bytes Post-expand include size: 87 bytes Template argument size: 70 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * David Lange was New Zealand Prime Minister between 1984 and 1989. Although he ushered in a new economic ideology of free market (odd for a labour party politician) that has had far reaching (and mostly negative) effects on New Zealand society, he is best known for his anti-American policy.  Under Lange New Zealand refused to allow US warships to enter because it didn't want Nuclear weapons in the country.  New Zealand pulled out of ANZUS (the alliance between Australia, NZ, and the US), and began a bitter cold war against the Americans (well we didn't invite their ambassador for drinks at parliament, and Reagan said we were "batshit crazy" (paraphrasing)).  He was also famous for debating famous American Spokesperson (now who's batshit crazy?) Jerry Falwell in the Oxford union debate on the point that Nuclear weapons should be outlawed.  It is generally agreed that Lange won and that Falwell was left in a blithering mess.  The most famous quote to come out of the debate was Lange's comment:` "I can smell the uranium on your breath".  Sadly, Lange died in 2006 S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * David Norris (also known as "Fag Norris" or "Sodomite David Norris" [1] ) is a former Professor and Lecturer in Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. A self-proclaimed Joycean, David led the good fight to decriminalise homosexuality in 1993, aided and abetted along the way by then President Mary Mc Aleese. David is renowned throughout the Irish electorate as a witty guy, and despite being homosexual, the overwhelming majority of the Irish people regard him in a positive light. Norris is considered one of a near extinct race of Dublin 'characters', following in the footsteps of people such as Ronnie Drew, Luke Kelly and the Monaghan born Patrick Kavanagh.  He is currently one of three elected Senators for Trinity College in the Irish senate, and is fighting to retain his seat, although most predict he will win.   Footnotes ↑
 * Death is the end of life . As a concept it is easier to define and apply to multicellular animals, since many plants and single-celled lifeforms are capable of dividing (mitosis), budding, or sprouting into what can become independent organisms which are genetic clones of the original critter.  The exact moment of death is difficult to determine, and various conventions have been established to make a legal or medical decision regarding whether a person has died. Before heart-lung machines were available, the persistence of a pulse was the main factor considered. More recently, brain death is considered to be more relevant, as demonstrated by the presence or absence of certain brain waves. This can prove controversial as was the case with Terri Schiavo, who was used as the proverbial political football by various and sundry conservatives trying to score points with fundamentalist Christians .  Chemically, the previously living body stops resisting entropy and comes to equilibrium with the environment (usually by being consumed by a variety of other still-living organisms).  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Deconstruction is an approach to literary theory created by postmodern philosopher Jacques Derrida in which the content and themes of a work are approached from the perspective of the author's experiences and prejudices. While a fairly valuable tool in terms of understanding the context of a work, the postmodernist project has long focused on deconstruction to the exclusion of all other literary analysis techniques, leading to absurdities especially when applied to the sciences. S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Part of the series on U.S. Discrimination Law Standards of Review Rational basis review Intermediate scrutiny Strict scrutiny Other Legal Theories Substantive due process State action doctrine Defining Moments in Law The 14th Amendment Plessy v. Ferguson Brown v. Board of Education Loving v. Virginia U.S. v. Virginia Romer v. Evans Lawrence v. Texas Modalities of Constitutional Law Textualism • Originalism • Dynamism Issues in Constitutional Law Same-sex marriage Gay rights Civil rights The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States law that assaults marriage by allowing individual states to ignore legal marriages enacted in other states. Contents 1 Full faith and credit: the conservative dilemma 2 Text 3 Analysis 4 Ramifications of DOMA 5 Footnotes  Full faith and credit: the conservative dilemma In 1996, conservatives were faced with a dilemma.  Traditionally the advocates of " states rights ," where pertaining to guns and emblems of racism, this concept seemed liable to bite them in the ass on gay marriage.  The problem was, some states were in the throes of legalizing same-sex marriage [1] civil unions, or related concepts, which are apparently the only great evils that America faces.  [2] Federalism grants the states this right, to experiment with the edge of the law, even when the remainder of the sister states seem recalcitrant.  Hailed as one of the great benefits of the American system by Justice Brandeis, this concept seemed likely to allow gay marriages to filter through the rest of the states, because sister states are required to give the acts and judgments of another state "full faith and credit."  The Constitutional mandate as to such follows: “ Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts, Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records and Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.  [3] ” You see the dilemma.  As one of the goals of the United States Constitution is to, well, "unite the States," this clause requires states to honor judgments from sister states - marriages and similar arrangements being among them.  Without this basic respect for another state's judgments, the ability of couples married in one state to enjoy the same privileges in other states would quickly deteriorate.  But, to conservatives, gay marriage must be "contained," just like communism .  So how to contain it?  The solution came in 1996, sponsored by Newt Gingrich .  [4]  Text 1 U.S.C. § 7, 28 U.S.C. § 1738C.  “ No state (or other political subdivision within the United States) need recognize a marriage between persons of the same sex, even if the marriage was concluded or recognized in another state.  The Federal Government may not recognize same-sex or polygamous marriages for any purpose, even if concluded or recognized by one of the states.  ”  Analysis The Defense of Marriage Act reads the Full Faith and Credit clause through this chain of reasoning: Congress may prescribe how faith and credit are given.  Congress may therefore prescribe that no faith and credit are given.  Therefore, Congress may provide that gay marriages are given no faith and credit.  This argumentation effectively circumvents the Full Faith and Credit clause's commandment for national unity, and eviscerates the plain meaning of the text.  While the clause's clear intent is to provide for " full faith," Congressional reasoning is that the discretion in implementation of such credit provided by the Constitution is equivalent to plenary power, empowering Congress to disrupt federal unity where appropriate.  Ironically, this warped statutory interpretation fails even Justice Scalia's test of " textualism ," predicated on plain meaning: one need not even look outside the words of the Constitution to see the failures of DOMA's logic.  As wholly unconstitutional, and a blatant attack on the national value of unity, the Defense of Marriage Act is destined to have a short, if infuriating, life.   Ramifications of DOMA While this life remains, though, the ramifications of DOMA are vast.  A homosexual couple in the United States of America may marry in Massachusetts, and travel to Nevada... however, if a cause of action arises in Nevada which would require the other spouse to take advantage of Nevada's laws, Nevada is free under DOMA to refuse to recognize the marriage, potentially denying members of the marriage even basic legal rights.  An egregious example is the "Wrongful Death Statute": at common law, a surviving spouse may not sue for the death of his or her spouse, since the cause of action is said to die with the individual.  This horrible result is corrected by statutory law, and every American state has a "wrongful death statute" of some kind.  However, in a wrongful death suit in Nevada, arising from the death of a party to a homosexual marriage, Nevada courts would be free under DOMA to deny the surviving spouse the right to sue.  Under conflict-of-law rules, this miscarriage of justice could not be cured by suing back in the state of marriage: conflict rules would require the selection of Nevada law, which would then toss the lawsuit, barring the surviving spouse from any recovery.  The result created by DOMA is also in clear contravention of ordinary conflict-of-law rules, under which the law of the married couples' home state governs their rights nationwide, [5] since DOMA allows any state to refuse to recognize a marriage wherever they so please.   Footnotes ↑ Only Massachusetts and California have legalized full "marriage."  Other states - Vermont New Jersey Hawaii, and New Hampshire among them - have legalized civil unions, with New York likely to follow.  ↑ See the Values Voter Debate 2007 for how this issue receives disproportionate attention.  ↑ U.S. CONSTITUTION, ART. V § 1.  ↑ And, to the liberals' undying shame, signed by Bill Clinton.  ↑ Restatement Second of the Conflict of Laws, § 284.  Pre-expand include size: 4298 bytes Post-expand include size: 3482 bytes Template argument size: 741 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Deism is a belief that God created the Universe, and consequently Earth, but left everything else to its own devices. Many deists believe that the " Big Bang " was initiated by God and everything that happened since is the consequence of scientific laws "created" at the same time.  Basically, the first deists were the athiests of their day. They clearly saw that God definitely did not exist in the form that many people purported, that is, intervening in our daily lives, and said "Well, he's obviously not messing with every little thing. He must have set it spinning and just let it go on its own". They believed God must have existed because they didn't see any other way that the universe and life could be here.  Well known deists throughout history include Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine, and for much of his adult life, Thomas Jefferson.  Jefferson created his own version of the Bible by using only the words of Jesus and omitting the rest, which is in print today in various versions.  It was Benjamin Franklin who edited out Thomas Jefferson's initial line: "We hold these truths to be sacred..." and changed it to: "We hold these truths to be self-evident..."  So much for the theory of a Christian source for the founding document. Instead of being held up as sacred revealed truths, the rights are held up as purely intellectual axioms accepted by the founding fathers as the basis for rights.  Thomas Jefferson said that the Declaration of Independence was "an expression of the American mind."  Now only if it was an expression of American faith, like the religious Right currently claims (and retrojects onto the document).  The word "God" in the Declaration of Independence is contentless, because the God of Christianity and Judaism and Islam grants no rights in the scriptures. There is only bald assertions by a group of men coming out of the Enlightment period that a vague fuzzy deist "God" established the rights, and this is held as a matter of unquestioned self-evident truth, but there is nothing written in the "Judeo-Christian" scriptures to support it.  As a matter of fact, there is no such thing as a Judeo-Christian faith. The Jews serve Yahweh alone with all their heart and mind, while Christians believe no one comes to Yahwah except through his only Son. These two concepts cannot be comingled in a monstrosity such as a "Judeo-Christian faith". You are either one or the other. And some of the founding fathers were closer to the Jewish view of God as one. Jefferson was Unitarian.   See also Theism Atheism  Footnotes  "
 * A Deity is a somewhat to über powerful dude, gal, or creature that has supernatural powers to impact this world. Usually, though not always, someone, somewhere worships said Deity.  Most people believe that every deity but their own select few are a false deity or mere " mythology ".   See also Allah Ba'al Coyote Gaia God Goddess Eris Flying Spaghetti Monster Quetzalcoatl Satan YHWH S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Party logo The Democratic Party is a moderately conservative political party in the United States . Its main opposition comes from the ultra-conservative Republican Party . Its primary political platform is to roll over and fail to provide effective leadership for a broad spectrum of increasingly disenfranchised liberal voters, including immigrants, philanthropists, scientists, consumer activists, copyright reformers, people who can't afford seven-figure bribes, and almost anyone who isn't white, male, rich, and psychotically religious. The Democratic Party has made the mistake of failing to frame its issues in terms of its constituents' prejudices, instead offering "solutions" to "problems" that can easily be "solved" by giving powerful people money to ignore them.   Quotes I'm not a member of any organized political party, I'm a Democrat!  - Will Rogers Democrats think every day is April 15 - Ronald Reagan Democrats! Democrats! Get them off me!  - Rush Limbaugh  See also Democrat Party Republican Party Gatewood Galbraith S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) United States 2008 Presidential election articles on RationalWiki Topics: 2008 U.S. Presidential Election -  Democratic Party -  Debate:Religious beliefs and public office - Republican Party - Same-sex marriage - United States Electoral College Candidates: Hillary Rodham Clinton - Rudolph Giuliani - Mike Huckabee - John McCain - Alan Keyes - Dennis Kucinich - Barack Obama - Ron Paul - Mitt Romney Pre-expand include size: 1621 bytes Post-expand include size: 1551 bytes Template argument size: 511 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The impishly handsome Derren Brown (right) Derren Brown (b. 1971) is an English entertainer, magician, skeptic, and debunker of so-called "paranormal" phenomena. He has starred in a number of television series demonstrating his exploits, the most recent of which is Trick or Treat . A former pentecostal evangelist, he began to question his faith when he became interested in hypnotism and how people succumb to suggestion.  During 2008, he came out as homosexual .  [1] Contents 1 Television 2 Specials 2.1 Russian Roulette 2.2 Séance 3 Summary of one segment 4 External links 5 Footnotes  Television Derren Brown: Mind Control - 2000 (series) Russian Roulette - 2003 (special) Séance - 2004 (special) Messiah - 2005 (special) Trick of the Mind - 2004 (series 1) Trick of the Mind - 2005 (series 2) Trick of the Mind - 2006 (series 3) The Gathering - 2005 (special) The Heist - 2006 (special) Something Wicked This Way Comes Trick or Treat - 2007 (series 1) Trick or Treat - 2008 (series 2) Note: UK-based readers can see some of above episodes at Channel4.com [2] .   Specials Several of the one-off specials attracted considerable controversy prior to their screening  Russian Roulette Out of about 12,000 volunteers, Brown eventually chooses one to load a revolver for a game of Russian Roulette. After several false fires, Derren points to a sandbag and fires the gun for real. The final part was filmed in Jersey to avoid UK fire-arms laws.   Séance An allegedly live séance was to be conducted on television and attracted great criticism from religious groups. A group of twelve students were selected. Using several techniques, such as everyone selecting the same picture from a group of photographs, and a Ouija board, the group conducted a séance to contact one of the dead members of a group who had supposedly been involved in a suicide pact. During the séance, the selected member, Jane, is channelled through one of the group, revealing details of her life which are later corroborated in a home video. While the group were recovering from their overwhelming experience, it was revealed that the suicide pact had never taken place and that the woman shown in the video was an actress who was alive and well.   Summary of one segment from Trick or Treat - 2008 Warning: Spoiler alert - this summary includes the denouement, taking away the fun if you want to watch it someday.  This demonstration was carried out in three locations (The U.K., the U.S., and Spain), and presents each of them in an interlaced, parallel format.  In each venue, five subjects have been assembled.  They sit at a table on which are five pre-numbered large envelopes, and paper and pencils.  Brown instructs them thusly: Select a numbered envelope at random, and remember "your" number.  On a piece of paper, write your birthdate, and draw an outline of your hand.  Select a small, non-identifying object from your person.  Put the object and the sheet of paper in your envelope.  He then walks a long way away from them and turns his back while they put together their envelopes.  Before facing them again, he tells them to hand their envelopes to one subject and mix them up a bit.  The subjects are then brought to a comfortable lounge area with snacks and beverages, while Brown takes the envelopes into a work room to write detailed personality descriptions of each subject.  After about an hour, he returns and calls them back to the table.  He hands them the envelopes, and tells them to take whichever one is "theirs", and spread out in the room to privately read, and rate, his descriptions of them.  The next montage of shots shows their amazement at various accuracies in what he has written about them.  They then are shown rating his percentage of success, which seems to range from 80% to 99%.  One enthuses, "I thought this would would be vague, like a horoscope, but it is right on in so many details".  They are amazed.  They are filmed stating that they truly now believe that he has some paranormal ability.  Many " woos " are heard throughout all three locations.  Just before they leave as new batches of "true believers", he has one last thing he asks them to do.  They are to randomly exchange the descriptions, several times to shuffle them, and read them to see if they can identify each other from them.  Oh, he says, "if you get your own back, exchange them again".  Much confusion ensues...  Brown: "Yes, you all had exactly the same description.  In fact, I wrote them several months ago..." He has demonstrated a case of cold reading based on the Forer Effect, which the subjects completely bought into.  Note: the above "quotes" are not verbatim transcripts, but paraphrases from memory.   External links Derren Brown's website The Mind Control website at Channel 4 Derren Brown at Wikipedia The Forer Effect, the principal factor in play in the example above, at Wikipedia.   Footnotes ↑ See his website or Wikipedia article .  ↑ 4oD (Four on Demand)  "
 * Free will is the philosophical concept that a person has control over their own actions, regardless of external influences and pressures. In conflict with the concept of "free will" is the concept of "cause and effect". Unlike free will, cause and effect takes into consideration external influences upon an individual's supposedly free decisions. The philosophical position that rejects free will completely is called determinism .  Contents 1 The free will wager 2 Person X and Person Y 2.1 Several months of discussion, and many beers later 3 A knotty thread 4 Christianity 5 See also 6 External links 7 Footnotes  The free will wager This is similar in structure to Pascal's wager, but more logically sound.  If you assume you have free will, and you don't, there is no loss or gain since you had no choice in the matter.  If you assume you don't have free will, and you don't, there is no loss or gain since you had no choice in the matter.  Therefore regardless of whether free will exists or not, you should live based on the assumption that you do have free will and that your choices do matter.   Person X and Person Y It is often useful to employ hypothetical Person X, Y and Z when attempting to explain the ramifications of philosophical concepts. As Person Z is currently pondering the meaning of life in the fourth dimension, Persons X and Y shall be employed to great effect in an attempt to explain the differences between someone who believes in free will and someone who believes in determinism.  Person X and Person Y each drink a pint of beer. Whilst Person X (who believes in the concept of free will) chooses to go to the toilet approximately fifteen minutes after consuming their pint of beer, Person Y (who is a determinist) considers that they had no real choice to empty their bladder, as it was an inevitable consequence of drinking beer.  Person X may argue that Person Y chose to drink the beer and therefore indirectly chose to relieve their bladder, but Person Y insists that they consume beer to alleviate woes bought on by external influences in their working environment.  Person X may argue that Person Y chose to work, and therefore indirectly chose had to work as a result of needing to meet the financial requirements of their family.  Person X may argue that Person Y chose to have a family and therefore indirectly chose to work in order to support it, but Person Y insists that they did not choose the faulty protection when copulating with their partner, and that their young family was essentially unplanned...   Several months of discussion, and many beers later ... and so the argument between Person X and Person Y goes on until they reach the very first cause in the universe. Some people call this the Big Bang , some call it God , and still others ask "what caused this big bang, or God?" Some smart philosophical people often refer to the beginning of the universe, or the cause of the Big Bang, as the "uncaused cause". People who believe in the concept of free will often point to this event as an example of the illogical nature of determinism, ignoring the insistence made by Person Y that determinism is far too complex to be debunked in such a manner.   A knotty thread In order for true free will to exist, there must be some "first cause" generator in each creature claimed to have the trait.  This aspect of the creature must be independent of external causality, which forces us into an acceptance of dualism .  If we are to reject this, and become determinists, we must somehow reconcile our position with the widely held observation that humans do indeed think they make decisions, at least some of the time, independently of external causes.  Interestingly, even a strict determinist will not make the claim that every event in the universe is predictable and "set in stone" - the discovery of random physical processes, and physical traits that cannot both be defined at the same time, has shown us this.   Christianity Most branches of Christianity teach that people have free will, although apparently on occasion God overrides it in order for events to play out according to His script. However, other groups of Christians, especially Calvinists and other Reformed churches, further believe that God chooses who will be saved and who will be damned. This is called predestination , and means that those who have been chosen for damnation cannot exercise free will in order to become "saved".  In a literalist interpretation, Romans 9:18-21 [1] can be seen as supporting predestination: “ 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.  9:19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?  9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?  9:21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?  ” This arbitrary action is considered divine justice and divine love.   See also Determinism  External links Internet Infidels Discussion Forum  Footnotes ↑
 * Deterrence is the art of convincing someone not to do something. In international relations Capability Credibility Contents 1 Capability 2 Credibility 3 Current Deterrents 4 Crisis of Deterrence 5 Successful Deterrence 6 Footnotes  Capability For a threat to work, the one making the threat must be able to go through with the threat.  For example, while Finland could threaten to nuke the United States if the US attacked Sweden, the US can feel confident that Finland is not actually capable of doing so.  On the other hand, Finland could threaten to attack American shipping.  This is a threat that Finland would be capable of.   Credibility However, a threat must also be credible, meaning that the threatened nation has to believe that the threatening nation will go through with it.  In the above example, the US might feel that Finland would have far more to lose by attacking American shipping than it would be willing to pay.  Since most threats leave both parties worse off, without other action most threats are considered empty.  There are two main ways to make a threat credible.  One is to stake a state's or leader's reputation on it.  This works best for democratic states, where the leaders have to go before the people later for reelection.  In autocratic regimes, there is no reason for leaders to go through with a threat if their people cannot hold them accountable later. The other main way is to "sink costs" into the threat.  In the above example, if Finland were to put a hospital and a military base in Sweden, then it has strong reason to defend Sweden against US aggression.   Current Deterrents During the Cold War, deterrence theory mostly focused on the threat of nuclear weapons (Mutual Assured Destruction).  However, very few states are worried about direct nuclear attack.  [1] The US is mostly worried about extended deterrence, which is deterring attacks on allies.  The clearest case of this is the US presence in South Korea, designed to keep the far superior North Korean military from conquering South Korea.  Also, Russia is (arguably) engaging in deterrence with Georgia.  Georgia is anxious to join the Western alliances, including NATO, and Russia has made fly-overs and dropped bombs in remote parts of Georgia in an attempt to intimidate Georgia into staying within the Russian orbit.   Crisis of Deterrence While deterrence is theoretically about preventing war, it can inadvertently lead to war.  Particularly because democratic nations feel a need to maintain a reputation, rash leaders can sometimes commit themselves to strong positions in the hopes that the other will back down, and end up going into war.  This is usually due to a miscalculation of intents.  The best example of this is the Korean War, where Mao, Stalin, Truman, and the elder Kim all misread each other and the levels of commitment they were willing to give to their respective sides.   Successful Deterrence Kennedy's face off with Khrushchev over the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 was a demonstration of successful deterrence.  [2]  Footnotes ↑ The main exceptions here are Pakistan and India, which worry about each other.  ↑ See Wikipedia on the Cuban Missile crisis  "
 * This is a fork page and distinguishes between several uses of a title or phrase. If you came via a link, you can help by changing the link to the appropriate article from the list below.  Perhaps you were looking for our mascot, or just some good eating ?  Or even one of these...  Herbal supplements Vitamin supplements Soylent Green , made with soy, lentils, and plankton from the sea, and supplemented with a special "dietary supplement".  Remember: Tuesday is Soylent Green day.  (No pun intended on the "fork page" bit.)  "
 * DINO is an acronym meaning " Democrat in Name Only." It refers to DLC and similar Democrats who are more concerned about increasing party influence than standing by the party platform.  They often, but not always, are trying to compete in more conservative states by leaning to the right.   See Also RINO No True Scotsman S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about dinosaurs Wheee! Dinosaurs are, for the most part, really big freaking creatures that died out about 65 million years ago.  [1] Unless you are a creationist, in which case they died a few years ago in the Global flood because Noah didn't have room for them in the ark. An eminent Christian Jack Chick , propounds an alternative theory [2] : some dinosaurs were in Noah's ark, and saved. Unfortunately, in the flood many plants were killed. As a consequence, air after the Flood was poor in oxygen. Big animals, such as dinosaurs, need lots of oxygen! Luckily, some dinosaurs survived: ever heard of dragons ?  Seriously, dinosaur fossils are really neat and give a grand view of the wonder and splendor that our world has seen in the past.  They also showcase how cool evolution really is.   See also Kent Hovind Fairies Conservapedia:Dinosaur for a refutation of CP's creationist perspective  Footnotes ↑
 * Etymologia i odniesienia biblijne ↑ Think of the English verb burgle made up from the noun burglar . Or, maybe more relevantly, the noun ilk (meaning kind) with an ultimate origin from a pronoun meaning "same". See references to back-formation or folk etymology .  ↑ entry for min, page 262, volume 5, of The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew , David J. A. Clines, editor, Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 2001, ISBN1-84127-217-5. Also: page 392 of Chaim Rabin, "Etymological Miscellanea", pages 384-400, Studies in the Bible , edited by Chaim Rabin, volume 8 of Scripta Hierosolymitana , Jerusalem: Magnes Press of the Hebrew University, 1961 ↑ The American journal of human genetics ↑ The creation museum teaches super evolution ↑ Wikipedia article on cancer Pre-expand include size: 2075 bytes Post-expand include size: 1658 bytes Template argument size: 21 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Discordianism is the modern religion worshipping Eris (also known as Discordia), the Greco-Roman Goddess of Chaos . Discordianism is a Ha Ha Only Serious "joke", using humor to subversively spread what its members regard as a valid philosophy.  To keep said beliefs from becoming dangerous fanaticism, they rely on self-subverting Dada-Zen humor, with varying degrees of success.  Contents 1 Tenets 2 Adherents 3 "Leadership" 4 Do You Believe That?  5 Splinter sects 6 Subcultures Dependent on Discordian Principles 7 Outside links 8 Footnotes  Tenets The basic tenets of Discordianism (somewhat oversimplified) are: There is an overabundance of order in the world, which must be countered by chaos.  Reality is composed mostly of Chaos, which humans falsely perceive as Order through varying Reality Grids. Learning to change grids is the first step towards discarding them altogether and achieving Illumination.  All phenomena tend to occur in fives or be somehow related to the number 5.  You must not eat Hot Dog Buns.  [1] Don't believe anything you read.   Adherents The worship of Eris proved quite popular with Hippies and other members of the counterculture, whose disrespect for authority figures meshed well with the Discordian vision of utopian anarchy .  The Discordian Society remains active to this day, opposing the Illuminati and other conspiracies, mostly by attempting to jam their plans with misinformation and loosen their grip on the collective brainstem of humanity via bizarre pranks, such as Operation Mindfuck and Project Jake.   "Leadership" Ironically, Discordian groups, or Cabals, tend to appear to be extremely hierarchical, with members having elaborate titles and degrees, similar to the Masons or the Catholic Church. Typical] titles include things like "The Omnibenevolent Polyfather of Virginity in Gold", "Archbeacon of the Blind", or "Keeper of the Notary Sojak". The commonest rank among Discordians is Pope (there is also a feminine version, 'Mome').  Due to Project Pan-Pontification, there are now more than 2 million Discordian Popes, and they don't plan to stop until every last man, woman, child, and good-looking dog is a Pope.   Do You Believe That?  A non-Discordian parable which may still help explain why Discordianism is popular amongst some types of computer geeks: “ A doctor, an architect, and a computer scientist were arguing about whose profession was the oldest. In the course of their arguments, they got all the way back to the Garden of Eden, whereupon the doctor said, "The medical profession is clearly the oldest, because Eve was made from Adam 's rib, as the story goes, and that was a simply incredible surgical feat." The architect did not agree. He said, "But if you look at the Garden itself, in the beginning there was chaos and void, and out of that, the Garden and the world were created. So God must have been an architect." The computer scientist, who had listened to all of this said, "Yes, but where do you think the chaos came from?" [1] ”  Splinter sects The Church of the SubGenius may be a successor.  Or it may be a heresy.  Or it may be a cheap knock-off.  Or maybe even a not-so-cheap knock-off (when was the last time a Discordian asked you for five dollars?).   Subcultures Dependent on Discordian Principles This website.   Outside links The Principia Discordia, or How I Found Goddess And What I Did To Her When I Found Her  Footnotes ↑
 * The Discovery Institutes's original banner The Discovery Institute is a religious "think tank" which is famous for its desire to get intelligent design taught in American schools. Many of its goals are set out in the Wedge Document .  It is also well known for its attempts to persuade schools that they should "Teach the Controversy." In fact no scientific controversy over evolution exists and this is simply another part of the Wedge Strategy .  They have recently produced Explore evolution to further their strategy.  The Discovery Institute also coined the term " Evolutionist ", in an attempt to undermine the scientific aspect of evolution, and equate it to a religion .  Contents 1 In Their Own Words 2 Dr. Evil's take 3 Senior Fellows at the Discovery Institute 4 See also 5 External links 6 Footnotes  In Their Own Words The Discovery Institute describes itself as follows: However the vast majority of the material on their homepage seems to be associated with Intelligent Design and evolution.  Furthermore, in their defense of the wedge document they are happy to support the statements: “ Discovery Institute's Center ... seeks nothing less than the overthrow of materalism and its cultural legacies.  ” “ Discovery Institute's Center ... wants to reverse the stifling dominance of the materialistic worldview, and to replace it with a science consistent with Christian and theistic convictions.  ”  Dr. Evil's take "Riiiiiiiiiiiight."  Senior Fellows at the Discovery Institute Michael Behe David Berlinski Paul Chien William Dembski David DeWolf Guillermo Gonzalez Michael Newton Keas Jay W Richards Wesley J Smith Jonathan Wells Benjamin Wiker Jonathan Witt The Illustrious Ken DeMeyer (not really, but they oughta contact him)  See also Biologic Institute  External links Discovery Institute Homepage  Footnotes Pre-expand include size: 2392 bytes Post-expand include size: 1288 bytes Template argument size: 392 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A miracle is what you call it when you see something that you can't explain and you're too impressed to try and figure out exactly what happened. Religion is riddled with them because miracles are taken as proof of the truth of religious beliefs.  Science tends to take a somewhat less accommodating position towards the concept preferring to work with methodological naturalism .  Many of the miracles reported in the Bible are of the tall-tale variety that include the parting of the Red Sea, bringing back a dude named Lazarus from the dead (he was just sleepin'!), and surviving the raging fires of an oven.  Every once in a while a particularly dim Godbotherer  Argument from Miracles The "Argument from miracles" is an argument for the existence of God relying on eyewitness testimony or anecdotes of impossible (or extremely improbable events) to establish the active intervention of a supernatural supreme being (or supernatural agents acting on behalf of that being).  In fact, the main problem is that anecdotes are not really the same as evidence .   See also Magic Magical thinking Eucharist Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence  External links Miracle  "
 * Watson and Crick's vision of DNA DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid. DNA is the building block on which all life is formed.  DNA is essentially the blueprint for living organisms.  DNA is an organic nucleic acid that exists in all cells.  It is composed of three basic components wrapped into a double-helix structure, a phosphate group, a five-carbon sugar, and nitrogen bases.  The phosphate and sugar (in this case, deoxyribose), exist act as the walls of the helix while genetic is information is stored in the sequence of nitrogen bases that connect the two sides of the helix.  There are four basic nitrogen bases in DNA: Adenine, Cytosine, Guanine, and Thymine. Adenine can only bind with Thymine, and Guanine can only bind with cytosine (put simply, A and T, C and G).  Although a limited code, massive strands of nitrogen bases can carry vast amounts of information, primarily used for the construction of proteins.  A considerable proportion of the cell's DNA is so-called "junk" DNA as it does not appear to have any specific purpose. As the exact way in which DNA is interpreted is not resolved, it is quite possible that some junk DNA performs a vital role.   Human DNA The fact that no two people (except identical twins) have the same DNA allows determination of identity with a certainty of up to one in billions, although there have been cases where a shorter version of comparison testing has been used, and confusion has arisen.  Similarly, DNA can be used to determine ancestry, especially in cases where paternity has to be ascertained.  Mitochondrial DNA (which is only passed down the female line as mitochondria in the sperm are lost with the flagellum or selectively destroyed after fertilisation [1] ) is used to study human evolution because it changes more slowly than cellular DNA. It has been used to trace the origin of female humans back to prehistoric Africa. Mitochondrial DNA is also used to trace the migration of humans after they left Africa.  Even Jesus had DNA, which was 99% similar to that of a chimpanzee.   Footnotes ↑ Wikipedia on mtDNA  "
 * " " —philosopher Donald Rumsfeld, on the state of the CIA 's intelligence on Iraq The Don.  Donald "Don" Rumsfeld was, according to William Kristol, "not a good Defense Secretary" and Kristol is "glad he's gone." [1] Many other people agree with Mr. Kristol's sentiment.  Which is a first for Mr. Kristol.  One of the true-blue neoconservatives , he was Chief of Staff and then Secretary of Defense in the Gerald Ford administration.  For some unknown reason George W. Bush attempted to resurrect his career 25 years later as Secretary of Defense.  Real bad move.  However, we must all give him credit for his mad kung-fu skillz .  Rumsfeld's quote above is similar to if not verbatim from Werner Erhard .  So, for that matter, is the quote below.  Hmm...  " You don't go to war with the Army you wish you had, you go to war with the Army you have.  "  —Donald Rumsfeld, um, "supporting" the troops  Footnotes ↑ Kristol , on the Daily Show With Jon Stewart , discussing Rumsfeld's resignation.   External links The poetry of Donald Rumsfeld Rumsfeldisms Pre-expand include size: 2774 bytes Post-expand include size: 560 bytes Template argument size: 454 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Double blind describes any decision process where all parties directly involved are not given crucial information in order to avoid biasing results. It is most commonly used in the scientific method where the experimenter (and subjects, where applicable) will not know which part of the experiment is the "control" and which is the "variable". The essence of the idea is that both the observer and the subject are "blind" to what part of the test they are conducting, hence the "double" blind.  It can also refer to other decision making, such as in Peer reviewed journals, where double blind means that the reviewers will not know the author's names, and vice versa .  In practice, due to people in a field knowing each other and each others' work, sometimes this "blindness" can be rather transparent.  The most persuasive type of medical study, the Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is usually double blind, however it is not always possible to blind someone to an intervention.  For instance, if someone is studying chiropractic techniques for managing low back pain, it is difficult for the subject and the experimenter to be blinded regarding the treatment.  Sometimes this bias is partially corrected in "cross-over" trials, in which half the subjects receive one intervention, and then "cross-over" to the other intervention.  Where it is possible to administer a convincing " placebo ", or "mock treatment", double-blind testing provides the most reliable results.  Few patent medicines have been subjected to double-blind studies, as the FDA does not require any proof of safety or efficacy, and few producers wish to submit their products to such scrutiny.   See also Testimonial  "
 * A double helix is a topographical shape that resembles the sides of a twisted ladder. That is, a pair of helixes in close conjunction.  The structure of the DNA molecule is not only a double helix as described above, it even includes the rungs, which are the base pairs that make the genetic code itself.   "
 * The Dred Scott case was a case brought before the United States Supreme Court in the years prior to the American Civil War . The case dealt with a man who had been a slave, and then moved with his master to a state that forbade slavery.  When the master wanted to move back south, the slave (Dred Scott) protested, claiming that his residence in the free state had made him free.  The Court found against Scott, and also was of the opinion that African-Americans did not qualify as citizens.  Furthermore, the Court found that African-Americans had no rights whatsoever.  There was great outrcy within the North against this ruling, as it basically made it impossible to abolish slavery anywhere.   Modern Meaning In modern politics, Dred Scott is occasionally used as dog whistle politics to disguise opposition to Roe v. Wade .  To pro-lifers, just as Dred Scott ruled that African-Americans have no rights, Roe v Wade ruled that fetuses have no rights.  The rather large differences between fully actualized African-American people and fetuses is covered up in this analogy.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Drugs are natural or synthetic chemicals that affect biochemical processes in living organisms. They differ from food in that food usually tastes better . Drugs are generally divided into two categories - the ones your mother gives you (which don't do anything at all), and the ones a hookah-smoking caterpillar offers you (and you know you're going to fall).  [1] The latter are frequently illegal, or at least heavily regulated.  Drugs are bad, m'kay?  Just say no . Or, say yes, but only if you're really bored.  A few well known drugs include: Contents 1 From (or for) mommy 2 From da caterpillar 3 See also 4 Footnotes  From (or for) mommy Cough syrup CiaL1s V1agra  From da caterpillar Alcohol Caffeine Tobacco Cocaine Codeine Ephedrine Beer Heroin LSD Marijuana Methamphetamine Peyote Magic mushrooms  See also War on Drugs  Footnotes ↑ Apologies and thanks to Jefferson Airplane and Grace Slick, White Rabbit .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Phyllis Schlafly, in a rare recent photograph and wearing a fake Chanel. "Lady, your husband ain't dead.  He's hiding." - Gus, The Ref (1994).  Phyllis Schlafly (1924- ) is a professional ultra-conservative and anti-feminist political activist and published author (it's not the same as "writer", which requires true writing talent). She exerts her activities through her organization, the Eagle Forum.  Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Background 1.2 Career 1.3 The ERA 2 The dark side 3 Marital rape 4 Oral style 5 Anal style 6 Other noteworthy achievements 7 See also 8 External links 9 Footnotes  Biography  Background Raised in St. Louis, the daughter of a failed inventor, she put herself through Washington University ('44) by working 48 hours a week testing machine guns at a local arms plant. After earning an M.A. in political science from Radcliffe in 1945, she returned to St. Louis to edit a conservative newsletter.   Career Never trust an author who has written more books than they have read After marriage in 1949, to John Fred Schlafly Jr., a wealthy corporate lawyer, she became increasingly involved in right-wing Republican politics. In addition to starting her own national newsletter, the Phyllis Schlafly Report, she was a delegate to three G.O.P. conventions and served as president of the Illinois Federation of Republican Women. When she ran for the presidency of the National Federation of Republican Women in 1967, she lost in a bitter campaign against a more moderate candidate. Schlafly's own next-door neighbor in Alton, a housewife and active Republican, accused her at the time of being "an exponent of an extreme right-wing philosophy—a propagandist who deals in emotion and personalities where it is not necessary to establish facts or prove charges." (Sound familiar?) For her defenders, Phyllis Schlafly is one of America's best-known advocate of the full-time homemaker. Schlafly has been a staunch conservative leader since the publication of her best-selling book, A Choice Not An Echo , which she wrote for Barry Goldwater 's 1964 presidential campaign. She has been a member of the pro-family movement since 1972, when she started her national volunteer organization, Eagle Forum.   The ERA In a ten-year battle, Schlafly led the "pro-family" movement to victory over the Equal Rights Amendment, the principal legislative goal of feminists at the time. Recreating that pivotal moment, "[Schlafly], looking crisp and composed in a red shirtwaist dress, red-white-and-blue scarf and frosted hair, arrived at the Illinois capitol with 500 followers. To symbolize their opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, which was about to be voted on in the House, the women had brought loaves of home-baked bread—apricot, date nut, honey-bran and pumpkin. But as she climbed onto a kitchen stool to address the cheering crowd, Schlafly the demure housewife turned into Schlafly the aggressive polemicist. The passage of ERA, she declared, would mean Government-funded abortions, homosexual schoolteachers, women forced into military combat, men refusing to support their wives, and unisex bathrooms."  The dark side Phyllis' greatest hits.  Her detractors have a very different notion of Phyllis Schlafly, who is hardly a typical housewife. Author of nine books, a three-time candidate for the U.S. Congress, full-time law student at Washington University in St. Louis, editor of a monthly newsletter, twice-a-week syndicated newspaper columnist and regular speaker at anti-liberal rallies, she acts very much like a liberated woman, as opposed to staying in the kitchen and making a sammich.  She employs a full-time housekeeper to care for her six-bedroom Tudor-style mansion overlooking the Mississippi River in Alton, Ill.  "My husband lets me do what I want to do," she says. "I have canceled speeches whenever my husband thought that I had been away from home too much." Perhaps Phyllis was scared. She had to be a good little girl and tell women the things domineering fundamentalist Christian men want women to hear.  If she didn’t her husband would tell her to stay at home like a good Christian wife.  Phyllis didn’t want to stay at home, but she didn’t mind telling other women to do it.  "Besides", Phyllis adds, "when I fill out applications, I put down 'mother' as my occupation." She boasts that she breast-fed (I know, I know, I can't get the image out of my head either) every one of her six children and later taught each of them how to read.   Marital rape The controversial lady who fought successfully to scare politicians away from the ERA has now revealed some of her underlying thinking, including -- incredibly -- the notion that husbands have carte blanche when it comes to raping their wives : "By getting married, the woman has consented to sex, and I don't think you can call it rape," she has said.  [1] Frightfully, Phyllis thinks a husband can rape his wife any time he wants to.  We don’t know what sort of relationship Phyllis Schlafly had with her husband.   Oral style Schlafly has a distinctive and recognisable oration style in her articles and radio broadcasts. She frequently uses prefixes such as 'liberal', 'radical' and 'feminist' in a pejorative context as snarl words . It is frequently clear that she isn't thinking clearly about the subjects she addresses, for example condemning modern literature being taught in school for having "gloomy themes such as murder, ... and suicide" while at the same time promoting the teaching of Shakespeare, whose plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, and Julius Caesar regularly include such themes. In the same radio program, she also condemned sexual imagery in literature while at the same time promoting the works of Chaucer.  It appears she is unfamiliar with, for example, The Miller’s Tale and The Reeve's Tale .  Andrew Schlafly appears to have adopted a similar style in his own writing, and, indeed, his "thinking".   Anal style No details are yet forthcoming.  And, to be honest, we don't want any.   Other noteworthy achievements 1992 Illinois Mother of the Year The Ladies' Home Journal named her as one of the 100 most important women of the 20th century She appears in debate on college campuses more frequently than any other conservative Mother of six: Andrew Schlafly , founder of Conservapedia Roger Schlafly , loose cannon on his brother Andrew's blog, and successful competitive "gurgitator".  Also, lonely...  John Schlafly , a confirmed bachelor Anne Schlafly, owner of Kitchen Conservatory , who makes cooking fun .  Liza Schlafly, who also studied law.  Bruce Schlafly, a hand surgeon.  Received honorary degree from Washington University in St. Louis, prompting a massive student protest.  [2] [3]  See also Archived Vandalism Kinder, Küche, Kirche  External links For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Phyllis Schlafly There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Phyllis Schlafly Her website Phyllis Schlafly's career as a NeoCon Happy Birthday Phyllis Anti-ERA evangelist wins again Phyllis on MySpace  Footnotes ↑ Schlafly cranks up agitation at Bates ↑ Washington U. takes heat about honoring Schlafly ↑ White armband wearers protest .  Pre-expand include size: 2640 bytes Post-expand include size: 1373 bytes Template argument size: 89 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * So wrong. So wrong.  Easter is a wonderful time of year.  It is marked by an anthropomorphized rabbit that brings chocolate and pastel coloured eggs to all of the little Christian boys and girls of the world.  Easter also has something vaguely to do with Jesus .  Easter is basically the ultimate BDSM holiday for Christians.  They get to watch (or imagine) their God getting whipped almost to death.  Then He has to drag the cross upon which He will be tied and left to die upon up a hill, where it will be planted in the ground, and He gets tied up on it.  Then He suffers for Your (oops, sorry "you" ain't important enough to be capitalized!) sins for many steadfast hours.  In the end he chickens out (it would take much longer for a human to die under such circumstances -- such was the nature of Roman crucifixion) and commends his spirit back to his Dad.  A couple of days later (three, supposedly -- the whole Good Friday thing is badly interpreted) he lumbers around, and shows a few (hundred?) friends his nail wounds.  After thousands of years, people still are awed by "stigmata" (which, by the way, is an awesome song).   Two Easters for the price of One!  Eastern Orthodox Christians have their Easter after the Roman Catholics and Protestants, so they can buy their chocolate rabbits and marshmallow "Peeps" on sale.   See also Jesus on an Easter stick Christmas The bad boy Himself !   "
 * Ecology is the syncretic study of how organisms and their environments interact with each other. As such, it draws mostly from biology, but also from chemistry, physics, and many other scientific fields.  In popular parlance, ecology is often confused with environmentalism.  While most of the insights of ecology are important in the environmental movement, the two words are not synonymous.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The Garden of Eden is the mythical birthplace of all humanity, and a metaphorical perfect place of innocence. According to the second Biblical creation story in Genesis God made the Garden of Eden and filled it with all kinds of foods, including a tree whose fruit would impart knowledge of good and evil to whomever ate it.  God then made humans, with the male coming first and then the female second.  A snake then convinced the people to eat the fruit, despite a direct order not to from God.  When they did so, they became ashamed of their nakedness, and God threw them out, setting up an angel with a flaming sword to keep them out.  As a mystical story explaining conscience and the hardships people have to endure, it is beautiful and haunting.  As a literal account of the early days of humanity it does not make much sense.  Much of the exegesis surrounding the story makes even less sense.  Plenty of Biblical scholars have tried to suggest that all early animals were herbivores, despite being completely unsuited to it.  Attempts to place the exact location of the mythical Garden have been equally futile.   See also Adam Eve Original sin S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Mission Statement Doubt At least one RW editor doubts that this article furthers our mission statements : 1. Analyzing and refuting the anti-science movement, ideas and people. 2. Analyzing and refuting the full range of crank ideas.  3. Explorations of authoritarianism and fundamentalism.  The original author or others are invited to either edit the article so that it meets our mission statements or comment on the talk page .  NOTE: It is incumbent on the editor who adds this template to an article to explain why they did so, in order to start the discussion.  "Drive-by" templating without stopping to discuss is discouraged.  An editor is anyone who participates in a wiki, such as RationalWiki .  Therefore, the guy who wrote this is an editor, and if you respond, you are too.  All editors are asked to be somewhat responsible, and not engage in pointless edit wars .  Editors are responsible individually and collectively for establishing and maintaining the POV of a wiki. Wikipedia claims to maintain a neutral point of view although Conservapedia, which admits to a conservative, POV claims that it is liberal .  The editors on RationalWiki are, by and large, expected to hold and utilise rational views with a touch of "snark" thrown in.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1316 bytes Post-expand include size: 1090 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A War on War War on Christmas War on Civility War on Culture War on Drugs War on Editing War on the Flag War on Flames War on Iraq War on Nuclei War on Racism War on Science War on Terror War on the Union War on Grammar An edit war is when two contributors repeatedly revert one another's edits to an article. On RW, it is sometimes an increasingly defined struggle between good and evil .  In extreme cases, edit warring can lead to the dreaded block .  [1]  Footnotes ↑ Except on this wiki, where no one ever really gets blocked for it.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1212 bytes Post-expand include size: 1028 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * *Egypt is a state in North-East Africa. It is the only African state to be considered part of the Middle East, in part because of its border with Asia, and in part because of its large Arab population. Roughly 40 years ago, Egypt went to war with Israel, but it was also the first state in the region to make peace with Israel and acknowledge its existance.  Egypt is also the birthplace of one of the oldest civilizations in the world, and houses the only surviving "Wonder of the Classical World."  The current "president" of Egypt, Mubarak, is actually a fairly benign autocrat, though he does have the rather nasty habit of locking up political rivals.  The US tends to turn a blind eye to this behavior since said rivals tend to be Islamic Nationalists, such as the Muslim Brotherhood.  He receives a great deal of American aid, because he is seen as a "moderate" in a region full of reactionaries, and because Egypt is one of the few Middle Eastern nations to have recognized Israel's right to exist (though the main journalism organization (and the Writer's Guild and the Actor's Guild in Egypt) has forbid normalization with Israel).  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Enver Hoxha was the Communist dictator of Albania from 1944 to 1985, and the author of many unreadable exercises in doctrinaire hairsplitting like Eurocommunism is Anti-Communism . In his paranoia he had an annoying tendency to turn on and denounce his former Communist allies as being anti-Communist dupes and revisionists, which he did first with Yugoslavia, then the Soviet Union , and finally with his sole remaining ally China .  As a result, Albania was led into isolation from the rest of the world and for much of his reign was the poorest country in Europe.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Eve went around naked with Adam in the Garden of Eden . And neither of them knew what to do about it till they’d got round to eating an apple .  She is seen as a sex symbol and a temptress because she persuaded Adam to go and eat that apple.  Men blame women if they find them desirable.  Then women blame men if men desire them.  You can’t win.  Eve is blamed for the fall of mankind and has been painted throughout time in a historical dualism as the evil sexually threating side of woman with Mary (Mother of Jesus) as the good and pure side of woman.  By the way, did Eve have a belly button?  Eve is often known (in crossword puzzle circles) as the "First Lady".   See also Original sin S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * . Accessed November 2, 2007. ↑ Virgil J. Lunardini (1995)." Permafrost Formation Time "(US Army Corps of Engineers). Accessed November 28, 2007.  ↑ Teachout, Gerald E.  "PETRIFIED WOOD OF SOUTH DAKOTA".  Accessed May 13, 2008.  ↑ Chris Stassen (1996-2005)." The Age of the Earth "(TalkOrigins). Accessed October 9, 2007.  ↑ Ron Cowen (2002)." X-Ray Universe: Quasar's jet goes the distance ". Science News 161 : 101.  ↑ Tanzhuo Liu and Wallace S. Broecker (2000). "How fast does rock varnish grow?". Geology 28: 183-186.  ↑ Tanzhuo Liu. " Rock Varnish Microlamination (VML) Dating "(VML Dating Lab). Accessed October 19, 2007.  ↑ An age–colour relationship for main-belt S-complex asteroids " Nature 429 : 275-277 ↑ Glenn R. Morton (2002). " Pollen Order Presents Problems for the Flood ". Accessed October 17, 2007.  ↑ Hiroyuki Hitagawai, Johannes van Derplicht (1998). " A 40,000-YEAR CHRONOLOGY FROM LAKE SUIGETSU, JAPAN: VARVE EXTENSION OF THE CALIBRATION CURVE ". Radiocarbon 40 : 505-515.  ↑ John R. Dyni (26 June, 2000). " VERIFICATION THAT GREEN RIVER VARVES ARE ANNUAL LAYERS ". Accessed October 14, 2007.  ↑ " Thermoluminescence "(Minnesota state university). Retrieved on September 30, 2007.  ↑ Thomas Berger (2001)." Thermoluminescence dating "(ATOMINSTITUT). Retrieved on September 30, 2007.  ↑ Bryn Hubbard, Neil F. Glasser (2005). "Field Techniques in Glaciology and Glacial Geomorphology". John Wiley and Sons, United States. Page 355.  ISBN 0470844264 .  Pre-expand include size: 3840 bytes Post-expand include size: 2629 bytes Template argument size: 8 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * God is recorded in the Bible as having personally killed a large number of people. While the majority of the divine assassinations certainly took place in the Old Testament a few instances are also recorded in the New . This lists people personally assassinated by his hand or by his non-human agents, it is not complete.  It also does not include the vastly greater number of people which the bible states were killed at his instruction.  This is more or less in chronological order but there may be some slips.  Contents 1 Old Testament killings by God 2 New Testament killings by God 3 See also 4 External links 5 Footnotes  Old Testament killings by God Every human being, animal and plant that ever died. Crime - Original sin .  Method of execution - All the various ways human beings, animals and plants die.  And we're all going  to go that way in the end, despite the fact that the whole "Original Sin" thing isn't really our fault...  Every human and animal on earth that wasn't on Noah's Ark .  Crime - being evil. Method of execution - drowning.  (Yes, even the Plesiosaurs.) The cities of Sodom and  Gomorrah .  Crime – being evil (or possibly homosexual). Method of execution – burnt to death by burning sulfur from heaven. Cruel and unusual.  Lot’s wife. Crime - looking back at the firework display above.  Method of execution – turned into pillar of salt. Gen.19:26 The firstborn of Egypt. Crime - being firstborn when God decided  to show his strength. God hardened Pharaoh 's heart so he refused to let the Israelites go. Method of execution – The Angel of Death. Exodus 12:29 The Egyptian army.  Crime - refusing to disobey orders to persue said Israelites. Method of execution – drowned when the Red Sea returned. Exodus 14:28 Er. Crime - "wicked in the sight of the Lord". Method of execution - not specified. Gen.38:7.  Onan (Er’s brother and apparent inventor of onanism). Crime - Disobeying God's orders to impregnate his dead brother's wife (or “ spilling his seed ”). Method of execution - not specified.  Gen.38:10.  (unlucky family) Korah, Dathan, and Abiram (and their families). Crime – challenging Moses . Method of execution– buried alive, swallowed by the earth. Num.16:27 -32.  250 men. Crime – followers of Korah. Method of execution – burnt to death by fire from heaven. Num.16:35, 14,700 people. Crime - complaining about the previous two. Method of execution – plague. Num.16:49.  (He was in a bad mood that day.) 24,000 people. Crime – sexual immorality with Moabite women, worshiping Baal .  Method of execution – plague. Num.25:9.  (Why was Baal so popular anyway?) Aaron's sons,  Nadab and Abihu. Crime - offering strange fire before the Lord. Method of execution – burnt to death by holy fire. Lev.10:1-3.  (Got to get the ritual right!) Either 70 or 50,070 men depending on the translation. Crime – looking into the ark.  Method of execution – not specified. 1 Sam.6:19.  (Bit of a discrepancy between translations there) Nabal.  Crime – being ungrateful to David. Method of execution – not specified. 1 Sam.25:38. ( This was quite convenient as David got to marry his wife who was quite hot.) Uzzah. Crime – touching the ark to stop it falling. Method of execution – not specified. 2 Sam.6:6-7.  (This was one unlucky chap – he only wanted to stop it falling over.) David and Bathsheba's baby boy. Crime – none, it was to punish David. Method of execution – not specified. 2 Sam.12:14-18 (Outstandingly unfair) 70,000 people. Crime – David held a census. Method of execution – plague. 2 Sam.24:13.  A prophet. Crime – believing another prophet. Method of execution – being killed by a lion. 1 Kg.13:1-24. ( That’s what happens when you believe prophets.) A man. Crime – refusing to strike a prophet when the prophet asked him to. Method of execution – being killed by a lion. 1 Kg.20:35-36.  (Weird or what?) Ahaziah.  Crime - talking to the wrong God.  Method of execution – did not leave his bed. 2 Kg.1:2-4, 17.  (Not too sure about this one.) 102 soldiers. Crime – not talking nicely to Elisha. Method of execution - burnt to death by fire from heaven. 2 Kg.1:9-12.  42 youths. Crime – making fun of Elisha's bald head.  Method of execution – God sent bears to kill them. 2 Kg.2:23-24.  (It was obviously a mistake to mess with Elisha.) See also Christian morality .  Some foreigners. Crime – not worshiping God. Method of execution - God sent lions to kill them. 2 Kg.17:25-26.  (“Death by lion” crops up with suspicious frequency.) 185,000 soldiers. Crime – being at war with Israel.  Method of execution – the angel of the lord killed them while they slept. 2 Kg.19:35.  Saul.  Crime – unfaithful to the lord.  Method of execution – not specified. 1 Chr.10:14 Jeroboam. Crime – rebellion against Abijah.  Method of execution – not specified. 2 Chr.13:20, Jehoram. Crime – doing evil in the sight of the lord.  Method of execution – God made his bowels fall out. 2 Chr.21:14-19.  (Nasty way to go.)  New Testament killings by God Ananias and Sapphira.  Crime - Deceit.  (Pretending they sold their land for less than they did, so that they could pretend to give all the money to the church, when in reality they kept a nice bit of their money to themselves.)  Method of execution – not specified, perhaps heart attack. Acts 5:1-10. ( Better make sure you pay those tithes!) Herod.  Crime – not giving praise to God. Method of execution – struck down by an angel . Acts 12:23.   See also Actions which demand the death penalty in the Old Testament Examples of Satan personally killing people God's Love Divine retribution  External links The 9 Most Badass Bible Verses  Footnotes  "
 * For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Exotheology Exotheology is a branch of religious study that concerns itself with the potential impact on earthly religions and theologies of the discovery of life or intelligence elsewhere in the universe. As with the development of most science, such discoveries would in all likelihood overturn at least some notions or dogmas held by religions, especially fundamentalist ones.  This in turn would lead to fierce opposition to the evidence of such life, and political battles over funding of research and the nature of how we would teach about our discoveries.  There are also bound to be religious orders that have no problem encompassing any such scientific breakthroughs, just as we have seen with other advances and their acceptance by some churches or religious people.  An example is the Roman Catholic Church, which announced in May 2008 that "Aliens are My Brother." True.  The Vatican also speculated that some aliens may have avoided original sin .  [1]  See also  External links Dabbling in Exotheology , TIME Magazine, Monday, Apr. 24, 1978 Catholic Exotheology , Web of Contradictions, Thursday, 13 October 2005  Footnotes ↑  "
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Part of the series on Pseudoscience Main Topics Alternate historical chronology - Astrology Creation science - Crop circles Dogon people - Erich von Däniken Face on Mars - Lunar effect Non-materialist neuroscience - Paranormal Perpetual motion - Ufology Alternative medicine Other topics 2012 Apocalypse - Attachment therapy Ball lightning - Bermuda Triangle Cryptozoology - Dianetics Feng shui - Food woo Graphology - Laundry balls Lie detection - Neoshamanism Out-of-body experience Parapsychology - Phrenology Polygraph - Pseudoarcheology Reincarnation - Shroud of Turin Supernatural - Technical analysis Tunguska - Tutankhamun's curse William Strauss and Neil Howe The "Face" on Mars The face on mars refers to a feature that some think shows that an alien civilization carved a face on the surface on the planet Mars, specifically in the area of Cydonia Mensae .  One of the most persistent supporters of this idea is Richard C. Hoagland .  Recent high resolution photographs have shown the idea to be false.  Besides the fact that proponents of the idea have no evidence of an intelligent designer, they also make an error that many anti-evolutionists make.  Seeing a series of coincidences in a single area, they understand the probability that these were created naturally to be small.  From there, they assume that as the probability was small, it must have had a designer, ignoring the fact that the post-probability is exactly 1, as that is the way it naturally turned out.  It is just as likely that the 'face' could have ended up two feet north of its current position.  It is just as likely that all of these shapes could have ended up in a different area of Mars.  It is less likely that Mars could have ended up covered in faces.   However, none of these happened, as the only current situation happened.  This is similar to the monkey typewriter theory .  Pre-expand include size: 2443 bytes Post-expand include size: 2283 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A fad diet is any diet plan that is promoted by publicity and word-of-mouth rather than scientific study. Most such diets focus around weight loss, but many claim to cure diseases such as autism, attention deficit disorder, and even cancer . Such diets are often created by a single person, sometimes a medical practitioner of some sort, but often a lay person with no particular credentials. Some are often propagated as anonymous faxlore or email lore in much the same manner as many urban legends , but others are distributed and heavily promoted by major media corporations. Actual validity (or lack thereof) is often established or disproven long after the diet has become popular due to the lack of peer review in the popular press, especially since many fad diet promoters have thrown in their lot with alternative medicine . low-carb diets like the Atkins diet (based on drastically reducing carbohydrate intake), the South Beach Diet by Dr. Arthur Agatston, and the Zone Diet.  The Jesus Diet , using ingredients and foods mentioned in the Bible , exists in several different versions.  The Lemonade Diet has gone through on-and-off periods of popularity since the 1970s.  Past examples include the Hay diet (separating meat and vegetables to avoid supposedly-unfavorable acid imbalances) and Fletcherism (chewing your food for way too long).  Some of these diets do result in weight loss if followed, but often for very different reasons that their promoters claim - usually because of reduced calorie intake.  Some of them are completely worthless even for weight loss.  Even those which are effective often do not provide a healthy intake of necessary nutrients, or potentially unhealthy levels of some substances (such as saturated fats in the case of some low-carb diets).  Bottom line: Long-term weight loss comes about by reducing calorie intake and increasing physical activity.  Be wary of anyone promising fast weight loss from any other method.  Contents 1 Health Risks 2 See also 3 External links 4 Footnotes  Health Risks The health risks associated with fad diets overseen by unqualified 'dieticians' were highlighted by a recent BBC New article [1] which concludes with a quote from kidney specialist, Professor Graham MacGregor, saying that "In normal circumstances, then people should drink when their body tells them to - when they get thirsty.  Anything else is completely unnecessary, and will just leave you standing in the queue for the toilet.  Detox diets are a complete con in that respect."  See also Food woo  External links A humorous website on fad diets run by ShopInPrivate.com One blogger's listing of 25 of the most ridiculous diets ever  Footnotes ↑
 * A failed state is a recognized state that is incapable of fulfilling the basic requirement of being a state, ie does not hold the legitimate means of coercion. This is usually due to citizens of the state being too invested in some subgroup within the state.  Most often, this is due to some kind of tribal affiliation.  Not every failed state exists in complete anarchy, but there is often some degree of it.  Technically, a state in which non-governmental actors (such as tribes or corporate associations) keep the peace while an ineffective central government does nothing would be considered a failed state, but it would be expected for the true holders of the monopoly on legitimate coercion to become the state.  The term "failed state" is usually only applied to places where there are NO actors who have legitimacy across the state.  The classic example of a failed state is Somalia, though the current situations in Iraq and Afghanistan would also qualify.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * A false analogy is a rhetorical fallacy where two objects share some characteristics, but the conclusion made by an argument is not supported by the analogy because of the differences between the two objects. [1] Note that while analogies and metaphors can be very useful to explain things to people, their parallels are always limited.  One thing people sometimes do for fun is extend a useful analogy or metaphor to the point of absurdity.  Contents 1 The "watchmaker" analogy 2 Building a false syllogism from analogy 3 See Also 4 Footnotes  The "watchmaker" analogy The "watchmaker" analogy for intelligent design is cited as an example of a false analogy.  [2] The universe is like a watch.  A watch must have a watchmaker.  The universe, being like a watch, must have a designer.  The universe is like a watch.  A watch often needs repair.  The universe, being like a watch, must occasionally be in need of repair.  (Similar absurdities can be built from almost every other characteristic of watches.) Also, there are problems "disguised" in the assumptions of the analogy.  A watch bears little resemblance to the universe, therefore the entire analogy is invalidated in step 1.   Building a false syllogism from analogy Aschlafly is like the king of Conservapedia.  Kings are often killed by their advisors who want to take the throne.  Aschlafly will soon be killed by a fellow sysop.  Most likely, this is not true.  Conservapedia is like an encyclopedia.  An encyclopedia adheres to facts.  Conservapedia adheres to facts.  Obviously, this isn't true.   See Also Hoyle's fallacy  Footnotes ↑ Hodges' Harbrace Handbook.  16th ed. Thomson: Boston, 2007: p. 480.  ↑
 * Blocking ↑
 * " Fifty million Frenchmen can't be wrong" is used, though often sarcastically, to justify a point of view by alluding to its general acceptance. It is a demonstration of argumentum ad populum .  External links Source of the expression?  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Flying Spaghetti Monster In all His Glory. To those who have been touched by His noodly appendage, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is the obvious source of all Order, Sense, and Morality in the universe.  Likewise, His Knowledge must be taught alongside scientific "theories" in the public schools.  Followers of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (also known as "FSM" to his friends) call themselves pastafarians .  Contents 1 Reason for creation 2 Pirates 3 Heaven 4 Sexual mores 5 Public holidays for Pastafarians 6 See also 7 External links 8 Footnotes  Reason for creation Like all other deities, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is man-made. Unlike them, He has better taste .  However, the purpose of His existence was to contest the claim that schools should teach "Creationism as well as evolution".  [1] A credible case was made to some dumbass school board somewhere in the backwaters of the U.S.  that the controversy [2] should be taught as well as the mainstream mumbo jumbo.  When said school board got summarily unelected due to civic embarassment, the new board chairman wrote a kind thank-you letter to the pastafarians, and asked them for their favorite recipe for gravy.  [3]  Pirates A pretend pirate A real pirate As all pastafarians know, as the number of pirates decreases, the average temperature of the ocean increases.   Heaven Heaven for (male) Pastafarians is generally accepted to be a land containing beer volcanoes and a stripper factory. One does wonder just how 'heavenly' this is for the poor strippers doomed to grind their way to eternity.   Sexual mores Pesto.   Public holidays for Pastafarians International Talk Like a Pirate day (19th Sept), and every Friday.   See also Parody religion Invisible Pink Unicorn Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District Intelligent falling  External links Open Letter to the Kansas School Board Teaching about the Flying Spaghetti Monster alongside other theories.   Footnotes ↑ As everyone knows, evolution is served best with a tasty pasta dish.  ↑ Spaghetti or Linguini?  Meatballs or Sausage?  To mention two of them.  ↑ Mom's.   "
 * Focus on the Family is a nonprofit evangelical Christian organization, run by James Dobson and based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It specializes in family issues approached from a fundamentalist standpoint, and strongly advocates corporal punishment for children. It is looked on with some disdain by commercial Christian publishing houses, as FotF is a highly profitable enterprise operating as a nonprofit. In addition, Dobson himself is quite politically active, something of a no-no for religious nonprofits.  [1]  Footnotes ↑ It's actually quite simply against the law, but, well, you know, he means well?  Oh, sorry, he has a friend in the White House.  Nevermind.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * 94) based on the work of Martin Marty. A better reference would be appreciated  "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Bestiality Birth control Corporate Equality Index Fisting Anal sex Gender God hates shrimp What's Wrong with Being Gay? Reparative therapy Sodomy Testicles Venereal disease Watersports The gay rights movement is a social force consisting of people interested in removing the social stigma from homosexuality, and allowing gay men and women to be equal participants in society.  Despite arguments to the contrary there is no homosexual agenda : other than the dream and goal that one day gays will be treated as equals in human society.  Contents 1 Core Beliefs 2 Legal Success 3 Queer Theory 4 Conservapedia's Problems with Gay Rights 5 See Also 6 Footnotes  Core Beliefs The gay rights movement does not seek to convince others that homosexuality is right : rather, it seeks to prove that it is not wrong enough to regulate, criminalize, or stigmatize, and also to prove that gays are valuable members of society who deserve no different treatment.  Gay rights activists make one of two arguments: Homosexuality is an immutable trait, and discriminating against immutable traits is wrong (cf. race discrimination), or, Homosexuality, if not immutable, is highly correlated with personality, and discriminating against such deeply rooted notions of self is wrong (cf. religious intolerance).   Legal Success For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Gay rights Courts, including the Supreme Court, have accepted either one or both of these rationales.  In Romer v. Evans, the Court found that discriminating against homosexuals could only be explained by a rational of animus laid bare, which was not enough even to allow state condemnation of homosexuality under the rational basis review test.  Romer , then, protects the status of homosexuality from undue discrimination that occurs without a rational basis.  [1] Homosexual conduct was formerly illegal in many states.  [2] In the last decade of the twentieth century, although these laws existed, they were rarely (if ever) enforced.  [3] Without disclosing whether it saw homosexuality as a status protected from discrimination at as high of a level as gender and race, the Court struck down bans on homosexual conduct, framing it as an expansion of its privacy jurisprudence.  [4] The status of homosexuality before the law, then, is in some degree of flux.  While bare discrimination against homosexual status is facially unconstitutional lacking a rational basis, and while preventing homosexual conduct is similarly unconstitutional, the Supreme Court has held in these landmark cases that the state may discriminate against homosexuals to preserve an "institution that the law protects" - namely, marriage .  [5] As such, the standard to be applied in deciding if discrimination against homosexuals is wrong is somewhere in between rational basis review and strict scrutiny review .  Justice Antonin Scalia thinks that this uncertainty will surely be resolved in the favor of gay rights, and he warns that such a legal erosion will result in the downfall of the law's moral authority.  [6] Surely, society will end shortly thereafter.   Queer Theory Queer theory is an outgrowth of the gay rights movement that suggests that while homosexuals deserve equal treatment, they either should not or do not want equal access to "heteronormative" institutions, such as marriage.  As a unique and valid lifestyle, "queer theorists" argue, gay communities should create their own norms rather than buying into those of the majority.   Conservapedia's Problems with Gay Rights Many of the Conservapedia sysops have a particular axe to grind against gay rights.  We at RationalWiki wonder, why?  Moving, on, some of their particular arguments are: RobS argues that Harry Hay , apparently a leader of the gay rights movement, had several personal problems.  These personal problems, apparently by extension, are imputed to the entire gay rights movement as a whole.  Sins of the fathers, anyone?  Assuming arguendo that Harry Hay really is this important, we think it is self-evident that the failures of a movement's founders are not the failures of the movement.  Otherwise, America would forever be tainted beyond redemption by the evils of slavery, Christianity would forever be tainted by the crusades, and creationism would forever be tainted by the idiocy and tax evasion of Kent Hovind .  The last one, we have no problem with.  RobS also argues that calling someone homophobic is evil, and just as evil as being homophobic and using anti-gay slurs.  One reason, put forth by RobS, is that most homophobic men are actually gay, apparently, and that vilifying homophobia is therefore vilifying homosexuals.  [7] To attempt to understand this "argument," please see this page .   See Also Allen R. Schindler, Jr Lawrence v. Texas Reparative therapy Romer v. Evans Substantive due process  Footnotes ↑ Romer v. Evans, 517 U.S. 620 ↑ See generally Bowers v. Hardwick , 478 U.S. 186 ↑ Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558, Justice Anthony Kennedy, in the Opinion of the Court, found this in his historical analysis.  ↑ Lawrence v. Texas , 539 U.S. 558 ↑ Lawrence v. Texas ↑ Lawrence v. Texas , Scalia, J., dissenting.  ↑ Does this mean that RobS is gay?  Is he trying to tell us something?  Pre-expand include size: 1679 bytes Post-expand include size: 1097 bytes Template argument size: 14 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Asexual Birth control Bisexuality Clitoris Anal sex Original sin Informed consent Miscegenation Penis Pervert Prostitution What's Wrong with Being Gay? Sodomy " Gender " is the set of sociological, behavioural and cultural constructs associated with each sex. Often, it is used synonymously with sex [1] but gender and gender identity specifically refer to the individual's self-conception rather than biology .  Gender is most often manifested by people terming things as masculine (like the male) or feminine (like the female).  Feminists and others concerned about sexual equality maintain that all these concepts and traditions are just socially constructed and not real. It is often considered politically incorrect to say otherwise, even though there are some physiological reasons behind some aspects of gender identity.   See also Gender identity disorder Sex Sexuality Testicles Transvestite  External links Wikipedia obscenely long article Conservapedia's obscenely short article  Footnotes ↑ The biological and physiological sex, not intercourse. You don't go up to someone and say "I want to have gender with you" S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1073 bytes Post-expand include size: 736 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Gender identity disorder is a psychological diagnosis. [1] It is a disorder only in that those that suffer from it struggle with cultural expectations of how they should act and "who they should be" relative to their genital appurtenances.  As such, it is a "disorder" only in proportion to how much coercion and difficulty they experience as they try to "be themselves".   See Also Human sexuality Sexuality  Footnotes ↑ Gender Identity Disorder Today DSM IV Gender Identity Disorder S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Genetics refers to the study of heredity, genes and genetic material. However, genetics is also a term used in contrast to Genomics because of its traditionally lower- throughput, smaller- scale emphasis on single genes, rather than on many genes simultaneously as in genomics. Contents 1 Mendel and His Peas 2 Non-Sexual Gene Transmission 3 Modern Fields of Study 4 Genetics Before Science 5 Evolution  Mendel and His Peas Mendel's famous experiments with peas pointed the way to the information that results in visible traits being binary in nature.  It has since been established that the DNA molecules in the nucleus of cells carries this information, on pairs of chromosomes .  Of these pairs of chromosomes, in each living creature one originates from each parent (in the case of sexually reproducing species).  This results in a continual mixing of traits present in a species across individuals.   Non-Sexual Gene Transmission Non-sexually reproducing organisms pass on identical genetic information to their own to their offspring, whether through division of single celled organisms like bacteria, or various forms of cloning used by many plants (budding, spreading via root systems, or layering of above-ground stalks that grow new roots and become independent).  Many organisms, especially plants, are capable of sexual and asexual reproduction, with some alternating between the two from generation to generation.   Modern Fields of Study Genetics has moved far beyond the simple tracking of traits from parent to child, however, from the identification of the DNA molecule by Watson, Crick, and Russell, through the modern sequencing of the human genome and the addition or subtraction of traits from existing species by genetic engineering.   Genetics Before Science For thousands of years before the mechanisms were understood man has been genetically engineering, by selective breeding, food crops and domesticated animals to improve their flavor, yield, hardiness, and behavior.   Evolution The genes that underlie the passing on of traits are one of the fundamental building blocks of the process of evolution .   "
 * George Washington was the first President of the United States . Upon leaving office, he advised the country to not do two things: form political parties and involve ourselves with world affairs.  This advice was followed by everyone flushed down the toilet.   Famous quote mines "I did not ... have sex with that cherry ... tree." S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Denialism articles Conspiracy Denialism Germ theory denialism Global warming conspiracy theory Historical revisionism Anti-Idahoism (fun) Holocaust denial Moon landing denialism One single proof Transitional fossil Willful ignorance HIV denial Oregon Petition Doctors for Disaster Preparedness Some alternative medicine advocates deny the validity of germ theory in medicine, believing that despite many, many validations of the work of Anton van Leeuwenhoek and Louis Pasteur that bacteria and viruses have no role in the etiology of infectious disease. While many cloak their denialism in other altie specialties such as naturopathy or chiropractic, others are more strident, often invoking conspiracy theories by the medical establishment and accusing Louis Pasteur in particular of fraud. Germ theory deniers pop up in a number of different locales: Some HIV denial advocates also partially or completely discount germ theory.  Dairy cranks who support the use of raw milk over pasteurized sometimes accuse Pasteur of being a shill for the French wine industry (a somewhat incoherent accusation that sometimes betrays a Prohibitionist streak).  Curiously, few of these people have shown a willingness to drink a glass of pathogen. Those that do do not always learn their lesson from the expected result.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1929 bytes Post-expand include size: 1723 bytes Template argument size: 532 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A government is a system designed to make sure citizens play nicely with other citizens. Several different types of government have been implemented in attempts to accomplish that goal, with widely varying results.  Some people are okay with their current form of government, but others express their displeasure through acts of civil disobedience or revolution.  Governments are generally held responsible for the form and nature of the domestic economic system employed by a country, and also for the level of personal freedom enjoyed by its citizens.  As actors on the world stage, the government acts on behalf of its people, negotiating treaties, starting, ending, or avoiding wars, and managing how foreign trade is conducted.  Government is considered by many to be a necessary evil.   See also Monarchy Dictatorship Democracy Anarchy Freedom  Economic systems Capitalism Communism Socialism S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Asexual Bigamy Potsexuality Hand job Human sexuality Love NAMBLA Oral sex What's Wrong with Being Gay? Sexual revolution Slut Virgin Watersports No one would suspect the wearer of this beatific smile!  A groomer, in child protective services parlance, is an adult who engages young people in an inappropriate way, with the idea of working with them in later years, again, in inappropriate ways.  Considering the age differences, what is inappropriate are usually the sexual connotations of the relationship.  We here on RationalWiki are all too well acquainted with a congenital groomer , sad to say.   See also Homeschooling Conservapedia Pedophilia Child abuse Child sexual abuse Conservapedia:Sysops (How to be a CP Sysop) Pre-expand include size: 1045 bytes Post-expand include size: 596 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Deuteronomy isn't really a story - it's sort of a list of silly laws (along with Leviticus that some Hebrews wrote back in the day. It ties with The Book of Revelation and Genesis as the craziest shizznit in the whole Bible . It is also the oldest book in the Torah, having been first compiled in abbreviated form under King Josiah, and one of the oldest parts of the Bible (though the Song of Deborah in Judges is older). Deuteronomy comes from Greek deuteronomium ("second"), which came from the Hebrew דְּבָרִים ("things").  The death penalty as a punishment for apostasy from Yahwism .  A limit of six years on holding people as slaves (but only if other person is a Hebrew) A call for genocide against the Amalekites.  The restriction against wearing fabric that is interwoven with wool and linen.  Telling women not to kick men in the balls.  Not letting castrated men enter Israel.  In summary, Deuteronomy contains a lot of the crazy stuff that makes modern, sensible humans want to slap a baby out of frustration.  Spoiler alert: Moses dies at the end.  Moses (who fundies insist is the sole author of all five books in the Penteteuch) writes all about his own passing in chapter 34: ' "So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.  And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.   See also Actions which demand the death penalty in the Old Testament List of actions prohibited by the bible Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 2563 bytes Post-expand include size: 2372 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The second book of the Bible is known as Exodus which chronicles Moses ' ( Moishe) negotiations with Pharaoh to "Let my people go." This is also the book where Moses stuck out his hand and made the Red Sea separate so he and the Hebrews could walk to the promised land (Ex 13:17-15:12). Nobody knows why they didn't walk a mile or so north and stay on dry land. This book also contains the presentation to Moses of the Ten Commandments, and a whole bunch of other weird laws (like a Menorah that can't be put out) (Ex 21:2-17). Sadly, it doesn't tell us how long a damn cubit is.   Moses: The Anti-Adam Adam: Lived in paradise, Moses: Wandered for a generation in a desert hell.  Adam: Created by God's own hands.  Moses: Buried by God's own hands.  Adam: Ejected from Eden by God.  Moses: Led from Egypt by God.  Adam: Made the sweet soil bitter and unyielding by eating from a tree whose real effects were hidden from Adam by God.  Moses: Made the bitter waters of Mara sweet by throwing a tree revealed by Yahweh into it.  Adam: Name means "red earth" Moses: Led people across the "Red Sea" Adam: First-born son committed the earliest murder, which has plagued mankind ever since.  Moses: Last plague was the murder of all Egyptian first-born sons.  Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 2729 bytes Post-expand include size: 2513 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * 2prophets1book. The first Isaiah, the one the book is traditionally attributed to, was a courtier and advisor in the court of King Hezekiah of Judah and several of his predecessors. It deals extensively in the repercussions of Judah's involvement in numerous wars and alliances in the area, as well as predictions of a Jewish Messiah to come.  Isaiah 7:14 contains the infamously disputed verse "Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the עלמה shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel." To this day, the question of whether the Biblical term ' almah above refers to a "young woman" or "girl" as in modern Hebrew or to a "virgin" (properly betulah in Hebrew) remains a rather divisive issue in Biblical translations. The word is rendered παρθενος ("virgin") in the Septuagint, leading to a curious ambiguity -- if the Septuagint indeed maintains an older textual tradition than the commonly accepted Masoretic text, wtf does this verse actually mean anyway?  Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 2563 bytes Post-expand include size: 2372 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * John is the fourth book of the New Testament of the Bible, the gospel following Luke. It was the last gospel to be written, and therefore it has the highest Christology.  None of the synoptic gospels hint that Jesus is God.  The gospel of John does so in several passages, equating the Word who became flesh with God, having Jews attempt to kill him for his attempted apotheosis, having Jesus call himself "I AM", and having St. Thomas fall to his knees, calling Jesus, "My Lord and my God".  John is written not so much as an exhaustive biographical narrative, but a collection of incidents strung together to make a set of theological points.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 2729 bytes Post-expand include size: 2513 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The book of Joshua is all about Joshua. Joshua was Moses's successor, after the big dick in the sky told Moses he couldn't enter the holy land because he had a hissy fit (so much for the "merciful God"). One of the first cool things to happen is that when the Jews approach the river Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant, the river just stops flowing for a while, and dries up. Then the Jews cross the river. The next thing they do is circumcise all the male Jews who were born in the desert during the Exodus from Egypt. This probably would have been really, really painful.  God then tells the Jews to commence with the killing of everybody who lived in the holy land, not because they were inherently bad or evil, but because they were "in the way" of the Jews. This poses a sort of ethical question, as it is obsensibly a direct order by God to commit genocide.   The Captain of the LORD of hosts Moses was dead, but the real grunt-work of carving out a holy land for the chosen people was just beginning. Joshua was appointed to replace Moses as the leader of the Israelites. On the plains of Jericho before battle was given, the following scene took place: No one knows who this Captain of the host of the Lord really was. He was at least as holy as the burning bush, because the voice in the burning bush told Moses to take off his shoes too. He was holier than a mere angel, since Joshua worshipped him and did not receive the same rebuke St. John recieved from an angel he tried to worship in Revelation 19:10. At the same time he was not the LORD of Hosts Himself, for what sovereign calls himself his own subordinate officer?  Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 2729 bytes Post-expand include size: 2513 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The Epistle of St. Jude is yet another really short "book" in the Bible . It is St. Jude's only contribution to the literature of the civilized world, and boy does he let fly in this one which is probably why he was not allowed to contribute a second book to the Bible.  Jude is the quintissential True Beliving Fanatic, spewing forth flowery language about the Chains of Darkness, God's Holy Judgment, Those Long Ago Marked Out For Condemnation, Blasphemy, St. Michael Fiercely Fighting with the Devil over the Body of Moses, Woe To Them, etc etc etc, and a long run-on sentence about wild waves of the sea foaming up their shame, or something.  Whatever.  One gets the impression St. Jude had unkempt hair, a thousand-yard stare, hadn't bathed in several weeks, launched into wild "repent!" sermons at the drop of a hat, and probably kept a can of paint and painted "Trust Jesus" everywhere he went.  The Epistle of Jude is beloved by heresy-hunters everywhere because it contains the oft-quoted verse about "contending for the faith once delivered to the Saints."  Catholics used that verse to burn Protestants at the stake, and Protestants used that verse to denounce the Great Satanic Papal Whore of Babylon to eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire, so Jude must have been onto something there if both sides agreed he was right.  Jude's real name was Judas Thaddaeus, but Judas Iscariot did for that first name what Adolph Hitler did for those little square mustaches .  Since the book of Jude talks about persevering in the midst of hopelessness, Catholics often take out ads in the newspaper praying for St. Jude to do something about their life savings invested in Washington Mutual stocks.  Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 2563 bytes Post-expand include size: 2372 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Leviticus is (along with Deuteronomy) one of the two "law books" of the Old Testament and apparently the most popular book of the entire Bible. They talk a lot about what Jews can and cannot do. Chapters 1-16 detail the priestly rituals, such as sin offering and other fun things. Chapters 17-26 include the instructions on how to go about your daily lives. Of particular note are "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination laws in Leviticus which get you the death penalty .  Jews think that Leviticus is the unadulterated word of God, as dictated to Moses on Mount Sinai. Unfortunately, the atheistic liberal modern world doesn't allow them to follow all of these laws.  Christians think that it's the word of God, but point to 1 Cor 10:23-26 as exemption from following these laws. Interestingly, many fundamentalists still cite Lev 18:22 (kill the gays) as legitimate, even though they reject the book on principle.  Other Christians accept all the laws with the exception of the ritualistic ones. That's the definition of irony.   Goats The procedure in Leviticus for cleansing the people of their sin was to take two goats , and draw lots. One of the goats was killed, and its blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat of the ark of the covenant. The high priest then laid his hands on the head of the other goat, confessed the sins of the people of Israel (thus transferring them to the goat) and the "scapegoat" was released into the wilderness.  Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 2563 bytes Post-expand include size: 2372 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Numbers is the fourth book in the Pentateuch. The name of the book comes from the part where Moses is commanded by the LORD to count the Israelites in the desert who can bear arms (there are 603,550 Israelites who are fit for military duty, which means that Moses spent a helluva lot of time counting people). Interestingly, the book is not called "Counting". “ ONE...Israelite who can bear arms!  Ah, ah, ah!  TWO...Israelites who can bear arms!  Ah, ah, ah!  ” The book starts out with Moses and the Israelites wandering through the desert, having escaped Egypt some time before. For some reason, God liked the Tribe of Levi (not the jeans) more than the other tribes, and told Moses to assign them special duties in the Tabernacle . After this, God sends a plague which destroys 14,700 Israelites.  Somewhere along 40-year march, some Israelites get thirsty. Being in a desert with 603,550 thirsty Jews probably would not have been a fun experience, and Moses realized that pretty quickly. In quite possibly the greatest piece of LSD -induced writing ever made, God tells Moses to speak to a rock. Moses refuses, and hits the Rock instead. God gets mad, and tells Moses that he won't enter Canaan .  Now is as good a time as ever to wonder how God talked to Moses. One would like to think that God boomed a commanding voice from the Heavens, but that would defeat the purpose of Moses being "special" in his ability to talk to God. If God appeared as a voice inside Moses' head, then he would be a crazy senile old person who got locked up because they heard "voices". We know that he once talked to Moses via a " Burning Bush " (how Moses deciphered a message from flame is not known, but it is obvious that Moses must have been a time-traveling superspy, like Altaïr from Assassin's Creed). However, a burning bush would be impractical for the frequent conversations that Moses had with God, especially because Bushes were scarce in the desert (in 2007, however, "Bush"es can be found in the desert a few times every year, visiting the soldiers of The USA God's Kingdom fighting the infidels). A lot of burning bushes would also create smog in the air, and give some the Israelites emphysema, but that isn't mentioned. The bushes would also make nice smoke beacons for the Egyptians to follow, which is a bit counterproductive to the plan of an all-knowing God to escape the Egyptians.  Numbers chapter 5 includes a how-to guide to performing abortions .  The instructions are rather woo based as they rely on an herbal bitter-water concoction that has the mystical ability to distinguish between a pregnancy occurring within a marriage and a pregnancy resulting from adultery or fornication.  This priestly abortion method purportedly only works if the woman got pregnant out of wedlock, according to Numbers 5.  Nonetheless, it's a fun chapter to pull out and beat over the heads of pro-lifers .   Numbers fun The book of Numbers was written by Moses.  In chapter 12 verse 3, he wrote: Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.  If Moses were alive today he would be a ghost-writer for politicians seeking the White House.  Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 3759 bytes Post-expand include size: 2964 bytes Template argument size: 187 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Back to the Guide to the Bible The Book of Proverbs (once known as the Proverbs of Solomon) is one of the books in the Bible . It takes the form of a collection of diverse advice, frequently organised as short sentences or paragraphs, many of which begin with the appellation "my son". In general, the Proverbs are concerned with wisdom and learning, and are based around the idea that the fear of God is the foundation of the search for knowledge. The Proverbs provide absolute guidelines for morality which are the direct commands of the Supreme Being.  Fundies take great comfort knowing that no matter how ambiguous modern life gets, they can always turn to the Book of Proverbs to obtain such crystal clear guidance as the following: ' Prov.26:4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.  Prov.26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.   Authorship The exact authorship of the book is ambiguous, and widely disputed. The majority of the book is presumed to be roughly the work of King Solomon, the son of David, based on the presence of his name in the first chapter:- 4. To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.  [1] However, the final chapters of the book, there are references to two other authors, named Agur and Lamuel, who are apparently attributed with writing sections of Proverbs themselves, although this connection is far from clear [2] [3] . In some versions of Proverbs, these references have been removed by scholars who believed that they were simply veiled references to Solomon himself. It is possible that Solomon is only mentioned in the Proverbs in order to pay respect to him.   See also The Bible Guide to the Bible Guide to Bible translations  Footnotes ↑ Proverbs, Chapter 1 (King James) ↑ Proverbs, Chapter 30 (King James) ↑ Proverbs, Chapter 31 (King James) Guide to the Bible Torah: Genesis - Exodus - Leviticus - Numbers - Deuteronomy Old Testament History: Joshua - Judges - Ruth - Kings (1 and 2 Kings) - Chronicles -  Ezra and Nehemiah - Esther Old Testament Wisdom: Job - Psalms - Proverbs - Ecclesiastes - Song of Solomon Major Prophets: Isaiah - Jeremiah - Lamentations - Ezekiel - Daniel Minor Prophets: Minor Prophets The Gospels: Matthew - Mark - Luke - John Acts: Acts Pauline Epistles: Romans - - - Galatians - Ephesians - Philippians - Colossians - Thessalonians - Titus - Philemon General Epistles: Hebrews - James - - Jude Revelation: Revelation Selected apocrypha : Gospel of Judas - Gospel of James - Gospel of Mary - Gospel of Philip - Gospel of Thomas - Nag Hammadi texts Guide to Bible translations Pre-expand include size: 2563 bytes Post-expand include size: 2372 bytes Template argument size: 44 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The Gospel of Mary is a collection of writings attributed to Jesus as told through and for Mary of Magdala. As with most Gospels, it is unlikely she wrote it herself, but that followers of her Church wrote it.  [1] Along with the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Judas, the Gospel of Mary is part of the Gnostic tradition, which holds that Jesus passed along secret traditions to his disciples for finding Union with God.  Contents 1 Mary as Church Leader 2 Existent Text 3 English Translation 4 Footnotes  Mary as Church Leader Karen King, in her work on the Nag Hamadi Texts writes of Mary: The confrontation of Mary with Peter, a scenario also found in The Gospel of Thomas, Pistis Sophia, and The Gospel of the Egyptians, reflects some of the tensions in second-century Christianity. Peter and Andrew represent orthodox positions that deny the validity of esoteric revelation and reject the authority of women to teach. The Gospel of Mary attacks both of these positions head-on through its portrayal of Mary Magdalene. She is the Savior's beloved, possessed of knowledge and teaching superior to that of the public apostolic tradition. Her superiority is based on vision and private revelation and is demonstrated in her capacity to strengthen the wavering disciples and turn them toward the Good.   Existent Text The Gospel of Mary is a fragmented text.  Chapters 1-3 and 11-14 have been lost, and some of the other pages, while having been expertly restored, have missing details.   English Translation
 * Heaven is the reversed spelling of "Nevaeh", a common girls' name. The name is intended to promote a life of frustrated abstinence and a "holier than thou" attitude problem.  Due to the personalities of these women, modern Christians have appropriated the reversed spelling to name the palace they think they will live in after they die . In their religion, heaven is a place where nothing ever happens. It sits atop the giant, solid dome we call "the sky." Contents 1 Why heaven would be worse than hell (if it existed) 2 Heaven, in reality 3 Paradise 4 Footnotes  Why heaven would be worse than hell (if it existed) According to Christianity, while one is in "heaven", one can do nothing but constantly and mindlessly worship the Christian god . It would appear that hell , with its complete lack of god, would be infinitely superior. Luckily for us, neither heaven nor hell are real, so we do not have to make the choice between these two.  To reverse this perception, Heaven has been building a waterpark.  However, Heaven contracted out leprechaun laborers and the project has suffered severe logistical and budgetary roadblocks.   Heaven, in reality Heaven... is a place... a place... where nothing... nothing ever happens.  [1]  Paradise Islam teaches that good Muslims go to Paradise when they die.  The men get very pleasant sexual rewards in Paradise.  It's not clear what the women get there.   Footnotes ↑ Talking Heads (David Byrne), Heaven , on Fear of Music  "
 * Heresy is an aberration from usual belief. It is usually - though not always - used in a religious sense.  Frequently the difference of opinion or interpretation may seem insignificant to outsiders - but be a matter of life and death to those heretics involved.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) See also Heresy and Heretics  "
 * "My God has a bigger Dick than your God!" [2] Footnotes ↑ I recognize this as being basically similar to an old Emo Philips riff, although it might not be original to him.  ↑ I know I screwed the pooch on this one, but I think it demonstrates the heresy point well.   "
 * The Heritage Foundation is a neoconservative think-tank.  They advocate economic deregulation and an interventionist foreign policy.  It publishes the quarterly Policy Review, for many years considered the preeminent conservative publication in Washington, D.C.  .  Like all conservative think tanks, it is full of unbelievable amounts of hot air, as evidenced in this quote, which also serves as a window into the corrupt quixotic soul of the organization.  Liberation is at hand....  A paradigm-shattering revolution has just taken place...  ...This revolution has been so sudden and sweeping that few in Washington have yet grasped its full meaning...  ...the... entire human outlook... will change...  Once this shift takes place... we will be able to advance a true Hayekian agenda, including... radical spending cuts, the end of the public school monopoly, a free market health-care system, and the elimination of the family-destroying welfare dole.  Unlike 1944, history is now on the side of freedom.  —former Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey, in a 1994 issue of Policy Review Amazing!  And is Jesus rising from the dead, too?   History Like all conservative think tanks, the Heritage Foundation was founded by proxy organizations for large corporations.   It cut its teeth during the Reagan administration in the 1980s, when it lobbied Reagan to take a hard-line stance against the Soviet Union (specifically, the "evil empire" quote), jeopardizing international relations in the process.  It also contributed heavily to the ideals embodied in the Republicans' 1994 Contract with America.  Later, the foundation became a major proponent of the unprovoked US invasion of Iraq .  Its reputation has been only slightly tarnished by the fact that all of their predictions proved wrong.  In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Heritage Foundation sought to turn the reconstruction efforts in New Orleans into a test bed for all its harebrained conservative ideas:  suspension of all government welfare, distribution of school vouchers, and the repealing of all environmental and land use regulations in the New Orleans area.   UnThink Tank As a think tank, Heritage Foundation conducts studies on socioeconomic issues.  Suspiciously, their results always support whatever they are lobbying for.  Isn't that funny?  In my favorite example, the study they conducted found that poor people aren't really poor.  They then lobbied to end government support to the poor.  Hmm...  They also pushed lackadaisical policies about Iraq, stating that only 40,000 troops would be needed to take over and maintain order in Iraq, the war would be over in a couple years at most , and the Iraqis would greet us with open arms (which proved true, but not in quite the way it was intended), and the Iraqis wanted democracy.  Apparently, they pull these studies out of their ass.   See also Sean Hannity - not so surprisingly, he just loves these guys  "
 * Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (usually referred to as AIDS) is a collection of diseases and symptoms caused by long-term infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Contents 1 Definition 2 History 3 Pathology 4 Opportunistic Infections (OIs) 5 AIDS and fundamentalism 6 Other superstitions 7 Quack medical treatments 8 Denialism 9 Footnotes  Definition According to the CDC's 1993 guidelines, [1] [2] as follows: HIV infection plus any of the following: CD4 count less than 200 or CD4 percentage less than 14% of total lymphocytes or Any of the following illnesses: pulmonary TB, recurrent pneumonia, invasive cervical cancer.  Expanded definition including 23 clinical conditions published elsewhere [3] The World Health Organization uses a different staging method for HIV disease.  [4]  History The illness was first recognized in the early 1980s [5] as homosexual men presented to their doctors with a rare lung disease called Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP) [6] . Early on, the "gay disease" took on a variety of names, including "gay cancer" and "Gay-related immune deficiency" (GRID). The Centers for Disease Control noticed an increase in requests for drugs needed to treat this illness and launched an epidemiological investigation.  Although the first cases of the disease probably go back to the 1950s, the epidemic was not recognized until the early 1980s [1] Social and political responses to the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s have included the 'safe sex' movement, with demands for greater availability of contraception, greater awareness of the risks of unprotected sex, and more comprehensive sex education.  These movements have been met with some resistance from conservatives, who see them as implying approval of promiscuous lifestyles and hence contributing to moral decline.   Pathology After infection with HIV, the virus quickly replicates in lymphatic tissue and travels through the blood to infect most areas of the body.  The largest consequence of this is the "hijacking" of certain immune cells (any that express the protein CD4, which is the target of the viral antigen), especially so-called Helper-T cells, or CD4+ (CD4 positive) cells. The virus capsid contains two proteins, called Reverse Transcriptase and DNA Integrase, along with the viral strand of RNA. Reverse Transcriptase performs reverse transcription on the viral RNA, thus converting it into DNA [7] , and DNA Integrase then "injects" the viral DNA into the host DNA in the cell nucleus [8] . One of the primary methods of control in HIV+ patients is therefore Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (RTIs) [9] .  Early in the infection, the immune system holds the infection at bay, often causing "Acute Retroviral Syndrome", a flu-like illness.  Patients often have swollen lymph nodes. After approximately 8-10 years of infection, the immune system begins to lose its battle.  This is primarily seen in the loss of numbers of CD4+ cells, however the changes are somewhat more complex.  When the CD4+ cell level drops low enough, AIDS becomes apparent.  The first symptoms of the illness are generally night sweats, weight loss, and oral thrush.   Opportunistic Infections (OIs) The hallmark of AIDS is the appearance of opportunistic infections , meaning infections with organisms that do not usually cause human disease, unless given the right "opportunity".  This opportunity is the reduction in cell-mediated immunity, first seen in patients with certain cancers or on anti-rejection drugs for organ transplantation.  These infections include: Pneumocystis jiroveci, previously Pneumocystis carinii Candida albicans (the cause of thrush and vaginal yeast infections) Staphylococcus aureus (primarily causes skin infections) Toxoplasma gondii Cytomegalovirus Streptococcus pneumoniae (the primary cause of pneumonia in AIDS patients) Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) Mycobacterium avium complex (atypical mycobacterium) Cryptococcus neoformans (a cause of meningitis) Epstein Barr virus (leads to a type of lymphoma) Human herpesvirus-8 (causes Kaposi's sarcoma)  AIDS and fundamentalism Since AIDS initially appeared to be impacting only the gay community, some religious fundamentalist groups, especially Christian ones, proclaimed that the disease was a divine retribution for homosexuality, or for promiscuity and moral decline.  Analogies were made with Sodom and Gomorrah These ideas have lost weight among most religious groups, although a few obnoxious extremists still cling to them, including Jerry Falwell Pat Robertson and Fred Phelps .  Placards held by members of Phelps' Westboro Baptist church in their homophobic picketing activities regularly include slogans such as "Thank God for AIDS".   Other superstitions Many other myths and superstitions have grown up surrounding AIDS, including the belief that the disease originated from a man having sex with a monkey or ape, and contracting a simian disease from it.  In societies with a poor education or awareness of AIDS, or a high level of prejudice, sufferers are often ostracised in the false belief that any kind of contact could spread the disease.  In southern africa, there a widely held belief that an infected individual can 'cleanse' themself of AIDS by having sex with a virgin.  Similar beliefs regarding sexually transmitted diseases have existed for centuries, but the growth of this superstition during the AIDS pandemics of recent years is particularly shocking, in that it has led to thousands of rapes of children and even  babies in Africa.  [10]  Quack medical treatments Along with the existence of AIDS there has grown a field of useless quack medical treatments purporting to treat the disease.  These treatments are ineffective and range from the harmless but worthless ( homeopathy) to potentially deadly ( oxygen therapy).  Cases exist where drinking Kombucha tea,  falsely claimed as an immune system builder, has led to opportunistic infections in HIV+ patients.   Denialism See the main article about this subject, HIV denialism .  For bizarre reasons, some people (including many who should know better) insist on denying that a retrovirus (HIV) is the cause of AIDS.   Footnotes ↑
 * The Holocaust was a campaign by the German Nazi Party to eliminate ethnic Jews (and other so-called "undesirables" including homosexuals, ethnic Serbs and Slavs, and Roma) from Europe. This campaign was carried out during World War II . Contents 1 Origin of term 2 Methods 3 History 4 Other participants 5 Death Toll 6 Also see 7 Footnotes  Origin of term The term Holocaust came into wide usage only starting in the mid 1970s after it was popularized in writings and through the TV miniseries of the same name.  It has been known in Hebrew as the Shoah since it happened in the 1940s.  The term "final solution" or " Hitler 's final solution" also refers to the Holocaust and was widely used before Holocaust became the best known term for it.   Methods The Holocaust was carried out in concentration camps throughout Nazi-occupied territory during World War II.  The largest and most infamous was the Auschwitz camp in Poland.  It involved systematic use of gas chambers using the gas Zyklon B as the most common means of committing this mass murder of people.  These camps are also sometimes called extermination camps.  There were also widespread deaths in them from systematic starvation and from disease.  Horrific forced medical experiments were also conducted on prisoners.   History The Nazis began setting up concentration camps as early as 1933, such as the Dachau camp in southern Germany.  At the time they were used for forced labor and imprisonment of political dissidents and other "undesirables".  These camps were the site of many deaths from starvation and exhaustion, as well as disease.  During this period many Jews, homosexuals, Roma and others were sent to the camps.  The large-scale systematic relocation of Jews and others to the camps for mass extermination in gas chambers began about 1942 and lasted until the camps were liberated at the end of World War II.  The scope and scale of this genocide once it was seen firsthand shocked even a world already weary of several years of world war.   Other participants In Croatia the Ustaše party, which ruled under Axis protection between 1941 and 1945 carried out its own extermination campaign against ethnic Serbs and Jews in conjunction with the Nazis, doing so on their own initiative.  In France, the puppet Vichy regime also actively collaborated with the Nazis in rounding up Jews.  Other Axis aligned countries however (Italy, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria) did not comply except in a few cases when they were compelled to by their Nazi allies.   Death Toll Nearly 6 million Jews were killed [1] , along with 2-3 million Soviet POW's, [2] 1-1.5 million political activists, .6 million Serbs, close to .5 million Roma (Gypsies), [3] .2 million Poles, 80,000-200,000 Freemasons, [4] 75,000-250,000 disabled, [5] 7,000-16,000 Spanish POW's, 5,000-15,000 gay men, [6] and 2,500-5,000 Jehovah's Witnesses.  [7] [8]  Also see Holocaust denial Racism Eugenics  Footnotes ↑
 * Victims_and_death_toll "
 * Humans are the dominant tool-using species of the Sol System. On the third planet, called " Earth " they have built cities and engaged in writing for the last six thousand Earth years, and have grown to a population of 6.6 billion individuals.  Twelve humans have walked on the large satellite of Earth, and at least three humans maintain themselves in orbit around Earth at any given time. Humans have sent robotic probes to every major body in the Sol System, and they have even sent four probes out of the system altogether.  In appearance humans have a bilateral symmetry built around a stack of bones called a spine, with most of their sense organs concentrated in a pod mounted at the top of this spine.  They have learned to balance on two of their four limbs, leaving the other two free to manipulate their environment.  Human bodies maintain a constant temperature of exactly 300 degrees Kelvin. They lack natural insulation over most of their skin, but they compensate by fashioning for themselves artificial insulation as appropriate for whatever environment they choose to inhabit. They reproduce sexually but the female retains the fertilized egg inside her body until her offspring is mature enough to survive in the world with somewhat less intensive care.  However, after ejecting the infant in a difficult ordeal (on account of the size of a human baby's head), the female human sustains her offspring for some time with food manufactured within her own body.   "
 * " Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job!" George W. " Reagan said government doesn't work, and we're proving him right!" Bush Hurricane Katrina formed in the middle of August, 2005, tripped lightly over Florida, then turned into a monster that on August 28 drowned most of the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, most notably the city of New Orleans. Hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, and the waterlogged wreckage remains behind in a great many areas.  Katrina in particular is known for FEMA's failure to provide evacuation capabilities before the storm and adequate relief aid in the immediate aftermath, despite the National Weather Service delivering a pinpoint-accurate prediction of Katrina's impending advance and a historically graphic severe weather warning that turned out to be far more true than not.   See also Divine retribution S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The Republic of Iceland is an island country in northern Europe. It is made up of the island of Iceland itself and nearby smaller islands. It lies between the rest of Europe and Greenland.  It has a population of around 313,000 and it has the highest literacy rate in the world.  Iceland is one of the few countries in the world where the new Heathen religion of " Asatru " has official state recognition alongside Christianity .   Icelanders and fairies The Icelandic Tourist Board claim that 80% of Icelanders are prepared to believe in fairies or elves, or at least not dismiss their existence. Furthermore polls find that 54% express a positive belief and 25% even claim to have seen them.  Roads in Iceland have been diverted in order to avoid their homes, the chief of which is a rock formation known as "Alfborg".  Furthermore, and it is quite common for experts from an "Elf Medium" to be called in to construction sites and cable laying in order to negotiate with the elves and buildings and cables are often moved as a result. This will usually happen after problems with workers being taken mysteriously ill or equipment failures.  There is even a college, run by Magnus Skarphedinsson, called the "Alfskolin" which awards certificates for their study. The fairies are claimed to wear traditional clothes while the elves favor pointy hats and shoes.  According to the Alfskolin there are 13 sub-types of elves, 3 types of fairies, 2 types of troll and 4 types of gnome plus 4 hidden peoples (including the Blue People).  It is not known if the trolls are fed, or what variety of creature Bjork is.  Before we start to laugh at the Icelanders however we need to remember that, while only 4% of Americans believe in fairies, between 40  and 50 percent believe the earth was created 10,000 years ago [1] . There are many more Americans than Icelanders.   Footnotes ↑ US belief in Creationism  "
 * Inflammatory language can refer to single words, phrases, names, or various discourse strategies. Name-calling is one of the crudest forms, and more subtle types are virtually undetectable to people outside the conflict. Examples of inflammatory language are: Yelling "movie!" in a crowded firehouse.  Yelling "pork!" in a crowded mosque.  Yelling "AIDS!" in a crowded bathhouse.  Yelling "free beer!" in a crowded AA meeting.  Yelling "science!" in a crowded intelligent design conference.   See also Dog whistle politics S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * USE%20OF%20THE Pre-expand include size: 152275 bytes Post-expand include size: 1205 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes "
 * Instant Runoff Voting, often referred to as "IRV", is a system of voting designed to allow voter preferences, below their first choice, to be considered. It is made possible by modern computing capacity.  Contents 1 Method 2 Potential benefits 3 Potential problems 4 Examples where it might have been illuminating 5 Real world implementations 6 See also 7 External links 8 Footnotes  Method In IRV, a voter picks not only their first choice for an office, but gives a order of preference for the remaining candidates.  When the polls close, if a candidate has 50%+1 of first choice votes, they win.  If no candidate has reached this threshold, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is "removed", or excluded, and their votes are redistributed according to the ballots' second choice.  The votes are re-tallied to see if a candidate has attained 50%+1 threshold.  This process continues until one candidate reaches the threshold number of the votes, at which time a winner is declared.  The Australian Electoral Commission gives this example [1] , from the 1972 Federal election in the seat of McMillan, illustrating this point.  Round Armitage (Liberal Party) Buchanan (Independent) Hewson (Country Party) Houlihan (Democratic Labor Party) Mountford (Australian Labor Party) 1 Redistributed votes 12025 810 3113 Excluded 8282 1980 3583 138 22802 185 2 Redistributed votes 12835 391 0 10262 3144 3721 Excluded 22987 186 3 Redistributed votes 13226 Excluded 0 13406 12690 0 23173 536 4 Redistributed votes 0 0 26096 Elected 0 23709 As can be seen, even though Hewson initially did not obtain the most votes (he was third), he won on the back of the preferences of the Country Party's ally the Liberal Party and those splitters the People's Popular Front of Judea Democratic Labor Party.   Potential benefits IRV is seen as a potential boon to alternate or third party candidates in strong two-party systems, since a voter can pick their "real" choice without "throwing their vote away".  Another benefit to small parties is that they can determine their "real" polling strength without damaging a larger party candidate that would be their choice over another large party candidate.  It also allows voters to truly "vote their conscience" rather than hold their nose and pick the lesser of two evils, while still indicating which of those lessers they could be more comfortable with.   Potential problems One difficulty arising from IRV is the loose-knit coalitions that form, where parties agree to assist one another against one singled out party by printing "how to vote cards" with that party in last place on all cards. This is really only viewed as a problem by people who support the party being singled out. A typical occurrence is the Australian party "One Nation", which has appeared last on most party's how to vote cards, due to its extreme anti-immigration position and poor economic platform (they once proposed printing more money as a solution to budget deficits). As One Nation has never won a House seat, this is probably a good thing.   Examples where it might have been illuminating Recent examples of how this might have made U.S.  presidential politics clearer include Nader voters in 2000 being able to support Gore as a second choice, or Perot voters in 1992 being able to show their preference between Bush and Clinton at some point on their list.   Real world implementations Some jurisdictions have implemented Instant Runoff Voting.  The only countries to have set it up on a national level are Australia (for the House of Representatives), Ireland (for President), Papua New Guinea (for Parliament), and Fiji (for the House of Representatives.)  See also Mixed member proportional voting  External links Cartoon on YouTube showing Instant Runoff Voting (Warning: This video is aimed at changing the US electoral system to this method - is that so bad?).  Chrisgates.net - Interactive flash animation of the potential use of IRV in 2000 presidential election.   Footnotes ↑ Australian Electoral Commission - How the House of Representatives votes are counted  "
 * Isaac (or Itzhak or Yitzhak) is the son of Abraham and the father to Jacob, the three being known in Jewish circles as the "Patriarchs" [1] . Isaac is one of the less interesting characters of the three Patriarchs .  His biggest claim to fame is being the sacrificial victim of YHWH 's test of Abraham.  His second biggest claim to fame is being the second name in the praise "Abraham, Isaac and Jacob".   Isaac was probably traumatized by the near sacrifice.  He blesses one son, Jacob, and cursed the other son, Easaw.  Jacob only got a blessing by deception.  Also, Isaac, as the son to Sara, is the counter to Ishmael , the son of Hagar.  While both may have had animosity for each other, they did, in the end, stand side by side at their father Abraham's funeral.   Other famous Isaacs Isaac Albanez - composer who provided guitarists with perhaps one of the most recognized songs, Asterius.  Isaac Asimov - Science and Science fiction writer.  Isaac Newton - did something with an apple .  Maybe Eve was involved?  Isaac Hayes - some Scientologist guy who starred on South Park. Also made great records, once upon a time.  Izaak Walton (close enough) - wrote The Compleat Angler Itzhak Perlman - polio stricken violin virtuoso Isaac Bruce - American football player Yitzhak Rabin - Two-term Prime Minister of Israel  Footnotes ↑ Avot in Hebrew  "
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Israel Israel's itty-bitty flag. Israel is the state formed in the aftermath of World War II for the Jews of the world.  It was felt in many places that the Jewish nation needed its own state to protect it from anti-Semitism .  Since many Jewish people had already moved to the area prior to and during the war, and because of the historical associations with the Jewish people, the area now known as Israel was given to them.  However, in that doing so meant a certain amount of dislocation for the existing Arab population, it has long been a contentious decision.  Many in the Middle East saw it as an act of colonialism, and many of the surrounding states (once they achieved independence) made plans to destroy the state of Israel.  In the early wars, the Arab forces greatly outnumbered the Israeli forces, but the Israelis were triumphant.  Since then, there has been ongoing strife with terrorism by organizations devoted to the cause of the pre-existing Arabic people, commonly known as Palestinians.  In fighting this terrorism, and in trying to construct a Jewish nation-state, the IDF have often been criticized for repressing the Palestinians and seizing their territory, and for being terrorists in their own right.  These issues are considered highly contentious to this day.  Contents 1 Location 2 Founding 3 Gay rights 4 Israel and the UN 5 Israeli nukes 6 Lost tribes 7 Footnotes  Location Israel is a country in Southwest Asia located on the southeastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Lebanon in the north, Syria and Jordan in the east, and Egypt on the southwest.  The total area under Israeli law, including East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, is 22,072 square kilometers (8,522 sq mi). The total area under Israeli control, including the military-controlled and Palestinian-governed territory of the West Bank, is 27,799 square kilometers (10,733 sq mi).   Founding The United States Turkey Germany , and India are among Israel's closest allies. The United States was the first country to recognize the State of Israel, followed by the Soviet Union . The United States regards Israel as its primary ally in the Middle East, based on similar political and religious values.   Gay rights Israel is the only state in the Middle East to have any kind of gay rights .  Despite general Arab animosity toward Israel, most Arabic gay rights organizations meet in Israel. However, there are still significant anti-gay factions in the Israeli parliament.  [1]  Israel and the UN Unfortunately Israel doesn't extend the tolerance it gives to homosexuals to the native Palestinians in Israeli occupied territory, having racked up a whopping 249 UN resolutions against Israel. Despite a zealous enforcing of UN resolutions concerning Iraq, the US government obviously must have missed the 249 memos informing them of UN resolutions against Israel as it continues to give Israel more aid than it does to Sub-Saharan Africa and South America combined .   Israeli nukes Of all the nations in the world stockpiling nuclear weapons , only India Pakistan , and Israel have declined to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and only Israel is immune to US pressure to sign that treaty. The diplomatic trick the US uses is that Israel remains "ambiguous" about their stockpile, but that is no longer true since former Israeli Prime Minister Olmert said, "Iran openly, explicitly, and publicly threatens to wipe Israel off the map. Can you say that this is the same level when they are aspiring to have nuclear weapons, as America, France, Israel, Russia?"  Lost tribes Genesis refers to the "lost tribes".  According to www.originofnations.org: [2] Weird!   Footnotes ↑ [1] ↑ Lost tribes  "
 * "Happy Dead Jerry Falwell Day!" - May 15 Jerry Falwell, RIP, was an obnoxious christofascist demagogue who spewed narrow-minded hatred at every chance, while presenting himself as a pretender to the homilies of one Jesus Christ . He blamed homesexuals neopagans , and feminists for the September 11 attacks. He died on May 15, 2007, proving that even God was tired of Jerry's claptrap.  The world moved on.  As the creator of the Moral Majority , he seemed to take inspiration from Billy James Hargis 's "Christian Crusade".  His legacy is Liberty University .  Falwell famously fought it out with Larry Flynt all the way to the Supreme Court over a spoof liquor ad in Hustler magazine in which Falwell talked about his first time with his mother in an outhouse.  The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in favor of Hustler , establishing a free speech precedent of the right to parody public figures.   See also Dominionism Fundamentalism Douchebag S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Traditional statue of Jesus. This one is thought to date from the 14th century and be of Italian origin Jesus or Jesus Christ is commonly known as the central figure of Christianity . In Christian theology Jesus is the son of God, born to the Virgin Mary, and was sacrificed to atone for humanity's sins.  Contents 1 Birth 2 Jesus' Life 3 Jesus' death 3.1 Puzzling details about Jesus' crucifixion 4 Alternate Perceptions 4.1 Ideas about the nature of Jesus 5 Maimonides' view of Jesus 6 Historical Jesus 7 Other Famous Jesuses 8 Footnotes 9 Quotes about Jesus 10 See also 11 Footnotes  Birth  Main article: The virgin birth According to Christian mythology Jesus was born to a virgin mother -- yet the Bible also claims that he was the direct male line descendant of King David through Joseph, who was not his father.   Jesus' Life In the  Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Judea) to Mary , who at the time was a virgin , and the Holy Spirit. The Gospel of Luke relates that the angel Gabriel visited Mary in order to announce to her that she had been chosen to bear the Son of God (Luke 1:26–38). Alternatively his father may have been Joseph .  There were any number of men in Judea capable of fathering a child.  His father may even been a depraved, lecherous Roman soldier called Pantera or even an alien Jesus' early home is stated to have been in the town of Nazareth in Galilee, and except for an escape to Egypt in early childhood, to avoid Herod's massacre of the other male infants, all other events in the Gospels take place in ancient Israel. Luke's Finding in the Temple (Luke 2:41–52), where Jesus impressed the priests by discoursing in scripture with them, is the only detailed event between Jesus' infancy and adult life mentioned in any of the canonical Gospels.  The Gospel of Mark begins with the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, which appears to be the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.  Jesus came to the River Jordan, where John was preaching and baptizing people in the crowd. After Jesus had been baptized, and had risen up out of the water, Mark states Jesus 'saw the heavens torn apart and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven After this baptism, according to Matthew, Jesus was brought into the desert by God, where he fasted for forty days and nights. During this period, Satan Jesus gets tough with the money-changers in the temple.  Jesus then began to preach. The Gospel of John describes three different passover feasts that Jesus attended, thus implying that his ministry lasted three years.  Prayer . Jesus often used parables in his rhetorical technique, such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats God and for all people. During these sermons, he also discussed service and humility, forgiveness of sins, how faith should be applied, the Golden Rule , and the necessity of following the spirit of the law as well as its wording.  Jesus also often conversed with social outcasts, such as the publican (Roman tax collectors who were unpopular for their practice of extorting money).  During the  trial of Jesus by the Sanhedrin, a court-like body made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, highly orthodox and conservative members of the Jewish community, the high priests and elders asked Jesus, "Are you the Son of God?," and when he replied, "You say that I am," they condemned Jesus for blasphemy (Luke 22:70–71).   Jesus' death Jesus' slow and tortuous death is believed by Christians to atone humankind for the original sin committed by Adam and Eve.  However, as most educated Christians believe the story of Adam and Eve to be either a parable or a myth, this rather leaves open the question of why God should cause Himself to be tortured to atone for a myth. "Jesus Christ" means "Jesus the Saviour" and refers to this idea.  Those who believe in the literal truth of original sin have no problem in believing that God caused all humanity to be cursed for the sin of two people and then decided to torture Himself to make up for it.   Puzzling details about Jesus' crucifixion The biblical account of Jesus' crucifixion states that nails were driven through his hands.  In Luke 24:39, a post-resurrection Jesus invites his disciples to inspect the nail holes in his hands and his feet.  In John 24:24-27, Jesus invites Thomas to stick his finger into the nail holes in Jesus' hands.  The problem: the Romans never nailed a condemned person's hands to a cross.  The bones in the hands would tear apart under the person's weight.  Instead, they nailed the person's wrists to the cross.  Another curiosity would be the very existence of the wounds from the nails and spear.  Considering that one might assume that resurrection, the healing of death if you will, might also fix those problems too.  Dedeadifying someone only to leave gaping and festering wounds doesn't seem like much of a resurrection.  Jesus' pending ascension, however, could explain this significant oversight.  Crucifixion was perhaps the most drawn-out form of execution ever devised.  The condemned often lingered for days.  When the condemned grew tired, they hung limp, stretching out the diaphragm and making it impossible to inhale.  The condemned then pulled themselves up by the nails through their wrists.  They could breathe as long as they held themselves up in this fashion.  Eventually, somebody would break their legs to put them out of their misery.  The Romans then left the body on the cross for days, allowing scavengers to pick at it as a warning to would-be insurrectionists.  The problems: After only a few hours on the cross, Jesus cried out, "It is finished" [1] and "died."  Was he in such poor health that he died so quickly? Probably so. He had been pierced in the side with a spear, and had had to drag the cross to Calvary, falling three times, having been whipped across the entire journey. This isn't exactly conducive to resistance to torture.  According to John 19:31, the Jews asked Pontius Pilate to send a centurion to break the legs of Jesus and the two thieves crucified with him so the three of them could die and be entombed before the Sabbath began.  This seems an odd request.  Pilate's granting of their request is equally odd.  Since the Romans used crucifixion to intimidate their subjects, isn't it logical that Pilate would say "no" and allow the bodies to remain on their crosses?  If this was a request normally granted to the Jews on the sabbath, why would the Romans schedule these crucifixions mere hours before the sabbath began?  Wouldn't they wait until the sabbath was over and then crucify Jesus and the two thieves?  Because Jesus "died" before the centurion came to break his legs, [2] skeptics believe that he had merely passed out and later came to in the tomb (see surviving crucifixion).   Alternate Perceptions Many non-canonical Gospels present Jesus from an alternative perspective, and the apostles, as well.  For example, in Matthew 10:34, Jesus claims to bring not peace, but "fire and a sword."  The same line is duplicated in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas, in which Jesus is presented as a wise teacher of neo-Platonist, Gnostic Judaism.  It is hard to reconcile this line with the popular modern perception of Jesus, leading most to believe that the real person Jesus, and his real ministry, were likely much more complicated than modern Christianity maintains, and interpreted differently by different people.  Similarly, the acts that Jesus inspired in his followers differ according to different tales.  Christianity emerged, as a result of Pauline leadership, as a steady-state religion that could weave subtly into the fabric of the Roman Empire.  Other tales of Jesus and his followers, though, make him out to be much more of a revolutionary.  For example, a tale exists called the , in which Paul treats a Roman woman as his equal and fellow in Christ, leading her to oppose the Roman way of life and seek spiritual peace in a much more Gnostic sense.  In this tale, Paul also appears as much more of a social revolutionary than we have come to know him.  Acts was a popular story in the early Roman world.  However, it has largely vanished, as a result of its lack of incorporation into the canon.  It is possible that this revolutionary, original personality of the Jesus movement was deliberately abandoned by Paul in his attempt to popularize the religion.  Also abandoned by Paul were the strong Jewish roots of Christianity.   Ideas about the nature of Jesus The nature of Jesus has caused much debate over the years: Jesus had only one, divine nature. (Monophysitism) Jesus existed as two different persons, the mortal man and the divine Logos , which co-existed in one body. (Nestorianism) Sort of a compromise between the two, decided at a conference called the Council of Nicaea (325 CE) and the later Council of Chalcedon (451 CE), resulting in the Chalcedonian or orthodox Christian view.  Jesus was a divine being, but created by and subservient to God the Father. (Arianism) Jesus was a man, but Divinely inspired (Ebionitism) Jesus was wholly God and his human form an illusion (Docetism).  Jesus had two natures in one person, a human and a divine, but only one will. (Monothelitism) Jesus never existed [3] --- which suggests that Jesus was more of a concept than a person and that there were numerous people called Jesus in the first century CE Jesus was just this guy, you know.  This version does get a nice consolation prize .  For most of the Middle Ages option 3 gained popular favor, partly due to the slight risk of being burnt alive if on the losing side of the argument.   Maimonides' view of Jesus One Jewish understanding of the messiah is based on the writings of Maimonides, (also known as Rambam). His views on the messiah are discussed in his Mishneh Torah, his 14 volume compendium of Jewish law. In Judaism, Jesus is not considered to be the Messiah. According to Maimonides: "As for Jesus of Nazareth, who claimed to be the Anointed One and was condemned by the Sanhedrin. Daniel had already prophesied about him, thus: 'And the children of your people's rebels shall raise themselves to set up prophecy and will stumble.' (Ibid. 14) Can there be a bigger stumbling block than this? All the Prophets said that the Anointed One saves Israel and rescues them, gathers their strayed ones and strengthens their mitzvot whereas this one caused the loss of Israel by sword, and to scatter their remnant and humiliate them, and to change the Torah and to cause most of the world to erroneously worship a god besides the Lord. But the human mind has no power to reach the thoughts of the Creator, for his thoughts and ways are unlike ours. All these matters of Yeshu of Nazareth and of Muhammad who stood up after him are only intended to pave the way for the Anointed King, and to mend the entire world to worship God together, thus: 'For then I shall turn a clear tongue to the nations to call all in the Name of the Lord and to worship him with one shoulder.'"  Historical Jesus There are no contemporary sources on Jesus' life.  All surviving mentions of Jesus in ancient times are in texts written by Christians decades or more after his supposed death.  No official Roman sources mention him, and the gospels contradict themselves and each other on the key events.  The New Testament is factually incorrect on many historical events, such as the reign of Herod and the Roman census.  Therefore, it is not clear whether Jesus was in fact a historical person.  An important tactic of Conservative Christians in their attempts to dominate the world is to try to use science to prove that Jesus really did exist.  Ironically, their attempts to do this are not blocked or dismissed by scholars, because many, if not most, scholars already accept the idea that Jesus was a real man who, in or around 30 CE, was acting as teacher, mystic, spiritualist, healer, political activist, or religious revolutionary. The scholarly claims [4] are made and backed up not by historical records, of which there are precious few, but through accepted claims on the nature of mythology and new religions [5] .  It is traditionally accepted that myths generally do not derive from thin air, and that the characters and stories in these myths are  exaggerations, deifications , or simple mischaracterizaions of events and persons that really existed and did "something" of some kind of note.  Within 10 years of each other, 10-20 churches "pop up" throughout Jerusalem and the Aramaic world which all name the Christ character "Jesus".  But fear not, good atheists, agnostics, and all those who routinely battle Fundamental Christians or other pushy types.  Just because a dude "likely existed" and was probably walking around saying loony things about mustard seeds, this in no way validates anything that is in the Biblical accounts of the mythic Christ character.  That is to say, even if we could without a doubt prove the existence of Jesus of Nazareth, that hardly proves he died and his Daddy brought him back to life, holes in his hands and all.   Other Famous Jesuses Jesus Flores - backup catcher for the Washington Nationals baseball team.  Jesus Colome - Pitcher for the Nationals Jesus Christ - a Palestinian carpenter and ne'er-do-well.  Jesús Gil - former controversial president of Atlético Madrid football club.  Jesus Jones - Not strictly speaking an actual Jesus but a London based indie rock group.  Jesus and Mary Chain - another band.  Jesus Built My Hot Rod - a song by Ministry Jesus Quintana - Amateur bowler and convicted pederast. Eight-year-olds, dude. Don't fuck with him.  Big Jesus Mordino - leader of the Mordino crime family in the computer game Fallout 2 .  Can be killed in an amusing fashion by force-feeding him a bottle of soda.  Sweet Jesus -- imaginary friend to whom the stoner in the 70s pop song confides that he is "one toke over the line." Brian  Footnotes Jesus can also be used as an exclamation of surprise (i.e.  Jesus Christ on an Easter Tree Jesus Fucking Christ Jesus H. Christ Christ on a bike!  or just Jesus!).  For those lacking the nerve to take his name in vain, there are many useful substitutes, such as Jiminy Cricket!  Crikey!  , or that old standby, "Jeeez!"  And don't forget the more modern "Cheeze Whiz on Crackers!" Jesus has been the main subject of numerous works of fiction and art, which mostly depicts him as a handsome, white, blue-eyed guy. Among the many books and films about Jesus, we have: The Last Temptation , from greek writer Nikos Kazantzakis, later adaped to film by Martin Scorsese.  The Passion of the Christ , a film by (and for) Mel Gibson.  Jesus Christ Superstar , rock opera about the last days of Jesus, and a wet dream for many christians.  The Book of Daniel (TV series), cancelled due to low ratings.  The Bible , number one best selling work of fiction ever.   Quotes about Jesus "I like your Christ very much.  I don't like your Christians." - The Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi [6] "The message of Christ is not Christianity. The message of Christ is Christ." -Gary Amirault "I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin born, because the answer to that question would define history." –Larry King "Jesus' major goal is to reveal his Father to those who will repent and trust in him as their only way of salvation from his Father's anger at them for their sin." - Conservapedia - John Lennon  See also The True Cross The cross Jesus was crucified on , alleged pieces of which were sold to the gullible by con men over the centuries.  Surviving crucifixion Fun:Jesus  Footnotes ↑ John 19:30 ↑ John 19:33 ↑ See Jesus never existed .  ↑ as opposed to those people trying to prove Jesus existed to further either a religious agenda or a conspiracy agenda ↑ ↑ A sentiment shared by RationalWiki Sysop Edgerunner76 .   "
 * Jim Bakker is the disgraced televangelist from the PTL Club (which stands for Praise The Lord, Pass The Loot, or Pay The Lady). His main claims to fame are commiting adultery with a church secretary and paying her to keep it quiet, watching his PTL empire collapse after the revelations became public, turning PTL over to Jerry Falwell during the scandal only to see Falwell do a hostile takeover, building a Christian amusement park in South Carolina (now defunct) just before his big scandal, and serving a prison sentence for bilking the flock out of their money.  Learning a lesson from Jimmy Swaggart, who was widely ridiculed when he went on TV right after his adultery scandal to give a phony display of "LOOOORRRRDDDD, I have sinnnnned against theeeee!" hyperemotionalism and then insisting on returning to the ministry as if nothing had happened, Jim Bakker waited several years to attempt his own comeback.  He did it with a much slicker version of Swaggart's "LOOOORRRRDDDD, I have sinnnnned against theeeee!", in the form of Bakker's entirely self-serving book I Was Wrong , written in a carefully cauculated way to redeem Bakker's reputation.  Predictably, he then returned to preaching.  He also once shared a prison cell with Lyndon LaRouche .   "
 * Jimmy Swaggart is a televangelist who doesn't practice what he preaches. He incurred a "fall from grace" in the late 1980s for having sex with a prostitute in a sleazy Louisiana motel.  He has, however, been forgiven by God .  How do we know that he has been forgiven by God?  Because Jimmy Swaggart went on TV a few days after he was caught to give a whiny "LOOOORRRRDDDD, I have sinnnnned against theeeee!" sermon and shed tears of repentance.  Predictably, he was caught cruising for prostitutes again just a few years later in California .  Though nowhere near the days when he was at the height of his influence, Jimmy continues to televangelize to this day.  The Jimmy Swaggart sex scandal broke in 1987-88, right around the same time as the Jim Bakker sex scandal did, and Oral Roberts made his highly specious claim that the LORD had spoken to him in his Prayer Tower and said He was going to "call him home" unless his flock sent him a certain amount of money pronto.  All these scandals hitting at once didn't seem to affect Americans' appetite for being fleeced by charlatans however - evangelical megachurches are more popular than ever.   "
 * Joe Biden. Definitely. No really. Joe Biden, an only child, was born in Tredegar, Wales. His father was a coal miner who suffered from dermatitis and had to find work as a labourer and his mother was a district nurse. In 1953 Biden went to the Lewis School, Pengam from where he won a place to University College, Cardiff, obtaining a degree (at the second attempt) in industrial relations and history in 1965. A year later, Biden obtained a postgraduate diploma in education and between August 1966 and May 1970 he worked as a tutor for a WEA.   Member of Parliament Congress In June 1969 he won the Labour Democratic Party nomination for the constituency of Bedwellty in Wales (later Islwyn). He was elected on June 18 1970 and became a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Democratic Party in October 1978. On becoming an MP for the first time, his father said "Remember N...er, Joe, MP stands not just for Member of Parliament, but also for Man of Principle".  Labour Democratic government policy at the time was in favour of devolution for Wales, but the wider party was split. Biden was one of six south Wales Labour Democratic MPs to campaign against devolution. In the Wales referendum, 1979, the proposal for devolution was rejected. Following defeat in the 1979 General Election, James Callaghan appointed him to the Shadow Cabinet as Education spokesman. His ambition was noted by other MPs and David Owen's opposition to the changes to the electoral college was thought to be motivated by the realisation that they would favour Biden's succession. He was known as a left-winger, and gained notoriety for his attacks on Margaret Thatcher 's handling of the Falklands War.  Biden was given an "F" by the National Rifle Association, but a 100% approval rating from the AFL-CIO . He voted to provide Social Security to illegal immigrants. Other than that he's a pretty middle-of-the-road centrist sort of like Scoop Jackson. If Obama is impeached for, you know, being born in Kenya like his relatives say rather than Hawaii like that photoshopped birth certificate says, then America would be in fairly good hands under a President Biden. Or we can just vote for McCain and eliminate the socialist middle man.   "
 * They so proudly wear this insignia. Joe Lieberman (or the riddle wrapped up in an enigma wrapped up in a matzo ball) is the former Democratic George W. Bush The funny thing is that it was his willingness to run as an independent that cost him the nomination.  With the support of Connecticut's Republicans, he barely won re-election to his seat, (by barely we mean by over 10 points).  He currently caucuses with the Democrats, supporting Democratic leaders for the Senate.  However, he constantly votes with the Republicans on any legislation designed to either end the war in Iraq or to limit the President's ability.  Earlier in his career, he was well known as Al Gore 's running mate in 2000 (although the "blame Nader " crowd would prefer you not mention this inconvenient truth), and for being a righteous tightass.  He was the only Democrat in the Senate to publicly rebuke Bill Clinton , well except for Robert Byrd and ..., and he privately led a crusade to get professional wrestling off of TV.  His most frequently used phrase during 2000 debates with Dick Cheney was "I agree with my opponent on that."  In 1988 he first won his seat running against liberal Republical Lowell Weicker by running to the right and seeking and getting the endorsement of, among others, the Moral Majority .  He has been very supportive of George W. Bush and his Iraq war. He is currently very supportive of John McCain , and follows him around everywhere he goes like a puppy in hopes that he might become vice-president.  We just wish he'd get it over with and register as a Republican.  Unfortunately, other than being a neoconservative warmonger who endorses Republican candidates, "Fighting Joe" Lieberman doesn't have much in the way of GOP credentials. First of all he's not a born again Christian. He voted no on a constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. He co-sponsored the bill giving gay and lesbian federal workers domestic partner benefits. He tried to end job discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. He gets an "F" from the NRA. He voted against enshrining flag worship in the Constitution. In 2004 he said, "I support affirmative action programs, including in appropriate instances consideration of race and gender in government contracting decisions, when the affirmative action program is designed to remedy the effects of past discrimination."  Somehow, however, he's not only supporting McCain, but also Palin, without reservation.   "
 * John Hagee is a wackjob televangelist preacher who has endorsed Presidential candidate John McCain . Hagee believes that Hurricane Katrina was God's punishment for American toleration of homosexuality . He also says Hitler was sent by God to help bring about the establishment of the state of Israel through persecution of the Jews, and therefore the Holocaust was really God's will.  He calls for a pre-emptive military strike on Iraq by the US and Israel and his prophetic track record approaches that of Hal Lindsey, author of the 1981 eschatological masterpiece The 1980s: Countdown to Armageddon . Hagee can't be all bad though - he's on record as calling the Catholic Church "the great whore.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * John Locke (August 29, 1632 – October 28, 1704) was a British philosopher famous for his works in social ethics, politics, and the social contract theory as well as famous discourses on the rights of individuals. S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * King James Only is a belief found among some English-speaking Christians that the King James Version of the Bible from 1611 is either the best translation, or the only reliable or genuine translation of the Bible. It is most prominent among fundamentalist Independent Baptists and is also found in other churches from the Mormons to the snake handling sects to some ultra-conservative Anglicans.  While some people may just like the KJV's text better than other texts (e.g. they were raised with it, or think it has more gravitas e.g."Thou shall not steal.") Other justifications for this position are that the modern translations were from "corrupted" manuscripts, or were done by a conspiracy of Bible-denying liberals and secular humanists, or some combination thereof.  The more likely reason is they like all the "thees" and "thous" and believe them to have some kind of mystical woo when referring to deity that modern English does not have.   New Age Bible versions One textual analysis written by Gail Riplinger, a strong proponent of King James Only and a trained interior decorator , is The New Age Bible Versions , which compares various contemporary translations side by side with the King James.  It is a barking mad paranoid rant that exploits variant readings and translation errors, along with sketchy gematria and argumentum ex culo , to make the point that the Bible is being corrupted by translators who are attempting to slowly remove the name of God from the Bible.   Parallel movements There is a parallel movement to King James Only among some traditionalist Catholics who hold to a Douay-Rheims Only position.  The Douay-Rheims bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate, rather than the original Greek and Hebrew versions, and many Catholic traditionalists believe that to translate the Bible from anything but the official Latin Bible of the Catholic Church is heresy.  That Douay-Rheims includes so many obscure Latin and Greek -derived words (many long obsolete, or never even really established in English) as to be near-incomprehensible to the modern reader — indeed, far more so than the merely archaic King James Version — apparently doesn't matter.   Notable promoters of King James Onlyism Jack Chick Texe Marrs Jack Hyles John R. Rice Alberto Rivera Bob Jones University William Branham Peter Ruckman - the lunatic fringe whom even the rest of the KJV-onlyites avoid.   "
 * Part of the series on U.S. Discrimination Law Standards of Review Rational basis review Intermediate scrutiny Strict scrutiny Other Legal Theories Substantive due process State action doctrine Defining Moments in Law The 14th Amendment Plessy v. Ferguson Brown v. Board of Education Loving v. Virginia U.S. v. Virginia Romer v. Evans Lawrence v. Texas Modalities of Constitutional Law Textualism • Originalism • Dynamism Issues in Constitutional Law Same-sex marriage Gay rights Civil rights The Ku Klux Klan (abbreviated "KKK" [1] ) is a Christian racist white supremacist organization in the United States . Contents 1 Origins 2 Revival of the KKK 3 More recently 4 Public Officials and the Klan 5 The Klan and Pop Culture 6 KKK and Religion 7 Footnotes  Origins It was started after the U.S. Civil War, to frighten any Southern African-Americans who decided to exercise their newly-won rights.  Soon, it helped to spear-head the insurrection that helped to end Reconstruction .  After Reconstruction ended, so did the Ku Klux Klan.   Revival of the KKK From the end of Reconstruction until the 1920s, the KKK was mostly dormant.  Older members would occasionally don the costume in an effort to get together a lynch mob, but it did not act as an organized force.  However, in the early 1920s some leaders came together and re-formed the KKK.  They expanded their ambitions and became a force across the United States.  (In fact, many of the most important chapters were in the Mid-West, rather than the South.)  In many states, one could not be elected to the state house or the governor's mansion without at least the tacit endorsement of the KKK.  On top of this, they also expanded the targets of their hate.  Rather than focusing on African-Americans, as they had in the past, they also targeted Catholics, immigrants, Jews, and feminist women.  After the 1929 stock market crash and several public scandals involving the KKK, membership imploded and the Klan was near defunct by 1930.  This iteration of the KKK managed to last until 1944, when they disbanded.  However, the Klan started up again in response to the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s.  This iteration of the Klan, while nowhere near as large as the 1920s version, carried out many lynchings and other acts in opposition to desegregation and voting rights in the South.  This version also became fodder for the FBI's COINTELPRO program and for the Superman radio show when moles within the organization began to submit private information to the FBI (as well as leaking the most ridiculous information to the media.)  By the late 1960s the Klan was again on life support and probably would have disappeared entirely if not for one David Duke, who together with a few other Klan leaders tried reviving the Klan during the 1970s by shedding the white sheets and putting on suits and ties.   More recently The era of the organized Klan is over.  There are many smaller groups who now claim to be the "true" KKK, but few have any power.  Occasionally, members of these smaller groups will engage in either hate-spewing or even violence, but this is nothing like the hold that the KKK held on the South in the late 1800s or the whole nation in the early 1900s.  The small groups today sometimes use the term "fifth era Klan", which is dubious at best.  This is in reference to the first era (Reconstruction), second era (1920s), and third era (1950s-60s), but whether there is an actual "fourth" and "fifth" era (as distinct from merely the pathetic remains of the third era limping along on life support) is questionable.  Usually their claim is the period when David Duke tried resuscitating the Klan during the 1970s is the "fourth era", and the "fifth era" started in the early 1980s when the Klan adopted Christian Identity and became part of the openly neo-Nazi extreme right aligned with Aryan Nations and like groups.  To give some idea:  Klan membership in 1926 at the peak of the second era stood at 6,000,000.  In 1980 ("fourth era"), it stood at 5000.  Today it is about 3000.  Some Klan groups are now claiming a "sixth era" which presumably has something to do with teh Internets ("OMGlookzorz U can join teh Klan right here on our website just give us ur kredit kard number heah heah") and which they think will revive it again, but hopefully it will prove to be that the Klan ceases to exist entirely.  They should get a Klue and Klose their doors for good, because anyone at this point who still thinks parading around in funny white sheets and burning crosses is meaningful activity needs to seriously get a real life.   Public Officials and the Klan There has been one Klan member on the Supreme Court.  Justice Hugo Black was both a member and appointed during the hey-day of the Second Klan.  However, he later came to regret his association and became a consistent voice for civil rights.  Also, one former Klan member has been elected to the Senate, Democrat Robert Byrd of West Virginia .  Even more so than Black, however, Byrd publicly and repeatedly repented, has sponsored a great deal of civil rights legislation, and has even publicly endorsed a black man for United States President.  He is also the longest serving Senator ever, beating Ted Kennedy by a few weeks.   The Klan and Pop Culture Most often in pop culture, the Klan is depicted as generic villains, of the sort that few people could really identify with.  However, there are two notable appearances of the Klan in pop culture.  In the early epic film The Birth of a Nation by noted film-maker D. W. Griffith, a young white woman was kidnapped by freed slaves in the South under Reconstruction and freed by the Knights of the KKK.  (This was intended as an allegory of what happened to the South under Reconstruction.)  The film was a smash success, in part because of the message but also because it was a revolution in cinematography.  President Woodrow Wilson publicly praised the film as an important message to the generations. However this praise is often overemphasised, as it is commonly accepted among historians that Wilson was tricked, and his lesser known dislike for the KKK was often kept quiet and under wraps, such as a letter he wrote to Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas, “...no more obnoxious or harmful organization has ever shown itself in our affairs.” [2] The movie is considered to have been a large part of the impetus for reforming the Klan in the 1920s.  Due to his advances in the art of film-making, Griffith is still remembered as a genius, but the movie itself is almost never shown today.  In the 1950s, the makers of the Superman radio serials were approached by a man who had infiltrated the KKK.  He asked them to create a long running series where Superman fought the KKK, and he offered up all of the secrets of the Klan for use by the writers.  The writers, tired of writing about Nazis and Communists, took him up on it.  Secret Klan members were horrified to hear their kids talking about beating up the Klan.  Others were just horrified to hear people snickering over the stupid code-words used within the Klan.  [3] Some consider this the blow that destroyed the Second Klan.   KKK and Religion The form of religion promoted by the KKK is called Christian Identity , which is a bullshit religion that uses Biblical quotes to justify segregation or extermination of so-called "lesser races" and Jews.  Fundamentalist Christians (including Christian Reconstructionists) call them a cult, which is odd, since they are as racist as can be without openly advocating segregation.  A well-known member is David Duke, who won a seat on the Louisiana state legislature back in the 1980s. Which doesn't really enhance Louisiana's reputation.   Footnotes ↑ Not to be konfused with the German turbine manufacturer.  ↑ Arthur S. Link, Papers of Woodrow Wilson 68:298 ↑ For example, the secret book of rituals was called a Kloran .  Seriously.  Pre-expand include size: 1906 bytes Post-expand include size: 1845 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Larry Craig is a Republican Senator from Boys Council, Idaho . He is best known for his hardcore theocratic bent and for pleading guilty to trolling for hot man-on-man-action "lewd conduct" in an airport restroom. [1] [2] Contents 1 Community Life Amendment 2 Lewd conduct 3 Too much information 4 Still not gay 5 Jokes 6 External Links 7 Footnotes  Community Life Amendment On June 15, 1989 Craig co-sponsored the Community Life Amendment in the US senate which would amend the constitution to "allow voluntary prayer and the teaching of the Judeo-Christian ethic in public schools." [3] The amendment had four prongs: “ SECTION 1. The right of the people to allow voluntary prayer and the teaching of the Judeo-Christian ethic in public schools shall not be denied or abridged by the United States.  SECTION 2. For the purpose of section 1, the term `teaching of the Judeo-Christian ethic' shall include the Ten Commandments and the creation of the earth as accepted in Judeo-Christian tradition.  SECTION 3. Section 1 shall not force the people to enact any statute against their will.  SECTION 4. Nothing in this Amendment shall constitute the establishment of a religion, nor shall this Amendment permit any governmental or administrative authority to prescribe the form or content of any voluntary prayer.  [3] ”  Lewd conduct Mug shot after Arrest in June of 2007 On August 8th of 2007 Craig plead guilty to disorderly conduct charges. Craig was arrested June 11 by a plainclothes officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct in a men's restroom at the airport.  [2] He has attempted several methods to try and "make it go away".  He now is claiming various forms of confusion and stupidity as a retroactive defense against his plea.  He also said that he would never troll for men in Boise.  Why bust on Boise, dude?  One is left to wonder why he didn't simply beat the rap, if it was so insubstantial.  Larry Craig should have known better.  Embattled Senator Larry Craig to Resign Saturday (Fox News), or maybe not (MSNBC)  Too much information Senator Craig alleges, in his recent attempts to minimize the exposure of the errors of his ways, that when using the toilet in a sitting position, he takes a very "wide stance".  Eeeew. (Even for an instant cliche.) Apparently he also does not flush or wash his hands, either, perhaps because the police officer had, by then, placed him neatly into a pair of handcuffs.   Still not gay This is his position as of 19:44, 7 October, 2008 (UTC).   Jokes Larry Craig, due to his exploits, was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Not the entire hall, just the bathroom.  "Senator Craig defiantly vowed today to serve out his term. And when Larry Craig makes a vow, you know he means it. Okay, except for the marriage vow." --Jay Leno "Senator Craig from Idaho is blaming the media for his guilty plea, especially that cute guy from the Associated Press." --David Letterman "It's kind of ironic. The whole time he was copping a feel, he was actually feeling a cop." --Jay Leno Moar  External Links Documentation at The Smoking Gun  Footnotes ↑ Thank those who kept Idaho part of round Earth Jim Fisher January 9, 2006 Lewiston Morning Tribune ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sen. Larry Craig Denies Wrongdoing, Leaves Romney Campaign After June Arrest Fox News Monday, August 27, 2007 ↑ 3.0 3.1 Text of the Community Life Amendment from THOMAS Pre-expand include size: 1288 bytes Post-expand include size: 1274 bytes Template argument size: 781 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Part of the series on Pseudoscience Main Topics Alternate historical chronology - Astrology Creation science - Crop circles Dogon people - Erich von Däniken Face on Mars - Lunar effect Non-materialist neuroscience - Paranormal Perpetual motion - Ufology Alternative medicine Other topics 2012 Apocalypse - Attachment therapy Ball lightning - Bermuda Triangle Cryptozoology - Dianetics Feng shui - Food woo Graphology - Laundry balls Lie detection - Neoshamanism Out-of-body experience Parapsychology - Phrenology Polygraph - Pseudoarcheology Reincarnation - Shroud of Turin Supernatural - Technical analysis Tunguska - Tutankhamun's curse William Strauss and Neil Howe A laundry ball is a ball-shaped object said to clean clothes by mechanical action when used in a washing machine, obviating the need for detergent. Tests have shown they don't work any better than plain water. They are often sold by multilevel marketing operations.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1912 bytes Post-expand include size: 1824 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * This is a fork page and distinguishes between several uses of a title or phrase. If you came via a link, you can help by changing the link to the appropriate article from the list below.  Perhaps you were looking for our mascot, or just some good eating ?  Or even one of these...  Scientific law The series on Discrimination Law The law of evidence , especially as applied to science, and its relevance in fighting the anti-science movement The commentary on Conservapedia:Legal Errors on Conservapedia The article on the Second Law of Thermodynamics Notes on Wikiprojects and the Law Executive Power and the War on Terror Gay Rights in the law Internet Laws  "
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Political spectrum The political spectrum is a concept for representing different politican stances in relation to one another. At its most basic, the political spectrum consists of a line or continuum from left to right, with varying shades of opinion in between.  Contents 1 Left wing and right wing 2 Leftism 3 Rightism 4 Other measures 5 See also 6 Footnotes  Left wing and right wing The terms "left wing" and "right wing" originated in the years following the French Revolution of 1789, when the nobility were seated on the right side in parliament meeting, and representatives of the liberal bourgeoisie sat on the left.  Thus the "right wing" is associated with maintaining the status quo and protecting the interests of the wealthy.  The left wing" is associated with demanding progress and equality, although the extent can vary from moderate liberals, who seek change through economic reform, while retaining capitalism, to socialists, who advocate the destruction of capitalism, and collective ownership of the means of production.  An example of a simple left-to-right spectrum, along with examples of ideologies and where they would fit, would look something like this: Communism - Social Democracy - Liberalism - Centrism - Conservatism - Ultra-Conservatism - Fascism There are several problems with the left-to-right spectrum.  One is that the uses and definitions of the terms vary so much between different cultures and contexts, since they are dependent on the political and economic status quo.  For example, in an totalitarian country such as the USSR, anti-capitalist supporters have sometimes been regarded as right wing and proponents of free market capitalism regarded as left wing, the opposite to how these are seen in a capitalist country such as the US.  [1] Also, the left-right spectrum disregards positions on social freedoms, and thus a libertarian socialist and a totalitarian would be in the same area.  The terms "leftism" and "rightism", as used on talk radio in the United States, generally refer to political extremists, whereas words such as "left-leaning", "left of centre" or "right of centre" denote more moderate positions.  However, these meanings can change through misunderstandings or misuse of the terms to create straw men .  The terms are becoming increasingly irrelevant due to their vagueness and frequently negative connotations.   Leftism Leftists are often mistaken in United States politics for liberals .  However, there is a vast difference between the two groups.  Many Leftists also believe that 'bourgeois democracy' is a sham, designed only to keep the rich in their places of privilege.  This is why some leftist groups do not bother with democratic politics to establish socialism. However, many leftists believe in a worker's democracy once capitalism is destroyed.  There are many different forms of leftism.  This is reflected in the different adjectives used to describe different kinds of Leftism: Marxist, Marxian, Marxoid, Marxist-Leninist, Stalinist, Trotskyite, neo-Trostkyite, Maoist, democratic socialist, libertarian socialist (anarchist), De Leonist, council communist, guild socialist, etc. not to mention various modern and postmodern theoretical schools that seem to exist mainly in academic circles, such as deconstructionism, left- or post-feminism, Critical Theory, and the Frankfurt School. Many of these groups have a fierce rivalry with each other, such as the Marxist-Leninists with libertarian socialists, and the Stalinists and Maoists with just about everybody else.  Often, leftist groups are criticized for criticizing liberals for "holding up change" when they "should be" focusing on the conservatives and fascists.  This could be seen in the years immediately preceding World War II , when American communists preferred to try to sink Roosevelt rather than help him, and only made common cause with him after the failure of the Soviet - German non aggression pact and the invasion of Russia by Nazi Germany in 1941. However, this is an invalid criticism, as if somebody is against capitalism, it makes sense that they may oppose people who happen to support capitalism. Many leftists view America as a plutocracy, and thus view the Democrats and Republicans as a beast with two backs. With all that it implies.  For anyone who studies politics with rigor, the conflation of "leftist" and "liberal" is truly infuriating.  (Less infuriating is the conflation of "rightist" and " conservative ," if only because there are very few "rightist" groups anymore, and it's very rare for liberals to refer to a conservative as a "rightist.")  The American right wing talking-point machine refers to anyone "left of center-right" as a "far left" politician or pundit (cf., Hillary Clinton Al Franken) further confusing political discourse.   Rightism Rightism is a form of extreme conservatism that seeks to do away with democratic politics entirely.  In the past, most "rightist" groups either sought a restoration of a previous monarchy, or the creation of a fascist regime to "undo the chaos of democracy."  Because the United States has never had a monarch, rightist groups in that country have been relatively few.  In recent years, traditional rightism has been on the wane in most of the world.  Another common component of rightism, however, has not waned: extreme nationalism .  Most rightist groups try to force out all immigrants and minorities.  It is possible that in modern rightism this form of nationalism is the only defining characteristic.   Other measures The political compass The Nolan Chart Another problem with the left-to-right spectrum is that there are some political positions which do not fit into it.  For example, libertarianism upholds both personal liberties (traditionally left wing) and unrestrained economic freedom (traditionally right wing).  The full variety of opinions can be better represented by two-dimensional diagrams where the (economic) left-to-right spectrum is balanced with another (social) axis between authoritarianism and individualism, both of which can be either left and right wing.  The Nolan Chart is an example of this kind of diagram.  Another common chart is the "political compass", where political opinions can be plotted anywhere in a square grid based on the two axes.   See also Essay: Gaming the language: the US political spectrum  Footnotes ↑ See for example Beware of Misleading Soviet Terms .  Pre-expand include size: 2389 bytes Post-expand include size: 672 bytes Template argument size: 77 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Alfred Kinsey Bisexuality Corporate Equality Index Cunnilingus Griswold v. Connecticut Miscegenation Nuremberg Files Orgasm Penis What's Wrong with Being Gay? Sexual identity Sexual orientation Sexual reproduction Love is feelings of affection between people.  Love spelled backwards is part of teh R3VOLUTION .  Cults love you too and want you to join.  Last but not least, Jesus loves you so much that if you so much as look upon a woman with lust in your heart, He will punish you He died on the cross for your sins.  Also spelled "luv", at least by Devo.  Unfortunately atheists are incapable of such emotion and put love down to some kind of bizarre chemical reaction in the brain. Which is of course, ridiculous.   Not to be confused with Sex Pr0n S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1073 bytes Post-expand include size: 737 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Macrobiotics (from the Greek for "long life") is a diet and lifestyle created originally by Japanese writer and guru Nyoichi Sakurazawa, better known under the pen name Georges Ohsawa, and popularized in Western countries by his student Michio Kushi and others. Essentially, the macrobiotic way proposes to break the foods consumed by human beings down into yin and yang according to some arbitrary scheme, then balance out the diet into yin and yang foods and thereby achieve significant life extension. While meat is not banned from macrobiotic meals, it falls into the category of foods that are "extremely yang", i.e. "stagnating", while alcohol, fermented foods, and some spices are considered "extremely yin" or "overstimulating". Many macrobiotic practitioners are therefore either partially or wholly vegetarian . Much macrobiotic food tends to be essentially vegetarian Japanese food, though that need not be the case.  [1] He even stretched macrobiotic precepts to suggest that the blue or gray smoke coming out the front of a cigarette is yin (cancer-causing) while the yellow or orange smoke coming out the back that the smoker breathes in is yang (which obviously flies in the face of all we know about the dangers of passive smoke).  [2]  See also Food woo Quackery  External links Skeptic's Dictionary entry Description at Quackwatch.com, specifically related to cancer treatment Account of a Michio Kushi-led seminar at Quackwatch  Footnotes ↑
 * Warning: Extreme Wingnuttery This topic may or may not be bullshit, and is either nonsensical or idiotic. May damage the mind and lead to drinking of the Kool-Aid .  Neglected This page has no content and needs to be expanded fast. Feel free to add something.  Magnetic therapy is a worthless quack treatment for arthritis.  Magnetic bracelets and shoe insoles are sold for this purpose.  If you absolutely must have one you can find it -- where else -- at your local health food store or New Age bookstore, or advertised in the Weekly World News .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Alternative medicine articles on RationalWiki Aromatherapy - Autism: Peddling false hope - Bee venom therapy - Chelation therapy - Chiropractic - Hulda Clark - Colonic - Color therapy - Ear candling - Faith healing - Fasting - Geier family - Hair Analysis - Health freedom - Herbal supplement - Homeopathy - Kombucha - Laetrile - Macrobiotics - Medical marijuana - National Health Federation - Narconon - Oxygen therapy - Q-Ray - Reflexology - Rolfing - Shark cartilage - Shiitake mushroom - Therapeutic touch - Kevin Trudeau Fad diets: Blood type diet - Caveman diet - Ephedrine - Fad diet - Food woo - Jesus Diet - Low-carb diet - Organic food - Raw foodism - Self help - Veganism Pre-expand include size: 3731 bytes Post-expand include size: 5329 bytes Template argument size: 1408 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Mass is a fundamental concept in physics, roughly corresponding to the intuitive idea of "how much matter there is in an object". On a more fundamental level, mass is equivalent to inertia, which is the resistance of an object to change velocity when acted upon by a force. When measured at the surface of the Earth, "weight" is the colloquial term for mass (though weight is really a force calculated as mass times acceleration due to gravity).  In free-fall, an object has no weight, but it retains its mass, and also, its inertia.  Mass is a central concept in classical mechanics and related subjects, and there are several definitions of mass within the framework of relativistic kinematics. In the theory of relativity , the quantity invariant mass, which in concept is close to the classical idea of mass, does not vary between single observers in different reference frames.  If one is not careful, mass can be converted into energy.   If it's far enough away, it can provide a nice pleasant warm glow.  If this happens too near, it can burn.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Michael Bloomberg is a Democrat Republican independent and the current mayor of New York City. Is he or isn't he running in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election ?  Is he or isn't he running for Governor of New York ?  He seemingly cannot make up his mind anymore than he can make up his mind about which political party he is a member of.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The thumb is the part that really looks like a thumb, the Upper Peninsula is the other part that looks like one. Michigan is an oven mitt with a spare thumb.  The spare thumb is called "UP".  These two landmasses, which are separated by Lake Michigan, form a state that is a signatory member of the United States .  Contents 1 Rust never sleeps 2 Edumacations 3 Indigenous tunage 4 Demographics 5 More edumacations Sports 6 External Links  Rust never sleeps They used to make a lot of cars in Michigan. Ask Michael Moore - he made a movie about how they had to start killing rabbits in Michigan once they stopped making cars.  Upton Sinclair once wrote a novel about Michigan's auto industry, The Flivver King, which is to the Great Depression what Michael Moore's film is to the 1980s.  The more things change, the more they stay the same, sadly.  But, never fear!  Laid-off automobile workers can always give Michigan's own Amway a try.   Edumacations Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo hosts the annual International Congress in Medieval Studies, the largest conference in the field.   Indigenous tunage The greatest musical group in the world, Da Yoopers, are from Michigan.  They sing about fishing, hunting, and cheap beer , mostly.   Demographics In Flint, the rat population is higher than the human population.   More edumacations Sports Michigan is also home to Michigan State University, known for their terrible football team.   External Links You Might Live in Michigan if . . .  You Might be a Michigander  "
 * A miracle is what you call it when you see something that you can't explain and you're too impressed to try and figure out exactly what happened. Religion is riddled with them because miracles are taken as proof of the truth of religious beliefs.  Science tends to take a somewhat less accommodating position towards the concept preferring to work with methodological naturalism .  Many of the miracles reported in the Bible are of the tall-tale variety that include the parting of the Red Sea, bringing back a dude named Lazarus from the dead (he was just sleepin'!), and surviving the raging fires of an oven.  Every once in a while a particularly dim Godbotherer  Argument from Miracles The "Argument from miracles" is an argument for the existence of God relying on eyewitness testimony or anecdotes of impossible (or extremely improbable events) to establish the active intervention of a supernatural supreme being (or supernatural agents acting on behalf of that being).  In fact, the main problem is that anecdotes are not really the same as evidence .   See also Magic Magical thinking Eucharist Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence  External links Miracle  "
 * Morality some regard Homosexuality as immoral, and others do not. The one rule virtually every moral system agrees upon is the necessity of punishment for those who violate The Rules, whatever they may be.   Basis of Morality There are many different views on the origins of morality. These include the argument from morality, the evolutionary argument, and the sociological view that our ideas of what is moral and what is not are largely based on our society's ideals.  Here at Rationalwiki we believe that morality should be based on logic .  In practice, unfortunately, Jonathan Haidt's research suggests that "people don’t generally engage in moral reasoning, Haidt argues, but moral rationalization : they begin with the conclusion, coughed up by an unconscious emotion, and then work backward to a plausible justification." [1]  Moral naturalism Moral naturalism is a form of cognitivism derived from applying evolutionary game-theory to ethics. Rather than interpreting morality as the result of negotiations between members of a large group of free moral agents, moral naturalism sees morality as an emergent phenomenon arising as an unintended side-effect of the interaction of those agents in smaller groups. In other words, morality is not to solve a single problem but a number of recurring problems, in the same manner that natural selection adjusts populations of organisms for changing environmental conditions. This puts moral facts in a class with natural facts about the world, which contradicts the assertion of divine command theory that morality is defined by the arbitrary revelation of God.   Footnotes ↑ The Moral Instinct  "
 * Multilevel marketing, also known as " MLM " or network marketing , is a type of sales business where the... uh... Okay, this is complicated. MLM works differently. MLM developed in a largely rural environment with limited supply lines, so the individual stakeholders (usually called "distributors") have stakeholders that they report to (their upline), and in turn are often responsible for recruiting others (their downline product pyramid schemes , kept legal by the trading of products.  Contents 1 The structure (more or less) 2 But what is the market here?  3 See also 4 External links  The structure (more or less) Essentially, the idea is that any given upline collects a cut of the sales from every member of their downline. As a result, it's very much in the interest of the upline to make sure that the downline recruits as heavily as possible, with as deep a pyramid beneath them as possible.  The problem is that in a recruiting-driven MLM, there is no upper bound save the market population itself, and the bottom rung of distributors makes no money at all except from sales. This insures a fierce scramble among distributors to sign up their own downline ( Amway in particular is notoriously aggressive about this) so they can move up the ladder, often to the exclusion of product sales, and also ensuring market saturation -- most distributors wind up selling only to themselves and perhaps a few friends, with only the most driven (and often least principled) making a living this way. In this regard, the typical MLM is, as said above, not much different from a pyramid scheme.  It is usually the case, also, that a "new" distributor is required to buy a minimum amount of company product, ostensibly to sell it at retail.  However, the only support materials usually provided by their recruiter(s) are ones that promote the signing on of more new distributors.  As a result, many a person out there has a closet full of Mary Kay cosmetics that they don't need, and can't sell.  A simple perusal of eBay is evidence of what becomes of that several hundred dollar investment made in order to achieve new wealth and prosperity in ten hours a week from home.   But what is the market here?  A few MLMs, such as Mary Kay Cosmetics, being more product driven (if not exactly free from criticism [1] [2]), do offer added value to customers in the form of consulting services related to the product.  Many MLMs, however, specialize in products of dubious value ( laundry balls for example), and therefore are double scams.   See also Amway Pyramid scheme  External links Multi-level marketing at the Skeptic's Dictionary wp:Multi-level marketing What's wrong with multi-level marketing?   "
 * The North American Free Trade Agreement, usually referred to as " NAFTA ", was signed into law by President Bill Clinton . It provides for a less-encumbered flow of goods and capital between Canada, Mexico, and the United States .  The U.S. and Canada had already gradually reduced their cross-border tariffs to zero by the time it was passed.  What this agreement provided for was improved exploitation jobs creation by capital in the cheap labor markets of the warmer climates of North America.  H. Ross Perot famously predicted in the 1992 Presidential race that the result of implementation of NAFTA would be a "sucking sound" of jobs migrating to Mexico, creating unemployment problems in the U.S., especially in the manufacturing labor market.  Since he was "insane", [1] no one listened.   Other interpretations NAFTA is an acronym that means: "North American Cheap Labor Agreement" The sad commentary is that now the dollars are freer to transverse the borders than the people.   See also Illegal People Crazy Drug Runners How come my neighbor smells funny?  I like chili, but I like my job more Ooh, chili!  Can we please, screek Inglish?!  I hate brown people Settlements in "New Spain" that predate Plimoth and Jamestown I hate brown people I was born here, what's your problem?  I am a native American!  You are a funny colored, smelly, ignorant "swimmer".  Go home!  Quit climbing fences and make a life in our colony , um, territory , er, "country" to our south!  HOG By the way, this RWian supports the United States pwning Mexico, and offering all their states entry into the Union.  And, get this, tri-linguilism.  Try, linguilism, you dumb racist " English-only " bastards!   Footnotes ↑ And yet Perot still polled about 19% of the popular vote - imagine how a "sane" candidate might have fared!   "
 * alpha Footnotes ↑ See American Indian Holocaust .  ↑ CP has had, at times, wild debates and edit wars over exactly what the term Native American should mean [1] ↑ provoking probably rude and politically incorrect questions after the term is used, like "Indian - dot or feather?" ↑ and if you might possibly actually have real, honest to Wakan Tanka indigenous people in the room, ask them what term they prefer.  ↑ what is today's Mexico City, Tenochtitlan, had well over 100,000 people in the one city, larger than any European city at the same time.  [2]  "
 * New Scientist is a popular British science magazine based in London and  published weekly.  It features new developments in pure and applied science as well as technology.  The magazine covers a wide range of scientific work ranging from speculative material to hard science.  Both scientists and lay readers value New Scientist, as do news reporters who frequently base newspaper articles on material originally published in the magazine.  There are further editions in Australia and the United States .  Contents 1 Professor Lenski 2 See also 3 External links 4 Footnotes  Professor Lenski The New Scientist article on Professor Richard Lenski 's E. coli experiment [1] launched the " Lenski affair ".   See also Scientific American  External links New Scientist Homepage  Footnotes ↑ "Bacteria make major evolutionary shift in the lab" New Scientist .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1927 bytes Post-expand include size: 227 bytes Template argument size: 70 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Religious fundamentalists, especially those of the late-20th and early-21st century American Protestant Evangelical variety, rely heavily on the Old Testament of the Bible . Whatever the specific reason for that might be, the Old Testament contains a great number of oddities.   The oddities.  [1] The Garden of Eden Simply put - why is that friggin' tree even in there!  Adam and someone All of the other animals go boy, girl, boy, girl.  Why does Adam get jerked around?  And, all of the other animals were POOFed into existence by God, why does Adam have to go through an invasive body-cavity search?  [2] Cain and Abel God shows a remarkable lack of omniscience when he asks Cain for directions.  Notably the whereabouts of Cain's brother Abel.  This is all the more odd considering that there are appearently only four humans on Earth to keep track of.  Job The whole thing seems like a pretty sick joke with God and Satan in cahoots for a few lulz.  The plague of the firstborn Another lack of omniscience.  God needs a reminder as to which firstborn children are Hebrew and which are not.  A slap of lamb's blood on the front door does the trick.  Mt. Sinai Moses turns his back for two seconds and the Hebrews devolve into crazy pagan idol-worshipers.  These are people who have quite likely personally witnessed up to eleven miracles, some with significant SFX (Special effects).  One would think they'd give Moses at least a few minutes.  An eye for an eye Grammy Flash always used to say that "the trouble with an eye for an eye is that everyone ends up blind." [3] One would think that a sacred religious text would have more wisdom than the grandmother of a fictional comic book superhero.  Go figure.  YHWH - the Chatty Cathy of the ancient near-east Long ago, God would seemingly talk to anyone who would listen.  You couldn't shut the guy up.  He doesn't seem to do that too much anymore, nor for a long time.  Many would say that he does indeed speak to a great many people.  It is fairly certain that those people did hear him.  This is called mental illness or drug abuse now-a-days though.  However, the Old Testament's implication is the very deep, very "James Earl Jones" bellowing associated with speaking out-loud.   Footnotes ↑ I guess the main reference would be the Bible ↑ This oddly inspired people to think that men have one less rib than women, even until the modern day. Despite over 400 years of medical evidence pointing to a wealth of dead-bodies showing otherwise.  ↑ This is, more-or-less, a quote from an episode of the first season (series) of Justice League Unlimited.   "
 * An oligarchy is a society ruled by a small group of people, typically the leading members of the merchant class. The standout example of an oligarchy today is post-Soviet Russia.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * An argument for the existence of 'God' put forth in the eleventh century by the Christian philosopher Anselm, the Ontological Argument is a reductio ad absurdum argument and runs as follows: Assume God does not exist. 'God' is defined as "that than which no greater can be conceived" If "that than which no greater can be conceived" were to exist in reality as well as in imagination, it would be even "greater".  "That than which no greater can be conceived" must exist in imagination and also exist in reality for it to be the greatest thing conceivable.  Premise 1 cannot be true (reductio ad absurdum) 'God' exists.  The argument is fallacious due to several flawed assumptions. The most noticeable of these is the assumption that this which exists in reality and imagination is somehow "greater" than that which exists only in imagination. "Greater" and "greatness" as a quality is not at all defined in this context, and it is only the far overreaching manner in which the term is applied that allows this argument some semblance of logical appeal. The first counter to the argument was developed by Gaunilo of Marmoutier in the eleventh century.  Anselm performed a bit of sloppy reasoning by assuming that there was a difference between our concept of a God and a God which exists in fact, so that he could elevate the latter case as supreme. But if God can be shown to exist through means other than pure reason (such as by direct observation), then his existence is automatically incorporated into the true concept of God. We can have false concepts of God all we want, but the true concept of God always tracks the status of God in reality, whether he exists or does not. So it is never possible to demonstrate the existence of God purely by juggling our definitions of God and making a word salad, which is what the ontological argument is all about.   "
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Part of the series on Pseudoscience Main Topics Alternate historical chronology - Astrology Creation science - Crop circles Dogon people - Erich von Däniken Face on Mars - Lunar effect Non-materialist neuroscience - Paranormal Perpetual motion - Ufology Alternative medicine Other topics 2012 Apocalypse - Attachment therapy Ball lightning - Bermuda Triangle Cryptozoology - Dianetics Feng shui - Food woo Graphology - Laundry balls Lie detection - Neoshamanism Out-of-body experience Parapsychology - Phrenology Polygraph - Pseudoarcheology Reincarnation - Shroud of Turin Supernatural - Technical analysis Tunguska - Tutankhamun's curse William Strauss and Neil Howe "Paranormal" is an general term used used to describe various unexplained phenomena.  In general, paranormal phenomena are considered to be outside of that which one would normally expect to observe in the real world.  Furthermore the phenomena are not reproducible under controlled conditions and it is not therefore possible to investigate them using the scientific method .  For this reason they are classed as pseudoscience A listing of some paranormal subjects can be found in the Lists of pseudosciences .   See also: Lists of pseudosciences pseudoscience S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 2609 bytes Post-expand include size: 2424 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * According to the Peanut Butter Argument for Intelligent Design, life does not evolve spontaneously in sealed jars of peanut butter, therefore it is absurd to assume it evolved spontaneously in the primordial earth. The following video should give you an idea of the general line of thought of this argument.  Peanut Butter: The Atheist Nightmare Delicious Contents 1 2 3 How do we know?  4 Pasta sauce argument 5 See also  worldview is correct.   Critics of the argument have pointed out that sealed jars of peanut butter are not, generally speaking, billion year-old volcanic environments rich in ammonia and methane, being bombarded by high energy cosmic rays.  It also ignores the fact that the probability of life forming on Earth through abiogenesis was, most likely, incredibly low, and early earth conditions were conducive to the formation of life. Even assuming that peanut butter was conducive to spontaneous abiogenesis, the "millions of experiments performed every day" pale in comparason to the trillions performed over billions of years of the Earth's history. In addition, any life that would be created, however unlikely, would be microscopic in size and die almost instantly from the peanut butter's preservatives. And aside from all that, the fact that abiogenesis does not occur in jars of peanut butter is immaterial to the theory of evolution , which specifically describes what happens after life formed and developed the ability to evolve.  Also, to be honest, it's just plain silly.   How do we know?  This argument ignores the possibility that life has evolved in a sealed jar of peanut butter (perhaps even more than once!), but was promptly eaten before it could evolve to sentience. Remember this next time you have a peanut butter sandwich.   Pasta sauce argument A reductio absurdum style argument against the peanut butter argument is that we ask God - it is possible through Creationist theory - for a jar of pasta sauce to be turned into a goat . This experiment has been tried in the following video: Pasta Sauce: The Creationist Nightmare  See also Evolution Abiogenesis Crank Banana  "
 * Pentecostal is a term used within Christianity to denote those Christians who place a primary emphasis on the so-called "gifts of the Holy Spirit ". According to Pentecostals, "gifts" such as faith healing prophecy, and speaking in tongues occupy a primary place in the life of the church.  Some Pentecostals also follow practices such as foot washing found which can be found in the Bible but are not practiced in other Christian denominations.  The movement started circa 1900 at a revival meeting in Azusa, California.  Many non-Pentecostal Christians believe phenomena such as speaking in tongues and faith healing are no longer active or at least not widespread.  Pentecostal denominations include hundreds of groups, of which the most prominent include the Assemblies of God, the United Pentecostal Church, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, the Pentecostal Holiness Church, the Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), the Church of God In Christ, the Church of God of Prophecy, Calvary Chapel, and the Vineyard Fellowship.  The Charismatic Movement is a closely related movement which follows Pentecostal practices but tends to do so in a more subdued manner with a contemporary worship style, and exists as a subculture within many "mainline" denominations (Methodist, Catholic , Episcopalian, Baptist).  Today, some old-school Pentecostal denominations such as the Assemblies of God, and the newer Calvary Chapel and Vineyard Fellowship, are more likely to self-identify as Charismatic rather than Pentecostal.  Many independent megachurches and televangelism ministries are part of the Charismatic Movement.  Pentecostals and Charismatics are occasionally referred to as "holy rollers", due to the way people roll around on the floor when possessed by the "Holy Spirit."  The snake handling sects found in Appalachia are mostly off-shoots of , the Church of God denomination(Cleveland, Tennessee).  The practice began under minister George W. Hensley.  He and the other snake handlers were ultimately expelled from Church of God membership c. 1922.  Many of the prominent televangelists who made their names operating faith healing crusades come from Pentecostal or Charismatic backgrounds, including Oral Roberts Peter Popoff Jimmy Swaggart Jim Bakker Paul Crouch , and Morris Cerullo .  Pat Robertson , although a Baptist, follows a Pentecostal belief system.  " Name it and claim it " theology is notably rampant among Pentecostal and Charismatic televangelists these days.  A notable theological division among Pentecostals concerns the proper formula to recite during baptism .  Most recite "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit".  The United Pentecostal Church, the Pentecostal Assemblies of the World, and the followers of William Branham , believe baptism should only be done with the words "In the name of Jesus", and go so far as to insist that those who were baptized the other way have to be re-baptized or they are in danger of losing their " salvation ".   "
 * A Pharisee was a member of a sect of the Jewish religion in the time of Christ characterized by an encyclopedic knowledge of scripture and a fixation with the minutiae of said scripture. For example the scripture required tithing --giving 10% of income, or yearly increase--to the priesthood. Pharisees went to the trouble of counting the seeds and leaves of the plants in their garden and tithing on those amounts. In Christian tradition, the Pharisees were early fanatics and were by no means popular with either the general populace or the fledgling Christian movement. They sought harsh penalties for the smallest of pedantic infractions, and, like all fanatics, considered themselves far more important than everyone else. As a result, the term "Pharisee" is generally an insult in Christian cultures, generally meaning a hypocritical, self-righteous nitpicker.  However, the Pharisees were also one of the most prominent sects of Judaism due to their emphasis on scriptural knowledge and interpretation, and were also the ones most directly responsible for the creation of the immense body of theological commentary known as the Talmud (as well as rabbinical Judaism as a whole) as a way to preserve Jewish identity after the destruction of the Second Temple and the last vestiges of the Judahite temple-state. The traditional Jewish emphasis on learning and study from medieval to modern times is therefore a direct positive legacy of Pharisaic influence.   "
 * Philosophy is the art of thinking about Philo . For those of you in the mood, RationalWiki has a fun article about Philosophy .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1493 bytes Post-expand include size: 748 bytes Template argument size: 43 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * The placebo effect is the phenomenon that merely being exposed to trappings of a treatment for a disease can make the symptoms of the disease less or cure them completely. The effect is probably due to a combination of feeling less stress, thinking positively, and other mental and physical effects of believing that you are being cured. These improvements appear whether or not the treatment itself actually has any effect. Research has shown that expensive placebos are more effective than cheaper ones. [1] Because the placebo effect is so powerful, efficacy claims for medical treatments must be tested in an experiment that controls for this effect. This is usually achieved by running a double-blind test, where some patients receive the treatment being examined, and others get a placebo.  Neither the patients or the administrators of the treatment know who is in which group.  In order for the treatment to be proved useful, it must produce results that are better than the placebo at a statistically significant level.  Quacks who push woo treatments rely on the placebo effect when arguing that their cures have an effect.   See also Placebopathy  ↑ Expensive Placebo Works Better Than Cheap One  "
 * Politics is the means by which public policy is decided. The general application refers to policy-making at a government level, however, it has also come to mean the ins and outs of complex social situations, often having nothing to do with the reason the situation exists - for example, "office politics".  Here we will confine ourselves to the policy-making meaning.  Whatever the system a government uses for its organization (republic [1], dictatorship [2] , town meeting, etc.), there is bound to be political wrangling for power, glory, and occasionally, the public good.  Some systems attempt to keep much of this political give-and-take in the public eye (usually in republics, with "good government" laws), much to the disgust of the public.  In other systems almost everything save the occasional "announcement" takes place behind closed doors.  Most real world politics is a mix of these two.  Generally speaking, the art of politics consists of figuring out how to get some power or responsibility, and then figuring out how to get other people in such positions to agree to one's grand schemes in order to put them in place.  This usually involves so many compromises between the parties involved that the final result in unrecognizable to either, or their constituencies.  Usually, bribery of some form [3] is the best way to get one's desired results.  Threats also work.  There is ongoing debate in the social sciences, usually behind closed doors, about whether politics and political science should really constitute a separate division.  Some, such as psychologists, claim that all political decisions can be understood within their own discipline.  [4] Some in the other social science disciplines seem to think the same thing.  However, political scientists will usually argue that, while there is overlap, the studies of power and politics will always be separate from the other disciplines.  International politics goes by two names: diplomacy [5] , and war [6] .  Contents 1 Political parties 2 Political compass 3 Famous quotes 4 Footnotes  Political parties In most countries in which people have a say in politics, political parties form.  Political parties are (in theory) a means for people to band together and present a united voice on issues of importance for them.  Some countries try to prevent political parties.  This can be done by banning political parties entirely, which seldom proves effective.  In most cases, instead of parties you get factions, which become de facto parties.  The other main way of preventing parties and partisanship is to create one party that then rules the state.  This is seldom democratic.  The most comprehensive attempt to stop parties while preserving democracy was attempted in the United States .  Obviously, it failed miserably.  [7] , and to a lesser extent, Great Britain.  Needless to say, ideas of liberal and conservative often get more confusing when there are not broad coalition parties.  Moreover, it gives more room for extremist views, so that in some mulitparty systems you find honest leftist and rightist parties.   Political compass Political views of some well-known modern figures.  Traditionally, political views have been defined in terms of "left" and "right".  [8] However, a more accurate way of viewing political leanings is on a multi-axis "compass". The two most common axes are the social axis and the economic axis, each of which deal with issues regarding the respective term (social and economic). The image on the right shows the position on a two-axis compass of several leading political figures.  Even this concept has led to lightweight proseletyzing - the Libertarian Party has a version of the compass, with a very short quiz to go with it, that is designed to make everyone discover that they are actually libertarians .  In order to truly show where someone falls in their political views, of course, many more more axes would be needed - perhaps as many as one for every major issue in their times and locale.  [9]  Famous quotes "For those who enjoy the law or sausage, it is best that they not observe either being made" "Politics is a way for unattractive people to become celebrities" "How can you tell when a politician is lying ?  Their lips are moving." "Politics: From the greek "Poly", meaning many, and "Ticks", meaning blood-sucking parasites."  Footnotes ↑ A republic is organized so the ruling class lets "the people" choose between them by "voting" ↑ A dictatorship usually allows the people the privilege of voting for the winner ↑ In civilized republics, bribery is usually called "campaign contributions".  ↑ This can be seen in political neuroscience .  ↑ Diplomacy is the threat of violence ↑ War is the use of violence ↑ Technically, Taiwan is multi-party, but the parties have settled into two "coalitions" of parties, and only the two biggest are really competitive in the presidential race.  ↑ This terminology comes from the seating arrangement of the French National Assembly in 1789, when politics were as simple as "disagree? We'll guillotine you!" ↑ However, there is a marked tendency for people who hold certain opinions (say, on gay marriage) to also hold similar views on completely unrelated topics (like economics).  It is not exact, but there is a correlation that political scientists have been studying for some time now.   "
 * “ ” The Project for a New American Century (PNAC) is a massive neoconservative think-tank created in 1997. Its goal is "to promote American global leadership" because "American leadership is both good for America and good for the world". It has been highly influential with regard to the development of military and foreign policies, especially involving national security and the Iraq War, within the Bush administration. Some of our favorite people are involved in this, including: Dick Cheney Donald Rumsfeld Dan Quayle Paul Wolfowitz Scooter Libby And a whole host of other right-wing nutjobs, most of them with convenient connections with the Bush administration.  And yes, it basically is the American Galactic Empire.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1362 bytes Post-expand include size: 777 bytes Template argument size: 187 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Propaganda is the use of media and other information sources in order to affect or control the perceptions and behaviour of a population. Frequently the information is wholly or partially incorrect, or misrepresented in order to convey a specific, pervasive message.  The aim of propaganda is not to inform, but to guide thought.  In this regard, propaganda may be separated from simple advertising in that advertising largely attempts to extoll the virtues of a product or service in order to attract commerce, propaganda is a much more pervasive attempt to mold public opinion for a variety of reasons.  However, propaganda shares many techniques in common with advertising, such as repetition, reliance on famous spokespeople and messages cloaked in advertisement.  Political movements of all types have used propaganda widely, despite sometimes dramatically opposing ideologies.  For example, in World War II, the Allies, Soviets and Nazis, all very different in their ideologies, all used propaganda to a great degree during the course of the conflict and after.  [1] [2] [3] Although already seen in some circles as a threat to democratic ways of life as early as 1937 [4] , the word did not become pejorative in common usage until after World War II.   See Also Advertising Conservapedia  Footnotes ↑ German Propaganda Archive ↑ Russian Posters ↑ American Propaganda Posters ↑ Institute for Propaganda Analysis  "
 * The Society of Friends (better known as the Quakers) is an extremely liberal sect of Christianity, who believe in the radical notion of following the words of Jesus . As such, they are extreme pacifists.  The Quakers were very influential in the history of the United States .  The founded Pennsylvania , as a refuge from persecution in England.  Under the Quakers, Pennsylvania was one of the most open and tolerant of the Thirteen Colonies.  Also, the first abolitionists in the US were Quakers.  Though the Quakers had originally owned slaves, the whole church emancipated all of them in 18th century.   Quietism The essence of Quaker spirituality, as seen in the history of the movement, is a form of Christian mysticism known as quietism, understood as 'the direct experience of God culminating in divine union.'  The Quaker innovation is to undergo this "direct experience of God" in a group setting, which answers the Catholic objections to quietism as undermining Church discipline and unity. Quietism was a target of the Roman Inquistion well into the 1700's.   "
 * Talk Origins has an in-depth analysis of Quote mining . For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Quote mining Quote mining is the dubious art of using deliberate selection of quotes, normally out of context, and using them to refute the original author's point.  [1] This tactic is widely used among Young Earth Creationists to attempt to discredit evolution .  It also seems to be a tool used by the main proponent of the aquatic ape theory .  [2] Contents 1 Prime Examples 2 Quote Mining in Action 3 Quote mines (external links) 4 See Also 5 Footnotes  Prime Examples The following quote has been used to attempt to discredit evolution: [3] In any case, no real evolutionist, whether gradualist or punctuationist, uses the fossil record as evidence in favour of the theory of evolution as opposed to special creation." [4] However, the quote leaves out the very next sentence: This does not mean that the theory of evolution is unproven.  This article then later goes on to state that: So what is the evidence that species have evolved? There have traditionally been three kinds of evidence, and it is these, not the "fossil evidence", that the critics should be thinking about. The three arguments are from the observed evolution of species, from biogeography, and from the hierarchical structure of taxonomy.  Another famous example is the following misquotation of Charles Darwin, where the bold section is often presented without including the rest of the quote.  " To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree.  (Darwin 1872, 143-144) As may be seen, the quote has been taken out of context to give it the opposite meaning, thus appearing to support a different conclusion from that in the original article. Bolder quote miners may actually use ellipsis to omit material that contradicts their point of view even in middle of a sentence or paragraph, safe in the knowledge that their audience will not look up the full quote.  [5] Supporters of this dishonest tactic often defend themselves against accusations of quote mining by stating that only supporters of evolution use the term, therefore it is invalid.  [6] However, this is largely due to the fact that the primary group using these tactics, strenuously avoided in academic circles, are Young Earth Creationists, therefore their opponents will most often be the ones leveling the charge.  This says less about the validity of the term as the desire to cling to a spurious tactic when few, if any, other arguments are available.  As a result of widespread use of quote mining in YEC circles, several sites [7] have been set up as "quote mines", providing lists of mined quotes without the need to actually go to the source material.  Most users of these quotes have never read the original source material, and would likely be hard pressed to actually find copies.  [8]  Quote Mining in Action For those wishing to see quote mining in action, the Conservapedia article on evolution makes extensive use of quote mining and is an "excellent" illustration of this devious practice.  Conservapedia's quote-mined article on evolution More excellent examples of quote mining can be found in our article about the "leader's guide" released by the producers of the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed .   Quote mines (external links) These places have done all the hard work for you, so all you need to do is cut and paste to prove evolution is wrong, etc.  "Scientific facts which annihilate evolutionary theory", at The Evolution Cruncher
 * Part of the series on U.S. Discrimination Law Standards of Review Rational basis review Intermediate scrutiny Strict scrutiny Other Legal Theories Substantive due process State action doctrine Defining Moments in Law The 14th Amendment Plessy v. Ferguson Brown v. Board of Education Loving v. Virginia U.S. v. Virginia Romer v. Evans Lawrence v. Texas Modalities of Constitutional Law Textualism • Originalism • Dynamism Issues in Constitutional Law Same-sex marriage Gay rights Civil rights According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, Racism is a form of bias, in which a particular " race " or "races" of people are considered to be inferior (or superior) for one reason or another. [1] Phrased in another way, racism is the demented belief that for whatever reason, skin color and other physical characteristics make one person superior to another person.  Contents 1 History 2 Major Historical Examples 2.1 The "White Man's Burden" and the European colonial empires 2.2 Slavery and "Civil Rights" in the United States 2.3 The Third Reich 2.4 South Africa under apartheid 3 Racism in Religion 3.1 Christianity 3.2 Buddhism 3.3 Judaism 3.4 Islam 3.5 Hinduism 3.6 Neopaganism 4 Race is not in our genes 5 Also see 6 Footnotes  History Racism has existed in all areas and at all times where different races or cultures of humans have encountered each other. It is an unfortunate legacy of ancient days as hunter-gatherers that humans are inclined to judge groups by surface appearances.  While this trait presumably was very useful in a day in which clan cohesion and recognition were of paramount importance, as society evolved into agrarian and then urban forms the habit has proven to be a problem.  With the rise of the written word and formalizing social bonds in the shape of nations, groups began to acquire specific reputations for certain characteristics or simply for general inferiority.  What had once been tribal distinctions became immense labels spanning populations of millions.  Most notably and globally, by the time of the Middle Ages, those who were light-skinned (today called "Caucasian" or white) generally considered other races, such as the equally advanced Islamic cultures of north africa and the Middle East, to be 'savages'. The age of exploration and empire, from the sixteenth century onwards, proided new opportunities for racial prejudice and exploitation.  During the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, entire pseudosciences grew up around the study of such "superiorities," with phrenology or other studies of physical appearance purporting to determine with exactness an individual's racial makeup and the traits that would reputedly correspond.  The English were held to be phlegmatic, people from Africa to be stupid, people from Asia to be thieves, and the Jews were viewed with a mix of hatred and admiration.  More detail!  One of the strongest reinforcements of this worldview was that it was quite apparent to everyone that the white people were running the show.  For the last few centuries, most people believed that the immensely disproportionate power and wealth of Europeans (and later Americans) was palpable proof that the white race was superior.  Recent anthropologists, however, have suggested an alternate theory based on geography.  The Mediterranean area and Europe constitute one of the few horizontally-constant areas of ecological stability.  The same sort of crops that can be sown in Rome could be sown in London , with relatively little climate variation that would make such transfers difficult.  This enabled the best crops such as wheat to be transferred among huge populations in a short time, along with parallel advances in technology (such as the metal plow).  This is in contrast to areas such as Africa and the Americas, which have a fraction of comparably similar terrain.  A crop which grows well in New York is not likely to grow well in Florida or Texas .  This rapid spread of agricultural information combined with immensely superior "packages": the available native species suitable for domestication.  The Mediterranean area has a much higher number of such plant and animal species that were well-suited for use by man.  And in short order, this enabled those in the area to produce much more food per capita.  In turn, this enabled the construction of cities of enormous size and concentrations of individuals, whose fecundity yielded many more inventors to further advance technology and develop strong resistance to virulent diseases.  [2] [3] In the end, this meant that the white peoples of Europe possessed more food and infinitely better technology and that they carried diseases that wiped out the legions that opposed them.  Any belief in natural superiority is entirely unfounded.   Major Historical Examples  The "White Man's Burden" and the European colonial empires Traditionally, the patriarchal assumption that the Empire was "doing good things for the darkies" does not hold up very well to reason.  Luckily, their colonies pretty much all finally regained independence, and are doing just fine on their own, thank you.  [4]  Slavery and "Civil Rights" in the United States We cannot comment on an ongoing investigation.   The Third Reich During the twelve year reign of the National Socialists in Germany, Jews (and also Roma and Slavs) were considered a sub-human race fit for extermination, while the concept of the Aryan race was manufactured from whole cloth.  Racism provided the Nazis, simultaneously, a justification for world conquest ( lebensraum for the master race), as well as a class of millions of dispossessed people to take the blame for every national ill and policy failure.   South Africa under apartheid A white, colonially-descended minority ruled over a brown majority, until recent times.  'Nuff said.   Racism in Religion  Christianity Overall, Christianity generally promotes tolerance. Numerous quotes in the Bible speak to the equality of all human "races". Christianity has historically found itself harnessed by racists, and although usually they represent small sects of the population (e.g., the Ku Klux Klan), at times Christian leaders have promoted large scale racism, such as slavery in the American South, which was fully aided and abetted by the religious institutions there.  Galatians 3:28 - "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." In the Book of Mormon, great stock is placed in skin color.  The godly Nephites are a "fair and wholesome" people, while the disobedient Lamanites are given dark skin as a curse for their oppression of the Nephites.  Later in the book, some of the Lamanites repent, and their skin miraculously becomes fair and wholesome again.  As recently as 1978, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints refused to give African-Americans the keys to the Aaronite Priesthood.   Buddhism A Buddhist came upon a race.  He walked the other way, in order to be sure to avoid winning.   Judaism Although the Jewish or Hebrew "race" has regarded itself as "special", or "chosen", their general outlook is one of high tolerance for other peoples (at least since the Pentateuch was written).  Some people do consider conditions in modern day Israel to be an example of anti-Arab racism, but the point is open to debate, and even if agreed upon, the causes arguably lie outside Judaism itself and are more political than religious.  Leviticus 19:33-34 - " 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."  Islam Apparently, Muslims do not care what "race" you are, as long as you accept Allah as the one and only God , and Mohammed as His prophet, or are one of the People of the Book.  In the absence of such acceptance, the more fundamentalist sects do not regard you as worth allowing to live, whatever your "race".   Hinduism  Neopaganism While neopaganism attempts really hard to be a vast fluffy-bunny religion, and thus also open and accepting of all, there can be a great deal of racism in certain circles.  On the less malignant side, there are some reconstructionists who feel that people should only follow their "ancestral gods" and look down on those who seek to worship the gods of "other peoples."  On the truly horrible side, many neo-Nazis use Norse neopaganism as a religious cover for their horrible racism.  (The rest of the neopagan movement tries very hard to ostracize and shun these people.)  Race is not in our genes Race is a category people use to identify themselves and others. In biology, race refers to those who share a genetic heritage. Most biologists today believe that it is a meaningless concept. As one scientist noted, "Human racial differentiation is, indeed, only skin deep. Any use of racial categories must take its justification from some other source than biology. The remarkable feature of human evolution and history has been the very small degree of divergence between geographical population as compared with the genetic variation among individuals." [5]  Also see Bigotry Tolerance Discrimination Metapedia Curse of Ham Nationalism  Footnotes ↑
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Ramadan The "holy month" of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five " Pillars of Islam ". During this period in the hours of daylight, non-Muslims in Islamic countries are expected to hide themselves away in curtained rooms whenever they want to drink a cup of coffee, eat a doughnut, have a smoke, or fancy a quick shag. Sex on the beach is a definite no-no. In countries where alcohol is licensed for debauched foreigners then they had better have stockpiled enough to see them through until the Eid. Owing to a difference of 11-12 days between the lunar and solar years the month of Ramadan advances through the seasons. In the Arabian peninsula therefore, it passes through both the relatively mild days of January and the blistering heat of August. During Ramadan, devout Muslims are forbidden to eat, drink, smoke and have sex or impure thoughts from the earliest daylight (though not sunrise) to sunset for a period of one (lunar-) month. Some adherents even go so far as not swallowing their own saliva. Although this activity is called fasting for some it involves dining on special comestibles through the night until dawn, leaving them too exhausted to work the next day. In the Qu'ran, it is specifically stated that fasting is not required for those who would suffer a special hardship from the fast, such as pregnant women, travellers, and the ill - although they are expected to make up for it a later date. When Ramadan occurs during the heat of summer it is advisable to refrain from venturing onto the public highways of Saudi Arabia as the incidence of traffic accidents caused by dehydrated drivers reaches a cyclic peak at this time. After Ramadan comes Eid al-Fitr (Festival of Breaking Fast) when Muslims have a blow-out feast, wear their best clothes and fire guns into the air ( mileage may vary from country to country).  During Eid there is a palpable relief that Ramadan is over which is felt among both believers and non-believers.   Ramadan in the polar latitudes The obligation to fast from the first daylight to sunset might seem problematic for Muslims living in the polar regions where daylight lasts for several months during the summer months. Under such circumstances, Muslims usually follow the timetable of either the nearest major city with a normal day-night cycle, or that of Mecca. Although this solution is not specifically mentioned in the Qur'an or Hadith, it is an example of how Islamic doctrine can be adapted to local circumstances while still preserving its core tenets.   Ramadan and war Prior to the Iraq War , there was a self-imposed taboo in the West against conducting military operations during the month of Ramadan.  If the Pentagon contemplated air strikes in Afghanistan or Somalia or Sudan that would extend into Ramadan, this was the occasion of stories on Reuters warning of the anger of the Muslim "Street" which would be triggered by such an action.  During the occupation of Iraq this taboo was moot, because the Muslim "Street" was angry all the time.  (And was eaten in return for the Eid) Pre-expand include size: 1470 bytes Post-expand include size: 667 bytes Template argument size: 7 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Part of the series on U.S. Discrimination Law Standards of Review Rational basis review Intermediate scrutiny Strict scrutiny Other Legal Theories Substantive due process State action doctrine Defining Moments in Law The 14th Amendment Plessy v. Ferguson Brown v. Board of Education Loving v. Virginia U.S. v. Virginia Romer v. Evans Lawrence v. Texas Modalities of Constitutional Law Textualism • Originalism • Dynamism Issues in Constitutional Law Same-sex marriage Gay rights Civil rights Basic Doctrine Rational basis review is the standard of constitutional review that the judiciary uses to evaluate a legislative classification which does not involve any suspect classifications .  Currently, the only "suspect classifications" are race, [1] religion, [2] national origin, [3] and gender.  [4] Sexual orientation has been given a quasi-suspect classification.  [5] [6], supports a legitimate state interest, and is reasonably related to that legitimate interest, the classification passes constitutional muster.  [7] very light, and deferential to the state.  Rational basis classifications are largely economic, implicating only the government's police powers.  The distinction between "filled" milk and real milk [8] , is an example of a rational basis classification.   Current Events There is currently some doctrinal confusion on the application of rational basis review to classifications on the basis of sexual orientation.  The cases Romer v. Evans and Lawrence v. Texas real standard of review being applied is something higher than rational basis, because disallowing morality as a rational basis would be potentially too far for the current moderate Court.  As a result, it is likely that the Court is using something higher than "rational basis" in evaluating discrimination against homosexuals, but that the Court does not wish to say as much.  The standard of review for sexual orientation cases, then, has been mockingly called "rational basis with teeth," making light of the Court's current confusion.   Footnotes ↑ Brown v. Board of Education ↑ Yick Wo v. Hopkins (118 U.S. 356) ↑ Korematsu v. U.S.  (323 U.S. 214) ↑ U.S. v. Virginia, applying intermediate scrutiny ↑ Romer v. Evans , see also Lawrence v. Texas ↑ U.S. v. Carolene Products, 304 U.S. 144, footnote 4 ↑ U.S. v. Carolene Products, 304 U.S. 144 ↑ See Carolene Products , supra Pre-expand include size: 1906 bytes Post-expand include size: 1845 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Cover Story This article is randomly featured on the Main Page. Please keep this in mind and be sure your edits are of the quality level that implies.  Well, if you found this web page, you very well might have recently lost faith in your God . Our mission in this document is to help you find your way out of the darkness into a world where decisions are made on the data provided by reality. To a place not run by a dogmatic scripture. This is a place where your accountability is not to yourself or some god but to your fellow human beings. You have entered the world of atheism morality from, and how we hang in there in the face of peer pressure to return to the church.
 * For a discussion of Conservapedia's "article" on Reparative Therapy, see Reparative Therapy of Homosexuality . Reparative therapy is the idea that homosexuality can, and should , be cured.  Many reparative therapy "camps" are maintained where children's parents send them to be "cured" of homosexuality: however, these re-education facilities in fact amount to little more than non-fatal concentration camps.  [1] Many camps are deliberately placed beyond United States territory so as to avoid their jurisdiction, and, ostensibly, their laws.  Some RationalWiki users dream of burying such camps in a sea of class actions...  Contents 1 Background 2 Meet Richard Cohen 3 Techniques 4 Famous Ex-Gays 4.1 Relapsed 4.2 Stayed Straight 5 Laws Violated 6 Footnotes 7 See Also  Background In the 1970s the American Psychiatric Assocation was reviewing its chief diagnostical tool, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.  During this revision the committee tasked with writing the manual eliminated homosexuality as a "mental disorder" primarily because they believed that it did not meet the standard of impaired functioning and in most cases did not hurt the self or others.  [2] Opponents of this decision seemed to think that it was based on pressure from the gay agenda that corrupted the APA.  Thus, if the APA wasn't going to treat homosexuals as mentally ill, the religious right would.   Meet Richard Cohen By all accounts Richard Cohen would seem like a typical straight man, he has a wife and kids and seems like an average every day fellow.  However, he is probably the most prolific "ex-gay" out there, and is a (self proclaimed) "Certified Sexual Reorientation Coach."  Although every major counselling organization has banned him (including other "ex-gay" groups), Cohen is probably the most prolific of them, and the most crazy.  His basic theory is that gay people did not get proper attachment from the parent of the opposite gender (or the same gender, actually it seems that Cohen hasn't really thought this whole thing out) and are thus reaching out to people of their same gender in order to find that missing parental love.  Despite not doing any real research into this matter he manages to get on TV claiming to have found the "cure" for something which is not classified as a disease (except by these people).   Techniques The techniques that Reparative therapists use are quite varied, but have one thing in common: they do not work.  Aversion Therapy Remember the time you threw up after eating your favorite food and then never ever wanted to have that food again, even if that food didn't cause your vomiting?  That's aversion therapy.  Except the way Reparative therapists do it is to show you some hot gay porn then make you drink ipecac.  This might work but it doesn't really "change" things, just prevents behaviors, and in the end all it may do is just make you not want to watch gay porn.  Hugging This one happens to be a Richard Cohen special.  Remember his theory is that gay men did not get the proper attachment from their dad, so in order to treat this, Cohen himself will hug his rape victim his patient while he pretends to be a little boy and Cohen pretends to be his father.  This is absolutely no expression of repressed urges on Cohen's part since he is not gay.  Gender Reinforcement This is a slightly more "mainstream" form of Reparative therapy where by gay men and women will be forced to enact stereotypical gender roles.  So lesbians will be discouraged from sports and metal working and instead be taught to sew, do make up, hold babies (since all women want babies [3] and sex is only for the creation of babies), and do other girly things.  Gay men will be taught to act macho, and do things like play sports (since no gay men ever played sports [4] ) or taught to do macho stuff like build things, (because only straight people work on construction sites [5] ).  Hit Pillows This is another Richard Cohen special.  Cohen does sometimes get gay feelings, and so he has to deal with them in a mature and adult manner.  Thus, when he feels gay he will take a baseball bat or tennis racquet and smash it against a pillow, while screaming things like "mom why did you do that to me!" To see these vary effective techniques in action The Chaser's War on Everything put it to the test !   Famous Ex-Gays This is broken down into two categories, those whom have "relapsed" and those who have not.   Relapsed John Paulk (after being "cured" went to a DC gay club to celebrate this fact with other gays).  Richard Cohen (though he doesn't admit that he's relapsed, he has taken trips to New York to cheat on his wife with men) Michael Bussee (co-founder of Exodus International, one of the largest ex-gay groups, has since been a major critic of such groups) Christopher Austin (got 10 years for sexually assaulting male clients)  Stayed Straight  Laws Violated In theory, reparative therapy camps, even those outside of American jurisdiction, could be sued for torts committed against American citizens.  First, it is a well-settled concept of jurisdiction that where a facility avails itself of the United States market, it can potentially (i.e., with a skilled lawyer) be sued in the United States.  The basic touchstone of jurisdiction is how foreseeability and fairness, and where a camp is comprised 100% of American citizens, surely it ought to be "on notice" of being covered by American laws.  Venue would likely be proper in America following a forum non conveniens motion.  From an American venue, a vast sum of torts - intentional infliction of emotional distress, false imprisonment, battery, tortious negligence, and likely statutory crimes - could be levied against the camp, but, more importantly, an effective public relations campaign could be fought.  A cursory Lexis search shows that no litigation has yet erupted around the abuses occurring at reparative therapy camps, except the criminal prosecution in California of one member of Casa by the Sea, [6] and a reporter investigating the same suing them for defamation and interference with contractual relationship with his publisher: apparently, Casa by the Sea does not like people knowing what's going on there.   Footnotes ↑ Upon personal information, I know a young man sent to Casa by the Sea , a camp in Mexico.  The man - then a boy - didn't see his reflection for a year (!), his education became nonexistent, and in other pertinent matters, was psychologically tortured and lost a year of his life.  For a (comparatively) mild case, read this .  ↑
 * . Some users long for the days in which it was just themselves and an elite troll squad up against the 'Baptist' legions.   See also Mrs. T.D. Gaines-Crockett —Main contributor, and 'Biblical Authoritarian', and 'Humanitarian'.  Tobin Maker --Resident Pastor, occasional contributor Brother McGregor-- Scottish zealot, and convert. Or is he? He is probably one of the more popular contributors. Rumor has it that he fled and changed his name. His conversion came about on the "Sissification of Seattle" blog, which was designed to outrage kilt wearers. He seems pious enough, but there is a sense of mischief about this good brother. Brother McGregor was the odd man out, at times very gentle and genuinely concerned and then at other times displaying an almost schizophrenic change in behavior. This "character" is genuinely one of the more interesting people at Baptists for Republican Government.  [7]  Links Teh Site Some delightful T-shirts ...   Footnotes ↑ ↑
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Abstinence Abstinence programs Asexual Abortion Original sin Potsexuality Gay rights Masturbation Nuremberg Files Perverted Justice Santorum Sex education Sexual orientation RH Reality Check is a website devoted to "Information and Analysis for Reproductive Health" and is committed to advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. It is overtly political (but not party-political) and refutes the policies of the conservative Christian right as well as featuring information about contraception sexually transmitted diseases abortion sex education and teenage sexuality. The site also hosts several blogs such as that of James Wagoner, the President of Advocates For Youth .   See also Celibacy  External links Offical site S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Pre-expand include size: 1073 bytes Post-expand include size: 736 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Dawkins and pseudoscience Dawkins is no less critical of pseudoscience than he is of religion. He recently made his views known about faith healers, psychic mediums, angel therapists, "aura photographers", astrologers, tarot card readers and water diviners, and claimed that Britain is gripped by "an epidemic of superstitious thinking".  [6]  Root of All Evil?  Root of All Evil?  is a television documentary by biologist Richard Dawkins, and is essentially the film version of his book " The God Delusion ". The title was forced upon the show by its producers at Channel 4 and the question mark at the end was a concession to Dawkins.  The first part, entitled "The God Delusion," explored the beliefs of religion and their conflicts with science, while in the second part, "The Virus Of Faith," he brought in the theory of the meme to explain religions, making them akin to viruses and the moral implications of religious belief. The programme also included an interview with Ted Haggard where he showed off his wingnuttery quite nicely, threatening Dawkins for "calling his children animals", i.e., mentioning evolution .  The programme recieved predictably mixed reviews with religious proponents accusing Dawkins of everything from journalistic dishonesty to concentrating on the bad aspects of religion whilst ignoring the potential good.   Quotes “We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.” "If you are in possession of this revolutionary secret of science , why not prove it and be hailed as the new Newton? Of course, we know the answer. You can't do it. You are a fake."  " Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence . Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence." “We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines, but we have the power to turn against our creators. We, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators.” “Nearly all peoples have developed their own creation myths, and the Genesis story is just the one that happened to have been adopted by one particular tribe of Middle Eastern herders. It has no more special status than the belief of a particular West African tribe that the world was created from the excrement of ants.”  Criticism of Dawkins Dawkins' outspoken views on religion have earned him many knee-jerk criticisms from religious apologists and non-religious persons alike. With the high regard in which religious belief is held, [7] openly and directly attacking religion has seen Dawkins break one of the greatest taboos still in existence in the western world.  Most critics concentrate on his divisive approach to the subject: he is generally seen to reject all theistic views, even when they support his own on evolution or secularism , and his dismissal of all the good aspects of religion, which Dawkins either believes are non-existent or completely irrelevant. In The God Delusion , Dawkins spends most of the introduction of the book addressing potential critics, predicting their arguments quite accurately and putting forward his own counter-arguments. Theists also criticise Dawkins' lack of logic in some of his arguments, with several of his simplified point-by-point arguments ending with "therefore there is no God" without sufficient supporting premises. As a result, he is often termed a " fundamentalist atheist ".  The criticism of Dawkins and general anti-Dawkins attitudes manifest in many ways, from homemade You-Tube videos to the completely ad hominem "article" on him found on Conservapedia . In September 2008, a Turkish court banned internet users from viewing the official Richard Dawkins website after Harun Yahya , a Muslim creationist , claimed its contents were defamatory and blasphemous .  [8]  Books published Richard Dawkins has published a vast range of material.  His books are: The Selfish Gene (1976) The Extended Phenotype (1982) The Blind Watchmaker (1986) River Out of Eden (1995) Climbing Mount Improbable (1996) Unweaving the Rainbow (1997) A Devil’s Chaplain (2003) The Ancestor’s Tale (2004) The God Delusion (2006)  See also Antitheism Answers in Genesis Dawkins interview controversy Meme Visit to the Cinema .   External links A few reading notes on pp. 80-106 of The God Delusion  Footnotes ↑ Official website ↑
 * Richard Lenski is the Hannah Professor of Microbial Ecology at Michigan State University. His research focuses on the genetic mechanisms and ecological processes that drive evolutionary change, and has attracted worldwide recognition for the immediacy of its insights into this usually unseen "force". He is also interested in the development of digital organisms using the Avida program. This artificial-life software platform can be used to study the evolutionary biology of self-replicating and evolving computer programs.  He loves the word " acolyte ", and has several himself.  [1]  Professor Lenski and Conservapedia In early June 2008, New Scientist reported that Lenski's long-term E. coli experiment had yielded unambiguous evidence for evolution .  [2] One brave soul, however, refused to allow this heresy to go unchallenged and used his Conservapedia blog to launch a public attack on the validity of the evidence as it posed such a direct challenge to creationism . Much lulz ensued, culminating in a series of absurd email demands that Lenski release his "data" for proper scrutiny.  The full hilarity of Andy's Biblical self-pwnage may be savored in our Lenski affair article.   External links Conservapedia's insane discussion over Andy's bothering of Professor Lenski Professor Lenski's webpage at Michigan State Professor Lenski's paper on Science and Religion Another June 2008 article similar to the NS one Interview with Professor Lenski  Footnotes ↑
 * Richard Milhous "Tricky Dick" Nixon was the 37th president of the United States . Nixon's vice-president was Spiro Agnew, until he resigned due to breakin' laws .  Agnew was succeeded by Nixon's nominee, then-Representative Gerald Ford .  Ford then succeeded Nixon as president when he resigned for breakin' laws .  It's all very straightforward constitutional logic, really.  Several years prior to his tenure as president, he served as Dwight D. Eisenhower's vice-president.  Contents 1 Politics 2 Achievements 3 Underachievements 4 Personal affectations and grooming 5 Awesome quotes 6 See also  Politics Nixon was a liberal , as shown by his enactment of wage and price controls to try to reduce inflation.  He was also a rabid anti-communist.  Oddly, given some of the achievements below, he would probably be considered a card-carrying pinko by the standards of the present-day Republican party.  He formulated and perfected his so-called "Southern Strategy", which used racism as a wedge issue to get naturally Democratic blue-collar voters in the Bible Belt to vote for him, a Republican .  This strategy has continued to be a major force in US presidential elections, with a heavy dose of religious fundamentalist issues gradually added to the racism.   Achievements Under Nixon, many groundbreaking steps were taken in the US: He signed OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) into law.  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) was also created.  He went to China, where Mao Zedong was impressed by Secretary of State Henry Kissinger's sexual exploits.  Eventually ended the Viet Nam War.  Called hippies "jobless bums." Developed a hilarious speaking style.   Underachievements Nixon is also famous for getting a few things horribly wrong: Escalating Johnson's disastrous war in Viet Nam to the point of carpet-bombing neighboring countries. (What's this doing on the Underachievements? It would have worked if only the goshdurned libruhls had been willing to fund it and maybe let him use a few nukes.) Creating his infamous "enemies list".  Hiring and protecting too many not-too-bright thugs to work for his administration.   Personal affectations and grooming Nixon was a sweaty, smelly, hard-drinking, and foulmouthed anti-Semite who suffered from heavy beard growth and raging inferiority complexes.   Awesome quotes "You won't have Dick Nixon to kick around any more".  "I am not a crook".  "[Expletive deleted]" "Fucking Jew-bastards everywhere!" "Sock it to me?  "  See also Paranoia  "
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Political spectrum The political spectrum is a concept for representing different politican stances in relation to one another. At its most basic, the political spectrum consists of a line or continuum from left to right, with varying shades of opinion in between.  Contents 1 Left wing and right wing 2 Leftism 3 Rightism 4 Other measures 5 See also 6 Footnotes  Left wing and right wing The terms "left wing" and "right wing" originated in the years following the French Revolution of 1789, when the nobility were seated on the right side in parliament meeting, and representatives of the liberal bourgeoisie sat on the left.  Thus the "right wing" is associated with maintaining the status quo and protecting the interests of the wealthy.  The left wing" is associated with demanding progress and equality, although the extent can vary from moderate liberals, who seek change through economic reform, while retaining capitalism, to socialists, who advocate the destruction of capitalism, and collective ownership of the means of production.  An example of a simple left-to-right spectrum, along with examples of ideologies and where they would fit, would look something like this: Communism - Social Democracy - Liberalism - Centrism - Conservatism - Ultra-Conservatism - Fascism There are several problems with the left-to-right spectrum.  One is that the uses and definitions of the terms vary so much between different cultures and contexts, since they are dependent on the political and economic status quo.  For example, in an totalitarian country such as the USSR, anti-capitalist supporters have sometimes been regarded as right wing and proponents of free market capitalism regarded as left wing, the opposite to how these are seen in a capitalist country such as the US.  [1] Also, the left-right spectrum disregards positions on social freedoms, and thus a libertarian socialist and a totalitarian would be in the same area.  The terms "leftism" and "rightism", as used on talk radio in the United States, generally refer to political extremists, whereas words such as "left-leaning", "left of centre" or "right of centre" denote more moderate positions.  However, these meanings can change through misunderstandings or misuse of the terms to create straw men .  The terms are becoming increasingly irrelevant due to their vagueness and frequently negative connotations.   Leftism Leftists are often mistaken in United States politics for liberals .  However, there is a vast difference between the two groups.  Many Leftists also believe that 'bourgeois democracy' is a sham, designed only to keep the rich in their places of privilege.  This is why some leftist groups do not bother with democratic politics to establish socialism. However, many leftists believe in a worker's democracy once capitalism is destroyed.  There are many different forms of leftism.  This is reflected in the different adjectives used to describe different kinds of Leftism: Marxist, Marxian, Marxoid, Marxist-Leninist, Stalinist, Trotskyite, neo-Trostkyite, Maoist, democratic socialist, libertarian socialist (anarchist), De Leonist, council communist, guild socialist, etc. not to mention various modern and postmodern theoretical schools that seem to exist mainly in academic circles, such as deconstructionism, left- or post-feminism, Critical Theory, and the Frankfurt School. Many of these groups have a fierce rivalry with each other, such as the Marxist-Leninists with libertarian socialists, and the Stalinists and Maoists with just about everybody else.  Often, leftist groups are criticized for criticizing liberals for "holding up change" when they "should be" focusing on the conservatives and fascists.  This could be seen in the years immediately preceding World War II , when American communists preferred to try to sink Roosevelt rather than help him, and only made common cause with him after the failure of the Soviet - German non aggression pact and the invasion of Russia by Nazi Germany in 1941. However, this is an invalid criticism, as if somebody is against capitalism, it makes sense that they may oppose people who happen to support capitalism. Many leftists view America as a plutocracy, and thus view the Democrats and Republicans as a beast with two backs. With all that it implies.  For anyone who studies politics with rigor, the conflation of "leftist" and "liberal" is truly infuriating.  (Less infuriating is the conflation of "rightist" and " conservative ," if only because there are very few "rightist" groups anymore, and it's very rare for liberals to refer to a conservative as a "rightist.")  The American right wing talking-point machine refers to anyone "left of center-right" as a "far left" politician or pundit (cf., Hillary Clinton Al Franken) further confusing political discourse.   Rightism Rightism is a form of extreme conservatism that seeks to do away with democratic politics entirely.  In the past, most "rightist" groups either sought a restoration of a previous monarchy, or the creation of a fascist regime to "undo the chaos of democracy."  Because the United States has never had a monarch, rightist groups in that country have been relatively few.  In recent years, traditional rightism has been on the wane in most of the world.  Another common component of rightism, however, has not waned: extreme nationalism .  Most rightist groups try to force out all immigrants and minorities.  It is possible that in modern rightism this form of nationalism is the only defining characteristic.   Other measures The political compass The Nolan Chart Another problem with the left-to-right spectrum is that there are some political positions which do not fit into it.  For example, libertarianism upholds both personal liberties (traditionally left wing) and unrestrained economic freedom (traditionally right wing).  The full variety of opinions can be better represented by two-dimensional diagrams where the (economic) left-to-right spectrum is balanced with another (social) axis between authoritarianism and individualism, both of which can be either left and right wing.  The Nolan Chart is an example of this kind of diagram.  Another common chart is the "political compass", where political opinions can be plotted anywhere in a square grid based on the two axes.   See also Essay: Gaming the language: the US political spectrum  Footnotes ↑ See for example Beware of Misleading Soviet Terms .  Pre-expand include size: 2389 bytes Post-expand include size: 672 bytes Template argument size: 77 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Roman Catholic Church For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single religious denomination in the world today with an estimated 1.1 billion adherents. Contents 1 The Pope 2 Relationship with other Christians 3 Politics 4 Abuse 5 See also 6 External links 7 Footnotes  The Pope The Catholic Church considers itself to be the legitimate heir in unbroken apostolic succession to the early Church. Its head is the Bishop of Rome, otherwise known as the Pope or Pontiff. The current Pope since 2005 is Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger). Ideally, the Pope is a wise man well past normal retiring age, being instead chosen to relentlessly work for the well-being of humanity until God calls him to Heaven. (Or at least that's the plan. Some do, many across history have been in it solely for the power.) Usually, however, the realistic administrator-types have made better popes than the more saintly ones.   Relationship with other Christians While most people in the West do not contest the idea that the Catholic Church is the oldest branch of Christianity, there are other Eastern branches that consider themselves as old as the Roman Catholic Church, which they claim has fallen into heresy .  Recently, there has been a push by the Catholic Church to reconcile with some of these smaller churches, with some success. Despite the RCC's status as the largest branch of Christianity, however, some fundamentalist Protestants refuse to recognize it as Christian at all. The RCC recognizes that the Eastern Orthodox Churches have valid orders but it considers the orders of the Anglican Communion to be utterly null and absolutely void.  The Catholic Church considers all persons baptized with the Trinitarian formula to be members, but in various degress of communion.  Latin Rite and Ukrainian Rite Catholics, for instance, are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome. The Eastern Orthodox are considered to be very close indeed, but actual intercommunion between the two is currently not authorized (Catholics are not allowed to share the Eucharist at EO masses and vice versa). Lutherans and Methodists are acknowledged to be fellow Christians, but they are considered "separated brethren".  Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Oneness Pentecostals are considered to be members of non-Christian sects due to what the Catholic Church holds to be their  view of the Holy Trinity.  Roman Catholic, while splinter groups both liberal and traditionalist appear in some places, out of communion with the Roman church, over doctrinal differences such as gay rights, female priesthood, and the controversial Vatican II reforms of the 1960s. In addition, small groups such as Opus Dei and the Society of St. Pius X operate on the fringes of the Roman church (the latter is generally not on good terms with Rome, while the former, though a social fringe and according to some a cult , operates with the direct blessing of the Vatican).   Politics Politically, the Catholic Church has long been a very conservative force, often supporting monarchies and fascist regimes against democracies and republics.  This has recently changed, however.  Through the 20th century, the Catholic Church has been a strong supporter of democracies against Communism .  Also, while vehemently opposed to gay rights abortion , and birth control, the Church has also taken a stand against the death penalty , unprovoked aggression, and torture .  Unfortunately, in this day and age that makes them moderates. Oddly, in more developed countries, a great number of Catholic churchgoers are far more liberal than their church.  The Catholic Church is the only denomination to have full, unquestioned control of its own state , the Vatican City State in Rome.  [1] Historically, from about the mid-7th century onwards, the Popes had controlled the Papal States , a territory covering a significant part of central Italy. In 1860, however, most of the Papal States were lost as part of the wars that led to the unification of Italy. Rome was finally occupied by Italy in 1870, leading to a 59-year conflict between the Popes and the government of Italy. This conflict that was finally resolved by the Concordat of 1929 that established the present-day Vatican City as a sovereign state.   Abuse The child abuse cases by priests in the Roman Catholic Church are well known.  The Magdalene laundries scandal is less well known outside Ireland , but was also awful.   See also Catholic sacraments Theophagy  External links Catechism of the Catholic Church , describing the fundamental doctrine of Catholicism.  The 1983 Code of Canon Law , the rules and laws that govern the Catholic Church.  Also available in Latin , for those who like such things.   Footnotes ↑ Although the Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos also enjoy considerable political autonomy from the Greek state.  Pre-expand include size: 1459 bytes Post-expand include size: 1175 bytes Template argument size: 21 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * In statistics, a sample size is the number of observations in a statistical sample. The larger the sample size, the more precise the estimate is of the population being studied in the statistical sample.  Therefore, any study involving statistics should use a large enough sample size to draw a reasonable conclusion.  Many pseudosciences rely instead on anecdotal evidence to draw their conclusions.  As an anecdote involves a sample size of 1, it cannot be considered conclusive.  Further, multiple anecdotes do not constitute a larger sample size, but instead constitute several (often selectively chosen for their results) samples with a sample size each of 1.  Therefore, arguments based solely on anecdotes and testimony need to be studied further, but not taken as conclusive in themselves.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Satan (Lou C. Fer) is a bogeyman for grown-ups and children both.  After being kicked out of heaven for telling YHWH to lighten up a little, he became God 's prosecuting attorney and the Bible's foremost advocate for humanity's right to know and understand what's going on around them . Some people think that makes Satan the first humanist .  Somewhat unfortunately Satan doesn't really have a big part in the Bible - only a handful of walk-on roles - such as cameos selling fruit, tormenting Job and tempting Jesus . He has, however, had parts in many other prominent works, such as Milton's Paradise Lost, Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov and the Faust story by (in turn) Christopher Marlowe, Goethe and Thomas Mann.  In an odd parallel to the book Wicked , Satan (then called Lucifer) was born with bat-like wings, rather than the traditional dove-like ones most [angel]]s have. Despite this huge defect, which made him the object of ridicule and discrimination, he persevered, and through sheer hard work and born talent, he rose to the highest court in the world, only to come to the shocking realization that God believed that a lifetime of sinning deserved an eternity of punishment. He then rebelled against God, and eventually was exiled. (little known fact: he is one of the ONLY characters in the Bible to stand up to God and live .) He is also the Prince of Darkness, has horns, a widow's peak and a long tail.  Some Christians believed that he hasn’t got a bottom.  Where that should be he has a second face.  In place of an anus he has a second mouth.  Defecation is a torment. His favorite color is red , as he is a commie, and his favorite number is 666 , because it looks pretty as a birthmark.  He is claimed by some at RationalWiki to be a pretty good hockey player - but what do they know? He is also a metalhead.  Contents 1 A bum rap 2 Other famous Satans 3 See also 4 References  A bum rap Satan is called the "Father of lies" but there is no biblical evidence (other than hearsay) that Satan ever did lie. In fact, in the Garden of Eden, when Satan tells Eve that she won't die "in the day thereof" when she eats the fruit, Satan is telling the truth, because Eve did not die until much later. Fundies cover this by saying that Eve spiritually died the instant she ate the fruit.  This is very much like when you sent $30 to a TV preacher for him to pray that you win the lottery.  You didn't really win the lottery, but you won the lottery spiritually .   Other famous Satans Satan is the name of an old friend's black cat. He had green eyes, and purred a lot.  Miroslav Šatan is a Slovak ice hockey player. He currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Satan (formerly Brian Salmi) was leader of the former Rhinoceros Party in Canada.  The Great Satan - Iran's affectionate name for the U.S.A.  Satan , a famous heavy metal band, who changed names often.  Santa , Lou's cousin.  Jimbo Wales [1]  See also Examples of Satan personally killing people 666 is Satan's number  References ↑
 * Satanism is the practice of bowing to the Dark Lord . It is widely misunderstood, and most practitioners feel that if more were known about it, there would be greater tolerance for the practice.  Contents 1 Beliefs 2 Practices 3 Afterlife 4 Antelife 5 LaVey Satanism 6 The kids-sacrificing-your-pets, backward-messages-in-heavy-metal kind of Satanism  Beliefs Like most religions, there are a variety of beliefs, but a few precepts are agreed upon by all Satanists.  The Dark Lord is Master of All, and a snappy dresser.  Jesus is gay, or should be.  God is an invention of Satan to fool the unworthy.  Candles rule, especially black ones.   Practices These vary from sect to sect.  For example, the uninitiated believe that pedophagia (baby-eating) is essential to all practice.  In fact, Satan-worship's relationship to pedophagia is very dependent on the sect. For instance, Californian Orthodox Satanists feel that pedophagia is insufficient sacrifice for the Dark One, and that kittens are far better, given that people like kittens more than children. The Satanist Union of Greenwich Village, however, feels pedophagia is only proper during the full moon in February, but that goats are tasty any day of the week.  The Midwest Chapter of The Satanist Union (Reformed) are officially affiliated with the Michigan Democratic Party , and as such they have renounced pedophagia in favor of smoking weed , but in some isolated areas of Michigan's Thumb, the older practice still prevails.   Afterlife This is the afterlife.  You just can't remember life, because the Dark Lord is the Great Deceiver.   Antelife Before this life that we perceive, which is really the afterlife,, the spirit resided in the Rectum of All Souls.  There it ripened, and was delivered in the daily "Flatuus Natorius".  Without cleansing at birth, these souls are condemned to an eternal search for truth, and they smell bad.   LaVey Satanism There is also an atheistic 'religion' (like Buddhism is a religion) named Satanism, or 'LaVey Satanism'. More detail can be found at their website . They are generally said to be named 'Satanism' to annoy Christians. It's basically Secular Humanism except dumber because they believe in magic.  For the record, they officially frown on child and animal sacrifices, saying that we should all strive to be like children or animals.  (Now, adult sacrifice seems to be totally cool, as long as the person pissed you off.)  The kids-sacrificing-your-pets, backward-messages-in-heavy-metal kind of Satanism Oh, you were looking for an article on that kind of Satanism?  See Satanic Panic .   "
 * The savanna hypothesis is the proposal that the major divergence between the hominids and other great apes was driven by hominids moving out of the forests and onto the grasslands. It is one of the oldest and most established hypotheses for what separated humans from the other apes, dating back to Charles Darwin 's time. The hypothesis has come under intense fire in recent years with alternative hypotheses such as rapidly fluctuating environments or the aquatic ape theory competing for attention.  But the savanna hypothesis received new support by a proposal that humans adapted to run down animals in the hot African sun.  This included the development of large leg tendons and buttocks which do not appear in the other great apes, but allow humans to run efficiently on two legs by recycling the energy of running motions, as well as the loss of hair over most of the body to allow efficient cooling.  The animal chosen to be a victim would be able to sprint faster than the relentless human hunter until heat exhaustion caused it to collapse.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Cover Story Nominee This page has been nominated for random inclusion on the Main Page. Please discuss its nomination on the talk page Instructions here Scientific theory is a series of statements about the causal elements for a given effect. It is a key element of the scientific method . Although in common parlance anything that attempts to describe a cause can be dubbed a theory, a scientific theory has several more specific meanings, depending on the context.  A well-substantiated explanation for a series of facts and observations. Theories are the main goal in science and no explanation can achieve a higher "rank." A complex suite of theories (see above) and scientific laws (see below) built up over time that unify the scientific community's view and approach to a particular scientific field. Biology has the theory of evolution, Geology has plate tectonic theory and Cosmology has the Big Bang.  “Theory: In science, a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world that can incorporate facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses.   Common misconceptions about theories  "Just" a theory Creationist and Intelligent design proponents often like to describe the theory of evolution as just a theory. This relies on equivocating hypothesis) with the scientific meaning. Theories are the single highest level of scientific achievement and nothing is just a theory. It would be like saying Bill Gates is just a multibillionaire. Additionally, one might say that the notion of evolution is "just a theory" in the same way that Cell Theory and the Theory of Gravitation (fundamental principles of biology and physics, respectively) are "just theories." This argument played out with hilarious ramifications in the recent decision of the Florida State Board of Education to teach evolution as a "scientific theory."  Apparently, the creationists on the Florida SBOE thought that this was a "compromise" - by making evolution a "scientific theory" at law, they thought, it would weaken the position of evolution.  After all, then it would be "just a theory," right?  [1] WRONG.  This "compromise" puts evolution on the exactly right footing - at the highest tier of science - and ensures that students will be taught about what the term "scientific theory" really means, hopefully eventually drawing the sting of the colloquial meaning confusion.  [2]  Theories are different from Laws Another common misconception is that a theory is the step you go through while on your way to a law of science . Scientific laws and theories are two very different things and one never becomes the other. Scientific laws are factual observations usually derived from mathematical modeling. Theories are the causal explanations behind what creates the laws and observations of science. Theories also combine laws into a theoretical framework that is greater than the sum of its parts. For example, many different laws describe how genes interact in different combinations to influence heredity. Genetic theory combines such laws into a theoretical framework. Evolutionary theory combines genetic theory, the theory of natural selection and other theories with the various laws with which they are associated into a complex framework that forms the basis of much research in the field of biology.  Even superb theories, or laws, can be superceded by more successful theories.  For instance, Newton's "Law" of gravitation is superb at predicting the path of a spacecraft among the outer planets of the Solar system, but it breaks down when large masses are involved, such at that of the sun.  The precession of the aphelion of Mercury can only be explained by Einstein's general relativity, which is a refinement of Newton's Law taking into account the slight bending of spacetime near the sun.   Falsified theories are no longer scientific theories Clearly, if a theory has been falsified it no longer fulfills the definitions at the start of the article.  It may well still be a "theory" is the sense of the common usage, but in scientific terms it has become a superceded theory.   Footnotes ↑ The Discovery Institute is pissed off about this.  ↑ Panda's Thumb, along with all of science, is pretty happy though.  Pre-expand include size: 2179 bytes Post-expand include size: 984 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Bonus points if you can identify the science in question. Image courtesy of
 * A baker's dozen on Human Sexuality Abstinence Child predators on the internet Confirmed bachelor Fisting Gay rights Heterophobia Homosexuality Incest Pervert What's wrong with being straight? Sex toys The Naked Ape Yoni This page has been deleted and protected to prevent procreation Click here to return to the Main Page Sex can refer to several things.  A person's sex is synonymous with their gender, e.g., whether they are male or female, or in some cases transgendered .  Excluding the status of transgendered individuals, this is the only definition of sex that one will find on sites like Conservapedia .  The other main meaning of the term is the act of bumping nasties, either alone or with other consenting members of one's species.  This is the meaning of the term we shall explore in this article.  In sociology, "sex" is usually reserved for the sweaty act, and "gender" is used to describe socially constructed roles, to retain some level of academic clarity.  Contents 1 Squirting vs. thinking 1.1 Do Roman Catholics squirt or think?  2 "Cheating" 3 Naughty pictures 4 See also 5 Footnotes  Squirting vs. thinking "Sex" can also refer to the act of sexual intercourse, wherein the male's penis is placed inside the woman's vagina, usually until the male ejaculates.  Although every human who has ever lived prior to the modern development of artificial insemination techniques was conceived by this process, [1] one will find hardly any information about the sexual act on Conservapedia .  Conservapedia says sex should be reserved for marriage, because the Bible tells them so.  [2] Therefore, fundies only find out if they are incompatible after getting hitched.  Then they have to live unhappily together, or divorce (which the Bible says is naughty and forbids them from doing).  Sex leads to many things that ultra-conservatives despise, such as pregnancy outside of wedlock, birth control, abortion, serial monogamy or promiscuity, and sexually transmitted diseases, science (particularly evolutionary biology) to develop vaccinations (such as the HPV vaccine), sex education , and health insurance for the masses to cover those cases where a disease has no cure or treatment. Because ultra-conservatives dislike all of these things, it is highly recommended that they abstain from all forms of sex and reproduction.  It should be noted that both recent and longstanding studies have shown that (as the saying goes) "people are alike all over".  A person's political or religious views usually tend to have very little impact on whether they practice what is seen by social conservatives as "negative" sexual activities, including homosexuality , a high lifetime number of partners, promiscuity, and pre-marital sex.  In fact, some studies have shown that the social conservatives engage in them more .   Do Roman Catholics squirt or think?  Roman Catholic priests, monks, and nuns are supposed to avoid sex all their lives . They are not supposed to squirt, if they’re male.  They are not supposed to let anyone squirt into (or onto) them if they are either gender.   Sometimes this makes them very miserable.  Not all of them have the willpower to remain celibate.  Although, priests who are married before becoming priests are allowed to keep their marriage, as divorce is prohibited, and thus are allowed to have sex with their wives only.  Lay Roman Catholics are allowed to have sex, provided they are married, and and provided they don’t use contraceptives. Of course many Roman Catholics do both.  They regularly have sex outside of marriage and they regularly use contraceptives in or out of marriage.  If they’re good Catholics they go to confession after every time.  Lay Catholics may think about other subjects but they don’t think very much about religion.  They’re taught to believe what the priests tell them, and not to think for themselves.  Sometimes they manage to think a bit, but if they let themselves think logically, they’ll realize that the dogma they are fed is stupid.   "Cheating" In addition, actual negative sexual activities, such as adultery (relating not to promiscuity or so-called "open relationships," but to emotional betrayal), unprotected sex, and especially sexual abuse, is practiced by equal (or increasing, depending on the study) numbers of social and political conservatives.   Naughty pictures Pictures of sex are often included in medical textbooks, if you can get your hands on a cheap used one that doesn't have the relevant pages stuck together.  Other pictures of sex, that are usually much more interesting , are what the internets are for.   See also Celibacy Gender Gender identity disorder Goat Naked Sex education Transvestite Birth control  Footnotes ↑ With the possible exception of a few individuals held by various religions to have been born from a virgin ↑
 * Sexual orientation refers to the direction an individual's sexuality takes, usually classified in relation to the sex or gender the individual is sexually attracted to. Examples of categories include heterosexuality homosexuality bisexuality, etc.  See also Sexual Identity S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Silver "purity ring" Silver Ring Thing is the rather trite name given to a Christian organization aimed at convincing teenagers to practice abstinence from sex until marriage . Silver Ring Thing was created in 1995 by Denny Pattyn, an evangelical Christian youth minister from Arizona, as a way to combat what he saw as rising rates of STDs and pregnancies amongst teenagers, as well as a way to protect teens from what he saw as American culture's unhealthy obsession with sex, which, according to Pattyn, was a byproduct of the “ promiscuity of the sexual revolution of the ‘60s." Teenagers who take the pledge are given a silver "purity ring" inscribed with a Biblical verse to wear as an outward sign of their desire to remain "pure" until marriage.  Contents 1 Success rates 2 The ring as a religious symbol 3 See also 4 External links 5 Footnotes  Success rates For a more in depth treatment of the success rates of abstinence based sexual health initiatives, see the main article, Abstinence programs An eight year study into the effects of these public virginity pledges by researchers at Yale and Columbia universities has shown that the rate of STDs amongst those having "taken the pledge" is almost identical to those who do not and, furthermore, are more likely to experiment with oral and anal sex, thus technically maintaining their purity .  [1]  The ring as a religious symbol An alternate " Silver Ring ".  Follow the link, or read this .  Silver Ring Thing has also spread across the Atlantic. Sixteen year old Lydia Playfoot went to the High Court to accuse her school of discriminating against Christians by banning the wearing of "purity rings".  [2] The case largely rested on the acceptance of the silver ring as a religious symbol which would exempt it from the school uniform policies. Since she was the daughter of one of the leaders of the UK branch, there was some speculation that the case was largely a promotional attempt.  The court ruling found in favour of the school and decided that the ring was in no way a religious artifact.  [3] Lydia's comment after the trial showed all the usual persecution complex hallmarks: “ Slowly, over time, people such as school governors, employers, political organizations and others will be allowed to stop Christians from publicly expressing and practicing their faith ”  See also Abstinence programs Sex education Abstinence ball Celibacy  External links BBC coverage of the US organisation The US site  Footnotes ↑
 * This is a fork page and distinguishes between several uses of a title or phrase. If you came via a link, you can help by changing the link to the appropriate article from the list below.  Perhaps you were looking for our mascot, or just some good eating ?  Or even one of these...  Snake oil may mean: Patent Medicines Woo of any kind Conservapedia Karl Rove Somebody who has consumed too much snake oil for their own good is known as a Kool-Aid drinker .   "
 * For those living in an alternative reality, Conservapedia has an "article" about Socialism Socialism refers to a set of related socio-economic systems and ideologies that seek to transfer ownership of the means of production and distribution to the working class. In communist theory socialism is a transition or stepping stone between capitalism and communism.  People who believe in socialism are referred to as 'socialists'.  Stalinism is generally accepted to be a departure from socialism, and is occasionally referred to as 'state capitalism', or simply 'statism'.  Socialism is revolutionary, in that adopting a socialist system in a capitalist nation would mean huge changes from the capitalist system. However, it does not necessarily have to be accomplished by violent revolution, and many types of socialism advocate using democratic elections to take power, after which either the state is used to take power, or power is given to a large worker's union. The libertarian socialist anarcho-syndicalism advocates only a mass strike in order to take power from the capitalists.  Contents 1 Democrats 2 British Labour Party 3 What is socialism?  4 Socialism and religion 5 Libertarian socialism 6 Examples of socialist countries in history 7 Socialism and patriotism  Democrats Some people say that the Democrats are socialist, specifically Obama and Hillary Clinton, at least in 2008. This is about as true as something really untrue.  It is a rumour spread to take advantage of the Cold War. The Democrats are typically capitalist, and, in fact, moderate conservatives, and if they even became Social Democrats (such as the Socialist Party USA) by moving to the left a little (Actually a lot), they would start being ignored by the Media.  Why are the Democrats not socialist? Well, it's quite simple. Rather than going into every single way in which they're not, let us look at possibly the most important aspect of socialism, that the means of production (capital) is given to the working class. The Democrats do not support this, and thus they are not socialists.   British Labour Party The British Labour Party were social democrats, or 'reformists'. The New Labour Party (Tony Blair and those other idiots) are conservatives.   What is socialism?  Marx saw Socialism as the system that should be adopted while transferring to Communism from Capitalism. However, giving power to the workers is a major part of socialism, and, as the bourgeoisie could not exist if the means of production were transferred to the proletariat, it would turn into a classless society. Marx famously advocated a 'dictatorship of the proletariat', but this is only in the same sense that democracy is a 'dictatorship of the majority', and many models of socialism advocate a worker's decentralized democracy, in which people are elected by the industry that they work in, and can be removed at any time.  According to some people (whose identities you may only guess at), socialism advocates the redistribution of wealth. However, Marx advocated labour vouchers, which are given out based on work done, and do not circulate. This has been advocated by many socialists and communists, though, for the latter, only as a temporary measure until communism is reached, though this is usually not expected to take place quickly. However, it is debated how they should be given out, with some saying that it should depend only on hours worked, while others, such as Daniel De Leon, proposed that it should be decided by other factors, such as the amount of time necessary to make a product compared to other products, and the amount of people willing to do the job (which would mean that undesirable jobs would result in higher compensation).  Another quote by Marx that is often taken to imply 'wealth redistribution' is, "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need". However, this quote was not meant to be about socialism, but about a developed communist society, in which there is neither money, nor a state. In socialism, of course, one must work in order to eat (this would not apply to students, and those with valid reasons not to work, such as illness). However, as an interesting tidbit, here is a Bible quote, Acts 4:34-35: Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.  Of course, it is an important passage for christian communist movements, and the origin of the claim that Jesus was a communist.   Socialism and religion Karl Marx famously said that religion was "the opiate of the people". Or, in full: Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man—state, society. This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d'honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion. Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.  Of course, this is simply Marx's belief, and thus religious socialism still exists, as the system of socialism is not opposed to religion in any way. Marx does not advocate the banning of religion, and instead says that it is simply a way to cope, and a way to see something bright at the end of the tunnel when one is faced with the injustices of feudal and capitalist society, and says that the criticism of religion is thus the criticism of the conditions that breed it. Saying that this means that socialism includes the banning of religion is like saying that if Marx disliked broccoli, socialism thus includes the banning of broccoli.  As for the phrase itself, opium in Marx's time was an important painkiller, a source of extraordinary visions for 'opium eaters', the cause of important conflicts such as the Opium Wars, and also used by parents to keep their children quiet. It is likely that Marx was alluding to all of these.   Libertarian socialism Libertarian socialism, which describes most forms of anarchism, is when the government is destroyed immediately after the revolution, and there are no hierarchies. Regular Marxists criticize it, saying that as social democrats believe that all problems may be solved by taking over the government and reforming capitalism, anarchists seem to believe that they may solve all problems simply by destroying the government, which is too deeply ingrained in the population to simply be removed. Marx and Bakunin, an early libertarian socialist, had a strong rivalry, but since then, many Marxists have integrated elements of libertarian socialism into their belief system, such as in De Leonism, where the state would be replaced by a Socialist Industrial Union, combining anarcho-syndicalism and orthodox Marxism.  Of course, libertarianism is now used to refer to 'classic liberalism', but that is not what is referred to by 'libertarian' in the term 'libertarian socialism', as 'libertarianism' is actually the antonym of 'authoritarianism'. The adoption of this name is probably in criticism of Marxism, which was often referred to by libertarian socialists as being too authoritarian.   Examples of socialist countries in history ...There are none. The closest we have come to socialism has been the Paris Commune.   Socialism and patriotism  "
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  Social Therapy is a Marxist -based psychotherapy movement which rejects conventional psychology in favor of group therapy techniques claimed to be derived from Marxism, particularly the work of Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky.  It is often characterized as a rigid cult devoting unquestioning subservience to its founder Fred Newman, and criticized for its advocacy of free love practices (called "friendosexuality" within the movement) which can have the potential for abuse in the context of psychotherapy situations.  Indeed, in the early 1970s Fred Newman's therapy group sometimes held group therapy sessions in the nude.  During the past decade he has attempted to "mainstream" this fringe form of group therapy by writing Let's Develop for the popular self help book market and with his cultural and artistic endeavors such as the Castillo All-Stars in which members of his therapy groups put on musicals and plays.  The latter successfully got a $50,000 grant from NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg as part of an initiative by the mayor to fund more than 100 cultural groups (and, a cynic might suggest, returning the favor after the Fred Newman-controlled NYC branch of the Independence Party gave Michael Bloomberg it's ballot line - see below.) Fred Newman is also the founder along with two-time third party presidential candidate Lenora Fulani, of the left-wing New Alliance Party, which was often characterized as a front group for Social Therapy, and the more secretive revolutionary Marxist-Leninist cadre known as the International Workers Party.  More recently this group tried taking over the Independence Party of New York, which was the New York state chapter of the Reform Party .  Those who go to Social Therapy groups seeking help for psychological issues are encouraged to become active in Fred Newman's ever-shifting political enterprises as part of their "therapy" on the basis that their problems are rooted in class, race, and gender oppressions and therefore radical political activism is "empowering".  Conversely, those who get involved in Fred Newman's political groups because they like their political positions find themselves under pressure to attend Social Therapy sessions.  The end effect in either case is to entrap the participant in a mindset in which their continued happiness and well-being is entirely dependent on continued subservience to groups led by Fred Newman.   See also Re-evaluation Counseling - an unrelated group also based in Marxism and making similar claims to free its participants of societal oppression  Footnotes Ex-IWP Dennis King's blog  "
 * A Society is a specific infrastructure for a collection of people that provides identity, social connections, rules, governmental structures, educational structures, etc. for the members of the group. A society can (and generally does) contain many cultures, ethnic groups, religions , economic classes, etc. Depending on the context of use, "society" can be a very small organization (the John Birch Society  See also government culture S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The soul is the name given to the supposed immaterial part of an individual, which some believe can exist separately from the body in the afterlife . Although it is not recognized by science because it is both non- falsifiable and supernatural, it is an important aspect of much religious and political thought.  Contents 1 History of the concept 2 Famous mangled quotes 3 See also 4 External links  History of the concept Before the influence of the Greek concept of the psyche on Hebrew thought, the bible 's authors only spoke of a man having breath (spirit), and any living creature was called a "soul".  In fact, the belief in consciousness after death was explicitly denied in the Old Testament .  Ecclesiastes 9:5:  Famous mangled quotes "Soul is the brevity of wit"  See also Non-materialist neuroscience Afterlife Dualism A copy of Conservapedia's article on the subject  External links What Is The Soul?  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * South Africa is a country located in the South of Africa . (You'd think that's a given, but South Dakota is in the North of America).  From 1948 to 1990, it was under apartheid, racial segregation enforced through law.  Thanks to the work of people like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, Apartheid was dismantled from 1990 to 1993 in a series of negotiations, and the first elections were held in 1994.  Linux users might know South Africa as the birthplace of the term ubuntu , a philosophy dealing with the relationship and alleigances between people.  Unfortunately, some current South African leaders, such as Thabo Mbeki, have taken part in HIV denialism .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Warning: Extreme Wingnuttery This topic may or may not be bullshit, and is either nonsensical or idiotic. May damage the mind and lead to drinking of the Kool-Aid .  Speaking in Tongues is an album by the Talking Heads.  Speaking in tongues is a practice (technically known as glossolalia) in which people going into an ecstatic state and babbling stuff along the lines of "sha la la la la bubu hosham fa la la makeesh nick shur bip bozwey hocus pocus la la la la ba ba ba ba google boogle frugal bishem bashem bih bih bih ba ba ba ba la la la" is considered a sign of being filled with the " Holy Spirit ".  Even Paul thinks this, to some extent.  [1] In theory it is supposed to be a language of angels that God is speaking through you.  The believers think God and angels talk in that silly way.  In reality it is probably something akin to scat singing.  Contents 1 Attempts to decode the word of God 2 See also 3 External links 4 Footnotes  Attempts to decode the word of God Naturally, people are very interested in what God is actually trying to say through his pentecostal followers. There have been any number of attempts to discover the lexicon and grammar of his language using the vast power of modern computing. These attempts include:  See also Pentecostal Psychiatry Naked  External links Glossolalia and Scat singing at Wikipedia  Footnotes ↑ 1 Corinthians 14  "
 * Pseudoscience Alert This topic is a pseudoscience, and is not accepted by the scientific community as a valid discipline. Although it may use scientific terminology, it does not use scientific methodology .  Remember:  just because it sounds right doesn't mean it's actually right .  The cover Starlight and Time Solving the Puzzle of a Young Universe in a Universe with Distant Starlight is a young earth creationist book written by Russell Humphrey . The book advances the pseudoscientific idea of white hole cosmology .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * Stephen Jay Gould was a well-known evolutionary biologist who was probably best known for his books and his regular column in "Natural History". He is widely seen as one of the best communicators of evolutionary ideas to the public.  He would have been a wonderful person to hang out with.  If you don't mind hanging out with agnostics !  Unfortunately, as Gould passed away in 2002, hanging out with him is no longer possible nor healthy.  Gould is credited with the creation of the concept of Non-Overlapping Magisteria, or NOMA, in his book Rocks of Ages .  This suggested that science and religion occupy such radically different territories that they have no relevance to one another.  Richard Dawkins in his book The God Delusion took great exception to the idea of NOMA.   Punctuated equilibrium Gould is credited, along with Niles Eldredge, with developing the concept of punctuated equilibrium (often abbreviated "PE").  This hypothesis attempts to explain the apparent long periods of stability which seem to exist in the fossil record. It suggests that evolutionary development goes through long periods of statis punctuated with periods of rapid change.  It is contrasted with the hypothesis of gradualism.  The hypothesis has perhaps become less compelling as more and more of the fossil record has been revealed.  Evolution Articles Cladistics Darwinism Dinosaur Eugenics Evobabble Evolution Evolutionist Hominid Human Macroevolution Microevolution Niche Phylogeny Pre-expand include size: 2293 bytes Post-expand include size: 819 bytes Template argument size: 176 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * A stereotype is a thought or idea that says that all members of a group share some unrelated trait in common. Common examples include "all black men dance well" or "all women drive poorly."  Stereotypes are most often encountered when dealing with discrimination, particularly racism , sexism, and homophobia .  Note that even "positive" stereotypes can have ill effects.  It should be remembered that it's only a stereotype is the trait in question is unrelated .  To say that "all Christian believe in Christ" would not be a stereotype.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * The Sumerians Epic of Gilgamesh contains, among other things, the plot outline for what might have been the very first buddy road flick as well as the most significant attestation of the ancient Sumerian creation myth. While the Sumerian culture was eventually subsumed by the Semitic Akkadians (first the Assyrians, then the Babylonians) and later the Indo-European Persians, their culture, which included some of the very first organized agriculture and the origins of the ancient Middle Eastern temple-state, proved to be highly influential on the development of ancient civilizations. The modern descendants of the Sumerians, to the extent that Sumerian genes can be picked out of the background noise of the many groups to inhabit and commingle in the Middle East, make up much of the population of Kuwait. Noted astronomy crank Zechariah Sitchin has a peculiar fascination with the Sumerians, doing for them what Immanuel Velikovsky did for Greek mythology.   External links Wikipedia article on the Sumerians  "
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Terri Schiavo Terri Schiavo (b. Theresa Marie Schindler, 1963-2005) was a Florida woman who suffered heart failure from undetermined causes. [1] The ensuing loss of oxygen destroyed large parts of her brain, and she spent fifteen years in a persistent vegetative state.  Contents 1 Publicity and politics 1.1 Terri's Law 1.2 Conflict of custody 1.3 Autopsy 2 Footnotes  Publicity and politics A family battle between her husband Michael and her parents became a cause célèbre for the Religious Right in 2004-5 as her husband fought to have her life support systems (in practice, a feeding tube provided by a Tampa Bay-area hospice - though the brain was largely destroyed, the rest of her body was more or less functional) terminated, according to what he claimed were her wishes. While the Religious Right's dogmatism in the case alienated much of the country (opinion polls at the time showed a large majority of Americans supported the right of her husband as the lawful next of kin to make decisions about her care, and to terminate life support), it proved to be an extremely divisive political issue.  The last months of Terri Schiavo's life proved to be a long period of political theatre, with much speculation as to husband Michael's motives (during Terri's time in hospice, he had met and begun a family with another woman) and the exact cause and nature of Terri's condition.  Bill Frist (R-TN), a non-practicing physician who was Senate majority leader at the time drew ridicule for making conclusive statements regarding her condition based on videotapes alone. Schiavo's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, enlisted the help of the Roman Catholic Church and Evangelical activist Randall Terry (previously known for his anti-abortion campaigns with Operation Rescue) as well as the Florida legislature.   Terri's Law After years of litigation during which the Schindler's unsuccessfully attempted to present the case that Terri was not in a persistent vegetative state and was capable of being rehabilitated, the feeding tube was originally ordered removed in October of 2003, but the Schindlers successfully petitioned the Florida legislature which passed "Terri's Law."  Under the terms of this law, Governor Jeb Bush ordered Terri's feeding tube reinserted pending the report of an independent guardian.  The guardian's report found that Schiavo was in a persistent vegetative state with no hope of recovery, but this was rendered moot when the Florida Supreme Court ruled that Terri's Law was unconstitutional, and the US Supreme Court denied certiorari.  Judge Greer again ordered the removal of the feeding tube to be set for March 18, 2005, at which point the US Senate led by Republicans Bill Frist, Rick Santorum , and Mel Martinez took up the case.  In a bill which has been nick-named the Palm Sunday Compromise, the three Senators passed the bill on a 3 - 0 vote with 97 Senators not present, thus violating Article I of the US Constitution by conducting business without a quorum.  The bill then passed the US House on a vote of 203 - 58 with 174 Representatives not present.  President Bush cut short his vacation at his Crawford, Texas ranch and flew back to Washington specifically to sign the bill on March 20, 2005.  The bill transferred the parents' cases to the federal level, but the Supreme Court again denied certiorari, finally exhausting their legal avenues.   Conflict of custody The Florida Department of Law Enforcement petitioned Greer to allow them to take custody of Schiavo so that her feeding tube could be reinserted, which he denied.  Their appeal of this decision automatically triggered a stay of the decision during which time the FDLE intended to forcibly take Schiavo into custody.  Greer ordered the stay lifted, and ordered "each and every and singular sheriff of the state of Florida" to enforce his order.  Despite pressure from his supporters, Jeb Bush relented to avoid a direct confrontation between the FDLE and local police.  Schiavo finally died from complications of the feeding tube's removal (specifically dehydration) on March 26, 2005.   Autopsy An autopsy was performed by the Florida medical examiner and determined that Schiavo had suffered irreversible brain damage from which there was no hope of recovery, contrary to her parents' assertions.  [2]  Footnotes ↑ Bulimia was suspected but never proven ↑ Schiavo Autopsy Released - Brain Damage 'Was Irreversible'  "
 * Part of the series on U.S. Discrimination Law Standards of Review Rational basis review Intermediate scrutiny Strict scrutiny Other Legal Theories Substantive due process State action doctrine Defining Moments in Law The 14th Amendment Plessy v. Ferguson Brown v. Board of Education Loving v. Virginia U.S. v. Virginia Romer v. Evans Lawrence v. Texas Modalities of Constitutional Law Textualism • Originalism • Dynamism Issues in Constitutional Law Same-sex marriage Gay rights Civil rights Textualism is a legal theory that courts should rely on the plain meaning of the words in the Constitution and in other laws. Where the text does not support the interpretation, the interpretation necessarily fails.  Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia is a prominent textualist. For a recent example of his view, see Zuni v Dept. of Education [1], where there appeared to be a difference between the intent of a statute and its plain meaning.  A type of "textualism" is "meta-textualism."  This method of interpretation suggests that all phrases in the Constitution are related, and should be interpreted as such.  An example of a meta-textual interpretation would hold it erroneous that while the enforcement clause of the Thirteenth Amendment is read broadly, the enforcement clause of the Fourteenth is read narrowly, despite their grammatical similarities.  Meta-textualism would read the two as necessarily equivalent.   Do what I say not what I meant Textualism is vulnerable to the gradual shift in the meaning of words which is the fate of all living languages.  For instance, a century ago in the English language, one definition of "worship" referred to indistinct forms of deference owed to authorities such as judges or lords, such that there even existed "Your Worship" as a term of respect.  More recently, the broader definition has faded away and the word has come to mean, exclusively, the adoration reserved solely to a deity. If the word had been included in the constitution a textualist would be forced to offer worship as it is currently formulated to human beings.  And in a case of one hand giving while the other hand takes away, textualism eliminates the liberal judicial activism which discovered a woman's right to an abortion in Roe v. Wade but it also eliminates the conservative judicial activism which asserted the state, not the immediate family, had a right to determine the fate of Terri Schialvo.   Footnotes ↑
 * The almighty dollar has been the de facto worldwide reserve currency since soon after World War II . This reflected the United States newfound economic might, due mostly to not having its heavy industry bombed out of existence as was the case with most of the rest of the developed world.  Contents 1 Ooops 2 The one true god 3 History 4 See also 5 Footnotes  Ooops President G.W. Bush has aptly managed the decline of the dollar.  When the euro was introduced in 1999, it was worth $1.18. It slipped as low as about $0.83 by late 2000, and American wags wagged their waggers in joyous gloating.  It has been rising steadily ever since, with a high in July 2008 of almost US$1.60.  Thus, the trumpeted US stock market "revival" from 2001 - 2007, if valued in euros instead of dollars, has been a steady decline.  Heckuva job.  Again, by late 2007, the US dollar had slid to being worth less than the Canadian dollar (US$1.10 = Can$1.00!), and the British pound is back up to US$2.10, from lows in the US$1.50 range in "the worst of times".  Will China try to sell a trillion dollars? Is this the end of the US dollar as a world currency?  [1] Are the British are experiencing Schadenfreude since the pound never dropped below US$1? The Canadians are both experiencing Schadenfreude and engaging in an orgy of cross-border consumerism, loading up on the latest American doodads and googaws.   The one true god It is quite certain, to all but those in denial, that the almighty dollar is the true god of conservatives in the United States.  And the almighty dollar sacrificed himself to save his beloved Americans and their exports from the evil imports.   History The US dollar was originally worth eight "bits" - it was equal in value to Spanish "pieces of eight", and the almighty pound was worth about eight bucks.   See also Free market  Footnotes ↑
 * The Gideons are the people responsible for you finding a Bible in your hotel room. They're pretty good about missionary work -- they unobtrusively provide the message, and let you read as you see fit. Good people, though hopefully at least a few of them put in some other, non-faith-based volunteer time.  The dark side of the Gideons While those outside of the Bible Belt believe the above, they do not know the other activities they engage in. The Gideons are well known for going as near to college campuses as possible and very vocally proselytizing. Even worse, though, they often go into rural public elementary schools to proselytize.  [1] In most cases, if any parents protest that it is a violation of the separation of church and state, most of the school officials will claim to be trying to help the poor students.  ↑ An amusing story of this is recounted by Al Franken in his book "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot".  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * There is a broader, perhaps slightly less biased, article on " Wikipedia " about Theism Theism is the belief that gods exist and are active in the universe rather than simple observers. This is in contrast to atheism and, especially, deism .  Ironically, the level of micromanagement that this would involve seems to suggest that the Universe isn't very well created, requiring constant tweaking to maintain optimum efficiency.  On the other hand, this could simply be the implication that the god(s) are control freaks and like to interfere, demoting the importance of the Universe to the level of a plaything .  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "
 * According to Christian mythology contained in the Bible Jesus Christ, the prime figure in Christianity, was born to a virgin mother . However the first mention of the virgin birth in the Bible occurs in the Gospel of Matthew which was written over 30 years after the birth [1] But while he (Joseph) thought on these things, behold, the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  [2] One of the more remarkable aspects of the virgin birth is the belief in the Perpetual Virginity of Mary held by some Christian religions.  The believers of this doctrine hold that Mary not only was a virgin when she conceived, but she continued to be a virgin after giving birth and for the rest of her life.  Another theory is that a Roman soldier called Pantera was the father of Jesus.  If any of these stories are true, it's pretty cool how Joseph took it all in stride, Importantly, the original Jewish texts (the alleged prophecies) referred to the mother as almah (young woman), as opposed to bethulah (virgin). Using corrupted translations containing the incorrectly placed Greek word "parthenos" (virgin), the Greek-speaking New Testament writers unknowingly contrived their stories to fall in line with this error. Thus we have myth built upon error from a previous myth .  Contents 1 Immaculate conception 2 Contradiction 3 Similarity to Other Religions 4 External links 5 Footnotes  Immaculate conception Virginal Conception should not be confused with Immaculate Conception (or the Immaculate Reception for that matter).  The doctrine of Immaculate Conception arose because the question was asked how Christ could be born of a woman who would inevitably be tainted with original sin .  In order to get round the problem the church decreed that Mary herself was immaculately conceived - without original sin - and this allowed Christ to be born without original sin. (It is not clear how Mary's parents avoided original sin though.)  Contradiction There is a contradiction inherent in this myth, because the Bible also states that Jesus was a "direct" descendant of King David through the male line.  [3]  Similarity to Other Religions Many have pointed out that many other religions have children born from gods, but the Buddha is specifically described as having been born from a virgin as well.   External links The Myth of the Virgin Birth  Footnotes ↑ New Advent ↑ Isaiah 7:14-Deception In The Name Of Jesus ↑ apocalipsis.org  "
 * UFO construction plan UFOs are real. The Air Force doesn't exist.  -- Discordian Koan.  An Unidentified Flying Object is any observed atmospheric phenomenon for which there is no apparent explanation.  These are more likely to occur at night, since many identifiable flying objects have funny flashing lights and little else to go by in the dark.  How "unidentified" a phenomenon is depends partly on the quality of the observation and the amount of effort invested in identifying it.  Multiple observation locations and reasonably accurate bearings and azimuths can make identification much easier.  Single observations of brief phenomena are more difficult to analyze.  The basic list of what needs to be eliminated for something to remain "unidentified" would proceed from known commercial and private airflights, to harder to verify military flights, to weather balloons, metorites, kites, atmospheric phenomena (like the Northern Lights, [1] or strangely lit clouds), pranksters, and, of course, alien spacecraft.  Barring omniscience, there will always be some things in the sky that humanity cannot identify.  However, in popular meaning, "Unidentified Flying Object" has come to mean "Alien Spacecraft" by default.  Identifying UFOs as flying saucers negates the "U" part of UFO, of course.  So far, no verified alien machinery has been found on Earth.  We have, however, left examples of alien machinery on the Moon and Mars, and quite possibly Venus.  There are also two or three objects hurtling out of the solar system, on their way to starring roles in Star Trek movies.  Contents 1 How the whole thing got started 1.1 First wave of interest 1.2 Kenneth Arnold 1.3 Mogul 1.4 The rise of the conspiracy 2 The USAF line 3 A random farmer's perspective 4 Historical 5 In the birding world 6 Reports 7 Evidence we need 8 Evidence we got 9 See also 10 Footnotes  How the whole thing got started  First wave of interest The first notable wave of interest in UFOs was actually in the 1890s.  Interestingly, this helps put later waves of interest in UFOs in perspective:  because popular culture had yet to define what a UFO was supposed to look like, the spacecrafts described were rarely shaped like flying saucers (in one incident, the supposed craft was shaped "like a giant cigar") and the flashing lights later common to many stories were much rarer.  The craft were also much slower (though they would've passed for fast at the time).   Kenneth Arnold On June 24, 1947, a U.S. Marine C-46 transport plane crashed on the northwest side of Mount Rainier in Washington State, and when word got around, a private pilot named Kenneth Arnold volunteered to aid with the search.  While he was circling the mountain he spotted a cluster of nine brightly glowing meteors rushing past his plane toward the massive, remote bulk of Mt. Adams to the south.  Since they were pieces of a meteoric fireball in the process of breaking up, they seemed to be flying in formation, so Arnold assumed they were aircraft, and he naturally interpreted their brightness to be the sun glinting off of polished aluminum. The pieces were tumbling, and this made them hop up and down in the airstream. Arnold told reporters they flew "like a saucer skipping over water." This was a highly publicised UFO sighting, and it sparked a national obsession with "flying saucers" that bordered on mass hysteria. Suddenly there were many more sightings. Some were ordinary mistakes but most were outright copycat hoaxes. An important point that is often missed is how Arnold's description of the actions of his nine meteors skipping like saucers somehow got garbled into the shape of the objects being like saucers, and once that got locked into the public's mind, all UFOs suddenly began to look like saucers.   Mogul On July 7, 1947 there was a top secret Air Force project called "Mogul" resembling a weather balloon, designed to fly high in the stratosphere and listen for possible Soviet atomic blasts. The idea was that a balloon traveled with the wind, so there would be no wind blowing across the microphone to mask any distant booms. Unfortunately, winds are unpredictable, so Mogul crashed on a farm near Roswell, New Mexico.  [2] Quickly tasked to conceal the existence of Mogul, the first thing that came to mind was the big national flying saucer craze, so the Air Force made an official announcement that it had recovered the wreckage of a flying saucer.  The press went nuts, and the Air Force bureaucracy gradually realized it had made a huge mistake. On July 8 they went on the radio and retracted the flying saucer claim, and said it was really just a weather balloon they had picked up. Americans were less cynical in those days, so the military successfully covered up the cover-up. And that was the last anyone heard of it, until three things happened that took away America's innocence and put an end to the days when her leaders were looked up to and trusted implicitly.   The rise of the conspiracy The first was the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963, which sparked a poisonous conspiracy mindset that only seemed to be validated by later events, like the Tet Offensive in 1968, when people realized with shock that the government had lied to them and victory in the Vietnam War was actually nowhere in sight, plus the cover-ups and incredible abuses of power of the Nixon Administration in the Watergate affair.  It was only after this vast attitude shift occurred that people looked back and read ominous things into the comedy of errors that took place at the beginning of the UFO era. Alien bases were imagined to exist in the four corners area of the southwestern United States. An entire alphabet soup of imaginary government agencies were cooked up, who supposedly controlled all information on the alien presence. Even the information that these agencies existed was, conveniently, also classified top secret. There were imaginary projects to recover downed flying saucers and imaginary projects to overhaul and test-fly recovered flying saucers. And the very lack of evidence for any of these claims was put forth as proof that a conspiracy to hide the truth existed.  In the fall of 1977 and again in the spring of 1982 a famous filmmaker made a pair of movies with "good" aliens and "bad" federal agencies that tapped into the new mythology and made enormous amounts of money, but in reality there never was any coordinated government plan to respond to alien contact.   The USAF line A photograph of some UFOs.  Do You Believe That?  The United States Air Force "identify" all unidentified flying objects as "weather balloons".  So there.  Seriously, the list of crashed UFOs (complete with body counts!) reads like a history of general aviation fatalities. Yet we are told these are advanced beings with superior technology. And always the evidence is "believed by some to be buried" or "reported recovered" or "the memo also states that it was believed" and even reports from foreign governments are somehow shut down by the US government. And every single scrap of wreckage is whisked away by the Air Force which is omnipotent in this area, but so incompetent they allowed B-52s to fly over the USA with armed nuclear warheads on board (for which the Secretary of the Air Force was sacked by Robert Gates recently).   A random farmer's perspective In "reality", thah hahd paht is ahdentifahying flahying objicks - ahspeshially aht naht.  [3] Durin' the dayh, we can seez them black gummint helicoptahs, them CIA gummint test planes, and the aly-an spacecrahfts lookin' for probe donors, but at naht, well, all baits is (or wuz) off.  Who knows what them dung thangs is, flyin' ovah mah fahm at 3 AM when I gits up to pee?  Prolly some gummint seekrit spah [4] probe mah everlovin' butt .  Dang aly-ans, they never  Historical In the not-so-distant past, virtually every object in the sky except birds and bats was "unidentified" - or incorrectly identified.   In the birding world Birders are the world's top source for UFO sightings. As soon as a 60-year old retiree buys a pair of $1100 Leica binoculars and a $75 Tilley hat (which even comes with an owner's manual [5] ), they are guaranteed to begin generating UFO reports.   Reports  Evidence we need Images taken by the aliens of their own homeworld.  A sample of alien DNA (or the equivalent).  A piece of wreckage composed of an exotic material never yet produced on Earth.  A mathematical proof which would be quite routine for the alien but which has not been solved by us on Earth at this time.   Evidence we got Blurry pictures of hubcaps captured mid-toss.  Unsteady handheld video of some lights floating in the darkness which could well be the parking lot of a desert roadhouse a half-mile away.  UFO proponents defend the lack of evidence by saying "Science should not ignore the testimony of credible witnesses. The usual rule of science requiring replicability of evidence obviously does not apply to a phenomenon involving intelligences more advanced than we." The rule is not strictly "replicability of evidence" but simply the falsifiability of hypotheses generated from that evidence. It's not possible, for example, for other astronomers to replicate the observation of a certain brief gamma ray burst, because it was a one-shot. But if that astronomer makes the hypothesis that no gamma ray burst exceeds 60 seconds in duration, he has stated a falsifiable hypothesis. Subsequent observations of other gamma ray bursts can be made by other astronomers. If one of these bursts is five minutes long, then that astronomer can publish a paper that tears down the original hypothesis. But now he has generated a new falsifiable hypothesis that gamma ray bursts of five minutes in duration can exist, which spurs more observations. And so on. In this way, the scientific method slowly but inexorably discards false models and arrive at true and useful ones.  Now suppose that gamma ray bursts were really test detonations of US nuclear warheads in space, and the military was interested in keeping this fact secret. As soon as a scientist reported that 80% of gamma ray bursts occur on the earth's rotational plane, indicating a nearby event, imagine the military swooping down into his observatory and taking all his data. Now imagine foreign astronomers being shut down by their government after political pressure from America, even in places that are military rivals of the United States. That is what UFO advocates are asking us to believe. That the United States reserves a monopoly on alien artifacts, such that even if they fall on foreign soil our special forces get to haul them off to be reverse-engineered, and our military and economic rivals daren't say nothing about it.   See also Roswell - The mother of all UFO conspiracies.  Everything You Know Is Wrong!  -- Firesign Theatre Those flashing lights in the sky over there!  Quick, look!  Crop circles - revealled to be a hoax ages ago, but still used as "proof".  Alien abduction - When UFOs get a little too close.   Footnotes ↑ See Wikipedia on Aurora Borealis ↑ The Mogul story ↑ Thut's when ait's dahk owt!  ↑ Thut's thim dadgum spooks lookin' at mah fields agin!  ↑ Owner's Manual for the Tilley Hat Pre-expand include size: 1867 bytes Post-expand include size: 362 bytes Template argument size: 0 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * This is a fork page and distinguishes between several uses of a title or phrase. If you came via a link, you can help by changing the link to the appropriate article from the list below.  Perhaps you were looking for our mascot, or just some good eating ?  Or even one of these...  Vaccine hysteria - article about the anti-vaccination quacks .  Autism omnibus trial - article on the recent vaccine omnibus trial with plaintiffs trying to get money by claiming damages from the disproved claim that vaccines induced autism.  HPV vaccine - article on the needlessly controversial first vaccine for a sexual transmitted disease.  HPV vaccine FAQ rebuttal - point by point rebuttal of conservapedia 's HPV vaccine FAQ.  Hepatitis B vaccine - article on the not-as-controversial hepatitis vaccine.   "
 * This Page Needs More Goat Veganism is a lifestyle, or to some a philosophy, that eschews the exploitation of animals in any way. As such it is a subset of vegetarianism .  Vegans go beyond conventional vegetarianism, which is a matter of diet, and will not wear leather, for example.  Some even won't wear wool or silk.  Vegans also typically go much further than vegatarians in their diets, eschewing, for example, honey which is an animal product (from bees), as well as dairy-derived products such as whey and casein which can be found in many vegetarian foods.  As with many ideas individuals must still make their own judgments about where to draw the lines.  A subset of vegans also practice raw foodism .  "Freegans" are vegans who will not buy anything containing animal products, but have no problem eating or wearing them if they are thrown away or in second-hand stores.  The motivation here appears to be unwillingness to financially support the animal agriculture industry while at the same time making sure nothing already derived from it goes to waste.  Vegans are absolutely opposed to sex with animals .  As are all sane people.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it) Alternative medicine articles on RationalWiki Aromatherapy - Autism: Peddling false hope - Bee venom therapy - Chelation therapy - Chiropractic - Hulda Clark - Colonic - Color therapy - Ear candling - Faith healing - Fasting - Geier family - Hair Analysis - Health freedom - Herbal supplement - Homeopathy - Kombucha - Laetrile - Macrobiotics - Medical marijuana - National Health Federation - Narconon - Oxygen therapy - Q-Ray - Reflexology - Rolfing - Shark cartilage - Shiitake mushroom - Therapeutic touch - Kevin Trudeau Fad diets: Blood type diet - Caveman diet - Ephedrine - Fad diet - Food woo - Jesus Diet - Low-carb diet - Organic food - Raw foodism - Self help - Veganism Pre-expand include size: 2727 bytes Post-expand include size: 3252 bytes Template argument size: 1121 bytes Maximum: 2097152 bytes  "
 * Several hundred volts - or just one? François-Marie Arouet (1694 - 1778), better known by his "trade" name, "Voltaire" was a poet, playwright, novelist, historian, and philosopher who embodied the Enlightenment in eighteenth century absolutist France .  Voltaire was an Anglophile, and was instrumental in bringing the works of Newton and Locke from England to French intellectual circles. A self-proclaimed deist, Voltaire loathed organized religion and intolerance between creeds. Strong anticlericalism pervades most of Voltaire's writings. He believed that all religions attempt to teach morality and that all are based on just precepts -- it is only the particulars of religious beliefs that are "absurd". Voltaire despised superstition and optimism, themes that surface in the novel Candide , his most widely known work. Voltaire subscribed to the revolutionary Enlightenment notion that "custom is a greater decider of difference than nature", a principle that still holds for today's anthropologists and all who attempt to practice multiculturalism .  In his honor, the unit of electrical potential is named after him: the "volt".  Damn, wouldn't you like to have something like that named after you ?  Wow.  Although, he's dead, so it doesn't matter to him now.   "
 * Woo is term used among skeptical writers for pseudosciences with certain common characteristics: A simple idea that purports to be the one answer to many diseases or problems A scientific-sounding reason for how it works, but no actual science behind it (or, sometimes, claims of a paranormal nature) A claim of persecution, usually perpetrated by the pharmaceutical, medical, or scientific community An invocation of a scientific authority . Lack of scientific research, but abundant testimonials .  A claim that science is blind to the discovery, despite attempts to alert them A disdain for objective, randomized experimental controls, especially double-blind testing And, usually, an offer to share the knowledge for a price.  The term comes from "woo-woo", an epithet used in the 1990s by science and skeptical writers to ridicule people who believe or promote such things. This is in turn believed to have come from the use of "woooooo!" as a reaction to dimmed lights or magic tricks, and generally implies a lack of either intelligence or sincerity on the part of the person or concepts so described.   Examples of Woo Patent medicine Morgellons disease Woo cures Autism Automotive woo Kevin Trudeau cures all diseases Crystals Gaian Theory What the Bleep Do We Know?  is a well-known crap film full of bozos making bullshit claims [1] .  Bee venom therapy Homeopathy Science woo Thee and Thou have mystical significance that You doesn't Y2K You can predict the future from cycles in the past When there is nothing to get, you've got it Lemonade cures all diseases Jesus cures all diseases Worldly politics secretly guided by ascended masters Satan is in your music collection Satan is in your body Satan is everywhere!  Top Secret bible messages Send the angels...send the angels...send the angels...angels, angels, angels, angels, ANGELS, ANGELS, ANGELS, ANGELS, ANGEEEELLLSSS!  Woopi Goldberg  External links ScienceBlogger Orac uses the term prominently in his weekly "Your Friday Dose of Woo", a review of pseudoscience that has recently interested the author.  James Randi Educational Foundation is an organization developed to publicly debunk "the paranormal, pseudoscientific, and the supernatural," often collectively referred to by Randi as "woo-woo." 125 Fake cancer cures (FDA)  Footnotes ↑ What the Bleep Do We Know?  website  "
 * Zeta Reticuli is a pair of G class (sunlike) stars deep in the southern sky, about 39 light-years from Earth. The first Alien film is set in this system. It has gained a strange sort of fame as the claimed home of the aliens who visit earth to abduct rednecks. The evidence for this is a star map drawn from memory by Betty Hill, who claimed to have been kidnapped by aliens in 1961. Despite the dubiousness of this source, the idea has hung around in ufology for nearly 50 years.  S T U B ( The Pet Goat ate it)  "