Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Herbert Hoover

2007-03-01T10:58:20Z

Arbane:

Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) was the 31st president of the [[United States]]. He held office from 1929 to 1933 during the [[Great Depression]]. Hoover had very little to no success in fighting the economic disaster that was upon the US during his presidency, and that cost him his popularity as well as reelection. He was a [[Republican]].

Oligopoly

2007-03-01T10:57:15Z

Arbane:

An oligopoly is an industry or market dominated by a few firms selling a similar (undifferentiated) product. This is called a "perfect oligopoly." The few firms can behave in a harmful manner similar to how a [[monopoly]] behaves in overcharging customers or otherwise suppressing beneficial competition.

An imperfect oligopoly consists of a few firms in an industry or market, but their product is differentiated, as in the car industry.

Stone Age

2007-03-01T10:51:54Z

Arbane:

The Stone age is the [[prehistory|prehistoric]] time before the [[Age of Metal]]. It is divided into two parts; [[Paleolithic age|Paleolithic]] and [[Neolithic age|Neolithic]]. During the Paleolithic age, man harvested wild plants and animals for food. Agriculture began in the Neolithic age. The dates of the Stone age are debated. Biased historians often give older dates than can be proven by archaeology. Assuming [[Young Earth Creationism]] is accurate, the Stone Age couldn't have lasted more than two or three generations.

Hydrogen bond

2007-03-01T10:18:56Z

Arbane:

A very strong bond that exists in [[DNA]] and other substances that contain [[Hydrogen]].

Cubit

2007-03-01T10:13:26Z

Arbane:

A Biblical unit of measurement, the length of a man's forearm. Believed to commonly be between approximately 17 and 20 inches.<ref>http://www.keyway.ca/htm2002/20020226.htm</ref>

Plato's Acadamy

2007-03-01T10:03:00Z

Arbane: Plato's Acadamy moved to Plato's Academy: "Acadamy" is a mis-spelling.

#REDIRECT [[Plato's Academy]]

Plato's Academy

2007-03-01T10:03:00Z

Arbane: Plato's Acadamy moved to Plato's Academy: "Acadamy" is a mis-spelling.

A suburb of Athens, Academy was named after the hero Academos or Ecademos. People lived in the Academy from very ancient times until the A.D. 500s. In 387 B.C., Plato founded his philosophical school that we call Plato's Academy. The Neoplatonists developed this school and it continued in operation until A.D. 526, when the emperor Justinian shut it down.

The mathematicians associated with Plato's Academy were Theaetetus, Eudoxus, and Archytas, who produced some of the work later found in Euclid's ''Elements''.

Money

2007-03-01T09:50:14Z

Arbane:

A bartering tool, that is perceived by others to have value and is used to acquire desired items.

In primitive times, money usually had inherent value, being made of precious metal, fish-hooks, cowrie shells or similar.

More recently, paper money was legally required to be exchangeable for a specific amount of precious metal.

In modern times, most paper money has no inherent value beyond other peoples' willingness to exchange [[goods]] and [[services]] for it, thus putting the world economy on the same firm foundation as an apartment building erected by [[The Amazing Mystico and Janet]].

Talk:Monotheism

2007-03-01T09:30:04Z

Arbane:

Isnt' Christianity technically tritheistic? "Father, Son and the Holy Ghost"?

St. Augustine

2007-03-01T09:28:02Z

Arbane:

(354-430 A.D.) Great father of the Christian church, wrote autobiographical "Confessions"
Augustine was born at Tagaste in North Africa in 354.His father was a pagan who wanted his son to be a man of learning,and cared little about his character.

Notable quotes:

:Often a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other parts of the world, about the motions and orbits of the stars and even their sizes and distances, . . . and this knowledge he holds with certainty from reason and experience.
:It is thus offensive and disgraceful for an unbeliever to hear a Christian talk nonsense about such things, claiming that what he is saying is based in Scripture. We should do all that we can to avoid such an embarrassing situation, lest the unbeliever see only ignorance in the Christian and laugh to scorn. -- De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim

St. Augustine

2007-03-01T09:27:25Z

Arbane:

(354-430 A.D.) Great father of the Christian church, wrote autobiographical "Confessions"
Augustine was born at Tagaste in North Africa in 354.His father was a pagan who wanted his son to be a man of learning,and cared little about his character.

Notable quotes:

:Often a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other parts
of the world, about the motions and orbits of the stars and even their sizes and
distances, . . . and this knowledge he holds with certainty from reason and experience.
It is thus offensive and disgraceful for an unbeliever to hear a Christian talk nonsense
about such things, claiming that what he is saying is based in Scripture. We should do
all that we can to avoid such an embarrassing situation, lest the unbeliever see only
ignorance in the Christian and laugh to scorn. -- De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim

St. Augustine

2007-03-01T09:27:09Z

Arbane: Added a quote

(354-430 A.D.) Great father of the Christian church, wrote autobiographical "Confessions"
Augustine was born at Tagaste in North Africa in 354.His father was a pagan who wanted his son to be a man of learning,and cared little about his character.

Notable quotes:

;Often a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other parts
of the world, about the motions and orbits of the stars and even their sizes and
distances, . . . and this knowledge he holds with certainty from reason and experience.
It is thus offensive and disgraceful for an unbeliever to hear a Christian talk nonsense
about such things, claiming that what he is saying is based in Scripture. We should do
all that we can to avoid such an embarrassing situation, lest the unbeliever see only
ignorance in the Christian and laugh to scorn. -- De Genesi ad litteram libri duodecim

Social Darwinism

2007-03-01T09:16:21Z

Arbane:

Beginning in 1887, social scientists were using the term "social Darwinism" to apply the survival-of-the-fittest theory to social situations. Under this theory, the wealthiest or most powerful in society must be biologically superior, and less "fit" persons should die, i.e. "Survival of the Fattest".

Soon many began to view racial struggles, and war itself, as a perfectly natural example of survival-of-the-fittest in the human race. The horrific wars of the 20th century, employing shockingly brutal tactics, were encouraged by a belief in survival-of-the-fittest among humans. While social Darwinism itself was applied to social and economic situations rather than military ones, it is easy how extreme versions of social Darwinism could justify physical struggles among races.

Feminist

2007-03-01T09:10:01Z

Arbane:

A feminist is a person who believes the radical idea that women are human beings.

George Washington

2007-03-01T09:03:44Z

Arbane:

'''George Washington''' (1732-1799) was unanimously elected President of the [[United States of America]] and the Commander-in-Chief in the [[Revolutionary War]]!<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gw1.html</ref> He was also a devout [[Christian]], with his adopted daughter once stating that if you question Washington's faith you may as well question whether or not he was a patriot!<ref>http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g011.html</ref>

Washington is perhaps the person other than [[Jesus]] who declined enormous worldly power, along with General [[Smedley Butler]] and [[Cincinnatus]]. In Washington's case by voluntarily stepping aside as the ruler of a prosperous nation. His precedent of serving only two terms was then voluntarily followed for 140 years.

Washington bravely led the colonists in revolt against the unjust British government, and in its place established a new government. Fighting against the vastly more powerful British army, Washington lost nearly every battle in the American Revolution until winning at Trenton and Princeton, and then lost most battles afterwards until ultimately prevailing at Yorktown with the help of a new contingent of French troops.

Washington frequently invoked Christianity in his work. As General, he commanded that chaplains be included in every regiment: "The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier, defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.<ref>http://www.amerisearch.net/index.php?date=2004-02-22&view=View</ref>

Washington declared in his Inaugural Address: "It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of Providential agency." Comments such as this one have led many modern scholars to conclude that Washington was in fact a deist rather than a Christian.<ref>''Id.''</ref>

On November 4, 1752, Washington was initiated into [[Freemasonry]] at Fredricksburg Lodge, Fredricksburg, Virginia. He was passed and raised at the same lodge, becoming a Master Mason on August 4, 1753. He later served as Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22 in Alexandria, Virginia. Upon his death in 1799, he was given a Masonic funeral at his wife's request.<ref>http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/washington_g/washington_g.html</ref>

[[Image:washington-deleware.jpg]]

==Parson Weems and the cherry tree story==
In 1809, Mason Locke Weems (1756-1825), usually referred to as "Parson Weems," published a book entitled ''History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington.'' This book contained many fanciful stories and half-truths, intended to present Washington as a larger-than-life figure. Perhaps the most famous passage in it is Weems' recounting of a story which he attributed to an unnamed "aged lady, who was a distant relative [of Washington], and, when a girl, spent much of her time in the [Washington] family:"

:"When George," said she, "was about six years old, he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet! of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping everything that came in his way. One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself hacking his mother's pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don't believe the tree ever got the better of it. The next morning the old gentleman, finding out what had befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favourite, came into the house; and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for his tree. Nobody could tell him anything about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. "George," said his father, " do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?" This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all- conquering truth, he bravely cried out, "I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet."—"Run to my arms, you dearest boy," cried his father in transports, "run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold."<ref>British spellings are as they appear in the original text.</ref><ref>Weems, George Mason (1918), ''History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington.'' [http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/gw/chap2.html Chapter 2: Birth and Education], online at University of Virginia]</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC22316477&id=6tc56rgYE1YC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=mason+locke+weems&as_brr=1#PPP13,M1 The Life of George Washington] with Curious Anecdotes Equally Honourable to Himself, and Exemplary to his Young Countrymen. 1837, facsimile page images at Google Books</ref>

(Notice that Weems did not represent Washington as calling it "my ''little'' hatchet;" that appears to be a "familiar misquotation.")

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

George Washington

2007-03-01T09:02:20Z

Arbane:

'''George Washington''' (1732-1799) was unanimously elected President of the [[United States of America]] and the Commander-in-Chief in the [[Revolutionary War]]!<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/gw1.html</ref> He was also a devout [[Christian]], with his adopted daughter once stating that if you question Washington's faith you may as well question whether or not he was a patriot!<ref>http://www.christiananswers.net/q-wall/wal-g011.html</ref>

Washington is perhaps the person other than [[Jesus]] who declined enormous worldly power, along with [[General Smedley Butler]] and [[Cincinnatus]]. In Washington's case by voluntarily stepping aside as the ruler of a prosperous nation. His precedent of serving only two terms was then voluntarily followed for 140 years.

Washington bravely led the colonists in revolt against the unjust British government, and in its place established a new government. Fighting against the vastly more powerful British army, Washington lost nearly every battle in the American Revolution until winning at Trenton and Princeton, and then lost most battles afterwards until ultimately prevailing at Yorktown with the help of a new contingent of French troops.

Washington frequently invoked Christianity in his work. As General, he commanded that chaplains be included in every regiment: "The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man, will endeavour so to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier, defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country.<ref>http://www.amerisearch.net/index.php?date=2004-02-22&view=View</ref>

Washington declared in his Inaugural Address: "It would be peculiarly improper to omit, in this first official act, my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules over the Universe. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of Providential agency." Comments such as this one have led many modern scholars to conclude that Washington was in fact a deist rather than a Christian.<ref>''Id.''</ref>

On November 4, 1752, Washington was initiated into [[Freemasonry]] at Fredricksburg Lodge, Fredricksburg, Virginia. He was passed and raised at the same lodge, becoming a Master Mason on August 4, 1753. He later served as Worshipful Master of Alexandria Lodge No. 22 in Alexandria, Virginia. Upon his death in 1799, he was given a Masonic funeral at his wife's request.<ref>http://freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/washington_g/washington_g.html</ref>

[[Image:washington-deleware.jpg]]

==Parson Weems and the cherry tree story==
In 1809, Mason Locke Weems (1756-1825), usually referred to as "Parson Weems," published a book entitled ''History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington.'' This book contained many fanciful stories and half-truths, intended to present Washington as a larger-than-life figure. Perhaps the most famous passage in it is Weems' recounting of a story which he attributed to an unnamed "aged lady, who was a distant relative [of Washington], and, when a girl, spent much of her time in the [Washington] family:"

:"When George," said she, "was about six years old, he was made the wealthy master of a hatchet! of which, like most little boys, he was immoderately fond, and was constantly going about chopping everything that came in his way. One day, in the garden, where he often amused himself hacking his mother's pea-sticks, he unluckily tried the edge of his hatchet on the body of a beautiful young English cherry-tree, which he barked so terribly, that I don't believe the tree ever got the better of it. The next morning the old gentleman, finding out what had befallen his tree, which, by the by, was a great favourite, came into the house; and with much warmth asked for the mischievous author, declaring at the same time, that he would not have taken five guineas for his tree. Nobody could tell him anything about it. Presently George and his hatchet made their appearance. "George," said his father, " do you know who killed that beautiful little cherry tree yonder in the garden?" This was a tough question; and George staggered under it for a moment; but quickly recovered himself: and looking at his father, with the sweet face of youth brightened with the inexpressible charm of all- conquering truth, he bravely cried out, "I can't tell a lie, Pa; you know I can't tell a lie. I did cut it with my hatchet."—"Run to my arms, you dearest boy," cried his father in transports, "run to my arms; glad am I, George, that you killed my tree; for you have paid me for it a thousand fold. Such an act of heroism in my son is more worth than a thousand trees, though blossomed with silver, and their fruits of purest gold."<ref>British spellings are as they appear in the original text.</ref><ref>Weems, George Mason (1918), ''History of the Life and Death, Virtues and Exploits of General George Washington.'' [http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/gw/chap2.html Chapter 2: Birth and Education], online at University of Virginia]</ref><ref>[http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC22316477&id=6tc56rgYE1YC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&dq=mason+locke+weems&as_brr=1#PPP13,M1 The Life of George Washington] with Curious Anecdotes Equally Honourable to Himself, and Exemplary to his Young Countrymen. 1837, facsimile page images at Google Books</ref>

(Notice that Weems did not represent Washington as calling it "my ''little'' hatchet;" that appears to be a "familiar misquotation.")

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

Homosexuality

2007-03-01T08:59:21Z

Arbane: /* Biblical Views on Homosexuality */

Homosexuality is a sexual attraction between members of the same sex.

== Biblical Views on Homosexuality ==

Homosexuality is referred to four times in the Bible; it is not a topic mentioned by Jesus in the four gospels, and the only reference in the New Testament is in the letters of Paul.

Interestingly, neither Testament condemns female homosexuality.

All references in Amplified Version

=== Old Testament ===

* Leviticus 18:22 - ''You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.''
* Leviticus 20:13 - ''If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.''

=== New Testament (Epistles) ===

* 1 Corinthians 6:9 - Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality
* Romans 1:26-27 - 26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one, 27 and the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.

== Homosexuality and Marriage==

For many years, the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a mental disorder. However, the organization de-listed homosexuality in 1973.[http://www.apa.org/pi/reslgbc.html] Since that time, homosexuals have advocated for recognition of their civil rights and for equal protection under the law.

Legal marriage between same-sex couples is now recognized in several European nations as well as in Canada, South Africa and [[Massachusett]]s. In some other states such as Connecticut a more limited recognition of same-sex relationships is available, called a "civil union". Many other states have passed constitutional amendments banning recognition of same-sex marriages performed anywhere and some groups have pushed for Constitutional amendment barring the legal recognition of same-sex marriages.

==Homosexuality in Humans and Genetics and Environment==

Statistical studies give ample evidence that homosexuality is not caused by genetics, although it is influenced by environment. For example, research has shown that adoptive brothers are more likely to both be homosexuals than the biological brothers, who share half their genes. In the journal ''Science'' it is reported that, "this . . . suggests that there is no genetic component, but rather an environmental component shared in families" (''Science'', Vol. 262, page 2063, December 24, 1993). [http://www.trueorigin.org/gaygene01.asp][http://www.freetobeme.com/r_biol.htm]

== Homosexuality in Nature ==
In some jurisdictions, some forms of sexual activity are referred to by the legal term "unnatural act," a term which originated in church canon law. Non-zoologists have sometimes made the incorrect inference that homosexual behavior does not occur in the zoological world and have used it as a talking point when attacking homosexuality. This has created an interest in the side issue whether homosexual behavior is or is not zoologically "natural." This is largely a sterile debate because behavior is not necessarily moral even if "natural;" because the nature of human beings is not necessarily the same as the nature of other species, and because it is not at all clear when an observed behavior can be counted as "sexual," or as implying a sexual "orientation."

Homosexual-like behavior is common. For example, every cattle farmer is familiar with the phenomenon of "bulling," cows mounting other cows; in fact, this is one of the standard signs farmers look for when determining that a cow is coming into estrus. However, it does not follow that the cows involved are showing anything analogous to human lesbian orientation.

Sexual-like behavior between animals of the same sex is common. Some animals in which it occurs include:

* [[Bonobos]],<ref>Parker, Sue Taylor,Robert W. Mitchell, H. Lyn Miles (1999), ''The Mentalities of Gorillas and Orangutans: comparative perspectives.'' Cambridge University Press. [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521580277&id=h4_VnW-HGAcC&pg=RA1-PA54&lpg=RA1-PA54&dq=bonobo+homosexual&sig=rdHH7YmjFiR7x5ONwt2e1EdfrBk p. 54]
</ref>
* [[Dolphins]]<ref>Smith, Dinitia (2004), "Central Park Zoo's gay penguins ignite debate," ''The New York Times,''
Saturday, February 7, 2004, as published on the San Francisco Chronicle website[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/07/MNG3N4RAV41.DTL]: "Bonobos are wildly energetic sexually. Studies show that whether observed in the wild or in captivity, nearly all are bisexual and nearly half their sexual interactions are with the same sex... 10 to 15 percent of female western gulls in some populations in the wild are homosexual... male and female bottlenose dolphins frequently engage in homosexual activity, both in captivity and in the wild"</ref> and other vertebrate species. See also [[http://www.livescience.com/bestimg/index.php?url=&cat=gayanimals livescience]]
* [[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0722_040722_gayanimal.html National Geographic]] link

A 1996 article, published by an organization commited to "treatment" of homosexuality, musters the arguments against interpretation of animal behavior as sanctioning homosexuality.<ref>[http://www.narth.com/docs/animalmyth.html The Animal Homosexuality Myth], Luiz Sérgio Solimeo, excerpt from book ''Defending a Higher Law: Why We Must Resist Same Sex "Marriage" and the Homosexual Movement.''</ref> It notes that "homosexual scientist Simon LeVay" stated that the evidence pointed to isolated acts, not to homosexuality:

"Although homosexual behavior is very common in the animal world, it seems to be very uncommon that individual animals have a long-lasting predisposition to engage in such behavior to the exclusion of heterosexual activities. Thus, a homosexual orientation, if one can speak of such thing in animals, seems to be a rarity."

In addition, Dr. Antonio Pardo, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Navarre, Spain, wrote:

Properly speaking, homosexuality does not exist among animals.... For reasons of survival, the reproductive instinct among animals is always directed towards an individual of the opposite sex. Therefore, an animal can never be homosexual as such. Nevertheless, the interaction of other instincts (particularly dominance) can result in behavior that appears to be homosexual. Such behavior cannot be equated with an animal homosexuality. All it means is that animal sexual behavior encompasses aspects beyond that of reproduction.[http://www.narth.com/docs/animalmyth.html]

==References==

*[http://www.narth.com/docs/animalmyth.html The Animal Homosexuality Myth] by Luiz Sérgio Solimeo
*[http://creationwiki.org/Homosexuality CreationWiki: Homosexuality]

Usury

2007-03-01T08:57:08Z

Arbane:

==In medieval times==

The medieval term for interest collected on loans of money.

[[Islam]] prohibits usury or interest on loans. So does the [[Bible]].

==In modern times==
'''Usury''' means charging an exorbitant, excessive, or illegally high rate of interest.

In the United States, most states have usury laws limiting interest rates. This area of law is complex, particularly since, during the period of high inflation in the 1970s, the Federal government passed a law exempting national banks from state usury laws.

In many states, such as New Jersey, the "legal rate of interest" is 6%, but this only applies to rare situations and certainly does not mean that home mortgages at higher rates, or credit card finance charges (often as high as 18%), are illegal.

Usury

2007-03-01T08:56:48Z

Arbane:

==In medieval times==

The medieval term for interest collected on loans of money.

Islam prohibits usury or interest on loans. So does the Bible.

==In modern times==
'''Usury''' means charging an exorbitant, excessive, or illegally high rate of interest.

In the United States, most states have usury laws limiting interest rates. This area of law is complex, particularly since, during the period of high inflation in the 1970s, the Federal government passed a law exempting national banks from state usury laws.

In many states, such as New Jersey, the "legal rate of interest" is 6%, but this only applies to rare situations and certainly does not mean that home mortgages at higher rates, or credit card finance charges (often as high as 18%), are illegal.

World Health Organization

2007-03-01T08:21:20Z

Arbane:

The World Health Organization or WHO is a organization within the [[United Nations]] to designed to help people achieve their highest levels of health.

Bill Clinton

2007-03-01T08:18:47Z

Arbane:

William J. ("Bill") Clinton served as president of the United States from 1993-2001. Clinton never won a majority of the popular vote.

[[Image:billclinton.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Bill Clinton]]

Clinton won in 1992 with 43% of the popular vote, capitalizing on public discontent with a weak economy. In his first two years in office, 1993 through 1994, Clinton failed at his massive attempt to "reform" health-care in the United States by some sort of government-backed universal health-care insurance, which would result in effective government control of the health care system. His approach consisted of appointing a planning committee with secret members to reshape this important sector of the economy. The [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] successfully sued to force disclosure of the committee members and ultimately to defeat the program.

Clinton also signed into law the [[Violence Against Women Act]], which opened the federal courts to claims of domestic disputes between men and women, which had always been handled under state rather than federal law. A key provision of this law was later ruled unconstitutional in [[United States v. Morrison]].<ref>http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5.ZS.html</ref>

In 1994, voters expressed their high disapproval of Clinton by giving a landslide victory to Republicans in Congress, where Republicans won 49.9% of the popular vote (compared to the Democrat's 44%). This event was tagged the "Republican Revolution," in which Republicans promised America reforms including term limits, persidential line-item veto, and a balanced budget. That ended much of Clinton's power. He was reelected with 49.2% of the popular vote against a weak Republican candidate in 1996 ([[Robert Dole | Bob Dole]]) and a weaker "populist" candidate, [[H. Ross Perot]]. The re-election of Clinton despite the demonstrated preference of the electorate in 1994 for Republican candidates may well be due to the electorate's preference for a [[divided government]], in which the executive branch and the congress are representative of different parties, unlike the elections in 2002 or 2004. Clinton spent the remainder of his presidency combatting scandals. A special prosecutor was named to investigate Clinton for allegations of impropriety in the Whitewater real-estate scandal, an investment of Clintons in a failed real estate venture. Although nothing came out of this investigation, and it turned out that Clinton actually lost money on his investment, one of the results of the investigation was that the special prosecutor turned to investigating other Clinton activities, one of which (the [[Monica Lewinsky]] scandal) resulted in an impeachment trial. Bill Clinton managed to serve two terms without botching the prosecution of two wars, manipulating intelligence, engaging in a systematic program of torture, or mishandling the federal response to flooding of a major American city. Obviously, he is the devil incarnate. Clinton also attempted to use the American military to kill Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, an action which was properly seen as a mere attempt to distract the nation from the [[Monica Lewinsky scandal]].

Bill Clinton's wife, [[Hillary_Rodham_Clinton|Hillary Clinton]], has long sought to become president herself. She used her position of influence to obtain the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate without opposition in 2000, and was elected in this safely Democratic state. Reelected in 2006, she is now running for president in 2008.

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

Bill Clinton

2007-03-01T08:17:56Z

Arbane:

William J. ("Bill") Clinton served as president of the United States from 1993-2001. Clinton never won a majority of the popular vote.

[[Image:billclinton.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Bill Clinton]]

Clinton won in 1992 with 43% of the popular vote, capitalizing on public discontent with a weak economy. In his first two years in office, 1993 through 1994, Clinton failed at his massive attempt to "reform" health-care in the United States by some sort of government-backed universal health-care insurance, which would result in effective government control of the health care system. His approach consisted of appointing a planning committee with secret members to reshape this important sector of the economy. The [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] successfully sued to force disclosure of the committee members and ultimately to defeat the program.

Clinton also signed into law the [[Violence Against Women Act]], which opened the federal courts to claims of domestic disputes between men and women, which had always been handled under state rather than federal law. A key provision of this law was later ruled unconstitutional in [[United States v. Morrison]].<ref>http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5.ZS.html</ref>

In 1994, voters expressed their high disapproval of Clinton by giving a landslide victory to Republicans in Congress, where Republicans won 49.9% of the popular vote (compared to the Democrat's 44%). This event was tagged the "Republican Revolution," in which Republicans promised America reforms including term limits, persidential line-item veto, and a balanced budget. That ended much of Clinton's power. He was reelected with 49.2% of the popular vote against a weak Republican candidate in 1996 ([[Robert Dole | Bob Dole]]) and a weaker "populist" candidate, [[H. Ross Perot]]. The re-election of Clinton despite the demonstrated preference of the electorate in 1994 for Republican candidates may well be due to the electorate's preference for a [[divided government]], in which the executive branch and the congress are representative of different parties, unlike the elections in 2002 or 2004. Clinton spent the remainder of his presidency combatting scandals. A special prosecutor was named to investigate Clinton for allegations of impropriety in the Whitewater real-estate scandal, an investment of Clintons in a failed real estate venture. Although nothing came out of this investigation, and it turned out that Clinton actually lost money on his investment, one of the results of the investigation was that the special prosecutor turned to investigating other Clinton activities, one of which (the [[Monica Lewinsky]] scandal) resulted in an impeachment trial. Bill Clinton managed to serve two terms without botching the prosecution of two wars, manipulating intelligence, engaging in a systematic program of torture, or mishandling the federal response to flooding of a major American city. Obviously, he is the devil incarnate. Clinton also attempted to use the American military to kill Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda, an action which was properly seen as a mere attempt to distract the nation from the [[Monica Lewinsky scandal]].

Bill Clinton's wife, [[Hillary Clinton]], has long sought to become president herself. She used her position of influence to obtain the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate without opposition in 2000, and was elected in this safely Democratic state. Reelected in 2006, she is now running for president in 2008.

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

Holocaust

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The Holocaust was the massacring of the Jewish race during [[World War II]]. The [[German]] people as a whole are not to blame for this but the [[Nazis]] were, by playing on the [[anti-semitism|antisemitic]] sentiment so popular before [[World War II]] to give them a [[Bill_Clinton|scapegoat]] for their country's problems. Besides 6 million Jews dying, 3 million Christians were killed also along with many priests, nuns, [[Gypsies]], [[Communists]] and [[homosexuals]].

Hypothesis

2007-03-01T08:09:26Z

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An educated guess that attempts to explain an observation or answer a question.<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With General Science''. Anderson: Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc.

2000</ref> It is then tested with [[experiments]], and if it makes [[falsifiable]] claims and is not disproven with a abundance of evidence, is called a [[theory]]. Thus, [[Gravity]], [[Quantum Mechanics]], [[Germ Theory]], and [[Evolution]] are all referred to as '''theories'''.

==References==
<references/>

Noah's Ark

2007-03-01T08:04:46Z

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A ship large enough to hold 7 of each 'clean' species and 2 of each 'unclean' species, along with enough food and water for 40 days. Assuming that [[God]] did not make it [[tardis|dimensionally transcendent]], it would have had to be very large.

How fresh-water fish (who can't survive in salt water) and land vegetation (which would have drowned, then been left in salt-poisoned soil) escaped the effects of the [[Flood]] is not explained.

Austrian School of Economics

2007-03-01T07:55:12Z

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The '''Austrian school of economics''' is the [[libertarian]] philosophy applied to the field of economics: reduce government involvement in everything. It views all value as subjective, and that efficiency consists of maximizing value as sought by each individual. It avoids mathematics because it does not feel math can capture the complexities of the economic world, which it thinks are due to trial-and-error processes. Like [[libertarian|libertarians]], Austrian economists are very much in favor of the individual and against government, even to the point of opposing tariffs and [[Antitrust law]]s.

The Austrian school of economics opposed the inflationary approach of [[Keynesian economics]], and thus is favored by many conservatives on that basis. But Austrian economists also typically oppose government attempts to maintain or defend morality, as in traditional marriage.

The founder of the Austrian school of economics was [[Carl Menger]], who published in German in 1871 its leading text, ''Principles of Economics''. In the 1920s through 1940s, [[Ludwig von Mises]] and [[Friedrich A. Hayek]] advanced the movement by declaring the impossibility for socialism to succeed and also explaining the nature of the business cycle.

Corn

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Corn (''Zea mays''), also called ''maize,'' was first grown by Native Americans. It is used as food and many other products.

Because of its tightly-packed kernels, corn is incapable or reproducing without human aid.

It can be grown for both a cash crop and nourishment for people and livestock.

In the United States, there has recently been a boom in the use of corn to produce [[ethanol]] as automotive fuel. The result has been a rise in the price of corn, affecting its use for food and livestock feed.<ref>''The New York Times,'' February 2, 2007[http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/weekinreview/11egan.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&ref=weekinreview&pagewanted=print]</ref>

Corn is a good subject for genetic studies. The offspring of a pair of gametes consists of the individual kernels on a single cob. These kernels may display easily observed phenotypic variation such as color. In an ear of corn with two colors of kernel, the number of kernels of each color will often display the classic 3:1 Mendelian ratio.

''Field corn'' varieties are grown primarily for livestock feed. Varieties grown for human consumption contain a gene that increases the sugar content and are known as ''sweet corn.''

In 1983, [[Barbara McClintock]] won the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for studies of the genetics of corn, specifically her 1948 discovery of mobile genetic elements in the corn genome.

==Usage==
The word ''maize'' always means the specific plant ''Zea mays.'' In the United States it much more commonly called "corn," as in corn-on-the-cob. In British usage, "corn" can mean any grain or kernel crop, specifically the staple crop of a particular region. It is important to understand this when reading English novels or studying English history (e.g. the [[Corn laws]]). In formal, academic, or scientific work that is written for an international audience it is common to use the word ''maize'' to avoid misunderstanding.

''Maize'' is also the name for a color, an orange-yellow. According to a custom formalized in 1895, in university graduation ceremonies, graduates of a school of agriculture usually wear maize-colored tassels on their caps.<ref>University of Idaho web page about [http://www.nacua.org/lrs/Policies/docs/UniversityofIdaho-AcademicRegalia.html academic regalia]</ref>

==Notes and references==
<references/>

Iraq

2007-03-01T07:51:16Z

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A Middle-Eastern country, currently occupied by U.S. Troops.

Plankton

2007-03-01T07:47:01Z

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Tiny organisms that float in the water. Not mentioned in the [[Bible]].

<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Biology''. Apologia
Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref>

==References==

<references/>

Adolf Hitler

2007-03-01T07:45:00Z

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[[Image:Adolf_hitler.gif|thumb|right|200px|Adolf Hitler]]
Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was a very brutal dictator of Germany with the dream of taking over the world. He once said, "Conquest is not only alright but also a duty." The German people were so supportive of him they followed him even when he led them into World War II. He sent millions of Jews to "concentration camps" where they were killed. Gypsies (thousands of them), Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, [[communism|Communists]], and "extreme Christians", political opponents of the Nazis were also killed in the camps.

Adolf Hitler was a great orator who made the people of Germany believe that he could lead them out of their economic problems. He also inspired a strong sense nationalism in the German people.

Atheists contend that Hitler was a Christian who believed that he was "doing the Lord's work", but this is heavily contested in the Christian community. There are many documented incidences of Adolf Hitler claiming that he was doing God's work.{{fact}}

'''Sources:''' [http://www.comics.aha.ru/rus/stalin/ Hitler vs. Stalin]

Joseph Stalin

2007-03-01T07:44:28Z

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[[Image:Josephstalin.jpg]]

Joseph Stalin lived from Dec. 21, 1879 to March 5, 1953. He was secretary general of the Communist Party in Russia. [[Leon Trotsky]] had a power struggle with Stalin. Trotsky took the view that socialism in the Soviet Union must await a revolution in Western Europe and even worldwide. Stalin wanted power immediately and expelled Trotsky from the political pary in 1927 and exiled him from Russia two years later.

Joseph Stalin was also one of the worst murderers in the history of the world. He starved about 20 million Ukrainians. Many youths were brainwashed in his "youth groups", telling them how great he was and how great communism was. Also, he persecuted all religious groups, destroyed houses of worship, controlled the press, and forced women to work in factories just like men.

'''Sources:''' [http://www.comics.aha.ru/rus/stalin/ Hitler vs. Stalin]

Chitin

2007-03-01T07:42:55Z

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The substance that makes up the outer shell of insects.

A chemical that provides both toughness and flexibility.<ref>Wile, Dr. Jay L. ''Exploring Creation With Biology''. Apologia Educational Ministries, Inc. 1998</ref>

==References==
<references/>

Vietnamization

2007-03-01T07:42:14Z

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Vietnamization was a policy for slowly withdrawing American soldiers from [[Vietnam]], in hopes that the South Vietnamese would do more of the fighting for themselves. [[Richard Nixon]] supported this policy during his presidency.

Adolf Hitler

2007-03-01T07:40:47Z

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United States of America

2007-03-01T07:28:29Z

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The United States of America (commonly referred to as America) was founded in 1776 by [[George Washington]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], and the other [[Founding Fathers]] and formally established as the United States by the ratification of the [[U.S. Constitution]] in 1788.

The United States was founded upon the principles and ideals of [[Christianity]], as demonstrated in the [[Declaration of Independence]], which states that we were created by a higher power which gives us rights. However, the freedom of religion (which means the government cannot interfere in the conduct of churches) is a fundamental aspect of the First Amendment to the [[Constitution]].

The USA is rightly considered by its [[Patriotism|patriotic]] citizens to be the
best country in the world. Previously such beliefs (also known as [[Manifest destiny]])
were held by citizens of former superpowers, such as the [[Roman Empire]], the
[[Soviet Union]] and the [[Third Reich]]).

Abraham Lincoln

2007-03-01T07:27:19Z

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[[Image:Abe_Lincoln.png|right|Abraham Lincoln]]

'''Abraham Lincoln''' (1809-1865) presided over the Civil War as the 16th president of the United States. Idolized by the North and hated by the South, Lincoln pursued his goal of keeping the Union together despite the fervent desire by southerners to secede. Approaching secession with the mind of the attorney that Lincoln was, he declared it illegal and managed, or mismanaged in the view of some, the resultant war. He is also famous for his [[Gettysburg Address]], affirming the commitment of America to equality for all with the words: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.."

Homeschooled in his youth, Lincoln became a successful railroad attorney in Illinois who was known for his integrity and his piercing cross-examinations. He lost many more political races than he won, and served briefly in [[Congress]] as a Whig opposed to the Mexican War. That cost him reelection, and a decade later in 1858 he ran for the [[U.S. Senate]] against the dynamic speaker [[Stephen Douglas]], who defeated him. But Lincoln ran a strong enough race that Douglas was forced to alienate some of his supporters with his [[Freeport Doctrine]], and when both ran for president two years later in 1860, Lincoln won easily without even campaigning. His victory precipitated the Civil War, since many southern states believed that he would abolish slavery, since abolition was a core plank of the [[Republican]] party.

Lincoln was perhaps the only President who appeared to move from being an unbeliever to believer while in office. From 1861 to 1864 Lincoln relied entirely on logic. As a congressmen decades earlier, Lincoln distinguished himself by redoing the geometric proofs in the great work of [[Euclid]]. But on the way to the cemetery in Gettysburg in November 1864, Lincoln had apparently found God and inserted after "one nation" the phrase "under God" into his pre-written Gettysburg Address. After Lincoln won reelection that had been in doubt, his Second Inaugural Address was filled with religious references lacking from his First Inaugural Address.

Lincoln was shot in Washington, DC on Good Friday, April 14 1865, a few days after the Civil War ended, and died the next day. He became a martyr to the North and a cause for revenge against the South, from which the assassin (John Wilkes Booth) had come.

Abraham Lincoln is the reason that Southerners are part of the [[United States of America]].

==Lincoln Links==
*[http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm Gettysburg Address]

Republican Party

2007-03-01T07:24:16Z

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The party of [[Abraham Lincoln]], [[Ronald Reagan]], [[Richard Nixon]], [[George H W Bush]], [[George W Bush]], [[Herbert Hoover]], [[Dwight Eisenhower]], and [[Theodore Roosevelt]], among others.