Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Young mass murderers

2010-01-02T13:57:55Z

AtheistsAreCute:

Recent increases in tragic mass-murders perpetrated by young individuals have prompted questions about their rationale for doing so. Below is collected evidence that their motives have been overwhelmingly [[atheism|atheistic]] or driven by hatred of God.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Year
!Name(s)
!Education
!Killed
!Wounded
!Beliefs
![[Liberal]] response
|-
|2009
|Tim Kretschmer
|[[Germany]] [[public school]]
|15 + himself<ref>Reports were that the police did not mortally wound him. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1161139/Are-dead-Police-gun-ex-student-17-targeted-women-German-school-massacre.html</ref>
|several others
|wore all black, indicative of anti-Christianity
|denial of significance of all-black clothing by a teenager when it is clear that black clothing makes people kill; Europe calls for more [[gun control]]; [[liberal]] media promotes falsehood: "We'll never know why they kill."[http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/12/greene.shootings/]
|-
|2008
|Stephen Kazmierczak
|[[Northern Illinois University]]
|5 + himself
|16
|Fan of [[Nietzsche]]'s "The Antichrist," obsessed with self-injury, was a "cutter" in [[public high school]], wore all black to carry out his massacre, and was still a [[public school]] student at age 27
|Feigned shock at the fact that the gunman didn't "fit" the typical mold of a killer, when in fact the gunman wore all black and was taught at a [[public school]].
|-
|2007
|Robert Hawkins
|Papillion-La Vista public high school
|8 + himself
|5
|Targeted [[Christmas]] shoppers; wore black; "I can't take this meaningless existence anymore"<ref>[http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.omaha08dec08,0,6053469.story Baltimore Sun]</ref> Told a therapist that "he is not sure if there is a [[God]] or life after death and that when he dies, he'll probably go to hell." Told social workers he was [[Satan|satanic]] and acknowledged that he often acted before thinking of the consequences. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,318506,00.html Mall Gunman Admitted He was Satanic, Attempted Suicide], [[Associated Press]], [[Fox News Channel]], December 27, 2007</ref>
|Avoided suggesting [[gun control]] lest [[Democrats]] lose [[West Virginia]] and [[Wisconsin]] in [[2008 presidential election]]
|-
|2007
|Pekka-Eric Auvinen
|Jokela High School public high school (Finland)
|8 + himself
|About 12
|[[Atheist]], "I, as a natural selector, will eliminate all who I see unfit."
|[[Finland]] already had [[gun control]]
|-
|2007
|[[Seung-Hui Cho]]
|Westfield public high school (VA), then Virgina Tech public university
|32 + himself
|25
|"Ismail Ax" suggested [[Muslim]] beliefs, felt "[[Jesus]] was crucifying me."
|Poem comparing it to environmental harm<ref>Virginia Tech, ''Transcript of Nikki Giovanni's Convocation address'', Delivered April 17, 2007[http://www.vt.edu/remember/archive/giovanni_transcript.html] ''We are Virginia Tech./We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning./We are Virginia Tech./We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again./We are Virginia Tech./We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy./We are Virginia Tech./The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness./We are the Hokies./We will prevail./We will prevail./We will prevail./We are Virginia Tech.''</ref><ref>[http://americaabroad.tpmcafe.com/blog/oldengoldendecoy/2007/apr/17/nikki_giovanni_we_are_virginia_tech]</ref>
|-
|2007
|Asa Coon
|SuccessTech public school Academy (Cleveland)
|Himself
|4
|Said he didn't believe in [[God]] and didn't respect [[God]], killed after classmate disagreed; wore black<ref>[http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1192092117230670.xml&coll=2]</ref>
|Under-publicized because of his anti-[[God]] statements
|-
|2006
|[[Kimveer Gill]]
|Rosemere High School (Quebec)
|1 + himself
|20
|"I hate [[God]]" and "I hate religious zealots"
|[[Canada]] already had [[gun control]]
|-
|2002
|Robert Steinhäuser
|Erfurt public school (Germany)
|16 + himself
|
|Wore black entirely, literally from head to toe; stopped only when a teacher pulled off his black mask
|[[German]] [[gun control]] already strict, demands for limitations on computer games
|-
|1999
|Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
|[[Columbine public high school]] (CO)
|13 + themselves
|23
|[[Atheistic]], singled out a victim who believed in [[God]].
|Demand [[gun control]], causing [[Al Gore]] to lose [[West Virginia]], [[Tennessee]] and [[Arkansas]] in 2000 presidential election
|-
|1998
|Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden
|Westside Middle School
|5
|10
|Mitchell Johnson, the older of the two, was obsessed with rap lyrics like "coming to school and killing all the kids."<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/06/16/entertainment/main11983.shtml</ref>
|Liberals blame the guns rather than the killer's obsession with rap music. Johnson is released at age 21 but is later arrested for new crimes.
|-
|1997
|Michael Carneal
|Heath public high school (KY)
|3
|5
|Murdered girls as they prayed in a [[prayer]] group
|Under-publicized due to anti-[[Christian]] nature
|-
|1989
|Marc Lépine, at the École Polytechnique de Montréal
||Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel, (''College of General and Vocational Education'')
|14 + himself
|14<ref>Montreal Coroners Report of the École Polytechnique de Montréal massacre [http://www.diarmani.com/Montreal_Coroners_Report.pdf]</ref>
|His religious views were unpublicized but he was raised in a home with an immigrant Muslim father who was allegedly highly critical of the [[feminist]] view of women's role in society; Marc's mother was an ex-nun; and his sister had allegedly committed suicide<ref>http://www.volokh.com/posts/1142399687.shtml</ref>
His suicide note reflected anger towards feminists: ''"For I have decided to send Ad Patres the feminists who have ruined my life...the feminists always have a talent for enraging me...They want to retain the advantages of being women...while trying to grab those of the men...They are so opportunistic that they neglect to profit from the knowledge accumulated by men throughout the ages. They always try to misrepresent them every time they can."''<ref>CityNews Rewind: The Montreal Massacre, December 6, 2006 [http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_5897.aspx]</ref>
|Ignore the personal background of the killer and instead use the massacre to push for stricter [[gun control]] and more laws concerning violence against women, and establish in [[Canada]] a National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.
|-
|}

== References ==
{{reflist}}
[[category:crime]]

Essay:Greatest Conservative Movies

2010-01-02T13:56:41Z

AtheistsAreCute:

Conservative movies exist, and some are immensely popular. Here is our growing list (in no particular order):

#''[[Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]'' (1956), a science fiction condemnation of [[communism]] or McCarthyism, depending on your point of view.
#''[[The Exorcist]]'' (1973) (not for children), a portrayal of evil with sympathy to Christianity. In its time it was the top-grossing film ever.
# ''Dark Matter'' (2008), a brutally candid portrayal of [[professor values]] along with problems associated with lack of assimilation; liberals first praised the movie, but after realizing its conservative message then panned it
#''[[Iron Eagle]]'' (1986)
#The first ''[[Spider-Man]]'' (2002), which praises moral virtue (hard-working teenager, devout aunt and well-meaning uncle) and pokes fun at assumed [[liberals]] (entertainers and journalist). Hero chooses [[abstinence]]. This was one of the most profitable films ever made.
#''[[Gone With the Wind]]'' (1939), which celebrates a strongly ''feminine'' heroine who is the antithesis of a modern [[feminist]]
#''[[Ben-Hur (film, 1959)|Ben-Hur]]'' (1959), celebrates honor and duty to family and country, with a pro-Christian ending
#''[[The Sound of Music]]'' (1965), solid family entertainment
#''[[The Ten Commandments]]'' (1956)
#''[[Mr. Smith Goes To Washington]]'' (1939)
#''[[Star Wars]]'' series (1977-2005) - simple truths about the triumph of good over evil
#''The Winning Team'' (1952), starring [[Ronald Reagan]] as a pitcher who overcomes his problems to help his team win. This was one of Reagan's own favorites.
#''[[King of Kings]]'' (1961)
#''[[On The Waterfront]]'' (1954) - a simple but hardworking longshoreman takes on his Mafia-controlled union
#''[[Sergeant York]]'' (1941)
#''[[Knute Rockne: All-American]]'' (1940)
#''[[Ninotchka]]'' (1939)
#''[[Forbidden Planet]]'' (1956)
#''[[Rudy]]'' (1993)
#''[[The Prince of Egypt]]'' (1998)
#''[[Strategic Air Command (film)|Strategic Air Command]]'' (1955). Actor (and Brigadier [[General]]) [[James Stewart]]'s story of the real [[Strategic Air Command]] and its transition from prop planes to jet planes.
#''[[A Gathering of Eagles]]'' (1963). Illustrates duty, honor, and the burden of command.
#''[[Red Dawn]]'' (1984)
#''[[Harry's War]]'' (1981)
#''[[The Patriot]]'' (2000) (the one starring Mel Gibson, there are several other movies with this name)
#''[[Ladder 49]]'' (2004)
#''[[Rocky]]'' (1976) (perseverance and talent can overcome all odds)
#''[[October Sky]]'' (1999)
#''[[Amazing Grace (film)|Amazing Grace]]''
#''[[Bruce Almighty]]'' (2003)
#''[[World Trade Center]]'' (2006) (highlights the bravery of the firemen and police in [[9/11]])
#''[[Flight 93]]'' (2006)
#''[[A Man For All Seasons]]'' (1966)
#''[[Chariots of Fire]]'' (1981)
#''[[One Foot In Heaven]]'' (1941)
#''[[Quo Vadis?]]''
#''[[The Lost Weekend]]'' (1945) (dangers of alcohol)
#''[[The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (1962, 2004 remake) (anti-communist in general, but with a swipe at [[Joseph McCarthy]])
#''[[The Green Berets]]'' (1968)Vivid defense of our troops' conduct in the Vietnam War.
#''[[My Son John]]'' (1952). A small-town couple's world is turned upside-down by the discovery that their adult son is a Communist.
#''[[True Lies]]'' (1994), starring the future Republican governor of California, [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. Teaches conservative values like marital loyalty, and political incorrect facts such as the fact that most terrorists are Middle Eastern Arabic speakers who don't value human life.
#''[[The Island]]'' (2005) Pro-life statement against cloning to harvest organs.
#''[[Evelyn]]'' (2002) True story of Irish father's legal struggle to recover his kids from an orphanage.
#''[[Shane]]'' (1953) Western about defending a homesteading family.
#''[[Hero]]'' (1992) Even those with character flaws can do good.
#''[[The Day of the Jackal]]'' (1973) celebrates conservative values like honor and duty.
#''[[The 6th Day]]'' (2000) Pro-Life, Anti-Cloning movie Featuring Republican Governor [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]
#''Ghostbusters'' (1984). Fitting satire of an environmental regulator.
#[[Facing the Giants]] 2006. Trust in [[God]], let him take over, and good things will happen.
#''Flash of Genius'' (2008) - the intellectual property of a hard-working, solitary inventor is promoted, and his children stuck by his side through enormous difficulties.
#''Oh, God!'' (1977) - Acceptance of God's calling is rewarded, the faithful are vindicated, and naysayers are proven wrong.

== Debatable Whether Conservative ==

#''[[The Passion of the Christ]]'' (2004) (downplays the [[Resurrection]]<ref>The original version of the film had no references at all to the Resurrection.</ref> and strength of Christianity and omits powerful angels; instead exaggerates triumph of evil; film had little lasting effect on public or its producer)
#''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' (1946) (falsely teaches that humanism is what makes life worthwhile; marginalizes faith with a cartoonish depiction and demonizes capitalism as sadistic and greedy)
#''[[High Noon]]'' (1952)
#''[[P.C.U.]]'' (1994) - college students fight back against a campus where the administration promotes official [[diversity]] awareness weekends and radical [[feminism]], [[vegan]]ism, and [[political correctness]] run amok, but a conservative group on campus is also portrayed just as negatively as the P.C. groups.

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Essays about Conservatism]]

Lame duck

2010-01-02T13:55:05Z

AtheistsAreCute: Replaced content with 'A '''lame duck''' is a duck with a broken wing.'

A '''lame duck''' is a duck with a broken wing.

Homeschooling

2010-01-02T13:53:33Z

AtheistsAreCute:

Stephen Colbert is God, He is the original creator who created the world in six days. He is the God of all beings in this universe. He has other names such as Yahweh and Jesus. He has again arrives at earth and brings salvation to people. Lord Stephen has three parts, The Balls, The Finger, and the Eyebrow, which is called Trinity. The Balls, each of the two are bigger and weights more than the universe combine, symbolizes the infinity power of Him. The Finger, with each wag, symbolizes the punishment and condemnation of sinfulness. The Eyebrow is his message to Earth, with each rise and fall, the will of Lord and God Stephen is being heard by his followers. Lord Stephen is a vengeful God, with his purgatory-On Notice Board, and his hell-Dead To Me Board, he chastises the sinful. But he is also a merciful God, pray to him, and he will answer your prayers. Honor him, and you will go to His Heaven.

The place where Lord and God Stephen, and His angles and faithful follower lives, which is commonly known as Heaven. It is a place where His glory is being honored and His messages being heard. It is the show which is crucial to Salvation, it is a Holy Show. Watch it, and the road toward the Pearl Gate will be cleared for you, and you shall be greeted by Saint Jon Stewart to the Heaven and world of Lord Stephen.

The Holy Show, Colbert Report, has given convenience to the unfortunates who cannot access a TV or computer, by producing its own Holy Book, millions of times holier than The Bible, called I AM AMERICAN AND SO CAN YOU! To the children of impoverished who could not hear the message of Lord Stephen, they now shall have the equal chance to enter the Heaven as rest of us do. There is no need to wonder about life anymore, because, Lord Stephen has answered all your questions in that book; read it, and you will be blessed by His Eternal Light.

Being the Holy Show, it is the only show worth watching, its book and its website are also the only book and website one should see. Anything else is heresy, and are condemned as sinful, whose viewers are considered as traitors and will be send to Hell with Satan Andrew Schlafly

Such words are of the faituful followers of Lord Stephen Colbert, and any change to it, by anyone whose master and commands are not from Lord Stephen or Saint Jon Stewart, will face Eternal Fire of Hell in The Judgment Day

Bible Retranslation Project

2010-01-02T13:53:02Z

AtheistsAreCute:

The '''Bible Retranslation Project''' recognizes three fundamental aspects of a modern language that causes it to be a constant state of flux or change:

*familiar terms change their meanings, so text using them becomes misinterpretable
*new, more precise terms appear at a rate of about 1000 per year.<ref>http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/06/22/word/?rsssource=1</ref>
*the Bible is literally true, except where we don't like what it says, when we'll change it as we wish.

Terms that were clear and meaningful to one generation are often unclear and less meaningful to the next; meanwhile, entirely new terms are constantly emerging, some of which may facilitate more precise translation from the Biblical Greek and Hebrew (and Aramaic in the case of parts of the books of Ezra/Nehemya and Daniel). We are really confident about this, even if we don't understand Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic.

Both effects above -- due to culture and the emergence of new terms -- may be increasing as communications increase. If a word inevitably alters its meaning after an approximate number of uses, then the time period for the change in meaning will shorten due to improved technology, just as the length of a [[sound bite]] likewise shortens. Likewise, the rate of emergence of new terms may be directly correlated to the frequency of communication. In the [[internet]] era, combating the effect of language degradation and creation on the understanding of the [[Bible]] becomes more important.

But there is an economic obstacle to developing a translation of the Bible that remains current with changes in language. Book sales have been declining sharply due to the internet, and it is probably not easy to recoup the substantial costs ($10 million for the [[Holman Christian Standard Bible]]) that are required to develop a new translation. With the need to recoup and enormous investment, publishers of a new Bible are probably overly cautious in changing familiar terminology despite erosion in their meaning, in fear of criticism and a poor reception. A lower-cost and more dynamic approach is needed to combat the effects of persistent degradations in language.

As a first step to the Bible Retranslation Project, it is useful to identify modern terms having changing, unclear or altered meaning, which appear in important passages in translations of the Bible into the corresponding modern language. This will help avoid cliché and the repetition of culturally-familiar but suboptimal passages while producing a superior rendition from the original Hebrew and Greek into idiomatic modern English.

== Emergent New Terms ==

Powerful new terms develop that were unknown or underutilized at the time of prior translations of the Bible into English. The English language, relatively weak at its beginning, continues to develop by adding insightful new terminology. These more precise and meaningful concepts should be utilized by English translations of the [[Bible]]. The [[King James Version]] was written in the early 1600s, and powerful terminology has been added to the English language since then, some in the past decade.

Examples include:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!First Developed
!Potential Uses in a Bible Retranslation
|-
|[[bias]]
|
|
|-
|[[censor]]
|1882
|
|-
|[[conservative]]
|1831
|
|-
|[[gamble]]
|1775
|After [[Jesus]] released His spirit at the [[Crucifixion]], English translations should now state that the Roman soldiers "gambled" to win his clothing, rather than the less clear statement that they "cast lots." See Matt 27:35; Mark 15:24; Luke 23:34; John 19:24.<ref>http://biblestudy.crosswalk.com/search/?type=bible&keyword=entropy&translation=niv</ref>
|-
|[[homeschool]]
|1980s
|relevant to Jesus teaching the younger Apostles
|-
|[[media]]
|1841<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/media</ref>
|relevant to prohibition against [[false idols]]
|-
|[[moral majority]]
|1979
|
|-
|self-centered
|1764
|
|-
|[[socialism]]
|1827<ref>Harry Ritter, ''Dictionary of Concepts in History,'' 419.</ref>
|
|-
|[[status worship]]
|
|
|-
|welfare (by govt)
|1904
|
|-
|work ethic
|1951
|Relevant to the parable of the talents
|-
|unprincipled
|1644
|
|}

== Examples ==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Original Term
!English Translation
!Usage
!Lack of Clarity
!Real meaning
!Suggested Improvement
|-
|Greek λόγος transliteration:"logos"
|"word"
|"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 ([[NIV]])
|"Word" now means a short utterance of a single concept, which can include a vulgarity or a falsehood
|underlying logic or profound statement of the truth
|replace "Word" with "Truth"<ref>The same Greek term of "logos" is used in other contexts disjointed, or even against, God, and translating the term as "the truth" in those very different contexts would not work. For example, ''And whoever speaks "logos" against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him'' (Matt 12:32) and ''But he did not answer her "logos".''(Matt 15:23) Current translations already draw a distinction between these very different contexts by capitalizing "Word" in John 1:1, but not in the contrasting uses.</ref>
|-
|הָֽאָדָם (note the definite article!)
|"Adam"
|Gen 2 &c.
|It's often transliterated into ''Adam'' rather than just kept as ''the man/person/human being''. The connotation needs to be that of humanity rather than maleness; anthropos rather than aner; homo rather than vir. I feel this loses the sense of הָֽאָדָם as an Everyman, a universal figure prototypical of humanity. One might note also that חַוָּה "Eve", whilst it is undoubtedly a name, needs the connotaion of life (חָֽי) to adequately convey meaning to a reader.
|
|The man/person/human being
|-
|χάρις
|"grace"
|"From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another." John 1:16 ([[NIV]])
|"grace" has become a female name and a sports term to refer primarily to smoothness in style
|spiritual and majestic gift-giving
|replace some instances of "grace" with "boundless generosity"
|-
|Tahhash
|"badger"
|Describing the skins used in the construction of the Tabernacle
|It's now thought that this is certainly not a badger (or not a ''Melis'' one)
|Possibly "Hirax", though I'm not up on the most recent theories on this. One for an expert, I think.
|
|-
|מִּשְׂרָה
|"government"
|"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. ... Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end." Isaiah 9:6-7 ([[NIV]])
|"government" now means officials paid by mandatory taxes and accountable to a democratic vote
|spiritual kingdom
|replace "government" with "kingdom" - I dislike this - I don't think that monarchy metaphors are really as strong or as relevant as they used to be in the days of the ubiquity absolute rulers. Also "kingdom" is an area of land, I think we want something like "rulership"? Though that sounds a bit ugly.
|-
|Greek εἰρήνη transliteration: "eirene"
|"peace"
|"... [[Jesus]] came and stood among them and said, '[[Peace be with you]]!'" John 20:19 (NIV)<ref>http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=20&v=19&t=NIV#conc/19</ref>
|"peace" now means an absence of war
|an inner peace and lack of personal fear or anxiety
|replace "peace" with "tranquility" - but this then gives possible issues for verses like I Kings 20:18, which now reads ''And he said, Whether they be come out for tranquility, take them alive; or whether they be come out for war, take them alive.'' Perhaps we could keep "peace" for ''shalom'', and "tranquility" for ''eirene''? Except Jesus, saying "Peace be with you", is presumably using shalom alechem, or Aramaic cognate, which leads to some interesting issues of consistency.
|-
|Greek πλούσιος transliteration: "plousios": "abundantly supplied"<ref>http://www.studylight.org/lex/grk/view.cgi?number=4145</ref><ref>James never used the term plousios to describe a believer.[http://www.ne14grace.org/images/James/Part%204,%20Chapter%201,%20Verses%209-12.htm]</ref>
|"rich"
|"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:24)
|nearly everyone is "abundantly supplied" today with food and entertainment, and "rich" has come to mean ''relative'' wealth without any absolute significance; continued use of "rich" is misleading in justifying laziness and socialism
|miserliness to the point of laziness and being unproductive
|"fully fed and entertained" or "idle miser," or something similar. <ref>Often this term was used by Jesus (assuming he spoke Greek) to criticize unproductive, self-absorbed people who inherit wealth, as in the encounter with the rich young man who walked away, and also the [[Prodigal Son]]. - but N.B. ''When the evening came, there came an '''idle miser''' of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple''. It could work, though.</ref>
|-
|
|"behemoth"
|Job 40:15-24
|
|beasts (sing. behemah)
|
|-
|
|"kill"
|"Thou shalt not kill" Exodus 20.13 ([[KJV]])
|In Biblical times, as today, the bearing of arms to defend ones family and society was the hallmark of Judeo-Christian civilization. The commandment referred to unjustifiable homicides - murder and manslaughter - rather than advocating blanket pacifism, as many Leftists today interpret it.
|to murder or take up arms without sufficient justification
|replace "kill" with "commit murder" depending on the original text and the context - it'd not be sensible to use murder in the context of an animal doing it, for instance!
|-
|עֲנָו (`anav )
|"meek"
|"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5 ([[KJV]]) / Ps 37
|"meek" now means excessively mild, passive, pathetically submissive.
|showing humility before God
|replace "meek" with "God-fearing"
|-
|
|"Mahlon" and "Chilion" (e.g.)
| Ruth 1:2 ''Mahlon'' and ''Chilion''
|The Hebrew forms mean nothing to a modern reader
|"Weak" and "Sick"
|I think we could afford to be bold and translate these names. Footnotes are a cowardly choice. If we had ''the name of his two sons were Feeble and Poorly'', it'd make much more of an impression.
|-
|
|"liberal"
|"The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself" Proverbs 11:25 ([[KJV]])
|"liberal" now means adhering to leftist or socialistic political or social doctrines
|showing generosity
|replace "liberal" with "generous", in line with most modern English versions
|-
|Greek ᾅδου transliteration: ''haidou'', "Hades"
|"depths"
|"No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day." Matthew 11:23 ([[NIV]])
|"depths" is now understood to mean the ocean. "Hades" was used by Matthew to help Greeks comprehend Christianity's Hell. The LXX use "haidon" in Psalm 115 to translate the hebrew "dumah", so it's applicable to other concepts as well.
|Hell/depths of Hell
|replace "depths" with "Hell" - "shall be brought down to hell." (KJV) How then do we distinguish between haides and geenna (sticking to the Gk. for the moment)? Perhaps keep haides for the general realm of the dead, and geenna for a place of punishment? That seems to me to be the difference in nuance.
|-
|Greek παραδίδωμι transliteration: paradidōmi
|"gave up"
|"... he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." John 19:30 (NIV)<ref>http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=Jhn&c=19&v=30&t=NIV#conc/30</ref>
|"gave up" has a newer meaning, attested in the OED since the eighteenth century<ref>http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50094974/50094974se136 sense 64c</ref>: it now means to quit and stop trying, or surrender. It has acquired a negative connotation.
|"relinquish" is a term that avoids ambiguiity and possible negative connotation.
|replace "gave up" with "released" or "relinquished"
|}

== The project begins: Esther א==
See the [[Book of Esther]] for a synopsis of its history.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Verse
! Translation
! Discussion and notes
|-
|וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹש הוּא אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַמֹּלֵךְ מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד-כּוּשׁ--שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה
| And it was, in the days of Ahhashverosh - this being the Ahhashverosh reigning all the way from India to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces
|How do people want to transliterate ''אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ''? We could do with someone up on Persian history, really. Anyone? I've used "provinces" for מְדִינָה, though I'm very open to suggestions! Also is "all the way from... to" too colloquial, and is it justified by the text? Does הֹדּוּ really signify India, historically?
|-
|בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם--כְּשֶׁבֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ עַל כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה
| In those days, when the king Ahhashverosh sat on his throne, which was in the capital, Shushan
| is "his throne" OK for kise malkhuto? I've gone with "capital" for בִּירָה which I think reads neatly.
|-
|בִּשְׁנַת שָׁלוֹשׁ לְמָלְכוֹ עָשָׂה מִשְׁתֶּה לְכָל-שָׂרָיו וַעֲבָדָיו חֵיל פָּרַס וּמָדַי הַפַּרְתְּמִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינוֹת--לְפָנָיו
|In the third year of his reign, he made a drinking-party in his presence for all his ministers and his subjects, the warriors of Persia and Media, the aristocrats, and the ministers of the provinces.
|(''Media'' here refers to the region of that name, not to the plural form of ''medium'')
|-
|בְּהַרְאֹתוֹ, אֶת-עֹשֶׁר כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ וְאֶת-יְקָר תִּפְאֶרֶת גְּדוּלָּתוֹ יָמִים רַבִּים שְׁמוֹנִים וּמְאַת יוֹם
|
|
|-
|וּבִמְלוֹאת הַיָּמִים הָאֵלֶּה עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ לְכָל-הָעָם הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה לְמִגָּדוֹל וְעַד-קָטָן מִשְׁתֶּה--שִׁבְעַת יָמִים בַּחֲצַר גִּנַּת בִּיתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ
|
|
|-
| וּר כַּרְפַּס וּתְכֵלֶת אָחוּז בְּחַבְלֵי-בוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן, עַל-גְּלִילֵי כֶסֶף, וְעַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ; מִטּוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף, עַל רִצְפַת בַּהַט-וָשֵׁשׁ--וְדַר וְסֹחָרֶת
|
|
|-
| וְהַשְׁקוֹת בִּכְלֵי זָהָב, וְכֵלִים מִכֵּלִים שׁוֹנִים; וְיֵין מַלְכוּת רָב כְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ
|
|
|-
| וְהַשְּׁתִיָּה כַדָּת, אֵין אֹנֵס: כִּי-כֵן יִסַּד הַמֶּלֶךְ, עַל כָּל-רַב בֵּיתוֹ--לַעֲשׂוֹת כִּרְצוֹן אִישׁ-וָאִישׁ
|
|
|-
|גַּם וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה, עָשְׂתָה מִשְׁתֵּה נָשִׁים--בֵּית, הַמַּלְכוּת, אֲשֶׁר, לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ.
|
|
|-
|בַּיּוֹם, הַשְּׁבִיעִי, כְּטוֹב לֵב-הַמֶּלֶךְ, בַּיָּיִן--אָמַר לִמְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָא חַרְבוֹנָא בִּגְתָא וַאֲבַגְתָא, זֵתַר וְכַרְכַּס, שִׁבְעַת הַסָּרִיסִים, הַמְשָׁרְתִים אֶת-פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ.
|
|
|-
| לְהָבִיא אֶת-וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה, לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ--בְּכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת: לְהַרְאוֹת הָעַמִּים וְהַשָּׂרִים אֶת-יָפְיָהּ, כִּי-טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה הִיא.
|
|
|-
| וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי, לָבוֹא בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֲשֶׁר, בְּיַד הַסָּרִיסִים; וַיִּקְצֹף הַמֶּלֶךְ מְאֹד, וַחֲמָתוֹ בָּעֲרָה בוֹ.
|
|
|-
|וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ, לַחֲכָמִים יֹדְעֵי הָעִתִּים: כִּי-כֵן, דְּבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, לִפְנֵי, כָּל-יֹדְעֵי דָּת וָדִין.
|
|
|-
| וְהַקָּרֹב אֵלָיו, כַּרְשְׁנָא שֵׁתָר אַדְמָתָא תַרְשִׁישׁ, מֶרֶס מַרְסְנָא, מְמוּכָן--שִׁבְעַת שָׂרֵי פָּרַס וּמָדַי, רֹאֵי פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, הַיֹּשְׁבִים רִאשֹׁנָה, בַּמַּלְכוּת.
|
|
|-
| כְּדָת, מַה-לַּעֲשׂוֹת, בַּמַּלְכָּה, וַשְׁתִּי--עַל אֲשֶׁר לֹא-עָשְׂתָה, אֶת-מַאֲמַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, בְּיַד, הַסָּרִיסִים.
|
|
|-
|וַיֹּאמֶר מומכן (מְמוּכָן), לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשָּׂרִים, לֹא עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ לְבַדּוֹ, עָוְתָה וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה: כִּי עַל-כָּל-הַשָּׂרִים, וְעַל-כָּל-הָעַמִּים, אֲשֶׁר, בְּכָל-מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ.
|
|
|-
| כִּי-יֵצֵא דְבַר-הַמַּלְכָּה עַל-כָּל-הַנָּשִׁים, לְהַבְזוֹת בַּעְלֵיהֶן בְּעֵינֵיהֶן: בְּאָמְרָם, הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אָמַר לְהָבִיא אֶת-וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה לְפָנָיו--וְלֹא-בָאָה.
|
|
|-
|וְהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה תֹּאמַרְנָה שָׂרוֹת פָּרַס-וּמָדַי, אֲשֶׁר שָׁמְעוּ אֶת-דְּבַר הַמַּלְכָּה, לְכֹל, שָׂרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ; וּכְדַי, בִּזָּיוֹן וָקָצֶף.
|
|
|-
| אִם-עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב, יֵצֵא דְבַר-מַלְכוּת מִלְּפָנָיו, וְיִכָּתֵב בְּדָתֵי פָרַס-וּמָדַי, וְלֹא יַעֲבוֹר: אֲשֶׁר לֹא-תָבוֹא וַשְׁתִּי, לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ, וּמַלְכוּתָהּ יִתֵּן הַמֶּלֶךְ, לִרְעוּתָהּ הַטּוֹבָה מִמֶּנָּה.
|
|
|-
| וְנִשְׁמַע פִּתְגָם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר-יַעֲשֶׂה בְּכָל-מַלְכוּתוֹ, כִּי רַבָּה הִיא; וְכָל-הַנָּשִׁים, יִתְּנוּ יְקָר לְבַעְלֵיהֶן--לְמִגָּדוֹל, וְעַד-קָטָן.
|
|
|-
| וַיִּיטַב, הַדָּבָר, בְּעֵינֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְהַשָּׂרִים; וַיַּעַשׂ הַמֶּלֶךְ, כִּדְבַר מְמוּכָן.
|
|
|-
| וַיִּשְׁלַח סְפָרִים, אֶל-כָּל-מְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ--אֶל-מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה כִּכְתָבָהּ, וְאֶל-עַם וָעָם כִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ: לִהְיוֹת כָּל-אִישׁ שֹׂרֵר בְּבֵיתוֹ, וּמְדַבֵּר כִּלְשׁוֹן עַמּוֹ
|
|
|}

== John 1 ==
See the [[Book of John]] for a synopsis of its history.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Verse<ref>[http://www.blueletterbible.org/tools/printerFriendly.cfm?b=Jhn&c=1&t=tr&x=8&y=9 Textus Receptus]</ref>
! Translation
! Discussion and notes
|-
| Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος
| In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
| It is curious, though not necessarily meaningful, how the Greek inverts the order of God and the "Word" at the end of this all-important sentence.
|}

== References ==

<references/>

== See also ==

* [[Bible translations]]
* [http://www.biblestudytools.net/ParallelBible/ Compare two translations]
* [http://bible.cc/ Compare many translations]
* [[Disputed Bible Translations]]
* [http://bible-translation.110mb.com/critique.htm#passages English Bible versions critiqued]
* [[Essay:Best New Conservative Terms]]
* [[Conservative Bible Project]]
[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Bible Versions|*]]
[[Category:Conservative Bible]]

Conservapedia Day

2010-01-02T13:51:16Z

AtheistsAreCute:

'''Conservapedia''' was inaugurated on November 21, 2006, so November 21 is '''Conservapedia Day''', when we celebrate the achievements of this project.

==Suggestions for ways of celebrating Conservapedia Day==
*Create a page making sweeping assertions about people whose politics you disagree with. How about "Liberal Murdering Scumbags"?
*an improvement competition, to start on November 21
*a [[poetry]] competition, subject Conservapedia
*announcement of the first [[Essay:Conservapedia Awards|Conservapedia Awards]]?
*have a virtual party
*mention the top three contributors to [[Wikiproject:News/Wanted_page#Contributions|News related wanted pages]] on the Main Page.
*mention the top three contributors to <nowiki>[[Wikiproject:News/Suggestions#Contributions|News suggestions]]</nowiki> on the Main Page.
*Announce new [[sysop]](s).
*a keynote article on the achievements of Conservapedia over its first two years.
*A statistical analysis of the first and the second years' growth, accomplishments, and major contributors.
*The top-scoring American History class student could be named and profiled on the Main Page
*an essay competition, open to the homeschool classes, on a topic to be suggested here. The winning entry to be 'front-paged'.

See also: [[Essay: Conservapedia - two years on]]

[[Category:Conservapedia]]

Harry Potter

2010-01-02T13:50:20Z

AtheistsAreCute: /* Popularizing the Occult? */

[[Image:67486ruy.jpg|right|thumb|British edition of '''Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'''.]]
The '''''Harry Potter''''' books are a hugely popular<ref> The author has sold 350 million books and counting, been translated into 65 languages and had her work made into highly successful movies. [http://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=3811481&page=1 ABC News] </ref> series of seven fantasy novels by [[J.K. Rowling]] about three students at a British boarding school for [[Witch|'witchcraft and wizardry']]: Harry, Ron and Hermione. The children grow from age 11 to 17 in the books, giving them appeal to a broad range of readers including children and teenagers, but also appealing to adults.
==Harry Potter==
'''Harry Potter''' is the [[protagonist]] and the plot of each book focuses on Harry's adolescence and fight against the [[antagonist]] wizard Lord Voldemort. The books combine elements of whimsy reminiscent of ''[[Alice in Wonderland]]'', the strange adult immaturity of ''[[Through the Looking Glass]]'', and the implacable good vs. evil fight of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

When Harry was a mere baby, his parents were murdered by the evil [[Voldemort]]. Harry didn't know that his parents were [[wizard (fiction)|wizard]]s until his 11th birthday; it came as a giant surprise. [[Hagrid]] took him to [[Diagon Alley]] for robes, books and wand; then on to [[Hogwarts]], a boarding school for wizards and witches. He had many adventures there learning [[magic]] and using it to fight the forces of the [[Voldemort|wizard]] who killed his [[parent]]s when he was an [[infant]]. Lord Voldemort seeks to become immortal by any means. Voldemort also leads forces of "Death Eaters" who follow Voldemort's ideology of a "pure-blood" (wizard who was born to wizard parents) society and persecute Muggles, non-magical folk. Along the way, Harry learns about life and [[death]] and grapples with questions of [[morality]] and [[friendship]].

The seven books in the series have been fabulously successful, selling 300 million copies, and ''[[Forbes]]'' estimates that they have made Rowling the first billion-dollar author in history.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/maserati/billionaires2004/cx_jw_0226rowlingbill04.html J. K. Rowling And The Billion-Dollar Empire].</ref> To date, five of them have been made into movies, the sixth to begin filming September 2007.

The ''Harry Potter'' series of books are sizable volumes. The 870 pages of ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'', even though printed in large type, contain 255,000 words—about twice as long as ''A Tale of Two Cities''. The "Lexile" measure of reading level puts the series between 880L and 950L,<ref>For comparison: ''Charlotte's Web'' 680L, ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' 890L, ''Moby Dick'' 1200L</ref> comparable to sixth-grade texts<ref>[http://www.lexile.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?view=fa&tabindex=4&tabid=22 The Lexile framework for reading].</ref>

== Popularizing the Occult? ==

Some [[Fundamentalists]] have attacked the books because, amazingly, they actually believe witches and demons are real. Most mainline Protestant and Catholic leaders have taken a more favorable position. For example, the official organization of American Catholic bishops (the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) has rated each film "A-II", --that is, suitable for adults and adolescents and was not found to be morally offensive.The episcopal conference even named the film adaptation of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" one of the ten best family films of 2004.

Dr. [[James Dobson]], head of the [[Focus on the Family]] organization, complains that:
:Magical characters — witches, wizards, ghosts, goblins, werewolves, poltergeists and so on — fill the Harry Potter stories, and given the trend toward witchcraft and New Age ideology in the larger culture, it's difficult to ignore the effects such stories (albeit imaginary) might have on young, impressionable minds.

Furthermore Fundamentalist critics have charged that the books have the potential of driving children away from Christian knowledge of good and evil toward the occult more than anything else in western society: "a generation of children is becoming desensitized to the occult. But with Hollywood's help, Harry Potter will likely surpass all these influences, potentially reaping some grave spiritual consequences"<ref>http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/harrypotter.html</ref>

Witchcraft is expressly forbidden by the Old Testament, but not by the New Testament.

Some Fundamentalists have praised the moral values of the books. For example, Scott Moore, philosophy professor at Baylor University, has found some remarkable Christian symbolism in the Potter series.

James L. Evans, pastor of Crosscreek Baptist Church, concludes, "Instead of condemning Harry, maybe we should learn courage from him to name as evil what apparently we are afraid to speak."<ref>Jim Evans, [http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=2737 "Harry Potter As Teacher Of Christian Values" ''EthicsDaily.com'' June 24, 2003]</ref>

Fundamentalists say the ''Harry Potter'' series is written in a way that embeds fantasy and wizardry into a real world setting. This could potentially lead to some children exploring witchcraft, Wicca, and paganism. Defenders note that Rowling's fantasy world does not "promote" witchcraft any more than it promotes going to centaurs for astrological readings, using three-headed dogs to guard your basement, or delivering mail to friends via pet owls.<ref>About.com: Agnosticism/Atheism - [http://atheism.about.com/od/harrypotter/i/witchcraft_2.htm Does Harry Potter Promote Wicca or Witchcraft? Is Harry Potter a Pagan Book?] (page 2)</ref>

The children's fantasy genre and slick storytelling style may make the danger more severe, say Fundamentalists: "This is a true representation of witchcraft, and the black arts, and black magic. And yet we have people that say this is merely fantasy and harmless reading for our children. Actually, what makes this more dangerous is that it is couched in fantasy language, and children's literature, and made to be humorous, and beautifully written and extremely provocative reading. and it just opens up children to want to have the next one. This is what is so harmful."<ref>http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/harrypotter.html</ref>

==Criticisms==

The ''Harry Potter'' series is written in a way that embeds fantasy and wizardry into a real world setting. This could potentially lead to some children potentially exploring witchcraft, Wicca, and paganism. Indeed, the Pagan Federation in Britain has received a flood of inquiries from young ''Harry Potter'' fans.<ref>About.com: Agnosticism/Atheism - [http://atheism.about.com/od/harrypotter/i/witchcraft_2.htm Does Harry Potter Promote Wicca or Witchcraft? Is Harry Potter a Pagan Book?] (page 2)</ref>

Some expect children's literature to present characters that are role models and teach simple truths that will help children grow and know the difference between right and wrong. However, the world of ''Harry Potter'' is one in which adult authority figures are complex, imperfect, and occasionally ludicrous. Some teachers in the series are boring, or outright incompetent, while others are supportive and protective (like [[Dumbledore]] and [[Lupin]]). In the first book Harry disobeys the teachers and is successful and later praised, a questionable message for younger minds.

The books also present witches and wizards as being both normal people and abundant. This deceit causes children to likewise accept magic and witchcraft as normal, and they identify with the children in the books, again furthering their acceptance and witchcraft. The reality about magic - that witches are evil and, thankfully, not common - is not presented.

==Literary Criticisms==
{{spoiler}}

Throughout the series a constant theme is the almost criminal incompetence of the Ministry of Magic. We are told at various stages throughout the book that some of Voldemorts followers managed to escape justice by lying to the courts that they were controlled by the Imperius curse. However, in book four it is revealed that there is a potion which forces the victim to tell the truth. Why, therefore, didn't the Ministry use this potion on the defendants to find out if they were really controlled or not? This would have led to their imprisonment, preventing them from assisting Voldemort to return to full strength. The use of this potion would also have allowed the Ministry to find out about Peter Pettigrew's betrayal, perhaps leading to his arrest and preventing him from assisting Voldemort to regain his strength (Pettigrew was the man who found Voldemort and nursed him back to a state of health from which it was possible for him to prepare for his rise to power). It is possible that J K Rowling had not thought of this potion at the start of the series, causing her to introduce a near Deus-Ex-Machina miracle on behalf of the evil side.

==Notable Ban Attempts==

On the week of April 10, 2006, Georgia mother of four Laura Mallory filed an appeal with the Gwinnett Board of Education in an attempt to remove the ''Harry Potter'' series from Gwinnett schools. Ms. Mallory (who has only read excerpts of the books) stated on the appeal form that she wished the books removed due to their "evil themes, witchcraft, demonic activity, murder, evil blood sacrifice, spells and teaching children all of this."<ref>[http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=32&url_subchannel_id=&url_article_id=14074&change_well_id=2]</ref> The local board of education denied the request, as they felt the banning of ''Harry Potter'' would necessitate the banning of all books with reference to witches, including plays like ''[[Macbeth]]'' and even stories like [[Cinderella]].<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15127464/ Georgia mom seeks ban on Harry Potter]</ref> Ms. Mallory has since appealed the ruling twice to no avail.<ref>[http://www.wtvm.com/Global/story.asp?S=5022462&nav=8fap]</ref> <ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16204853/from/]</ref> <ref>[http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/011807dnentpotterprotest.a89cec.html]</ref>

Similar concerns have been voiced by Christian cartoonist [[Jack Chick]], pastor and author [[Dave Hunt]], the British group [[Christian Voice]] and various others. None of these has resulted in any form of legal action.

==Series titles==
*''[[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone]]'' (original title as published in England and all other English-speaking countries other than U.S.A: ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'')
*''[[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets]]''
*''[[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban]]''
*''[[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]''
*''[[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix]]''
*''[[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince]]''
*''[[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows]]''

Also, three companion books have been made to go along with the series: ''The Tale of the Beedle the Bard'', ''Quidditch Through the Ages'', and ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them''. ''Quidditch Through the Ages'' and ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' are both written under pen names, but all three are written by J.K. Rowling. <ref>www.jkrowling.org</ref>
==Further reading==
* Brown, Nancy Carpentier. ''The Mystery of Harry Potter: A Catholic Family Guide'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Mystery-Harry-Potter-Catholic-Family/dp/1592763987/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254259810&sr=1-4 excerpt and text search]
* Cherrett, Lisa. "Harry Potter and the Bible" (2003) [http://www.harrypotterforseekers.com/articles/hpandthebible.php online version]
* Cockrell, Amanda. "Harry Potter and the Witch Hunters: a Social Context for the Attacks on 'Harry Potter'", ''Journal of American Culture'' 2006 29(1): 24-30, in [[EBSCO]]

* Granger, John. ''Looking for God in Harry Potter'' (2006) [http://www.amazon.com/How-Harry-Cast-His-Spell/dp/1414321880/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254259810&sr=1-3 excerpt and text search, 2nd edition under ''How Harry Cast His Spell'']

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Harry Potter Universe]]
[[Category:Novels]]
[[Category:Ghost Stories]]
[[category:Witchcraft]]

Same-sex marriage

2010-01-02T13:48:57Z

AtheistsAreCute:

'''Same-sex "marriage"''' is a proposed redefinition or variation on the traditional concept of [[marriage]], granting [[same-sex union]]s the same legal status as heterosexual marriage. Like [[polygamy]], it replaces the pattern of "one man, one woman" which is considered a divine mandate by most modern religious people. The proposal is outrageously unacceptable to most adherents of Christianity, Judaism and Islam because it uses the force of law to justify what scripture has clearly labeled a sin: i.e., [[homosexual]] relations. Allowing adults to live their own lives free of government interference is clearly unacceptable when it violates our religious beliefs. [[Hate speech]] rules and laws are already in place which restrict criticism of same-sex unions (see also [[hate crime]]).

Campaigns advocating it are at the forefront of the [[gay rights movement]]'s attempt to normalize the rights of homosexuals with those of heterosexuals, overturning centuries of established tradition whereby homosexuals were required to keep their blasphemous acts hidden, protecting society from their immorality. Some opponents of efforts to normalize same-sex marriage claim its purpose is to destroy the [[family]] as an institution, merely to secure a legal basis for [[sexual freedom]]. According to some opponents of same-sex marriage, the primary purpose of marriage is to bring joy to society as much as to safeguard the development of happy families, and it is not for individual glory. They believe that unrelated people living together make each other miserable and harm society. Among the many reasons homosexuals might advocate same-sex marriage are the ability to make emergent healthcare decisions for a loved one in the absence of a durable power of attorney or living will, the alteration of the laws of intestate succession to include gay partners, and equal tax treatment as heterosexual married couples.

United States law defines "marriage" as "one man, one woman" for purposes of the federal [[Defense of Marriage Act]], which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex relationships as marriages for any purpose, even if permitted under state law, and permits a state to disregard a same-sex marriage entered into in another state. An interesting consequence of the federal definition of "marriage" is that it specifically rules out [[polygamy]]. 

__TOC__
==Morality==
Social conservatives regard same-sex marriage as immoral, and argue that use of the word "[[marriage]]" is a misnomer, because the [[Form of Solemnization of Matrimony|marriage services]] of Christian denominations define marriage as the union of a man and a woman,Some social liberals will try to use this debate as a excuse to take the socially conservative view of marriage out of the law. In some Christian marriage ceremonies,the wedding will begin with a statement along the lines of: "Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony." <ref>''The Book of Common Prayer,'' Episcopal Church, The Church Hymnal Corporation and the Seabury Press, 1979: "The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage," p. 423</ref> a definition which was also written into United States federal law in 1996.<ref>[http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode01/usc_sec_01_00000007----000-.html US Code - Title 1, section 7]</ref>

Dr. [[James Dobson]]'s [[Focus on the Family]] organization prefers the phrase ''same-sex 'marriage,''' with quotation marks around the word ''marriage,'' to call attention to his belief that marriage—civil as well as religious—is intrinsically a union between a man and a woman, and that he therefore believes that same-sex unions are "counterfeits."<ref>[http://www.family.org/socialissues/A000000464.cfm Same-Sex 'Marriage' and Civil Unions], ''Focus on the Family's'' website</ref>

Use of the term "same-sex marriage" was unheard of a few decades ago; however, these unions are now among a number of issues advocated by [[liberal]] activists.

Some advocates of same-sex marriage view marriage as a purely civil matter, which in the history of the United States is a position taken particularly strongly by Puritan colonists, who viewed the interjection of religion into the franchise of marriage as scandalous to Christ's Church.

== Background ==
In the United States, marriage is primarily governed by each individual state and marriage laws differ from state to state. Several states allow [[civil union]]s between two people of the same sex, and five, [[Massachusetts]], [[Connecticut]], [[Vermont]], [[New Hampshire]], and [[Iowa]], currently issue same-sex marriage licenses. These marriage licenses are not recognized by the Federal government.

In 1996 Congress recognized the likelihood that [[liberal]] activists would soon seek changes to the laws in some states that pertain to homosexuals. It considered the possibility of test cases reaching the Supreme Court, and of the court conceivably ruling that a state—even though it prohibits same-sex marriage itself—must honor same-sex marriages performed in another state pursuant to the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the United States Constitution. The Defense of Marriage act, which was passed and signed by President Clinton, prevents this possibility, and also prevents the Federal Government from recognizing marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman. Its Constitutionality has not yet been tested under the Full Faith and Credit Clause, the Equal Protection Clause of the 5th Amendment, or the Due Process Clause of the 5th Amendment.

In 1999 a Vermont court ruled that under its constitution, it was not required to allow same-sex marriage but was required to make provisions to grant same-sex couples legal rights identical to those provided by marriage. Vermont responded by creating "civil unions," which are legally distinct from marriages but convey the same rights. In 2009, the Vermont legislature overrode the governor's veto to pass a bill allowing same-sex marriage.

In 2003 the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that under Massachusetts' constitution, same-sex couples could not be denied Massachusetts marriage licenses, making Massachusetts the first state to issue same-sex marriage licenses. As of April 2009, same-sex marriage was legal in four states, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and Iowa. <ref>''Vermont Legislature Makes Same-Sex Marriage Legal'' [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/us/08vermont.html?_r=1&hp]</ref><ref>[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081010/ap_on_re_us/connecticut_same_sex_marriage Conn. high court rules gay couples can marry]</ref>

Beginning in 2008, the states of [[Washington]], and [[Oregon]] also provide for same-sex unions. [[Hawaii]] provides certain benefits to same sex couples. <ref>[http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--civilunions-optio0531may31,0,341613.story?coll=ny-region-apconnecticut Newsday]</ref> The State of New Hampshire issued civil unions until the summer of 2009, when it passed a bill approving same-sex marriage <ref>"New Hampshire Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage" [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/us/04marriage.html]</ref> The state will begin issuing same-sex marriage licenses in January, 2010.

In the fall of 2009, a same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the [[D.C.|Washington, DC]] city council by At-Large Council Member David Catania (who is openly gay.) After two days of testimony involving nearly 250 witnesses <ref>''D.C. Council hears from both sides in gay marriage debate'' [http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/local/D_C_-Council-hears-from-both-sides-in-gay-marriage-debate-8442433-66188647.html]</ref>, the council voted to approve the bill, 11-2. If signed by the Mayor, which he has pledged to do, the bill will then go to Congress for a mandatory [[DC Home Rule|30-day review period]]. While opponents of the bill have vowed to fight it in Congress<ref>"DC Council Approves Same-Sex Marriage" [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/15/AR2009121500945.html]</ref> it is expected to pass, and will become law in 2010.

Same-sex marriages were legal for a brief period in the state of [[California]], but the people of that state voted to repeal the law in the fall of 2008<ref>"California Votes for Prop 8"[http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122586056759900673.html]</ref>, through a ballot initiative known as [[Proposition 8]]. The legislature of [[Maine]] approved a same-sex marriage bill in May of 2009 <ref>"Lawmakers approve same-sex marriage in N.H., Maine" [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/06/maine.same.sex.marriage/index.html]</ref> but opponents lobbied to have the bill put up to a popular vote, and it was defeated by the voters in the fall of 2009.<ref>"Maine rejects same-sex marriage law" [http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/11/04/maine.same.sex/index.html]</ref>

Same-sex marriage is legal in seven countries: [[South Africa]], [[Spain]], [[Canada]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]]. Other countries, such as [[France]], [[Germany]], and the [[United Kingdom]], recognize [[civil unions]] and [[domestic partnership]]s.<ref>[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/05/content_311998.htm Countries worldwide address gay marriage]</ref>

Some opponents of same-sex marriage believe that the religious ceremony of marriage is governed by each denomination and is unaffected by laws passed by civil authority. Same-sex marriage is forbidden in Orthodox Judaism, Catholicism, and most mainstream Protestant denominations. In Massachusetts, however, about 6% of all marriages are same-sex marriages, so this does not appear to be a problem. <ref>[http://www.massequality.org/news/news_story.php?id=273]</ref><ref>http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fnchs%2Fdata%2Fnvss%2Fmarriage90_04.pdf&images=yes</ref>

Public attitude toward same-sex marriage parallels attitude toward homosexuality. In general, it is opposed by social conservatives and outside of this group, support is split down the middle leaning to opposition.<ref>[http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/Relationships/same_sex_marriage_poll_040121.html Same Sex Marriage Poll from ABC News]</ref>

== Issues ==
[[Image:Cycle.gif|thumbnail|200px|right|A recent study by the [[Canada|Canadian]] government states that "violence was twice as common among homosexual couples compared with [[heterosexual]] couples".<ref>http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/85-570-XIE/2006001/findings/risk.htm Aforementioned Canadian Study.</ref>]]
[[James Dobson]] cites Stanley Kurtz to argue that the motivation of those advocating same-sex marriage is not to secure the benefits of marriage for gay couples, but to destroy the institution of marriage itself:
:...most gays and lesbians do not want to marry each other. That would entangle them in all sorts of legal constraints. Who needs a lifetime commitment to one person? The intention here is to destroy marriage altogether. With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, etc.,) without limiting the number of partners or their gender. Nor would "couples" be bound to each other in the eyes of the law. This is clearly where the movement is headed.<ref>Stanley Kurtz, "Beyond Marriage," The Weekly Standard, August 4/August 11, 2003. - cited in [http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000771.cfm Marriage on the Ropes], Dr. James Dobson, retrieved from ''Focus on the Family'', 15 May 2007. </ref>

According to a March, 2007 report, there are 65,000 adopted children in the U.S. being raised by same-sex couples. The same report says 14,100 foster children were being raised by one or more gay or lesbian foster parents.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/25/gay.adoption/index.html Gay adoption: A new take on the American family]</ref>

In Great Britain, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has expressed its full support to the stand taken by the Catholic Church opposing regulations on gay adoption. The Catholic Church sought to be exempt from the new law. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams of the Church of England, supports the Catholic Church's efforts declaring that the rights of conscience cannot be subject to laws. Catholic leaders have already said that its teachings prevent its agencies placing children with homosexuals and they will have to close if bound by the rules. The MCB, the UK's leading Muslim umbrella group embracing over 400 affiliated organizations, said that while it supported anti-discrimination laws, homosexuality is forbidden in Islam. <ref>[http://www2.irna.com/en/news/view/menu-234/0701266670200554.htm UK Muslim group backs Christian opposition to gay adoption rules London], Islamic republic News Agency, Jan 26, 2007.</ref>

Studies indicate that homosexual couples have higher rates of promiscuity than heterosexual couples.<ref>[http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS04C02 Comparing the Lifestyles of Homosexual Couples to Married Couples]</ref> Allowing gays to marry would make gays seek more partners.<ref>2004 General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, Canada's National Statistical Agency, July 7, 2005</ref> In addition, studies report that [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|homosexual couples have significantly higher incidences of violent behavior]].{{fact}} These studies are not surprising given what pathologists have stated regarding the [[Homosexuality and Murders|commonness and brutality of homosexual murders]].{{fact}} The prevalence of violence and emotional abuse in gay domestic partnerships.  One survey found 53% of gays felt if the high incidence of violence against partners in homosexual relationships was known and understood by the heterosexual population, it would hinder the drive for gay rights.

Domestic abuse is divided into two categories, emotional abuse and physical abuse. While gay domestic abuse has not been studied to the extent that heterosexual relationships have, [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence|preliminary studies indicate a much higher level of abuse]].

==See also==
*[[Anti-Defamation League]]
*[[Intimate Partner Violence]]
*[[Homosexuality and the Bible]]
*[[Homosexuality and biblical interpretation]]

==Reference==
{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.nogaymarriage.com/tenarguments.asp Gay Marriage: Why Would It Affect Me? Ten Arguments Against Same Sex Marriage], NoGayMarriage.com
*[http://www.robgagnon.net/homoPresbyTodayArticle.htm Why “Gay Marriage” Is Wrong, by Robert A. J. Gagnon, Ph.D.]
[[Category:Homosexual Agenda]]

Abortionist

2010-01-02T13:47:37Z

AtheistsAreCute:

An '''abortionist''' is one who performs [[abortion|abortions]]. Controversy has surrounded the dual role physicians who profit from performing abortions (or referring cases), as they are professionally bound to present all options from a neutral persepective, though in reality it is argued that this rarely occurs and undue pressure is placed on women to have an abortion. Doctors are just evil, and we can't for a second imagine they are reasonable human beings. <ref>[http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/ethical_guidance/personal_beliefs/personal_beliefs.asp GMC guidance on Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice]</ref><ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/y7313825508j1262/ Physicians values and physician-value neutrality ''Journal of Religion and Health'']</ref>

==See Also==
*[[Abortion]]
*[[George Tiller]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[category:medicine]]
[[Category:abortion]]

Kent Hovind

2010-01-02T13:46:03Z

AtheistsAreCute: /* Controversy */

[[File:KentHovind.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Kent Hovind giving a presentation]]
'''Dr. Kent Hovind''' (born 1953), called "Dr. Dino" because his expertise is in dinosaurs, is a prominent and controversial [[Young Earth Creationism|young Earth creationist]].
He founded [[Creation Science Evangelism Ministry]] in 1989<ref>http://www.drdino.com/</ref> and has a doctoral degree in Christian education from [[Patriot University]]. He is currently in jail for tax evasion, scheduled to be released in 2015. This is terribly sad.

In 2001, Hovind opened a theme park in Pensacola, Florida called [[Dinosaur Adventure Land]], filled with exhibits explaining God's Creation.

== Controversy ==

A critic of Hovind questions the quality of his doctoral thesis and the academic standards of the university from which he received it, believing both to be subpar for institutions of higher learning.<ref>[http://chem.tufts.edu/science/Stear-NoAiG/no-AiG/bartelt_dissertation_on_hovind_thesis.htm Karen Bartelt, Ph.D. "The Dissertation Kent Hovind Doesn't Want You To Read."]</ref>

Hovind has been criticized by fellow Young Earth Creationists for supposedly using arguments that are unsound both Biblically and scientifically.<ref>Wieland, Carl, Ham, Ken, and Sarfati, Jonathan, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2571/ Maintaining Creationist Integrity] October 2002</ref>

He is currently serving a ten-year term in U.S. federal prison for 58 tax offenses, obstructing federal agents and related charges.<ref>''"10 years for 'Dr. Dino'"'', Michael Stewart. Pensacola News Journal, 19 January 19, 2007</ref>
Hovind has maintained that, as provided in U.S. law, there should have been no taxes because he runs a religious organization. Oddly this claim isn't been accepted by anyone who actually knows anything about tax law.

Hovind, with his son Eric Hovind, had released a set of videos titled "Answering the Critics" whereby they answered some common criticisms of themselves, usually from Internet sources. Hovind claimed he did not want to answer all the critics because he believed many critics criticize him without wanting to get any answers from him, so it was best to ignore them and continue preaching to those who really want to listen.<ref>Answering the Critics #1</ref>

== $250,000 Offer ==

Hovind is well known for his standing US$250,000 offer to anyone who can "prove evolution".<ref>http://www.drdino.com/articles.php?spec=67</ref>
The offer has gone unclaimed.
Contributors at [[Talk.origins|TalkOrigins]], a pro-evolution web-site, have pointed out that Hovind's challenge includes not just biological evolution but also [[abiogenesis]], [[cosmology]] and other things, and have claimed that the challenge is worded in a way that makes it impossible to fulfill since it requires proving the negative statement that "evolution" is the only possible explanation for the existence of life.<ref>Isaak, Mark, (Ed.) [http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA341.html Claim CA341], 2006</ref>

== External link ==
*[http://www.archive.org/details/KentHovind_Part1_HowOldIsTheEarth How Old Is The Earth?]

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hovind, Kent}}

[[Category:Young Earth Creationists]]

Kent Hovind

2010-01-02T13:45:08Z

AtheistsAreCute:

[[File:KentHovind.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Kent Hovind giving a presentation]]
'''Dr. Kent Hovind''' (born 1953), called "Dr. Dino" because his expertise is in dinosaurs, is a prominent and controversial [[Young Earth Creationism|young Earth creationist]].
He founded [[Creation Science Evangelism Ministry]] in 1989<ref>http://www.drdino.com/</ref> and has a doctoral degree in Christian education from [[Patriot University]]. He is currently in jail for tax evasion, scheduled to be released in 2015. This is terribly sad.

In 2001, Hovind opened a theme park in Pensacola, Florida called [[Dinosaur Adventure Land]], filled with exhibits explaining God's Creation.

== Controversy ==

A critic of Hovind questions the quality of his doctoral thesis and the academic standards of the university from which he received it, believing both to be subpar for institutions of higher learning.<ref>[http://chem.tufts.edu/science/Stear-NoAiG/no-AiG/bartelt_dissertation_on_hovind_thesis.htm Karen Bartelt, Ph.D. "The Dissertation Kent Hovind Doesn't Want You To Read."]</ref>

Hovind has been criticized by fellow Young Earth Creationists for supposedly using arguments that are unsound both Biblically and scientifically.<ref>Wieland, Carl, Ham, Ken, and Sarfati, Jonathan, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2571/ Maintaining Creationist Integrity] October 2002</ref>

He is currently serving a ten-year term in U.S. federal prison for 58 tax offenses, obstructing federal agents and related charges.<ref>''"10 years for 'Dr. Dino'"'', Michael Stewart. Pensacola News Journal, 19 January 19, 2007</ref>
Hovind has maintained that, as provided in U.S. law, there should have been no taxes because he runs a religious organization.

Hovind, with his son Eric Hovind, had released a set of videos titled "Answering the Critics" whereby they answered some common criticisms of themselves, usually from Internet sources. Hovind claimed he did not want to answer all the critics because he believed many critics criticize him without wanting to get any answers from him, so it was best to ignore them and continue preaching to those who really want to listen.<ref>Answering the Critics #1</ref>

== $250,000 Offer ==

Hovind is well known for his standing US$250,000 offer to anyone who can "prove evolution".<ref>http://www.drdino.com/articles.php?spec=67</ref>
The offer has gone unclaimed.
Contributors at [[Talk.origins|TalkOrigins]], a pro-evolution web-site, have pointed out that Hovind's challenge includes not just biological evolution but also [[abiogenesis]], [[cosmology]] and other things, and have claimed that the challenge is worded in a way that makes it impossible to fulfill since it requires proving the negative statement that "evolution" is the only possible explanation for the existence of life.<ref>Isaak, Mark, (Ed.) [http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA341.html Claim CA341], 2006</ref>

== External link ==
*[http://www.archive.org/details/KentHovind_Part1_HowOldIsTheEarth How Old Is The Earth?]

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hovind, Kent}}

[[Category:Young Earth Creationists]]

Methodological naturalism

2010-01-02T13:39:14Z

AtheistsAreCute: /* Critique */

'''Methodological naturalism''' is a strategy <ref>Roger Pennock declared that "science is not based upon a dogmatic [[ontological]] or [[metaphysical]] [[naturalism]], but rather makes use of naturalism only in a heuristic, [[methodological]] manner." [http://www.msu.edu/~pennock5/research/papers/Pennock_SupNatExpl.html] </ref>
for studying the world, by which scientists choose not to consider [[supernatural]] causes - even as a remote possibility.

The first methodological naturalist is sometimes considered to have been [[Thales]]<ref>http://www.naturalism.org/history.htm</ref>, who explained earthquakes (which were traditionally attributed to the anger of the god [[Poseidon]]) with an early theory of [[Plate tectonics|plate tectonics]]
<ref>Padamsee, Hasan. Unifying the Universe: the Physics of Heaven and Earth. CRC Press, 2003. Page 15.</ref>.

According to [[Christian]] [[Philosophy|philosopher]] [[Alvin Plantinga]], "The philosophical doctrine of methodological naturalism holds that, for any study of the world to qualify as "scientific," it cannot refer to God's creative activity (or any sort of divine activity)." <ref>http://www.arn.org/docs/odesign/od181/methnat181.htm</ref>
The possibility of divine intervention in nature is not only neglected, but positively dismissed. <ref>"The methods of science, it is claimed, "give us no purchase" on theological propositions--even if the latter are true--and theology therefore cannot influence scientific explanation or theory justification.'' [http://www.arn.org/docs/odesign/od181/methnat181.htm Alvin Plantinga], Department of Philosophy, Decio Hall, University of Notre Dame </ref>

==Critique==

This kind of approach is the result of application of the [[epistemology]] of either of the [[empirical]] philosophies of [[pragmatism]] or [[logical positivism]], and (because it is a [[methodology]] developed without first establishing the [[ontological]] principles of the world) is unfounded.

This is the reason that [[Presuppositionalist Metaphysics|presuppositionalists]] do not subscribe to methodological naturalism, relying on the [[intelligent design]] Programme instead. Presuppositionalists also contend that methodological naturalism is inherently [[atheistic]], since it would be a meaningless exercise to define the rules of empirical inquiry in an entirely arbitrary manner. Since we define the rules of empirical inquiry in such a way that the ontological systematicness of the world is reflected in the method, the methodological naturalist's claim that methodological naturalism is independent of ontological naturalism is [[deceit|disingenuous]].

A complete list of the scientific breakthroughs that have been obtained without methodological naturalism follows.

==Defense==
Defenders of methodological naturalism point out that it in no way requires or implies [[naturalism|philosophical naturalism]].

== External Links ==
*[http://www.arn.org/docs/odesign/od181/methnat181.htm Methodological Naturalism?] by [[Alvin Plantinga]]
*[http://www.arn.org/docs/odesign/od182/methnat182.htm Methodological Naturalism? Part 2] by [[Alvin Plantinga]]
*[http://www.asa3.org/ASA/topics/Philosophy/PSCF9-97Plantinga.html Methodological Naturalism?] by [[Alvin Plantinga]] - From Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 49 (September 1997): 143-154.
*[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1315 The Rules of the Game] by [[Carl Wieland]]

==Notes==

<references/>
[[category:philosophy]]

World History Lecture Fourteen

2010-01-02T13:36:14Z

AtheistsAreCute: /* Human Rights */

World History Lecture One

2010-01-02T13:34:25Z

AtheistsAreCute: /* Introduction to Ancient History */

[[World History Lecture One|1]]-[[World History Lecture Two|2]]-[[World History Lecture Three|3]]-[[World History Lecture Four|4]]-[[World History Lecture Five|5]]-[[World History Lecture Six|6]]-[[World History Lecture Seven|7]]-[[World History Lecture Eight|8]]-[[World History Lecture Nine|9]]-[[World History Lecture Ten|10]]-[[World History Lecture Eleven|11]]-[[World History Lecture Twelve|12]]-[[World History Lecture Thirteen|13]]-[[World History Lecture Fourteen|14]]

"World history" is the true story of thought, ideas, culture, language, wars, governments, and economic systems throughout ''all'' of mankind's history. This includes billions of people over thousands of years. Every source is available to us, from the Bible to ancient and modern historians. Everything mankind has ever written, invented, observed, conquered and destroyed is part of "World history." For example, we will study how Carthage was built into a power, and how it was then forever destroyed by its enemies from Rome.

Our course will place a special emphasis on aspects of World history that continue to be influential today, such as world religions and cultural conflicts; we will link what happened in ancient times to what is happening today. We are the product of our past. You can think about whether that is a good thing, or a bad thing. Perhaps the answer depends on what we make of it. We will make use of the Bible, which is greatest history book ever written.

American history covers only about 400 years; World history concerns over 5000 years, going back to the first evidence of recorded events. Our class covers much of the material in a course on Western Civilization or European history, but we cover more too. We will learn about Islam and Hinduism and all the forces that continue to shape our world to this day. One cannot fully understand 9/11, violence in the Middle East, or hostility between India and Pakistan without learning World history.

We will consider how mankind progressed in understanding the unseen, such as truth and gravity and God. In mathematics, mankind progressed from the discovery of geometry ([[Greeks]]) to the concept of "zero" (Indians) to calculus (English). In economics, mankind progressed from wage and price controls (Romans) to the "invisible hand" of the free market (Scottish), which then unleashed tremendous prosperity. World history spans from pre-Christian to Christian. What are we progressing towards now? We will learn to use history to predict the future.

Do not be misled by thinking that ancient peoples were dumb or boring because they lacked the technology of modern society. The Egyptians, for example, cleverly built the massive pyramids using techniques that no one to this day can figure out or duplicate. In 2600 B.C., they constructed the pyramid of Khufu containing 6 million tons of stone extending to a height of 481 feet. The workmanship was superior to anything we do today: the rock base was virtually flat, not varying in elevation by more than a half-inch; its orientation is precisely aligned with the points of a compass; its stones were perfect fits. Inside was a chapel, a causeway, and a temple. It amazes architects to this day. We would not be able to duplicate it, and no one knows how the Egyptians were able to build these intricate structures 4600 years ago. Many other cultures, from Mesopotamia to Greece to Rome to India to China, invented things and discovered knowledge that no one today is smart enough to duplicate. Can you build a useful wheel, or make paper?

A word about terminology: "B.C" means "Before (the birth of) Christ" and "A.D." means ''Anno Domini'' (Latin for "in the year of our Lord") or simply "After (the birth of) Christ." The "1st century B.C." means the 1st century before Christ, counting backwards, which are the years 100-1 B.C. The "6th century B.C." is thus 600-501 B.C. The 20th century (A.D.) included the years A.D. 1901-2000. Because A.D. means "in the year of our Lord," the truly proper form is to put the date after the A.D., as in A.D. 2006. Dates are based on the birth of Christ, and it is wrong to erase Christ from the annotation, as school textbooks do with "BCE" for "Before the Common Era" and "CE" for "Common Era." To convert from a public school textbook, remember that BCE = B.C. and CE = A.D.

World history divides into four sections: Ancient History (Creation-A.D. 500), the Middle Ages (A.D. 500-1500), the Pre-Modern Era (A.D. 1500-1900), and the Modern Era (A.D. 1900-Current). The Renaissance (A.D. 1300-1600), including the Reformation, overlaps with the Middle Ages and Pre-Modern Era. Note that dates are not precise in this course: the further back in time we go, the less we know about the actual dates of key events. For events before 1000 B.C., historians barely know a date within a few hundred years of its actual occurrence!

Let us begin.

==Introduction to Ancient History==

Ancient history is everything before about A.D. 500 or 600, when every major religion except Islam was established. Ancient history created civilization and achieved many of the greatest intellectual breakthroughs of all time. Literature, drama, mathematics, philosophy, language, etc., were all created and developed during ancient history, which is why this time period is emphasized so much in education.
[[Image:Cuneiform images.jpg|right]]
When did mankind first begin? There is no reliable evidence of man existing before 3500 B.C. The oldest writing was a pictographic tablet called a "cuneiform" (pronounced kyu-NEE-uh-form) dated to perhaps 3400 B.C. from Sumer (SOO-mur) in Southern Mesopotamia (where Iraq is today). Cuneiform looks like chicken-scratches featuring wedge-like or arrow-shaped characters. Although cuneiform was a primitive writing style, it continued in use until shortly before the birth of Christ. Originally pictographs (e.g., to write "foot", you would draw a foot), cuneiform expanded to 600 stick-based symbols or figures, with each one developing multiple meanings (e.g., the symbol for "foot" also developed the meanings of "to go" or "to stand," depending on the context).<ref>http://i-cias.com/e.o/cuneiform.htm</ref> For those who "text message" on cell phones, notice how each key has multiple possible letters and how the phone resolves the ambiguity and forms words depending on how the letters fit together to form a word. Cuneiform had only 600 symbols, but their multiple meanings were resolved by seeing how they fit together to form sentences. Notice that cuneiform was not an alphabet or western-style script; the oldest script-based language is from the Indo-Aryan language, and an example dating back to 1550 B.C. was found in the Sinai.

Historians feel that spoken language originated in southeastern Europe near the Black Sea, not far from the Ararat mountain range cited in the Bible in connection with Noah. Using population estimates, we know that about 300 million people existed in the world at the time of Christ, and extrapolating backwards yields only one family in the year 3300 B.C. The oldest trees do not predate this time; the oldest sequoias, which never die of old age, but which, of course, do succumb to diseases, forest fires, and animal damage, are no older than 2000 B.C.

No "civilization" has been found that is older than about 3000 B.C. By "civilization" we mean an order and hierarchy in the way of life. Some type of political system or government is usually necessary to have a civilization. A structure similar to a city or town is necessary to bring together people, jobs, buildings or religious centers. Usually there are different classes of people, such as rich and poor. Some historians say there must be an agricultural surplus also: enough food to feed the people so that some workers could spend time in jobs other than farming. In a nutshell, a civilization must have cities, skilled (non-farming) workers, social and government institutions, writing to maintain records such as property ownership, and advanced technology. Memorize the oldest dates for the ancient civilizations:
<table border="1px" style="background-color:#F6F6F6;">
<tr><td>'''Name'''</td><td>'''Time of existence'''</td></tr><tr><td>
[[Mesopotamia]] (Mes-uh-puh-tay-mee-uh)</td><td>3500 – 500 B.C., when conquered by Persia</tr><tr><td>
Egypt</td><td> 3100 – 525 B.C., when conquered by the Hyksos (HIK-sohs)</td></tr><tr><td>
Indus (IN-dus) Valley:</td><td>beginning in 2900 B.C.</td></tr><tr><td>
China:</td><td>beginning in 2200 B.C.</td></tr><tr><td>
Mexican Olmec (AWL-mek):</td><td> 1200 – 300 B.C., the earliest known American civilization</td></tr><tr><td>
Peru (South America):</td><td> 900 B.C.</td></tr></table>

History books speculate about "prehistory", which predates writing (i.e., before 3400 B.C.). But there is no reliable evidence to support this speculation, and it is not worth spending time on. There is no reason to think that man existed for thousands of years without ever expressing himself in written form, except a plethora of archaeological evidence I will ignore because it does not fit my preconceived ideas. But in case you are asked on a standardized test, historians describe the period of time known as "prehistory" as the "Stone Age." They divide the Stone Age into two time periods: "Paleolithic" and "Neolithic". The Paleolithic Age is older, when man relied mostly on hunting and picking nuts and fruit to supplement his diet. The Paleolithic Age was followed by the Neolithic Age, which consisted of the rise of agriculture. The "Neolithic Revolution" means the "Agricultural Revolution," when farming became dominant. The dates of these ages are controversial, and historians have a bias for giving them older dates than archaeology actually proves.

After the Stone Age came the Bronze Age, beginning in 3500 B.C., when copper and/or bronze tools were used. That was followed by the Iron Age, which began in Turkey around 2200 B.C. and later spread to other regions. As its name suggests, people during this period used iron for tools.

Ancient civilizations are often called "classical civilizations," particularly when they produced great intellectual advances as Ancient Greece did. For example, "Classical Indian Civilization" refers to Ancient India, which lasted from 300 B.C. to A.D. 500.

Two of the oldest towns are the biblical town of Jericho, located in Palestine (on the "West Bank" of the Jordan River, between Israel and Jordan today), and Catal Huyuk, located in modern-day Turkey. Jericho was famous for its high city walls to protect against attack.
[[Image:Ancient lands.JPG|right]]
The ancient world was the source of the most basic aspects of life that we still use today, such as the seven-day week and marriage. The Bible remains the best written explanation for these and many other aspects of the ancient world. Note that all four civilizations discussed in this lecture arose in or near what we now call the "Middle East."

==Mesopotamia==

So where did civilization begin? In a region known as Mesopotamia, which is Greek for "land between the rivers." The "rivers" are the Tigris and Euphrates, located in Western Asia. Where, exactly? Civilization began in fertile areas of Iraq northeast of the desert, known as part of the "Fertile Crescent." It extends along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (including modern Israel, Lebanon and Syria) and through the fertile valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that run southeast into the Persian Gulf (see the next page for the map). These rivers deposited silt in the surrounding land, creating rich alluvial soil. Today the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are not far from the location of our soldiers in Iraq. But our soldiers are mostly pictured in dry, sandy areas, while the ancient people would have stayed close to the water. Moreover, ancient floods have probably changed the landscape over time.

Genesis 2:8-14 describes the beginning in Mesopotamia as follows: "Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. ... A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. ... The name of the third river is the Tigris; it runs along the east side of Asshur. And the fourth river is the Euphrates."<ref>This course uses a variety of translations for the Bible, this time using the well-established "NIV" version.</ref> Using the ages mentioned in the Bible and counting backwards, biblical scholars have dated this as about 6000 years ago, or about 4000 B.C. This is about 500 years before our earliest record of ancient writings, which is what one might expect; it wouldn't take long for man to start writing messages, but the oldest messages are unlikely to be "extant" (still existing today).

In the fourth millennium before Christ, between about 3500 and 3000 B.C., cities began to sprout up with their own political and economic systems. Both of these developments occurred in southern Mesopotamia. The first such city (that we know of) was called Sumer, and its occupants were the Sumerians.

We owe a great deal to the work of the Sumerians. They developed the first system of writing (the cuneiform), the first codes of law and the first "city-state" (essentially a nation consisting only of a large city). Their inventions were marvelous: the seed plow, the sailboat, and the potter’s wheel. (Distinguish "cuneiform" symbols from "ideograms", which show ideas with symbols such as arrows for war, from "phonograms", in which symbols represent sounds).

Most workers in Mesopotamia were farmers, but some devoted their time to trade. They had a calendar based on the moon to aid the farmers, and they developed a mathematical system using base 12. They were marvelous inventors, creating complex systems of irrigation and discovering the plow, the cart and the wheel, and used bronze (a mixture of copper and tin) to make good farming tools. Both men and women owned private property, had slaves, and were ruled by a king.
[[Image:Mesopotamia2.PNG|right]]
They built cities known as Eridu, Lagash, Ur, Uruk, Isin, Kish, just to name a few. They were smart, and developed Akkadian as their language. One interesting aspect of Akkadian is that it lacks any tense forms such as past or future tense. The verbs expressed the manner of an action rather than its time.

By 3000 B.C. the people had built major canals to channel water, and roads on which to travel. Shepherds had dogs to help them tend the sheep, just as we use today to help herd sheep together. Each city was surrounded by a moat and a wall of brick, with as many as 900 towers inside the city. Soldiers watched people entering and exiting the city, and chariots and wagons carried people and goods within the city. By 3000 B.C. mankind had already built a mini-version of Manhattan, without the automobile and steel skyscrapers. But Mesopotamia (unlike Egypt and China) was not protected by geography, and would constantly face invasion by foreigners.

Do not think there was anything primitive about these ancient cities. They had shipping, fishing, brewers and bakers. They spun wool and traded fine jewelry. They discovered the Pythagorean Theorem, though it was later named after a Greek. In 2500 B.C., the queen of Ur, which was a prominent city, lived in a palace that featured harps and many servants. Slavery existed, but it was typically confined to domestic work in the cities rather than hard labor on the farm. Slaves were given a minimum standard of living and often had the opportunity to rise to freedom through diligent work.

Temples were everywhere. But the people also built stepped mountains known as ziggurats, with a temple on top, and the Bible tells how they tried to build one higher and higher. A massive ziggurat at Ur that is described in Genesis 11:1-9 as the Tower of Babel led to hundreds of different languages (a division which may have also led to different ethnic groups) in the world. As we shall learn in this course, language is a central part of a society that has much to do with its success or failure. Societies with useful and powerful languages prospered; those with difficult-to-use and weak languages failed.

Genesis Chapter 10 places the roots of modern mankind in Noah and his three sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. The term "Semitic" means "pertaining to the descendants of Shem," and includes Assyrians, Chaldeans, Aramaeans, Sabaeans, and Hebrews. Semitic languages include Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic. Semitic religions include Judaism, Christianity and Islam. One of Noah's descendants was Abram, who later changed his name to Abraham to reflect his covenant with God.

Both the Bible and many independent sources describe a Great Flood (or "Deluge"), which historians date at about 3300 or 3000 B.C. Very little of any history, including writings and civilization, has survived from before that time. The biblical account of the Flood is at Genesis 5-8, describing an ark having reasonable dimensions similar to modern ocean steamships. A non-biblical Sumerian (from Sumer in Mesopotamia) account of the Flood was found in the last hundred years, and that account was apparently written about 1600 B.C. Even better, a cuneiform tablet from Babylon was found dating from 3000 B.C., which also described a massive flood in great detail. There are many other ancient accounts of a massive flood found in most other cultures around the world. Fossils and limestone (the result of ocean sediment) are found today on mountaintops and land worldwide at all altitudes. Independent accounts of a great flood can be found in ancient works of China, India, Britain (Druid) and American Indians, all having striking similar details.<ref>See, e.g., http://www.searchgodsword.org/enc/isb/view.cgi?number=T2631</ref> Recently two scientists at Columbia University published a widely praised book, entitled "Noah's Flood," which proved that the Flood did occur. This book concludes that the biblical Flood "is surely a true story of the permanent destruction of a land and its people ...."<ref>Ryan & Pitman, "Noah's Flood" (Simon & Schuster, NY: 1998), p. 251.</ref> Yet no public school textbook ever mentions a massive flood.

Civilization prospered in Sumeria, and wars soon broke out. The northwest (Akkad) was constantly fighting the southeast (Sumer), and eventually an Akkadian warrior named Sargon conquered Mesopotamia. Sargon was the first person in recorded history to create an empire or multi-ethnic state, from 2334 to 2279 B.C. His empire included the region of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and also part of what is Turkey today. The capital of his empire was Agade in Akkad. But like many military rulers, his empire collapsed when he died. He did not have a civil (non-military) form of government to pay his soldiers and sustain his empire. Instead, he could only survive as long his soldiers continued to capture and loot. Once the empire stopped expanding upon his death, it collapsed. At the time, the city of Ur in Sumer was the leading city.

The Sumerians established many of the things that define civilization today: buildings, engineering, legal codes, written language and a military. The Sumerians also had literature: in 2000 B.C., they wrote "The Epic of Gilgamesh," considered to be oldest fictional story ever written. The Epic of Gilgamesh was based on a real person who ruled a city-state in Sumer. He struggles with religious issues in the form of multiple gods, and the story seems to draw on some of the wisdom of the Bible. This non-biblical source also describes a great flood.

Each civilization or culture had its inventions. We can thank Mesopotamia (probably Ur) for inventing the wheel in about 3500 B.C., which is the single greatest invention of all time. It is used for much more than transportation. The wheel is essential to manufacturing and even pre-digital watches. No Native American civilization had the wheel until the Europeans brought it to them.

==Babylon==

Babylonia was a relatively late achiever in the Mesopotamian world, occupying southern Mesopotamia where Sumer was. Babylonia was built around 2300 B.C. Babylon was its main city, located about 55 miles south of where Baghdad is today in Iraq. Babylon is now in ruins, but thousands of years ago was a thriving city known for the "Hanging Gardens of Babylon," which were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Babylon was known as a city devoted to materialism and self-indulgence. As an example of usage, the English author G.K. Chesterton once wrote, "the Babylonian halls of the big hotel," using the word "Babylonian" to denote luxurious extravagance.

As a city Babylon was smaller and less important than Ur, which enjoyed several dynasties. But the constant fighting led to the fall of the 3rd dynasty of Ur, and an Amorite king named Sumuabum established a kingdom in 1894 B.C. there. His successors built it up, and then a brilliant ruler name Hammurabi took power as the sixth king of Babylon from 1792 to 1750 B.C. (That is over forty years: there were no term limits for rulers then!).

The reign of Hammurabi signaled the end of the early Mesopotamian civilization. He created a system of justice by promulgating an elaborate code of law (called the Code of Hammurabi, or "Hammurabi's Code"). The code imposed harsh punishment of "an eye for an eye," and lower classes of people received harsher punishment than higher classes of people. If you broke the bone of a
"free man" (non-slave), then the punishment was to break one of your bones. That was simple and effective, and the Old Testament uses a similar approach in some ways (ask yourself: who used this first?). The Eighth Commandment in the Old Testament states, "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor." Hammurabi's Code states if someone accuses another of doing something wrong, but cannot prove it, then the accuser shall be killed.

Hammurabi attempted to be righteous and much of his correspondence survives to this day. He encouraged legal contracts, but he also limited the amount of interest and wages that could be earned. After 29 years of establishing order, he then conquered all of Mesopotamia, making him the first king of the Babylonian Empire. To this day Hammurabi is respected by historians as a great leader who achieved an enormous amount of progress that benefits all of mankind.

'''Debate: Which matters more in making a society successful: its laws or its language?'''

Chaos resulted when Hammurabi died, a common result after the passing away of a powerful ruler. The Hittites (HIT-eyets) were Indo-Europeans who migrated into Anatolia (now Turkey). The Hittites were famous for bringing iron smelting to many other groups, and using the superior iron weapons and tools. They attacked and weakened the Babylonian empire, ultimately defeating it in 1600 B.C. The Kassites, led by King Agumkakrine, then took advantage of situation and grabbed power. But they continued to honor the Code of Hammurabi during their 400 year rule of the territory.

In 1124 B.C. the first Nebuchadnezzar rose to power over the Babylonian empire. He moved its capital to Babylon, then the world's largest city. Its spanned 10,000 hectares, which is slightly larger than San Francisco today.

The Babylonian empire acquired great power, and power corrupts. Eventually it turned against religion. That ultimately occurred in 598 through 586 B.C., but we have more history to cover before getting to that period!

Much of the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is written with references to Babylon. The main reason is that Babylon rose to enormous power and captured the Hebrews, and held them in captivity. This is known as the Babylonian Exile or Babylonian Captivity.

==Israel==

While the Kassites were in control of Babylon, the oldest religion that is still active today began: Judaism. The ancient Hebrews were descendants of Abram (later in his life his name became "Abraham", meaning "father of many"), who lived in Ur around 2000 B.C., and his wife Sarah, through their son Isaac and Isaac's son Jacob. Later the name of the ancient Hebrews became known as the "Israelites", once the kingdom of the Hebrews was established with the crowning of King David around 1000 B.C. But Israel did not remain intact as a nation in the ancient world; after the reigns of King David and his son Solomon, it split into two kingdoms, and then was captured and taken into captivity. Beginning with the terminology in the Book of Esther, which was written between 200 and 300 B.C., the people of the former Israel became known as the "Jewish people," or the "Jews". Judaism did not exist before Abraham; it would, however, be an anachronism to describe Abraham as Jewish even in the ancient sense let alone in the modern; and it is not known where his ancestors lived in the prior millennium; they could have lived throughout the Middle East, including ancient Egypt.

The timeline is easy to remember: '''Jesus (6 B.C. to about A.D. 30) lived half-way between Abraham (2000 B.C.) and today (A.D. 2009). King David and the founding of Israel was halfway between Abraham and Jesus.'''

The conflict between the Hebrew (Jewish) and Arab peoples is described by some as a family feud. Both sides are descended from the same father, Abraham, as recounted in Genesis 16. But Jewish and Arab peoples trace their lineage from different sons of Abraham who were rivals for their father's love. The Bible states that Jewish people are descendants of Isaac, the child of Abraham and Sarah. The Koran (the main holy book of Islam) states that Arabs are descended from Ishmael, the son of Abraham (then Abram) and the Egyptian woman Hagar. The Old Testament teaches that Abraham offered to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord, while Islam teaches that Abraham's sacrifice was of his son Ishmael. Islam teaches that Ishmael helped Abraham build a mosque in Mecca (the venerated Kaaba). Ishmael went a different way from the rest of Abraham's family, and there have been hard feelings by Ishmael's descendants ever since. Note that the Bible's version of this was written first, preceding the Koran by over a thousand years.

The ancient Hebrews who were descended from Jacob migrated away from Ur in Mesopotamia to Palestine, where they resided between 2000 and about 1500 B.C. But they migrated over to Egypt to escape a bad famine. There they served as slaves for perhaps hundreds of years, though they undoubtedly contributed greatly to the intellectual progress of the Egyptian culture. As described in the Book of Exodus, Moses (who had been adopted by a royal family there) ultimately led 600,000 Hebrews out of Egypt around 1250 B.C.<ref>1250 B.C. is known as the "late date" or estimate for the time of the Exodus; the "early date" or estimate for the Exodus is 1447 B.C.</ref> Egyptian historians refer to slaves and captives called "Hapiru", but some doubt that these were the Hebrews. Regardless, the Bible contains many verified references to the Egyptian pharaohs demonstrating that the Jewish ancestors were in Egypt. The Hebrews' escape from Egypt is called the "Exodus", and is described by that book in the Old Testament. During the passage, Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai. (In Manhattan today there is a famous medical school on the upper East Side named "Mount Sinai.") Moses is also credited as being the scribe for the first five books of the Bible (the "Pentateuch" or in Hebrew תּוֹרָה, the Torah).

The dates given below are estimates, and the homework encourages you to improve on them:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
|'''Events'''
|'''Estimated Dates'''
|-
|Creation of Adam and Eve
|3700-4004 B.C.
|-
|Flood
|perhaps 2300 B.C.
|-
|Tower of Babel
|perhaps 2200 B.C.
|-
|Call of Abram (Abraham)
|born c. 2000 B.C.
|-
|Covenant
|1921 B.C.
|-
|Abraham to Palestine area
|1921 B.C. to 1690 B.C.
|-
|Joseph to Egypt
|1880 B.C.<ref>This is based on the "early date" estimate for Exodus. See http://www.christiananswers.net/q-abr/abr-a027.html</ref>
|-
|Moses and Exodus
|1447 or 1270 B.C.
|-
|Entering the Promised Land
|1400 or 1230 B.C.
|-
|Israelite kingdom established under King David
|1010 B.C.
|-
|Israel divided into Israel and Judah
|931 B.C.
|-
|Israel (10 tribes) conquered by Assyrians
|721 B.C.
|-
|Judah (2 tribes) conquered by Neo-Babylonians
|585 to 515 B.C.
|-
|Persians conquer Babylonian empire, captives freed
|515 B.C.
|-
|Jerusalem rebuilt
|starting 515 B.C.
|}

While most ancient peoples worshiped many pagan (non-existent) gods, the Hebrews worshiped only one God (''monolatry'') (but even misbehaving Hebrews had false gods – note the Second Commandment). The Hebrews referred to God as "YHVH" (Latinised as "Jehovah"), and to this day observant Jewish people consider it improper to pronounce this name or write it for trivial purposes; some prefer not even to write the English word "God", and instead write "G-d".

It is the name God instructed Moses to use at the encounter at the miraculous burning bush that continued to burn without destruction in Exodus 3:14: "God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM'; and He said, 'Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

It remains a mystery as to precisely when the books of the Old Testament were written, but here are some estimates:

{|class="wikitable"
|-
|'''Book'''
|'''Estimated Dates'''
|'''Basis for Dates'''
|'''Books included'''
|-
|Genesis and all of Pentateuch
|1440-1400 B.C.
|Time of Moses and Exodus (early dates used)
|Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy
|-
|Joshua and historical books
|1400-250 B.C.
|dated by evidence of historical events
|Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel,<ref>There are two books of Samuel because the work was longer than the length of the ancient scroll!</ref> 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther
|-
|Wisdom Literature
|dating back perhaps older than Genesis
|Job, David & Solomon are main authors
|Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs
|-
|Major Prophets
|785-520 B.C.
|dated by evidence of historical events
|Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations (of Jeremiah), Ezekial and Daniel
|-
|Minor Prophets
|753-455 B.C.
|dated by evidence of historical events
|Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi
|}

After leaving Egypt, the Hebrews settled back in the hills of Palestine or Canaan along eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, approximately where Israel is today. They quickly developed a productive society despite the barrenness of the land. They implemented a system of private property, which much sharing within the family structure. Before long, they became targets for their primitive, pagan neighbors. Worst among these were the Philistines, who had iron weapons and good organization. The Hebrews, in contrast, were loosely affiliated and unprepared to defend against outside invasions. The Bible recounts many of these struggles with the Philistines, which God used to punish the Hebrews for disobedience and bring them back to Him.

<big>'''Saul, David and Solomon'''</big>

Inevitably a Hebrew warrior, Saul, took power around 1000 B.C. and defeated the Philistines and Canaanites. The priest Samuel anointed Saul as King, but many Hebrews declined to obey him. David, a shrewd fighter who had trained as a mercenary with the Philistines, became famous as a teenager for defeating the Philistine giant Goliath as described in the Bible. David next built an empire for Israel that extended from Damascus, then a thriving city in the Fertile Crescent, all the way south past what is now the Gaza Strip. For its capital he built a hill city called Jerusalem, and encapsulated it within a wall. II Samuel 9-20 describes this period.

David's son was Solomon, who ruled for forty years (965-925 B.C.) and constructed the great temple of Jerusalem. He was known for his wisdom and justice. He created two states: Israel in the north, with a capital at Samaria, and Judah in the south, with a capital at Jerusalem. But Solomon also taxed the Hebrews heavily and, after he died, the empire fell into decline. The Kingdom of Israel split after the death of Solomon. ''See'' I Kings 12.
[[Image:Twelve Tribes of Israel.JPG|right]]
Judah in the south survived longer than Israel in the north. The southern Kingdom of Judah consisted of two of the twelve Hebrew tribes, while the northern Kingdom of Israel had the other ten Hebrew tribes. But due to its northern location, the Kingdom of Israel had to contend with Assyria, which was a cruel and extremely powerful kingdom of northern Mesopotamia. It was located in present-day northern Iraq and at times controlled the northern part of present-day Syria. Assyria became an independent state in the 14th century B.C., expanded in the 9th century B.C. and, under powerful kings like Sargon II, united most of the Middle East from Egypt to the Persian Gulf under Assyrian rule. It was finally destroyed by a Chaldean-Median coalition in 612-609 B.C.

<big>'''Assyrian Empire'''</big>

The Assyrians defeated the Kingdom of Israel in 772 B.C, and then scattered and dispersed the ten Hebrew tribes throughout the Assyrian Kingdom. The Assyrian empire was so powerful because it used iron weapons and battering rams, and did not hesitate even to tunnel under enemies' walls. The Assyrians also enslaved the peoples it captured, taking them away from their homeland. The scattering of the Hebrews by the Assyrians was the first of several "diaspora" (pronounced deye-AS-puh-ruh), which means the scattering of the Jewish people away from their homeland. In Judah, however, a young ruler known as Joshua ultimately rose to power in 640 B.C. and overthrew the Assyrian influence, which was in a state of decline then. But Joshua himself ran into the merciless power of the Chaldean empire.

The Chaldean empire defeated both the Hebrews and the Assyrians. Chaldea was the region in southern Babylonia, covering what is now southern Iraq. This land borders the coast of the Persian Gulf between the Euphrates delta and the Arabian desert.

As Assyrian power began to decline, a ruler named Nabopolassar was able to establish a Chaldean dynasty, beginning in 625 B.C. and extending until the Persians conquered the territory by invading in 539 B.C. from present-day Iran. In that brief span of time an important ruler commanded the Chaldean dynasty and all of Babylonian empire: Nebuchadnezzar II (NEB-uh-kuhd-NEZ-ur), who reigned from 605 to 562 B.C.

<big>'''Chaldean Empire'''</big>

Nebuchadnezzar II was a military genius who demonstrated his prowess with a massive conquest of the Egyptian army in 606 or 605 B.C., thereby gaining control of all of Syria. After his father's death, he obtained the submission of Judah and spent the next few years expanding the Babylonian empire into Palestine. Although Nebuchadnezzar suffered many losses, he persisted and ultimately captured Jerusalem on March 16, 597, and then later again in 586, when the Chaldeans also destroyed Solomon's temple. Nebuchadnezzar kidnapped and deported prominent Hebrews back to Babylonia, as recounted in the Bible and known as the Babylonian Exile. Nebuchadnezzar was a godless military commander who suffered from seven years of madness, but at times he protected key prophets like Jeremiah. Daniel described the period of madness by Nebuchadnezzar, but the Babylonian people did not dare criticize their own ruler. Daniel 4:34-37.

Babylon was a culture that did not have the value system of the Hebrews, and Babylonians did not accept God. The Babylonians were constantly raiding, kidnapping, killing or converting the Hebrews into slaves. Much of the Old Testament is about how the Hebrews would gain or lose favor with the Lord, and the Babylonians would prevail against the Hebrews as they lost favor with the Lord. "Babylon" is mentioned 246 times in the Old Testament!

Because he captured and exiled the Hebrews, King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon is mentioned frequently in the Old Testament. As mentioned above, it was during his second invasion of Jerusalem, the city that had been previously established as the Hebrew center by David in 1000 B.C., that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the holy Temple built by King Solomon ("Solomon's Temple"). Nebuchadnezzar then captured the Jewish people and took them back to Babylon in what is known as the Babylonian Exile or Captivity, which lasted from 597 to 538 B.C. (beginning with his first invasion of Jerusalem). "But because our ancestors had angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia." Ezra 5:12.

<big>'''Persian Empire'''</big>

The death of Nebuchadnezzar II signaled the end of the Babylonian empire, which then fell into decline. It was inevitable that Babylon itself would be conquered. Cyrus the Great was the King of Persia (the ancient name for Iran) (539-530 B.C.), who conquered Asia Minor for the Persians, including the territories of Assyria, Babylonia, Palestine and Syria. His kingdom was known as the Achaemenid (ə-kē'mə-nĭd) (or Persian) empire. He freed the Hebrews and ended the Babylonian Exile, allowing the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. The tomb of Cyrus the Great still exists at Pasargadae, the town that was the capital of his empire but which is now in ruins in present-day Iran.

More than a thousand years later, during the Islamic conquest of Iran, the Muslims planned to destroy this tomb because it is contrary to their religion. However, the possibility that the tomb was somehow built to honor the mother of King Solomon, a respected prophet in Islam, justified preserving the tomb to this day, and it is inscribed today with the following verse of the Qur'an (Koran): "Qabr-e Madar-e Sulaiman" which means the tomb of the mother of Solomon.
<br><br><br><br><br>
<big>'''Rebuilding Jerusalem'''</big>

The Hebrews rebuilt Jerusalem's walls and temple, but did not restore the magnificence the city had under Solomon. The Hebrews remained under Persian rule until Alexander the Great conquered the Persians around 330 B.C. Later, when the Roman Empire rose to power, Palestine became a province to Rome, until Palestine rebelled and Rome retaliated by destroying the temple in A.D. 70, again dispersing the Jewish people to distant lands.

''To what do we owe the ancient Hebrews?'' The concept of monotheism: one and only one God. The Hebrews established the covenant of loyalty between God and his chosen ones. Part of the covenant was the promise of a future Messiah to save the people from their sins, and Jewish people debate today whether the Messiah was supposed to establish a kingdom on earth. Later some Jewish people accepted Jesus as the Messiah, while some did not. The moral code by which the Hebrew people strove to live was set forth in the Ten Commandments, which were carved in stone and kept in the sacred Ark of the Covenant as described repeatedly in the Bible (see, e.g., Exodus 25:9-10). Highly specific requirements of daily life are also set forth in the Torah (the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Old Testament). The authorities on Jewish law are known as "rabbis", but there is no single, centralized religious authority on Judaism like a pope. Next to the Bible, the next most authoritative Jewish work is the Talmud, which is a collection of writings by rabbis.

==Egypt==

Ancient Egypt was a tremendous civilization located in the fertile Nile Valley. Ancient Egypt existed from about 3000 B.C. up until Alexander the Great conquered it in 332 B.C. The Nile is the greatest river in the world, and is unique in flowing south-to-north, emptying into the Mediterranean Sea. It floods with great regularity each year (unlike the Tigris and Euphrates rivers), providing plentiful water for farming. Situated in a desert, Egypt developed irrigation techniques that led it to be called an "hydraulic empire."

What is special about Egypt? Well, for starters, it is the oldest stationary civilization that remains in existence. Geography helped protect it against invaders. To its east and west are deserts, to the north is the Mediterranean Sea and to the south is the rest of Africa. Dividing Egypt in half is the great and mighty Nile. Egypt is self-sufficient with natural resources such as plentiful clay and stone and the ability to trade for timber with nearby Lebanon and copper from Sinai. Just as the unique, closed-in geography of the island of Manhattan has encouraged the development of a powerful economy in New York City, the landscape of Egypt enhanced its independence. Even when conquered, the civilization does not shift anywhere, thanks to the natural boundaries.
[[Image:Ancient Egypt.jpg|right]]
Ancient Egypt was always ruled by a "pharaoh" or king, who was considered to be a god and absolute owner and dictator of the country. He was worshiped by the people.

The Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Turks and British all conquered and ruled Egypt at some point. In that respect, the story of who ran Egypt is the history of the greatest world powers ever. Egypt did not have native rule between 341 B.C., when the Persians conquered the last Pharaoh (Nectanebo II), until A.D. 1952, when the native Egyptian president Nasser overthrew a British constitutional monarchy.

<big>'''The Three Kingdoms'''</big>

Ancient Egypt is divided into three periods: the Old Kingdom (3100-2200 B.C.), the Middle Kingdom (2100-1650 B.C.) and the New Kingdom (1550-700 B.C.). The peak in power of ancient Egypt was 1567-1085 B.C.

The '''Old Kingdom''' is known for its security and prosperity, free from foreign invaders. A unique Egyptian kingship developed during this period, and they built the great pyramids, including the Great Pyramid of Giza (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) as built by Pharaoh Khufu or Cheops (pronounced KEE-aps). The pyramids protected and preserved pharaohs for what they expected in the after-life, and were marvelous engineering feats that cannot be surpassed even today.<ref>"... the Egyptians were able to get the blocks to fit so well together that a postcard cannot even be inserted in between them. [http://www.freeessays.cc/db/26/hce195.shtml] </ref>

The '''Middle Kingdom''' was a period during which Egyptian religion extended beyond the kings to the nobles and ordinary citizens. Pharaohs began to share power with local distinguished persons. The pharaohs were strong during this period and promoted trade by digging the Great Canal, which connected the Nile River to the Red Sea. The Middle Kingdom is best known for its cultural achievements, such as literature and artwork. During this period the Egyptians were also successful in draining parts of the Nile delta in Lower (northern) Egypt. Trade expanded, but civil war plagued the Middle Kingdom just as it was a problem in the Old Kingdom.

The '''New Kingdom''' followed a period of foreign rule for a century by the Hyksos (HIK-sohs) (from 1650 to 1580 B.C.), who were Semitic peoples invading Egypt from across the Sinai Peninsula. The Hyksos adopted much of Egyptian culture, including calling themselves pharaohs. The Hyksos introduced the horse and chariot into Egypt. Afterward, the Egyptians extended their empire along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean into Mesopotamia, primarily under the rule of the great warrior Thutmose III. A dynasty from Upper Egypt began this period of the New Kingdom, and it extended throughout Syria, Palestine and, to the south, Nubia. Also, the pharaohs constructed large buildings and massive cities.

After the New Kingdom ended in 700 B.C., Egypt went into a decline and was subsequently conquered by the Persians in 525 B.C.

<big>'''Pharaohs'''</big>

Here is a brief review of the famous Egyptian rulers. The first was Menes (or Mena). In 3100 B.C. he was already king of southern Upper Egypt, and he united it with northern Lower Egypt (note that lower Egypt is closer to the sea-level of the Mediterranean, north of Upper Egypt, as shown on the map). We know his name because Egyptian men, not women, wore make-up and his name was found on palettes used to apply make-up.

Though Menes is called the first "pharaoh" (Egyptian ruler), actually that term was not used until the 18th Dynasty, 1539-1292 B.C. (Egypt was organized by "dynasties", where one family (including descendants) controlled the country.) The term "pharaoh" signifies the Egyptian custom claiming that its ruler was a god, similar to the sky god Horus and the sun gods Re, Amon and Aton. He was considered to be the preserver of a god-given order, called ma'at. Even after death the pharaoh supposedly retained divine status and magical powers. This was a theocracy (rule by a god).

The Egyptian people were divided into separate levels or classes. The highest level consisted of the priests and nobles, and below them were the peasants, and below the peasants were the slaves (which included the Hebrews until Moses led them out in the Exodus). Women were respected in their role of child-rearing and managing household finances, and there were two Egyptian queens: Queen Ahhotep and Queen Hatshepsut. Queen Ahhotep ruled in the Middle Kingdom and helped liberate Egypt from the Hyksos. Her mummy was discovered in A.D. 1859, and her tomb contained many military artifacts honoring her. Queen Hatshepsut served in the place of her young son who was heir to the throne, and she ruled for 15 years until her death in 1458 B.C. She is known for expanding trade. Women were also included in the gods (goddesses) that Egyptians worshiped. More generally, rights of dynasty were inherited through the mother's side, making Egypt a "matriarchal" society.

The most famous pharaoh was Pharaoh Ramses II, who served during the New Kingdom. Slavery first became widespread during the New Kingdom, probably using Hebrews as slaves. The Hebrew Exodus occurred under Ramses II, making him the last great pharaoh in the New Kingdom.

Modern discoveries shed new light on the Egyptian culture. In A.D. 1922, Howard Carter discovered in the Valley of the Kings the untouched tomb of Tutankhamen, a young pharaoh surrounded by magnificent gold and other artifacts. These have been presented in museums ever since. Tutankhamen ruled from 1361 to 1352 B.C., but very little is known about his reign.

<big>'''Egyptian Achievements'''</big>

Egyptians invented mummification, which began in the 4th Dynasty. It took the Egyptians a long time to develop this art, but they ultimately succeeded to perfection. Without going into all the gory details, it consists of removing the internal organs from a body after death, treating the body with resin, and then wrapping it tightly in linen bandages. You should consider becoming a doctor if you have an interest in this!

''Religion'': The ancient Egyptians worshiped many gods, often inspired by animals or aspects of nature such as the sun. Only nobles could aspire to an afterlife, and only the king himself could become unified with Osiris, a legendary king who represented the forces of agriculture. These religious views subsequently lost out to more powerful concepts of Christianity and Islam. Now Egypt is 90% Sunnite Muslim, and the remainder mostly Christian (Copts).

The Christian Copts trace their ancestors directly to the ancient Egyptians. Unlike the Muslims in Egypt, who consider themselves Arabs, the Christian Copts do not consider themselves to be Arabs and the Christian Copts still use ancient Egyptian surnames. They cite the sojourn by Jesus' family in Egypt to escape Herod, and the proselytizing in Egypt by Saint Mark the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel and was martyred at Alexandria, Egypt. He is considered the first leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church, followed by an unbroken line of 117 successors to the present Pope Shenouda III. A pharaoh was considered to be a sun god, and eventually monotheism (one all-powerful god) became popular in Egypt, with the sun god Aton commanding all Egyptians' attention.

''Language'': The Egyptians developed a written language consisting of hieroglyphics, which are pictographs. It originated around 3100 B.C. It was written on papyrus as a kind of paper; papyrus is a thin parchment constructed from reeds near the Nile river. Historians could not understand hieroglyphics until the discovery of the "Rosetta Stone" by Napoleon's troops in 1799 near the seaside town of Rosetta, located in northern Egypt. It sits in the British Museum today. It consists of a slab of black basalt inscribing a royal decree to the king Ptolemy V, dating from 196 B.C. The Stone is marvelous in inscribing the same message three times: once in Greek, once in Demotic (a simple form of hieroglyphics used 700 B.C. to A.D. 400), and once in hieroglyphic. This enabled a French expert in the Greek language, Jean Francois Champollion, to determine what the hieroglyphic characters mean, and build a dictionary that could be used to translate other works written in hieroglyphics. Champollion had been a child prodigy in learning numerous languages while still a teenager.

Egypt's complex, picture-based writing system lasted for many years. It is important to emphasize that the hieroglyphs were not merely pictures of the semantic concepts signified, but included characters representing more abstract phonemic and morphemic categories. Abstract concepts could thus be represented. The difference between a language and a writing system should also be borne in mind.

''Science'': A magnificent city named "Alexandria" was created by Alexander the Great in Egypt in 334 B.C., and it became a cultural center for many centuries. Eventually it grew to be second only to Rome in size and wealth, but declined over a thousand years later after Islamic conquerors established Cairo as the capital of Egypt. Alexandria was best known for the Lighthouse of Alexandria, which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Alexandria is also known for the Library of Alexandria, which was the largest in the world at that time and reflected the cultural leadership of the city.

In A.D. 100, while Alexandria was still a great city, Ptolemy (pronounced "tah-luh-mee") was born there and was named after the long line of Egyptian kings. He wrote magnificent works on astronomy, optics, geography, mechanics and geometry. He is best known for his complex theory that placed planet Earth at the center of universe, since all things appeared to fall towards Earth and thus towards the center. The Ptolemaic system was the prevailing view until Copernicus proposed the sun as the center of the solar system over 1000 years later.

''Culture'': Egypt used slaves as most ancient cultures did. Women in Egypt were very powerful, holding the right to own property, divorce their husbands, manage businesses and even become priestesses. It was possible for poor people to rise to the upper class through talent and hard work. Taxes were a burden. The government claimed ownership of one-fifth of all produce (Genesis 47:24). The society had some ethical principles, such as the royal advice that "more acceptable is the character of one upright of heart than the ox of the evildoer." Feeding the poor, taking care of the disadvantaged, and avoid bribes in administering justice were respected. The Egyptians learned to travel up and down the Nile River by using the current in one direction, and the Etesian winds to propel sailboats upstream into the other direction. Egyptian architecture was the pyramid and colonnaded temples like the one Karnak, using a style later copied by the Greeks.

''Trade'': Egypt was not as advanced as Mesopotamia in trade, though trade did improve during the New Kingdom and some commerce with Sumer was established then.

''Inventions'': Egyptians invented our 365-day solar calendar, based on 12 months of about 30 days each. But Mesopotamia was more advanced than Egypt. To Mesopotamia we owe our "base 60" system for our clock (60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour). Egyptians lacked the concept of money, and relied on primitive barter (selling a good in exchange for a different good in return). The Egyptian Old Kingdom lacked the wheel; the pyramids were built without use of the wheel!

== References ==

<references/>

[[Category:World History lectures]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:World History Lecture 01}}

Ann Coulter

2010-01-02T13:32:06Z

AtheistsAreCute:

[[Image:Coulter2006.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Coulter on the ''Tonight Show with Jay Leno''.]]
'''Ann Hart Coulter''' (b. 1961) is an [[attorney]], legal affairs correspondent, social commentator and a well known political pundit.
She has written five bestselling books on U.S. politics. U.S. Federal Judge [[Richard Posner]] included her in a list showing how the quality of intellectual discourse in American has declined.<ref>[http://home.uchicago.edu/~rposner/publicintellect.htm] "Data for tables in Chapter 5 of Richard A. Posner, Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline" where Posner talks about the data he used for his book ''Public Intellectuals: A Study of Decline''.</ref><ref>[http://home.uchicago.edu/~rposner/TABLE%20II.pdf] Table II, which is Posner's data for 607 public intellectuals. A PDF search of "Coulter" will show she is on Posner's list.</ref>

Coulter's primary focus is exposing the faults of [[liberalism]], and she has enjoyed a popular following for her strong defense of family values against [[abortion]] and [[same-sex marriage]].
She is well known for her forthright statements against those who wish to hurt the [[United States]].

Coulter is a high profile female [[conservative]], in line with [[Phyllis Schlafly]] and [[Condoleezza Rice]]. Her books and strong speaking style have endeared her to fans and infuriated opponents.

As a [[Christian]], Coulter adheres to the [[Judeo-Christian]] tradition the view that [[human being]]s are utterly and distinctly apart from other species.

Being an unabashedly conservative pundit, Coulter's social commentaries often draw the ire of [[liberal]]s. Her comments are frequently controversial and her critics often feign being offended.<ref>She called Democratic women "no-bra needing, sandal-wearing, [[hirsute]], somewhat fragrant [[hippie]] chick pie wagons". [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/05/AR2007030501610_2.html (Washington Post)]</ref><ref>At a CPAC conference, Coulter joked, "I was going to have a few comments about John Edwards but you have to go into rehab if you use the word 'f*****.'" [http://www.rawstory.com/news/2007/Coulter_Faggot_not_offensive_to_gay_0306.html]</ref>

Coulter made headlines during the 2008 Presidential primaries by endorsing [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]] for President instead of [[John McCain]]. Coulter asserted that McCain is not conservative, but [[liberal]].

==Background==
Coulter grew up in New Caanan, Connecticut. She fondly recollects arguing with her family about politics and religion as a form of entertainment, sometimes around the dinner table. <ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.booknotes.org/Transcript/?ProgramID=1688|title="''Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right'' by Ann Coulter"|accessdate=January 1, 2010 |last=Lamb |first=Brian |date=August 11, 2002| |work=Booknotes}}</ref> She received an undergraduate degree from [[Cornell University]], where she helped found the conservative ''Cornell Review'', and a law degree from the [[University of Michigan]] Law School. In 1989 she served as a clerk for a federal appeals circuit judge in Kansas City. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://jacq.org/Politics/coultergeist.htm|title="Coultergeist"|accessdate=January 1, 2010 |last=Gurley |first=George |date=August 26, 2002|work=New York Observer}}</ref> Later she worked for Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan after the Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, where she handled crime and immigration issues and helped craft legislation designed to expedite the deportation of aliens convicted of felonies. <ref name=Daley1999>{{cite web |url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=HC&p_theme=hc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_text_search-0=ann%20AND%20coulter%20AND%20shining&s_dispstring=ann%20coulter%20shining%20AND%20date(1999)&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=1999&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no|title="Ann Coulter: light's all shining on her"|accessdate=January 1, 2010|last=Daley|first=David|date=June 25, 1999|work=Hartford Courant}} [$2.50 charge required to view article]</ref>

==Books==

Some of her books include
*''[[High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton]]'' (2002)
*''[[Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right]]'' (2003)
*''[[Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism]]'' (2004)
*''[[How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)]]'' (2005)
*''[[Godless: The Church of Liberalism]]'' (2007)
*''[[If Democrats Had Any Brains They'd Be Republicans]]'' (2007)
*''[[Guilty: Liberal "Victims" and Their Assault on America]]'' (2009)

In ''Godless'', Coulter illustrates how liberals make a [[religion]] out of their beliefs, which they follow with the sort of intolerant zeal which they claim [[fundamentalist]]s do. "Liberalism is a comprehensive belief system denying the Christian belief in man's immortal soul [and] that we are moral beings in God's image." (pg. 3)

==Quotes==

* "Whether they are defending the [[Soviet Union]] or bleating for [[Saddam Hussein]], liberals are always against [[United States of America|America]]. They are either traitors or idiots ... "<Ref>''Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism.''</ref>
* "My only regret with [[Timothy McVeigh]] is he did not go to the [[New York Times]] Building." She later clarified "Of course I regret [saying] it. I should have added, 'after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters."<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-06-09-coulter-roemer_x.htm 9/11 Commissioner Criticizes Coulter's 'Hate-Filled Attack'] Associated Press story in USA Today. "'My only regret with Timothy McVeigh is he did not go to the New York Times Building,' The New York Observer quoted her as saying on Aug. 20, 2002. She clarified those remarks with RightWingNews.com: 'Of course I regret it. I should have added, "after everyone had left the building except the editors and reporters."'"</ref><ref>Hawkins, [http://rightwingnews.com/interviews/anncoulter.php An Interview With Ann Coulter], Right Wing News.</ref>

* "We just want Jews to be perfected, as they say." (The view that Christians are perfected Jews is a common belief among Jewish converts to Christianity, who view Christianity as a natural continuation of Judaism.

* "Saddam's barbaric rape rooms, chemical attacks and torture — those, liberals could live with. But now they want us to send troops to [[Darfur]], a country from which no one anticipates terrorism anytime in the next millennium. If you're looking for a good definition of "no imminent threat," Darfur is it... These people can't even wrap up genocide. We've been hearing about this slaughter in Darfur forever — and they still haven't finished. The aggressors are moving like termites across that country. It's like genocide by committee. Who's running this holocaust in Darfur, FEMA?...Darfur is not the threat... though a hostage-taking, [[Holocaust]]-denying lunatic who doesn't own a necktie but is within two years of having a nuclear bomb comes to mind. You can already hear [[Harry Reid]] and [[Nancy Pelosi]] saying, "If the Democrats were in charge, the use of military force wouldn't be necessary because we'd constructively engage them and appease their stated desire to kill us."<REF>This appeared on Coulter's web site on April 4th, 2007. http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=177</REF>

* "If you want a shorter rebuilding process, then we're going to have to wage less humane wars. The enemy — as well as innocent civilians — must be bombed into quivering terror. Otherwise, we displace aggression but don't destroy it. Americans are weaker for having seen that kind of carnage in [[World War II]]. Recall that the Worst Generation was raised by the Greatest Generation. That tells you how awful war is. The Greatest Generation was so exhausted by the war, it didn't have the spine to stand up to [[pot-smoking]], draft-dodging hippies occupying administration buildings."<REF>This appeared on Coulter's web site on April 4th, 2007. http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/article.cgi?article=177</REF>

* "I think [women] should be armed but should not vote. No, they all have to give up their vote, not just, you know, the lady clapping and me. The problem with women voting -- and your [[Communists]] will back me up on this -- is that, you know, women have no capacity to understand how money is earned. They have a lot of ideas on how to spend it. And when they take these polls, it's always more money on education, more money on child care, more money on day care."<ref> ''Politically Incorrect'', Feb. 26, 2001</ref>

* "...a cruise missile is more important than Head Start."<ref>Nov. 2001 speech rebroadcast by C-Span in Jan. 2002</ref>

* On Sept. 13, 2001 she wrote this about the [[September 11, 2001 attacks|Sept. 11 terrorist attack]]: "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."<ref>''National Review Online'', September 2001 [http://www.nationalreview.com/coulter/coulter.shtml]</ref>

* "We need to execute people like John Walker [Lindh] in order to physically intimidate liberals, by making them realize that they can be killed, too. Otherwise, they will turn out to be outright traitors," Conservative Political Action Conference, January 2002. Coulter later clarified what she meant; "when I said we should "execute" John Walker Lindh, I mis-spoke. What I meant to say was 'We should burn John Walker Lindh alive and televise it on prime-time network TV'. My apologies for any misunderstanding that might have occurred."<ref>[http://www.rightwingnews.com/interviews/coulteriffic.php RWN's Ann Coulter Interview #2] John Hawkins.</ref>

* "Liberals are driven by [[Satan]] and lie constantly.<ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=21345 That Was No Lady -- That Was My Husband], by Ann Coulter, ''Human Events'', 06/28/2007.</ref>

* "Every concrete example of the racism allegedly sweeping the nation's campuses keeps turning out to be a fraud. Far from "institutional racism," there is "institutional racial hoaxism" run amok in this country."<ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=22909&email Another Liberal Noose-ance], by Ann Coulter, ''Human Events'', 10/17/2007.</ref>

* "Rather than own up to their moral blindness to Soviet espionage, Democrats fired up the liberal slander machine, which would be deployed again and again over the next half century to the present day.<ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23316 McCarthyism: The Rosetta Stone of Liberal Lies], by Ann Coulter, ''Human Events'', 11/07/2007.</ref>

* "By exposing the Democrats' absolute blindness to Soviet [[totalitarianism]], [[McCarthy]] shattered forever the nation's confidence in the Democrats' capacity to govern. For that, the [[Stalin]]ist [[liberal hate speech|hate machine]] attacked him viciously and has never let up."<ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23824 They'll Never Forgive You], by Ann Coulter, ''Human Events'', 12/05/2007.</ref>

* "How about having [[Tim Russert]] ask Hillary if she believes the [[New Testament]] is the [[perfection]] of the [[Old Testament]]? She claims to be a [[Christian]]. Let's get it on the table: Is she or isn't she? It doesn't get any more bare-bones than that.<ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=23174 How Long Before the A.D.L. Kicks Out All its Jews?], By Ann Coulter, ''Human Events'', October 31, 2007.</ref>

* "[The New York Times'] reaction to al-Zarqawi's death was to lower the U.S. flag at the Times building to half-staff. (Ha ha — just kidding! Everybody knows there aren't any American flags at The New York Times.)"<ref>[http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter071306.php3 ''N.Y. Times: Better dead than read]]</ref>

* "I think our motto should be post-9-11, ‘raghead talks tough, raghead faces consequences.'"<ref>http://michellemalkin.com/2006/02/12/ragheads-and-sambos-and-gooks/</ref>

* "I was going to have a few comments about John Edwards but you have to go into rehab if you use the word f****t."

==See Also==
*[[Previous Breaking News/Ann Coulter|Articles about '''Ann Coulter''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[Wikiproject:News by Subject#Ann Coulter| Wikiproject:News by Subject- Ann Coulter]]
*[[Conservative Links]]
*[[Lou Dobbs]]

==Notes and references==
{{reflist|2}}

==External Links==
*[http://www.anncoulter.com/cgi-local/welcome.cgi AnnCoulter.com]
*RealClearPolitcs.com [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/03/poll_most_americans_love_coult.html Poll: Most Americans Love Coulter Columns], accessed 6 May 2007.
*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/05/AR2007030501610_2.html The Long Fuse on Ann Coulter's Bomb] - ''Washington Post'' - March 6, 2007
*[http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/video.aspx?RsrcID=2095 Media Research Center 'Funny Video's from 2007'] Watch Ann Coulter present funny videos from 2007 at the 2008 MRC DisHonors Awards in DC.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coulter, Ann}}

[[Category:Women Authors]]
[[Category:Conservative Commentators]]

Unificationism

2010-01-02T13:29:33Z

AtheistsAreCute:

The '''Unification Church''' was founded in 1954 by [[Sun Myung Moon]] (1920-), a convicted tax evader and lunatic who was raised in a [[Christian]] household. The Unification Church was officially named the ''Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity'', abbreviated as HSA-UWC, but is now officially named as the ''Family Federation for World Peace and Unification''.<ref>ttp://www.apologeticsindex.org/21-family-federation-for-world-peace-and-unification</ref>Its followers are typically referred to as ''Moonies'' by critics, a term the church's adherents, called ''Unificationists'', dislike.

Moon was originally from northern [[Korea]] and founded ''The [[Washington Times]]'', a conservative newspaper. Sun Myung Moon in South Korea in 1954, and who remained its head until late 2009, when he turned over official leadership to his sons.

The church preaches a [[universalist]] doctrine of [[salvation]] based on a doctrine called the ''Unification Principle''.<ref>The church's teachings are written in Korean, and were re-translated in 1996 as ''Exposition of the Divine Principle'' [http://www.unification.net/dp96/] </ref>
Rev. Moon, calling himself the Lord of the Second Advent, believes he is the new [[messiah]], sent to complete the elimination of evil, the establishment of a perfect society on earth and the cleansing of mankind of [[original sin]].

The church is known for its unique theology, conversion techniques, mass weddings and political activity. It is opposed by [[conservative]] [[Christian]]s due to its contradictions of Christian Biblical doctrine,<ref>http://www.biblequery.org/OtherBeliefs/RevMoon/RevMoon.htm</ref> <ref>[http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=artMoonie.article_1 Bob Waldrep, Watchman Fellowship, ''The Unification Church: Moonshine for the Soul'']</ref><ref>[http://www.biblequery.org/OtherBeliefs/RevMoon/RevMoon.htm ''MoonStruck: An Analysis of Rev. Moon’s Unification Church'', biblequery.org]</ref><ref>[http://www.religionfacts.com/unification_church/index.htm Religion Facts, ''Unification Church'']</ref><ref>[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/u05.html Apologetics Index, ''About the Unification Church'']</ref><ref>J. Isamu Yamamoto, Dr Alan W Gomes, ''Unification Church''</ref><ref>[http://video.aol.com/video-detail/nan-sook-hong/1354477572 Nan Sook Hong video interview]</ref> though certain ministries have accepted funding from Unification "front" ministries,<ref>[http://www.letusreason.org/Moon.htm ''The Dark side of the Moon: The wedding blessing pt.1'', pt.1]</ref><ref>http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/front_groups.htm</ref> while others mainly object to its conservative political involvement.

As of 2009 Moon has officially turned over control of the church to his sons. 30-year-old Rev. Moon Hyung-jin, Moon's youngest, was chosen in 2008 to be the religious leader of the church, while Moon Kook-jin, 39, has become the head of business ventures in South Korea, and overseeing international operations is 40-year-old Moon Hyun-jin.<ref>Associated Press, ''Moon turning over Unification Church to sons''. Mon., Oct . 12, 2009</ref>

==History==

Sun Myung Moon was born and raised in what is now [[North Korea]], during imperialist [[Japan]]ese occupation. Moon's parents mainly adhered to [[Confucianism]] until they converted in 1930 to the [[Presbyterian]] church in Korea, when Moon was around 10 years old. During the Japanese occupation, the Presbyterian church--along with many other faiths--was the object of Japanese persecution. It was also a time of spiritual innovation. Although for a short time Moon was taught in the Presbyterian [[Christian faith]], he states that on [[Resurrection Sunday]] in 1936 (when he was 16) he saw a vision of [[Jesus]], in which he was commissioned "to restore God's perfect kingdom", and that he would be "the completer of man's salvation by being the Second Coming of Christ",<ref>Sun Myung Moon and The Unification Church, James Bjornstad, p. 9</ref> though minor variations of this message are given. Moon would be known as the "Savior, the Lord of the Second Advent, the Messiah".<ref>Today's World, September 1992, pp. 20-21</ref> In a similarity to men such as [[Joseph Smith]], the founder of [[Mormonism]], and Emanuel Swedenborg, founder of [[Swedenborgism]], Moon claimed that he conversed in the spiritual realm with [[Abraham]], [[Moses]], [[Jesus]], [[Mohammad]], [[Buddha]] and other notables of other faiths.<ref>The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions, Keith Crim, editor, p. 775</ref><ref>''Outline of the Principle'', Level 4, p. 2, 1980</ref>

Moon established his first congregation in 1946, titled the ''Broad Sea Church''. In 1948 Moon was excommunicated by the Presbyterian Church, and a short time later was imprisoned and tortured by the North Korean authorities. He was soon released but was arrested and imprisoned again, remaining so until the camp was liberated by American and U.N. troops in 1950. Moon relocated to South Korea, and began a church in a refugee camp in Pusan. In 1954 Moon registered his church as ''The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity'' (HSA-UWC). In 1955 South Korean authorities arrested Moon for draft evasion, and later adding charges of adultery and promiscuity. However, the government could not prove its case and Moon was released. <ref>James Bjornstad, ''Sun Myung Moon & The Unification Church'', p. 11</ref>

In 1959 Moon came to [[America]], where, in 1971 he established his international headquarters. Moon found a political ally in the 1960s with South Korea's leader Park Chung Hee, as both were committed to fighting [[communism]]. Moon created ideological and political alliances with prominent figures based on a common interest, even though these people often did not otherwise share all of his beliefs.<ref>"Unification Church Influence in America," p. 8</ref>

While growth in the [[United States]] was slow to begin, organization and growth were increased in the early- to mid-1970s as Moon made his third tour of the country. Moon made many publicized speeches (including in Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium in New York City) and orchestrated other gatherings, and increased evangelism.

A later feature of Unificationism was the practice of mass public wedding ceremonies. The first of these was held on July 1, 1982 when Moon married over 2000 couples at one time at Madison Square Garden, [[New York City]]. In 1988 6,516 couples from 83 countries were married in a church-owned location near Seoul, South Korea.<ref>Wall Street Journal, August 24, 1992, p. A-1</ref> In August of 1992, Moon presided over a mass wedding of 3,000 couples in Seoul Korea, while in 1995 more than 720,000 people were married via satellite at 545 sites in over 100 countries.<ref>Christian News, 9/25/95, p. 14</ref> Regarding such, Moon stated, "No religious leader nor the president of any nation can accomplish such a feat."<ref>Proclamation of the Messiah by Reverend Sun Myung Moon</ref> <ref>http://www.letusreason.org/Moon.htm</ref>

The Unification Church is estimated to own or have a substantial interest in approximately 300 financial institutions all over the world, including publishers, jewellers, and clothing stores,<ref>[http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/-religions-list/unification-church CARM, ''The Unification Church'']</ref> as well as substantial influence in Bridgeport Academy and University of Bridgeport.

===Driksen building coronation===

In the Driksen building of the U.S. Senate in March 2004, Sun Myung Moon and his wife were clothed with kingly robes and crowned with golden crowns. Moon took the title ''King of Peace'' and made a long speech, in which he stated,

<blockquote>Emperors, kings and presidents... have declared to all Heaven and Earth that Reverend Sun Myung Moon is none other than humanity's Savior, Messiah, Returning Lord and True Parent.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The founders of five great religions and many other leaders in the spirit world, including even [[Communist]] leaders such as [[Marx]] and [[Lenin]]... and dictators such as [[Hitler]] and [[Stalin]], have found strength in my teachings, mended their ways and been reborn as new persons.</blockquote>

<blockquote>In the context of heaven's providence, I am God's ambassador, sent to earth with His full authority. I am sent to accomplish His command to save the world's 6 billion people, restoring them to heaven with the original goodness in which they were created.</blockquote>

Certain prominent politicians took part in the ceremony, stating afterwards that they were misled into participating.<ref>The Washington Post, Wednesday, June 23, 2004; Page A01</ref><ref> http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=38947</ref>

==Theological development and doctrine==

Moon's theology is influenced by a variety of sources. Moon's parents had followed a blend of traditional Korean religions - Confucianism, Buddhism and folk shamanism before choosing to convert to Presbyterian faith. Early on in his departure from Christian theology, Moon was influenced by "Paik Moon Kim, a self-proclaimed messiah",<ref>Encyclopedia of American Religions, Gordon Melton, Vol. 2, p. 226</ref> whose teachings Moon is seen using. Moon also cited a cult text from the fifteenth or sixteenth century, the ''Chung Kam Nok'', which supported his claim that Korea would bring forth the messiah.<ref>The Perennial Dictionary of World Religions, p. 776</ref>

One of Moon's early converts, Young Oon Kim, was a further influence in the development of Unification theology. Also known as Miss Kim, in her youth she had visions, heard voices, and had hallucinations. She became deeply influenced by the writing of occultist [[Emanuel Swedenborg]], whom she said appeared to her in visions. Having rejected much of her early [[Methodist]] training, Kim sought to be ordained in a small organization called the ''Universal Church of the Master'', and also combined various ideas from other religions. Miss Kim would later be particularly influential in its growth of Unificationism in the [[United States]], as its the first missionary there. Miss Kim also worked in translating the ''Divine Principle''into English.<ref>http://www.religionfacts.com/unification_church/index.htm</ref><ref>George D. Chryssides, ''Unifying or Dividing? Sun Myung Moon and the Origins of the Unification Church'', University of Wolverhampton, U.K.</ref><ref>http://www.letusreason.org/moon2.htm</ref>

The Divine Principle, a 536 page work, was published in 1957 and is the primary doctrinal authority for Unificationism. While it is considered to be divinely-inspired scripture, it is called "only part of the new truth. ...as time goes on, deeper parts of the truth will be continually revealed" <ref>Today's World, September 1992, p. 16</ref>

In Unification theology, God is both masculine and feminine, according to the concept called ''polarity'', and is based on finding the characteristics which are common to all entities in his Creation." <ref>Outline of the Principle - Level 4, p. 10</ref> being similar to the idea of deity seen in [[I Ching]], [[Confucianism]], [[Taoism]], as well as the [[Hindu]] worship of a Mother Goddess.<ref>Unification Theology, p. 56.</ref>

The purpose of creation is to perfect relationships of love between God and man and each other, and to have dominion over creation, which constitutes a tri-fold process called the ''Three Blessings''. This includes the requirement that perfect families be realized and replicated. However, [[Adam]] and [[Eve]] are held to have sinned by fornicating, with Eve being sexually seduced by [[Lucifer]], followed by Adam having marital relations with Eve, which according to Moon was not to have taken place until they had reached a stage of perfection. Due to their failure, "they multiplied selfishness and corruption. As a result, we have never seen "true parents" who could raise sinless children and create a sinless lineage."

In seeking the restoration of God's plan and establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth, Moon's theology mandated that ''indemnity conditions'' be met, and that someone would restore the ''Foundation of Faith'' and the ''Foundation of Substance'', and achieve perfection, have an ideal marriage, raise sinless children, and then propagate this perfection till the kingdom comes. God’s efforts at restoration are stated to have included [[Cain and Abel]], [[Noah]], [[Abraham]], [[Moses]], [[John the Baptist]] and [[Jesus Christ]], but all of whom Moon claims failed.

Jesus is held to have provided a spiritual salvation, while His bodily physical resurrection is denied, and He is rejected as having completed God’s plan, due to His having died without marrying and raising perfect children, which would have provided physical salvation. In contrast, Sun Myung Moon is stated to have fulfilled all the conditions necessary to be the Messiah (which was officially proclaimed in 1971), and to have enabled salvation for mankind.<ref>[http://www.religionfacts.com/unification_church/index.htm ReligionFacts: ''Unification Church''].</ref><ref>James A. Beckford, ''Cult controversies: the societal response to new religious movements'', pp. 44-48.</ref>

In 1960 Moon married 17 year-old Hak Ja Han, his third and present wife. This year was when ''the marriage of the Lamb'' prophesied in the book of Revelation took place, and (Moon) the Lord of the Second Advent and His Bride became the True Parents of mankind, according to Moon.<ref>Bjornstad, ''The Moon Is Not The Son'', pp. 62-63.</ref> Being held as the first couple to be able to bring forth children with no original sin,<ref>http://www.carm.org/religious-movements/-religions-list/unification-church</ref> Hak Ja Han is reported to have borne 14 children.<ref>http://www.letusreason.org/Moon.htm</ref>

Sun Myung Moon also asserted that Jesus now serves his dead son, Heung Jin, in heaven.
<blockquote>
He does not have the heartistic bond with True Parents that the True Children do. Therefore, Heung Jin takes the position of first son in the spirit world. It is correct that Heung Jin is called Lord there. He went there instead of Parents, which means that the birthright is restored in the spirit world. That is why Jesus must serve him absolutely.<ref>Sun Myung Moon - 1987-12-4. Hannam-dong House - The Tribal Messiah - Sermon 2 - Establishment of The Birthright</ref>.<ref>http://www.moontribune.com/cult/2008/11/24/christian-church-leaders-call-sun-myung-moon-the-devil-and-anti-christ</ref></blockquote>

Moon had completed the ''Original Palace for the Attendance of True Parents'' in South Korea by 2004, Before its completion, Moon’s medium, Dae Mo Nim, described it as the place “where God and True Parents can work together".</ref><ref>[http://www.moontribune.com/cult/2008/11/24/christian-church-leaders-call-sun-myung-moon-the-devil-and-anti-christ Christian Church leaders call Sun Myung Moon the “Devil and Anti-Christ”]</ref>

Sun Myung Moon is seen as an object to whom implicit faith and obedience is to be rendered by his followers. Moon stated,

<blockquote>Actually, have you ever stopped to wonder if there is anything that Father doesn't do? There's no such thing; he does everything. Now we know these are phenomena of the Last Days. So what is the conclusion? Pay no attention to anything else; just hold on to Reverend Moon. Thus, when Father gives a direction, we can reply confidently, "Yes." We don't discuss it; we just go ahead, because we know that we are better off that way”<ref>Proclamation of the Messiah by Reverend Sun Myung Moon</ref>.</blockquote>

An often recited vow promises, "I will become a dutiful son and a child of goodness to attend to our Father Moon forever.<ref>Ronald Enroth, ''Youth, Brainwashing and the cult extremists'', p. 19.</ref>

===Spirituality===

During a tour of America in 1965, in which Moon established ''Holy Grounds'' at various locations, Moon and former South Korean Colonel and C.I A. officer Bo Hi Pak (later president of the Washington Times) met with [[occult]] spirit medium Arthur Ford (1879-1971) in [[Philadelphia]], Pennsylvania. Ford claimed that his "spirit guide" named "Fletcher, would communicate through him. Ford stated, "I go to sleep because I was trained by a [[yoga]], In this state of unconsciousness in which my objective mind is pushed aside there is a personality called Fletcher [which] comes through". Fletcher confirmed Moon to be a spiritual leader through whom the Spirit of Truth could speak "more clearly than any one individual" at that time.<ref>''Unknown But Known'', pp. 131-139</ref> Moon then advised Ford to "find out what level Fletcher is at, so you can understand best how to work with him."<ref>Blessing Quarterly, Autumn 1991/Winter 1992</ref>

Moon's use of spiritism would continue, being one that "continually receives 'new revelations,' and practices a form of soul travel whereby he allegedly projects himself into the spirit realm to see Jesus and the saints, and claims to be an 'expert' on the spirit world."<ref>James Bjornstad, The Moon Is Not The Son, p. 30.</ref><ref>http://www.wfial.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=artMoonie.article_1.</ref>

Unification sources also state that Moon has offered spiritual guidance and blessing to various notable historical figures, and has enabled seminars to take place in the spirit world, attended by a variety of leaders, from [[Confucius]] to [[Mao Zedung]].<ref>Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (2002), ‘A Cloud of Witnesses: The Saints’ Testimonies to True Parents; http://www.cesnur.org/2003/vil2003_chryssides.htm (liberal source: [http://www.kelebekler.com/cesnur/eng.htm]</ref> For 20 years Moon has sought to develop a ''Spirit World Machine'', hoping to establish a reliable connection to the spirit world. <ref>Unification theological seminary</ref>

Primarily in earlier days, Unificationists themselves placed a heavy emphasis upon visions, revelatory dream and hearing voices. A study of members in the New York City area between 1979 and 1980 showed 32 percent describing having personally meaningful visions of Sun Myung Moon in different postures.<ref>Irving Hexham, Karla Poewe, J. I. Packer, ''Understanding Cults and New Age Religions'', p. 114-116.</ref>

==Opposition==

With the growth of the Unification church came increasing theological opposition, primarily from Christian teachers due to Unification's contradictions of Christian theology, detailed in such works the ''Kingdom of the Cults'', by the late Walter Martin. <ref>Martin, ''The Unification Church'', Kingdom of the Cults, chapter 13</ref>

Critic James Bjornstad, in Sun Myung Moon and The Unification Church, sums up Moons theology as being an the admixture of different beliefs.

"Begin with a well-seasoned Taoist philosophy, add Christian words and phrases and some Bible verses, and stir briskly until they blend. Now add a bit of spiritism, a pinch of numerology, a dab of physics, and a dash of anti-communism; mix it altogether, using a Korean Messiah, and you have the recipe for one of the newest religious movements sweeping America - The Unification Church, founded by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon.<ref>Quoted by John Ford in ''What If I'm Right?'', p. 157</ref>

The Unification church is criticized over what is seen as attempts to appeal to Christianity by using the Bible in order to teach a form of [[New Age]] theology, by applying various esoteric and metaphysical meanings to such biblical words and terms as sin, salvation, born again, etc.

In Divine Principle 9 it is stated, "It may be displeasing to religious believers, especially to Christians, that a new expression of truth must appear", and that "the Bible is not the truth, but a textbook teaching the truth", as revealed by Moon.

Sun Myung Moon has indicated that his use of the Bible is temporary:

"Until our mission with the Christian church is over, we must quote the Bible and use it to explain the Divine Principle. After we receive the inheritance of the Christian, we will be free to teach without the Bible.<ref>''Master Speaks'', March/April, 1965, MS-7, p. 1</ref>

Pointed doctrinal opposition has also been seen from without America. In 1998 Church leaders in the Solomon islands opposed Sun Myung Moon's Global Peace Festival, and stated that he had undermined,
{{cquote|the finished work of Christ on the Cross and what Moon is doing is the work of the Devil and the Anti-Christ.

The only truth comes from the word of God and the Bible which says that Jesus alone is the way the truth and the life no one goes to the Father except through Him, and that alone is one of the fundamental principles of the Christian Faith.<ref>http://solomontimes.com/news.aspx?nwID=3082 November 25, 2008 10:49 AM</ref>}}

In the Philippines the ''News Today'' reported on November 19, 2008 that “religious sectors particularly the Catholic Church” in the Philippine province of Capiz have declared the “Global Peace Festival” held there to be “anti-Christ.”

Charges of mind control and manipulation by the Unification church were often heard in the 70's and 80's.

In 1981 Moon faced governmental opposition when the Internal Revenue Service charged him with tax evasion. Although some other religious figures supported Moon in this issue, he was found guilty and fined 25,000 and time in prison. Moon ended up serving 13 months in prison, and was deported after his release in 1985.<ref>Thomas Streissguth, ''Charismatic cult leaders'', p. 95-97</ref>

Robert Boettcher, the former staff director for the congressional committee which investigated Moon<ref>http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/m/moonies/fraser-report/index.html</ref>, criticized Moon for apparently thinking that his “religious beliefs” were a special license to break laws. \<ref>[Robert B. Boettcher - Gifts of Deceit - Sun Myung Moon, Tongsun Park and the Korean Scandal. (1980)]</ref>

In defense, Pulitzer-prize winning reporter 1991 Carlton Sherwood, an employee of Moon's paper, the [[Washington Times]], wrote ''Inquisition''. Sherwood describes Moon as a victim of religious persecution and racial bigotry, a portrayal which church investigators J. Isamu Yamamoto and Paul Carden strongly disagree with.<ref>[http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0133a.html Christian Research Journal, Fall 1992, p. 32]</ref>

In 1998, Nansook Hong, the former wife of the Moon's oldest son, Hyo Jin Moon, published a crushing memoir, ''In the Shadow of the Moons: My Life in Reverend Sun Myung Moon's Family'' Boston: <ref>Little, Brown & Company, 1998.</ref> describing her husband's increasingly constant drug use, rampant adultery and physical violence during the turbulent fourteen years of their marriage. In addition, one of Moon's other sons committed suicide in 1999, by jumping from a 17th story balcony in Reno, [[Nevada]].<ref>TIME Magazine, ''Life with the Moons: A conversation with Nansook Hong, former daughter-in-law of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, October 13, 1998</ref>.

As Moon promoted himself as a model of family values and taught that he and his wife are the True Parents of the new family, born without original sin, this revelation of iniquity within Moon's family has seriously impugned Moon's credibility. A perfect family is necessary for the fulfillment of Moon's theology, the establishment of the kingdom of God, for which purpose Moon has declared he was ordained as Messiah.<ref>http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/In-the-Shadow-of-the-Moons</ref><ref>Don Lattin, ''Following Our Bliss: How the Spiritual Ideals of the Sixties Shape Our Lives, p. 2003</ref><ref>http://www.nypost.com/081798/gossip/pagesix.htm</ref>

==Unification responses to complaints about the church==

===Separating families===

Rev. Moon said,
:It truly is an irony. However, from the spiritual point of view, a great blessing is coming to those families because their sons and daughters are working for this new messianic mission of the Unification Church. Furthermore, this is a heavenly emergency on a worldwide scale. When a national emergency comes, a soldier leaves his wife and children behind temporarily and goes out to defend his country. From God's point of view, these children have been summoned for the greatest heavenly emergency and a most glorious mission. The incredible grievances and complaints come only because people do not see this spiritual aspect.

I have never divided families or broken homes. Actually, in many cases, I have restored families and united them in happiness. I have received numerous thank-you letters from grateful parents. In some other cases, families are trying to blame me for damage that was done long before.<ref>[http://www.euro-tongil.org/swedish/english/esontag.htm Interview conducted by Frederick Sontag]</ref>

===Mass suicide rumor===

In the aftermath of the [[Jonestown Massacre]], rumors circulated that Unification Church members were of like mind to members of the [[People's Temple]]. However, basic differences include a prohibition on [[suicide]] (classed by the church as a worse sin than [[murder]]), an international base (as opposed to one large, local community); minimal pressure to maintain membership, resulting in a 94% voluntary dropout rate in the years 1975 to 1995, a repudiation of the doctrine of [[Reincarnation]], and an God-centered ideological opposition to [[Marxism]].<ref>The church published ''Communism: A critique and counterproposal'' in the 1970s</ref>

===Anti-semitism charge===

Despite its large percentage of Jewish members, the Church has long been dogged by charges of [[anti-Semitism]]. In 1976 the American Jewish Committee published the report "Jews and Judaism in Rev. Moon's Divine Principle", asserting that "every time Rev. Moon mentions Jews or Israelites he portrays them collectively as reprobate, with evil intentions."<ref>"Jews and Judaism in Rev. Moon's Divine Principle", a report issued by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) in 1976</ref>

Unificationists deny that they are anti-Semitic, regarding Judaism as an "older brother" and recommending that the US defend Israel militarily against Arab aggression.

*And yet, in spite of this clear and explicit statement, we were attacked repeatedly and accused of anti-Semitism. Our views were distorted, our struggle, its meaning and objectives misrepresented.
*The Unification Movement categorically condemns anti- Semitism, the most hideous, abject and cruel form of hatred. We regard the murder of six million Jews in Europe the result of political short- sightedness and lack of moral responsibility on the part of Germany's political and religious leaders, and statesmen from among other nations, in the period between the Two World Wars.
*Ignoring the basic teachings of the Scriptures, they acted too late to block Hitler's ascent to power, they postponed the action for his downfall, and they did nothing to rescue the victims who were the captives of his satanic plans and designs.
*Only a unified front of all Christian and Jewish forces, inspired by the principles of the Divine Commandments and guided by the concept of human brotherhood, would have been able to prevent the Holocaust, the implementation of the "Final Solution," -- a Cain-inspired action, carried out by the Nazis between 1933 and 1945.
*The Unification Movement recognizes the divine and natural right of the Jewish people to physical survival and preservation of its specific religious traditions, the marks of its distinctive historical entity. These fundamental human rights must be secured everyhwere, especially for Jews living in the lands of the Diaspora.<ref>
[http://www.tparents.org/Moon-Talks/SunMyungMoon03/SM030516-Israel-final.htm Quotes from Sun Myung Moon relevant to the May 2003 Pilgrimage to Israel]</ref>

In 2003 Moon gave a sermon at Arlington, [[Virginia]], describing the death of six million [[Judaism|Jews]] in the [[Holocaust]]: "Through the principle of indemnity Hitler killed 6 million Jews. That is why. God could not prevent Satan from doing that because Israel killed the True Parents."<ref>[http://www.unification.net/news/2003/news20030302_1.html Sermon] 2 March 2003</ref>
This sentence has been taken out of context, and the key point that it was Satan rather than God who acted has been ignored. The Divine Principle interprets the Old Testament in terms of God's love for the Jews as the [[chosen people]]. When they acted righteously, they were blessed and protected; when they fell into sin they were scattered. This view is in accord with Western thought.<ref>
The Old Testament represents the confession of the people of Israel that God first became active in their affairs in the experience of their Hebrew pastoral ancestors. Through the centuries, he continued to protect, [[admonish]], and guide their vulnerable descendants. ... The prophets began to confront Israel in the days of the divided monarchy, indicting the people for failure to heed the moral demand of God and for failing to protect the weak in society. Their warnings of doom came to pass as Israel fell before the imperial might of Assyria and Babylon. [http://www.answers.com/topic/old-testament Columbia Encyclopedia - Old Testament]</ref>

In 2003, a Unification organization, American Clergy Leadership Conference (ACLC) implemented a program designed to persuade Christian churches to remove the cross in their buildings and to replace them with the crown, which is Moon’s preferred symbol. "This campaign, called Tear Down the Cross, culminated in Moon’s high priests holding a ceremony outside Jerusalem in which they buried a 4-foot cross wrapped in Moon’s flag, declaring it to be 'the symbol of Satan’s victory in the Church.”<ref>http://michiganmessenger.com/1129/moon-cults-awards-banquet-disguised-as-innocuous</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Links==
*[http://www.reverendsunmyungmoon.org/ Rev. Sun Myung Moon official web site]
*[http://www.uptv.org/ch14.php?188 Determined Man] - slideshow with music
*[http://www.religionfacts.com/un ification_church/index.htm Religion Facts, ''Unification Church''. Secular historical overview]
*[http://www.letusreason.org/Moon.htm ''The Dark side of the Moon'', Let Us Reason series, critical evangelical examination of Unificationism ]
*[http://www.apologeticsindex.org/u05.html Apologetics Index, ''About the Unification Church''. various critical links]
*J. Isamu Yamamoto, Dr Alan W Gomes, ''Unification Church''. Book, critical analysis

[[category:churches]]

Liberal denial

2010-01-02T13:27:55Z

AtheistsAreCute: Replaced content with 'Let's just make shit up and call it an encyclopaedia.'

Let's just make shit up and call it an encyclopaedia.

Richard Nixon

2010-01-02T13:25:43Z

AtheistsAreCute: /* Policy of Detente */

{{President
|image=Nixon 30-0316a.jpg
|seq=37
|term_start=January 20, 1969
|term_end=August 9, 1974<ref>http://home.comcast.net/~sharonday7/Presidents/AP060301.htm</ref>
|party=Republican
|vp=Spiro Agnew
|vp_dates=1969-1973)
|2vp=None
|2vp_dates=Oct.-Dec. 1973
|3vp=Gerald Ford
|3vp_dates=1973-1974
|previous=Lyndon B. Johnson
|next=Gerald Ford
|office2=vice
|seq2=36
|term_start2=January 20, 1953
|term_end2=January 20, 1961
|pres2=Dwight D. Eisenhower
|previous2=Alben Barkley
|next2=Lyndon B. Johnson
|birth_date=January 9, 1913
|birth_place=Yorba Linda, California
|death_date=April 22, 1994
|death_place=New York City
|spouse=Thelma Catherine "Pat" Ryan
|spouse2=
|religion=Quaker
}}

'''Richard Milhous Nixon''' was the 37th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from 1969 to 1974. He was the only U. S. President to resign the office. He also served as the 36th [[Vice President of the United States]] of America under President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] from 1953 to 1961.

In 1946, he was elected as a [[U.S. Representative]]. As a Congressman from [[California]], and as a member of the [[House Committee on Un-American Activities]], he investigated Communists and instigated the successful prosecution of [[Alger Hiss]] for spying for the Soviet Union during [[World War II]].

After two terms in the House, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in November of 1950.

After losing his first presidential race to [[John F. Kennedy]] by a narrow margin in 1960, he unsuccessfully ran for Governor of California in 1962, losing to incumbent Edmund G Brown.

In 1968 he was elected president, and was reelected in 1972 by a landslide, but resigned the presidency on August 9, 1974 due to a threat of impeachment by Congress for the [[Watergate Affair]]. The main impeachment charge was that Nixon obstructed justice by telling employees to mislead FBI investigators about the Watergate burglary.

==Early Life==

Richard Milhous Nixon was born in [[Yorba Linda, California]], on January 9, 1913. Soon after, his family moved to Whittier, California. Nixon's childhood years were not unusual for someone growing up in two small towns near Los Angeles. His parents, Frank and Hannah Nixon, were devout [[Quakers]]. Nixon had four siblings and saw two of his brothers die from [[tuberculosis]]. Nixon grew up relatively poor, as his father earned a modest income from his gas station and grocery store. But due to these hard times, he established a quality of determination and strong work ethic. A good student and a hard worker, Nixon excelled scholastically at both Whittier High School and Whittier College.

Nixon attended Fullerton High School and Whittier High School. He graduated second in his class from Whittier with honor in the study of [[Shakespeare]] and [[Latin]]. He was awarded scholarships to [[Harvard]] and [[Yale]] University, but declined due to his family's financial condition. He instead enrolled at [[Whittier College]], a local [[Quaker]] school, where he co-founded the "Orthogonian Society", a new organzation to the campus geared towards working-class students. At Whittier, Nixon, a formidable debater, was elected freshman class president, and served as student body vice president in his junior year and president in his senior year. While at Whittier, he taught Sunday school at [[East Whittier Friends Church]] and remained a member all his life.

A lifelong football fan, Nixon practiced with the team, but played little. In 1934, he graduated second in his class from Whittier, and went on to [[Duke University|Duke University School of Law]], where he received a full scholarship, was elected president of the Duke Bar Association, and graduated third in his class.

In 1942 Nixon became a lawyer for the Office of Price Administration, the wartime liberal [[New Deal]] program that regulated all prices and rationed basic commodities.

During World War II, Nixon served in the [[Navy]] as a reserve officer, serving in the supply corps on several islands in the South Pacific, commanding cargo handling units in the SCAT. There he was known as "Nick" and for his exceptional poker-playing skills, banking a large sum of money that helped finance his first campaign for Congress. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant commander and resigned in March, 1946.

==Congressional Career==
:''See related article : [[Legacy of Alger Hiss]]
After service in the Navy he entered an entirely unstructured California political environment-- parties hardly existed there in the 1940s, and many voters were recent arrivals. As a result Nixon never built a secure base in California (or anywhere else). In 1946 he defeated five-term Democrat Representative Jerry Voorhis, a leading liberal. Two years later, Nixon ran for reelection in both the Republican and Democrat primaries and won endorsement of both parties in the general election. <ref>Only California allowed this sort of "cross filing," and they later dropped it and went to normal intra-party primaries. Richard Matthew Pious, ''The Presidents,'' pg. 515</ref> Nixon took typical positions for a California Republican: he was hostile to [[Communism]], internationalist in outlook, and middle-of-the road in economic and social issues.

Nixon's first major breakthrough came in Congress, where his dogged investigation broke the impasse of the [[Alger Hiss]] spy case in 1948. The idea that Hiss--a former senior adviser to President [[Franklin Roosevelt]]-- was a Soviet spy electrified the nation, and won the lifelong hatred of the left, whose veneer of patriotism was dissolved. [[Image:Eisenhower_Nixon.jpg|left|thumb|275px|Eisenhower and Nixon on a 1952 Campaign Stop.]]
In 1950 Nixon was elected to the [[United States Senate]] by defeating a leading Hollywood liberal, Helen Gahagan Douglas using tough campaign tactics that emphasized her votes with the far left.

==Vice Presidency==

Because of his membership of the California delegation at the 1952 [[Republican National Convention]], his strong anti-[[communist]] credentials, and his appeal to the [[west]]ern part of the [[United States]], Nixon was named as [[General]] [[Dwight Eisenhower]]'s [[Vice President of the United States of America|vice presidental]] [[running mate]].

In the midst of the campaign questions arose about a group of seventy-six [[business]]man for southern California had contributed to a secret slush fund for Richard Nixon, being paid $900 a month (totaling $18,168 up to that point). There was talk on Nixon dropping off the ticket. Nixon claimed that money was used for office expenses only. On September 23, 1952 he gave the now infamous "Checkers Speech" in which he said that he and his wife, [[Patrica Nixon|Pat Nixon]] do not live lavishly, saying that his wife had not even owned a fur coat but only "a respectable Republican cloth coat." He went on to bring up a gift someone gave his [[child]]ren, a [[dog]] named Checkers, and said defiantly, "regardless of what they about it, we're going to keep it." The speech was meet with overwhelming public approval. In November, Eisenhower and Nixon swept their way in office, winning 55 percent of the vote, to 44 percent for Democrat opponent [[Adlai Stevenson]].

As Vice President Richard Nixon occasionally presided over the Senate and chaired the President's Commission on [[Government]] Contracts, which dealt with radical discrimination by government contractors, and the Cabinet Committee on Price Stability for Economic growth (although Nixon had little influence over it). Nixon also chaired the National Security Council. However, in a [[press]] conference President Eisenhower was asked to give an example of Richard Nixon's contributions as Vice President, to which Eisenhower replied, "If you give me a week, I might think of one."

Nixon did, however, have an influential role in [[White House]] political operations. He campaigned for Republican member's of Congress in 1954 and 1958. Nixon positioned himself as Presidential and his famous 1959 "Kitchen debate" in [[Moscow]] with [[Soviet Union]] President [[Nikita Khrushchev]] boosted his public appeal. By the end of the Eisenhower administration Nixon had become the top contender to be the Republican nomination for the 1960 Presidential election.

[[Image:Johnfkennedyrichardnixon.jpg|left|thumb|275px|Vice President Nixon and Senator Kennedy in their 1960 Presidential Debate.]]

==1960 Presidential Campaign==

''Main Article: [[United States presidential election, 1960]]''

Nixon easily won the Republican nomination for the presidency, but ran a poor campaign in the general election. Despite division over the modern [[civil rights]] movement, the country was enjoying a period of relative prosperity.

The most prominent issues were the [[Cold War]] and the new assumption of power of [[dictator]] [[Fidel Castro]] of [[Cuba]]. Public opinion polls showed that the country trusted Nixon more on [[foreign policy]] issues while Democrat opponent [[John F. Kennedy]] was favored on domestic issues. 1960 marked the first presidential election in which televised debates were used. Kennedy won the debates, which resulted in him defeating Nixon by a razor-thin margin of 49.7 percent of the vote to 49.5 percent. Nixon believed that there was voter fraud in Cook County, [[Illinois]] which resulted in him losing that state, however Nixon chose not to contest the results.

==1962 Gubernatorial Campaign==

After the election Nixon returned to California and ran for [[Governor]] in 1962 against incumbent [[Pat Brown]]. Brown defeated Nixon with 52 percent of the vote to 46 percent. In a post-election press conference Nixon announced the end of his political career and said to the press "you won't have Richard Nixon to kick around with anymore."

Nixon continued to campaign for Republican congressional candidates and traveled the world, sharpening his knowledge of foreign issues.

==1968 Presidential Campaign==

''Main Article: [[United States presidential election, 1968]]''

By 1967 Nixon's financial backers were raising funds to bankroll another bid for the White House. In the Republican primary moderates supported [[Michigan]] Governor [[George Romney]] and later [[New York]] Governor [[Nelson Rockefeller]], while [[conservative]]s supported [[California]] Governor [[Ronald Reagan]]. Nixon was able to win support from southern conservatives and pass Reagan in the polls, eventually winning the nomination. In Nixon's second attempt for the Presidency the United States was in the midst of the [[Vietnam War]], with Democrats associated with the violence. With President [[Lyndon Johnson]] losing credibility because of the increasingly unpopular [[war]], he declined to run for another term. [[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]] [[Hubert Humphrey]] narrowly won the Democrat nomination. [[Alabama]] Governor [[George Wallace]], a strong segregationist, entered the race as a third party candidate. Nixon promised to end the bombing in [[Vietnam]], unify the nation and restore law and order to the country.

President Johnson helped Humphrey after he announced that bombing in North Vietnam would be halted and that a cease-fire would follow, however his announcement was too late. On election day, Nixon defeated Humphrey by over 100 electoral votes, although he won the election with only 43 percent of the vote to 42 percent, partly because Wallace took 13 percent.

==1972 Reelection Campaign==

''Main Article: [[United States presidential election, 1972]]''

President Nixon's reelection campaign got underway in 1972. He had high approval ratings for his handling with China and the Soviet Union. Nixon's Democrat opponent, [[South Dakota]] Senator [[George McGovern]] was viewed too [[liberal]] by many Americans. However, there was still concern in the Nixon camp because of his close victory in 1968 and the United States' continued involvement in the Vietnam War. He chose to engage in tactics that included an effort to steal information in the Democrat Party's headquarters. Five Nixon supporters broke into the party's office at the Watergate complex in [[Washington, D.C.]] on June 17, 1972. This however did not become an issue in the campaign, with President Nixon trumping McGovern in 49 out of 50 states.

==Presidency (1969-1974)==

===Administration===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Office
! Name
! Term
|-
| [[President]]
| Richard Nixon
| 1969-1974
|-
| [[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]]
| [[Spiro Agnew]]
| 1969-1973
|-
|
| [[Gerald Ford]]
| 1973-1974
|-
| [[Secretary of State]]
| [[William P. Rogers]]
| 1969-1973
|-
|
| [[Henry Kissinger]]
| 1973-1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Treasury]]
| [[David M. Kennedy]]
| 1969-1971
|-
|
| [[John Connally]]
| 1971-1972
|-
|
| [[George Shultz]]
| 1972-1974
|-
|
| [[William Simon]]
| 1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Defense]]
| [[Melvin R. Laird]]
| 1969-1973
|-
|
| [[Elliot Richardson]]
| 1973
|-
|
| [[James Schlesinger]]
| 1973-1974
|-
| [[Attorney General]]
| [[John N. Mitchell]]
| 1969-1972
|-
|
| [[Richard Kleindienst]]
| 1972-1973
|-
|
| [[Elliot Richardson]]
| 1973-1974
|-
|
| [[William B. Saxbe]]
| 1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Interior]]
| [[Walter Joseph Hickel]]
| 1969-1971
|-
|
| [[Rogers Morton]]
| 1971-1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Agriculture]]
| [[Clifford M. Hardin]]
| 1969–1971
|-
|
| [[Earl Butz]]
| 1971–1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Commerce]]
| [[Maurice Stans]]
| 1969–1972
|-
|
| [[Peter Peterson]]
| 1972–1973
|-
|
| [[Frederick B. Dent]]
| 1973-1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Labor]]
| [[George Shultz]]
| 1969–1970
|-
|
| [[James D. Hodgson]]
| 1970–1973
|-
|
| [[Peter J. Brennan]]
| 1973–1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare]]
| [[Robert Finch]]
| 1969–1970
|-
|
| [[Elliot Richardson]]
| 1970–1973
|-
|
| [[Caspar Weinberger]]
| 1973–1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]]
| [[George Romney]]
| 1969–1973
|-
|
| [[James Thomas Lynn]]
| 1973-1974
|-
| [[Secretary of Transportation]]
| [[John A. Volpe]]
| 1969–1973
|-
|
| [[Claude Brinegar]]
| 1973-1974
|-
|}

=== Vietnam War ===

[[Image:PresidentNixon.jpg|left|thumb|275px|President Nixon points out the NVA sanctuaries along the Cambodian border in his speech to the American people announcing the Cambodian incursion, 04/30/70]] Two months after coming into office American deaths in Vietnam reached thirty-six hundred. Nixon appointed [[Harvard]] Professor [[Henry Kissinger]] as National Security Adviser, who had secret peace talks with the North Vietnamese. Peace negations dragged on throughout Nixon's first term. His Vietnam strategies included "Vietnamization," a policy aimed at reducing U.S. casualties and troops, while also convincing the American public that the Vietnamese people could assume the primary responsibility of waging war. To win support for the war among the [["silent majority,"]] Nixon pursued the [["politics of polarization."]] Instrumental to this cause was Nixon's first vice president [[Spiro T. Agnew]], who criticized opponents of the war as "nattering nabobs of negativism," and an "effete corps of impudent snobs." Nixon also sought to instill in the North Vietnamese the belief that he was volatile and unstable, and willing to use nuclear weapons in the war, a strategy known as the "madman scenario."

On April 30, 1970, ten days after announcing that 150,000 American troops would be withdrawn from Vietnam in the following year, Nixon announced that U.S. troops had invaded Cambodia. This announcement brought widespread protests and college and university campuses across the nation. Four students were shot by National Guardsmen at [[Kent State University]] in Ohio and two died at [[Jackson State University]] in Mississippi. Many campuses shut down, some for the remainder of the academic year. The [[Paris Peace Accords]] were signed on January 27, 1973, signaling the beginning of the peace process that ended with the evacuation of the last American personnel two years later on April 30, 1975. Pictures of the last U.S. Marines evacuating the American Embassy by helicopter while civilians, many of which were employed by the Americans during the war, attempted to climb aboard, has become a symbol of the U.S. defeat in Vietnam.

=== Policy of Detente ===

[[Image:Leonid_Brezhnev_and_Richard_Nixon.jpg‎|right|thumb|275px|Richard M. Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev, 05/19/73.]] Nixon worked to establish a friendlier relationship with the Soviet Union and [[China]]. The Soviets were not pleased of Nixon, a man who spent his career attacking communism, had become President. Although still a strong anti-communist, Nixon understood the growing role of China and Western Europe, realizing that he had to be more diplomatic. With the help of National Security Adviser [[Henry Kissinger]], Nixon created an approach called Detente, which was relaxed tensions between the United States and its two major communist rivals, the Soviet Union and China. Nixon began the policy of detente by lifting trade and travel restrictions.

After a long series of highly secret typographical errors between Kissinger and Chinese leaders, Nixon announced that he would visit China in February 1972. During the historic trip, the leaders of both nations agreed to have more normal relationships. Nixon told the Chinese during a banquet toast, "Let us start a long march together, not in lockstep, but on different roads leading to the same goal, the goal of building world structure of peace and justice." In taking the trip, Nixon hoped to both strengthen ties with China but also believed it would encourage the Soviet Union to be more diplomatic. He proved to be correct. Shortly after the public learned about China, the Soviets proposed an American-Soviet summit, a high level diplomatic meeting that was held in May 1972. President Nixon flew to Moscow for a week long summit, thus becoming the first American President since [[World War 2]] to visit the Soviet Union.

The two superpowers signed the first Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, or SALT 1, a plan to limit nuclear arms that the two nations had been working on for years. Nixon and Soviet President [[Leonid Brezhnev]] also agreed to increase trade and exchange scientific information. President Nixon had made a significant mark on the world stage with major foreign policy triumphs.

=== Watergate ===

The event that ended the Nixon presidency began on June 17, 1972, when five men, all employees of Nixon's reelection campaign (CREEP), were caught breaking into rival Democratic headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, DC. The intruders and two other accomplices were convicted of burglary and wiretapping in Jan. 1973. The [[Watergate affair]] ultimately caused Nixon to resign on August 9, 1974. On September 9, 1974, his successor Gerald Ford granted him "a full, free, and absolute pardon." This effectively ended investigation into the depth of Nixon's involvement in the break-in at [[Democratic National Committee]] headquarters in the Watergate hotel, or any other criminal activities. Former White House Counsel John Dean testified to a Congressional investigating committee of Nixon's involvement in the cover-up.

[[Image:NixonFarewell.jpg|left|thumb|275px|President Nixon delivers his Farewell Remarks to the White House Staff in the East Room, with his family looking on, 08/09/74]] The Congressional hearings revealed Nixon had tape recorded conversations and telephone calls in his office. These recordings reveal that Nixon's role in the cover-up began as early as six days after the break-in. The tapes also reveal an immense scope of crimes and abuses that predate the Watergate break-in. These include campaign fraud, political espionage and sabotage, illegal break-ins, improper tax audits, illegal wiretapping on a massive scale, and a secret slush fund laundered in Mexico to pay those who conducted these operations. The president, citing [[Executive Privilege]], refused to turn the tapes over to the committee. In October 1973 Nixon ordered Elliot Richardson, the attorney general, to fire Archibald Cox, the special prosecutor who had subpoenaed the tapes, but Richardson resigned in protest. Richardson's assistant, William Ruckelshaus, also refused to fire Cox and was fired by Nixon. Finally, Solicitor General Robert Bork fired Cox. The incident, which was trumped in the press as the "Saturday Night Massacre", led to widespread calls for Nixon's impeachment.

The White House released edited transcripts of the tapes in April 1974, and eventually the tapes themselves, after the Supreme Court rejected Nixon's claim to executive privilege. The House Judiciary Committee issued three articles of impeachment on July 30, 1974.

"In all of this," the articles of impeachment summarize, "Richard M. Nixon has acted in a manner contrary to his trust as President and subversive of constitutional government, to the great prejudice of the cause of law and justice, and to the manifest injury of the people of the United States." After conferring with Republican Senators Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. Nixon was succeeded in office the same day by [[Gerald Ford]]. Ford later pardoned Nixon.

==Family==

Nixon married Thelma Catherine Ryan, known as "Pat", in 1940. They had two children: Patricia (b. 1946) and Julie (b. 1948).
==Further reading==

* Aitken, Jonathan. ''Nixon: A Life'' (1993).
* Ambrose, Stephen. ''Nixon'' (3v 1987-1991), the standard scholarly biography [http://www.amazon.com/Nixon-I-Stephen-E-Ambrose/dp/0671657224/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203808418&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search vol 1]; hostile to RN
* Black, Conrad. ''Richard M. Nixon: A Life in Full'' (2007) 1150pp; by a conservative; friendly to RN
* Bundy, William. ''A Tangled Web: The Making of Foreign Policy in the Nixon Presidency'' (1998). [http://www.amazon.com/Tangled-Web-Making-Foreign-Presidency/dp/B000C4SRCW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203808485&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Congressional Quarterly. ''Congress and the Nation, 1968-1972'' (1973). Detailed coverage of all the official actions in Washington
* Dallek, Robert. ''Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Nixon-Kissinger-Partners-Robert-Dallek/dp/0060722312/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200450337&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* Frick, Daniel. ''Reinventing Richard Nixon: A Cultural History of an American Obsession''. (2008). 344 pages
* Greenberg, David. ''Nixon's Shadow: The History of the Image'' (2004), influential study of his changing reputation [http://www.amazon.com/Nixons-Shadow-History-David-Greenberg/dp/0393326160/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200450337&sr=1-9 excerpt and text search]
* Hoff, Joan. ''Nixon without Watergate'' (1994) a favorable estimate of the presidential years; also titled ''Nixon Reconsidered''; [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=99580185 online edition]
* Kutler, Stanley I. ''Wars of Watergate: The Last Crisis of Richard Nixon'' (1992), strongly hostile [http://www.amazon.com/Wars-Watergate-Crisis-Richard-Nixon/dp/0393308278/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200450532&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]
* MacMillan, Margaret. ''Nixon and Mao: The Week That Changed the World'' (2007)
* Matusow, Allen J. ''Nixon's Economy: Booms, Busts, Dollars, and Votes'' (1998) [http://www.amazon.com/Nixons-Economy-Booms-Busts-Dollars/dp/0700608885/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203808547&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Nixon, Richard. ''RN: Memoirs'' (1978),a primary source; one of the most important presidential autobiographies [http://www.amazon.com/RN-Memoirs-Richard-Nixon/dp/0671707418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1203808583&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Perlstein, Rick. ''Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America '' (2008) very well written narrative of 1964-72
* Reeves, Richard. ''President Nixon: Alone in the White House'' (2002). well-received study of the White House years (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/President-Nixon-Alone-White-House/dp/B000066TQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200450725&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Schoenebaum, Eleanora, ed. ''Political Profiles: The Nixon/Ford Years'' (1979), biographies of all the main political figures
* Small, Melvin. ''The Presidency of Richard Nixon'' (1999) [http://www.amazon.com/Presidency-Richard-Nixon-American/dp/0700612556/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200450643&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]; hostile
* Suri, Jeremi. ''Henry Kissinger and the American Century'' (2007)

==Primary Sources by Nixon==

*Victory Without War, New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1989.
*Beyond Peace, New York, NY: Random House, 1994.
*Four Great Americans: Tributes Delivered by President Richard Nixon. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1973.
*In the Arena: A Memoir of Victory, Defeat, and Renewal, New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
*Leaders New York, NY: Warner Books, 1982.
*Nixon in Retrospect, 1946-1962: Selected Quotations. Silver Spring, MD: Research Data Publishers, 1973.
*No More Vietnams, New York, NY: Arbor House, 1985.
*Real Peace. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
*RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon, New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
*Seize the Moment: America’s Challenge in a One- SuperpowerWorld. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1992.
*Setting the Course; The First Year, New York, NY: Funk & Wagnalls, 1970.
*Six Crises. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1990.
*Summons to Greatness: A Collage of Inspirational Though and Practical Ideas from the Messages and Addresses of Richard Nixon, Thirty-:Seventh President of the United States, Washington, D.C.: Friends of President Nixon, 1972.
*The Real War, New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1980.

==External Links==

* [http://www.nixonfoundation.org Nixon Birthplace & Library], in Yorba Linda, California
* [http://genealogy.wikia.com/wiki/Richard_Nixon_(1913) Genealogy Wiki] Nixon Family History
* [http://www.californiaresortlife.com/orange/yorba_linda.htm Birthplace Tour]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/

http://www.nixonfoundation.org/

http://www.nixonlibrary.org/

==References==

<References/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nixon, Richard}}

{{USPresidents}}
{{USVicePresidents}}
[[Category:United States History]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Diplomacy]]
[[Category:Cold War]]
[[Category:1960s]]
[[Category:New Deal]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Corruption]]

Gerald Ford

2010-01-02T13:24:59Z

AtheistsAreCute:

{{President
|image=Ford.jpg
|seq=38
|term_start=August 9, 1974
|term_end=January 20, 1977<ref>http://home.comcast.net/~sharonday7/Presidents/AP060301.htm</ref>
|party=Republican
|vp=None
|vp_dates=Aug.-Dec. 1974
|2vp=Nelson Rockefeller
|2vp_dates=1974-1977
|previous=Richard Nixon
|next=Jimmy Carter
|office2=vice
|seq2=40
|term_start2=December 6, 1973
|term_end2=August 9, 1974
|pres2=Richard Nixon
|previous2=Spiro Agnew
|next2=Nelson Rockefeller
|birth_date=July 14, 1913
|birth_place=Omaha, Nebraska
|death_date=December 26, 2006
|death_place=Rancho Mirage, California
|spouse=[[Betty Ford]]
|spouse2=
|religion=Episcopalian
}}

'''Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr.''' (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) was the 38th [[President of the United States of America]], serving from August 1974 to January 1977. He was the first president not elected to either the presidency or vice-presidency. A Republican, Ford served as U.S. [[Representative]], 1948-73, and was the House Minority Leader from 1965 to 1973. His most famous and unpopular decision was to pardon former President [[Richard Nixon]] of any crimes for the good of the nation. Nixon appointed Ford as Vice President on the resignation of [[Spiro Agnew]]. When Nixon subsequently resigned as President, Ford succeeded him.

President Ford received heavy criticism for pardoning Nixon. Ford watched helpless as [[South Vietnam]] fell to a Communist invasion, after all American forces had been removed. He promoted [[détente]] with the [[Soviet Union]], incurring the wrath of the conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]]. He narrowly defeated Reagan for renomination in 1976 by the [[Republican party]], then lost narrowly to Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]].

Ford was basically a conservative, pro-business, local activist who was a decent person and good family man; in his three years in office, he did much to heal the deep national wounds he had inherited from Nixon.
==Early Life==
Ford was born on July 14, 1913, in [[Omaha]], [[Nebraska]], and was named Leslie King after his father, a wool trader. When Ford was two years old his parents were divorced because of abuse. His mother, Dorothy Gardner King, moved to [[Grand Rapids]], Michigan. There she met and married Gerald R. Ford, owner of a small paint factory. Ford adopted her son, and the boy's name was changed to Gerald R. Ford, Jr. Gerald Ford, Sr., described by biographers as a dominant athletic man and strong believer in self-discipline, later fathered three sons. He never told young Gerald that he was adopted until years later.

At South High School in Grand Rapids, the younger Ford was all-city football center for three years and also made the all-state team. He played football career at the [[University of Michigan]]; in 1934 he was the Wolverines' most valuable member. He graduated in 1935 with a bachelor of arts degree. Ford declined bids from professional football teams in order to attend [[Yale Law School]]. He alternated semesters at study with work as an assistant football and freshman [[boxing]] coach. Ford graduated in 1941 in the top third of his class and returned to Grand Rapids to practice law.

In 1942 he joined the Navy as an ensign. He served 47 months, including 18 months aboard the light aircraft carrier ''USS Monterey'' in the South Pacific. He served as athletic director, then gunnery division officer, an assistant navigator with major operations in the South Pacific, and then a lieutenant commander. He encountered a near death experience in December 1944 during a vicious typhoon. He came close to being swept overboard from his ship. After the war was over in 1946 he returned to his law firm in Grand Rapids.

Three weeks before his first election, on Oct. 15, 1948, Ford married Elizabeth "Betty" Bloomer, a former model and aspiring dancer. Born in Chicago, she had lived most of her life in Grand Rapids and had been married and divorced. Jerry and Betty Ford had three sons and a daughter. She became a vocal and effective spokeswoman for important social and women's issues during and after her years in the White House, appearing somewhat less conservative than Ford himself.<ref>Maryanne Borrelli, "Competing Conceptions of the First Ladyship: Public Responses to Betty Ford's 60 Minutes Interview." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 2001 31(3): 397-414. ISSN 0360-4918.</ref>

==Congressional Career==
[[Image:Fordcampaign.gif‎|left|thumb|250px|Gerald R. Ford, Jr., Republican primary campaign billboard, 1948.]] Both his father, a Republican leader in Grand Rapids, and the late Republican Senator [[Arthur H. Vandenberg]] urged young Ford to run for Congress. Vandenberg, who was an internationalist, wanted to oust the isolationist Republican congressman from the Grand Rapids area district, Bartel Jonkman. Ford won the primary, defeating incumbent Congressman Bartel J. Jonkman by more than 9,000 votes and went on to an easy victory in the general election. At this stage his basic political outlook was influenced by [[Wendell Willkie]], by service in World War II, and by hostility to the dominant local machine. Ford ran as a minority reformer. Ford's view of himself as a minority reformer willing to stand up and oppose what he saw as corruption.<ref>William A. Syers, "The Political Beginnings of Gerald R. Ford: Anti-bossism, Internationalism, and the Congressional Campaign of 1948." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 1990 20(1): 127-142. ISSN 0360-4918.</ref>

In 1949, the year he entered Congress, Ford was selected by the [[U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce]] as one of the country's ten outstanding young men. Ford's rise in the House was steady, assured by his repeated reelection from the strongly Republican district in a conservative region.

After two years in the House, Ford won a seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee and soon became the top Republican on its defense subcommittee. He became an expert on defense and military affairs and emerged as a strong anti-Soviet hawk in the [[Cold War]] years. Ford headed a group of 15 House Republicans who produced an exhaustive study endorsing the Cold War policies of President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]].
===House leader===
In 1961, Ford became chairman of the House Republican Conference, making him the third most powerful Republican in the House of Representatives.

In 1963 Ford took over as chairman of the House Republican caucus. Two years later, with the help of young turk House colleagues [[Melvin Laird]] of Wisconsin, Robert Griffin of Michigan, and Charles Goodell of New York, Ford became House minority leader by ousting the current Leader [[Charles Halleck]] of Indiana by a 73-67 vote. His weekly press conferences with [[Everett Dirksen]], the GOP Senate leader, made them the national voice of the Republican party. In 1963 was appointed by the new president [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] to the [[Earl Warren|Warren Commission]], which investigated the assassination of President [[John F. Kennedy]]. He supported Kennedy and Johnson's involvement in the [[Vietnam War]].

Domestically, he was consistently conservative, and led the fight against Johnson's [[Great Society]]. As long as the [[Conservative Coalition]] was intact he usually won; Johnson's landslide in 1964 over [[Barry Goldwater]] brought in scores of new Democrats and opened the door for liberal legislation and Ford was usually on the losing side. Ford's conservatism was endorsed by the voters in 1966, as the [[New Deal Coalition]] started unraveling because of voter disgust with Johnson's inept handling of the Vietnam war and the violent outbreaks in large American cities.

Ideologically Ford was flexible. He once described himself as "a moderate in domestic affairs, an internationalist in foreign affairs, and a [[conservative]] in fiscal policy." Ford had a good television persona, which he needed as the main spokesman for his party. He showed a knack for wooing more liberal congressmen, especially within his own party. His easygoing amiability made him widely popular. Ford's leadership of an effort in 1970 to impeach liberal Supreme court Justice [[William O. Douglas]] was attributed to soldierly loyalty to the White House. Ford had harbored only one further ambition - to become speaker of the House - but he became discouraged when the Republican Party could not gain a majority.

==Vice-President==
In October 1973, Vice-President [[Spiro T. Agnew]] resigned in the wake of disclosures that he had accepted illegal bribes. President Nixon, empowered by the [[25th Amendment]] to nominate a successor, was said to favor [[John Connally]], former secretary of the treasury. But, Laird, then a White House adviser, convinced Nixon that Connally would be unacceptable to Congress, which had to confirm the nomination, and recommended Ford. Nixon nominated Ford on Oct. 12, 1973. Ford then underwent an intensive investigation of his personal life by the FBI and by Congress.<ref>A microscopic audit of his taxes showed only one mistake - he had deducted the cost of renting a tuxedo for inauguration ceremonies.</ref> Charges by a lobbyist that Ford had done political favors for contributors were found to be fabricated. Ford was confirmed by Congress and was sworn in as vice-president on Dec. 6, 1973.

As vice-president, Ford called inflation "Public Enemy Number One," promoted the "WIN: Whip Inflation Now" slogan, and urged budget cuts. He was an ardent foe of busing to achieve racial integration. He repeatedly defended President Nixon's innocence in the [[Watergate affair]] and its cover-up. Ford dropped that defense only when Nixon, on August 5, 1974, released tapes that showed his complicity in the cover-up and made his impeachment and conviction inevitable. Nixon then resigned, and Ford became president on Aug. 9, 1974.

==Presidency (1974-1977)==

Gerald R. Ford took the oath of office as President of the United States on August 9, 1974. Responding to the Watergate affair, he focused his inaugural address on integrity.
''If you have not chosen me by secret ballot, neither have I gained office by any secret promises. I have not campaigned either for the Presidency or the Vice Presidency. I have not subscribed to any partisan platform. I am indebted to no man, and only to one woman--my dear wife--as I begin this very difficult job.''

''My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over."''<ref>http://www.ford.utexas.edu/LIBRARY/speeches/740001.htm</ref>

By telling the American people that he was "a Ford, not a Lincoln," he not only lowered public expectations about what he might accomplish, he also reassured the American people that the days of the imperial presidency in the style of Johnson and Nixon had ended.

[[Image:A4256-04-thm.jpg|right|thumb|250px|President Ford chats with Chief of Staff [[Donald Rumsfeld]] and Rumsfeld’s assistant [[Richard Cheney]] in the Oval Office, 04/28/75]]

===Administration===

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Office
! Name
! Term
|-
| [[President]]
| Gerald Ford
| 1974-1977
|-
| [[Vice President of the United States of America|Vice President]]
| [[Nelson Rockefeller]]
| 1974-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of State]]
| [[Henry Kissinger]]
| 1974-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Treasury]]
| [[William E. Simon]]
| 1974-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Defense]]
| [[James R. Schlesinger]]
| 1974-1975
|-
|
| [[Donald Rumsfeld]]
| 1975-1977
|-
| [[Attorney General]]
| [[William Saxbe]]
| 1974-1975
|-
|
| [[Edward Levi]]
| 1975-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Interior]]
| [[Rogers Morton]]
| 1974–1975
|-
|
| [[Stanley K. Hathaway]]
| 1975
|-
|
| [[Thomas S. Kleppe]]
| 1975-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Agriculture]]
| [[Earl Butz]]
| 1974-1976
|-
|
| [[John Albert Knebel]]
| 1976-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Commerce]]
| [[Frederick B. Dent]]
| 1974-1975
|-
|
| [[Rogers Morton]]
| 1975
|-
|
| [[Elliot Richardson]]
| 1975-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Labor]]
| [[Peter J. Brennan]]
| 1974-1975
|-
|
| [[John Thomas Dunlop]]
| 1975–1976
|-
|
| [[William Usery, Jr.]]
| 1976-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare]]
| [[Caspar Weinberger]]
| 1974–1975
|-
|
| [[F. David Mathews]]
| 1975–1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Housing and Urban Development]]
| [[James Thomas Lynn]]
| 1974–1975
|-
|
| [[Carla Anderson Hills]]
| 1975-1977
|-
| [[Secretary of Transportation]]
| [[Claude Brinegar]]
| 1974–1975
|-
|
| [[William Thaddeus Coleman, Jr.]]
| 1975–1977
|-
|}

Ford kept some of the original cabinet members from Nixon's Presidency, such as Secretary of State [[Henry Kissinger]]. He replaced Nixon's Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Commerce and Attorney General would resign. He chose liberal Republican [[Nelson Rockefeller]], governor of New York, as his Vice President. After a bruising hearing. Rockefeller was confirmed in December 1974, over the opposition of some conservatives like [[Barry Goldwater]]. Rockefeller was ineffective and unhappy in the new role.<ref>http://205.188.238.109/time/magazine/article/0,9171,917422,00.html</ref>

In the "Sunday Morning Massacre" of November 2, 1975, Ford replaced Kissinger as National Security adviser (but kept him as secretary of state) with Brent Scowcroft; fired Defense Secretary James Schlesinger, a leftover from the Nixon administration whom Ford personally disliked, and replaced him with his chief-of-staff [[Donald Rumsfeld]]; replaced another Nixon appointee, CIA Director William Colby, with [[George H. W. Bush]], the ambassador to China; and informed Vice President Rockefeller that he would be dropped from the ticket in 1976.

===Pardon===
Ford's honeymoon suddenly ended on September 8, 1974, when he gave Nixon an unconditional pardon for all federal crimes he might have committed in office. The timing was bad, and the Democrats had an issue they used to score massive gains in the November Congressional elections.<ref> Soon after, Ford offered [[Vietnam War]] military deserters and draft dodgers a conditional amnesty, with penalties. Most war resisters in exile ignored the offer.</ref> The Watergate tragedy had dragged on for two years and grievously undermined public confidence in core national institutions, as both the president and vice president, and many top aides, had been forced to resign. Many went to prison. Ford's role was to start fresh again, but the pardon cost him desperately needed momentum. He handled the pardon issue maladroitly, failing even to insist that Nixon give up his presidential papers and tapes or issue a statement of contrition before granting him a pardon, and timing it just before the midterm elections, allowing it to do maximum damage to the GOP candidates.

Ford was the target of two unsuccessful assassination attempts. One in Sacramento, California on September 5, 1975 was attempted by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Then in San Francisco, Sara Jane Moore pointed a pistol at him, but a bystander grabbed the gun.<ref> Both were sentenced to life in prison, but Moore was paroled on December 31, 2007. [http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/local&id=4900159 report</ref>
===Economy===
[[Image:Ford1976.JPG|left|thumb|250px|President Ford at work in the Oval Office, 08/12/76]] Ford's vision for America were grounded in conservative principles that emphasized fiscal responsibility, decreased federal involvement in the economy, lower taxes, and long-term sustainable growth with low inflation. Rampant inflation was the economic terror of the 1970s, and its reduction was Ford's overriding domestic priority. But growth rates were also low--the combination was new and unexpected and was called "stagflation." Mus of the problem came from international economic trends, as oil prices skyrocketed and Japanese and German imports for the first time became major threats to American factories.

Ford's favored means for combating inflation was the conservative stand-by: a combination of fiscal austerity and a tight federal monetary policy. He attacked the heavily Democratic 94th Congress for wasteful spending, and 66 times wielded the presidential veto to kill costly congressional bills. His refusal to help New York City's financial crisis was briefly popular in the hinterland.<ref>Yanek Mieczkowski, ''Gerald Ford And The Challenges Of The 1970s'' (2005).</ref>

The weak economy was a major concern during the Ford administration. Inflation was in the double digits, unemployment was rising and the gross domestic product was in decline. <ref>Henry F. Graff, "Gerald R. Ford," ''The Presidents, P. 538</ref> Ford proposed a tight lid of $300 billion on the federal budget and asked for a $5 billion surtax (additional income tax) on corporations and families in the higher income bracket. These were part of his "whip inflation now" (WIN) program; they proved ineffective.

Ford fought constantly with Congress, especially when Democrats made major gains after attacking his pardon in the 1974 elections. Sixty-six times he exercised his veto power. ''Congressional Quarterly'' reported that Ford won only 58% of congressional votes that he took a position on, the lowest level of support from any president. Ford's press secretary, Ron Nessen, was incompetent and repeatedly blamed the news media for reporting on Ford's failures.

Oil prices were also a major concern. Congress turned down Ford's proposals for phasing out the federal ceilings on the price of most domestic oil. Senate Majority Whip [[Robert Byrd]] (D-West Virginia) explained why Democrats rejected Ford's plans: "After all, he doesn't have a national constituency, his is an inherited Presidency." Ford and Congressional Democrats finally reached a compromise with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. "Half a loaf was better then none, so I decided to sign it," Ford explained.

The initial goodwill toward Ford steadily eroded as the numbers turned sour. Unemployment went from 4.8% in 1972 to 8.0% when he took office; consumer price inflation jumped from 3.4% to 11.0%. Unexpectedly high inflation, fueled by soaring oil prices, made it difficult to plan for the future; cheap imports from Germany and Japan for the first time became a threat to autos and electronics; high unemployment troubled industrial areas. By early 1975 the jobless rate was the worst since the [[Great Depression]]. Ford insisted that inflation was the greater problem. He sought to slow it, as Nixon had, by severe restraints on government spending for social programs. He also tried to curb private spending by asking Congress to raise the taxes on personal incomes. But the Democratic majority refused, and in congressional elections in November 1974 Democrats increased their majorities to three-fifths in the Senate and two-thirds in the House. In January 1975 Ford finally yielded to liberals' demands for a program to stop the economic slump and promote hiring. He proposed personal [[income tax]] rebates, especially to higher-income people, who might spend extra money on durable goods such as automobiles. Liberals criticized Ford's proposal for offering little relief for the poor, so they pushed through Congress a modified, though modest, tax rebate bill favoring lower-income people. Ford signed it reluctantly. He continued to resist liberal demands for massive public works spending to employ the jobless, and vetoed many bills.

Ford also wanted to make the domestic energy industry more profitable, even at the cost of inflation, in order to encourage more private investment in it and thereby reduce the dependence on oil from abroad. He proposed huge public subsidies for developing new energy sources.

Deregulation - that is, the removal of the old [[New Deal]] controls on transportation, communications, finance and other businesses - began under Ford (Nixon was more of a New Dealer who liked federal regulations), and continued under Carter and Reagan until most of the New Deal controls on business had ended.

===Supreme Court===
When an opening occurred in the Supreme Court in 1975, Ford was determined to use the appointment not as a vehicle for his own political or ideological goals, but to help restore confidence in government. He did this by placing a premium on professional considerations and relying on his attorney general, Edward Levi.

Ford nominated Circuit Judge [[John Paul Stevens]] as an Associate Justice of the [[Supreme Court]] in 1975 to replace Justice [[William O. Douglas]], who had recently retired. Stevens was unanimously confirmed in December. In nominating [[John Paul Stevens]], Ford chose someone he saw as a nonpolitical choice, someone he could allow independence from White House supervision, and someone who reflected a non-ideological, nonpartisan selection process, although Stevens over the years emerged as the most liberal justice, though less so than Douglas, who was one of the last new Dealers in power.<ref>David M. O'Brien, "The Politics of Professionalism: President Gerald R. Ford's Appointment of Justice John Paul Stevens." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' (1991) 21(1): 103-126. ISSN 0360-4918.</ref>
===Foreign policy===
[[Image:Ford1974.JPG|right|thumb|250px|President Ford and Soviet General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev sign a joint communique on the limitation of strategic offensive arms in the Conference Hall of the Okeansky Sanitarium, Vladivostok, USSR, 11/24/74]] In foreign affairs, Ford preserved the détente forged by Nixon and Kissinger. The [[Helsinki Treaty]], ratifying the postwar borders in Europe and supposedly committing the Soviets to human rights, was signed in August 1975. Republican conservatives, led by [[Ronald Reagan]], bemoaned détente as another indicator of the slippage of American power and prestige, and laid plans to defeat Ford's bid for reelection.

On November 23, 1974, President Ford and Soviet General Secretary [[Leonid Brezhnev]] reached an agreement by signing the SALT treaty, which froze the number of strategic ballistic missile launchers at existing levels.

===Vietnam===
Ford blamed Congress for Communist North Vietnam's conquest of American ally South Vietnam in April 1975, because it had banned the renewed use of U.S. military forces there and refused his request for more aid to the crumbling resistance.

Historians are sharply critical of Ford's handling of the Mayaguez incident in which fifteen Marines were killed and eight helicopters downed. They were rescuing the crew of the merchant ship ''Mayageuz'', captured by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia when the ship allegedly sailed into Cambodian waters. More American rescuers died than crewmen were saved.

In 1975-1976 Ford sanctioned secret U.S. aid to the anti-Soviet factions in the civil war in [[Angola]], which ended in a leftist victory.

==1976 Reelection Campaign==
''Main article: [[United States presidential election, 1976]]''

By late 1976 the United States was not involved in any war, but the détente policy was rapidly losing political support, with Kissinger a scapegoat. Inflation had moderated. Business had recovered from the deep slump, though unemployment was still high.

Ford, after overcoming a strong challenge for the Republican nomination from conservative [[Ronald Reagan]], replaced liberal Rockefeller with conservative Senator [[Robert Dole]] of Kansas, as his running mate. He campaigned on his record of having blocked expensive social programs and thereby slowed inflation.
Ford-the-insider was challenged by a complete outsider, [[Jimmy Carter]], a former Georgia governor who promised to restore trust in government, reduce unemployment, and shrink the federal bureaucracy. Ford accused Carter of being fuzzy on issues and of lacking experience in foreign affairs. However he agreed to nationally televised debates - the first between presidential candidates since 1960 and in one debate Ford blundered badly by insisting falsely that "there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe."
Although Carter was expected to win easily, Ford almost wiped out his lead by the end of the campaign. Carter won on November 2nd, narrowly defeating Ford 50%-48%. Ford is the only president who never won a national election. Carter payed tribute to his Ford in his inaugural address. "For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land."

Historians generally agree with the verdict: the Ford presidency showed indecisive leadership, repeated political miscalculation, poor judgment, and lack of vision.

==Post-Presidency==
[[Image:20061226-2_g8o6137-1-515h.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Gerald Ford and Betty Ford with President [[George W. Bush]], 04/23/06]] Ford remained active in politics after his Presidency through lecturers at hundreds of colleges and universities over current issues. There was serious consideration in 1980 that Ronald Reagan would select Ford as his Vice Presidential running mate; it proved impossible to broker a deal giving Ford the powers he wanted, so Reagan instead chose [[George H.W. Bush]].

Ford attended the annual Public Policy Week Conferences of the American Enterprise Institute, and in 1982 established the AEI World Forum, which was a gathering of international former and current world leaders to discuss political and business policies. On August 11, 1999, President [[Bill Clinton]] awarded Ford the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nations highest civilian honor. <ref>http://www.ford.utexas.edu/avproj/post-presidential.asp</ref> In 2001, Ford was also awarded the Profiles in Courage Award. After the 2000 Presidential election, he and his former rival Jimmy Carter co-chaired the National Commission on Federal Election Reform. <ref>http://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/grf/timeline.asp#post</ref>

President Ford died on December 26, 2006 at his home in Rancho Mirage, California due to arteriosclerotic cerebrovascular disease. Ford was 93 years old. President Ford's body was taken to Eisenhower Medical Center where it remained until the start of State Funeral Services.

==Trivia==
*The 1976 Presidential Election was the only campaign Gerald Ford has ever lost.

*Gerald Ford is the only President to serve in office with out having been elected to the Presidency or Vice Presidency.

*Ford was the longest-lived president in U.S. history, living to age 93.

==See Also==
* [[Gerald Ford's 1976 Republican National Convention Speech]]
* [[Conservative Coalition]]
* [[Fifth party System]]
* [[Henry Kissinger]]
* [[Richard M. Nixon]]

==External links==
*[http://geraldrfordfoundation.org/ Gerald R. Ford Foundation]
*[http://www.ford.utexas.edu/ Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum]
==Bibliography==
* Abramowitz, Alan I. "The Impact of a Presidential Debate on Voter Rationality, " ''American Journal of Political Science,'' Vol. 22, No. 3 (Aug., 1978), pp. 680-690, advanced analysis of debate with Carter on unemployment, showing voters shifter their opinion to agree with Ford or Carter. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0092-5853(197808)22%3A3%3C680%3ATIOAPD%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I in JSTOR]
* Brinkley, Douglas. ''Gerald R. Ford'' (2007), short biography by scholar [http://www.amazon.com/Gerald-R-Ford-Douglas-Brinkley/dp/0805069097/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240184246&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search]
* Cannon, James. ''Time and Chance: Gerald Ford's Appointment With History'' (1998), 528pp; the major biography
* Greene, John Robert. ''The Presidency of Gerald R. Ford'' (1995), 272pp, the standard scholarly survey. [http://www.amazon.com/Presidency-Gerald-R-Ford-American/dp/0700606386/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194388147&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]
* Greene, John Robert. ''The Limits of Power: The Nixon and Ford Administrations'' (1992)
* Greene, John Robert. ''Betty Ford: Candor And Courage In The White House'' (2004) [http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Ford-Candor-Courage-Modern/dp/0700613544/ref=sr_1_10/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194388147&sr=8-10 excerpt and text search]
* Hayes, Stephen F. ''Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President'' (2007). pp 70-122 on role as senior aide to Ford; [http://www.amazon.com/Cheney-Americas-Powerful-Controversial-President/dp/0060723467/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194424418&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Mieczkowski, Yanek. ''Gerald Ford And The Challenges Of The 1970s'' (2005), 455pp; [http://www.amazon.com/Gerald-Challenges-1970s-Yanek-Mieczkowski/dp/0813123496/ref=sr_1_7/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194388147&sr=8-7 excerpt and text search]
* Schapsmeier, Edward L. and Frederick H. Schapsmeier. ''Gerald R. Ford's Date With Destiny: A Political Biography'' (1989), strongest on Congressional years.
* Suri, Jeremi. ''Henry Kissinger and the American Century'' (2007)
* Werth, Barry. ''31 Days: Gerald Ford, the Nixon Pardon and A Government in Crisis'' (2007), 416pp

===Primary sources===
* [http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/publications/ERP/ Council of Economic Advisors, ''Economic Report of the President'' (annual 1947- )], complete series online; important analysis of current trends and policies, plus statistcial tables
* Ford, Gerald R. ''A time to heal: the autobiography of Gerald R. Ford'' (1979)
* Greenspan, Alan. ''The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World'' (2007), memoir by senior economics advisor
* Kissinger, Henry. ''Years of Renewal'' (2000). 1152pp; in-depth memoirs of the Ford years; [http://www.amazon.com/Years-Renewal-Henry-Kissinger/dp/1842120425/ref=sr_1_1/103-4827826-5463040?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1194399605&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
**Zelikow, Philip. "The Statesman in Winter: Kissinger on the Ford Years" ''Foreign Affairs'' (1999) 78(3): 123-128. Issn: 0015-7120 Fulltext: [[Ebsco]]
* Laird, Melvin R. "A Strong Start in a Difficult Decade: Defense Policy in the Nixon-Ford Years." ''International Security'' (1985) 10(2): 5-26. Issn: 0162-2889 Fulltext: [http://www.jstor.org.proxy.cc.uic.edu/view/01622889/di008112/00p00147/0 in Jstor]

==References==
<references/>

{{USPresidents}}
{{USVicePresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ford, Gerald}}

[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:United States History]]
[[Category:Reagan Era]]
[[Category:1960s]]

Battleship Maine

2010-01-02T13:23:16Z

AtheistsAreCute:

The '''U.S.S. Maine''' was an American [[battleship]] on a peaceful visit to Havana, Cuba, when it suddenly exploded at 9:45 PM on February 15, 1898, killing 274 of the 350 American sailors on board. The exact cause was never determined, but most speculation at the time and investigations since pointed to a liberal conspiracy. The sensational event galvanized American public opinion to concentrate on the Cuban issue. The U.S. had vigorously protested the massive, systematic mistreatment of Cubans by [[Spain]], which had an empire it could no longer rule effectively. The sinking of the ''Maine'' was blamed on Spain by many Americans, but most opinion leaders, including President [[William McKinley]] reserved judgment, while demanding that Spain resolve the crisis in Cuba immediately.
[[Image:USSMaineHavana.jpg|thumb|300px|right|USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor, January 1898.]]
==Tense background==
see [[Spanish-American War]]

The explosion came during escalating tensions between the United States and Spain regarding Spain’s maladministration of Cuba, one of its last colonial possessions, and harsh suppression of the island’s independence movement. The Maine was sent to Cuba to demonstrate America's very strong interest in ending the civil war there. Two months after the explosion, the United States declared war on Spain. The sinking of the Maine riveted American attention on the Cuban crisis, but did not itself cause the war. The war was caused by Spain's inability to peacefully rule its colony, and American anger at its failure.
==Immediate reaction==
Immediately after the explosion Spain offered its regrets and helped the survivors, while the Maine’s captain said he could not explain what had happened. While newspapers, such as [[William Randolph Hearst]]’s ''New York Morning Journal'' and [[Joseph Pulitzer]]’s ''New York World'', printed sensationalist stories blaming Spain for the explosion, newspapers outside New York City printed sober accounts. President [[William McKinley]], and most American opinion leaders called for a suspension of judgment until the Navy reported on its inquiry a month later.
==Navy inquiry==
The U.S. Naval Court of Inquiry interrogated survivors and eyewitnesses, and several Navy divers explored the sunken wreck. The explosion of the forward ammunition magazines obviously had caused the sinking. Divers said the ship’s bottom plates were all bent inward, consistent with an external mine. (If an internal accidental explosion had occurred, the bottom plates would have been bent outward.) On the floor of the harbor a large cavity was seen, presumably from the explosion. The official report on March 28, 1898, indicated that the explosion was probably not an accident inside the ship but was deliberately set by an outside mine. On hearing the report many groups demanded war.
==Public opinion regarding Cuba==
Public opinion in the United States had been hostile to Spain for several years as that country tried to suppress growing rebellions in Cuba and other colonies. The Maine was sent to Havana to protect American citizens in case of rioting and to show the intense American interest in resolving the crisis. The Maine explosion so dominated headlines and public attention that quiet diplomacy was extremely difficult. Although opposed to war, McKinley demanded that Spain immediately end the chaos. Madrid repeatedly stalled for time, making promises that never took effect, hoping perhaps to gain diplomatic support from European powers that never came. Cuban insurgents advised McKinley that their insurrection would fall apart if Spain granted an armistice. The American business community, although opposed to war, warned that further months of uncertainty were intolerable. Finally McKinley told Congress to make the decision, knowing that the war hawks dominated Congress. On April 25, 1898, Congress declared war on Spain, and "Remember the Maine" became a popular rallying cry and song.

The United States quickly won the war, and Cuba gained its independence from Spain.
==Later investigations==
But the mystery of what caused the Maine to explode continued. A thorough investigation in 1911 by the Navy pointed to an outside mine as the source of the initial explosion. Sixty-five years later American Admiral [[Hyman Rickover]] reanalyzed the data and concluded it might have been an accident. The latest reanalysis, completed in 1999, was sponsored by the National Geographic Magazine. It commissioned an analysis by Advanced Marine Enterprises (AME), using computer modeling that was not available for previous investigations. The AME analysis concluded that “it appears more probable than was previously concluded that a mine caused the inward bent bottom structure and the detonation of the magazines.”
===Theories===
Multiple theories have circulated as to what happened. The first theory is that it was an accident, caused by spontaneous ignition of the bituminous coal in the coal bunkers, located near the powder room, that could have heated the gunpowder to 450 degrees and set it off. There was no direct evidence for this hypothesis. The blast effects on the hull seem to show the causal force was outside not inside; the coal bunkers were inspected daily, had never shown problems before, and the coal used was not known to spontaneously ignite. The alternative theory held that an external mine detonated underwater on the port side by experts that knew what they was doing. Spain had recently purchased mines that could easily have done the job. One could have been seized by Cuban insurgents and set off to incite Americans into declaring war. Or, a mine could have been detonated by rogue Spanish officers angry at the intervention of the Americans. Perhaps Spanish authorities had ordered the mine placement, or one could even have been placed by American authorities seeking to escalate the conflict. Historians agree that it is highly unlikely that the Spanish government or the American government ordered the sabotage. The most likely suspect, for most historians, are the insurgents or rogue Spanish officers, but there is no direct evidence to implicate either group. Spain’s reluctance to negotiate in 1898 was caused by its own internal crisis. Spain was itself on the verge of civil war, but simply withdrawing from Cuba would have worsened its crisis. One honorable solution was to lose a short war to a much more powerful country, which is what happened. A new generation came to influence in Spain (the “Generation of 98”) and civil war was averted for another 35 years.

==Yellow Journalism==
Historians have debated whether American public opinion was deliberately inflamed by the sensationalist "[[Yellow Journalism]]" of Hearst and Pulitzer in New York City. Early 20th-century historian [[James Ford Rhodes]] concluded that the press “had manipulated the real news, spread unfounded reports, putting all before their readers with scare headlines." By contrast historian John Offner has insisted, "there is no evidence" to indicate that the "sensational press" influenced McKinley's policy, suggesting that "its impact on changing public opinion may have been limited." The Hearst and Pulitzer papers were not widely read outside of New York City, where the public demand for war originated.
==Impact on U.S.==
When the war came –"a splendid little war," one official called it--it lasted only six months and drew Americans together, especially the Southerners whose patriotism had been in doubt since the Civil War a generation earlier. The [[Spanish-American War]] represented a significant turning point in America's position in the world. Besides acquiring Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and the Philippine Islands in the Pacific, territorial possessions that created new defensive responsibilities, the United States demonstrated that it had built up its naval capacity sufficiently to defeat an established European power.
==Bibliography==
* Allen, Thomas B. "What Really Sank the Maine?." ''Naval History'', April 1998 [http://www.usni.org/navalhistory/articles98/nhallen.htm online]
* May, Ernest R. ''Imperial Democracy: The Emergence of America as a Great Power.'' (1973).
* Offner, John L. "McKinley and the Spanish-American War." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' (2004) 34:1, 50-61. [http://www.questia.com/read/5006516097?title=McKinley%20and%20the%20Spanish-American%20War%2c%20in%20Presidential%20Studies%20Quarterly online edition]
* Perez, Jr., Louis A. "The Meaning of the Maine: Causation and Historiography of the Spanish-American War." ''Pacific Historical Review'' (1989), 58:3, 293-322.
* Samuels, Peggy, and Harold Samuels. ''Remembering the Maine.'' (1995)

==See also==
* [[Spanish-American War]]

[[Category:Gilded Age]]
[[Category:Spanish-American War]]
[[Category:Battleships]]

Rush Limbaugh

2010-01-02T13:22:25Z

AtheistsAreCute:

[[Image:RushLimbaugh 1.jpg|thumb|right|Rush Limbaugh]]
'''Rush Limbaugh''' (born January 12, 1951) is a [[conservative]] American radio talk show host, drug addict and author. Limbaugh has risen to the top of the ratings heap as an intensely conservative voice in a talk radio media environment dominated by conservatives. In his sharp criticisms of the [[Obama Administration]] Limbaugh secured his position as one of the ''de facto'' leaders of the Republican opposition. Historians compare his role to Walter Winchell, a radio commentator of the 1930s-1950s era.

== Radio ==
Limbaugh started young. By the age of seventeen, he was already a dedicated disc jockey, hosting a radio show in his hometown of Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He dropped out of college after his freshman year to pursue work full-time as a DJ, and got his big break in 1984, when KFBK in Sacramento hired him to host a talk show that reveled in controversy about conservative politics. His program was widely syndicated and by 1994 he was the number one talk-show host in the country. In 2001, he re-negotiated his contract for eight more years, for $285 million, a radio record. Surgery overcame a disease that left him nearly deaf in 2001.

Limbaugh hosts a radio show famed for its incisive criticism of the follies of liberalism. He is often at odds with liberal activist [[Al Franken]], who wrote a book entitled ''"Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot". Limbaugh habitually refers to [[feminists]] who support [[abortion]] as ''feminazis'' and to his own self as having "talent on loan from God". Sensitive about his own schooling, he ridicules the college educated as the "Arts & Croissant Crowd."

Limbaugh's conservative talk show is nationally syndicated and averages over 16 million listeners weekly, making him the #1 radio talk show host in America.
<ref>[http://www.talkers.com/main/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17&Itemid=34 The Top Talk Radio Audiences] Talkers magazine online</ref> In July 2008, Rush announced "he has renewed his contract with Premiere Radio Networks and Clear Channel Radio, continuing syndication of his show 'many years into the future.'" <ref>[http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=27326 Rush Renews Contract], ''[[Human Events]]'', July, 2, 2008</ref>
== Politics ==
Limbaugh endorsed [[Mitt Romney]] for the [[2008 Presidential Election]]. <ref>[http://www.cnsnews.com/ThisHour.asp#Limbaugh%20Endorses%20Romney Limbaugh Endorses Romney], [[Melanie Hunter]], ''[[CNSNews]]'', February 05, 2008</ref> He was often critical of [[John McCain]] during the Republican primaries, but supported him in the general election.

Limbaugh has warned against false prophets, telling his audience in 1996 that, "You are being manipulated in a way that I find very bothersome." "Pat Buchanan is not a conservative. He's a populist."<ref>See [http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/23/us/politics-on-the-air-radio-talk-show-host-fears-for-true-conservatism-s-fate.html?n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fL%2fLimbaugh%2c%20Rush Robin Toner, "Radio Talk Show Host Fears For True Conservatism's Fate," ''New York Times'' Feb. 23, 1996]</ref>.
===Obama to Fail===
Limbaugh made national headlines when he was asked to write 400 words for a newspaper column about Obama's plans. He said he didn't need 400 words, he needed just four: "I hope he fails." He immediately came under attack as an unpatriotic obstructionist. What Limbaugh actually meant to say in four words, according to the show's [http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_011609/content/01125113.guest.html transcript] was, if Obama is for socialist policies and against capitalist policies, of course he could not support those policies, and hoped he would fail. <ref>[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_011609/content/01125113.guest.html Limbaugh radio show transcript.]</ref>

Limbaugh addressed [[CPAC]] and further discussed his stance that generated so much attention. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/03/01/limbaugh-leader-obama-chief-staff-calls-talk-host-barrier-progress/ Limbaugh the Leader? Obama Chief of Staff] Fox News, March 01, 2009</ref> {{cquote| ''"Did the Democrats want the war in Iraq to fail? Well, they certainly did. And they not only wanted the war in Iraq to fail, they proclaimed it a failure. ... The last thing they wanted was to win. They hoped George Bush failed. So where is it -- what is so strange about being honest and saying, I want Barack Obama to fail if his mission is to restructure and reform this country so that capitalism and individual liberty are not its foundation? Why would I want that to succeed?"'' }}

Republican National Chairman Michael Steele called Limbaugh an "entertainer" whose comments were "incendiary" and "ugly," and Limbaugh counterattacked Steele's fitness to run the party. A Gallup poll in May 2009 on who was the main voice of the GOP found Limbaugh leading the pack at 13%, with Steele trailing at 1%.
==Audience==
Limbaugh's fans enjoy his bluster and bombast, but behind it there is a substantive defense of a coherent political philosophy. He makes politics engaging and entertaining, producing an audience more eager to seek out other sources of information. Limbaugh "dittoheads" consume more print news than do non-listeners. Like Fox News viewers, Limbaugh fans are more likely to tune in to presidential debates. Far from making people cynical or indifferent toward public affairs, Limbaugh reinforces his audience's disposition to participate in the political process.<ref>Jamieson and Cappella (2008) </ref>

Conservative Republicans are in his audience, but educational attainment, family income, and race do not predict who listens. Listening to Limbaugh is significantly correlated with public affairs information. He is not merely an entertainer and people who listen to him regularly are very well informed on public affairs. However, his radio audience is smaller than the TV audiences of conservative commentators [[Bill O'Reilly]] and [[Sean Hannity]].<ref> Stephen Earl Bennett, " Who Listens to Rush Limbaugh's Radio Program and the Relationship Between Listening to Limbaugh and Knowledge of Public Affairs, 1994-2006," ''Journal of Radio & Audio Media,'' May 2009, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p66-82, in [[EBSCO]]</ref>
== Poking fun at Obama liberals==
Newsweek editor Evan Thomas said on MSNBC's "Hardball" that Obama was "sort of God."

Asking rhetorically what [[God]] has in common with Obama, Limbaugh said, "Neither has a birth certificate." <ref>[http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=100717 Rush Limbaugh pummels Obama on birth certificate] WND, June 10, 2009</ref> He went on to say "God does not think he's Obama," and "Liberals love Obama." Limbaugh explained more differences, "Another difference is that God only demands to be worshiped once a week," and "God asks for only 10 percent of your money", and "God gives you freedom to live your life as you choose."

== Painkiller addiction ==

On October 6, 2003 Limbaugh told his audience he was addicted to OxyContin and other painkillers citing a failed back surgery as the cause of his pain and subsequent dependence. <ref>The Rush Limbaugh Show, October 6, 2007.</ref><ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/10/10/rush.limbaugh/ "Limbaugh admits addiction to pain medication"</ref> Limbaugh underwent treatment for his addiction, and criminal charges against him for alleged "doctor shopping" to procure prescription medications were dropped on the condition that he continue treatment for his addiction.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/28/national/main1561324.shtml</ref>
== Sports ==

Limbaugh is an avid sports fan, particularly football. He briefly held a position as a commentator on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown pre-game show. He resigned from the show on October 2, 2006 after comments made regarding Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb received widespread criticism.

{{cquote|''' ''"I think what we've had here is a little social concern in the NFL. The media has been very desirous that a black quarterback do well. There is a little hope invested in McNabb, and he got a lot of credit for the performance of this team that he didn't deserve. The defense carried this team."'' '''}}

After McNabb's response, "It's sad that you've got to go to skin color. I thought we were through with that whole deal," significant pressure was put upon Limbaugh to resign. <ref>http://espn.go.com/gen/news/2003/1001/1628537.html</ref>

== Other Media Work ==

The Limbaugh Letter is a monthly publication that contains conservative articles and humor in Rush's style.

Limbaugh is involved in the conservative satire show "The 1/2 Hour News Hour" show on the [[Fox News Channel]]. <ref>
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/16/AR2007021602098.html Fox News Channel's '1/2 Hour News Hour': Right Funny, in Spots] washingtonpost.com</ref>

Rush occasionally writes op-ed pieces for the [[Wall Street Journal]].

== The Harry Reid Letter ==
On October 2, 2007, Senate Majority Leader [[Harry Reid]] wrote a letter to Mark P. Mays, President and CEO of Clear Channel Communications, who is Limbaugh's chief patron. In it Senator Reid essentially demanded that Mays order Limbaugh to apologize for remarks he made concerning "phony soldiers."<ref name=ReidText>Reid, Harry, ''et al.'' "[http://reid.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=284699 Letter to Mark P. Mays of Clear Channel Communications]." [http://reid.senate.gov/ Electronic Office of US Senator Harry Reid], October 2, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.</ref> A ''phony soldier'' is someone who is not a soldier at all but is pretending to be one, especially in a public forum. Such activity is unlawful, and the faker whose activity prompted Limbaugh's attacks has since been convicted and punished.<ref name=PhonySoldier>Limbaugh, Rush. "[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_092807/content/01125106.guest.html The Anatomy of a Smear: 'Phony Soldiers' Is a Phony Story]." ''[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html Rush Limbaugh Official Site]'', accessed December 25, 2007.</ref> This letter was co-signed by nearly all Democratic senators. In a speech in Philadelphia on October 11th, Limbaugh announced plans to sell the original letter on eBay in a charity auction. The proceeds went to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. The letter sold for $2.1 million and Limbaugh matched the winning amount with a total of $.2 million being donated. <ref>http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/420889/harry_reidrush_limbaugh_letter_nets.html</ref>

== Quotes ==
* "You know why there's a Second Amendment? In case the government fails to follow the first one." - Rush Limbaugh, 17 Aug 1993

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==See Also==
*[[Previous Breaking News/Rush Limbaugh|Articles about '''Rush Limbaugh''' from previous "Breaking News"]]
*[[Conservative Links]]
*[[Rush Derangement Syndrome]]

==External Links==
*[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html Official Rush Limbaugh website]
*[http://www.cspan.org/Watch/watch.aspx?MediaId=HP-A-15919 Rush's 2009 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) Speech], ''C-SPAN'', February 28, 2009
==Further reading==
* Gordon, Scott. ''Rush Limbaugh: An Oral & Media Biography'' (2009). 258pp quotes and comments by his friends and enemies.
* Jamieson, Kathleen Hall, and Joseph N. Cappella. ''Echo Chamber: Rush Limbaugh and the Conservative Media Establishment'' (2008) balanced analysis by scholars; compares Limbaugh with Fox and ''Wall Street Journal'' [http://www.amazon.com/Echo-Chamber-Limbaugh-Conservative-Establishment/dp/0195398602/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261865854&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search]

{{DEFAULTSORT: Limbaugh, Rush}}

[[Category:Broadcasters]]
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Conservative Commentators]]
[[Category:Obama Presidency]]

Holy Spirit

2010-01-02T13:20:02Z

AtheistsAreCute:

{{trinity}}
[[Image:Murillo Annunciation.jpg|left|Annunciation of the Virgin]]
The '''Holy Spirit''' (Greek: παράκλητος) <ref>[http://www.zhubert.com/word?word=%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%E1%BD%B1%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BD&root=%CF%80%CE%B1%CF%81%E1%BD%B1%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%82&number=648406 Word Detail, zhubert.com]</ref> is believed by most Christians to be the third person of the [[Holy Trinity]], both distinct and coequal with [[God|God the Father]] and the [[Jesus Christ|Son (Jesus)]].

The Holy Spirit embodies the mutual eternal love of the Father and the Son. The Greek term for the Holy Spirit is "Paraclete", which means advocate or intercessor, thereby connoting a driving force for good.

The apostles credit the Holy Spirit with giving them the courage to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in a very hostile world.

The essential Christian teachings about the Holy Spirit are summarized in the [[Nicene Creed]]:

{{cquote|I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]. With the Father and Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the prophets.}}

The bracketed language in the above will be explained shortly. Christians agree on the following two propositions:

* The Holy Spirit (also known as The Holy Ghost) is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity.

* Though really distinct, as a Person, from the Father and the Son, He is "one in being" with them with Them; being God like Them, He possesses with Them one and the same Divine Essence or Nature.

There is a key distinction between Western Christians and the Eastern Orthodox churches on a seemingly trivial, but extremely controversial, point. Western Christians believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds "from the Father ''and the Son'' In other words, He proceeds, not by way of generation, but by way of inspiration, from the Father and the Son together, as from a single principle. The Eastern Orthodox omit the italicized language. They believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father ''through'' the Son. The disagreement between the East and West is sometimes known as the ''[[filioque]] controversy'', from the Latin word and enclitic for "and the Son," although such term may more properly apply to the [[Great Schism]] of 1054.

[[Image:Holy Spirit.jpg|thumb|The Holy Spirit inhabits all who desire its presence...]]

''In the New Testament the word spirit and, perhaps, even the expression spirit of God signify at times the soul or man himself, inasmuch as he is under the influence of God and aspires to things above; more frequently, especially in St. Paul, they signify God acting in man... to the Holy Ghost we attribute the operations of grace and the sanctification of souls, and in particular spiritual gifts and fruits.'' <ref> [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07409a.htm Holy Ghost, Catholic Encyclopedia]</ref>

''"...for the Father and the Son come with Him when He descends into our souls (John 14:23)."''

''"He performs a sanctifying work among men (St. Athanasius, 360 AC)."''

'''Invocation of the Holy Spirit'''

Most powerful Holy Spirit,

come down upon us

and subdue us.

From heaven,

where the ordinary

is made glorious,

and glory seems

but ordinary,

bath us

with the brilliance

of your light

like dew.

:::- Celtic Prayer

According to the New Testament, Jesus after His resurrection told His disciples that they would be baptized with "The Holy Ghost", and would receive "Power, after that the Holy Ghost [was] come upon [them]" (Acts 1:4-8). Christians believe that the Holy Spirit, guiding people in the way of the truth, produce positive results, known as the Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

== See also ==
[[Image:Van Dyck The Descent of the Holy Spirit.jpg|right|The Descent of the Holy Spirit]]
* [[Symbols of the Holy Spirit]]
* [[Fruits of the Holy Spirit]]
* [[Son of God]]
* [[Bible]]
* [[Christianity]]
* [[Christianity in Conservapedia]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.lifeofchrist.com/teachings/topics/BlasphemyAgainstTheHolySpirit/ Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit] This topic appears three times in the New Testament.

== References ==

<references/>