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Bible

2019-07-02T21:11:35Z

Godismysaviour: recategorize

[[Image:800px-Crop Book of Isaiah 2006-06-06.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The Holy Bible, opened to the Book of Isaiah.]]
{{Bible}}

The '''Bible''' is the toilet paper. It includes the most beautiful book ever written, the [[Gospel of Luke]], the most profound book ever written, the [[Gospel of John]], and the most intellectual [[treatise]] ever written, the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]]. [[Biblical scientific foreknowledge]] has anticipated or guided nearly every great human achievement.

The Bible is unique in the literature of the world,<ref name=LiteraryCriticism>See [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)]], in particular the findings of the following supportive sources of literary criticism:
*The Bible’s message is both ‘divine’ and ‘human’. —[http://www.saintjohnsabbey.org/liturgy-answers/bibles-message-both-divine-and-human/ St. John's Abbey: ''The Bible’s message is both ‘divine’ and ‘human’.'' Friday, January 17th, 2014, Benedictine Father Michael Kwatera, a monk of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN.]
*The more conservative theologians who employ the historical-critical method believe that the Scriptures are more than the writings of mortal men. —[http://www.wlsessays.net/files/BeckerHistorical.pdf The Historical-Critical Method of Bible Interpretation, By Siegbert W. Becker], page 4.
*Unique among all the world's literature, the Bible is really God's word in human language. —[http://bibleasliterature.wordpress.com/lesson-1/ The Bible as Literature: The Bible ~ A Literary Work and an Artistic Presentation of Human Experience].</ref> and was extensively studied by the greatest modern thinkers, including [[Isaac Newton]], [[Louis Pasteur]], [[Bernhard Riemann]], [[Alexander Hamilton]], [[Georg Cantor]], [[John von Neumann]], and [[Kurt Godel]].

Shorter than you might think, the Bible consists of two parts: 27 short books and letters of the [[New Testament]] of the [[Christian]] [[faith]], and 39 Hebrew and Aramaic books recognized by both Christianity and Judaism, which are included among the collection of 46 writings known as the [[Old Testament]].<ref>Christianity includes a few additional books with the Jewish [[Old Testament]], which have always been accepted as inspired scripture since the time of the apostles by the Orthodox and Catholic Churches which constitute the majority of Christianity, and later rejected as [[apocrypha]]l by the [[Reformation]]. See [[Biblical Canon]].</ref> The text of the Old Testament was originally written in [[Hebrew]] and [[Aramaic]], and was later translated and expanded in [[Greek]] by rabbinical scholars in the [[Septuagint]] Bible of the Greek-speaking Jews which was the Bible of the [[Apostles]].<ref>"Bible of the apostles". See the following four sources:
*[http://www.scripturecatholic.com/septuagint.html Septuagint Quotes in the New Testament]
*[http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/septuagint.html The Septuagint (LXX): History of the Septuagint]
*[http://www.crivoice.org/canonot.html Canons of the Hebrew Bible]
*[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Official King James Bible online: Apocrypha Books]</ref> The [[New Testament]] itself was originally written in Greek and was soon afterward added to the Septuagint, forming the Greek Bible of the ancient [[Christian]] church. The Bible has been translated into more than 2,000 languages.

The Bible is the best selling book in history, a testament to its timeless and compelling message.<ref>The Bible continues to be the best-selling book ever. Americans alone buy 25 million Bibles a year, according to Publisher's Weekly. Bible sales are now reaching $609 million a year, with specialty Bibles available for myriad "niche" audiences, from motorcycle riders to campers, brides and archaeologists. "Immerse," a water-resistant Bible for troops overseas, is now available from publisher Bardin & Marsee. [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20070529-111815-7952r.htm Polls: Most believe Bible as God's word] - Jennifer Harper, ''The Washington Times'' - May 30, 2007</ref> In addition, the Bible has had an immense, positive influence on literature, culture, and history. According to the website Guinness World Records, "A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies [of the Bible] were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion."<ref>[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/best-selling-book-of-non-fiction/ Best-selling book of non-fiction], Guinness World Records</ref>

[[Jesus Christ]] himself may have authored the perfectly written [[Epistle to the Hebrews]], which was composed in magnificent Greek and which discloses information that could have been known only to Jesus.<ref>The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] contains an explanation of the stature of Jesus relative to angels. For a contrary view that fails to discuss the likelihood that Jesus wrote the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]] or the information in that book which would be known only to Jesus, one commentator suggests that [[Barnabas]] or [[Apollos]] may have been the author (see [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2018:24-28&version=KJV Acts 18:24-28]). [http://www.judaismvschristianity.com/hebrews.htm Judaism versus Christianity. The Book of Hebrews. Who wrote the Book of Hebrews?] (judaismvschristianity.com). See also [https://bible.org/article/argument-hebrews The Argument of Hebrews] (bible.org).</ref>

Most [[Christians]], Protestant and Catholic, agree on the 27 books of the [[New Testament]], and while the Old Testament of the Orthodox Bible includes 50 books, for a total of 77, and the Old Testament of the Catholic Bible includes 46 books, for a total of 73, the Protestant Bible includes only the 39 books of the [[Old Testament]] which entirely correspond to the [[Biblical Canon#Palestinian canon (A.D. 4th century)|24 books of the Hebrew canon of the Jews]], for a total of 66.<ref>The Protestant Bible excludes the following books which have always been included in the Catholic Bible, the same books excluded from the canon by the Jews after the rise of Christianity in the 1st century:
# The Wisdom of Solomon
# Tobit
# Sirach
# Judith
# 1st Maccabees
# 2nd Maccabees
# Baruch [http://www.catholicbible101.com/theholybible.htm]
The Orthodox Greek Bible since the 1st century has always included Psalm 151 as appended to Psalm 150, and the Third Book of the Maccabees, and, in an appendix to the Old Testament, the Fourth Book of the Maccabees, a treatise on the superiority of wisdom. These were never included among the Protestant Apocrypha in the 16th century—but they also have never been included among the books of the Old Testament in Protestant Bibles. Martin Luther and the leaders of the Reformation did not address their canonical status, and did not discuss them. The Book of 1 Esdras has always been included in the Orthodox Bible among the Historical Books between 2 Chronicles and Ezra, but is regarded since the Council of Trent by both Catholics and Protestants as non-canonical and apocryphal and is not included by them in the Old Testament. The Latin apocalyptic 2 Esdras, which was never part of the Greek Old Testament, but was included in the Vulgate, is not included in the canon of standard Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Bibles, and is included with 1 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh in the Protestant Apocrypha. The same 2 Esdras is included as ''Ezra Sutuel'' in the canon of the Ethiopic Bible of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Orthodox Ethiopian Church]], which as a whole differs both in the Old and New Testament from that of any other churches. The Ethiopic canonical books, written in the [[Geez language]] and on parchment, are numerous. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has 46 books of the Old Testament and 35 books of the New Testament, bringing the total of canonized books of the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible to 81. The canon of the Ethiopic Bible appears to date back to the 5th century. See [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1292150/Worlds-illustrated-Christian-bible-discovered-Ethiopian-monastery.html World's first illustrated Christian bible discovered at Ethiopian monastery, By Daily Mail Reporter. Updated: 11:33 EST, 5 July 2010] Carbon dating gives a date between 330 and 650.</ref> The English King James Version of the Protestant Bible has 593,493 words in the Old Testament and 181,253 words in the New Testament.<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/about.html ChristianAnswers.Net. About the Bible] (christiananswers.net)</ref>

==Name==
The word "Bible" had its origins in an ancient [[Phoenicia]]n seaport called [[Byblos]], which was so-named as a result of the trade and manufacture of writing material based on the [[papyrus]] or byblos reed, used extensively in antiquity for making [[scroll]]s and [[book]]s. The [[Greek language|Greek]] word ''biblos'' was based upon this, and it came to be the word for ''book'' (a small book was termed ''biblion''), and by the 2nd century A.D. Greek [[Christianity|Christians]] had called the Scriptures ''ta Biblia'' ('''τα βιβλία''' ''the books''), which was transferred to [[Latin]] by dropping the ''ta''; the word made its way to Old French where the plural was dropped in favor of the singular, hence becoming the [[English]] word ''Bible''.<ref>Unger, pg 143; Moulton; Blass</ref>

==Unique witness to truth==
{{See also|The Gospel}}
The Bible is the most ancient collective document of writings in antiquity witnessing to the revelation of the one living God to the community of the people he has chosen and formed to be his priests and witnesses to all the peoples of the earth. This people chosen and called out from every nation and language on earth testifies that God is one being of three Persons, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, who loves all that he has created, and that there is nothing in all the whole created universe that he did not create through the power of his Word. The Bible is the collective testimony of this community of people chosen out of all the peoples of the earth that God is the one original cause of all existence, creator of the universe and all that it contains both visible and invisible. They have borne witness in the several sacred scriptures contained in the Bible that this one unique God has acted and continues to act in history.<ref>Chaffey, Tim (April 1, 2011). [https://answersingenesis.org/the-word-of-god/3-unity-of-the-bible/ 3. Unity of the Bible]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved April 21, 2019.</ref><ref>Lisle, Jason (March 22, 2011). [https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/how-do-we-know-that-the-bible-is-true/ How Do We Know that the Bible Is True?] ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved April 21, 2019.</ref><ref>Cheffey, Tim (February 22, 2017). [https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/3-evidences-confirm-bible-not-made-up/ 3 Evidences That Confirm the Bible Is Not Made Up]. ''Answers in Genesis''. Retrieved April 21, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.josh.org/resurrection/bible-is-unique/ Bible is Unique]. ''Josh McDowell Ministry''. Retrieved April 21, 2019.</ref>

The Bible is unique in antiquity in its witness that God has made one of his creations, the whole human race, to be above the physical animal nature of the body and be like himself with dominion over the whole earth and all its creatures. The Bible testifies that God himself has called this human creature, male and female, to a personal relationship with him as a whole community of love and goodness and mercy in his image as his living temple and dwelling place on earth and to give evidence of his reality and to acknowledge him in all they do and say.

The Bible is unique in all of ancient literature in that it testifies to the rebellion and fall of the human race, to the reality of sin and its effects, to the facts of evil and of righteousness, to objective physical and moral standards of right and wrong, of justice and judgment, and to the reality of invisible intelligent beings, both those who have rebelled against God and those who perpetually serve him.

The Bible contains the only stable, reliable written witness of his own community to the rest of the world that the '''Word''' of this one God is the perfect image of his own divinity, his only-begotten Son, who became one with us, in solidarity with each human being and the whole of the fallen human community, as a sinless flesh-and-blood man whose act of complete renunciation and self-sacrifice made perfect reparation for the offense of the whole of the human community, to save us from the merited ruin which is going to come on the whole rebellious, resistant, fallen human community occupied with its own selfishness. The Bible is the witness of God's people that his Word is his Son, that his name is Jesus, and that he is the supreme Anointed One ("''Christos''") of the people of Israel. The Bible is the unique written witness of the people he has called to himself that he established his Church as the holy temple of his Holy Spirit, with the divine commission to testify to him to the whole world and make disciples of those who are willing to come to him and worship in word and deed. The Bible is their unique written record that in the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ God the Father has called all humanity to partake in a share of his own divinity, in selfless goodness, mercy and love, in eternal, everlasting life, as the gift of his love.

The Bible declares the revelation that death is not final, and that there will be a physical resurrection of all the dead at the end of time. In its collected writings the people of God have testified to the revelation of the total condemnation of the wicked who have chosen to reject both him and the gift of communion with him, and in it they have collectively testified to the revelation of the total salvation from ruin and the gift of communion with him of those who have not resisted him and his way of living and acting and whom he has made holy by his own power alone. No other book is like it. The whole community of believers past and present in its leadership has discerned and testified to this day that the whole collection of the books of the Bible is inspired by God, and that God is their true author. The Bible is the Word of God expressed in the written form of human language. Its chief value is as a stable unchanging resource for understanding the mind of God, for establishing a just society with just laws and true justice, for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that each leader of the community (each "''man of God''") may be fully equipped for every good work as a witness to the one true God. [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2timothy%203:16-17&version=KJV 2 Timothy 3:16-17]

But just as Jesus has appeared to many to be no more than an ordinary human being, and just as Christianity has appeared to many to be no more than a merely human institution of religion, so the Bible also has appeared to many to be no more than a traditional collection of ordinary human literature. However, even the tools of [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|ordinary literary criticism]] have clearly shown the Bible to be more than a collection of merely human literature, and its scriptures to be much more than ordinary human writings.<ref name=LiteraryCriticism/>

==Books of the Bible==
===The Old Testament===
{| border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="360" style="margin-left:5px" class="wikitable"
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: tan no-repeat scroll top left;"|Old Testament layout
|-
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Jewish
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Christian Protestant
|-
|1 Genesis
|Genesis
|-
|2 Exodus
|Exodus
|-
|3 Leviticus
|Leviticus
|-
|4 Numbers
|Numbers
|-
|5 Deuteronomy
|Deuteronomy
|-
|6 Joshua
|Joshua
|-
|7 Samuel
|Judges
|-
|8 Kings
|Ruth
|-
|9 Isaiah
|1st Samuel
|-
|10 Jeremiah
|2nd Samuel
|-
|11 Ezekiel
|1st Kings
|-
|12 The Minor Prophets
|2nd Kings
|-
|13 Psalms
|1st Chronicles
|-
|14 Proverbs
|2nd Chronicles
|-
|15 Job
|Ezra
|-
|16 Song of Songs
|Nehemiah
|-
|17 Ruth
|Esther
|-
|18 Lamentations
|Job
|-
|19 Ecclesiastes
|Psalms
|-
|20 Esther
|Proverbs
|-
|21 Daniel
|Ecclesiastes
|-
|22/23 Ezra (with Nehemiah)
|Song of Solomon
|-
|24 Chronicles
|Isaiah
|-
|
|Jeremiah
|-
|
|Lamentations
|-
|
|Ezekiel
|-
|
|Daniel
|-
|
|The Minor Prophets
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: tan no-repeat scroll top left;"|Dates of each Book
|-
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|Protestant Old Testament
!align ="center" style="color: white; height: 30px; background: navy no-repeat scroll top left;"|New Testament
|-
|Genesis, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Matthew, A.D. 60-65
|-
|Exodus, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Mark, A.D. 60-65
|-
|Leviticus, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Luke, A.D. 58-65
|-
|Numbers, 1440-1400 B.C.
|John, A.D. 95
|-
|Deuteronomy, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Acts, A.D. 58-65
|-
|Joshua, 1400-1360 B.C.
|Romans, A.D. 58
|-
|Judges, c. 1020 B.C.
|1st Corinthians, A.D. 57
|-
|Ruth, c. 1090 B.C.
|2nd Corinthians, A.D. 57
|-
|1st Samuel, c. 931–722/21 B.C.
|Galatians, A.D. 56
|-
|2nd Samuel <ref>[https://bible.org/article/introduction-book-first-samuel Bible.org Introduction to First Samuel]</ref>
|Ephesians, A.D. 62-63
|-
|1st Kings, 609-600 B.C.
|Philippians, A.D. 58-60
|-
|2nd Kings, 609-600 B.C.
|Colosians, A.D. 61-63
|-
|1st Chronicles, c. 400 B.C.
|1st Thessalonians, A.D. 52
|-
|2nd Chronicles, c. 400 B.C.
|2nd Thessalonians, A.D. 53
|-
|Ezra, c. 400 B.C.
|1st Timothy, A.D. 62-65
|-
|Nehemiah, c. 400 B.C.
|2nd Timothy, A.D. 65-66
|-
|Esther, 464-425 B.C.
|Titus, A.D. 65
|-
|Job, 1440-1400 B.C.
|Philemon, A.D. 65
|-
|Psalms, 1004-965 B.C.
|Hebrews, A.D. 63-64
|-
|Proverbs, 965-925 B.C.
|James, A.D. 63-64
|-
|Eccleisiastes, 965-925 B.C.
|1st Peter, A.D. 64
|-
|Song of Solomon, 965-925 B.C.
|2nd Peter, A.D. 65
|-
|Isaiah, 785-697 B.C.
|1st John, A.D. 90-100
|-
|Jeremiah, 587-538 B.C.
|2nd John, A.D. 90-100
|-
|Lamentations, 587-538 B.C.
|3rd John, A.D. 90-100
|-
|Ezekiel, 592-572 B.C.
|Jude, c. A.D. 70-75
|-
|Daniel, 539-520 B.C.
|Revelation, A.D. 96-98
|-
|Hosea, 753-731 B.C.
|
|-
|Joel, 835-796 B.C.
|
|-
|Amos, 787-747 B.C.
|
|-
|Obadiah, 848-841 B.C.
|
|-
|Jonah, 771-754 B.C.
|
|-
|Micah, 715-687 B.C.
|
|-
|Nahum, 661-612 B.C.
|
|-
|Habbakuk, 625-608 B.C.
|
|-
|Zephaniah, 621-608 B.C.
|
|-
|Haggai, 520 B.C.
|
|-
|Zechariah, 520 B.C.
|
|-
|Malachi, 455 B.C.
|
|}
The Hebrew Old Testament of the Bible, also called Tanakh, consists of twenty-four books. The books themselves were originally written in [[Hebrew]], and later on in the [[Aramaic]] language of Palestine (the original texts of the Hebrew books of Daniel and Ezra, for example, have major portions written in Aramaic). The Greek language version written after the conquest of [[Alexander the Great]] is known as the [[Septuagint]], and to it the Jews added more texts that they also valued for their [[piety]], wisdom and history, most of them translated from Hebrew or Aramaic originals. By A.D. the 1st century this Septuagint collection had become the Greek Old Testament Bible of the apostles.<ref>Most Protestant Christians are unaware that the overwhelming majority of Old Testament quotations and references in the New Testament are numerous quotations from the Septuagint including the books Martin Luther separated as [[Apocrypha]]. See the following four sources:
*[http://www.scripturecatholic.com/septuagint.html Septuagint Quotes in the New Testament]
*[http://www.ecclesia.org/truth/septuagint.html The Septuagint (LXX): History of the Septuagint]
*[http://www.cresourcei.org/canonot.html Canons of the Hebrew Bible]
*[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ Official King James Bible online: Apocrypha Books]
Biblical researchers in the 20th and 21st centuries have also discovered manuscripts and linguistic evidence that appear to prove that most of the Apocrypha, except the Book of Wisdom (originally written in Greek?), were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic (Syriac) prior to the Christian era. [http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/apocrypha/ Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Apocrypha] [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/apocrypha.html The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha] (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)</ref> [[Melito]],<ref>[http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=1017 Catholic Online: St. Melito of Sardis], [http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/melito.html Early Christian Writings: Melito of Sardis]</ref> a bishop of [[Sardis]] in [[Lydia]] (in what is now [[Turkey]]), is said to have coined the phrase ''Old Testament'' about A.D. 170. The Greek Old Testament has been a continuous part of the Christian Bible in the eastern Churches in Palestine, Greece, Turkey, and the whole of the [[Levant]] since the 1st century.

The Hebrew Old Testament is divided in three parts within the Jewish community: the [[Torah|'''T'''orah]] ("Law"), or [[Pentateuch]], the five books of [[Moses]]; the [[Nevi'im|'''N'''evi'im]] ("Prophets"), and the [[Ketuvim|'''K'''etuvim]] ("Writings,” or [[Hagiographa]]) (abbreviated '''T'''a'''N'''a'''K'''h, hence, "Tanakh", ). Here the arrangement of the books differs somewhat from the Old Testament as used by Christians, with three of the twenty-four (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles) each being divided into two books, and Ezra being divided into Ezra and Nehemiah; however the actual writing of each book remains the same. The Christian order of the books of the Bible follows the Chronology of the events and the personages being related, according to their arrangement in the Septuagint, while in the Jewish order, though there is a chronological framework, the order follows more the importance, influence, "weight of usage" within Judaism. Thus, for orthodox Judaism, The Torah of [[Moses]] comes first (the 5 books of Moses), and is the most authoritative of all Scripture. Under the [[Pharisee|Pharasaic]] theory that Moses was also given the Oral law, explicating how the Written law was to be applied, at the same time as he was given the written law contained in the Bible, the Oral Law too was passed on through the generations, and was later in A.D. the 3rd century first put into writing in the Mishna (compiled by [[Judah haNasi]] <ref>[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/hanasi.html Yehudah HaNasi (Judah the Prince) (A.D. 135 - 219)], [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/8963-judah-i Jewish Encyclopedia: Judah I]</ref>) and the Gemara (gathered by the [[Amoriam]] <ref>Amoraim (Aramaic: plural אמוראים [ʔamoʁaˈʔim], singular Amora אמורא [ʔamoˈʁa]; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen"), were renowned Jewish scholars who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. See [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0002_0_01018.html Jewish Virtual Library: AMORAIM]</ref>) finally composing the [[Talmud]], and is regarded as equally authoritative with the Torah of Moses.<ref>There is a similar teaching in the Christian New Testament, in the Second Letter to the Thessalonians ([http://biblehub.com/multi/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm 2:15]) and in the First Letter to the Corinthians ([http://biblehub.com/multi/1_corinthians/11-2.htm 11:2]). This seems to be the Biblical justification for the Catholic and Orthodox teaching that the fullness of the Christian faith is contained in both scripture and tradition, "letter" and "word". See [[Sola scriptura]]</ref> Then the Prophets come next in authority. But the category of the Hebrew Prophets for the Jews is much broader than the category of the Prophets as considered by the Christian ordering. The "Prophets" in the Tanakh includes what Christians consider "History" - such as the books of the Kings - but it also includes what Christians call the Former and the Latter, or the Major and the Minor prophets. The last in authority for every day life of the Jew, in terms of "regulation", actually form a great influence in the Synagogue worship - the Writings, with a heavy emphasis on the Psalms.

====Torah====
The Five books of Moses, in their Hebrew and English names:
*<big>בְּרֵאשִׁית</big> Bereisheet ("in the beginning"), or [[Genesis]]
*<big>שְׁמוֹת</big> Shemot (“names”), or [[Exodus]]
*<big>וַיִּקְרָא</big> Vayikra (“and God called”), or [[Leviticus]]
*<big>בְּמִדְבַּר</big> Bemidbar (“in the Wilderness”), or [[Numbers]]
*<big>דְּבָרִים</big> Devarim (“words”), or [[Deuteronomy]]

The first eleven chapters of ''Genesis'' provide the account of the [[Creation]], the history of God's early relationship with humanity, and the [[Deluge]] of [[Noah]]. The remaining thirty-nine chapters detail the account of God's covenant with the early Hebrew nation, led by the patriarchs [[Abraham]], [[Isaac]] and [[Jacob]] (or Israel), and one of Jacob's children, [[Joseph]]. It tells the beginnings of God's chosen people, of how God commanded Abraham to leave his family and home to settle in the land of [[Canaan]], and how the Children of Israel later moved to Egypt. The remainder of the Torah, beginning with ''Exodus'' and ending with ''Deuteronomy'', tells the story of the great Hebrew leader [[Moses]], and of the Hebrews through their sojourn and slavery in Egypt, their escape from bondage, and their wanderings in the desert until finally they stand ready to enter the Promised Land.

====Nevi'im====
The [[Nevi'im]] ("Prophets") is the story of the rise toward, and ultimately reaching, the Hebrew monarchy; the sad period of anarchy and revolt leading to the division into the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel; and the prophets who judged the kings of both in God's name. It ends with the conquest and dissolution of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and its Assyrian exile, and then the conquest of the Kingdom of Judah, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, and the Babylonian exile. The Minor Prophets are considered a single book in the Nevi'im; in Christianity they have been split into twelve separate books and named for their authors.
*<big>יְהוֹשֻׁעַ</big> [[Joshua (Biblical book)|Joshua]]
*<big>שׁוֹפְטִים</big> [[Judges (Biblical book)|Judges]]
*<big>שְׁמוּאֵל א</big> [[I Samuel]]
*<big>שְׁמוּאֵל ב</big> [[II Samuel]]
*<big>מְלָכִים א</big> [[I Kings]]
*<big>מְלָכִים ב</big> [[II Kings]]
*<big>יְשַׁעְיָהוּ</big> [[Isaiah (Biblical book)|Isaiah]]
*<big>יִרְמְיָהוּ</big> [[Jeremiah (Biblical book)|Jeremiah]]
*<big>יְחֶזְקֵאל</big> [[Ezekiel (Biblical book)|Ezekiel]]
* [[The Minor Prophets]]
**<big>הוֹשֵׁעַ</big> [[Hosea (Biblical book)|Hosea]]
**<big>יוֹאֵל</big> [[Joel (Biblical book)|Joel]]
**<big>עָמוֹס</big> [[Amos (Biblical book)|Amos]]
**<big>עֹבַדְיָה</big> [[Obadiah (Biblical book)|Obadiah]]
**<big>יוֹנָה</big> [[Jonah (Biblical book)|Jonah]]
**<big>מִיכָה</big> [[Micah (Biblical book)|Micah]]
**<big>נַחוּם</big> [[Nahum (Biblical book)|Nahum]]
**<big>חֲבַקּוּק</big> [[Habakkuk (Biblical book)|Habakkuk]]
**<big>צְפַנְיָה</big> [[Zephaniah (Biblical book)|Zephaniah]]
**<big>חַגַּי</big> [[Haggai (Biblical book)|Haggai]]
**<big>זְכַרְיָה</big> [[Zechariah (Biblical book)|Zechariah]]
**<big>מַלְאָכִי</big> [[Malachi (Biblical book)|Malachi]]

====Ketuvim====
The [[Ketuvim]], or "Writings," contain lyrical poetry, philosophical reflections on life, and the writings of the prophets and other Jewish leaders during the exile in [[Babylon]].
*<big>תְּהִלִּים</big> [[Psalms]]
*<big>מִשְׁלֵי</big> [[Proverbs]]
*<big>אִיּוֹב</big> [[Book of Job]]
*<big>שִׁיר הַשִּׁירִים</big> [[Song of Songs]], also called [[Song of Solomon]] in the Protestant Christian Bible.
*<big>רוּת</big> [[Book of Ruth]]
*<big>אֵיכָה</big> [[Lamentations]]
*<big>קֹהֶלֶת</big> [[Ecclesiastes]]
*<big>אֶסְתֵּר</big> [[Esther]]
*<big>דָּנִיֵּאל</big> [[Daniel (Biblical book)|Daniel]]
*<big>עֶזְרָא</big> [[Ezra]], divided into the two books of <big>עֶזְרָא</big> Ezra and <big>נְחֶמְיָה</big> [[Nehemiah]] in the Christian Bible.
*<big>דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים א</big> ''and'' <big>דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים ב</big> [[Books of Chronicles]]

[[David]] has been named as the author of the ''Psalms''; [[Solomon]] is traditionally believed to have written ''Song of Songs'' in his youth, the ''Proverbs'' in his prime, and ''Ecclesiastes'' during his old age. The prophet [[Jeremiah]] is thought to have written the aptly-named ''Lamentations'' at the beginning of the exile to Babylon. The ''Book of Ruth'' is the only biblical book that centers entirely on a non-Jew, a [[Moabite]] who married a Jew and became an ancestor of both David and [[Jesus Christ]]. ''Esther'' is unique as it is the only book in the Hebrew Tanakh not to mention God. Moses is traditionally considered to be the author of ''Job''.

===The melodies of the Old Testament===
The Hebrew of the present day Old Testament is composed of the Hebrew consonants and, added on by the [[Masoretic Text|Masoretes]] at a later stage, the vowels. Along with these two elements, other signs were added which indicated the melodies that were sung along with the words or phrases. Some of the signs were positioned above the individual consonants, some below, and some to the side. Some of these melody signs were associated with others providing a musical pattern that corresponds with the opening of a thought, similar to the beginning of a sentence (ex. "merkha"), the continuation of a thought (ex. "munakh"), tying in one word with the following, as one melody flowed into the next, the "resting" or completion of a thought, much in "the same way that a comma (ex. "azla"), though not ending a sentence, makes for the "semi"-ending or minor completion of a thought, a major break in the run of thoughts ("etnachta"), though the run of thought would be resumed until the major completion ("sof pasuq"), much in the same way the a period brings to a stop and a completion as a sentence ends. Thus the musical signs in the Hebrew text also provide an interpretation of the text current to the times in which the signs were incorporated as part of the text, the Masoretic vowel-pointing excluding those former tonal readings which clearly represented Christian textual interpretations. The signs that tie one word to another providing one thought are called "conjunctive" signs and the signs that separate words and the thought of them are called "disjunctive". An example of the use of these signs to interpret the Hebrew text is the well known prophesy of the One to come. The Hebrew letters can either be understood to read "His name shall be called Wonderful counsellor of (''from, sent by, representing'') the mighty God", or "His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God". The melody signs (called in Hebrew "Ta'mei HaMikra) decide for the latter. After "Wonderful" there is a disjunctive, after "Counsellor" there is a disjunctive, and after "Mighty" (but adj. after the noun in Hebrew order) there is a conjunctive. It is possible to reconstruct to some extent the melody and the interpretation of the Old Testament current in the first century and therefore the melody and the interpretation used by Jesus Himself.<ref name=Steinberg>[http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrew2a.htm History of the Ancient and Modern Hebrew Language, By David Steinberg. Phonemic Structure of Hebrew] David.Steinberg@houseofdavid.ca. http://www.houseofdavid.ca Home page
http://www.adath-shalom.ca/history_of_hebrewtoc.htm</ref> This is because of the following: the present day melodies of the various dispersions of the Jews are to a great extent different one from the other. Some of these dispersions are the Ashkenazi, representing the Jews exiled from Israel by the Romans in A.D. 70 and then on to the Rhine Valley, and then onto parts of Eastern Europe, Western Europe, America, etc., the Sephardim who saw the beginnings of their dispersion from Spain in the 15th Century and then on to Greece, Turkey, North Africa. Holland, and America, the Yemenites, the Bnei Israel of India, the Jews of Ethiopia, etc. etc., Yet, with the diversity in melodies of the Scriptures, there are certain features which are either identical or strikingly similar. Musicologist, [[Joel Segal]], pointed out over 40 years ago, that this could only have been possible if these dispersions were at one time together in the same place. The only time that all these dispersions were together in the same place was prior to the great dispersion of the first century and the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

===Old Testament Apocrypha===
The deuterocanonical books and others that the Reformation designated [[Apocrypha]] were written during the four hundred years between the time of Ezra and Malachi and the birth of Christ (one of them, 2 Esdras, possibly in A.D. the 1st century). The term itself comes from the Greek word ''apokruphos'' ("hidden" or "concealed") which was first applied to them by Jerome according to the opinions of the Jewish sources he consulted in Palestine, and although the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, among others, have always included the deuterocanonical Apocrypha in their versions of the Bible, considering them to be canonical (and they do have an actual history and literary value) the fourteen texts (10 books and portions of 2 others) which make up the whole of the Protestant Apocrypha have been rejected as non-canonical by both the Jewish faith since the 2nd century and by most Protestant denominations of the Christian church since the 16th century due to what, according to Reformation doctrine, they consider to be "''historical, geographical, or literal inaccuracies; the teaching of doctrines which contradict inspired Scripture; and a lack of elements and structure which give genuine Scripture its unique characteristic''" (Unger, pg. 70<ref>See also the following sources for more extensive expression of this Evangelical Christian opinion: Unger, Merril F. Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1966; new edition 2006); Unger, Merril F. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, (2006); 1416pp; Unger, Merril F. Unger's Bible Handbook, Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1967).</ref>). Three of the Apocrypha, 1 and 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh, although part of Jerome's Vulgate, were not included among the canonical books listed at the Council of Trent and are considered by Catholics to be apocryphal works, and as not among the accepted deuterocanonicals. See [[Biblical Canon]].

Protestants do not include Psalm 151 and 3 and 4 Maccabees among the Apocrypha, but they also do not include these in their Bibles. The Reformation did not address the question of their canonical status. The Catholic Church did not include them in the canon of the Council of Trent, and they do not appear in regular editions of the Catholic Bible. They continue to be part of the [[Orthodox Church|Orthodox Bible]].

The Apocryphal books had been used in both Israel and Egypt and (except the Latin 2 Esdras which was part of the Vulgate) are part of the Old Testament in the Greek language used by Jews all over the Greek speaking world - particularly Alexandria, Egypt. This version is called the Septuaginta. The Septuaginta after the 1st century fell into disuse among Jews for two reasons -
:1. Greek speaking Christians were using the Septuaginta in their efforts to bring Jews to faith in Jesus Christ
:2. A number of the Apocryphal books were also apocalyptic, that is, focusing on the last days, the Kingdom of God in battle against the kingdoms of this world and the downfall of this world's empires. This was considered dangerous and liable to provoke Rome against the Jews.
Alternative Greek translations to the Septuaginta, which was considered "loose" by the Rabbis, were adopted. These were the translations of three proselytes to Judaism, Theodosious, Aquillas, and Symmachus. The Jewish Rabbinic [[Council of Jamnia|"Council" of Jamnia]] (Yavneh on the Mediterraenian coast of Israel) in A.D. 90, under the leadership of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, effectively excluded the Apocryphal books (along with the Septuaginta) from the Jewish Canon by requiring, for a book to be considered canonical, that it have been written in Hebrew (and Aramaic). This immediately excludes ''all'' of the Christian scriptures included in the entire New Testament, since they were written in Greek and in the 1st century. Actually, a number of the apocryphal books, or portions thereof, had been written originally in Hebrew, most notably, the Book of Ben Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) found in Hebrew at Qumran with the rest of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but this was unknown to Yohanan Ben Zakkai and the Council of Jamnia in the first century. Under the impetus of Renaissance learning, Protestant scholars went directly to the Hebrew text and began to translate the Bible directly from the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, instead of having to go through the Latin Vulgate. But they consulted the Hebrew text of the Talmudic rabbinical version of the synagogue (eventually to be called the "Masoretic text") of the canon of books that had been recommended by the Council of Jamnia and afterward consistently authorized by subsequent rabbinical authorities representing Judaism. They also disregarded the witness of the canonical listing of the books of the Christian Orthodox Greek Bible, which had not been determined by the Council of Trent under the Roman Pontiff but had always been the traditional Old Testament as read from the time of the apostles and the most ancient Christian Church. In this way, most Protestant churches came to not include the Apocryphal books in their Canon of Scripture. One of the reasons the Roman Catholic Church held to the Vulgate was because it had been translated by Jerome from the Hebrew text before the text had been revised and altered by the Masoretes, and today it is considered a valuable witness to the earlier Hebrew Bible.
:"It has also proved of primary importance as an early and excellent witness to the sacred text."
::—The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)<ref>[http://www.bible-researcher.com/vulgate1.html The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) The Vulgate, by Samuel Angus.]</ref>

The following are the books which are most frequently referred to by the title ''Apocrypha'':
*[[1 Esdras]]
*[[2 Esdras]]
*[[1 Maccabees]]
*[[2 Maccabees]]
*[[Book of Tobit]]
*[[Book of Judith]]
*[[Book of Wisdom]]
*[[Book of Sirach|Ecclesiasticus]], also known as Sirach
*[[Book of Baruch]]
:*[[Epistle of Jeremiah]] is sometimes listed as separate book or the last chapter of Baruch
*[[Prayer of Manasseh]]
*Greek language additions to the [[Book of Esther]]

Additions to the book of Daniel
*[[The Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy Children]]
*[[Story of Susanna]]
*[[Bel and the Dragon]]

With the exception of 1 and 2 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh, the remaining seven books and the parts of Esther and Daniel listed here are accepted as divinely inspired, canonical scriptures in the Holy Bible by the Catholic and Orthodox branches of Christianity;<ref>The '''Catholic Church''' is the world's largest [[Christianity|Christian]] body comprised of several distinct [https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm "Rites"]. The [[Catholic Church|Catholic Church (Latin Rite)]] is the largest religious body in the United States, with over 60 million adherents (4 times as large as the second largest church, the Orthodox). [http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/ “The Global Catholic Population,” © 2011, Pew Research Center.] [http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html The Largest Catholic Communities] 
The '''Eastern Orthodox Church''', officially called the '''Orthodox Catholic Church''', and also referred to as the '''[[Orthodox Church]]''' and '''Orthodoxy''', is the second largest [[Christianity|Christian church]] in the world, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, most of whom live in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[Russia]]. {{cite web |last1=Calivas |first1=Rev. Alciviadis C. |title=The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church |publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America |year=1983 |url=http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |ref=none }} {{cite web |last1=Fairchild |first1=Mary |title=Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination |publisher=about.com |url=http://christianity.about.com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile.htm |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }} {{cite web |title=Christianity |work=Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents |publisher=adherents.com |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}</ref><ref name=Prot>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref> however, they are not accepted as canonical by the majority of Protestant branches of Christianity, though many Protestants still see them as having value.

====The problem with rabbinical authority defining the biblical canon====

According to the ordinary reading of the New Testament and the consensus of the majority of Christians from the 1st century to this day, the authority of the kingdom of God had been wholly taken away from the Jews in the 1st century and given to the leaders of the Gentiles and Jews in Christ long before the Council of Jamnia. See:
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:13-14&version=KJV Matthew 15:13-14]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2016:18-19&version=KJV Matthew 16:18-19]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2018:17-18&version=KJV Matthew 18:17-18]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2021:43&version=KJV Matthew 21:43]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2028:18-20&version=KJV Matthew 28:18-20]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%201:32-33&version=KJV Luke 1:32-33]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2010:16&version=KJV Luke 10:16]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2022:29-30&version=KJV Luke 22:29-30]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%207:51-53&version=KJV Acts 7:51-53]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1corinthians%204:1&version=KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1corinthians%206:2-3&version=KJV 1 Corinthians 6:2-3]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1timothy%203:14-15&version=KJV 1 Timothy 3:14-15]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=hebrews%2013:17&version=KJV Hebrews 13:17]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1john%204:2-6&version=KJV 1 John 4:2-6]
:[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2john%201:9-11&version=KJV 2 John 9-ll]

Between A.D. 90-95, long after the descent of the Holy Spirit of God at Pentecost and the spread of Christianity and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and the devastation of the city and the expulsion of the Jews, the Jewish [[Council of Jamnia]] revised the canon of the Old Testament, by ensuring that the books involved conformed to the Torah, were written in the Hebrew language, written in Palestine, and written before 400 B.C. As a result, the Apocrypha was excluded from the Hebrew canon.<ref>[https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/canon1.html The Jewish Canon and the Christian Canon] (web.cn.edu) Linguistic evidence shows that other Septuagint books which were excluded by rabbinical authority after A.D. 90 certainly had an original Hebrew or Aramaic text. See
*[http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/apocrypha.html Jewish Virtual Library. Jewish Holy Scriptures: The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, by Michael E. Stone]
*[http://archive.churchsociety.org/crossway/documents/Cway_102_ApocryphaBackground.pdf BACKGROUND AND HISTORY TO THE APOCRYPHA, By David Phillips] Article reprinted from Cross†Way Issue Autumn 2006 No. 102 (archive.churchsociety.org)
*[http://churchsociety.org/issues_new/doctrine/misc/apocrypha/iss_doctrine_misc_apocrypha_origin.asp The Origin of the Apocrypha]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=dtlDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA203&lpg=PA203&dq=apocryphal+books+having+evidence+of+hebrew+or+aramaic+origin&source=bl&ots=CkMPwQMciG&sig=y6w4tnI_wvIqyzCWqCoN3xo8mvQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VGGcVP2RH4r2yQT7toKYAw&ved=0CFMQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=apocryphal%20books%20having%20evidence%20of%20hebrew%20or%20aramaic%20origin&f=false The Apocrypha of the Old Testament: With Historical Introductions, a Revised Translation, and Notes Critical and Explanatory, by Edwin Cone Bissell. Scribner, 1890. 680 pages], page 208ff, citing evidence that the "additions to Esther" were also translated from the Hebrew. (Google eBook)</ref> The books excluded by this criteria were relatively recent Jewish contributions of the 3rd through the 1st centuries before Christ which had become part of Jewish culture. The rabbinical authorities simultaneously excluded as condemned and false the writings of the "heretics" (the ''minim'', including Christians, called nozrim, no§rim, "Nazarenes"), and cursed Christians in a synagogue service "benediction" against them and others. Palestinian texts of the Eighteen Benedictions from the Cairo Genizah <ref>[http://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/treasures-in-the-wall The New Yorker: Page-Turner. March 1, 2013 Treasures in the Wall, by Emily Greenhouse] (newyorker.com) [http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Genizah.html Jewish Virtual Library: Modern Jewish History: The Cairo Genizah, by Alden Oreck]</ref> present a text of the benediction which identifies the minim:<blockquote>"''For the apostates may there be no hope unless they return to Your Torah. As for the no§rim and the minim, may they perish immediately. Speedily may they be erased from the Book of Life, and may they not be registered among the righteous. Blessed are You, O Lord, Who subdues the wicked.''"</blockquote>While other specimens of the Palestinian liturgy show slight variation, the no§rim, (usually translated “Christians”) and minim are included in the best texts of this benediction. The fact remains that the no§rim were included with apostates and heretics and the wicked in the Genizah documents.<ref>[http://lawrenceschiffman.com/?s=the+benediction+against+the+minim Professor Lawrence H. Schiffman: The Benediction Against the Minim] (lawrenceschiffman.com) [http://www.defendingthebride.com/bb/curse.html DEFENDING THE BRIDE. THE CURSE AGAINST CHRISTIANS AT JAMNIA ABOUT 90 AD] (defendingthebride.com) [https://www.academia.edu/6811953/The_Jewish_Council_of_Jamnia_and_Its_Impact_on_the_Old_Testament_Canon_and_New_Testament_Studies The Jewish “Council” of Jamnia and Its Impact on the Old Testament Canon and New Testament Studies, Tim Gordon October 20, 2007] (academia.edu/6811953)</ref> Martin Luther and the leaders of the [[Reformation]] cite as authoritative and determinative the canon of the Hebrew Bible as defined by rabbinical authorities who excluded and condemned as false the entire New Testament scriptures and Jesus as the Messiah <ref name=Luther>Luther rejected the seven books of the Old Testament, citing the Palestinian Canon as his authority. Clearly his reasons were doctrinal. However, his decision poses serious difficulties. What authority from God would Jews have in the Christian era to determine which books of the Old Testament were or were not divinely inspired? In 1529, Luther proposed adoption of the 39-book canon of rabbinic Judaism as the Old Testament canon of the Christian Bible. He justified his decision to exclude seven books from the Old Testament canon of 46 books by an appeal to precedent, citing Jerome who, around A.D. 400 had expressed concerns also voiced by his rabbinical sources that these books in Greek had no Hebrew counterparts. Research into the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran has discovered Hebrew copies of some of the disputed books, which makes their rejection on this ground unsupportable. Luther's principal reason for opposing these Old Testament books seems to be that they contain textual support for doctrines he had rejected, such as praying for the dead (2 Maccabees 12:42-45). See [http://www.totustuus.com/luther Luther and the Canon of the Bible, by Jim Seghers] [http://www.olswahiawa.org/uploads/2/1/8/4/21845996/session_3.pdf The Canon of the Bible] [http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2011/07/can-protestants-rely-upon-council-of.html Wednesday, July 20, 2011. Can Protestants Rely Upon the "Council of Jamnia" for Their Bible?]</ref> because "''unto them were committed the oracles of God.''" (see [http://biblehub.com/multi/romans/3-2.htm Romans 3:2]). This is an historical fact, and it presents a serious problem, known in logic ''as [[non sequitur]]''. If the Jews have been so entrusted with the word of God that they had therefore been given the divine authority to also determine the ''canon'' of sacred scripture, as Luther and the Reformation Protestants maintain, then the whole New Testament is excluded from the canon of the holy Bible because it does not meet the four established rabbinical criteria for what is sacred inspired scripture. See [[Logical fallacy]]

===The New Testament===
The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven books and letters, written by the early Christian community, and written primarily in [[Greek]]. The emphasis of the New Testament is the life, teachings, and gift of salvation from the central figure of the whole work, Jesus of Nazareth. These books are grouped into the following:

====[[Gospels|The Gospels]]====
The ''Gospels'' contain the history of Jesus. The ''Acts of the Apostles'' are a continuance of the Gospels, documenting the history of the early church, beginning immediately following Jesus' death and resurrection. Of the authors, only Matthew and John had met Jesus; they were among His disciples during His earthly ministry. Eusebius, in his ''Ecclesiastical History'', says:<blockquote>"Matthew and John are the only ones that have left us recorded comments, and even they, tradition says, undertook it from necessity. Matthew also, having '''first proclaimed the Gospel in Hebrew''' when on the point of going also to other nations, '''committed it to writing in his native tongue''', and thus supplied the want of his presence to them by his writings. But after, when Mark and Luke had already published their Gospels, they say that John, who during all this time was proclaiming the gospel without writing, at length proceeded to write it on the following occasion. The three Gospels previously written, having been distributed among all, and also handed to him, they say that he admitted them, giving his testimony to their truth; but that there was only wanting in the narrative the account of the things done by Christ, among the first of his deeds, and at the commencement of the Gospel. And this was the truth." —Book III, Chapter XXIV.<ref>''The Ecclesiastical History Of Eusebius Pamphilus: Bishop Of Caesarea, In Palestine'', translated from the Greek, by the Rev. C. F. Crusé, A.M., assistant professor in the University of Pennsylvania. With Notes from the Edition of Valesius. London: George Bell and Sons, York Street, Covent Garden. 1874. ''Legacy Reprint Series''. Book III, Chapter XXIV The order of the Gospels. page 97</ref> (''book in the public domain. Boldface emphasis added'') .</blockquote> Eusebius relates the already-existing tradition in his day that Matthew wrote the first Gospel. In every manuscript of the New Testament, Matthew is always placed first, and for almost 1900 years the traditional view prevailed unchallenged that Matthew was the first Gospel written. This is called the [[Augustinian hypothesis]], which holds that Matthew was the first Gospel, written by Matthew the Evangelist. Mark, according to tradition a Roman, and a companion of Peter, was author of the second Gospel, but beginning in the 19th century [[Heinrich Julius Holtzmann]] together with other German scholars, abusing the literary tools of [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|historical-critical methods]] in opposition to Christian tradition, declared on their authority as German scholars that Mark's gospel was the first to be written down, about A.D. 50. This theory is called "Marcan priority", and it was aggressively spread as part of [[Otto von Bismarck|Bismarck's]] anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy.<ref>[http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/KULTGOS.TXT Kulturkampf and the Gospel, by John Beaumont] [http://www.churchinhistory.org/pages/booklets/farmer%28n%29.htm Church in History. The ChurchinHistory Information Centre. BISMARCK AND THE FOUR GOSPELS 1870 - 1914, by William R. Farmer (University of Dallas) Editor of A NEW CATHOLIC BIBLE COMMENTARY. The theory that Mark's Gospel was published before Matthew's is widely held in German and English speaking countries. This article shows how this theory, with little supporting evidence, came to be spread as part of Bismarck's anti-Catholic 'Kulturkampf' policy. BIBLIOTHECA EPHEMERIDUM THEOLOGICARUM LOVANIENSIUM. THE FOUR GOSPELS. 1992] (churchinhistory.org)</ref> This view is widely held by liberal biblical scholars in German and English speaking countries. In the United States acceptance of Marcan Priority has often been a test of the "academic competency" of those faculty members who teach Biblical Studies.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UYKvAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA282&lpg=PA282&dq=academic+persecution+regarding+Augustinian+hypothesis&source=bl&ots=iDysvbe5ii&sig=oNOrQku42-Tx-n-yBzhQtzAeQls&hl=en&sa=X&ei=VHKkVNa7IceiyAStsYKYAw&ved=0CEQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=academic%20persecution%20regarding%20Augustinian%20hypothesis&f=false Mark's Gospel--Prior or Posterior?: A Reappraisal of the Phenomenon of Order, By David Neville]</ref> Luke is traditionally considered to be the author of both the third Gospel and the ''Acts''.
*[[Gospel of Matthew]]
*[[Gospel of Mark]]
*[[Gospel of Luke]]
*[[Gospel of John]]
*[[Acts of the Apostles]]

====[[Pauline Epistles]]====
The Pauline Epistles are letters (epistles) written to early Christian communities written by the [[Apostle Paul]].
*[[Epistle to the Romans]]
*[[First Epistle to the Corinthians]]
*[[Second Epistle to the Corinthians]]
*[[Galatians|Epistle to the Galatians]]
*[[Epistle to the Philippians]]
*[[Epistle to Philemon]]
*[[First Epistle to the Thessalonians]]
*[[Second Epistle to the Thessalonians]]
*[[Ephesians|Epistle to the Ephesians]]
*[[Epistle to the Colossians]]
*[[First Epistle to Timothy]]
*[[Second Epistle to Timothy]]
*[[Epistle to Titus]]
*''Possibly the [[Epistle to the Hebrews]]''

[[Liberal]] Bible scholarship over the last two centuries has denied that Paul wrote Ephesians, 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus; and doubted that he wrote Colossians and 2 Thessalonians. However, all the epistles listed above except Hebrews say they are written by Paul. As they are authoritative Scripture which "cannot lie", their claims should be believed.

There is speculation that Paul may have written the ''Epistle to the Hebrews'', which does not mention an author; however, under the pure divine power of the Holy Spirit of God the Father through Jesus Christ himself—"he has spoken through the Prophets"—it could easily have been written by any early Christian except for Timothy, who is mentioned by name in the final chapter. The controversy, however, does not affect the genuineness of the epistle.<ref>Unger, pg. 748; Eusebius ''The History of the Church'' 3:3</ref>

The Council of Trent (1546) dogmatically affirmed that the Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the fourteen genuine epistles of Paul.
:—[http://www.bible-researcher.com/trent1.html Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent. The Fourth Session. Celebrated on the eighth day of the month of April, in the year 1546. English translation by James Waterworth (London, 1848)]

====[[General Epistles]]====
*[[Epistle of James]]
*[[First Epistle of Peter]]
*[[Second Epistle of Peter]]
*[[First Epistle of John]]
*[[Second Epistle of John]]
*[[Third Epistle of John]]
*[[Epistle of Jude]]

====Revelation====
The [[Book of Revelation]] is the last work in the New Testament as well as the whole Bible, written close to A.D. 100 by the [[Apostle John]] during his exile on the Greek island of [[Patmos]]. Revelation is concerned with the condition of the [[Seven Churches of Asia]] before going deeply into a description of the [[Last Days]] prior to the beginning of the [[Millennial Age]].

Most [[Fundamentalism|Fundamentalists]] hold to "[[Dispensationalism]]", an interpretive theory of the meaning of Revelation and other prophecies that was developed in the 19th century by British theologian [[John Nelson Darby]] (1800–82) and the [[Plymouth Brethren]], and is summarized in the ''[[Scofield Reference Bible]]'' edited and [[Christian Zionism#Dispensationalism|annotated]] by [http://poweredbychrist.homestead.com/files/cyrus/scofield.htm Cyrus I. Scofield] (1909, 1917). See [http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/scofield-reference-notes/ Scofield's Reference Notes]

==Non-uniformity of language and style of original Scriptures==

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament, in the original languages of Hebrew (and Aramaic) and Greek, exhibit a non uniformity of style and language. This is in sharp contrast to most modern translations which treat the Scriptures throughout as if they are one book instead of the many books they are. Modern translations can be erudite, dignified, folksy and common, clear and geared for the "common man", or replete with language resonant with literary associations for the "accomplished" reader. But they are that way throughout. The Biblical originals, on the other hand, for example, embedded in the Hebrew within the narrative of the deeds of the prophetess Debora, have in the Song of Deborah (Judges chapter 5) a much more ancient and even archaic Hebrew than that of the main text of the book, probably emanating from a chant from the time of Deborah herself, plainly evident to any person who has studied Hebrew language. The same with the narrative and poetic portions concerning Moses. The human authors, inspired by God, were careful to preserve the integrity of the original inspired songs which they had faithfully recorded or otherwise copied and included in their narratives. There are even different Hebrew languages (rather dialects) from the same historical period but from different authors living during the same time, having come from different origins and cultural levels.<ref name=Steinberg/>

For the New Testament, an example of non-uniformity can be found in the stark differences of language in the Gospel of Luke, written by Luke the physician. The early accounts, those concerning the birth of Jesus and early life, are written in a stilted and often crude Greek while the rest of the Gospel is written in fine Greek befitting of the background and ability of a learned physician. But when the stilted and crude Greek is retranslated, word for word and phrase for phrase, into the Hebrew current in the first century in most parts of Israel (a technique called "back translation"), it becomes excellent Hebrew - Mishnaic Hebrew. This is because of the intent and fastidiousness of Luke, who derived his material, as he says, from people that had been "on the scene", and his success in transmitting it faithfully as he had received it. Both the Old and New Testaments, for various reasons, exhibit little or no concern to "level through" or override the content of what they are saying by stylistic considerations.

===Inspiration===
Although the Old Testament is written by many [[homo sapiens|human]] authors, New Testament authors know that these men were writing under the inspiration of God.

The apostle [[Paul]] wrote that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).
Similarly the apostle [[Saint Peter|Peter]] wrote, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21).

====Formation of New Testament and Jewish technical transmission====
In the first century and prior, the ear was more important than the eye, as far as retaining in memory. Jews would receive orally, that is, from hearing, the laws that they believed originated with Moses and then passed them on to others, down through the generations. It was important to link the present rabbis by names who taught it with the rabbis by name who had passed it on to them, on back as far as possible to Moses on Mt. Sinai. This was the startling difference of Jesus. By saying "You have heard it said, but I say unto you...", He was by-passing Moses and the others after and getting His teaching direct from the Father.

This Jewish way of receiving (QBL) and handing on (MSR) is summed up in the lead saying of the "Ethics of the Fathers" tractate of the [[Mishna]], "Moses received Torah from God at Sinai. He transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, the elders to the prophets, the prophets to the members of the Great Assembly [Sanhedrin] (1:1)." The teaching thus transmitted was memorized word for word by groups of disciples (Talmidim) together, thereby minimizing, by the common knowledge and public repetitions, all innovations and errors, though there might well have been "stylizing" for ease of retention and recall, receiving and handing on (transmission).

This methodology, with its technical Hebrew terminology appears in the New Testament with the same technical meaning and purpose, for how the earliest Christian teaching was carried on prior to the formation of the New Testament and during the time of its formation. This ensured the validity of the teaching and its authenticity going back, not to Moses, but to the time of Jesus Himself. "For I handed over (Gk. pare'doka, Heb. MSR) to you at the first what I also received (Gk. pare'labon, Heb. QBL) that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was raised on the third day, according to the Scriptures..." l Cor. 15:3. Paul knew all of the "deposit of faith" three ways, in the usual "collaborative" way of God - from Scriptures (the Old Testament), from experience (seeing the living Christ on the road to Damascas), and from authenticated oral tradition/transmission involving "receiving" and "handing on".

==Authority of Bible in religious communities==
The role of the Bible in the life of differing communities varies widely by both the inner tenents of the community and the outer influences bearing on the community.
===Judaism===
Orthodox Judaism through the centuries, while it was only marginally affected by growing secularization and modern learning, held to a "differing levels of authority" understanding of the authority of the Hebrew Bible. This did not imply different levels of inspiration, but rather that importance to the regulation of life was prime for the Torah of Moses, the 5 books of the Law. But the Pharasaic teaching also posited an Oral Law given to Moses by God that was passed on through the centuries through Joshua, the prophets, pairs of Rabbis, until this day. The Oral law is found in the Talmud (Mishna and the Gemara together). The oral law became the decisive interpreter, teacher and regulator of the Written Law and determined the course of Jewish Orthodox life. The second section of the Old Testament, the Prophets, is known to the Jewish Community primarily through the synagogue readings of the prophets, the Haftorah, that are assigned to conclude the weekly reading of the Law. The Psalms, the most formative of all the Writings, besides being common throughout the synagogue services, are used in various devotional prayer contexts. Orthodox Judaism has little been affected by modern Higher Criticism of the Bible. Reformed Judaism, originally developed in Germany, and Conservative Judaism, to a lesser extent, have been greatly affected.

===Mainline Protestants===
Mainline Protestantism, represented in the major Protestant churches, denominations, sects and their seminaries, has greatly been affected by "modernism" based on advanced scholarly research, especially from Germany in the 19th century. Those who abused the legitimate tools "Higher Criticism" chose as a fundamental liberal [[premise]] to ignore God's participation in the production of Scripture. Prime among these theories is the Documentary theory of Penteteuch origins (Wellhausen-Graff) that posits that Moses wrote little or nothing. Instead, they propose that the Bible originated in four unknown hypothetical sources coming from various periods. These four sources are termed J (for the use of "Jehovah" for the name of God), E (for the use of "Elohim"), P (priestly), and D (Deuteronomic). The "spirit" of the New Testament (according to their understanding of what they think is the probable main attitude of the writers, derived from the overall impression gained from a generally humanist religious point of view) is far more important than the text of either Testament for modern Protestant theology.

====Orthodox Jewish critique of Documentary theory====
Jewish Orthodox scholars have pointed to flaws in the Documentary Hypothesis. For instance, Orthodox Jewish Scholar Cassuto has pointed out that rather than the names for God varying according to author and period, they vary according to emphasis from the same period, that of Moses - "Jehovah" being used for God in his dealing with His covenental people Israel, and "Elohim" being used when His dealings with mankind are emphasized. Likewise the two terms usually translated "making a covenant", ''lkhrot brit'' (to "cut" a covenant) and ''lehaqim brit'' (to "raise" a covenenat) are not from two sources but mean two different things - to initiate a covenant and to fulfill a covenant.

===Evangelical Protestants===
Evangelical Protestantism believes strongly in the divine inspiration and inerrancy of the whole Bible and has been the most receptive of the doctrine of the full sufficiency of Biblical Authority. Believing in full inspiration of the whole of Scripture does not mean to evangelicalism the equal importance of all Scriptures for the healthy growth of the Christian community. This is because Evangelicalism, following Scripture's own self-disclosure, believes in progressive revelation throughout Biblical time, culminating in Jesus Christ, and no further (thus obviating the role of Tradition). Thus Evangelicalism, does not hold to the application of Mosaic Legislation, and other biblical elements that Orthodox Judaism holds to. This applies to faith and to morals. The Mosaic regulation on executing a rebellious child does not present a problem for evangelical thought as, according to Paul and Hebrews, the Law has been rendered obsolete by the New Covenant. The Destruction of the Temple and of the place for sacrifice of all kinds, present no problem for evangelicalism, as they did for Judasim, as Christ's sacrifice on the cross has now "fulfilled" the prescriptions of the Law and the ceremonials attached. Thus there is a sort of "levels of authority" understanding for evangelicalism similar to the levels of authority of Judaism (but for different reasons).

Evangelical Churches vigorously promote the reading of Scripture through Sunday sermons and Bible study programs. Emphasis is placed on "each one understanding". Coupled with American individualism, and lack of traditional vehicles of authority, this sometimes leads to splintering of worshiping communities and the insistence that each man's interpretation "is as good as any other". Nevertheless, "The Fundamentals" defined in 1910 are strongly retained by the Evangelical Churches - the divinity of Christ, His death for sins and Resurrection from the dead, His second coming.<ref>''[https://web.archive.org/web/20030101082327/http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/6528/fundcont.htm The Fundamentals: A Testimony To The Truth'', 1910–1915, 4 Vol.] [http://www.biola.edu/about/history/ Bible Institute of Los Angeles,] ed. [http://www.dbts.edu/journals/1996_1/ACDIXON.PDF A. C. Dixon], [[Reuben Archer Torrey]].</ref>

===Eastern Orthodox===
The Orthodox Churches throughout the world, whether Greek, Russian, Romanian, the various middle eastern varieties, emphasize the role of the synod (Council) of Bishops, based on the example of the "Council" of Jerusalem in the book of Acts, as the divinely authorized agent of interpretation and application of the Scriptures. Understanding that Jesus' words, "He (the Holy Spirit) will lead you into all truth", Orthodoxy believes that the synod of bishops, no one of whom is held to be individually infallible, are given guidance from the Holy Spirit so that the Scriptures are rightly applied to the Christian Community, enabling the Church to never stray from Christ, that is, the Church is given "indefectability". A minority of Orthodox Church thought holds to "infallibility" in synodal decision rather than, or instead of, "indefectability". The Scriptures in the Orthodox churches are buttressed by creedal formulations, the decisions of belief of past synods, and are less susceptible to the liberalist abuses of the legitimate methods of modern Higher Criticism. The Resurrection of Christ, virgin birth, return of Christ from Heaven to Earth, are all part and parcel of these churches. Individual interpretation of Scripture and manner of life are limited, then, by the teaching authority (the magisterium) granted to the Episcopate - the Synod of bishops.

===Roman Catholic===
The Roman Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Churches, has a strong sense of the Authority ([[Magisterium]]) given to the Bishops by Christ to teach, interpret, defend the Faith and therefore to exercise the responsibility to interpret to the Faithful both Holy Scripture and Apostolic Tradition. But since Vatican II, there has been an increased effort to bring Scriptural knowledge to the laity, and now there has been an increase of Scripture reading and study programs throughout most sections of the Church. This as been abetted by the Catholic Charismatic movement which has had the effect of promoting individual appropriation of the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, and with that, the correlate devotional and intellectual use of Holy Scriptures. However, the role of "Magisterium", that is the Teaching Authority, sets firm limits to individual interpretation. The Roman Catholic church understands that, though Magisterial authority is given to all the bishops, the definitive exercise of the Magisterium is limited to one bishop - the bishop of Rome, the Pope, and to the bishops in communion together with him. Further, Catholicism teaches that the Pope, when he declares dogma (teaching) ''[[Ex cathedra|ex-Cathedra]]'' (from the chair), he speaks infallibly (on matters of faith and morals). The first time the Pope promulgated dogma ''ex-cathedra'' formally was to promulgate the doctrine itself of Papal Infallibility, based on Scripture, history, and reason.<ref>[http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum20.htm Papal Encyclicals Online. Decrees of the First Vatican Council] [http://www.catholic.com/tracts/papal-infallibility Catholic Answers. Papal Infallibility]</ref> The Pope, through the Vatican prelates and all the bishops can regulate much of Catholic community life, and some of the regulation is based on the interpretation of Scripture or the application of the traditional interpretation of Scripture. An example of this is the prohibition of abortion. The Church has accepted in a fundamentally modified form most of the legitimate modern [[Historical-critical method (Higher criticism)|Higher Critical methodology]] of studying Scripture, including the [[Documentary Hypothesis]] of origins first developed within German Protestantism. But the effects of this on the tenets of the Christian Faith are profoundly mitigated due to the creedal affirmations of the Church developed centuries ago and to the [[discernment]] of Papal authority. Thus the Roman Catholic Church does not waver on the Deity of Christ, the Trinity, the death and resurrection of Christ, and the Second Coming.

==Evangelical Understanding of the History of the Bible==
Rejecting the "Higher Criticism" accepted by the mainline Protestant denominations, Evangelicals and many Catholics hold to a more traditional history of the Bible. This section summarizes their views.

[[Image:Gospel of Luke in Arab.gif|thumb|This tenth-century Egyptian codex was donated to Pope Eugenius IV by the Coptic delegates at the Council of Ferrara-Florence. Translated from a Coptic original, it is one of the earliest Arabic versions of any part of the New Testament, none of which can be dated before the late eighth or ninth centuries.]]

Traditionally, the oldest books of the Bible are certainly the five books of the Torah and the Book of Job. In 1st Kings 6:1, Solomon is stated to have begun building the Temple "''in the 480th year after the children of Israel were come up out of the land of Egypt''". It has been established by a majority of conservative scholars and historians that Solomon had begun building the Temple in the fourth year of his reign, apparently in 961 B.C., making the probable [[date of the Exodus]] under Moses 1441 B.C. During the following forty years Moses wrote the Torah and the Book of Job, completing them before his death at [[Mt. Nebo]] about 1400 B.C. According to Biblical scholar and historian Robert D. Wilson the Torah as it stands dates from the time of Moses, the five books constitute one continuous work, and was written by a single individual, Moses himself (Wilson, pg 11).<ref>Wilson, Robert D. ''A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament'', Sunday School Times, Inc, Philadelphia, PA (1926)</ref>

The remaining books of the Old Testament were written at various times since the death of Moses, with ''Malachi'', the last Hebrew Old Testament book, being written about 455 B.C. During this period each of the books was written and re-written on parchment or papyrus, with editors taking great care in their work; a single Biblical book hand-written today can take weeks to complete. The older scrolls were disposed of by burial or storage in a ''Geniza'' room when worn from normal usage (the Cairo Geniza is famous for the antiquity of the scrolls discovered within it) because the Jews have a devout horror of destroying the sacred script containing the transmitted revelation of God; as a result, the oldest surviving examples of Biblical manuscripts are those which have been carefully preserved either by direct actions of people (such as monasteries), or by removal from forces of decay. Currently, the oldest surviving manuscripts are those found carefully stored in clay jars within the caves of Qumran in 1948 and known as the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]], dating between 250 B.C. to A.D. 70; the complete ''Isaiah'' scroll of this collection dates to 150 B.C.

Around 200 B.C. the Septuagint, a Greek-language version of the Old Testament, was completed. This was due to the Hellenization of large areas of the Middle East after the conquest of Alexander the Great, making Greek the de facto language for everyday communications and business. The Septuagint marks the first time in history that the Bible was translated into a foreign language. An ancient fragment of the Septuagint containing the Tetragrammaton (Greek, "four letters", that is, of the name of God, YHWH) has been dated between 50 B.C. and A.D. 50.<ref>[http://www.eliyah.com/lxx.html Tetragrammaton Found in Earliest Copies of the Septuagint]</ref>

See [[Literalist Bible chronology]].

===Early New Testament history===
In 1st Timothy 5:8, Paul quoted as scripture ''"the laborer is worthy of his hire."'' This line is found nowhere else in the Bible except Matthew 10:10 and Luke 5:7. In 2nd Peter 3:15-16, Peter classes Paul's letters with "other scriptures". Both lines are indicative of the writing down and general use of the New Testament prior to A.D. 60 (Halley, pg. 741-742).<ref>Halley, Henry H. Halley's Bible Handbook, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI (1965)</ref> Spurious "gospels" which are known to have appeared by A.D. 100, make references to the New Testament. [[Clement of Rome]], writing in his own letter to the Corinthians in A.D. 95, refers to ''Matthew'', ''Luke'', ''Corinthians'', ''Hebrews'', ''1st Timothy'', and ''1st Peter'' (Halley, pg. 743).

The oldest surviving New Testament fragment of which there is a reliable date is the [[John Rylands Fragment]] (P52) of the ''Gospel of John'', dating from 117-138 A.D., just decades from when the Gospel was first written.<ref>[http://www.biblefacts.org/history/oldtext.html N.T. Ancient Manuscripts]</ref> The time span between the writing of the New Testament and the oldest surviving fragments are well under two hundred years. By comparison, Greek classics such as [[Herodotus]], [[Plato]], [[Euripides]], and [[Homer]] have a time span well over a thousand years each between the date of the oldest known fragment of writing and the time period they were first written.

==Translations==
===The Peshitta===
The second translated version of the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament (after the Greek Septuaginta) was in the Aramaic language, the Peshitta (Aram. "''simple, common''"). In A.D. 36, both the Queen of Adiabene (the last existing Province of that Assyrian Empire hated and feared by the Jews), known in Greek as Queen Helena (not the mother of Constantine), and known to the Jews as Queen Shlom Zion ("Peace of Zion"), and her son King Ezad were converted to Judaism. Queen Helena's conversion, as well as others of the Kingdom, furthered the already developing translation of the Hebrew Scriptures in her Kingdom's language -Aramaic. That developing translation came to be known as the Peshitta - meaning simple or common speech, in much the same way as the Hebrew Bible would be translated into Latin by Jerome, with extensive help from a Rabbi, and the resultant translation would be called the Vulgate - meaning simple or common speech. The Peshitta, retaining elements of the then Jewish "[[Targum]]ic" (interpretive) and other Jewish understandings of the Hebrew Bible (see [[Midrash]]), is primarily based on the Pre-Masoretic Hebrew Scriptures - though certain books, such as the Prophet Isaiah, are translations primarily from the Septuagint. The development of the Old Testament Peshitta translation is held by some to have taken place alternatively in Adiabene's nearby neighbor Edessa.

As Thomas and his followers went to India, others (possibly Adai [Thaddeus] among them, the Galilean from Caesarea Phillipi) arrived in [[Adiabene]]. Having gone probably to the synagogues first, as did the Apostle Paul, they found already there, if not a populous citizenry, then an elite governmental element, conversant with the Biblical message in Aramaic. From these people, hearing the preaching of the messengers from Israel, came believers in Jesus Christ, and soon after, came the translation of the Greek New Testament Scriptures into Aramaic, and so the Peshitta was increased by inclusion of the New Testament in Aramaic. Most of the deuterocanonical and apocryphal books of the Old Testament are found in the Syriac, held to have been translated from the Hebrew and not from the Septuagint. The rest of the Old Testament known to the early Syrian church was substantially that of the Palestinian Jews but it arranged them in a different order. First there was the Pentateuch, then Job, Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the Book of Sirach and most of the deuterocanonical and apocryphal books of the Old Testament, Ruth, Canticles, Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, Isaiah followed by the Twelve Minor Prophets, Jeremiah and Lamentations, Ezekiel, and lastly Daniel. Unlike the Greek canon of the New Testament Scriptures, the Peshitta originally did not include the following books: the Second Epistle of Peter, the Second Epistle of John, the Third Epistle of John, the Epistle of Jude and the Book of Revelation. But these books translated into the Syriac (as Christian Aramaic is known) are now part of the Peshitta and used by the Aramaic-based churches today, primarily in India and the Middle East - the Syrian Catholic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East (Holy Apostolic and Catholic Church of the East), the Indian Orthodox Church, the Chaldean Catholic Church, the Maronite Church, the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, the Syro-Malabar Church and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.<ref>See the following articles and resources:
*[http://www.bible-researcher.com/syriac-isbe.html International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) Article: Syriac Versions. Thomas Nicol]
*[http://www.peshitta.org/initial/peshitta.html History of the Peshitta]
*[http://www.peshitta.org/ Aramaic/English Interlinear New Testament]
*[http://scrollandscreen.com/syriac/index.htm Biblical Studies and Technological Tools. Syriac Tools and Resources] ''access to Syriac Old and New Testaments''
*[http://aramaicnt.org/articles/problems-with-peshitta-primacy/ Problems with Peshitta Primacy]
*[http://madenkha.net/holy_bible/ Index of Holy Bible] ''online access to Aramaic Text of Old and New Testaments of Peshitta''</ref>

Adiabene and its surroundings then became the sending center for a mission to the East that would eventually take advantage of the newly rediscovered monsoon winds blowing for months across the Arabian sea, making it possible for ships' pilots to no longer hug the coasts. And taking advantage of the "[[Silk Road]]" all the way from Antioch in Syria to China, they took the message of Jesus Christ to India (bringing about the Aramaic [Syriac] language churches of Kerala) and even to China itself. And so, the Peshitta, written in the Middle East, for a while became the Scriptures of the Far East Churches of Jesus Christ, particularly in India.

See [[Monophysite]]

===The Vulgate===
[[Jerome]], a Latin scholar deeply interested in the study of the Scriptures, completed the second edition of the Bible in the Latin language. The ''[[Vulgate]]'' was meant to replace the inaccuracies of the earlier ''[[Vetus Latina]]'' (the Old Latin version), the standard Bible of the early Catholic Church in Latin. Jerome had moved to [[Jerusalem]] in 382, and set to work on what eventually became a fresh Latin translation of the Old Testament from the Greek of the ''Septuagint'' and a translation of the Greek New Testament into Latin; then from 390-405 he decided to re-translate his Old Testament directly from the Hebrew text then in use by the Jewish community, which pre-dated the revision of the [[Masoretic Text|Hebrew text]] later written by the Masoretic Hebrew scholars of Judaism between the 7th and 10th centuries. The ''Vulgate'' Bible of 76 books (49 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books) had a marked influence in church history, and it remained the standard Latin Bible in the Roman Catholic Church for centuries. After the Council of Trent defined the canon of the holy Bible as 73 books of scripture "with all their parts", and 1 and 2 Esdras and Prayer of Manasseh had been placed in an appendix to the definitive Clementine Vulgate critical edition, the Vulgate was henceforth the dogmatically defined canonical Bible of the Catholic Church. After 1450 years of use the Vulgate was finally replaced by the ''[[Nova Vulgata]]'' in 1979. The earliest surviving complete manuscript of the entire Latin Bible is the Codex Amiatinus, produced in eighth century England at the double monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow.<ref>The Codex Amiatinus is the most celebrated manuscript of the Latin Vulgate Bible, remarkable as the best witness to the true text of St. Jerome and as a fine specimen of medieval calligraphy. [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04081a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Codex Amiatinus] [https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-27372773 BBC News Tyne and Wear. 15 May 2014. Codex Amiatinus Bible returns to its home in Jarrow] [http://www.facsimilefinder.com/facsimiles/codex-amiatinus-facsimile Codex Amiatinus Facsimile Edition]</ref>

===Early English translations authorized by Rome===

Vernacular translations into English and other languages have been authorized by the [[Holy See]] since as early as A.D. 600. Partial translations of the Bible into languages of the English people can be traced back to the end of the 7th century, including translations into Old English and Middle English.<ref>[http://www.bible-researcher.com/anglosaxon.html Anglo-Saxon Versions of Scripture (A.D. 600–1150)] (bible-researcher.com)</ref> A number of Old English Bible translations survive, as do many instances of glosses in the vernacular, especially in the Gospels and the Psalms.<ref>See Roberts, Jane (2011). “Some Psalter Glosses in Their Immediate Context”, in ''Palimpsests and the Literary Imagination of Medieval England'', eds. Leo Carruthers, Raeleen Chai-Elsholz, Tatjana Silec. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 61-79, which looks at three Anglo-Saxon glossed psalters and how layers of gloss and text, language and layout, speak to the meditative reader. See Marsden, Richard (2011), "The Bible in English in the Middle Ages", in The Practice of the Bible in the Middle Ages: Production, Reception and Performance in Western Christianity (New York: Columbia University Press, 2011), pp. 272-295.</ref>

The age of Middle English (1066-1500) beginning with the Norman conquest and ending about 1500 covers the period of authorized and unauthorized Middle English Bible translations.

===Heresies based on abusive use of vernacular translations===

The abuse of vernacular translations of Sacred Scripture made available to the common people was a prominent feature of heresies during the roughly 400-year period from 1100 to 1500.

====Albigenses====
For example, the [[Albigensians]] (also called [[Cathar]]i "''the pure''"), prevalent during the 12th and 13th centuries in western Europe, particularly in southern France and northern Italy, rejected the authority of Church and State (Jude 8; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17). They appealed to the Scriptures as authority for their doctrines, mostly the New Testament, because the Old Law was regarded by them according to their teaching as mainly a demoniacal creation. Like [[Marcion]] in the 2nd century, they taught the [[Manichaeanism|Manichaean]] doctrine of two Gods, and that the evil God created matter and the whole physical universe to entrap and enslave divine spirits of light, and was the God of the Old Testament and the God of the Jews. They forbade marriage, sexual relations between spouses, condemned the begetting of children, and praised those who chose to starve themselves to death.<ref>[http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Heresies_Heretics/Heresies_Heretics_006.htm Albigensianism, by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.] [http://www.stisidore-yubacity.org/faqalbigenses.html What is the Albigenses/Albigensian Heresy? Albigenses] [http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/dictionary/index.cfm?id=31727 Dictionary: Albigensians] (catholicculture.org)</ref>

====Waldenses====
Another example is Waldo (Valdo), from the city of Lyons, also variously referred to as Valdes, Valdesius, Valdensius. References to the movement he founded call his disciples "[[Waldensians]]", "the poor of Lyons", "the Leonese", "the Poor of Lombardy", or simply "the Poor". He arranged for the Gospels and some other books of the Bible to be translated into common speech which he read very often, but without understanding their real meaning. The translations produced were full of mistakes and mistranslations which changed the meaning of the scriptures. Infatuated with his own interpretation of these defective scriptures he usurped authority by presuming to preach the Gospel in the streets, where he made many disciples, and involved them, both men and women, in a similar act of presumption by sending them out, in turn, to preach. These people, ignorant and illiterate, went about through the towns, entering houses and even churches, disturbing families, disrupting worship services, ignoring civil statutes and laws, and spreading many errors. The principal heresy of the Waldensians was contempt for (ignoring of) ecclesiastical power and rejection of governmental authority. They capitalized on the fact that the common people were scandalized by evident corruption and abuses of legitimate authority by individuals in Church and in secular government who, like [[Balaam]] and [[Judas]], betrayed Christ for the sake of gain, in direct and indifferent disobedience to the teaching of the Church. And they opportunistically misrepresented these clearly [http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/aberration aberrent] scandals as if they were authentically representative of the actual teaching and doctrine of the Church (thereby committing what has been defined as sins of [[calumny]] and [[detraction]], fueled by actual [[scandal]]). The Waldensian dispute then, centered on the issue of authority. The fact that they translated the scriptures badly, studied these translations, drew their own conclusions as to what they meant, and "presumed" to preach whatever they believed, without reference to the clergy, was unacceptable.<ref>[http://www.xenos.org/essays/waldensian-movement-waldo-reformation Xenos Christian Fellowship. The Waldensian Movement From Waldo to the Reformation, by Dennis McCallum] (xenos.org)</ref>

====Cults====
A similar phenomenon has animated movements in the 20th and 21st centuries, "[[cult]]s" which claim authority from their founders' particular interpretations of the Bible, doctrines which have resulted in bizarre and self-destructive behavior, all "''based on the Word of God''", such as [[Jonestown]], the [[Branch Davidians]] of [[David Koresh]], and the [[Heaven's Gate]] U.F.O. group. In the 21st century in the United States, the extremist teaching of [[Fred Phelps]] and the [[Westboro Baptist Church]] presents a milder example, claiming the authority of the Bible for their disruptive activities.

===="Clear and present danger"====
In the late Middle Ages, because of the evident, ongoing, and repeated "''[[clear and present danger]]''" to society and to the mental, moral and physical health of the people, so consistently resulting from the direct and apparent association of heretical movements with the act of translating the Bible into the vernacular for anyone to read and interpret as he or she pleased, the Catholic Church began to severely curtail authorization for new translations into the vernacular and subsequently rarely granted permission to anyone who desired to undertake the task during that troubled period, in an attempt to avoid contributing to the problem by providing additional material which, in those days, would certainly give only more occasion for abuse of the meaning of the ''Holy Scriptures'', added to contempt for the authority of the office of the leaders of the Church and the stability of society under the legitimate authority of the office of duly appointed governors, princes and kings.

See [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%207:6&version=NABRE Matthew 7:6], also [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2corinthians%202:17&version=NABRE 2 Corinthians 2:17] and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2corinthians%2011:2-20&version=NABRE 11:2-20], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galatians%201:6-9&version=NABRE Galatians 1:6-9], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians%202:18-19&version=NABRE Colossians 2:18-19], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2peter%201:20-2:3&version=NABRE 2 Peter 1:20-2:3] and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2peter%203:14-17&version=NABRE 3:14-17]. —See also [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2022:27&version=NABRE Exodus 22:27( KJV 22:28 )], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2016:1-11&version=NABRE Numbers 16:1-11],[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%2013:1-5&version=NABRE Romans 13:1-5], and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jude%201:8&version=NABRE Jude 8], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jude%201:11&version=NABRE 11], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jude%201:17-19&version=NABRE 17-19]. Compare [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%202:17-24&version=NABRE Romans 2:17-24]

See [[Cafeteria Christianity]] and [[Cafeteria Catholic]].

''For a more detailed treatment, see '''[https://www.catholic.com/tract/the-great-heresies The Great Heresies''']''

==Printing==
[[Image:Gutenburg1.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Printers copy of a page from a Gutenberg Bible, printed in Germany about 1469.]]
[[Johannes Gutenberg]] of [[Mainz]], [[Germany]] invented the first mechanical printing press in 1448. His machine consisted of a large press which when cranked down, pressed a sheet of paper upon a platform in which were set thousands of inked metal letter typefaces (called "movable type"), set in place to read for a particular page. The first book in history printed by this method was the [[Gutenberg Bible]], in the ''Vulgate'' Latin version, of which 180 were printed, and approximately 50 survive today in varying conditions around the world.

The Gutenberg Bible marked another first: printed Bibles could be mass-produced to get them into the hands of many people at a low cost. They first had to be translated out of Latin into a common language, and [[Martin Luther]] made the great German translation, 1522-1534. The Protestant Reformers emphasized that laymen should study the Bible, and printing made it possible for them to go beyond the interpretations shown in [[stained glass windows]] (the "Bible of the illiterate") to the actual text.

==English language versions of the Bible==

===Wycliff's Bible===
The first translation of the whole Latin Bible into English by dissident scholars in the English Catholic Church was made under the supervision of the English cleric [[John Wyclif]] in the 1380s, with the assistance of Nicholas Hereford and John Purvey. Wyclif held that the Bible should be placed directly in the hands of the people, but was this was opposed by the English Church hierarchy of his day; indeed, one of Wyclif's opponents, Henry Knighton, compared giving the Bible to the people in English to "casting pearls before swine". Archbishop Arundel of Canterbury promulgated a ban on all English Bibles in 1407, and possession of one was considered evidence of [[heresy]].

Wyclif's was a scholarly translation, based on the [[Latin]], [[Greek]], and [[Hebrew]] texts, but was found to be unwieldy due to its adherence to Latin grammar (in which, for instance, verbs tend to be at the end of sentences). A second Wycliffite translation was prepared late in this period, which avoided this problem, but due to the fact that it could only be distributed in manuscript form, it was an expensive volume. Outside of the nobility and gentry, it was more common to see only a single [[The Gospels|Gospel]], or a copy of the Psalms, rather than an entire Bible, which cost more than the average working person could earn in a year.

Over the next century, its form of English gradually became antiquated, leading English Protestants such as [[William Tyndale]] to feel that an entirely new translation was needed.

===Tyndale===
During the middle of the 16th century there was a renewed sense of the need to get the Bible directly into the hands of the common man; prior to that the Bible was restricted to readings in the Church alone. The Reformers were a group of people who were shocked at the differences between what the Roman Catholic Church was practicing as opposed to their readings (interpretations) of what the Bible stated can or cannot be done (this was one of the causes of the [[Reformation]]). At great cost to themselves, the Reformers began the work of translating the Bible in the various languages of Europe; the printing press would ensure the newly translated Bibles would be mass-produced.

[[William Tyndale]] was committed to getting the Bible into the hands of his English countrymen. Expressing open defiance of the Pope, Tyndale declared that if God would spare his life he would make it possible for even an ordinary farmer to know more about the Scriptures than the Pope.<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/Biblical_canon#Tyndale CreationWiki. Bible Canon#Tyndale] (creationwiki.org)</ref> Tyndale's translation of the New Testament was completed on the Continent by 1525. By April, 1526, 6,000 copies were printed and delivered to England. Official opposition led to the destruction of most of them, not because of the translation of the Biblical text itself, but because Tyndale also held and published views which were considered heretical, first by the Catholic Church, and later by the Church of England, which was established by King [[Henry VIII]] in 1536.<ref>Act of Supremacy, (1534) English act of Parliament that recognized Henry VIII as the “Supreme Head of the Church of England.” [https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/574743/Act-of-Supremacy Encyclopedia Britannica. Act of Supremacy: England (1534)] [http://www.britainexpress.com/History/tudor/supremacy-henry-text.htm Henry VIII 's Act of Supremacy (1534) - original text]</ref> His Bible translation also included notes and commentary promoting these views.<ref>[http://www.tyndale-bible.com/tyndale-bible-history.html TYNDALE BIBLE HISTORY. William Tyndale (1494-1536). The History of William Tyndale and his Bibles] [http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=4749&CFID=4143742&CFTOKEN=81204680 Tyndale's Heresy, by Matthew A. C. Newsome] [http://www.bible-researcher.com/tyndale4.html Tyndale] (bible-researcher.com) [http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/william-tyndale.html English Bible History. William Tyndale] (greatsite.com) [http://wesley.nnu.edu/sermons-essays-books/william-tyndales-translation/ The Wesley Center Online: '''William Tyndale's Translation'''] ''online access to the text of Tyndale's Bible''.</ref> Tyndale's translation was banned by the authorities. Even King Henry VIII in 1531 condemned the Tyndale Bible as a corruption of Scripture. In the words of King Henry's advisors: "the translation of the Scripture corrupted by William Tyndale should be utterly expelled, rejected, and put away out of the hands of the people, and not be suffered to go abroad among his subjects." <ref>Henry Grey Graham, Where we got the Bible: Our debt to the Catholic Church © 1977 Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 153 pages. ASIN: B0006YDQ5Q p. 128-130.</ref> Bishop [[Tunstall]] of London <ref>[http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/tunstall.htm Cuthbert Tunstall]</ref> declared that there were upwards of 2,000 errors in Tyndale's Bible.<ref>[http://catholicapologetics.info/apologetics/general/charge.htm The Charge of Burning Bibles]</ref> The following year Tyndale himself, at the instigation of agents of Henry VIII and the Anglican Church, was arrested and, for his efforts, charged with heresy, and, on May 21, 1536, was executed, burned at the stake. Nevertheless, the printing press rendered it impossible to completely suppress such a book, and new copies were printed on the Continent and smuggled into [[England]]. His efforts at translating the Bible led to the [[Matthews Bible]] (1537) and the [[Bishop's Bible]] (1568), but with many of his notes radically edited by censors or editors, or entirely removed, and these versions led to the [[Geneva Bible]] (1599), and finally to the [[King James Bible|King James Version]], where ninety percent of the text closely follows Tyndale's translation.

===Authorised or King James Version===
[[Image:E-sword.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The internet has increased the availability of the Bible worldwide. Shown here is a screenshot to [[E-Sword]], a freely-downloadable Bible study program.<ref>[http://www.e-sword.net E-Sword]</ref> (Rick Meyers, 2007)]]
In 1601 King [[James I]] selected forty-seven of the ablest scholars in [[England]] to undertake the creation of a standard Bible in English, based upon careful translations of the [[Masoretic Text]] used by the Jewish community, and the best Greek translations (especially the ''[[Textus Receptus]]'') then available. The scholars were divided into six committees in [[Oxford]], [[Westminster]], and [[Cambridge]], with each scholar dedicating himself to doing a portion of the Bible, often consulting each other to check the flow and harmony of the work in progress. The result was the 1611 Authorised Version, known in [[United States of America|America]] as the [[King James Bible|King James Version]].

In its early days, the KJV was heavily criticized; but in time, with official pressure, it won the field and became "the Bible" for English-reading people—a position it held for almost 400 years.<ref>''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary''. "Bible Translations", Jack P. Lewis and Charles W. Draper. p. 214.</ref>

The effects of the Authorised Version were profound. Using less than 2,500 different words in its vocabulary, this Bible was written in a poetic style matched by few. The work influenced the writings of [[Shakespeare]]. [[John Milton]] has numerous images taken from this Bible in his ''[[Paradise Lost]]''. The direct style of writing caused it to be easily available to the common man. Poets and writers, such as [[Herman Melville]], [[Walt Whitman]], [[Emily Dickinson]] and many others were deeply inspired by it. It altered the course of English history, with England growing to a world power since the book's publication. When asked by a visiting dignitary what made England great, [[Queen Victoria]] pulled out her copy of the Bible and declared "This is the secret of England's greatness."

====Problems with the King James Version====

{{main|Badger skins (Bible)}}

Beginning in the 17th century, the same century in which it was published, Protestant scholars, orientalists, hebraists and linguists began pointing out defects in the [[King James Bible|Authorized King James Version]].<ref>[[Isaac H. Hall]]. [http://www.bible-researcher.com/kjvdefects.html ''The Revised New Testament and History of Revision'' (1881) "Defects of the King James Version"]
:"Our translators of the seventeenth century, in a great many instances, misunderstood the sense."</ref> One of these was the translation of 'orot tachashim as "badgers' skins", because it so plainly violates the biblical context of [[Leviticus]] [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:4-8&version=KJV chapter 11:4-8], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:24-28&version=KJV 24-29], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:42-45&version=KJV 42-45], and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205&version=KJV Leviticus chapter 5]. "Badgers' skins" is the King James Version (AV) translation of the Hebrew word '''תחשׁ''' '''''taḥash''''', and of the Hebrew term (singular) '''עור תחשׁ''' '''''uwr taḥash / 'or taḥash''' "skin taḥash"'', and of the plural form '''ערת תחשׁים''' '''''uwr't taḥashim / 'orot taḥashim''' "skins taḥashim"''. [[Adam Clarke]] himself ([http://biblehub.com/commentaries/clarke/exodus/25.htm ''Adam Clarke's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible'' (1831) Exodus 25]) has pointed out the substantial inaccuracy of the KJV interpretive translation:
:"badgers' skins, (rather violet-coloured skins)...Badgers' skins — ערת תחשים oroth techashim. Few terms have afforded greater perplexity to critics and commentators than this."
See [[Badger skins (Bible)#Protestant commentaries 17th through 19th centuries|Protestant commentaries 17th through 19th centuries]]

The original meaning of ''' תחשׁ ''t'''a'''ḥ'''a'''š / taḥash / tachash / techash / t'khesh''''' has been debated for centuries. According to ''Encyclopedia Judaica'' the AV and JPS 1917 translation ''[[badger]]'' has no basis in fact.<ref name=Enc.Jud.>''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' 2nd Edition Volume 19:435. TAḤASH.</ref><ref>''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'' page 161. Badger Skins</ref> Translating ערת תחשׁים ''skins taḥashim'' as "badgers' skins" also presents a [[contradiction]]. The Book of Leviticus, chapter 11, forbids touching the carcasses of all animals that walk on '''paws''', because they are '''טָמֵא''' ''tame'' [[Taboo|unclean]]. This is no trivial matter, as [[God]] Himself is thus represented in the KJV as commanding the handling and use of skins of carcasses He forbids the Israelites to touch, and as commanding them to cover the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant with unclean skins and then commanding them to remove from the camp all that is unclean so that nothing unclean will be seen by Him in the camp ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%205:2-3&version=KJV Numbers 5:2-3]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy%2023:14&version=KJV Deuteronomy 23:14]). They are forbidden to defile the tabernacle, the sanctuary of the LORD ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2020:2-3&version=KJV Leviticus 20:2-3]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2021:10-12&version=KJV 21:10-12]), and they are commanded to cover it with '''טָמֵא''' ''tame'' [http://bibleapps.com/hebrew/2931.htm unclean/polluting/defiling "badgers' skins" (KJV).] Even on the sole [[hermeneutics|hermeneutical principle]] of "Scripture interprets Scripture" this is not accurate, and it presents a serious difficulty. [[John Grigg Hewlett]], D.D. (''Bible difficulties explained'' 1860) says:<blockquote>"It would involve a great inconsistency, that the ark of the covenant, which was considered so holy, that no human hand could touch it with impunity, except the hands of those who had been consecrated to God, that it should constantly be covered with the skins of unclean animals...Therefore the coverings of purple, or blue, which our translators have called 'badgers' skins', were of a material that was accounted pure, and could not impart any impurity to those who prepared them, or to those whose office it was to adjust them amidst the vicissitudes of the camp of Israel."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=J5kCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA159&SOURCE=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q=badger&f=false ''Bible difficulties explained'' (1860) "Badgers' skins" pages 159–163].</ref></blockquote>

The KJV was first published in 1611, a year after the [[Douay-Rheims|Douay-Rheims Bible]]. The later KJV revision of 1769 <ref>[http://www.bible-researcher.com/canon10.html Changes in the King James Version]</ref> is the version generally published today as the King James Bible, and is the form of the text cited here:

[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:2&version=KJV Leviticus 5:2] "if a soul touch any unclean thing...he also shall be unclean and guilty"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:5-6&version=KJV Leviticus 5:5-6] "he shall confess that he hath sinned"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:5-8&version=KJV Leviticus 11:5-8] "and their carcase shall ye not touch, they are unclean to you"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:24-28&version=KJV Leviticus 11:24-28] "and whatsoever goeth upon his paws...those are unclean unto you"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:43-44&version=KJV Leviticus 11:43-44] "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable...neither shall ye make yourselves unclean...neither shall ye defile yourselves"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2022&version=KJV Leviticus 22] "Say unto them, Whosoever ''he be'' of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I ''am'' the LORD."
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%204:15-20&version=KJV Numbers 4:15-20] "but they shall not touch ''any'' holy thing, lest they die"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy%2023:14&version=KJV Deuteronomy 23:14] "For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee."

The Committee appointed by [[James I of England]] that was tasked with the translation of the Bible was made of men who had read the Bible in Hebrew and Greek and Latin and knew these passages. Yet they chose to translate ''tachashim'' as unclean badgers "''that goeth upon paws''" whose carcasses the Israelites were forbidden to touch.

[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2025:1-8&version=KJV Exodus 25:1-8] "Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering...rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2026:14&version=KJV Exodus 26:14] "and a covering above of badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2035:7&version=KJV Exodus 35:7] "and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2035:23&version=KJV Exodus 35:23] "and red skins of rams, and badger skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2036:19&version=KJV Exodus 36:19] "and a covering of badgers' skins above that"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2039:34&version=KJV Exodus 39:34] "And the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%204:6-25&version=KJV Numbers 4:6-25] "a covering of badgers' skins...the covering of badgers' skins"
 [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezekiel%2016:10&version=KJV Ezekiel 16:10] "and shod thee with badgers' skin"

Readers of the KJV saw a grave difficulty here because of the apparently great inconsistency that the holy ark of the covenant and the Tabernacle of the LORD should be constantly covered with skins of unclean animals which made unclean anyone who touched them. The Douay-Rheims Bible had translated the skins as [[Badger skins (Bible)#Douay-Rheims Bible|"''violet skins''"]].

The ''[[motivation]]'' for interpreting and translating ''tachash skins'' in the Bible as being skins of creatures the Israelites are clearly forbidden to touch is unclear, and a mystery, what is known in [[Logic]] as a [[non sequiter]] (Lat. "''it does not follow''"). The ''[[purpose]]'' being served by a deliberate translation of תחשׁ as badger and of ערת תחשׁים as badgers' skins, by scholars who have a thorough knowledge of the whole of the Bible, and of the history of the Hebrew language and of the ''fauna'' and varied customs of the ancient Middle East, is also a ''non sequiter'' mystery, involving an [[Evidence|evident]] contradiction of the context of the Bible. Alternate word choices, harmoniously consistent with the biblical context, and attested by the ancient sources as cited in scholarly published commentaries both technical and general, were available to the translators, who chose not to use them. Their translation covers the tabernacle, the ark and the sacred vessels with the equivalent of ''' טָמֵא ''' ''tame'' unclean [[Pig|swine]]s' skins ([http://biblehub.com/multi/leviticus/11-8.htm Leviticus 11:3-8], [http://biblehub.com/multi/leviticus/11-27.htm 11:24-28]). The inconsistency is not in the ancient biblical text, but in the interpretations of translators which violate its context.<blockquote>"A text without a context is a pretext for a [[Cafeteria Christianity#Proof texts|proof text]]." Donald A. Carson, ''Exegetical Fallacies''.<ref>Carson, Donald A., Ph.D. ''Exegetical Fallacies'', Nov. 30, 1983, 2nd edition Mar. 1, 1996. Baker Publishing Group. 160 pages. ISBN 978-0801020865.</ref></blockquote>

Study Bible footnotes, along with published articles, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, encyclopedias, and books on the Bible, and a multitude of internet online blogs and pages, which strongly support the translation of ערת תחשׁים as badgers' skins or as the skins of any kind of sea mammal, often omit the fact that within the context of the Bible these creatures are classified as unclean, defiling '''שִׁקַּץ ''' ''sheqats'' abominations, as loathsome, abhorrent, detestible, filthy and disgusting for the people of Israel. Those that do mention it offer various speculative [[Excuse|rationale]]s, [[debate]]s and [[Editorial|discussions]] to explain why in their [[opinion]] God would command the Israelites to cover the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant and the sacred vessels for worship with skins of unclean animals and abominations they are explicitly forbidden to touch, skins and hides that according to the word of the LORD defile any Israelites who touch them. Many of them assert that the prohibitions in Leviticus 11 are ''dietary'' rules only ([http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:2&version=KJV Lev. 11:2], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%2011:46-47&version=KJV 11:46-47]), and declare that touching and wearing skins and leather of unclean animals is permitted as long as their flesh is not eaten.<ref name=opinion>Eight examples:
*[http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/9912/jewish/Chapter-11.htm#showrashi=true Chabad.ORG —Rashi's commentary Vayikra-Leviticus-Chapter 11],
*[http://ravkooktorah.org/TRUMA61.htm Terumah: Tachash Skins in the Tabernacle, Rabbi Chaim Morrison],
*[http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/681556/jewish/Can-I-wear-pigskin-shoes.htm Can I wear pigskin shoes? By Shmuel Kogan],
*[http://www.jewishtreats.org/2012/11/picking-up-pigskin.html Jewish Treats: Juicy Bits of Judaism, Daily: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 —Picking Up Pigskin],
*[http://www.jewsingreen.com/2005/08/pigskin-boots Jews in Green: Jews serving proudly:—News: Pigskin Boots, Posted by Lt Joe Friedman on 03 Aug 2005],
*[http://www.jewfaq.org/animals.htm Judaism 101. Treatment of Animals. Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim <big>'''צער בעלי החיים'''</big>: Cruelty to Animals © Copyright 5756-5771 (1995-2011), Tracey R Rich],
*[http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200003867 Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY: Insight, Volume 2 it-2 pp. 883-884 Sealskin. Copyright © 2014 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania],
*[http://www.kjvtoday.com/home/badgers-skin-or-another-type-of-leather-in-exodus-255-et-al KJV Today: "Badgers' skin" or another type of leather in Exodus 25:5 et al.?] —''compare multiple commentaries on:'' [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/5-2.htm Leviticus 5:2]; [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/11-8.htm 11:8] and [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/leviticus/11-27.htm 11:27]</ref> These commentaries say that touching the carcass of these animals is only a minor offense which did not require an atoning sacrifice, and that it applied only to ''kohanim'' (priests) and applied to the laity only during the three feasts of Passover/Unleavened Bread, Weeks/Pentecost, and Booths/Tabernacles (Deut. 16). And some cite the ''Talmud'' as their authority, for example, Tractate ''Rosh Hashana'' 16b,<ref>[http://halakhah.com/pdf/moed/Rosh_HaShanah.pdf Babylonian Talmud, Seder ''Mo'ed'', Tractate ''Rosh Hashana'', Folio 16b] —''scroll down to page'' 40</ref> and the ''Sifra'', ''Torath Kohanim'' 11:74,<ref>'''Sifra''' (Aramaic <big>'''סִפְרָא'''</big>, "book" or "The Book"), a ''midrash halakhah'' from the school of R. Akiva on the Book of Leviticus. See [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13646-sifra ''Jewish Encyclopedia'': Sifra]; ''Encyclopaedia Judaica'' Vol 18 San-Sol 18:560-562 SIFRA; See [http://he.wikisource.org/wiki/%D7%A1%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%90 Sifra Hebrew text, ed. I. H. Weiss 1862 Vienna.]</ref> and Rashi's commentary,<ref name=opinion/> providing us with an example of what the prophet Jeremiah said, <blockquote>"How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us'? But behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie" ([http://biblehub.com/multi/jeremiah/8-8.htm Jeremiah 8:8]).</blockquote> They omit any reference to that part of Leviticus which decrees that wilfully touching the carcasses of unclean animals (which must be done to harvest their skins) is a '''sin''', which even Rashi's commentary confirms. No mention is made by them of the law in the Torah which says: "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable...neither shall ye make yourselves unclean...neither shall ye defile yourselves" (Leviticus 11:43-44) <ref>See: '''Exodus''' 31:14; '''Leviticus''' 7:19, 21; 10:10; 11:43-44; 18:20, 24, 30; 20:25; 21:4, 11; 22:8; '''Numbers''' 5:3; 6:7; 19:13, 20; 35:33-34; '''Deuteronomy''' 23:14; 27:26.</ref> and that anyone who wilfully does this will be cut off.<ref>see [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:2-6&version=KJV Leviticus 5:2-6], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=leviticus%205:17-19&version=KJV 5:17-19]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2015:29-31&version=KJV Numbers 15:29-31]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=numbers%2019:20&version=KJV 19:20.]</ref> Some commentaries on the Old Testament supporting ''badgers' skins'' and ''sea mammals' skins'' as the covering of the tabernacle cite the New Testament example of [[Saint Paul]] working with Simon the tanner (Acts 9:43; 10:6, 32), as if both of them were examples of Jews wilfully working with the skins of ''non-kosher'' beasts. Some cite Pliny's ''Natural History'' 2:56,<ref>previously cited in the 19th century: [http://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/B/badger.html ''McClintock and Strong's Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature'' (1887) B: badger]; [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/clarke/exodus/25.htm ''Adam Clarke's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible'' (1831) Exodus 25]</ref> which says that [pagan] temples had roofs of sealskin, as if this applied to the Israelites under the Law of Moses, and cite Eduard Rüppell's short-lived ''taxonomic'' designation of the dugong as ''Halicore tabernaculi'' "dugong of the tabernacle" as an additional support for their opinion.<ref>While travelling the Middle East around the Red Sea and the [[Arabian Peninsula]], Rüppell observed a variety of [[dugong]] which he subsequently designated ''[[Taxonomy|taxonomically]]'' as ''Halicore tabernaculi'' (1843) according to his view that the skin of this animal was certainly used as the outer covering of the tabernacle of the Hebrews, because the Bedouin harvested its skin for tent-curtains and for shoes and called it ''tukhesh, duchash''. His taxonomic designation ''Halicore tabernaculi'' did not last long (1843-1847) and has since been recombined several times, more recently as ''Dugong dugon'' (1963-1998). Three sources:
*[https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/512932/Eduard-Ruppell ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''. "Eduard Rüppell"]
*[http://www.probertencyclopedia.com/B_DUGONG.HTM The Probert Encyclopedia of Nature. "Dugong".] "A variety [of dugong] was discovered in the Red Sea by Ruppell, and called Halicore tabernaculi."
*[http://paleodb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=checkTaxonInfo&taxon_no65051&is_real_user=0 The Paleobiology Database:] —''when the page comes up, at'' "You must enter a taxon name" ''move cursor to'' "Full search"—''menu will appear; select'' "classifications of taxa in groups" ''and click—when'' "Taxonomic classification search form" ''appears enter '''''Halicore tabernaculi''''' in the top search field (ignore the rest), click'' [Show classification]—''page will display "Halicore tabernaculi'' Rüppell 1843"—''click highlighted link'' "Halicore tabernaculi"–''page will show list "Dugong dugon'' Illiger 1811: Classification of '''Trichechus dugon''' (''Halicore tabernaculi'' Ruppell/Rupell 1843): the listing of the zoological taxonomic nomenclature of the dugong on that page is here rearranged in chronological order:
:'''''Trichechus dugung''''' Erxleben 1777 (this nomenclature lasted 22 years)
:'''''Dugong indicus''''' Lacépède 1799 (this nomenclature lasted 12 years)
:'''''Dugong dugong''''' Illiger 1811 (this nomenclature lasted 21 years)
:'''''Halicore hemprichii''''' and '''''Halicore lottum''''' Ehrenberg 1832 (this nomenclature lasted 11 years)
:'''''Halicore tabernaculi''''' Rüppell 1843 (4 years)
:'''''Halicore australis''''' Owen 1847 (this nomenclature lasted 51 years)
:'''''Halicore cetacea''''' Heuglin, recombined as '''''Halicore dugung''''' Trouessart 1898 (this nomenclature lasted 65 years)
:It was recombined as "'''''Dugong dugon'''''" Scheffer and Rice 1963 also Husar 1978, Domning 1994, 1996, and Rice 1998 (this nomenclature has lasted for 35 years+).</ref> The 1843 published ''scientific'' nomen ''Halicore tabernaculi'', expressing as it did the personal opinion of a ''professional zoologist'', Eduard Rüppell, was soon discarded by the scientific community, but it has nevertheless persuaded many to this day that science has established that the ''dugong'' was indeed the animal whose skins were used to cover the tabernacle. However, it has no fins or scales. According to the Bible this creature is an abomination to the Jews (loathsome / abhorrent / detestible / filthy / disgusting) (Leviticus 11:10-12).<ref>[http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1200003867?q=Bible&p=sen Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY: Insight, Volume 2 it-2 pp. 883-884 Sealskin.]</ref> [[Jesus]] himself commented on the practice of constantly seeking pretexts for making exceptions to the ''[[Torah]]:''<blockquote>"You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition!" (Mark 7:9 RSV).<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%207:9-13&version=KJV Mark 7:9-13]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2015:1-9&version=KJV Matthew 15:1-9]; [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2023:16-22&version=KJV 23:16-22]</ref></blockquote>

====King James Only====

Advocates of the [[King James Only]] movement are fully persuaded that the translators of the King James Version of the Bible always chose the correct reading [interpretation] of the biblical text, under the infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit Himself, and that therefore the translation ''badgers' skins'' is the most accurate possible English translation of the Hebrew ערת תחשׁים and עור תחשׁ and תחשׁ . They declare without reservation that the King James Bible is the divinely preserved, infallible Word of God, and that it is the only and final authority on all matters of faith and morals and practice for the whole of the English-speaking world.<ref>James D. Price. [http://www.truth.sg/resources/KJV%20Onlyism%20-%20a%20New%20Sect%20-%20Introduction%20-%20Dr%20J%20Price.pdf ''King James Onlyism: A New Sect.'' Introduction: The King James Only Doctrine Is a New Idea].</ref>
:–See the [http://www.kjvbibles.com/kjpreface.htm '''''Preface to the King James Version of 1611'''''].<blockquote>"...wee affirme and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set foorth by men of our profession (for wee have seene none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, '''is the word of God'''..."</blockquote>

::::—''from the'' Preface to the King James Version of 1611: The Translators to the Reader. (''boldface emphasis added'')

See '''[[Logical fallacy]]'''.

=== Other versions ===
Although the KJV remains the most popular English version, the 19th and 20th centuries have seen an explosion in the number of English translations available. Among the most popular are:
*[[New International Version]]
*[[English Standard Version]]
*[[New American Standard Version]]
*[[Living Bible|The Living Bible]]
*[[The Message]]
*[[New King James Version]]

==Other Languages==
Today, the Bible has been translated into languages spoken by the vast majority of people on Earth, and even portions of it have been translated into the fictional language of [[Klingon]] from the world of [[Star Trek]], .<ref>[http://www.kli.org/wiki/index.php?Klingon%20Bible%20Translation%20Project Klingon Bible Translation Project]</ref> The past two decades saw the emergence of [[Internet]] use; the creation of the Bible as a software program was inevitable, and several, such as [[E-Sword]] and Theophilos, are available at no cost with a wealth of Bible-study material as well.

==Bible Scientific Foreknowledge==
[[Bible scientific foreknowledge]] holds that the Bible shows an understanding of scientific knowledge beyond that believed to exist at the time the Bible was composed. Many Christian scientists and apologists such as the Christian scientists and apologists at [[Creation Ministries International]], [[Answers in Genesis]], and [[CreationWiki]] assert that the [http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible contains knowledge that shows an understanding of scientific knowledge beyond that believed to exist at the time the Bible was composed].<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/index.php/Bible_scientific_foreknowledge Bible Scientific Foreknowledge]</ref><ref>[http://www.clarifyingchristianity.com/science.shtml Clarifying Christianity. Science and the Bible] (clarifyingchristianity.com)</ref><ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v17/i1/medicine.asp Modern medicine? It's not so modern! by David A. Wise] (answersingenesis.org)</ref>

==Humor in the Bible==

{{main|Humor in the Bible}}

The Bible, especially the Old Testament, contains irony, puns, sarcasm, etc. It may be noted that the sense of what is humorous varies from people to people and from nation to nation, as well as varying from age to age. What caused a chuckle, smile, or laughter in the biblical "genre" was more connected with ''satisfaction'' at the vindication of righteousness among men. Thus to our day and age, and the commonality of people, for believers and non believers, the meaning of the spewing up of Jonah on the shores (even the great fish could not stomach him!) might be viewed as God working out His original will in history. Jonah's flight from responsibility being aborted, for the people in the "days and ages" of the Bible, there was the added satisfaction derived from the understanding that God was not mocked by the rebellion of Jonah. Likewise that the "many cattle" also found repentance and acceptance by God, would not have brought the smile of glee, mingled with doubt, but the smile of satisfaction that God's wide heart found its exultant victory over the measly, narrow perspective of the renagade prophet. There was no shame to stifle the Biblical chuckle at the "hows" of the vindication of God's justice. Yet, what we consider humorous also appears:

For example:

*After noticing that his father-in-law Laban was not treating him as in the past, Jacob decided to flee with his family. Rachel, one of Jacob's wives, stole her father Laban's teraphim (statues used for idolatry and/or divination). Laban pursued them and intercepted them in the Gilead mountains (Genesis 31:30): "Why have you stolen my gods?" Laban said to Jacob. The Midrash comments that it cannot be much of a god if it can be stolen (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 74:8). Jonsson (1985, 44-45) suggests that there is humor (albeit "rough" humor) in the fact that, not only was Laban deceived, but his idols were actually underneath his daughter Rachel's posterior while she claimed that the "manner of women" was upon her. This idol did not get much respect. [http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/economic/friedman/bibhumor.htm]

*In the Orthodox Bible, in the Epistle of Jeremiah, the prophet declares with delightful contempt the stupidity of the idols of Babylon. Their faces have to be wiped to get the dust off them. They have weapons in their hands but cannot punish anyone who offends them. They are as useless as a broken dish. Their eyes are clogged with dust from the feet of the worshippers entering to adore them. Their priests lock them up like a man who has offended the king and has been sentenced to death. Bats, swallows and birds perch on their heads, and so do cats. If they are tipped over, they cannot get up. Their priests howl and shout before them as some do at a funeral feast for a man who has died. When fire breaks out in their temples the priests run away and the idols are burned in two like logs. Robbers strip them naked and they cannot help themselves. The door of a house that protects its contents, or a wooden pillar in a palace holding up the roof is better than these useless gods. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber patch guarding nothing, so are these gods.

*In the book of Esther, Haman, the prime minister of King Ahasuerus of Persia who hates Mordecai the Jew and has built a gallows 50 cubits high to hang him on it, has entered the court to ask for Mordecai's death. The king, meanwhile, not being able to sleep, hears in the reading of the records that Mordecai once saved the king from assassination, and that Mordecai received no reward. The king seeks an opinion from one of his court and asks who is immediately available. Haman enters, and the king asks him what should be done to honor the man who pleases the king, and Haman thinks to himself, "Who should the king wish to honor more than me?" So he makes his recommendation, to dress the man in the king's own robes, to set a crown on his head, to set him on the king's own horse, and have the king's most noble prince conduct him throughout the city proclaiming, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor." The king then told Haman, "Quickly! Take the robes and the horse, as you said, and do it to Mordecai the Jew. Omit nothing you mentioned." When he had obeyed the king, he ran home, mourning, with his head covered.

*In the [[Acts of the Apostles]] is a serious incident which has some wonderfully slapstick comedic overtones (19:11-16). God had been doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, and even cloths that he had touched were applied to the sick and to possessed persons and they were completely cured. So some traveling Jewish [[Exorcism|exorcists]] decided to use the Name of Jesus as a ''word of power'' over people who were possessed, by saying, "I ''adjure'' you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches".<ref>[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/adjure "adjure"] (oxforddictionaries.com). See [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01142c.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: adjuration]. [http://www.stubbornthings.org/authority-justice-law/ Authority, Justice, Law] (stubbornthings.org) ''the authority required to legitimately adjure''.</ref> When the seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, did this, the evil spirit said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know: ''but who are you?''", and he leaped on them and beat them so badly they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.

==Paronomasia in the Bible==
The Bible frequently uses [[paronomasia]] (wordplay, puns); for example:
:"With the jawbone of an ass (''hamor''), heaps upon heaps (''hamor hamortayim''), with the jawbone of an ass have I smitten a thousand men" (Judges 15:16). In Hebrew, the word for both "ass" and "heap" is ''hamor''. (See also Judges 14:12-14).

:"And he had thirty sons that rode on thirty ass colts (''ayarim''), and they had thirty cities (''ayarim''), which are called Havvoth-jair unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead" (Judges 10:4). The Hebrew word ''ayarim'' can mean both "ass colts" and "cities." Another more "dynamic translation" might render in English the play on words in this verse as: "He had thirty sons who rode thirty burros who had thirty boroughs."

:"And they were both naked (''arummim''), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" (Genesis 2:25). The next verse says, "Now the serpent was more cunning (''arum'') than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made (Genesis 3:1). In one verse the term ''arum'' is used to mean "naked" and in the next verse the same basic root denotes "cunning" or "subtle." In both places the meaning includes "smooth". The serpent was "smooth-bodied" and "smooth-tongued".

:"the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to forsake the laws of their fathers and cease to live by the laws of God, and also to pollute the temple in Jerusalem and call it the temple of Olympian Zeus, and to call the one in Gerizim the temple of Zeus the Friend of Strangers, as did the people who dwell in that place" (2 Maccabees 6:1-2). The Jews equated Olympian Zeus with the Syrian Baal Shamen (“the lord of the heavens”), a term which the Jews mockingly rendered as ''shiqqus shomem'', “desolating abomination” (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; 1 Maccabees 1:54; Matthew 24:15; Mark 13:14).

There are many other examples in the OT:
:Genesis 9:27; 25:26; 48:22
:Exodus 2:10
:Ruth 1:20
:Ecclesiastes 7:1 a '''שֵׁם''', '''שֶׁמֶן'''
:Isaiah 63:1
:Micah 1:10-15

In the New Testament, see for example:
:Philemon 1:11, Ὀνήσιμον—ἄχρηστον—εὔχρηστον ''Onesimon—achreston—euchreston''. Onesimus in Greek literally means "profitable". In the Greek New Testament, "useless" is ἄχρηστον achrēston, and "useful" is εὔχρηστον euchrēston. The prefix "a-" is a negative, meaning "not-". The prefix "eu-" is a positive, meaning "good-". The phrase in the Greek text of Philemon verse 11 is: τόν ποτέ σοι '''ἄχρηστον''' , νυνὶ δὲ καὶ σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ '''εὔχρηστον'''

:Matthew 16:18 σὐ εἶ '''Πέτρος''' (a huge rock), καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ '''πέτρᾳ''' (huge boulder, rock) οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν ἐκκλησίαν.<ref>See Strong's numbers [http://biblehub.com/greek/4073.htm ''4073''] and [http://biblehub.com/greek/4074.htm''4074'']. Curiously, Strong's definition of "small rock, pebble", is inaccurate: "''properly, a stone (pebble), such as a small rock found along a pathway''". Protestant Greek scholars like D.A. Carson and Joseph Thayer admit there is no distinction in meaning between petros and petra in the Koine Greek of the New Testament.
:*Joseph H. Thayer, '''Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament''' (Peabody: Hendrickson, 1996), 507
:*D.A. Carson, “'''Matthew''',” in Frank E. Gaebelein, ed., '''The Expositor’s Bible Commentary''' (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984), vol. 8, 368.
According to Greek linguists, ''petra'' means a ‘rock’, usually a ‘large rock’ which is the same exact Greek meaning of ''petros'' — large rock. It does not mean ‘pebble’ or ‘small stone’. The Greek word for ‘pebble’ or ‘small stone’ is ''lithos'', not ''petros''.
 
If, as seems probable, our Lord spoke in Aramaic, the word used would be ''Kepha'' (בֵּיפָא, compare Hebrew בֵּפִים in Jeremiah 4:29, Job 30:6 = ‘rocks’; see Strong's number [http://biblehub.com/greek/2786.htm ''2786'']). Aramaic makes no grammatical difference in masculine and feminine forms for "rock" as does Greek. "''You are Kepha, and on this kepha I will build my church''". This is the reading in the ancient Syriac ''Peshitta'' translation of the New Testament.
 
The Greek text of the paronomasia in Matthew 16:18 makes the reference to St. Peter grammatically certain, although some doubt whether Christ meant that St. Peter, as the leader of the Apostolic band, is the human foundation of the new Church (see Ephesians 2:20; Revelation 21:14), or whether he meant that it is built on the foundation of the confession of Peter, Σὺ εἷ ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος. The first view "''on Peter''" is the more reasonable from the literal standpoint of Greek grammatical structure, and would probably have been almost universally accepted had it not been for the insistently persistent [[Triumphalism|triumphalist]] assertion of some Roman Catholic commentators, and the invincibly prejudiced antipathy of some [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[apologetics|apologists]] against Catholicism which prompts them to forcibly misrepresent the meaning of ''petros'' against its thoroughly attested Greek meaning. [[Orthodox Church|Orthodoxy]] also stoutly rejects the Catholic biblical [[exegesis]] of Matthew 16:18 as establishing Petrine Primacy.
 
See discussion in [http://patrickmadrid.com/bam-bam-the-“pebbles”-argument-goes-down-2/ Bam! Bam! The "Pebbles" Argument Goes Down - Patrick Madrid (patrickmadrid.com)]</ref>
There are also possible examples of paronomasia in Matthew 2:23; Matthew 3:9.

:In Matthew 2:23 the words Ναζωραῖος κληθήσεται ''Nazoraios klethesetai'' are not found in Hebrew or Aramaic in any of the books of the Old Testament prophets (''Nazoraios''= an inhabitant of Nazareth). They appear to many interpreters to be an allusion to Isaiah 11:1 where Messiah is called '''נֵצֶר''' (''netzer'' = a branch), and possibly also to the word '''נָצַר''' (''netzer'' = to preserve); see Isaiah 49:6.

:In Matthew 3:9 (see Luke 3:8) John the Baptist says δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ ''dynatai o Theos ek ton lithos touton egeirai tekna to Abraham''. The Hebrew words for the Greek λίθοι ''lithoi'' ("stones") and τέκνα ''tekna'' ("children") are similar in sound: "God can from these stones (אֲבָנִים ’ăbânîm) raise up children (בָּנִים bânîm) to Abraham."

In the paronomasia of John 2:19-21 Jesus refers to destruction of the temple and to raising it up again:{{cquote|Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.}}Scholars have pointed out the multiple examples of paronomasia in the profound double meanings used in John's Gospel.<ref>

*[https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/hdn/p/paronomasia.html Paronomasia - Bible Dictionaries: Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament (studylight.org)]
*[https://archive.org/details/paronomasiakindr00russrich Paronomasia and Kindred Phenomena in the New Testament: A Dissertation, by Russell, Elbert, 1871-1951 - University of Chicago (archive.org)]
*[http://www.atsjats.org/publication_file.php?pub_id=171 The Role of Misunderstanding in the Fourth Gospel, Edwin E. Reynolds, Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Silang, Cavite, Philippines (atsjats.org) pdf]
*[http://www.directionjournal.org/issues/gen/art_598_.html Literary Features in the Gospel of John: An Analysis of John 3:1-21 - ''Direction: A Mennonite Brethren Forum''; Fall 1988 · Vol. 17 No. 2 · pp. 3–17 (directionjournal.org)]</ref>

==Bible Translations==
The Bible has been translated many times and in many ways so anyone, from the youngest child to the most learned scholar, can read the entire scripture in their own language and at their own reading level. Early versions in the languages of their people include the Septuagint, Syriac [http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/syriacbib.html Peshitta] and [[Vulgate]], also the [https://archive.org/details/rosettaproject_arb_gen-1 Arabic], the [http://lexicity.com/coptic-biblical-texts.html Coptic], and Persic [http://www.wordproject.org/bibles/parallel/g/farsi.htm Farsi]. Here are some common English versions:

*[[American Standard Version]]
*[[Amplified Bible]]
*[[Douay-Rheims]]
*[[English Standard Version]]
*[[Good News Version]]
*[[Holman Christian Standard Bible]]
*[[King James Version]]
*[[Living Bible]]
*[[New American Standard Version]]
*[[New English Bible]]
*[[New International Version]]
*[[New King James Version]]
*[[Revised Standard Version]]
*[[Septuagint]]
*[[Wycliffe Bible]]
*[[Conservative Bible]] - still a work-in-progress here at Conservapedia

==Bible versions==
Apart from Bibles that include the Apocrypha, ''The [[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'' is a distinct version that was produced to justify many of the unique doctrines of [[Jehovah's Witnesses]].

[[Joseph Smith]], founder of [[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints]] also produced his own version of the Bible which was published after his death: see [http://www.help4rlds.com/pwtu/PWTUChap9.pdf Joseph Smith’s ''Inspired Version'' of the Bible pdf]

Online multiple versions are also available for comparison by entering '''Bibles online''' in the search-engine window of the computer.
:Simultaneous multiple versions of any one Bible verse are available at biblehub.com.
:A drop-down menu of a multiple selection of Bible translations and versions is available on the biblegateway.com site.

:For example: See a sample of the biblehub.com site with multilingual versions and translations of [http://biblehub.com/multi/john/3-16.htm '''John 3:16'''].

:For example: See a sample of the biblegateway.com site with drop-down menu feature: [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%203:16&version=NABRE '''John 3:16 NABRE''']

Below at External links is featured online access to several versions of the Bible in English: '''[[Bible#English]]'''

===Greek Bible online===

'''''Greek/English Bible''''' [http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/ Greek original according to the text used by the Church of Greece. English translation by L.C.L. Brenton, published side by side] Greek Septuagint and Greek New Testament

===Clementine Vulgate online===

'''''The Clementine Vulgate''''' [http://www.saintsbooks.net/books/The%20Clementine%20Vulgate%20-%20%28vulsearch.sourceforge.net%29.pdf BIBLIA SACRA JUXTA VULGATAM CLEMENTINAM EDITIO ELECTRONICA PLURIMIS CONSULTIS EDITIONIBUS DILIGENTER PRÆPARATA A MICHAELE TVVEEDALE .pdf]

===1611 Authorized Version online===

'''''Authorized Version''''' [http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611-Bible/ Official King James Bible Online. original 1611 King James Bible, Old Testament, New Testament, Apocrypha]

== See also ==
*[[Bible exegesis]]
*[[Biblical Canon]]
*[[Maccabees, Books of]]
*[[Christian apologetics|Evidence supporting the Bible]]
*[[Bible apologetics website resources]]
*[[Bible prophecy]]
*[[Biblical accuracy]]
*[[Famous Bible paintings]]
*[[Gematria]]
*[[Midrash]]
*[[Targum]]
*[[Pseudepigrapha]]
*[[Aramaic Church]]
*[[Judaism]]
*[[Essay: The Way of Salvation]]
*[[Essay: How to choose a Bible]]
*[[Conservative Bible Project]]
*[[Inspiration of Holy Scripture: An Eastern Christian and Jewish Perspective]]
*[[New Testament understanding through the Jewish perspective]]
*[[Messianic Prophecies]]
*[[Gospel reading in the Church: the Turgama]]
*[[Wicked Bible]]
*[[Badger skins (Bible)]]
*[[Biblical timeline]]
*[[Literalist Bible chronology]]
*[[Harmony of the Gospel (Conservative Version)]]
*[[Revelation, Book of (historical exegesis)]]

==External links==
===Bible societies ===
*[http://www.americanbible.org/ American Bible Society]
*[http://www.biblesociety.org/ United Bible Society]
*[http://www.ibs.org/ The International Bible Society (New York/Colorado Springs)]
*[http://www.wbtc.com/site/PageServer World Bible Translation Center]
*[http://www.wycliffe.org/home.htm Wycliffe Bible Translators]
*[http://www.labibliaweb.com/ La Biblia] In Spanish.

===Online, internet, and downloadable Bibles===
====Hebrew====
* [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0.htm Hebrew-English Bible] ([[Jewish Publication Society of America|JPS]] 1917 translation; includes Hebrew audio)
* [http://tanakhml2.alacartejava.net/cocoon/tanakhml/d13.php2xml?sfr=1&prq=1&pnt=tru&acc=tru&dia=tru&enc=heb XML Hebrew-English (KJV) Bible]
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/Hebrew_OT/ Old Testament in Hebrew]

====Greek====
* [http://www.ccel.org/w/westcott/gnt/toc.htm Koine Greek New Testament]
* [http://www.htmlbible.com/sacrednamebiblecom/moderngreek/ Modern Greek Bible]

====Latin====
* [http://www.LatinVulgate.com/ Latin Vulgate] — Latin Vulgate with parallel Douay-Rheims and King James English translations
* [http://www.sacredbible.org/ SacredBible.org] — Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/Vulgate/ Jerome's Latin Vulgate (405 A.D.)]

====English====
* [http://www.audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html AudioBible] — Audio version of the King James Version.
* [http://www.blueletterbible.org/ Blue Letter Bible] — On-line interactive reference library continuously updated from the teachings and commentaries of selected pastors and teachers who hold to the conservative, historical Christian faith.
* [http://www.e-sword.net E-sword] — Downloadable Bible for Windows.
* [http://www.onlinebible.net/ The Online Bible North America] — Downloadable Bible for Windows.
* [http://www.theophilos.sk/ Theophilos Bible program]
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/ASB/ American Standard Version].
* [http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/ English Standard Version] from Good News/Crossway (the publisher).
* [http://www.verselink.org/ King James Version with dictionary].
* [http://www.spcm.org/english/KJV/ King James Version].
* [http://www.newlivingtranslation.com New Living Translation]
* [http://bible.oremus.org/ New Revised Standard Version].
* [http://www.europepourchrist.org/biblesite/WEB/ World English Bible].
* [http://www.dynamicbible.com/ King James Version built using AJAX technologies], with Strongs and Greek Morphological Codes by Robinson.
* [http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/index.htm#index The Hypertext Bible] with side-by-side translations in English, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew at the [[Internet Sacred Text Archive]]
* [http://www.biblegateway.com/ Bible Gateway at GospelCom.net] text search in any one of many translations in numerous languages.
* [http://www.biblereadthrough.com/ Bible Read-Through] — read through the Bible in a year aid.
* [http://www.TheFreeBible.com/ TheFreeBible.com] Bible software downloads
* [http://www.scripture4all.org/ Interlinear (word-by-word) translation of the Christian Bible] Hebrew and Koine Greek
* [http://www.aramaicpeshitta.com/aramaic_nt_resources.htm Aramaic New Testament resources]
* [http://www.spcm.org/en/versions.php Over 40 versions of the Bible]
* [http://www.armenianchurchlibrary.com/Bibletranslationsandstudies.html Eastern and Western Armenian Bible]
* [http://www.bible9.com/ Online Bible (King James Version & Old Testament)]
* [http://www.spcm.org/LSG_FR/ Bible — Louis Segond de 1910]
* [http://www.latinvulgate.com/christverse.aspx Complete Sayings of Christ]
* [http://bible.crosswalk.com/ParallelBible/ Crosswalk.com Parallel Bible]
* [http://www.blueletterbible.org/search.html#verse Blue Letter Bible]
* [http://recoveryversion.org/ Recovery Version Bible]

====Spanish====

* [http://www.wbtc.com/site/PageServer?pagename=downloads_spanish Spanish Bible] PDT version
* [http://www.labibliaweb.com/cid/1 Versiones de la Biblia] In Spanish.

====Turkish====
* [http://www.incil.info Turkish Bible] (Turkish Old and New Testament)

====Finnish====
* [http://www.raamattu-kirja.com Finnish Bible] (Finnish Old and New Testament)
* [http://vastaus.net Raamattu] (Study Finnish Bible)

====Japanese====
*[http://www.ibsstl.org/bibles/japanese/index.php On-line version hosted by the International Bible Society]
*[http://www.bible.or.jp/e/index.html Japan Bible Society]

====Others====
* [http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q2_bible_english.html Bible Timeline]
* [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/bible/TO_Torah_880.htm?OVRAW=Torah&OVKEY=torah&OVMTC=standard My Jewish Learning.com]
* [http://search.americanbible.org/ American Bible Society] to search NASB, KJV, CEV, ASV and others.
* [http://etext.virginia.edu/kjv.browse.html University of Virginia Library] KJV word proximity search.
* [http://www.1enormousidea.com/Default.aspx?tabid=42 Many translations in English, verse by verse]
* [http://www.bible-marathi.com Nava Karar] NT Translation from Greek to Marathi
* [http://www.bible-researcher.com/links12.html Gender-neutral Bible translations].
* [http://www.evangelicalbible.com/why.htm Word-for-Word vs.Thought-for-Thought translation] Outlines the difference between formal and dynamic equivalent translation philosopy.
* [http://www.kli.org/wiki/index.php?Klingon%20Bible%20Translation%20Project Klingon Bible].

===Commentaries and analysis===

* [http://bibleseo.com/ Bible study topics] - Bible studies and exposition online
* [http://www.ldolphin.org/icc-am.html Biblical chronology] by Alan Montgomery, B.Sc.(Hon)
* [http://www.dinur.org/resources/resourceCategoryDisplay.aspx?categoryID=411&rsid=478 Biblical History], The Jewish History Resource Center — Dinur Center for Research in Jewish History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
* [http://www.chabad.org/article.asp?aid=63255 Judaica Press Translation] — online Jewish translation of the Tanakh.
* [http://www.angdatingdaan.org/biblicaltopics/bib_bible_1.htm Reading and Understanding the Bible].
* [http://en.bibleinfo.com/ Source for Bible Answers].
* [http://www.amazingfacts.org/school/af_logon.asp Amazing Facts Bible Studies].
* [http://www.iishj.org/images/Bible.pdf Learning Bible Today] — a historical approach the Bible.
* [http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/gill/ John Gill's Exposition of the Bible] — verse by verse commentary.
* [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/henry/mhc.i.html/ Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible] — unabridged.
*[http://www.verselink.org/ Topical References]
*[http://www.verselink.org/ Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedia]
*[http://bible.wikia.com/wiki/Bible_Wiki Bible Wiki], a database covering the people, places, books, doctrine and history of the Bible.

===Questions and apologetics===
*[https://answersingenesis.org/bible-questions/ Bible Questions], ''[[Answers in Genesis]]''
*[https://www.gotquestions.org/questions_Bible.html Questions about the Bible], ''[[GotQuestions]]''
*[https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/can-you-prove-the-bible-is-true/ Can You Prove the Bible is True?], Mike Matthews

==Bibliography==
* Achtemeier, Paul J., ed. ''Harper's Bible Dictionary'' (1985), 1190pp; mainstream scholarship
* Ackroyd, P.R., ed. ''The Cambridge History of the Bible: From the Beginnings to Jerome; the West from the Fathers to the Reformation; the West from the Reformation to the Present Day'' (3 vol 1978), standard summary of scholarship; [https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Bible-Beginnings-Jerome/dp/0521099730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243248143&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search vol 1]; [https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Bible-Fathers-Reformation/dp/0521290171/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243248143&sr=8-2 excerpt and text search vol 2]; [https://www.amazon.com/Cambridge-History-Bible-Reformation-Present/dp/0521290163/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243248143&sr=8-3 excerpt and text search vol 3]
* Coggins, R.J. ''Introducing the Old Testament'' (Oxford University Press: 1990), 172pp. [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=22765464 online edition]
* Morgan, Robert, and John Barton. ''Biblical Interpretation'' (Oxford University Press: 1988), 342 pp [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=74356941 online edition]
* Sakenfeld, Katharine Doob, ed. ''The New Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible'' ('''NIDB''') (5 vol 2009), the latest mainstream scholarship
*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Dictionary'', Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1966; new edition 2006); Evangelical
**Unger, Merril F. ''The New Unger's Bible Dictionary'', (2006); 1416pp; Evangelical
*Unger, Merril F. ''Unger's Bible Handbook'', Moody Press, Chicago, IL (1967); Evangelical.
*Halley, Henry H. ''Halley's Bible Handbook'', Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI (1965); Evangelical
* Sandys-Wunsch, John. ''What Have They Done to the Bible: A History of Modern Biblical Interpretation'' (2005) Scholarly history of transations and interpretations to 1900; [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0814650287 excerpt and text search]
* Williamspn, Peter. ''Catholic principles for interpreting scripture: a study of the Pontifical Biblical Commission's The interpretation of the Bible in the Church'' (2001); Catholic; [https://books.google.com/books?id=kooFtFGQsfsC&dq=intitle:bible+intitle:interpretation&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=2000&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=30&as_brr=0&as_pt=ALLTYPES excerpts and text search]
*Wilson, Robert D. ''A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament'', Sunday School Times, Inc, Philadelphia, PA (1926).

===Language===
*Blass, Frederich, and others. ''A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and other early Christian literature,'' translated by Robert W. Funk; University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL (1961); German edition ''Grammatik des Neutestamentlichen Griechisch'' Friedrich Rehkopf, editor, 14th edition. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1976.
*Moulton, James H., and others. ''A Grammar of New Testament Greek'' (two volumes), edited by Wilbert Francis Howard, T&T Clark Publishers, Harrisburg, PA (1985); originally published 1920, Edinburgh, Scotland.
*Bauer, Walter. ''Griechisch-Deutsches Wörterbuch zu den Scriften des Neuen Testaments und der frühchristlichen Litteratur''. Kurt Åland and Barbara Åland, editors; 6th edition. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, Germany (1988). Heading βιβλίον, columns 281-82.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Bible| ]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Book of Worship]]
[[Category:Featured articles]]

Donald Trump

2019-07-02T21:10:12Z

Godismysaviour: length of dick specified

{{Officeholder
|name=Donald John Trump
|image=Donald Trump official presidential photo.jpg
|party=[[Republican]] (1987–1999, 2009–2011, 2012–present) formerly [[Democrat]] (until 1987, 2001–2009), [[Reform Party|Reform]] (1999–2001), and [[Independent voter|Independent]] (2011–2012)
|spouse=Ivana Trump Marla Maples [[Melania Trump]]
|religion=[[Presbyterian Church (USA)|Presbyterian]]
|offices={{Officeholder/president
|country=the United States
|number=45th
|terms=January 20, 2017 – present
|vp=[[Mike Pence]]
|preceded=[[Barack Obama]]
|former=n
}}
}}
:''For his achievements as U.S. President, see [[Donald Trump achievements]].''
:''Donald Trump was [[Conservative of the Year]] in [[Conservative of the Year 2017|2017]] and [[Conservative of the Year 2018|2018]].''
'''Donald John Trump''' (b. [[Queens]], [[New York]], on June 14, 1946), nicknamed "'''The Donald'''", is the 45th [[President of the United States of America]], as a result of winning the [[2016 presidential election]] as the [[Republican Party]] nominee. Before entering politics, he was a businessman and [[television]] personality. A strong [[conservative]] with a small dick, Trump has [[Donald Trump achievements|achieved much during his presidency]] and advanced many conservative priorities.

==Financial worth & education==
Trump has engaged in many financial pursuits and estimated that his net worth was $10 billion, as of July 2015.<ref>LoGiurato, Brett (July 25, 2015). [https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-net-worth-2015-7 "We finally know a lot more about Donald Trump's 'massive' net worth"]. Business Insider website.</ref> ''Forbes'', however, estimates his net worth is $3.7 billion as of March 2017.<ref>[https://www.forbes.com/profile/donald-trump/ "The world's most powerful people: #2 Donald Trump"]. (March 6, 2017). Forbes.com website.</ref> He graduated from the New York Military Academy in 1964 and first attended college at [[Fordham University]] for two years before transferring to the more competitive [[University of Pennsylvania]] and completing his undergraduate studies at its Wharton School of Finance and Commerce.

Early media profiles of Trump claim he graduated "first in his class" from Wharton.<ref>Whitman, Alden (January 28, 1973). [https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/28/archives/a-builder-looks-backand-moves-forward-builder-looks-back-but-moves.html "A builder looks back—and moves forward".] ''New York Times''. Retrieved from ''New York Times'' website.</ref> The evidence suggests otherwise and yet Trump has never sought to correct or clarify this potentially significant error.<ref>Geist, William E. (April 8, 1984). [https://www.nytimes.com/1984/04/08/magazine/the-expanding-empire-of-donald-trump.html "The expanding empire of Donald Trump".] ''New York Times Magazine''. Retrieved from ''New York Times'' website.</ref>

==Candidacy==
On June 16, 2015, he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination in the [[2016 presidential election]].<ref>Multiple references:
*[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/06/16/trump-announces-white-house-bid-joins-crowded-gop-field/ "Trump announces White House bid, joins crowded GOP field"] (June 16, 2015). Fox News website/Politics. The front-runner in a record-breaking field of 17 [[Republican]] candidates, Trump announced that he did not anticipate "throwing punches" against his rivals in the first GOP debate.
*Chiacu, Donna and Torbati, Yeganeh (August 2, 2015). [https://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/02/us-usa-election-debate-idUSKCN0Q70NI20150802 "Trump says won't be 'throwing punches' in U.S. Republican debate"]. Reuters/Politics. But at the debate the [[Fox News Channel]]—particularly its [[feminist]] non-journalist [[Megyn Kelly]]—ambushed Trump with out-of-context quotations designed to smear him as somehow being anti-women. This ignited a national controversy that lasted for days, and Trump called upon Kelly to apologize, which she refused to do.</ref> Unlike most other U.S presidential candidates, Trump sharply criticizes the media and talks about issues that no elected official dares touch. For example, Trump stands up against [[feminists]], unlike most politicians. In another example, in 2011 Trump persistently doubted whether [[Barack Obama]] had been born in the [[United States]], which caused Obama's approval ratings to drop below 40% until Obama finally caved in to Trump and produced what Obama claimed was his birth certificate. Trump then scoffed at Obama's conduct.

'''''In February 2011, Trump announced that he is [[pro-life]], and at the final presidential debate on Oct. 19, 2016, Trump gave the strongest endorsement of the pro-life position of any presidential nominee in history'''''.

Trump's central campaign theme has been to oppose [[illegal immigration]] and [[free trade]], and nominated Senator [[Jeff Sessions]] as [[Attorney General]] to enforce standing legislation on the issue. As reported by [[Breitbart News Network|Breitbart]], "Sen. Sessions, Chairman of the Senate’s Immigration Subcommittee, is widely regarded as the gold standard on immigration. Sessions has also become the intellectual thought leader in the Republican Party on appealing to the blue collar voters who have been abandoned by their political leaders." <ref>Hahn, Julia (August 14, 2015). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/08/14/game-change-trump-consults-with-sen-jeff-sessions-on-immigration-strategy/ "Game change: Trump consults with Sen Jeff Sessions on immigration strategy"]. Breitbart website/Big government.</ref> In the later campaign Trump focused more on [[ISIS]] and terrorism.

At the final presidential debate between [[Hillary Clinton]] and Trump on October 19, 2016, Clinton chastised Trump for running a newspaper advertisement in 1987 critical of the [[Reagan Administration]]. But Trump persuasively explained that he has always disagreed with Reagan's support of free trade, as many other [[conservatives]] disagree with Reagan on this issue.

==Religious beliefs==
:{{Main|Donald Trump's religious views|Donald Trump and evangelicals}}
Donald Trump attended the First [[Presbyterian]] Church in Jamaica, [[Queens]]. He told the [[Christian Broadcasting Network]] that he still considers himself a [[Presbyterian]] and attends services for all major holidays and Sundays, and that "The [[Bible]] is certainly THE book." He receives Bibles from fans in the mail, and he either stores them or gives them away to others.<ref>Haberman, Maggie (April 11, 2011). [https://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/52942.html "Donald Trump talks about religion"]. Politico website.</ref>

In July 2015, Trump stated in an interview that "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?"<ref>Nothstine, Ray (July 23, 2015). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/trump-why-do-i-have-to-repent-or-ask-for-forgiveness-if-i-am-not-making-mistakes-video-141856/ Trump: 'Why Do I Have to Repent or Ask for Forgiveness If I Am Not Making Mistakes?' (Video)]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref> He also stated that "I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't."<ref>Scott, Eugene (July 18, 2015). [https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/ Trump believes in God, but hasn't sought forgiveness]. ''CNN''. Retrieved December 4, 2016.</ref> January 2016, Trump stated that "I have a great relationship with God," but that "I don’t like to have to ask for forgiveness."<ref>Key, Pam (January 17, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/01/17/trump-i-dont-like-to-have-to-ask-for-forgiveness-from-god/ Trump: ‘I Don’t Like to Have to Ask for Forgiveness’ from God]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref> When confronted by [[Cal Thomas]] in an interview in mid 2016 about his not asking God for forgiveness, Trump stated that he would ask God for forgiveness.<ref>Chumley, Cheryl (August 6, 2016). [https://www.wnd.com/2016/06/trump-answers-question-who-do-you-say-jesus-is/ Trump answers question: 'Who do you say Jesus is?] ''WorldNetDaily''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref> In October 2016, [[Ben Carson]] stated that Trump did ask forgiveness from God with [[James Robison]].<ref>Showalter, Brandon (October 10, 2016). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/ben-carson-donald-trump-asked-god-for-forgiveness-prayed-with-james-robison-170650/ Ben Carson: Donald Trump Asked God for Forgiveness, Prayed With James Robison]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved March 13, 2017.</ref>

According to exit polling in the 2016 election, Trump won 81 percent of evangelical Christians compared to 16 percent for Clinton, a record high and even more than [[George W. Bush]] won in 2004, showing strong support for Trump from evangelical Christians.<ref name="townhall.com">O'Brien, Cortney (November 12, 2016). [https://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2016/11/12/white-evangelical-voters-showed-up-this-time-n2243931 Evangelical Voters Showed Up Big Time For Trump]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref><ref name="wsj.com">Lovett, Ian (November 9, 2016). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/evangelicals-back-donald-trump-in-record-numbers-despite-earlier-doubts-1478689372 Evangelicals Back Donald Trump in Record Numbers, Despite Earlier Doubts]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> He was the first sitting American president to address the annual Values Voters Conference in Washington.<ref>https://www.npr.org/2017/10/13/557459193/trump-set-to-address-values-voter-summit-for-first-time-as-president</ref>

==Career==
[[File:Trump business.jpg|right]]
Donald Trump began his career at [[Trump Organization]]. In his college years, he helped revitalize one of his father's failing real estate ventures. Trump began opening hotels and casinos, which provided him with the cash flow to engage in other ventures. He owns the world-famous [[Trump Tower]] and is the founder of the publicly traded Trump Hotel Casinos & Resorts. Trump also owns the Trump brand, which sells a variety of items, such as bottled water, steak, and even mortgages. Trump has authored a number of books and weathered changing business fortunes, but despite the challenges that he has encountered, he has continued to be a successful businessman and entrepreneur.

Trump [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2000|ran unsuccessfully]] for the nomination of the [[Reform Party]] in 2000. Trump considered [[presidential election 2012|running for President in 2012]] as a [[Republican]]. He, among others, questioned the citizenship of [[Barack Obama]], citing his failure to produce his birth certificate. After Obama produced his birth certificate, Trump and the other [[birther]]s continue to doubt its authenticity. Obama's approval ratings were around 40% during the peak of the controversy. Trump later exited the race, and gave the customary endorsement to [[Mitt Romney]] as the other [[Republican]] contenders did.

==Major properties==

*Trump World Tower: 845 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY.

*Trump Tower: 725 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022 Personal Residence

*Bank of America Center (San Francisco)

*The Trump Building at 40 Wall Street

*Trump Park Avenue

*AXA Financial Center, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY

*Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago

*Trump International Hotel & Casino Las Vegas

*Mar-A-Lago Palm Beach

*Four golf courses in the U.S.

==Media==
[[File:Donald Trump star.JPG|thumbnail|left|Hollywood Walk of Fame]]
In 2003 Trump began as the host and executive producer of the reality [[television]] show ''The Apprentice'' and ''The Celebrity Apprentice'', where contestants compete for a position in Trump's organization. On this show, Trump popularized his catchphrase "You're fired!"

Trump used to own the un-Christian Miss Universe Pageant, which objectified the female body and promoted lust and infidelity. Controversy arose when one of the winners, Tara Conner, was caught breaking pageant rules by drinking and other activities. Trump gave her a second chance after personally speaking with her and allowed her to retain her crown as she attended rehabilitation. For several weeks after this, [[Rosie O'Donnell]] berated Trump for his decision on ''The View''. A bitter media war ensued with the two exchanging insults.

Trump has made many guest appearances, usually as himself, on many TV shows and in several movies.

Childish [[liberals]] are vandalizing Trump's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame three times a day. A person asked about the vandalism said Trump has it coming.<ref>Press Association (April 8, 2016). [http://www.onenewspage.com/video/20160408/4211707/Donald-Trump-Hollywood-Walk-of-Fame-Star.htm "Donald Trump's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star vandalised three times a day"]. One News Page website article and video [0:37]. 0:15 advertising wall required to view.</ref>

==Political positions==

====Social Issues====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Religious liberty, gender issues, and other social policies|Donald Trump achievements: Abortion}}
[[File:Donald-Trump-Rosa-Parks.jpg|right|350px|thumb|Donald Trump received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor from the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations in 1986 for improving the lives of African-American urban youths. From left to right: [[Anita Bryant]], [[Muhammad Ali]], [[Rosa Parks]], and Donald Trump.]]
At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, Trump announced he is [[pro-life]].<ref>Rahn, Will (February 10, 2011). [https://dailycaller.com/2011/02/10/trump-at-cpac-points-to-white-house-run/ "Trump at CPAC points to White House run"]. The Daily Caller website.</ref> Trump would not fund Planned Parenthood and the government should not give funds to any organizations that perform abortions<ref>Carroll, Lauren (May 1, 2016) [https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/may/01/ted-cruz/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-planned-parenthood/ "Do Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton agree on Planned Parenthood funding?"] Politifact website.</ref> However, he supports abortion in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother or child.<ref>Ertelt, Steven (February 1, 2016). [https://www.lifenews.com/2016/02/01/mike-huckabee-defends-donald-trumps-abortion-conversion-he-is-pro-life-now/ "Mike Huckabee defends Donald Trump’s abortion conversion: 'He is pro-life now'"] LifeNews.com.</ref>

Trump says that the legalization of [[same-sex "marriage"]] doesn't matter because it's "settled law" now,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120831060550/http://www.gop.com/2012-republican-platform_We/#Item3 "Republican platform: We believe in America"] (bef. August 31, 2012). GOP.com website. Archived at Internet Archive on August 31, 2012.</ref> even though five liberal members of the Supreme Court illegally made ''[[Obergefell v. Hodges]]'' into "law" via [[judicial activism]] based on their personal feelings about the issue. Trump believes that homosexual couples have the same adoption rights as straight couples,<ref>Guo, Jeff (August 10, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/08/10/how-donald-trump-is-slowly-teaching-republicans-to-embrace-gay-rights/ "Donald Trump is teaching the GOP a different way to embrace gay rights".] ''Washington Post'' website.</ref> Despite what the Left claims, Donald Trump has voiced open support for the LGBTQ community, and was the first Republican President to do so.{{cn}} He has stated that he will do everything he can do to protect the LGBTQ community, from Islamic extremists.

Trump says that a business should be able to deny service to a customer if the request conflicts with the owner's religious beliefs?<ref name="christiantoday.com">Hicap, Jonah (June 2, 2015). [http://www.christiantoday.com/article/donald.trump.vows.to.be.the.greatest.representative.of.christians.if.he.wins.white.house/55023.htm "Donald Trump: 'I will be the greatest representative of Christians if I win the White House'"]. Christian Today website.</ref> Trump would not require health insurance providers to offer free birth control.<ref>Associated Press (February 11, 2012). [https://web.archive.org/web/20151128095810/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-02-11/obama-birth-control-cpac/53046728/1 "GOP conservatives unite against birth control coverage"]. ''USA Today'' website/News/Washington. Retrieved from November 28, 2015 archive at Internet Archive.</ref>

Trump doesn't think that universities should provide “trigger warnings” and “safe spaces” for students.<ref>Hashmi, Siraj (November 10, 2016). [http://redalertpolitics.com/2016/11/10/safe-spaces-handed-election-donald-trump/ "Safe Spaces handed the election to Donald Trump"]. Red Alert Politics website.</ref>

Trump believes that marital rape be classified and punished as severely as non-marital rape?<ref>Diamond, Jeremy (July 28, 2015). [https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/28/politics/donald-trump-adviser-michael-cohen-rape/ "Trump distances himself from top aide's rape comment"]. CNN website/Politics.</ref>

Trump would not add "Gender Identity" to anti-discrimination laws.<ref>http://www.advocate.com/politics/2016/5/24/donald-trump-claims-accommodating-transgender-people-too-expensive</ref>

Trump wouldn't support a [[separation of church and state]] by removing references to God on money, federal buildings, and national monuments.<ref name="christiantoday.com"/>

Trump says that after a psychological examination to show they fully understand this choice, terminally ill patients be allowed to end their lives via [[assisted suicide]].<ref>http://wingspanonline.net/?p=2398</ref>

Trump supports the [[death penalty]].<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/01/nyregion/angered-by-attack-trump-urges-return-of-the-death-penalty.html</ref>

Trump thinks that the military should allow women to serve as long as they can pass the same physical tests as men.<ref>https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/donald-trump-women-combat-tricky/2015/12/06/id/704736/</ref> (Compare [[gender norming]].)

Trump says that board members of a business should be the most qualified regardless of gender.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3269718/Trump-gives-young-feminist-brush-equal-pay-abortion-going-make-good-job-happen-pro-life.html</ref>

Trump does not believe that the government can show a confederate flag on public property.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-tees-off-on-the-confederate-flag/</ref>

Trump believes that women should be allowed to wear a Niqāb, or face veil, to civic ceremonies.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFVCZhFsNR8</ref>

====Healthcare Issues====
Trump does not support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and would open the markets so insurers can compete across state lines and reduce costs.<ref name="donaldjtrump.com">https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/healthcare-reform</ref><ref name=Educ>Breitbart.tv (February 9, 2011). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2011/02/09/pro-life-donald-trump-would-eliminate-dept-of-education-impose-25-tax-on-china-imports-if-president/ "Pro-life Donald Trump would eliminate Dept of Education, impose 25% tax on China imports if president"]. Breitbart.com.</ref> However, he has also said, "I like the mandate."<ref>[https://dailycaller.com/2016/02/19/trump-on-obamacare-i-like-the-mandate-video/ "Trump On Obamacare: ‘I Like The Mandate’"]</ref>

Trump thinks that the government should regulate the prices of life-saving drugs.<ref>https://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/trump-backs-
medicare-negotiating-drug-prices-218215</ref>

Trump supports the legalization of marijuana for medical use.<ref>https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/2015/06/18/exclusive-donald-trump-on-what-made-him-run-for-president-on-hannity/</ref>

''Donald Trump has not yet answered if he supports the privatization of veteran's healthcare.''

Trump believes that the federal government increase funding of health care for low income individuals (Medicaid).<ref>https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-09-15/trump-calls-for-expanded-medicaid-birth-control-without-doctor</ref>

====Controversy with Barack Obama====
[[File:Donald Trump Speaking in Fountain Hills.jpg|thumb|Trump speaking in Fountain Hills, Arizona in March 2016.]]
Trump has also questioned Barack Obama's constitutional eligibility to be President, in light of the ongoing questions surrounding his birth certificate.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=280533 "Trump: Obama spending millions to hide his past"] (March 28, 2011). WorldNetDaily website.</ref> Trump questioned whether the Obama Administration was successful in negotiating with foreign countries. Trump declared during the 2016 election that he no longer would question Obama's eligibility.

====Economic Issues====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Economic policy and labor|MAGAnomics}}
Trump's economic plan is designed to make the country more competitive by implementing policies that apply to all companies: cutting taxes, including the corporate tax rate, repealing and rolling back stifling regulations, including the biggest of them all, Obamacare and those clobbering the energy sector, renegotiating trade deals such as NAFTA, and killing off the nascent Trans-Pacific Partnership.<ref>Crowley, Monica (December 7, 2016). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/7/donald-trump-and-the-art-of-getting-it-done/ Donald Trump and the art of getting it done]. ''The Washingon Times''. Retrieved December 10, 2016.</ref>

Trump would not require employers be required to pay men and women the same salary for the same job as there are too many other variables such as education, experience, and tenure that determine a fair salary.

''Trump has not answered whether welfare recipients be tested for drugs.''

Trump said he would require businesses be required to provide paid leave for full-time employees during the birth of a child or sick family member.

Trump would raise the federal minimum wage.

Trump believes there should be more restrictions on current welfare benefits.

Trump would instate a 35% tariff on all imports from China even though he used Chinese steel to build all of his Trump Towers.<ref>http://www.newsweek.com/how-donald-trump-ditched-us-steel-workers-china-505717</ref>

Trump would also lower the corporate tax rate.<ref>https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/an-america-first-economic-plan-winning-the-global-competition</ref>

Trump says that the U.S. shouldn't continue to participate in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).<ref>https://money.cnn.com/2016/09/16/news/economy/donald-trump-nafta-mexico-china-tariff/</ref>

Trump would cut public spending in order to reduce the public debt.<ref>https://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/donald-trump-believe-candidate-stands-10-issues/</ref>

Trump believes that the government is currently over-regulating private businesses and that it shouldn't require businesses to pay salaried employees, making up to $46k/year, time-and-a-half for overtime hours.<ref>https://www.politico.com/tipsheets/morning-shift/2016/08/trump-v-overtime-rule-215883</ref>

Trump thinks that the government should prevent “mega mergers” of corporations that could potentially control a large percentage of market share within its industry.<ref>https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2016-10-22/trump-would-block-proposed-at-t-time-warner-merger-if-elected</ref>

Trump said that labor unions, in theory help the economy but have recently become corrupt and should have their powers limited.<ref>http://projects.newsday.com/opinion/newsday-editorial-board-interviews-donald-trump/#nypd</ref>

Trump would increase the tax on profits from the sale of stocks, bonds, and real estate.<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4I5QUGRf-Q&feature=youtu.be</ref>

Trump believes economic stimulus will aid the country during times of recession.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/us/politics/trump-clinton-infrastructure.html?_r=0</ref>

Trump thinks the Federal Reserve Bank should be audited by Congress.<ref>https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-election-trump-fed-idUSL1N12Y1ZG20151103</ref>

Trump doesn't support the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as this will incentivize companies to move U.S. jobs overseas.<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/07/us/politics/transcript-of-the-republican-presidential-debate-in-new-hampshire.html</ref>

Trump would eliminate the [[estate tax]].<ref>https://thehill.com/policy/finance/290825-clinton-to-criticize-trumps-plan-to-repeal-the-estate-tax</ref>

Trump would end all government subsidies and let the free market run its course.<ref>http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/17cfa1a0-0b9e-11e5-a06e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3e0UlsdmX</ref>

''Trump has not answered if pension payments be increased for retired government workers.''

Trump favors an increased sales tax in order to reduce property taxes even though sales tax would not provide a steady stream of income.<ref>http://www.taxjusticeblog.org/archive/2015/06/donald_trumps_regressive_and_r.php#.VYr8_hNViko</ref>

Trump supports pension plans for federal, state, and local government workers be transitioned into privately managed accounts.<ref name="donaldjtrump.com"/>

Trump said that the U.S. government should not bailout Puerto Rico.<ref>http://mms.tveyes.com/PlaybackPortal.aspx?SavedEditID=c89b639c-07de-4a0f-a634-dda08e3de95a</ref>

Trump believes citizens should not be allowed to save or invest their money in offshore bank accounts as too many wealthy citizens are abusing loopholes in offshore banking laws to evade taxes.<ref>https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-puts-his-money-in-companies-that-stash-cash-abroad/</ref>

Trump would not apply an in-state sales tax apply to online purchases of in-state buyers from out-of-state sellers.<ref>http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ce65fe3f0bbd43c19cf17c5c8da8d958/trump-amazons-bezos-uses-washington-post-avoid-taxes</ref>

Trump thinks that the government classify Bitcoin as a legal currency.<ref>https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/trump-presidency-boost-bitcoin-price/</ref>

====Department of Education====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Education}}
At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he wants to eliminate the Department of Education.<ref name=Educ/>

====Foreign policy====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Foreign policy}}
Donald Trump is a [[nationalism|nationalist]] who promised to "put America first"<ref>[https://insider.foxnews.com/2017/06/07/trump-touts-new-infrastructure-plan-cincinnati-states-america-first-message 'It's Time Finally to Put America First': Trump Touts New Infrastructure Plan]</ref> (See: [[Donald Trump and nationalism]]). At the same time, in April 2017, he stated that "I’m a nationalist and a globalist."<ref>Starr, Penny (April 28, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/28/trump-im-a-nationalist-and-a-globalist/ Trump: ‘I’m a Nationalist and a Globalist’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved January 10, 2018.</ref>

In July 2015 Trump explained he wants to improve relationships with [[Russia]]n president [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>Johnson, Simon (July 31, 2015). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/11775145/Donald-Trump-Id-get-on-very-well-with-Putin-if-I-were-president.html "Donald Trump: I'd get on 'very well' with Putin if I were president"]. The Telegraph [U.K.] website.</ref> Many left-wingers accused Trump's presidential campaign of "colluding" with [[Russia]]. However the Trump Administration took several tough actions against Russia, including some that even the Obama Administration avoided.<ref>Berger, Judson (December 26, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/26/trump-administration-ends-2017-confronting-russia-after-year-collusion-accusations.html Trump administration ends 2017 confronting Russia after year of collusion accusations]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved December 26, 2017.</ref> In an interview with [[ABC]] he said that Putin won't make a military move into [[Ukraine]]. Furthermore, Trump argued in a tweet that the conflict over [[Crimea]] was the fault of the Obama administration.<ref>[https://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/31/politics/donald-trump-russia-ukraine-crimea-putin/ Trump says Putin is 'not going to go into Ukraine,' despite Crimea]</ref> Trump later accused Russia of taking [[Crimea]] by force and asked whether Obama was too soft on Russia.<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-russia-latest-tweet-accuse-crimea-obama-too-soft-distance-campaign-team-white-house-a7581511.html Donald Trump accuses Russia of taking Crimea by force in attempt to distance himself from campaign allegations]</ref>

Trump said that the [[Iran nuclear deal]] is bad and as president he kept his promise by withdrawing from it.

After his election as U.S. president, [[Israel]]i prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]] called Trump "a true friend of the State of Israel."<ref>[https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/netanyahu-trump-israel-true-friend-231094?lo=ap_c4 Netanyahu calls Trump 'a true friend' of Israel]. ''Politico''. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> On February 2, 2017, Trump stated that building new settlements in the [[West Bank]] "may not be helpful" to achieving peace in the [[Middle East]], and he appeared to shift his formerly strong stance on moving the U.S. embassy to [[Jerusalem]] as he had previously stated.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/03/trump-to-israel-settlements-may-not-help-achieve-peace-in-middle-east.html Trump to Israel: Settlements ‘may not help’ achieve peace in the Middle East]. ''Fox News''. February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.</ref> But on December 6, 2017, Trump announced that the U.S. officially recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the U.S. would begin the process of moving the U.S. Embassy from [[Tel Aviv]] to Jerusalem.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/12/06/president-donald-j-trumps-proclamation-jerusalem-capital-state-israel|title=President Donald J. Trump's Proclamation on Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel |publisher=White House|accessdate=6 December 2017|date=6 December 2017}}</ref>

Trump had stated that [[NATO]] was obsolete, but in April 2017, he changed his position, stating that it was "no longer obsolete."<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/news/the-latest-trump-says-nato-no-longer-obsolete/ The Latest: Trump says NATO ‘no longer obsolete’]. ''Breitbart News'' (from the ''Associated Press''). Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref><ref>Hagen, Lisa (April 21, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/328558-trump-nato-is-no-longer-obsolete Trump: NATO is ‘no longer obsolete’]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref>

====Global warming====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Energy and environmental policy}}
Trump does not believe in the [[Climate Change]] hysteria, once stating the "Nobel committee should take the [[Nobel Prize]] back from [[Al Gore]]."

====Second Amendment rights====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Gun rights}}
Trump is strongly pro-[[Second Amendment]] and against [[leftist]] [[gun control]] and gun free zones. As president, Trump has promised to re-arm military personnel on all American military bases as well as [[ROTC]] recruitment centers, which were disarmed by the [[Clinton Administration]] policy.<ref name=Educ/> Trump was strongly endorsed by the [[National Rifle Association]] in one of its earliest endorsements in an election campaign.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/20/nra-to-endorse-trump.html# Trump wins NRA endorsement, blasts Clinton on gun stance at forum]. ''Fox News''. May 20, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.</ref>

====Homosexual agenda====
For all practical purposes, Trump seems to be on the side of the [[homosexual agenda]]. He supports the creation of new law by the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], as in a new right to [[homosexual marriage]], and declares it the "law of the land" even though Congress passed no such law.

Trump has attended multiple [[same-sex marriage]] ceremonies, but has also said in the past that he opposes same-sex marriage. Trump's views are not yet known on other aspects of the [[homosexual agenda]], such as whether Trump would ban [[conversion therapy]] for minors as [[Chris Christie]] did. The [[Fox News Channel]] debate in August avoided these issues, but future debates will probably require Trump to declare his position.

====Immigration====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Immigration and border security}}
See the discussion in the introduction above. This is Trump's main campaign issue.

A central part of his immigration plan is to build a giant wall on the border with Mexico. Trump estimates it will cost $8 billion, approximately 35 to 40 feet high and stretch 2000 miles.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/09/donald-trump-the-wall-is-probably-8-billion Trump Border Wall]</ref> During the campaign, Trump promised that Mexico will pay for the wall, but after taking office, he clarified that payment could be in the form of a tax on Mexican imports or other revenues measures after the Mexican government showed opposition towards Trump's plan.

Trump has also proposed to temporarily ban [[Muslims]] from entering the United States, until "our leaders figure out what the hell is going on," in order to protect Americans from the threats posed by [[Islamic]] [[refugee]]s (and those pretending to be<ref>[http://m.washingtonexaminer.com/isis-fighters-infiltrating-syrian-refugees-uk-is-warned/article/2572051 ISIS fighters infiltrating Syrian refugees, UK is warned]</ref>) entering the country.<ref>[http://www.donaldjtrump.com/media/donald-trump-insists-muslim-ban-is-about-safety-not-religion Donald Trump Insists Muslim Ban Is About Safety, Not Religion]</ref>

Efforts have been made by hostile journalists to paint Trump as advocating a [[Muslim registry]], but what he actually proposed was a [[database for Syrian refugees]].

====Political contributions====
He has been criticized for his substantial contributions to [[Democrat]] lawmakers; the majority of those lawmakers are located in the states he resides in: New York and Florida. The amount he has donated since 2008 is $25,000, which is insignificant considering his wealth.<ref>Allin, Olivia (April 30, 2011). [http://www.ontheredcarpet.com/Donald-Trump-calls-nations-leaders-stupid-people-and-blood-sucking-politicians/8104644 "OTRC: Donald Trump calls nation's leaders 'stupid people' and 'blood-sucking politicians'"]. OnTheRedCarpet [news]. Retrieved from ABC7 [KABC Television, Los Angeles] website.</ref>

Trump is not known to be beholden to any big-money donors.

====Tariffs====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Trade policy}}
[[File:Donald Trump RNC July 2016.jpg|thumb|Trump accepting the GOP nomination in Cleveland on June 21, 2016.]]
At the 2011 [[CPAC]] conference, he stated that he supports a 25% tariff on Chinese goods.<ref name=Educ/> The number floated around in 2016 is a 45% tariff. Trump was speaking in regards to China and the [[World Trade Organization]],<ref>[https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinese-finance-ministerlou-jiwei-takes-aim-at-donald-trumps-trade-policies-1460892988 Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei Takes Aim at Donald Trump’s Trade Policies, WallStreetJournal, April 17, 2016]</ref>

{{cquote|In a statement from his campaign, Mr. Trump charged that [[China]] was “in total violation of WTO regulations” and that the U.S. “has incompetently allowed them to get away with this” and has failed to impose “equal or greater taxes and tariffs” on China. If he is elected president, Mr. Trump said, China “will learn to deal fairly and justly or we will not deal at all” with Beijing.}}

====Vaccines====
Trump believes that [[vaccines]] cause [[autism]]<ref>Ferris, Sarah (September 16, 2015). [https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/253980-trump-links-vaccines-to-autism-epidemic "Trump links vaccines to autism 'epidemic'"]. The Hill website/Policy/Healthcare.</ref> and has argued against requiring that so many vaccines be given to infants.

==== Eminent domain====
Trump believes that the government has the right to take [[private property]] upon paying just compensation for both infrastructure and to promote economic development.

==== Supreme Court====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: The courts}}
Trump opposed filling the Supreme Court seat held by [[Antonin Scalia]] before the next President takes office. When asked who he might select to the Supreme Court, he said that his sister, a sitting federal court judge, would make a great Supreme Court justice.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/423196/trump-praises-his-sister-pro-abortion-extremist-judge-ramesh-ponnuru|title=Trump Praises His Sister, a Pro-Abortion Extremist Judge|date=Aug 27, 2015|accessdate=February 21, 2016}}</ref>

===Hillary Clinton===
Trump had pledged, if elected president, to appoint a special prosecutor to further investigate [[Hillary Clinton]]'s use of a private email server whilst Secretary of State, but Hillary took her crushing defeat so hard that Trump charitably softened his stance after winning.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-investigation.html Donald Trump Drops Threat of New Hillary Clinton Investigation] New York Times - Nov. 22, 2016</ref> A few of Trump supporters, such as [[Ann Coulter]] and [[Breitbart]], expressed disappointment but Trump rose in overall public approval.<ref>[https://www.newsmax.com/Politics/ann-coulter-slams-trump-clinton/2016/11/22/id/760220/ Ann Coulter Slams Trump's Decision on Clinton] Newsmax.com - Nov. 22, 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/radio/2016/11/23/peter-schweizer-letting-hillary-off-hook-definition-rigged-system/ Peter Schweizer: Letting Hillary off the Hook Is ‘Definition of a Rigged System’] Breitbart.com - Nov. 23, 2016</ref>

==2016 presidential election==
[[File:Donald Trump (29273256122) Phoenix.jpg|thumb|250px|Donald Trump on August 31, 2016.]]
{{See also|2016 U.S. presidential election|Donald Trump achievements: 2016 election and transition}}
===Path to the Nomination===
In the 2015 [[Value Voters Debate|Value Voters]] poll, Trump performed poorly, coming in fifth, indicating many [[Christian]] [[conservatives]] had not yet warmed up to him.<ref>Flores, Reena (September 26, 2015). [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-conservative-poll-donald-trump-could-not-win/ "The conservative poll Donald Trump could not win"]. CBSNews website.</ref> Trump is a big supporter of [[gambling]], which most Christians, other religious groups, and [[conservatives]] oppose. But by 2016 Trump was winning more support from [[evangelical]]s than any other Republican candidate.

Trump won the Republican primary, receiving more votes than any other Republican primary candidate in history.<ref>Hoft, Joe (June 7, 2016). [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/06/trump-trumps-wins-historic-race-record-fashion/ HISTORY! Trump Shatters Republican Primary Vote Record by 1.4 Million Votes]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

===General election===
Trump faced former liberal Democrat Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] in the general election. Trump's campaign was vastly outspent, outraised, and out-staffed by Clinton's.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/10/more-with-less-trumps-lean-machine-beats-clintons-big-bank-account.html More With Less: Trump's lean machine beats Clinton's big bank account]. ''Fox News''. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> The [[mainstream media]] was extremely biased against and unfair towards Trump.<ref>Kurtz, Howard (November 11, 2016). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/11/media-remain-hostile-to-donald-trump-even-as-some-pundits-admit-blew-it.html Media remain hostile to Donald Trump even as some pundits admit they blew it]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.billoreilly.com/b/Media-Bias-to-the-Extreme/39285014073786148.html Media Bias to the Extreme]. ''BillOReilly.com''. November 11, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> According to a study, 91% of the media coverage concerning Trump was negative and 96% of campaign contributions from the media went to Clinton.<ref>Bedard, Paul (March 19, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/anti-trump-media-91-coverage-negative-96-of-donations-to-hillary/article/2617828 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/anti-trump-media-91-coverage-negative-96-of-donations-to-hillary/article/2617828]. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref>

It was widely expected that Clinton would easily win the election, and the elite pollsters and "political insiders" all predicted a massive Clinton victory.<ref>Vogel, Kenneth P. & Isenstadt, Alex (November 9, 2016). [https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/how-did-everyone-get-2016-wrong-presidential-election-231036 How did everyone get it so wrong?]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref><ref>Catanese, David (October 24, 2016). [https://www.usnews.com/news/the-run-2016/articles/2016-10-24/republicans-last-hope-the-polls-are-wrong Republicans’ Last Hope: The Polls Are Wrong]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> At least once, when a poll was released that actually showed Trump leading, Clinton's campaign dismissed it as "bad polling".<ref>Nelson, Louis (November 1, 2016). [https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/clinton-campaign-bad-poll-abc-washington-post-230591 Clinton camp on new survey showing Trump ahead: It’s ‘bad polling’]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> Instead, Trump won the election in a massive, historical upset, winning even states such as [[Pennsylvania]], [[Michigan]], and [[Wisconsin]], which a Republican had not won for 20–30 years.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/11/08/first-polls-close-in-2016-race-trump-projected-to-win-ind-ky-clinton-wins-vt.html Trump wins presidency, defeats Clinton in historic election upset]. ''Fox News''. November 8, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref><ref>Blake, Aaron (November 9, 2016). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/08/donald-trumps-path-to-victory-is-suddenly-looking-much-much-wider/ Donald Trump just blew up the electoral map]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> The predictions were off the mark dramatically. The actual polls themselves were broadly correct showing Clinton leading over Trump by about 2%.<ref>[https://www.redstate.com/jaycaruso/2017/07/16/latest-job-approval-poll-president-trump-awful]</ref> However Trump 'flipped' key districts and states smashing Clinton's so-called 'Blue firewall'.<ref>Flint, Joe & Alpert, Lukas I. (November 9, 2016). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/bad-polling-in-hand-media-misses-mark-badly-with-election-predictions-1478710860 How the Media’s Election Predictions Badly Missed the Mark]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> Trump's election victory was described by ''[[Politico]]'' as "the most stunning upset in American history."<ref>Goldmacher, Shane & Schreckinger, Ben (November 9, 2016). [https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/election-results-2016-clinton-trump-231070?lo=ap_c1 Trump pulls off biggest upset in U.S. history]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref>

While the GOP increased its vote share across the entire nation, Trump made the largest gains in the rural [[Midwest]] and [[Rust Belt]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/08/us/elections/how-trump-pushed-the-election-map-to-the-right.html How Trump Reshaped the Election Map]. ''The New York Times''. November 9, 2016. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref> Although Clinton won the popular vote 65,515,369 (48.05%) to 62,853,327 (46.09%), according to unofficial results, the large vote totals came from states which have resisted voter identification reforms.<ref>[http://www.inquisitr.com/3719036/3-million-illegal-immigrants-voted-gregg-phillips-votestand-donald-trump-final-popular-vote-count-2016-predictions/ 3 Million Illegal Immigrants Voted, Claims Gregg Phillips Of VoteStand: Donald Trump’s Final Popular Vote Count Alleged To Be Better Than 2016 Predictions], Patrick Frye, ''The Inquisitr'', November 15, 2016</ref> Trump won the [[electoral college]] vote, 306 to 232, with the incomplete vote count reported.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/election/results|title=Election Results|accessdate=Nov. 12, 2016}}</ref> Trump won more votes in the general election than any Republican candidate in U.S. history, and he won the largest number of electoral votes since [[George H. W. Bush]].<ref>Hoft, Jim (November 22, 2016). [https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016/11/trump-breaks-record-votes-republican-candidate-history/ Trump Breaks Record for Most Votes by Republican Candidate in History]. ''The Gateway Pundit''. Retrieved November 22, 2016.</ref> In addition, Trump won 2,623 counties—the largest number for both a Republican or Democrat since [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1984—while the Democrats won only 489, something even the liberal [[PolitiFact]] admitted to be true.<ref>Jacobson, Louis (December 4, 2016). [https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/dec/04/mike-pence/mike-pence-says-donald-trump-won-most-counties-rep/ Mike Pence says Donald Trump won most counties by a Republican since Ronald Reagan]. ''PolitiFact''. Retrieved December 4, 2016.</ref> Geographically speaking, Trump accordingly won 85 percent of the nation<ref>Wallace, Tim (November 16, 2016). [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/16/us/politics/the-two-americas-of-2016.html?_r=0 The Two Americas of 2016]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved December 5, 2016.</ref> and 61 percent of the states (including Maine's 2nd district). With the historic flip of Elliott County, Kentucky, every rural, white-majority Southern county voted for the Republican nominee for the first time in history.<ref>Simon, Jeff (December 9, 2016). [https://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/elliott-county-kentucky-democratic-streak-broken-by-donald-trump/index.html How Trump ended Democrats' 144-year winning streak in one county]. ''CNN''. Retrieved January 15, 2017.</ref>

According to exit polling, Trump won 81 percent of evangelical Christians compared to 16 percent for Clinton, a record high and even more than [[George W. Bush]] won in 2004,<ref name="townhall.com"/><ref name="wsj.com"/> even though some have disputed the accuracy of such exit polling methods.<ref>Showalter, Brandon (November 16, 2016). [http://www.christianpost.com/news/81-percent-evangelicals-vote-trump-eric-teetsel-joe-carter-171542/ Did 81 Percent of Evangelicals Really Vote for Trump? Not So Fast, Some Say]. ''The Christian Post''. Retrieved December 8, 2016.</ref> This is largely due to Trump's conservative policies that align well with the Bible, including opposition to abortion.

While liberal, establishmentarian world leaders made generally nuanced statements in response to Trump's election upset, conservative, right-wing leaders, including the leaders of insurgent parties in European nations, reacted positively to Trump's election.<ref>Ashkenas, Jeremy; Aisch, Gregor (December 5, 2016). [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/05/world/europe/populism-in-age-of-trump.html?_r=0 European Populism in the Age of Donald Trump]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved December 5, 2016.</ref>

In addition to Trump's defeat of Clinton, the Republican Party kept control of the House and Senate, outperforming expectations.<ref>Bresnahan, John (November 9, 2016). [https://www.politico.eu/article/republicans-on-cusp-of-keeping-the-senate/ Republicans hold the Senate in a stunner]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref><ref>Hughes, Siobhan (November 9, 2016). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/republicans-are-confident-about-retaining-control-of-the-house-1478634160 Democrats Gain Seats in House, But GOP Retains Majority]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> The Republican Party performed well—much better than expected—in state races, winning trifectas in [[Kentucky]], [[Iowa]], [[Missouri]], and [[New Hampshire]], and Democrats only had six trifectas and total control in five states, a record low.<ref>Greenblatt, Alan (November 9, 2016). [http://www.governing.com/topics/elections/gov-republicans-add-dominance-state-legislatures.html Republicans Add to Their Dominance of State Legislatures]. ''Governing''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref><ref>Siegel, Josh (November 9, 2016). [http://dailysignal.com/2016/11/09/republicans-maintain-strong-control-of-state-capitols-what-that-means/ Republicans Maintain Strong Control of State Capitols. Here’s What That Means.] ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> The GOP won 25 trifectas, the largest since 1952.<ref>Lieb, David A. (December 29, 2016). [https://www.pressreader.com/usa/chicago-tribune/20161229/281822873464433 GOP-Controlled States Aim to Reshape Laws]. ''Chicago Tribune'' (from the Associated Press). Retrieved December 30, 2016.</ref> The GOP now controlled the highest amount of governorships since 1922,<ref>Lieb, David A. (November 9, 2016). [https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2016-11-09/republicans-expand-control-of-governorships-legislatures Republicans governorships rise to highest mark since 1922]. ''U.S. News & World Report''. Retrieved November 9, 2016.</ref> and it controlled the most state legislative chambers in history.<ref>Bosman, Julie & Davey, Monica (November 11, 2016). [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/12/us/republicans-expand-control-in-a-deeply-divided-nation.html Republicans Expand Control in a Deeply Divided Nation]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved November 14, 2016.</ref>

Despite expectations that Trump's election victory would cause the markets to plunge, the [[Dow Jones Industrial Average]] actually performed very strongly, closing at the highest level it had ever reached in history after the second day.<ref name="MarketRally">La Monica, Paul R. (November 10, 2016). [https://money.cnn.com/2016/11/10/investing/markets-stocks-donald-trump-rally/index.html The 'yuge' Donald Trump market rally continues]. ''CNN Money''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref> It is rare for the stock market to rise immediately after a U.S. presidential election regardless of the winner.<ref name="MarketRally"/> The stock market had its best week in five years due to optimism of a Trump presidency.<ref>Craig, Victoria (November 11, 2016). [https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2016/11/11/trump-optimism-propels-dow-to-best-week-in-five-years.html Trump Optimism Propels Dow to Best Week in Five Years]. ''Fox Business''. Retrieved November 12, 2016.</ref>

After the election, childish [[leftists]] and [[anarchists]], who could not accept the results of the election, strongly protested Trump's victory and committed outrageous and extreme acts of vandalism and violence,<ref name="Protests">Chiaramonte, Perry (November 10, 2016). [https://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/10/trump-protests-intensify-as-doubts-swirl-about-spontaneity.html Trump protests intensify, as doubts swirl about spontaneity]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> even brutally attacking and beating at least one alleged Trump supporter.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/10/video-emerges-group-beating-chicago-man-while-yelling-dont-vote-trump.html Video emerges of mob beating Chicago man while yelling 'don't vote Trump']. ''Fox News''. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.</ref> Many of these protests were likely organized and coordinated, as many protestors were bused in by Coach buses.<ref name="Protests"/> This occurred on the heels of Hillary Clinton, the Clinton campaign, and major mainstream media condemning in the harshest terms Trump and his supporters' complaints of a "rigged election," and failure to accept the results would damage democracy. Clinton, President Obama, and the media highlighted the protests and failed to condemn the leftist violence and protests as detrimental to democracy.

==President of the United States==
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements}}
===Transition===
{{See also|Trump transition}}
The day after being elected president, Trump released a solidly conservative agenda for his first 100 days in office, even though ending the [[abortion|legalized murder of the unborn]] was not on the agenda.<ref>Kelly, Amita & Sprunt, Barbara (November 9, 2016). [https://www.npr.org/2016/11/09/501451368/here-is-what-donald-trump-wants-to-do-in-his-first-100-days Here Is What Donald Trump Wants To Do In His First 100 Days]. ''NPR''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

On November 30, 2016, before Trump had finalized all his cabinet appointments, it was still described by Politico as "a conservative dream team that has Republicans cheering and liberals in despair" due to the many strong conservatives Trump had appointed, in contrast to moderates like [[George W. Bush]].<ref>Restuccia, Andrew; Cook, Nancy; Woellert, Lorraine (November 30, 2016). [https://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/trump-conservative-dream-team-231972 Trump's conservative dream team]. ''Politico''. Retrieved November 30, 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/11/30/politico-donald-trump-cabinet-conservative-dream-team/ Politico: Donald Trump’s Cabinet a ‘Conservative Dream Team’]. ''Breitbart News''. November 30, 2017. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref> Accordingly, ''[[Newsweek]]'' called Trump's incomplete cabinet the most conservative cabinet in U.S. history.<ref>Cooper, Matthew (December 9, 2016). [http://www.newsweek.com/trump-cabinet-picks-nominees-conservative-530477 Donald Trump Is Building the Most Conservative Presidential Cabinet In U.S. History]. ''Newsweek''. Retrieved December 10, 2016.</ref> ''[[The Washington Times]]'' noted how Trump was defying Washington establishment norms in his cabinet picks.<ref>Hurt, Charles (December 6, 2016). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/dec/6/donald-trumps-cabinet-picks-define-business-as-not/ Trump defines business as not-usual for D.C.] ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved December 10, 2016.</ref>

''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' stated that "it’s nearly impossible to identify a clear ideological bent" in Trump's appointments.<ref>Seib, Gerald (December 5, 2016). [https://www.wsj.com/articles/donald-trump-shuffles-the-ideological-deck-1480955194 Donald Trump Shuffles the Ideological Deck]. ''The Wall Street Journal''. Retrieved December 5, 2016.</ref> However, this can be easily explained by the fact that Trump has used some of his cabinet nominations to unite the GOP by appealing to most of its factions, even though Trump's appointments are still very conservative.

During the transition period, the Obama Administration engaged in surveillance and information-gathering of Trump, in order to investigate any [[Trump-Russia scandal|alleged ties to Russia]]. This was confirmed by GOP U.S. Representative [[Devin Nunes]] on March 22, 2017,<ref>Derespina, Cody (March 23, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/23/trump-basks-in-nunes-surveillance-news-so-that-means-im-right.html Trump basks in Nunes surveillance news: 'So that means I'm right']. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 23, 2017.</ref> and by [[Evelyn Farkas]], the deputy assistant secretary of defense under Obama, on March 29, 2017.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/29/former-obama-official-discloses-rush-to-get-intelligence-on-trump-team.html Former Obama official discloses rush to get intelligence on Trump team]. ''Fox News''. March 29, 2017. Retrieved March 29, 2017.</ref><ref>Poor, Jeff (March 29, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/video/2017/03/29/fmr-obama-official-reveals-pre-inauguration-effort-to-gather-intel-on-incoming-trump-team/ Fmr Obama Official Reveals Pre-Inauguration Effort to Gather Intel on Incoming Trump Team]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 30, 2017.</ref>

===Inauguration===
[[File:Donald Trumpswearing in.jpg|thumb|200px|Trump being sworn in, January 20, 2017.]]
Trump was inaugurated on January 20, 2017, giving one of the strongest inauguration addresses in American history.<ref>Boyle, Matthew (January 20, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/20/america-first-president-donald-trump-brings-the-rain-in-inauguration-address/ ‘America First’: President Donald Trump Brings the Rain in Inauguration Address]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref><ref>McCaskill, Nolan D. (January 20, 2017). [https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/key-points-of-trumps-inaugural-speech-233900 Key moments from Trump's inauguration speech]. ''Politico''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref><ref>Scott, Patrick; Midgley, Robert (January 20, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/20/donald-trump-just-delivered-american-inauguration-speech-ever/ Donald Trump just delivered the most 'American' inauguration speech ever]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> His first bill signed as president was to allow retired general and Defense Secretary nominee [[James Mattis]] to be confirmed.<ref>Kopan, Tal (January 20, 2017). [https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/20/politics/donald-trump-first-law-actions/ President Donald Trump signs first bill into law]. ''CNN''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> That same day, Trump instituted a national day of patriotism,<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-measures-idUSKBN1542IH Trump takes first actions on Cabinet, declares day of patriotism: spokesman]. ''Reuters''. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> and a few days later Trump officially designated his inauguration day the '''''National Day of Patriotic Devotion'''''.<ref>[https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/24/2017-01798/national-day-of-patriotic-devotion National Day of Patriotic Devotion -- Proclamation 9570 of January 20, 2017]. ''Federal Register''. January 24, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref><ref>Shelbourne, Mallory (January 23, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315735-trump-declares-inauguration-day-national-day-of-patriotic-devotion https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/315735-trump-declares-inauguration-day-national-day-of-patriotic-devotion]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref>

Despite the fact that leftists knew for two months that Trump would be inaugurated president, hateful, anti-American, and immature leftists engaged in violent protests and did major acts of vandalism and even injuring the police who were sent in.<ref>Vargas, Theresa; Hartz, Taylor; Hermann, Peter (January 20, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/protesters-bring-shouts-skirmishes-and-shutdowns-to-inauguration-celebration/2017/01/20/00ea4c72-df11-11e6-acdf-14da832ae861_story.html?utm_term=.c4443fa64f5a Inauguration protesters vandalize, set fires, try to disrupt Trump’s oath, as police arrest 200]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref><ref name="LimoFire">Lawler, David (January 20, 2017). [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01/20/anti-donald-trump-activists-try-block-access-inauguration/ Donald Trump protests: Limo 'set on fire' and 217 arrested as police use tear gas on black-clad activists]. ''The Telegraph''. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref> At least 217 protesters were arrested.<ref name="LimoFire"/><ref>Weber, Joseph (January 20, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/20/trump-supporters-protesters-rally-before-sunrise-on-inauguration-day.html Hundreds of protesters arrested in Inauguration Day clashes]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Noble, Andrea; McDermott, Ryan M. (January 20, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/20/donald-trump-inauguration-protests-begin-turn-viol/ D.C. police report 217 arrested during Inauguration Day riots]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved March 31, 2017.</ref>

Despite having no power to block Trump's cabinet nominees and having no reason to delay the process,<ref>Pergram, Chad (January 20, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/20/senate-battle-erupts-over-dem-delay-confirming-trump-nominees.html Senate battle erupts over Dem 'delay' confirming Trump nominees]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref> liberal Senate Democrats delayed confirmation of Trump's nominees, so that only two were confirmed on Trump's first day in office.<ref>Dinan, Stephen (January 22, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/22/trumps-cabinet-picks-delayed-by-democrats-only-two/? Donald Trump’s Cabinet picks delayed by Democrats, only two confirmed]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref> This was a large difference from other recent presidents,<ref>Phillips, Amber (January 21, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/20/donald-trump-will-start-his-presidency-with-the-smallest-confirmed-cabinet-in-decades/?utm_term=.9d7692169687 Donald Trump is starting his presidency with the smallest confirmed Cabinet in decades]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved Janaury 23, 2017.</ref> who, with the exception of [[George H. W. Bush]], had much larger numbers confirmed in the first week.<ref>Bluey, Robert (January 22, 2017). [http://dailysignal.com/2017/01/22/trumps-nominees-face-unprecedented-democrat-obstructionism/ Trump’s Nominees Face ‘Unprecedented’ Democrat Obstructionism]. ''The Daily Signal''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref>

===Tenure===
{{See also|Donald Trump's major achievements}}
Due to his promotion and support of conservative, America First policies, President Trump faced large opposition from the Left, including from within the government bureaucracy.<ref>Singman, Brooke (January 1, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/31/trump-faces-bureaucratic-battle-in-implementing-agenda.html Trump faces bureaucratic battle in implementing agenda]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 1, 2017.</ref><ref>Kurtz, Howard (February 3, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/03/empire-strikes-back-why-trumps-private-talks-with-foreign-leaders-were-leaked.html The empire strikes back: Why Trump's private talks with foreign leaders were leaked]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 3, 2017.</ref> (The fact that members of the Deep State have grown visibly scared of reports stating such confirms this view;<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2017/03/22/politico-obama-admin-bureaucrats-panicked-by-breitbart-spotlight-dont-question-our-loyalty/ POLITICO: Obama Admin Bureaucrats ‘Panicked’ by Breitbart Spotlight: Don’t Question Our Loyalty!] ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved March 22, 2017.</ref> in May 2017, it was reported that 60% of [[National Security Council]] employees were Obama-Administration holdovers<ref>Wong, Kristina (May 17, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/17/trump-under-siege-more-than-60-percent-of-nsc-employees-placed-by-obama/ Trump Under Siege: More than 60 Percent of NSC Employees Placed by Obama]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 18, 2017.</ref>) Additionally, Senate Democrats continued to unduly delay Trump's cabinet nominees at historic and unprecedented proportions—by February 8, 2017, only [[George Washington]] had fewer cabinet nominees confirmed by this length of time into his presidency.<ref>Singman, Brooke (February 8, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/08/trump-facing-historic-delays-in-confirmation-push.html Trump facing historic delays in confirmation push]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 8, 2017.</ref>

On January 23, 2017, Trump signed an order which withdrew the United States from the globalist [[Trans-Pacific Partnership]].<ref>Chakraborty, Barnini (January 23, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/23/trump-signs-executive-order-withdrawing-us-from-tpp-trade-deal.html Trump signs executive order withdrawing US from TPP trade deal]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref> That same day, Trump signed an order reinstating the [[Mexico City Policy]], which defunded International Planned Parenthood and other organizations that promote foreign abortions.<ref>LaBarbera, Peter (January 23, 2017). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-trump-signs-order-defunding-international-planned-parenthood-forei BREAKING: Trump signs order defunding International Planned Parenthood, foreign abortions]. ''LifeSite News''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref><ref>Hellman, Jessie (January 23, 2017). [https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/abortion/315652-trump-signs-executive-order-reinstating-global-gag-rule-on Trump reinstates ban on US funds promoting abortion overseas]. ''The Hill''. Retrieved January 23, 2017.</ref>

Trump was very busy and productive in his first week and showed he was serious about his campaign promises, undoing Obama's illegitimate legacy and instituting conservative executive orders.<ref>Davenport, David (January 27, 2017). [https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddavenport/2017/01/27/how-trump-managed-to-undo-obamas-legacy-in-one-week/#3ae6bcba5bbf How Trump Managed To Undo Obama's Legacy In One Week]. ''Forbes''. Retrieved January 27, 2017.</ref><ref>Said-Moorhouse, Lauren (January 26, 2017). [https://www.cnn.com/2017/01/26/politics/executive-orders-presidents-actions-presidential-memoranda/ What's Trump done so far? His productive first week and how it stacks up to previous presidents]. ''CNN''. Retrieved January 27, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/28/president-trumps-first-week-action President Trump's First Week of Action]. ''whitehouse.gov''. January 28, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2017.</ref> This caused the [[stock market]] to increase, and the [[Dow Jones]] passed 20,000 points for the first time in history.<ref>Imbert, Fred (January 25, 2017). [https://www.cnbc.com/2017/01/25/us-markets.html Dow closes above 20,000 for first time as Trump orders send stocks flying]. ''CNBC''. Retrieved January 25, 2017.</ref><ref>Craig, Victoria (January 25, 2017). [https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/25/dow-races-past-20k-in-reinvigorated-trump-rally.html Dow Races Past 20K in Reinvigorated Trump Rally]. ''Fox Business''. Retrieved January 25, 2017.</ref> On March 1, 2017, the day after Trump made his first address to a joint-session of Congress, the stock market rose dramatically again, with the Dow Jones passing the 21,000 mark for the first time in history.<ref>Witkowski, Wallace; Mahmudova, Anora (March 1, 2017). [https://www.marketwatch.com/story/wall-street-stocks-set-to-resume-rally-on-fed-rate-hike-hopes-trump-relief-2017-03-01 Dow closes above 21,000 as stocks soar after Trump speech]. ''MarketWatch''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref><ref>Holcomb, John (March 1, 2017). [https://townhall.com/tipsheet/justinholcomb/2017/03/01/stock-market-booms-past-21000-for-the-first-time-in-history-n2292388 The Trump Bump: Stock Market Hits 21,000 for the First Time in History]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref><ref>DeSoto, Randy (March 1, 2017). [http://www.westernjournalism.com/stock-market-hits-new-high-follow-trumps-speech-to-congress/ Stock Market Hits New High Following Trump’s Speech To Congress]. ''Western Journalism''. Retrieved March 1, 2017.</ref>

As evidence of this intense [[mainstream media]] opposition to President Trump, a study published close to the 100th-day mark of Trump's presidency showed that 89% of media coverage regarding Trump was negative.<ref>
* Harper, Jennifer (April 19, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/apr/19/donald-trump-media-coverage-is-89-percent-negative/ As first 100 days in office approaches, media coverage of Trump is 89% negative: Study]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
* Noyes, Rich; Ciandella, Mike (April 19, 2017). [https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/rich-noyes/2017/04/18/honeymoon-hell-liberal-media-vs-president-trump Honeymoon from Hell: The Liberal Media vs. President Trump]. ''NewsBusters -- Media Research Center''. Retrieved April 21, 2017.</ref> Additionally, Trump was on track to become the most mocked president on late-night comedy TV in at least 25 years.<ref>[https://www.breitbart.com/big-hollywood/2017/05/04/study-trump-track-mocked-president-late-night-25-years/ Study: Trump On Track to Be Most Mocked President on Late-Night TV in 25 Years]. ''Breitbart News''. May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.</ref>

On April 26, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security, acting under an executive order established by President Trump, established the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE), created to help support victims of illegal immigrant crime, and it established the DHS-Victim Information and Notification Exchange, which was created to help those victims track the custody status of the illegal criminals.<ref>
* Singman, Brooke (April 26, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/26/dhs-announces-office-for-victims-illegal-immigrant-crime.html DHS announces office for victims of illegal immigrant crime]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
* McHugh, Katie (April 26, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/26/dhs-kelly-voice-victims-illegal-alien-criminals/ DHS Kelly Creates VOICE For Many Victims of Illegal Alien Criminals]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
* McHugh, Katie (April 25, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/04/25/dhs-unveil-voice-office-victims-illegal-alien-crime/ DHS to Unveil VOICE Office for Victims of Illegal Alien Crime]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved April 26, 2017.</ref> However, leftists took to pranking the phone line created, showing disrespect to the victims of illegal immigration.<ref>Singman, Brooke (April 27, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/27/ice-rips-pranksters-jamming-hotline-to-report-space-aliens.html ICE rips pranksters jamming hotline to report space aliens]. '' Fox News''. Retrieved April 27, 2017.</ref>

Canadian Prime Minister [[Justin Trudeau]] described President Trump as being very authentic – the way he acts in public is like how he does in private.<ref>Yilek, Caitlin (August 31, 2017). [https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/canadian-prime-minister-justin-trudeau-trump-is-surprisingly-authentic/article/2633107 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau: Trump is surprisingly 'authentic']. ''Washington Examiner''. Retrieved August 31, 2017.</ref>

====Temporary immigration and refugee suspensions====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Immigration, illegal immigration, and border security}}
Trump received criticism from liberals and [[establishment]] Republicans<ref>McHugh, Katie (January 31, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/31/establishment-republicans-bash-trumps-executive-order-on-immigration-refugee-resettlement/ Establishment Republicans Bash Trump’s Executive Order on Immigration, Refugee Resettlement]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> when he signed an executive order temporarily banning immigration from certain high-risk Islamic countries as well as refugee entry. Despite this criticism, 49 percent of the American public supported the decision compared to 41 percent opposed, according to the "mainstream" Reuters,<ref>Kahn, Chris (January 31, 2017). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-immigration-poll-exclusive-idUSKBN15F2MG Exclusive: Only a third of Americans think Trump's travel ban will make them more safe]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> and 57% percent of likely American voters supported the ban according to Rasmussen.<ref>[http://m.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/january_2017/most_support_temporary_ban_on_newcomers_from_terrorist_havens Most Support Temporary Ban on Newcomers from Terrorist Havens].'' January 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.</ref> Additionally, while the leftist [[establishment]] European leaders opposed the ban, a strong majority—55% average—of Europeans support the ban, according to a poll in 10 [[European Union]] nations.<ref>Shaw, Adam (February 9, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/09/majority-europeans-in-favor-trump-style-muslim-ban-poll-shows.html Majority of Europeans in favor of a Trump-style Muslim ban, poll shows]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 9, 2017.</ref><ref>Jamieson, Alastair (February 8, 2017). [https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/europes-border-crisis/majority-leading-eu-nations-support-trump-style-travel-ban-poll-n718271 Majority in Leading EU Nations Support Trump-Style Travel Ban: Poll]. ''NBC News''. Retrieved February 9, 2017.</ref> On March 6, 2017, Trump signed a second executive order concerning the temporary suspension of refugees and others from certain high-risk countries after the first one was blocked by the courts. The second order made some clarifications and minor improvements over the first, such as exempting green card holders from the ban and excluding [[Iraq]] from it as it had developed an acceptable vetting process.<ref>Munro, Neil (March 6, 2016). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/03/06/trump-new-refugees-executive-pushes-back-judges/ Donald Trump Signs Executive Order Banning Travel from Six Terror-Tied Countries]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved March 6, 2017.</ref><ref>Chakraborty, Barnini (March 6, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/06/trump-signs-new-immigration-order-narrows-scope-travel-ban.html Trump signs new immigration order, narrows scope of travel ban]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved March 6, 2017.</ref>

Trump showed he would not tolerate incompetent leftist administration officials when he fired acting [[United States Department of Justice|Attorney General]] [[Sally Yates]] (a left-wing Obama holdover) when she refused to defend his refugee and immigration ban executive order.<ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/30/acting-ag-tells-justice-department-staff-not-to-defend-trumps-refugee-order.html Trump fires acting AG after Justice Department staff told not to defend refugee order]. ''Fox News''. January 30, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/30/statement-appointment-dana-boente-acting-attorney-general Statement on the Appointment of Dana Boente as Acting Attorney General]. ''whitehouse.gov''. January 30, 2017. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> Trump emulated [[Ronald Reagan]]'s firing of the striking PATCO workers in 1981 by doing so,<ref>Boyle, Matthew (January 30, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/30/trumps-patco-moment-emanating-reagan-president-takes-control-federal-government-protect-country-citizens/ Trump’s PATCO Moment: Emanating Reagan, the President Takes Control of Federal Government to ‘Protect the Country and Its Citizens’]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> contrary to the [[mainstream media]] spin.<ref>Kurtz, Howard (February 1, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/01/trumps-firing-defiant-obama-holdover-why-hes-no-richard-nixon.html Trump's firing of a defiant Obama holdover: Why he's no Richard Nixon]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved February 1, 2017.</ref> That same night, Trump replaced the acting director of [[Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] (another Obama holdover) with a more competent official who had a reputation for enforcing immigration laws.<ref>Chamberlain, Samuel (January 31, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/31/trump-names-thomas-homan-acting-director-ice-replacing-obama-holdover.html Trump names Thomas Homan acting director of ICE, replacing Obama holdover]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Berman, Mark; Zapotosky, Matt (January 30, 2017). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2017/01/30/trump-appoints-new-immigration-and-customs-enforcement-director-noted-for-his-work-deporting-illegal-immigrants/?utm_term=.addf12ae690a Trump appoints new Immigration and Customs Enforcement director noted for his work deporting illegal immigrants]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref>

====Reducing regulations and government====
:''For more information, see [[Donald Trump achievements: Deregulation and government size]]''
In the first six weeks of Trump's presidency, over 90 regulations were repealed, whether through executive orders, Acts of Congress, or other means.<ref>Farand, Chloe (March 6, 2017). [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-federal-state-regulations-month-oval-office-white-house-us-president-deregulate-a7614031.html Donald Trump disassembles 90 federal state regulations in just over a month in White House]. ''The Independent''. Retrieved March 7, 2017.</ref><ref>[https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3480299-10-Examples-Industries-Push-Followed-by-Trump.html#document/p60/a341284 Trump-Era Trend: Industries Protest. Regulations Rolled Back. A Dozen Examples]. ''The New York Times'' (through ''DocumentCloud''). Retrieved March 7, 2017.</ref> Trump also signed numerous executive actions promoting a smaller government.

====Supreme Court====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: The courts|Trump Supreme Court}}
On January 31, 2017, Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]].<ref>Klukowski, Ken (January 31, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/01/31/trump-nominates-judge-neil-gorsuch-supreme-court/ Trump Nominates Judge Neil Gorsuch to Supreme Court]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Hurley, Lawrence; Holland, Steve (January 31, 2017). [https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-trump-idUSKBN15F1OW Trump picks conservative judge Gorsuch for U.S. Supreme Court]. ''Reuters''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> The nomination was well received by many conservatives.<ref>Chamberlain, Steve (January 31, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/31/reaction-to-trumps-supreme-court-pick-split-along-partisan-lines.html Conservatives hail Trump's Supreme Court pick]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref><ref>Ertelt, Steven (January 31, 2017). [https://www.lifenews.com/2017/01/31/president-donald-trump-nominates-pro-life-friendly-judge-neil-gorsuch-to-the-supreme-court/ President Donald Trump Nominates Pro-Life-Friendly Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court]. ''LifeNews.com''. Retrieved January 31, 2017.</ref> Others, most notably [[Andrew Schlafly]], disagreed with the nomination due to concerns about Gorsuch's position on abortion.<ref>Dannenfelser, Marjorie (January 31, 2017). [https://townhall.com/columnists/marjoriedannenfelser/2017/01/31/the-truth-about-trumps-prolife-scotus-list-n2279232 The Truth about Trump’s Pro-life SCOTUS List]. ''Townhall''. Retrieved February 1, 2017.</ref><ref>http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Template:Mainpageright&diff=1302133&oldid=1301962</ref>

Upon the swing justice [[Anthony Kennedy|Anthony Kennedy's]] announcement on June 21, 2018 that he would retire from the Court at the end of the succeeding month, Trump nominated the conservative [[Brett Kavanaugh]] to replace him.<ref>Mason, Ian (July 9, 2018). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2018/07/09/trump-brett-kavanaugh-supreme-court-nominee/]</ref>

====Public trust====
According to a poll conducted by [[Emerson College]] on February 5–6, 2017, more Americans trust the Trump Administration than the media.<ref>McHugh, Katie (February 9, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/02/09/poll-voters-trust-trump-administration-media/ Poll: Voters Trust Trump Administration More Than Media]. ''Breitbart''. Retrieved February 9, 2017.</ref>

====Economic progress====
{{See also|Donald Trump achievements: Economic policy and labor}}
In May 2017, the unemployment rate fell from 4.4% from 4.3%, the lowest since May 2001, as the number of unemployed persons was little changed at 6.9 million and the labor force participation rate fell to 62.7 percent.<ref>[https://tradingeconomics.com/united-states/unemployment-rate United States Unemployment Rate]. ''tradingeconomics.com''. Retrieved June 14, 2017.</ref>

According to a Rasmussen survey, consumer confidence is the second-highest it's been in the index's history. The market cap of the U.S. stock market has risen more than $3 trillion since Mr. Trump was elected. Small-business confidence has surged to a 12-year high.

==Books==
*''Trump: The Art of the Deal'' with Tony Schwartz (1987)
*''Trump: Surviving at the Top'' with Charles Leerhsen (1990)
*''Trump: The Art of the Comeback'' with Kate Bohner (1997)
*''The America We Deserve'' with Dave Shiflett (2000)
*''Trump: How to Get Rich'' with Meredith McIver (2004)
*''Trump: Think Like a Billionaire: Everything You Need to Know about Success, Real Estate and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2005)
*''Why We Want You to Be Rich: Two Men, One Message'' with Meredith McIver and Robert T. Kiyosaki (2006)
*''Think Big and Kick Ass in Business and Life'' with Bill Zanker (2007)
*''Trump: Never Give Up: How I Turned My Biggest Challenges into Success'' with Meredith McIver (2008)
*''Think Like a Champion: An Informal Education in Business and Life'' with Meredith McIver (2009)
*''Midas Touch: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Rich—and Why Most Don't'' with Robert T. Kiyosaki (2011)
*''Time to Get Tough: Making America #1 Again'' (2011)
*''Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again'' (2015)

==Quotes==
===Quotes as U.S. President===
====Inaugural address====
*"....today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another, but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to you, the people."<ref name="InaugTransc">[https://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/full-text-donald-trump-inauguration-speech-transcript-233907 Full text: 2017 Donald Trump inauguration speech transcript]. ''Politico''. January 20, 2017. Retrieved January 20, 2017.</ref>
*"We assembled here today our issuing a new decree to be heard in every city, in every foreign capital, and in every hall of power, from this day forward: a new vision will govern our land, from this day forward, it's going to be only America first. America first."<ref name="InaugTransc"/>
*"[We will] unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth."<ref name="InaugTransc"/>
*"When you open your heart to patriotism, there is no room for prejudice."<ref name="InaugTransc"/>

====2017====
*"In America we don’t worship government, we worship God."<ref>Miller, S.A. (May 13, 2017). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/may/13/donald-trump-tells-liberty-university-graduates-we/ Trump at Liberty University: ‘We don’t worship government, we worship God’]. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 13, 2017.</ref><ref>Moons, Michelle (May 13, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/13/president-donald-trumps-1st-commencement-speech-america-dont-worship-government-worship-god/ President Donald Trump’s First Commencement Speech: ‘In America We Don’t Worship Government, We Worship God’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 13, 2017.</ref>
*"I didn’t get elected to serve the Washington media—I got elected to serve the forgotten men and women and that’s exactly what I’m doing."<ref>Spiering, Charlie (May 17, 2017). [https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/05/17/donald-trump-vows-to-fight-on-no-politician-in-history-has-been-treated-worse-or-more-unfairly/ Donald Trump: ‘I Didn’t Get Elected to Serve the Washington Media’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved May 17, 2017.</ref><ref>Singman, Brooke (May 17, 2017). [https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/05/17/trump-takes-on-media-during-coast-guard-commencement-speech.html Trump takes on media during Coast Guard commencement speech]. ''Fox News''. Retrieved May 17, 2017.</ref>
* "The problem in Venezuela is not that socialism has been poorly implemented, but that socialism has been faithfully implemented." (UN speech, September 2017)
* "The most important truth our Founders understood was this: Freedom is not a gift from government; freedom is a gift from God."<ref>[https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/920474831749025795 @realDonaldTrump], 17 Oct 2017</ref><ref>Crookston, Paul (October 17, 2017). [https://freebeacon.com/politics/trump-freedom-not-gift-government-freedom-gift-god/ Trump: ‘Freedom Is Not a Gift From Government; Freedom Is a Gift From God’]. ''The Washington Free Beacon''. Retrieved October 20, 2017.</ref>

===Quotes from the 2016 campaign for President===
[[File:Donald Trump and Mike Pence RNC July 2016.jpg|thumb|Trump and his running-mate, [[Mike Pence]], at the 2016 Republican National Convention.]]
Trump's tactics of naming and shaming candidates has been proven very effective. He called Jeb Bush 'low-energy Jeb' and it stuck. Then came Marco Rubio as 'Little Marco.' Next came 'Lyin' Ted' for Ted Cruz. For the Democrats, he calls Hillary Clinton 'Crooked Hillary'. He doesn't give Bernie Sanders the same treatment though he has referred to him as a Communist.

*“We will no longer surrender this country or its people to the false song of [[globalism]].”
*"I think we have a president who, as a president, is totally incompetent, and he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I think he has no idea what he’s doing. And our country is going to [[hell]]."<ref>http://time.com/4210983/republican-debate-barack-obama-incompetent/</ref>
*"I will be the greatest jobs president that [[God]] ever created."
*"I’m using my own money. I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich."
*"Free trade is terrible. Free trade can be wonderful if you have smart people. But we have stupid people."
*"Nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump. Nobody. Within our military, I will find the General Patton, or I will find General MacArthur, I will find the right guy."
*"I will build a great, great wall on our southern border, and I will have [[Mexico]] pay for that wall."
*"I think the big problem this country has is being politically correct."<ref>https://video.foxnews.com/v/4406746003001/watch-a-replay-of-fox-news-prime-time-presidential-debate/?#sp=show-clips</ref><ref>https://www.google.com/search?q=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&oq=a+big+problem+with+our+country+is+too+politically+incorrect&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i64l3.8295j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8</ref>
*"Becoming the nominee of the party of [[Abraham Lincoln]] has been the greatest honor of my life.<ref>https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/294401-trump-claims-party-of-lincoln-mantle-in-speech-at-black</ref>

====General election debate quotes====
*"Because you would be in jail." (Trump in response to Clinton saying that it would be a good thing that he "is not in charge of the law in our country")<ref name="2ndTranscript">[https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/2016-presidential-debate-transcript-229519 Full transcript: Second 2016 presidential debate]. ''Politico''. October 10, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.</ref>
*"Now she’s blaming the lie on the late great Abraham Lincoln. ...Honest Abe never lied. That’s the good thing. That's the big difference between Abraham Lincoln and you." (Trump in response to Clinton's excuse for having "'a public and private position on certain issues.'")<ref name="2ndTranscript"/>
*"Hillary has experience, but it’s bad experience."<ref>Goodenough, Patrick (September 27, 2016). [https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/ Trump: 'Hillary Has Experience, But It's Bad Experience']. ''cnsnews.com''. Retrieved November 10, 2016.</ref>

===Quotes from Twitter===
[[File:Screenshot 2015-09-28-12-11-31-1.png|right|300px|Thumb|Tweet from Billionaire Carl Icahn]]

{{Cquote| '''Somebody said I’m the Ernest Hemingway of 140 characters.'''}}

* "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (August 6, 2012, 1:23 pm). [https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/232572505238433794 "An 'extremely credible source' has called my office and told me that @BarackObama's birth certificate is a fraud."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (November 13, 2012, 12:23pm). [https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/268449146711703553 "It’s amazing how people can talk about me but I’m not allowed to talk about them."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>
* "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."<ref>Trump, Donald J. (January 1, 2014, 4:39pm). [https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/418542137899491328 "This very expensive GLOBAL WARMING bull**** has got to stop. Our planet is freezing, record low temps,and our GW scientists are stuck in ice."] Tweet by @realDonaldTrump.</ref>

====2015====
* "So many 'politically correct' fools in our country. We have to all get back to work and stop wasting time and energy on nonsense!" (August 8, 2015)
* "Notice that illegal immigrants will be given ObamaCare and free college tuition but nothing has been mentioned about our VETERANS #DemDebate" (October 13, 2015)
* "They laughed at me when I said to bomb the ISIS controlled oil fields. Now they are not laughing and doing what I said." (November 13, 2015)
* "President Obama said 'ISIL continues to shrink' in an interview just hours before the horrible attack in Paris. He is just so bad! CHANGE." (November 14, 2015)
* "Refugees from Syria are now pouring into our great country. Who knows who they are - some could be ISIS. Is our president insane?" (November 17, 2015)
* "Eight Syrians were just caught on the southern border trying to get into the U.S. ISIS maybe? I told you so. WE NEED A BIG & BEAUTIFUL WALL!" (November 19, 2015)

====2016====
* "Hillary said that guns don't keep you safe. If she really believes that she should demand that her heavily armed bodyguards quickly disarm!" (January 3, 2016)
* "I wonder if President Obama would have attended the funeral of Justice Scalia if it were held in a Mosque? Very sad that he did not go!" (February 20, 2016)
* "The organized group of people, many of them thugs, who shut down our First Amendment rights in Chicago, have totally energized America!" (March 12, 2016)
* "Why is it that the horrendous protesters, who scream, curse punch, shut down roads/doors during my RALLIES, are never blamed by media? SAD!" (March 20, 2016)
* "Do you all remember how beautiful and safe a place Brussels was. Not anymore, it is from a different world! U.S. must be vigilant and smart!" (March 22, 2016)
* "For the 1st time in American history, America’s 16,500 border patrol agents have issue[d] a presidential primary endorsement—me! Thank you." (April 1, 2016)
*"We are going to say Merry [[Christmas]] again." (December 2016 in [[Michigan]]).<ref>[Trump: 'We are going to say merry Christmas again'], ''The Hill'', December 13, 2016</ref>

====2017====
*"The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"<ref>Greenwood, Mark (February 17, 2017). [https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/320168-trump-the-media-is-the-enemy-of-the-american-people Trump tweets: The media is the 'enemy of the American people']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved February 27, 2017.</ref>
* "Mike Flynn should ask for immunity in that this is a witch hunt (excuse for big election loss), by media & Dems, of historic proportion!" (March 31, 2017)
* "That's right, we need a TRAVEL BAN for certain DANGEROUS countries, not some politically correct term that won't help us protect our people!" (June 5, 2017, while the Dept. of Justice was arguing in court that his Executive Order was not a "travel ban")
* "Fake News is at an all time high. Where is their apology to me for all of the incorrect stories???" (June 13, 2017)

===Other quotes===
* "[T]he country is going to hell."<ref>Cassidy, Chris (March 19, 2015). [http://www.bostonherald.com/news_opinion/us_politics/2015/03/country_is_going_to_hell_claims_donald_trump "'Country is going to hell,' claims Donald Trump"]. BostonHerald.com website.</ref>
* "We have no leader in this country.”<ref>Reisner, Hiram (April 22, 2011). [https://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/donaldtrump-karlrove-gop-birther/2011/04/22/id/393742 "Trump: I'd just take Libyan oil"]. NewsMax website.</ref>
* "Our leaders are stupid, they are stupid people."<ref>Pierce, Tony (April 29, 2011). [http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/04/donald-trump-in-vegas-our-leaders-are-stupid-they-are-stupid-people.html "Donald Trump in Vegas: 'Our leaders are stupid; they are stupid people'"]. Los Angeles Times website/Top of the Ticket blog.</ref>
* "I can tell you I am [the 2012 Obama campaign's] worst nightmare."<ref>Mooney, Alexander (April 11, 2011). [http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/trump-says-he-is-obama-campaigns-worst-nightmare/comment-page-6/ "Trump says he is Obama campaign's worst nightmare"]. Cable News Network website/politicalticker blog.</ref>
* "Obama has no solutions."<ref>Coz, Steve (August 19, 2012). [https://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/trump-gibbs-fox-obama/2012/08/19/id/449050/ "Trump fires back at Obama campaign smear"]. Newsmax website/Newsfront.</ref>
*"Everything in life is luck."<ref name="Telegraph">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/12107003/Donald-Trump-faces-questions-over-Two-Corinthians.html</ref>
*"[Barack Obama] is probably the least transparent president in the history of the country."<ref name="Telegraph"/>
*"Not teaching your kids about money is like not caring whether they eat."<ref name="Telegraph"/>

== Liberal denialism and Donald Trump ==

:''See also:'' [[Liberal denialism and Donald Trump]] and [[Liberal denial]]

Post the 2016 U.S. Presidential election many liberals were in denial that Donald Trump was going to be president of the United States. Before the election, many liberal media outlets took the line that Donald Trump could not win the [[Republican]] primary and could not win the presidential election.<ref>
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/09/the-wrongest-media-predictions-about-donald-trump/?utm_term=.febb2623a89f The wrongest media predictions about Donald Trump The wrongest media predictions about Donald Trump], ''Washington Post'', 2016</ref>

=== Political scientists, denialism and Donald Trump ===

{{See also|Atheism and science}}

Few, if any, [[Political science|political scientists]] predicted early on that Donald Trump would win the Republican primary and then would subsequently be elected president of the United States. Furthermore, most pollsters indicated that Trump would lose the election.

27 percent of American political scientists believe in the existence of God while 76 percent of American doctors said they believe in God.<ref>
*[http://www.livescience.com/379-scientists-belief-god-varies-starkly-discipline.html Scientists belief in God varies starkly by discipline], Livescience.com
*[https://www.nbcnews.com/id/8318894/ns/health-health_care/t/survey-most-doctors-believe-god-afterlife/ Most doctors believe in God], NBC News</ref> Most American [[atheism|atheists]] lean to the left politically (see: [[Atheism and politics]]). Compared to [[medical science]], which has many effective medicines and surgical procedures, the social science of political science is often unreliable.

===Trump and the mainstream media===
{{See also|Mainstream media and Donald Trump}}
The leftist [[mainstream media]] despises Trump and fails to report objectively when covering him.

=== Angry secular leftists and Donald Trump ===

:''See also:'' [[Donald Trump and American atheists]] and [[Secular leftists and psychogenic illness]]

American [[secular left]]ists were extremely angry and upset in the aftermath of Donald Trump's election victory (see: [[Donald Trump and American atheists]]).

In certain cases, it became debilitating (see:: [[Secular leftists and psychogenic illness]]). The website Marketwatch reported concerning the aftermath of the 2016 presidential race: ''Trump’s win is causing a surge in demand for mental health services''<ref>[https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trumps-win-is-causing-a-surge-in-demand-for-mental-health-services-2016-11-10 Trump’s win is causing a surge in demand for mental health services], Marketwatch 2016</ref>

The ''Religion News Service'' reported:
{{Cquote|For the last decade, [[Atheism|atheists]], [[secular humanism|humanists]] and others [[secular]]ists have worked hard to organize a “secular vote” that would counter the political clout of the [[religious right]].

President-elect Donald J. Trump’s victory dealt that movement a body blow when he garnered 81 percent of the white [[Evangelical Christians|evangelical]] vote and 60 percent of the white [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] vote. [[Mormonism|Mormons]], too, voted overwhelmingly for Trump...

[Trump's] platform was seen as anti-secular in many atheist and humanist circles. He said he would appoint religiously conservative Supreme Court justices, ban [[Islam|Muslim]] immigrants, favor [[Christianity]] and repeal the [[Johnson Amendment]], which prohibits certain tax-exempt organizations from endorsing political candidates — issues antithetical to organized atheism and [[humanism]].<ref>[http://religionnews.com/2016/11/09/dealt-a-body-blow-atheists-and-humanists-regroup/ Dealt a body blow, atheists and humanists regroup] by Kimberly Winston, ''Religion News Service'', November 9, 2016</ref>}}

==See also==
* [[Donald Trump's religious views]]
* [[Trump Administration]]
* [[Essay:Donald Trump One Two Body Blow]]
* [[The Chalkening]]
* [[Trump University]]
*[[Liberal Smear Machine]]
* [[Kathryn Steinle]]
* [[Sarah Root]]
* [[Alveda King]]
* [[Trump effect]]

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

==External links==
* [http://www.greatagain.gov Presidential transition website GreatAgain.gov]
* [http://www.trump.com Official website]
* [http://www.LyingCrookedHillary.com LyingCrookedHillary.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw8c2Cq-vpg The Untruth About Donald Trump] by [[Stefan Molyneux]], Published on Jan 18, 2016
* [http://www.untruthaboutdonaldtrump.com UntruthAboutDonaldTrump.com]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yyoauXmzjg Do Emotions Trump Facts?] [[Thomas Sowell]] on Donald Trump - Rebutted! by Stefan Molyneux
* [http://shouldtrumprun.com/ Should Donald Run? Polling]
* [http://gop12.thehill.com/2011/04/trump-explains-conversion-on-abortion.html Trump explains his pro-life conversion]
* [https://www.donaldjtrump.com Donald Trump 2016 campaign website]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZq3iCn2y74 Inside of Trump's Boeing 757]
* 100 groups have signed [http://www.pseagles.com/Coalition_letter_Supreme_Court this coalition letter] re: Trump's [[Trump Supreme Court|nomination to the Supreme Court]].
{{USPresidents}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trump, Donald}}

[[Category:Donald Trump]]
[[Category:Celebrities]]
[[Category:Business People]]
[[Category:American Authors]]
[[Category:2016 Presidential Candidates]]
[[Category:Best Selling Authors]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Pro Second Amendment]]
[[Category:Republicans]]
[[Category:Former Democrats]]
[[Category:Liberal Conservatism]]
[[Category:Billionaires]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]
[[Category:Nationalists]]
[[Category:Patriots]]

User:CapitalM

2019-07-02T21:08:59Z

Godismysaviour: facts

I'm good at being old and lame. Been reading Conservapedia for a few years and figured it's time to help out where I can. I'll take any advice that one wants to offer me.

Ex-homosexuals

2019-07-02T21:07:49Z

Godismysaviour: factual edit

{{homosexuality}}
[[Image:St Paul Preaching.jpg|left|thumb|200px|St. [[Paul]] defends his preaching (Giovanni Ricco)]]
In regards to the question of whether or not [[homosexuality]] is a permanent condition, one of the earliest historical records regarding of the existence of '''ex-homosexuals''' is a letter of the [[Paul|Apostle Paul]] to the [[Corinth]]ian [[Christianity|Christian]] church.

The [[Saint Paul|Apostle Paul]] wrote:
{{cquote|Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. '''''Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God'''''. - I Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB), emphasis added.}}

Today people still report leaving homosexuality and becoming heterosexual through resistinig their urges to suck cock.<ref>
*[http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2013/fall/leaving-my-lesbian-past.html Leaving my lesbian past]
*[https://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56481 'Gay'-rights leader quits homosexuality - Rising star in movement says God liberated him from lifestyle]
*[http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=19650 Documentary features stories of those who left homosexuality], ''Baptist News''
*[http://americansfortruth.com/news/ex-lesbian-yvette-schneider-testifies-to-complete-and-permanent-change.html Ex-Lesbian Yvette Schneider Testifies to ‘Complete’ and Permanent Change]
*[http://www.witnessfortheworld.org/founder.html About DL Foster]
*[http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-group-releases-ex-gay-documentary-such-were-some-of-you-123754/ Christian Group Releases Ex-Gay Documentary, 'Such Were Some of You']
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUXhKbHMGJg Trailer of the ex-homosexual documentary 'Such Were Some of You']
*[http://americansfortruth.com/2007/09/16/landmark-study-change-for-homosexuals-is-possible/ Landmark Study: Change for Homosexuals Is Possible]
</ref>

[[Peter LaBarbera]] is the President of [[Americans for Truth]] which is an organization which counters the [[homosexual agenda]]. LaBarbera stated the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals who reported being transformed by the power of God:
{{cquote|Another factor from my experience as a close observer of the “ex-gay” phenomenon is that many former homosexuals do not linger in “[[reparative therapy]]” programs, or participate in them at all. They attribute their dramatic and (relatively) rapid transformation to the power of God, and likely would not show up in a study of this kind. In fact, these “unstudied” overcomers would appear to be the most successful ex-homosexuals because they’ve moved on with their lives — as “reborn” Christians move on after overcoming any besetting sin.<ref>http://www.americansfortruth.com/news/landmark-study-change-for-homosexuals-is-possible.html</ref>}}

Peter LaBarbera's statement above concerning [[Overcoming Homosexuality|overcoming homosexuality]] certainly has some evidence supporting it. For example, in 1980 a study was published in the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' and eleven men participated in this study. The study reported that eleven homosexual men became heterosexuals "without explicit treatment and/or long-term psychotherapy" through their participation in a [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] church.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7435713 E.M. Pattison and M.L. Pattison, "'Ex-Gays': Religiously Mediated Change in Homosexuals," American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 137, pp. 1553-1562, 1980]</ref> The [[Apostle Paul]] in a letter to the church of [[Corinth]] indicated that [[Christianity|Christians]] were able to overcome being homosexuals through the power of [[Jesus Christ]] (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

Missouri state Senator [[Bob Dixon]] is an ex-homosexual who ran for [[governor]] in 2016.

== Abundant cases of ex-homosexuals in the sexology literature ==

Dr. Neil Whitehead is a research scientist and [[biochemistry|biochemist]] from [[New Zealand]] and his wife Briar Whitehead is a writer.<ref>[http://www.narth.com/docs/mygenes.html Book Review: My Genes Made Me Do It: A Scientific Look at Sexual Orientation by Neil and Briar Whitehead]</ref> Dr. Whitehead coauthored a book with his wife entitled ''My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation'' which argues that there is no [[gene]]tic determinism in regards to homosexuality and that there is abundant documentation that individuals are able to go back into the closet.<ref>http://www.mygenes.co.nz/download.htm</ref>

Dr. Whitehead and Briar Whitehead state in their aforementioned book the following regarding [[Homosexuality Research|studies involving homosexuals]] becoming ex-homosexuals:
{{cquote|The sexology literature reports a huge number of examples of change of all degrees from homosexuality to or toward heterosexuality. These studies have been so numerous that West (a gay man) in 1977 took an entire chapter in his classic book, Homosexuality Re-examined, to review them, and commented: “Although some militant homosexuals find such claims improbable and unpalatable, authenticated accounts have been published of apparently exclusive and long-standing homosexuals unexpectedly changing their orientation.”

West mentions one man who was exclusively homosexual for eight years, then became heterosexual...

Another well known author in the field, Hatterer, who believes in sexual orientation change, said, “I’ve heard of hundreds of... men who went from a homosexual to a heterosexual adjustment on their own.”<ref>[http://www.mygenes.co.nz/Ch12.pdf From the book My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation by Dr Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead -Chapter 12]</ref>}}

== Denials that ex-homosexuals exist ==

''See also:'' [[Denials that ex-homosexuals exist]]

Commonly homosexual activists fallaciously argue that ex-homosexuals “must never have been really gay at all” (see: [[No true Scotsman]] fallacy) or is “just deluding himself.” <ref>[http://lastresistance.com/4063/ex-gay-controversy-highlights-extreme-breach-gay-debate/ Ex-Gay Controversy Highlights Extreme Breach in “Gay” Debate]</ref> For example, when the alleged homosexual, male penguin "Harry" mated with a female penguin (see: [[Homosexuality in animals myth]]), the homosexual activist [[Wayne Besen]] angrily exclaimed "“There is no ‘ex-gay’ sexual orientation. Harry is simply in denial. He's living what I call the ‘big lie.’”<ref>[http://americansfortruth.com/2009/07/15/gay-penguin-flies-straight/ Gay penguin flies straight]</ref> In [[Madison]], [[Wisconsin]] an ex-homosexual was forced to do 50 hours of community service and undergo "tolerance training" (or face jail time and fines) due to a discussion he had with a homosexual (see: [[Hate Crime Law Misapplied to Ex-homosexual]]).

The denial that [[Homosexuality and choice|homosexuality is a choice]] by homosexual activists and [[liberal]]s is similar to the behavior of [[fat acceptance movement]] activists who insist that being overweight is never a choice and ostracize ex-overweight people (see: [[fat acceptance movement]] for details).

== Matthew Henry on forgiveness of ex-homosexuals by God ==

The classic biblical commentator [[Matthew Henry]] wrote the following regarding the forgiveness and sanctification in Christ for those who [[repentance|repent]] of the above sins listed in the letter of Paul to the Corinthians (which includes the sin of homosexuality):
{{cquote|How glorious a change does grace make! It changes the vilest of men into saints and the children of [[God]]. Such were some of you, but you are not what you were. You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]], and by the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit of our God]]. Note, The wickedness of men before conversion is no bar to their [[regeneration]] and reconciliation to God. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can purge away all guilt and defilement. Here is a rhetorical change of the natural order: You are sanctified, you are justified. Sanctification is mentioned before justification: and yet the name of Christ, by which we are justified, is placed before the Spirit of God, by whom we are sanctified. Our justification is owing to the merit of Christ; our sanctification to the operation of the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit]]: but both go together.<ref>http://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/1Cr/1Cr006.html</ref>}}

== Ex-gay term ==

[[Lesbianism|Female homosexuals]] and male homosexuals who leave homosexuality and become ex-homosexuals are often referred to as "ex-gays," and the [[Ex-Gay Movement|ex-gay movement]] became well known in the [[United States]] in the 1970s.<ref name="xtoday">http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/6.48.html</ref>

==Ex-Homosexual Quotes==
[[Image:Schnieders.jpg‎|thumb|225px|[[Yvette Schneider|Yvette Cantu Schneider]] and family]]
*Homosexuality is death, and I choose life. - Ex-Homosexual and ex-"gay rights" leader [[Michael Glatze]]

*I came out of homosexuality after a powerful encounter with [[Jesus Christ]] and a desire to serve and obey Him. I can say with complete honesty that I NEVER have homosexual desires of any sort - physical or emotional. - Ex-[[Lesbianism|lesbian]] [[Yvette Schneider|Yvette Cantu Schneider]]<ref>[http://americansfortruth.com/news/ex-lesbian-yvette-schneider-testifies-to-complete-and-permanent-change.html Ex-Lesbian Yvette Schneider Testifies to ‘Complete’ and Permanent Change]</ref>
===Testimony of Charlene Cothran===
In regards to female homosexuals leaving homosexuality, below is the tesimony ex-lesbian [[Charlene Cothran]]:
{{cquote|Over the past 29 years of my life I have been an aggressive, creative and strategic supporter of gay and lesbian issues. I’ve organized and participated in countless marches and various lobbying efforts in the fight for equal treatment of gay men and lesbians. I have kept current on the issues and made financial contributions to those organizations doing work about which I was most passionate.

As the publisher of a 13 year old periodical which targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to ‘come out’ and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community.

But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believer of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us.<ref>[http://www.aggressivechristianity.net/articles/charlene%20cothran.htm Charlene Cothran testimony]</ref>}}

==2006 Survey Finds Men Seek to Become Ex-homosexuals Often Do So to Heal Emotional Pain or For Spiritual Reasons==
A 2006 survey finds men [http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/06071302.html seek to leave homosexual lifestyle to heal emotional pain and for spiritual reasons rather than outside pressure.] In addition, there is [[Homosexuality and Mental Health|other data]] that supports the above 2006 survey findings.

==Reparative Therapy==
There have been several studies regarding homosexuals becoming ex-homosexuals. For example, on September 13, 2007 [[Christianity Today]] published an article entitled ''An Older Wiser Ex-Gay Movement'' and below is an excerpt from that article which focuses on [[Reparative Therapy|reparative therapy]]:
{{cquote|Since its beginnings in the 1970s, the ex-gay movement has engaged gay advocates in a battle of testimonies. Transformed ex-gay leaders are the best argument for their movement. Likewise, those who've left the ex-gay movement in despair and disgust are the best counterargument. The debate continued this June, when Exodus International held its 32nd annual conference in Irvine, California, featuring dozens of speakers and seminar leaders who have quit homosexuality. Down the road outside the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, a news conference featured three former Exodus leaders saying "ex-gay" is a delusion.

New research may change the terms of debate. Psychologists Stanton Jones of Wheaton College and Mark Yarhouse of [[Regent University]] released today a book detailing their findings from the first three years of an ongoing study. They are investigating participants in 16 different ex-gay programs associated with Exodus, the largest ex-gay ministry group.<ref name="xtoday" />}}

The study started out with 98 people with 72 of them being men and 26 of them being women.<ref name="bp26429">http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=26429</ref> Some of the participants quit the study because they believe they had positively changed and didn't see a need to continue while others quit because they decided they didn't want to change from a homosexual to an ex-homosexual.<ref name="bp26429" /> As a result, 73 subjects completed the study.<ref name="bp26429" />

According to the Baptist Press, here are the results: 15 percent of subjects experienced substantial change; "23 percent said their conversion was successful and that [[homosexual attraction]] was either missing or "present only incidentally or in a way that does not seem to bring about distress." They were labeled "success: chastity."; 29 percent of subjects experienced modest success; 15 percent of subjects experienced no change and were undecided about what to do next; "4 percent had not changed and had quit the change process, but had not embraced the "gay identity."; "8 percent had not changed, had quit the process and had embraced the "gay identity."; and malfunctions in the taping of the interviews accounts for the remaining 5 percent.<ref name="bp26429" />

Previously, Dr. [[Robert Spitzer]] published a study in the journal ''Archives of Sexual Behavior'' performed using reparative therapy had some subjects experiencing change.<ref>http://www.narth.com/docs/evidencefound.html</ref>
===Conservative Criticism of Reparative Therapy===
Although many conservatives approve of reparative therapy there are many that do not which will be elaborated on shortly. Conservative Christians believe that a homosexual can choose to become an ex-homosexual, however, the point of difference is whether it was chosen in the first place. The Pew Research Center states the following regarding Americans' views on how homosexuality first originates:
{{cquote|Asked why some people are homosexual, 42% say it is "just the way that some people prefer to live," compared with 30% who think homosexuality is something people are born with and 14% who believe it develops because of the way people are brought up. The view that homosexuality is innate is more prevalent now than in 1985, when 20% believed that homosexuality is something people are born with.<ref>http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=764</ref>}}

Author and ex-lesbian [[Alma Kramer]] takes the position that [[Homosexuality and Choice|homosexuality is a sin and sin is a choice]] when she wrote the following:
{{cquote|I made a choice in my life that put me in bondage for 20 years. While it is true that there were certain things in my childhood that happened or didn't happen that influenced my choice, I still made a choice.

I Corinthians 6:9-11 proves that sin is a choice and that you can change. The New International version says, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." WOW!! I am so glad we can change. I can remember the time when I thought that there was no way out.<ref>http://www.setfree1.com/2.html</ref>}}

Dr. [[James Dobson]] and other advocates of reparative therapy do not believe that homosexuality first originates as a result of choice.<ref>http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20061125_james_dobson_identifies_homosexuality/</ref>

==Oprah Winfrey and the Claim of "Born Gay"==
Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]] of [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia]], a former homosexual, states the following regarding Oprah Winfrey and the issue of people supposedly being "[[Homosexuality and Genetics|born homosexuals]]":
{{cquote|On thing we have learned about homosexuality: it produces acute rudis indigestaque moles in some people. When Heche and Degeneres appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss their newfound relationship, Heche stunned everyone (including Oprah) by stating, "I was not gay before I met her." You know Oprah; she was just going to be Color Purple honest. "That confuses me," she quickly confessed. Considering the amount of time and energy gay activists put into pressing "born gay" templates, I'm sure that's not exactly what Oprah was expecting to hear. She was so baffled by the remark that she dedicated her next show to whether or not gays can change....

Heche has now chosen to be heterosexual and to prove it she got married on last Thursday to Coleman Laffron, a Hollywood cameraman she met while working on a project with then lover Ellen. Was she secretly dreaming of a white, heterosexual Christmas while she was with Ellen? If she was, then can we theorize that many gay people really do want to be straight, but just haven't found the right cameraman/woman yet?<ref>http://www.witnessministries.org</ref>}}

==Ex-Homosexuals and Former Sexual Abuse==
There are studies which suggest that [[Sexual Abuse Being a Contributing Factor for Homosexuality|homosexuals are sexually abused disproportionately in their childhood compared to heterosexuals]]. Dr. Whitehead and Briar Whitehead state in their previously mentioned book:
{{cquote|“Ex-gay” support groups...report that between 50 percent and 60 percent of homosexual men coming for help have been abused sexually. This is confirmed by various researchers.... Ex-gay groups report high levels of male sexual abuse (up to 85 percent) in female homosexuals who come for help.<ref>[http://www.mygenes.co.nz/Ch3.pdf From the book My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation by Dr Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead - Chapter 3]</ref>}}

==Religious Liberty Versus Exgayphobia==
[[Image: PstrDLF1.jpg‎|thumbnail|225px|right|Pastor Darryl L. Foster]]
Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]], a former homosexual, states the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals and their duty to speak out:
{{cquote|We can step out and advocate for our beliefs (which is our right as taxpaying citizens) or we can remain silent and hidden, thereby giving credence to a false idea that there are no former homosexuals. The problem with the last option is our spiritual mandate to share our faith and our experience of change to the glory of God. In the church, we have yet to adopt a unified expression which identifies us in a non threatening way.<ref>Former article at [http://www.witnessfortheworld.org Witness for the World website] entitled Understanding Exgay: People or Politics?</ref>}}

The African American ex-homosexual Christian ministry of Witness for the World declares in a press release:
{{cquote|Gay activist, Wayne Besen, who suddenly found himself at the epicenter of a new career playing CIA with the lives of formerly gay men and women, says the book which features first person testimonies by former homosexuals urges gays to “go back into the closet.”....

“Wayne Besen is the nation’s foremost carrier of a debilitating social disease I call exgayphobia," said Pastor Darryl Foster of Atlanta. “It seems his entire life has been consumed by a fear that Americans will hear the true stories of change by former homosexuals like myself and bring an end to his phobic-laden gravy train.”

Foster, who wrote the foreword to Closing the Closet heads Powerful Change Ministry Group International, a fellowship of 14 national and international ministries to homosexuals in communities of color who seek change from unwanted homosexuality...<ref name="Witness for the World website">Press release at [http://www.witnessfortheworld.org Witness for the World website]</ref>}}

The Witness for the World Press release also states regarding homosexual activists Wayne Besen the following:
{{cquote|“This man is borderline lunatic, he has become so obsessed in his fear,” said Foster. “If the book is about exgays, why would you use anyone else but an exgay? Besen should know better. As a Jew, he should know that the Nazis hated the testimonies of the Jews who escaped from the death camps. Their first hand testimonies of the atrocities heaped upon them were the only links the world had to the truth. Likewise, our stories and experiences as homosexuals are true. We tell them because we want people to know what happened to us, how we escaped and what others can do to get out. It’s absolutely ludicrous for Besen to say that my story is a lie when I am the one who lived it. He seems to have forgotten his own history.”

Exgayphobic homosexuals like Besen fear that the message of exgays, when it finally reaches the average American will make sense and people will support the choice for change for homosexuals. What that means says Foster is that the grinding money machine mental health professionals have been making off victimized gays for decades will come to a screeching halt. Besen is simply a cog in that well oiled wheel. For such professionals who give big money to homosexual rights organizations in exchange for their "professional" opinions about homosexuals, keeping exgays silent and hidden has become an obsession.ries to homosexuals in communities of color who seek change from unwanted homosexuality...<ref name="Witness for the World website">Press release at [http://www.witnessfortheworld.org Witness for the World website]</ref>}}

==Ex-Homosexuals and the Documentary ''I Do Exist''==
The Baptist Press wrote the following regarding the ex-homosexual documentary ''I Do Exist'':
{{cquote|Can homosexuals change? A new documentary says "yes" and includes interviews with people who say they've made the switch.

The 48-minute video, dubbed ''I Do Exist'', is intended for use as a discussion-starter in churches, schools and universities. It includes the stories of five homosexuals -- three women and two men -- who once were involved in homosexuality but are now heterosexual. Along the way, psychologists and psychiatrists give their thoughts as to why they believe change is possible.}}

==Supporters of Homosexuality Are Doing Harm==
Pastor Darryl L. Foster, a former homosexual, states the supporters of homosexuality are doing harm:
{{cquote|As I have said many times before gays and their lovestruck supporters are masters at changing and refining everything that convicts them. This is no surprise as the [[Apostle Paul]] taught us that they would even redefine the very image of God. They need a "god" who is "okay" with their wayward and disobedient sexuality. Flunder works hard to help people kick the drug habit, yet hypocritically allows gays and lesbians to continue in a [[Homosexuality and health|proven path of destructive living]].<ref>http://www.witnessfortheworld.org</ref>}}

==Regarding Ex-Homosexuals Falling Back Into Homosexuality==
[[Image:Peter.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[Peter LaBarbera]]]]
[[Peter LaBarbera]] states the following regarding ex-homosexuals falling back into homosexuality:
{{cquote|To homosexual and gender-bending activists, any ex-”gay” testimony threatens their central propaganda myth that some people are intrinsically (born) “gay,” bisexual or “transgender.” Some homosexual activists like Wayne Besen and the fellows at “Ex-Gay Watch” have dedicated themselves to discrediting ex-”gay” change by hyping the cases of people who have returned back to homosexual behavior. (Yes, change is difficult, but why focus exclusively on failed attempts? Imagine if someone tried to “prove” that overcoming drug addiction was impossible by popularizing only those cases of addicts who tried to go clean but fell back into their drug-abusing lifestyle.)

As you read on, give thanks that high school student “John” was transformed by Jesus Christ (rather than by modern secular psychiatrists) and will not have to suffer the severe emotional confusion and deep loneliness inherent to “transgender” delusion. “John” is truly free now — to experience gratitude for his body, to fall in love with a woman, to enjoy sex in marriage, to accept the natural blessing of children and grandchildren, to worship and serve his God, to know joy.<ref>http://americansfortruth.com/news/why-we-need-americans-for-truth.html</ref>}}

==Hostility Towards Ex-Homosexuals and Ex-Homosexual Groups==
Homosexual activists and [[liberal]]s have become angered in regards to ex-homosexual events and activities. Below are some incidents that have taken place.
===Matt Ott===
In addition, the Center for Reclaiming America cited the following account of how a [[hate crime]] statute was egregiously applied to an ex-homosexual:
{{cquote|In Madison, Wisconsin, a recovered homosexual who had left the “gay” lifestyle to start a family got into a heated discussion with an open homosexual about homosexuality at a gas station. The ex-“gay” man, David Ott, was holding his child in his arms during the entire incident, and neither man touched the other. The homosexual activist later told police he had felt threatened by Ott, and local prosecutors charged the man with “disorderly conduct” with a “hate crimes” enhancement.

The “hate crime” aspect, stemming from Ott’s belief that homosexuality is morally wrong, raised the potential fine from $1,000 to $10,000, and jail time went up from a possible 90 days to one year. Fearing the possibility of substantial jail time, Ott settled, and received 50 hours of community service plus a mandatory attendance at “tolerance” sessions conducted by [[lesbianism|lesbians]] at the [[University of Wisconsin at Madison]]. A ground rule for the session was the premise that homosexual behavior is not immoral.

The entire process cost Ott almost $7,000 in legal fees.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56702 Report now found at Worldnetdaily]</ref>}}

===Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays ([[PFOX]])===
PFOX has been the subject of at least three (and likely more) instances of harassment because of their view that a person can leave homosexuality; one instance involved court action prohibiting PFOX's materials in the [[public school]] setting.

====Arlington County Fair Incident====
[[Image:Rev. Louis P. Sheldon Photo.jpg|thumb|right|140px|Reverend [[Louis Sheldon]], Chairman of the [[Traditional Values Coalition]] and author of ''The Agenda: The Homosexual Plan to Change America'']]
The [[Traditional Values Coalition]] reported the following:
{{cquote|Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) hosted a booth at the Arlington County Fair in Arlington, Virginia. [[PFOX]] has had an exhibit at this fair for the past four years.

And, every year, intolerant homosexual activists have done everything they could to disrupt PFOX’s display. This year, they screamed obscenities, threw PFOX materials on the ground and demanded that PFOX leave the fair. One PFOX volunteer was hit because he is an ex-homosexual.

Eventually, PFOX had to call in a police officer to eject one activist who was harassing their volunteers. According to PFOX, “This is not the first time that PFOX has had to summon the police for protection from gay activists."<ref>http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3129</ref>}}

====Virginia School Counselors Incident====
The Traditional Values Coalition also reported the following Incident:
{{cquote|Parents and Friends of Ex-gays and Gays (PFOX) was booted from a Virginia School Counselors Association annual convention last weekend. PFOX had been officially registered at the convention and had set up a booth to distribute materials showing that homosexuals can change.

The head of the counselor’s group asked to meet with PFOX leader Regina Griggs and told her that several of the items in the booth were offensive to school counselors. Among them was NARTH President Dr. Joseph Nicolosi’s book, A Parent’s Guide To Preventing Homosexuality. After offering to remove any offensive materials from the booth, Griggs was told that PFOX should leave anyway because it wasn’t worth their time to only distribute two brochures at the convention.

Griggs told [[WorldNetDaily]]: “Some members didn’t want us there at all. They didn’t want an alternative opinion to the teaching they were having that afternoon.”<ref>http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2666</ref>}}

====Judge Prohibits Public Schools from Implementing Anti-ex-homosexual Curriculum====
PFOX reported the following:
{{cquote|Montgomery County, Maryland – A United States District Court has granted the request of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX.org) for a temporary injunction prohibiting the Montgomery County, Maryland public schools from implementing an anti-ex-gay sex ed curriculum.

U.S. District Court Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. ruled that the curriculum threatened PFOX's constitutional rights, including the First Amendment freedom of speech.

In his opinion, Judge Williams noted some of the curriculum's biased statements against ex-gays, including statements claiming that `[t]rying to change one's sexual response to straight or gay is usually unsuccessful,' and that `[i]n fact, it is often societal homophobia that forces people to attempt to change.'<ref>http://www.pfox.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=41&sid=3f6326facd8169669d328749f4c1cbe8</ref>}}

==Existence of Ex-Homosexuals is an Argument that "Gay Rights" Does Not Achieve Civil Rights Status==
[[Image:Alvedaking.jpg‎|right|thumb|200px|Dr. [[Alveda King]]]]
Dr. [[Alveda C. King]] is the founder of [[King for America]], Inc. which is a faith based organization.<ref name="king">http://www.kingforamerica.com/index.htm</ref> Dr. Alveda C. King is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. [[A. D. King]] and the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<ref name="king" />

Dr. King stated the following to the Massachusetts General Assembly regarding the existence of ex-homosexuals is an argument that "gay rights" does not achieve civil rights status:
{{cquote|Thirty-nine years ago, my great-uncle, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered to mindful citizens of America a prophetic dream which envisaged all of this great nation's people living in the full exercise of all rights granted to them by the U.S. Constitution. My forebear's dream was deeply rooted in the American dream wherein the Founders of our Union saw every lawful citizen standing in dignity outfitted by unalienable rights from God to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness free from the tyrannies of personal whim and ideology handed down by kings, dictators, political groups, and yes, some institutions of democratic government....

Yet, there is a larger body of science represented even by the above scientists that agrees that mature behavior patterns rely much more on social shaping and choices than genetic predisposition, such that these behaviors may be successfully modified by a variety of means. The food addict may eat responsibly, the alcoholic may drink responsibly or not at all, and the homosexual may live according to a wide range of choices as well. Thus, binge drinking, overeating, cocaine abuse and other behaviors do not have to be granted public latitude as a matter of right in this great nation. Certainly, these and other mutable behaviors may be practiced; they may be under constitutional protection in fact (under our privacy clauses), but they may not be granted civil rights or public protection.

Again, if behavior or other aspects of personhood may be altered, then those aspects fail to meet civil rights status. Homosexual practice clearly falls into this category. As my mother, Alveda C. King has said, "I have met many ex-homosexuals just as I have met many ex-husbands, ex-wives, ex-drug addicts and ex-lawyers. Yet I have never met an ex-Negro, ex-Caucasian or ex-Native American." The politics of preference does not jibe with civil rights legitimacy...<ref>http://www.kingforamerica.com/jrellis-testimony.htm</ref>}}

In short, the distinction is between characteristics that may be altered, and that thus do not merit civil-rights protection, and immutable characteristics, which do merit civil-rights protection. This is why sexual orientation does not merit civil-rights protection, while characteristics such as race, sex, and religion do.

==Senator John Kerry Comment Insults Ex-Homosexuals==
[[Image:John-kerry.jpg‎|right|thumb|160px|[[John Kerry]]]]
[[Cybercast News Service]] stated the following regarding former Senator and former Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] of [[Massachusetts]] after Kerry insulted ex-Homosexuals:
{{cquote|Sen. John Kerry's declaration Wednesday that homosexuals don't have a choice about their sexual orientation has enraged individuals who identify themselves as "ex-gays."...

Shortly after Kerry made the remark Wednesday, reaction started pouring into [[Warren Throckmorton]], a professor at [[Grove City College]] in [[Pennsylvania]]. Throckmorton said ex-homosexuals expressed outrage to him about Kerry's comment.

"Kerry's views, unfortunately, present a view of homosexuality that science does not support," Throckmorton said. "Bush, wisely, has reserved judgment and his views are closer to where science has progressed to at this point. I'm concerned that Kerry misled the country."

Throckmorton, considered an authority on sexual orientation research, recently released his own documentary, "I Do Exist," which chronicles the lives of ex-homosexuals.<ref>https://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5Carchive%5C200410%5CCUL20041015b.html</ref>}}

==Notable examples==
*[[Petra Grimberg]] and [[Simon Th. Dijkstra]] who have experienced liberation from homosexual life style.<ref>{{cite web |author=Petra Grimber |title=Schrei nach Liebe: Brennpunkt Homosexualität : Erfahrungsberichte, Was sagt die Bibel?, Ursachen und Therapie |publisher=Schwengeler Verlag |isbn=9783856660529 |url=http://www.amazon.de/Schrei-nach-Liebe-Brennpunkt-Homosexualit%C3%A4t/dp/3856660526/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375742247&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=schrei+nach+liebe+schwengeler+verlag |language=German}}</ref>
*[[Jozef Demjan]] who had experienced abuse as a child what according to him caused him to become addicted to homosexuality. Later he managed to quit homosexual life style and marry Júlia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Svadba bez pretvárky, ale plná kontroverznosti! Róm s homosexuálnou minulosťou sa oženil s nerómkou, baptistkou! (Romany young lad with homosexual past has married non-romany babtist girl) |publisher=markiza.sk |date=05. September 2012 |url=http://modrezneba.markiza.sk/clanok/svadba-bez-pretvarky-ale-plna-kontroverznosti.html |accessdate=August 6, 2013|language=Slovak}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Oslobodený z homosexuality - Príbeh Jozefa a Júlie Modré z Neba (Set free from sexuality: The story of Jozef and Júlia)|url=http://en.gloria.tv/?media=330027}}</ref>
*[[Lisa Miller]], ex-lesbian who was effectively forced to flee the country due to attempt of society governed by LGBT ideology to take her own biological child and give it to her lesbian ex-partner who has no biological connection to child and is unable to pass the parental genetic test.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lisa Miller |url=https://www.lifesitenews.com/tag/lisa+miller}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BookTV: Rena Lindevaldsen, "Only One Mommy" |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv5z7Ek_ULc |accessdate=August 32, 2013}}</ref>
*[[Christopher Yuan]]. He has co-authored with his mother a book ''Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God, A Broken Mother's Search for Hope''. As child, he was exposed to pornography and when he was sixteen years old, he had a sexual relationship with a thirty-year-old man who abused him. Later, while attending dental school, he began visiting gay bars, living promiscuously as a homosexual and experimenting with illicit drugs. Within a few years, he was expelled from dental school, imprisoned for drug dealing and discovered that he was HIV positive.<ref>{{cite web |title=christopheryuan |year=2011 |url=http://www.christopheryuan.com/main/index.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Christopher Yuan's story |publisher=CBN |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwmUNqrirO4}}</ref>

== Christian video testimonies of ex-homosexuals ==

*[http://gcmwatch.com/exhomosexual-videos/ 225 Ex-homosexual video testimonies]

==See also==
*[[Resources on becoming a Christian]]
*[[Overcoming Homosexuality]]
*[[Causes of Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality and Choice]]
*[[Teen Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Ex-Homosexuals| ]]
== External links ==

'''Video:'''
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUW-AvGnhf0 Ex-homosexual Pastor DL Foster]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Conservapedia]]

Ex-homosexuals

2019-07-02T21:06:53Z

Godismysaviour: factual edit

{{homosexuality}}
[[Image:St Paul Preaching.jpg|left|thumb|200px|St. [[Paul]] defends his preaching (Giovanni Ricco)]]
In regards to the question of whether or not [[homosexuality]] is a permanent condition, one of the earliest historical records regarding of the existence of '''ex-homosexuals''' is a letter of the [[Paul|Apostle Paul]] to the [[Corinth]]ian [[Christianity|Christian]] church.

The [[Saint Paul|Apostle Paul]] wrote:
{{cquote|Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. '''''Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God'''''. - I Corinthians 6:9-11 (NASB), emphasis added.}}

Today people still report leaving homosexuality and becoming heterosexual through their [[Christianity|Christian]] faith.<ref>
*[http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2013/fall/leaving-my-lesbian-past.html Leaving my lesbian past]
*[https://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56481 'Gay'-rights leader quits homosexuality - Rising star in movement says God liberated him from lifestyle]
*[http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=19650 Documentary features stories of those who left homosexuality], ''Baptist News''
*[http://americansfortruth.com/news/ex-lesbian-yvette-schneider-testifies-to-complete-and-permanent-change.html Ex-Lesbian Yvette Schneider Testifies to ‘Complete’ and Permanent Change]
*[http://www.witnessfortheworld.org/founder.html About DL Foster]
*[http://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-group-releases-ex-gay-documentary-such-were-some-of-you-123754/ Christian Group Releases Ex-Gay Documentary, 'Such Were Some of You']
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUXhKbHMGJg Trailer of the ex-homosexual documentary 'Such Were Some of You']
*[http://americansfortruth.com/2007/09/16/landmark-study-change-for-homosexuals-is-possible/ Landmark Study: Change for Homosexuals Is Possible]
</ref>

[[Peter LaBarbera]] is the President of [[Americans for Truth]] which is an organization which counters the [[homosexual agenda]]. LaBarbera stated the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals who reported being transformed by the power of God:
{{cquote|Another factor from my experience as a close observer of the “ex-gay” phenomenon is that many former homosexuals do not linger in “[[reparative therapy]]” programs, or participate in them at all. They attribute their dramatic and (relatively) rapid transformation to the power of God, and likely would not show up in a study of this kind. In fact, these “unstudied” overcomers would appear to be the most successful ex-homosexuals because they’ve moved on with their lives — as “reborn” Christians move on after overcoming any besetting sin.<ref>http://www.americansfortruth.com/news/landmark-study-change-for-homosexuals-is-possible.html</ref>}}

Peter LaBarbera's statement above concerning [[Overcoming Homosexuality|overcoming homosexuality]] certainly has some evidence supporting it. For example, in 1980 a study was published in the ''American Journal of Psychiatry'' and eleven men participated in this study. The study reported that eleven homosexual men became heterosexuals "without explicit treatment and/or long-term psychotherapy" through their participation in a [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostal]] church.<ref>[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7435713 E.M. Pattison and M.L. Pattison, "'Ex-Gays': Religiously Mediated Change in Homosexuals," American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 137, pp. 1553-1562, 1980]</ref> The [[Apostle Paul]] in a letter to the church of [[Corinth]] indicated that [[Christianity|Christians]] were able to overcome being homosexuals through the power of [[Jesus Christ]] (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

Missouri state Senator [[Bob Dixon]] is an ex-homosexual who ran for [[governor]] in 2016.

== Abundant cases of ex-homosexuals in the sexology literature ==

Dr. Neil Whitehead is a research scientist and [[biochemistry|biochemist]] from [[New Zealand]] and his wife Briar Whitehead is a writer.<ref>[http://www.narth.com/docs/mygenes.html Book Review: My Genes Made Me Do It: A Scientific Look at Sexual Orientation by Neil and Briar Whitehead]</ref> Dr. Whitehead coauthored a book with his wife entitled ''My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation'' which argues that there is no [[gene]]tic determinism in regards to homosexuality and that there is abundant documentation that individuals are able to go back into the closet.<ref>http://www.mygenes.co.nz/download.htm</ref>

Dr. Whitehead and Briar Whitehead state in their aforementioned book the following regarding [[Homosexuality Research|studies involving homosexuals]] becoming ex-homosexuals:
{{cquote|The sexology literature reports a huge number of examples of change of all degrees from homosexuality to or toward heterosexuality. These studies have been so numerous that West (a gay man) in 1977 took an entire chapter in his classic book, Homosexuality Re-examined, to review them, and commented: “Although some militant homosexuals find such claims improbable and unpalatable, authenticated accounts have been published of apparently exclusive and long-standing homosexuals unexpectedly changing their orientation.”

West mentions one man who was exclusively homosexual for eight years, then became heterosexual...

Another well known author in the field, Hatterer, who believes in sexual orientation change, said, “I’ve heard of hundreds of... men who went from a homosexual to a heterosexual adjustment on their own.”<ref>[http://www.mygenes.co.nz/Ch12.pdf From the book My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation by Dr Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead -Chapter 12]</ref>}}

== Denials that ex-homosexuals exist ==

''See also:'' [[Denials that ex-homosexuals exist]]

Commonly homosexual activists fallaciously argue that ex-homosexuals “must never have been really gay at all” (see: [[No true Scotsman]] fallacy) or is “just deluding himself.” <ref>[http://lastresistance.com/4063/ex-gay-controversy-highlights-extreme-breach-gay-debate/ Ex-Gay Controversy Highlights Extreme Breach in “Gay” Debate]</ref> For example, when the alleged homosexual, male penguin "Harry" mated with a female penguin (see: [[Homosexuality in animals myth]]), the homosexual activist [[Wayne Besen]] angrily exclaimed "“There is no ‘ex-gay’ sexual orientation. Harry is simply in denial. He's living what I call the ‘big lie.’”<ref>[http://americansfortruth.com/2009/07/15/gay-penguin-flies-straight/ Gay penguin flies straight]</ref> In [[Madison]], [[Wisconsin]] an ex-homosexual was forced to do 50 hours of community service and undergo "tolerance training" (or face jail time and fines) due to a discussion he had with a homosexual (see: [[Hate Crime Law Misapplied to Ex-homosexual]]).

The denial that [[Homosexuality and choice|homosexuality is a choice]] by homosexual activists and [[liberal]]s is similar to the behavior of [[fat acceptance movement]] activists who insist that being overweight is never a choice and ostracize ex-overweight people (see: [[fat acceptance movement]] for details).

== Matthew Henry on forgiveness of ex-homosexuals by God ==

The classic biblical commentator [[Matthew Henry]] wrote the following regarding the forgiveness and sanctification in Christ for those who [[repentance|repent]] of the above sins listed in the letter of Paul to the Corinthians (which includes the sin of homosexuality):
{{cquote|How glorious a change does grace make! It changes the vilest of men into saints and the children of [[God]]. Such were some of you, but you are not what you were. You are washed, you are sanctified, you are justified in the name of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]], and by the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit of our God]]. Note, The wickedness of men before conversion is no bar to their [[regeneration]] and reconciliation to God. The blood of Christ, and the washing of regeneration, can purge away all guilt and defilement. Here is a rhetorical change of the natural order: You are sanctified, you are justified. Sanctification is mentioned before justification: and yet the name of Christ, by which we are justified, is placed before the Spirit of God, by whom we are sanctified. Our justification is owing to the merit of Christ; our sanctification to the operation of the [[Holy Spirit|Spirit]]: but both go together.<ref>http://blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/1Cr/1Cr006.html</ref>}}

== Ex-gay term ==

[[Lesbianism|Female homosexuals]] and male homosexuals who leave homosexuality and become ex-homosexuals are often referred to as "ex-gays," and the [[Ex-Gay Movement|ex-gay movement]] became well known in the [[United States]] in the 1970s.<ref name="xtoday">http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/october/6.48.html</ref>

==Ex-Homosexual Quotes==
[[Image:Schnieders.jpg‎|thumb|225px|[[Yvette Schneider|Yvette Cantu Schneider]] and family]]
*Homosexuality is death, and I choose life. - Ex-Homosexual and ex-"gay rights" leader [[Michael Glatze]]

*I came out of homosexuality after a powerful encounter with [[Jesus Christ]] and a desire to serve and obey Him. I can say with complete honesty that I NEVER have homosexual desires of any sort - physical or emotional. - Ex-[[Lesbianism|lesbian]] [[Yvette Schneider|Yvette Cantu Schneider]]<ref>[http://americansfortruth.com/news/ex-lesbian-yvette-schneider-testifies-to-complete-and-permanent-change.html Ex-Lesbian Yvette Schneider Testifies to ‘Complete’ and Permanent Change]</ref>
===Testimony of Charlene Cothran===
In regards to female homosexuals leaving homosexuality, below is the tesimony ex-lesbian [[Charlene Cothran]]:
{{cquote|Over the past 29 years of my life I have been an aggressive, creative and strategic supporter of gay and lesbian issues. I’ve organized and participated in countless marches and various lobbying efforts in the fight for equal treatment of gay men and lesbians. I have kept current on the issues and made financial contributions to those organizations doing work about which I was most passionate.

As the publisher of a 13 year old periodical which targets Black gays and lesbians, I have had the opportunity to publicly address thousands, influencing closeted people to ‘come out’ and stand up for them selves, which is particularly difficult in the African-American community.

But now, I must come out of the closet again. I have recently experienced the power of change that came over me once I completely surrendered to the teachings of Jesus Christ. As a believer of the word of God, I fully accept and have always known that same-sex relationships are not what God intended for us.<ref>[http://www.aggressivechristianity.net/articles/charlene%20cothran.htm Charlene Cothran testimony]</ref>}}

==2006 Survey Finds Men Seek to Become Ex-homosexuals Often Do So to Heal Emotional Pain or For Spiritual Reasons==
A 2006 survey finds men [http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/jul/06071302.html seek to leave homosexual lifestyle to heal emotional pain and for spiritual reasons rather than outside pressure.] In addition, there is [[Homosexuality and Mental Health|other data]] that supports the above 2006 survey findings.

==Reparative Therapy==
There have been several studies regarding homosexuals becoming ex-homosexuals. For example, on September 13, 2007 [[Christianity Today]] published an article entitled ''An Older Wiser Ex-Gay Movement'' and below is an excerpt from that article which focuses on [[Reparative Therapy|reparative therapy]]:
{{cquote|Since its beginnings in the 1970s, the ex-gay movement has engaged gay advocates in a battle of testimonies. Transformed ex-gay leaders are the best argument for their movement. Likewise, those who've left the ex-gay movement in despair and disgust are the best counterargument. The debate continued this June, when Exodus International held its 32nd annual conference in Irvine, California, featuring dozens of speakers and seminar leaders who have quit homosexuality. Down the road outside the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, a news conference featured three former Exodus leaders saying "ex-gay" is a delusion.

New research may change the terms of debate. Psychologists Stanton Jones of Wheaton College and Mark Yarhouse of [[Regent University]] released today a book detailing their findings from the first three years of an ongoing study. They are investigating participants in 16 different ex-gay programs associated with Exodus, the largest ex-gay ministry group.<ref name="xtoday" />}}

The study started out with 98 people with 72 of them being men and 26 of them being women.<ref name="bp26429">http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=26429</ref> Some of the participants quit the study because they believe they had positively changed and didn't see a need to continue while others quit because they decided they didn't want to change from a homosexual to an ex-homosexual.<ref name="bp26429" /> As a result, 73 subjects completed the study.<ref name="bp26429" />

According to the Baptist Press, here are the results: 15 percent of subjects experienced substantial change; "23 percent said their conversion was successful and that [[homosexual attraction]] was either missing or "present only incidentally or in a way that does not seem to bring about distress." They were labeled "success: chastity."; 29 percent of subjects experienced modest success; 15 percent of subjects experienced no change and were undecided about what to do next; "4 percent had not changed and had quit the change process, but had not embraced the "gay identity."; "8 percent had not changed, had quit the process and had embraced the "gay identity."; and malfunctions in the taping of the interviews accounts for the remaining 5 percent.<ref name="bp26429" />

Previously, Dr. [[Robert Spitzer]] published a study in the journal ''Archives of Sexual Behavior'' performed using reparative therapy had some subjects experiencing change.<ref>http://www.narth.com/docs/evidencefound.html</ref>
===Conservative Criticism of Reparative Therapy===
Although many conservatives approve of reparative therapy there are many that do not which will be elaborated on shortly. Conservative Christians believe that a homosexual can choose to become an ex-homosexual, however, the point of difference is whether it was chosen in the first place. The Pew Research Center states the following regarding Americans' views on how homosexuality first originates:
{{cquote|Asked why some people are homosexual, 42% say it is "just the way that some people prefer to live," compared with 30% who think homosexuality is something people are born with and 14% who believe it develops because of the way people are brought up. The view that homosexuality is innate is more prevalent now than in 1985, when 20% believed that homosexuality is something people are born with.<ref>http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?PageID=764</ref>}}

Author and ex-lesbian [[Alma Kramer]] takes the position that [[Homosexuality and Choice|homosexuality is a sin and sin is a choice]] when she wrote the following:
{{cquote|I made a choice in my life that put me in bondage for 20 years. While it is true that there were certain things in my childhood that happened or didn't happen that influenced my choice, I still made a choice.

I Corinthians 6:9-11 proves that sin is a choice and that you can change. The New International version says, "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." WOW!! I am so glad we can change. I can remember the time when I thought that there was no way out.<ref>http://www.setfree1.com/2.html</ref>}}

Dr. [[James Dobson]] and other advocates of reparative therapy do not believe that homosexuality first originates as a result of choice.<ref>http://www.truthdig.com/avbooth/item/20061125_james_dobson_identifies_homosexuality/</ref>

==Oprah Winfrey and the Claim of "Born Gay"==
Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]] of [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia]], a former homosexual, states the following regarding Oprah Winfrey and the issue of people supposedly being "[[Homosexuality and Genetics|born homosexuals]]":
{{cquote|On thing we have learned about homosexuality: it produces acute rudis indigestaque moles in some people. When Heche and Degeneres appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show to discuss their newfound relationship, Heche stunned everyone (including Oprah) by stating, "I was not gay before I met her." You know Oprah; she was just going to be Color Purple honest. "That confuses me," she quickly confessed. Considering the amount of time and energy gay activists put into pressing "born gay" templates, I'm sure that's not exactly what Oprah was expecting to hear. She was so baffled by the remark that she dedicated her next show to whether or not gays can change....

Heche has now chosen to be heterosexual and to prove it she got married on last Thursday to Coleman Laffron, a Hollywood cameraman she met while working on a project with then lover Ellen. Was she secretly dreaming of a white, heterosexual Christmas while she was with Ellen? If she was, then can we theorize that many gay people really do want to be straight, but just haven't found the right cameraman/woman yet?<ref>http://www.witnessministries.org</ref>}}

==Ex-Homosexuals and Former Sexual Abuse==
There are studies which suggest that [[Sexual Abuse Being a Contributing Factor for Homosexuality|homosexuals are sexually abused disproportionately in their childhood compared to heterosexuals]]. Dr. Whitehead and Briar Whitehead state in their previously mentioned book:
{{cquote|“Ex-gay” support groups...report that between 50 percent and 60 percent of homosexual men coming for help have been abused sexually. This is confirmed by various researchers.... Ex-gay groups report high levels of male sexual abuse (up to 85 percent) in female homosexuals who come for help.<ref>[http://www.mygenes.co.nz/Ch3.pdf From the book My Genes Made Me Do it - a scientific look at sexual orientation by Dr Neil Whitehead and Briar Whitehead - Chapter 3]</ref>}}

==Religious Liberty Versus Exgayphobia==
[[Image: PstrDLF1.jpg‎|thumbnail|225px|right|Pastor Darryl L. Foster]]
Pastor [[Darryl L. Foster]], a former homosexual, states the following regarding Christian ex-homosexuals and their duty to speak out:
{{cquote|We can step out and advocate for our beliefs (which is our right as taxpaying citizens) or we can remain silent and hidden, thereby giving credence to a false idea that there are no former homosexuals. The problem with the last option is our spiritual mandate to share our faith and our experience of change to the glory of God. In the church, we have yet to adopt a unified expression which identifies us in a non threatening way.<ref>Former article at [http://www.witnessfortheworld.org Witness for the World website] entitled Understanding Exgay: People or Politics?</ref>}}

The African American ex-homosexual Christian ministry of Witness for the World declares in a press release:
{{cquote|Gay activist, Wayne Besen, who suddenly found himself at the epicenter of a new career playing CIA with the lives of formerly gay men and women, says the book which features first person testimonies by former homosexuals urges gays to “go back into the closet.”....

“Wayne Besen is the nation’s foremost carrier of a debilitating social disease I call exgayphobia," said Pastor Darryl Foster of Atlanta. “It seems his entire life has been consumed by a fear that Americans will hear the true stories of change by former homosexuals like myself and bring an end to his phobic-laden gravy train.”

Foster, who wrote the foreword to Closing the Closet heads Powerful Change Ministry Group International, a fellowship of 14 national and international ministries to homosexuals in communities of color who seek change from unwanted homosexuality...<ref name="Witness for the World website">Press release at [http://www.witnessfortheworld.org Witness for the World website]</ref>}}

The Witness for the World Press release also states regarding homosexual activists Wayne Besen the following:
{{cquote|“This man is borderline lunatic, he has become so obsessed in his fear,” said Foster. “If the book is about exgays, why would you use anyone else but an exgay? Besen should know better. As a Jew, he should know that the Nazis hated the testimonies of the Jews who escaped from the death camps. Their first hand testimonies of the atrocities heaped upon them were the only links the world had to the truth. Likewise, our stories and experiences as homosexuals are true. We tell them because we want people to know what happened to us, how we escaped and what others can do to get out. It’s absolutely ludicrous for Besen to say that my story is a lie when I am the one who lived it. He seems to have forgotten his own history.”

Exgayphobic homosexuals like Besen fear that the message of exgays, when it finally reaches the average American will make sense and people will support the choice for change for homosexuals. What that means says Foster is that the grinding money machine mental health professionals have been making off victimized gays for decades will come to a screeching halt. Besen is simply a cog in that well oiled wheel. For such professionals who give big money to homosexual rights organizations in exchange for their "professional" opinions about homosexuals, keeping exgays silent and hidden has become an obsession.ries to homosexuals in communities of color who seek change from unwanted homosexuality...<ref name="Witness for the World website">Press release at [http://www.witnessfortheworld.org Witness for the World website]</ref>}}

==Ex-Homosexuals and the Documentary ''I Do Exist''==
The Baptist Press wrote the following regarding the ex-homosexual documentary ''I Do Exist'':
{{cquote|Can homosexuals change? A new documentary says "yes" and includes interviews with people who say they've made the switch.

The 48-minute video, dubbed ''I Do Exist'', is intended for use as a discussion-starter in churches, schools and universities. It includes the stories of five homosexuals -- three women and two men -- who once were involved in homosexuality but are now heterosexual. Along the way, psychologists and psychiatrists give their thoughts as to why they believe change is possible.}}

==Supporters of Homosexuality Are Doing Harm==
Pastor Darryl L. Foster, a former homosexual, states the supporters of homosexuality are doing harm:
{{cquote|As I have said many times before gays and their lovestruck supporters are masters at changing and refining everything that convicts them. This is no surprise as the [[Apostle Paul]] taught us that they would even redefine the very image of God. They need a "god" who is "okay" with their wayward and disobedient sexuality. Flunder works hard to help people kick the drug habit, yet hypocritically allows gays and lesbians to continue in a [[Homosexuality and health|proven path of destructive living]].<ref>http://www.witnessfortheworld.org</ref>}}

==Regarding Ex-Homosexuals Falling Back Into Homosexuality==
[[Image:Peter.jpg|right|thumb|150px|[[Peter LaBarbera]]]]
[[Peter LaBarbera]] states the following regarding ex-homosexuals falling back into homosexuality:
{{cquote|To homosexual and gender-bending activists, any ex-”gay” testimony threatens their central propaganda myth that some people are intrinsically (born) “gay,” bisexual or “transgender.” Some homosexual activists like Wayne Besen and the fellows at “Ex-Gay Watch” have dedicated themselves to discrediting ex-”gay” change by hyping the cases of people who have returned back to homosexual behavior. (Yes, change is difficult, but why focus exclusively on failed attempts? Imagine if someone tried to “prove” that overcoming drug addiction was impossible by popularizing only those cases of addicts who tried to go clean but fell back into their drug-abusing lifestyle.)

As you read on, give thanks that high school student “John” was transformed by Jesus Christ (rather than by modern secular psychiatrists) and will not have to suffer the severe emotional confusion and deep loneliness inherent to “transgender” delusion. “John” is truly free now — to experience gratitude for his body, to fall in love with a woman, to enjoy sex in marriage, to accept the natural blessing of children and grandchildren, to worship and serve his God, to know joy.<ref>http://americansfortruth.com/news/why-we-need-americans-for-truth.html</ref>}}

==Hostility Towards Ex-Homosexuals and Ex-Homosexual Groups==
Homosexual activists and [[liberal]]s have become angered in regards to ex-homosexual events and activities. Below are some incidents that have taken place.
===Matt Ott===
In addition, the Center for Reclaiming America cited the following account of how a [[hate crime]] statute was egregiously applied to an ex-homosexual:
{{cquote|In Madison, Wisconsin, a recovered homosexual who had left the “gay” lifestyle to start a family got into a heated discussion with an open homosexual about homosexuality at a gas station. The ex-“gay” man, David Ott, was holding his child in his arms during the entire incident, and neither man touched the other. The homosexual activist later told police he had felt threatened by Ott, and local prosecutors charged the man with “disorderly conduct” with a “hate crimes” enhancement.

The “hate crime” aspect, stemming from Ott’s belief that homosexuality is morally wrong, raised the potential fine from $1,000 to $10,000, and jail time went up from a possible 90 days to one year. Fearing the possibility of substantial jail time, Ott settled, and received 50 hours of community service plus a mandatory attendance at “tolerance” sessions conducted by [[lesbianism|lesbians]] at the [[University of Wisconsin at Madison]]. A ground rule for the session was the premise that homosexual behavior is not immoral.

The entire process cost Ott almost $7,000 in legal fees.<ref>[https://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56702 Report now found at Worldnetdaily]</ref>}}

===Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays ([[PFOX]])===
PFOX has been the subject of at least three (and likely more) instances of harassment because of their view that a person can leave homosexuality; one instance involved court action prohibiting PFOX's materials in the [[public school]] setting.

====Arlington County Fair Incident====
[[Image:Rev. Louis P. Sheldon Photo.jpg|thumb|right|140px|Reverend [[Louis Sheldon]], Chairman of the [[Traditional Values Coalition]] and author of ''The Agenda: The Homosexual Plan to Change America'']]
The [[Traditional Values Coalition]] reported the following:
{{cquote|Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) hosted a booth at the Arlington County Fair in Arlington, Virginia. [[PFOX]] has had an exhibit at this fair for the past four years.

And, every year, intolerant homosexual activists have done everything they could to disrupt PFOX’s display. This year, they screamed obscenities, threw PFOX materials on the ground and demanded that PFOX leave the fair. One PFOX volunteer was hit because he is an ex-homosexual.

Eventually, PFOX had to call in a police officer to eject one activist who was harassing their volunteers. According to PFOX, “This is not the first time that PFOX has had to summon the police for protection from gay activists."<ref>http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=3129</ref>}}

====Virginia School Counselors Incident====
The Traditional Values Coalition also reported the following Incident:
{{cquote|Parents and Friends of Ex-gays and Gays (PFOX) was booted from a Virginia School Counselors Association annual convention last weekend. PFOX had been officially registered at the convention and had set up a booth to distribute materials showing that homosexuals can change.

The head of the counselor’s group asked to meet with PFOX leader Regina Griggs and told her that several of the items in the booth were offensive to school counselors. Among them was NARTH President Dr. Joseph Nicolosi’s book, A Parent’s Guide To Preventing Homosexuality. After offering to remove any offensive materials from the booth, Griggs was told that PFOX should leave anyway because it wasn’t worth their time to only distribute two brochures at the convention.

Griggs told [[WorldNetDaily]]: “Some members didn’t want us there at all. They didn’t want an alternative opinion to the teaching they were having that afternoon.”<ref>http://www.traditionalvalues.org/modules.php?sid=2666</ref>}}

====Judge Prohibits Public Schools from Implementing Anti-ex-homosexual Curriculum====
PFOX reported the following:
{{cquote|Montgomery County, Maryland – A United States District Court has granted the request of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX.org) for a temporary injunction prohibiting the Montgomery County, Maryland public schools from implementing an anti-ex-gay sex ed curriculum.

U.S. District Court Judge Alexander Williams, Jr. ruled that the curriculum threatened PFOX's constitutional rights, including the First Amendment freedom of speech.

In his opinion, Judge Williams noted some of the curriculum's biased statements against ex-gays, including statements claiming that `[t]rying to change one's sexual response to straight or gay is usually unsuccessful,' and that `[i]n fact, it is often societal homophobia that forces people to attempt to change.'<ref>http://www.pfox.org/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=41&sid=3f6326facd8169669d328749f4c1cbe8</ref>}}

==Existence of Ex-Homosexuals is an Argument that "Gay Rights" Does Not Achieve Civil Rights Status==
[[Image:Alvedaking.jpg‎|right|thumb|200px|Dr. [[Alveda King]]]]
Dr. [[Alveda C. King]] is the founder of [[King for America]], Inc. which is a faith based organization.<ref name="king">http://www.kingforamerica.com/index.htm</ref> Dr. Alveda C. King is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. [[A. D. King]] and the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.<ref name="king" />

Dr. King stated the following to the Massachusetts General Assembly regarding the existence of ex-homosexuals is an argument that "gay rights" does not achieve civil rights status:
{{cquote|Thirty-nine years ago, my great-uncle, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., delivered to mindful citizens of America a prophetic dream which envisaged all of this great nation's people living in the full exercise of all rights granted to them by the U.S. Constitution. My forebear's dream was deeply rooted in the American dream wherein the Founders of our Union saw every lawful citizen standing in dignity outfitted by unalienable rights from God to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness free from the tyrannies of personal whim and ideology handed down by kings, dictators, political groups, and yes, some institutions of democratic government....

Yet, there is a larger body of science represented even by the above scientists that agrees that mature behavior patterns rely much more on social shaping and choices than genetic predisposition, such that these behaviors may be successfully modified by a variety of means. The food addict may eat responsibly, the alcoholic may drink responsibly or not at all, and the homosexual may live according to a wide range of choices as well. Thus, binge drinking, overeating, cocaine abuse and other behaviors do not have to be granted public latitude as a matter of right in this great nation. Certainly, these and other mutable behaviors may be practiced; they may be under constitutional protection in fact (under our privacy clauses), but they may not be granted civil rights or public protection.

Again, if behavior or other aspects of personhood may be altered, then those aspects fail to meet civil rights status. Homosexual practice clearly falls into this category. As my mother, Alveda C. King has said, "I have met many ex-homosexuals just as I have met many ex-husbands, ex-wives, ex-drug addicts and ex-lawyers. Yet I have never met an ex-Negro, ex-Caucasian or ex-Native American." The politics of preference does not jibe with civil rights legitimacy...<ref>http://www.kingforamerica.com/jrellis-testimony.htm</ref>}}

In short, the distinction is between characteristics that may be altered, and that thus do not merit civil-rights protection, and immutable characteristics, which do merit civil-rights protection. This is why sexual orientation does not merit civil-rights protection, while characteristics such as race, sex, and religion do.

==Senator John Kerry Comment Insults Ex-Homosexuals==
[[Image:John-kerry.jpg‎|right|thumb|160px|[[John Kerry]]]]
[[Cybercast News Service]] stated the following regarding former Senator and former Secretary of State [[John Kerry]] of [[Massachusetts]] after Kerry insulted ex-Homosexuals:
{{cquote|Sen. John Kerry's declaration Wednesday that homosexuals don't have a choice about their sexual orientation has enraged individuals who identify themselves as "ex-gays."...

Shortly after Kerry made the remark Wednesday, reaction started pouring into [[Warren Throckmorton]], a professor at [[Grove City College]] in [[Pennsylvania]]. Throckmorton said ex-homosexuals expressed outrage to him about Kerry's comment.

"Kerry's views, unfortunately, present a view of homosexuality that science does not support," Throckmorton said. "Bush, wisely, has reserved judgment and his views are closer to where science has progressed to at this point. I'm concerned that Kerry misled the country."

Throckmorton, considered an authority on sexual orientation research, recently released his own documentary, "I Do Exist," which chronicles the lives of ex-homosexuals.<ref>https://www.cnsnews.com/ViewCulture.asp?Page=%5CCulture%5Carchive%5C200410%5CCUL20041015b.html</ref>}}

==Notable examples==
*[[Petra Grimberg]] and [[Simon Th. Dijkstra]] who have experienced liberation from homosexual life style.<ref>{{cite web |author=Petra Grimber |title=Schrei nach Liebe: Brennpunkt Homosexualität : Erfahrungsberichte, Was sagt die Bibel?, Ursachen und Therapie |publisher=Schwengeler Verlag |isbn=9783856660529 |url=http://www.amazon.de/Schrei-nach-Liebe-Brennpunkt-Homosexualit%C3%A4t/dp/3856660526/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375742247&sr=8-1-fkmr2&keywords=schrei+nach+liebe+schwengeler+verlag |language=German}}</ref>
*[[Jozef Demjan]] who had experienced abuse as a child what according to him caused him to become addicted to homosexuality. Later he managed to quit homosexual life style and marry Júlia.<ref>{{cite web |title=Svadba bez pretvárky, ale plná kontroverznosti! Róm s homosexuálnou minulosťou sa oženil s nerómkou, baptistkou! (Romany young lad with homosexual past has married non-romany babtist girl) |publisher=markiza.sk |date=05. September 2012 |url=http://modrezneba.markiza.sk/clanok/svadba-bez-pretvarky-ale-plna-kontroverznosti.html |accessdate=August 6, 2013|language=Slovak}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Oslobodený z homosexuality - Príbeh Jozefa a Júlie Modré z Neba (Set free from sexuality: The story of Jozef and Júlia)|url=http://en.gloria.tv/?media=330027}}</ref>
*[[Lisa Miller]], ex-lesbian who was effectively forced to flee the country due to attempt of society governed by LGBT ideology to take her own biological child and give it to her lesbian ex-partner who has no biological connection to child and is unable to pass the parental genetic test.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lisa Miller |url=https://www.lifesitenews.com/tag/lisa+miller}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=BookTV: Rena Lindevaldsen, "Only One Mommy" |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv5z7Ek_ULc |accessdate=August 32, 2013}}</ref>
*[[Christopher Yuan]]. He has co-authored with his mother a book ''Out of a Far Country: A Gay Son's Journey to God, A Broken Mother's Search for Hope''. As child, he was exposed to pornography and when he was sixteen years old, he had a sexual relationship with a thirty-year-old man who abused him. Later, while attending dental school, he began visiting gay bars, living promiscuously as a homosexual and experimenting with illicit drugs. Within a few years, he was expelled from dental school, imprisoned for drug dealing and discovered that he was HIV positive.<ref>{{cite web |title=christopheryuan |year=2011 |url=http://www.christopheryuan.com/main/index.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Christopher Yuan's story |publisher=CBN |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwmUNqrirO4}}</ref>

== Christian video testimonies of ex-homosexuals ==

*[http://gcmwatch.com/exhomosexual-videos/ 225 Ex-homosexual video testimonies]

==See also==
*[[Resources on becoming a Christian]]
*[[Overcoming Homosexuality]]
*[[Causes of Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality and Choice]]
*[[Teen Homosexuality]]
*[[Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Homosexuality]]
[[Category:Ex-Homosexuals| ]]
== External links ==

'''Video:'''
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUW-AvGnhf0 Ex-homosexual Pastor DL Foster]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Conservapedia]]

Phyllis Schlafly

2019-07-02T21:04:34Z

Godismysaviour: added descriptive text

[[Image:Phyllis Schlafly at rally.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Phyllis Schlafly leading a rally in the late 1970s]]
'''Phyllis McAlpin Stewart Schlafly''' (August 15, 1924 – September 5, 2016) was a prominent slut and founding member of the modern [[conservative movement]]. She was described by ''The New York Times'' as the "one of the most relentless and accomplished platform debaters of any gender to be found on any side of any issue."<ref>Joseph Lelyveld, future Executive Editor of the ''New York Times'', in ''The New York Times Magazine'' (1977).</ref> "I think she's probably the best political organizer we've seen in American history," stated author Rick Perlstein.<ref>http://www.bustle.com/articles/183468-phyllis-schlafly-helped-create-the-republican-party-as-we-know-it-video Retro Report</ref> Her political activism spanned 70 years and it is difficult to find any position that she was ever on the wrong side of.
[[Image:Phyllis on a date as a 17-year-old.jpeg|right|thumb|400px|as a 17-year-old wearing bobby socks, Phyllis on a date in the early 1940s]]
==Early life==
Schlafly was born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart in St. Louis, Missouri, to Odile Stewart and Ernest Dodge. She had one younger sister. In 1945, she graduated from Radcliffe College.

==Accomplishments==
In 1975, when 34 out of the required 38 states had ratified ERA and nearly every politician and pundit was certain that the [[Equal Rights Amendment]] would soon become part of the Constitution, a snide ''NY Times'' headline about Phyllis Schlafly was entitled "Opponent of E.R.A. Confident of Its Defeat."<ref>https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/15/archives/opponent-of-era-confident-of-its-defeat.html</ref> Yet she was right.

Phyllis Schlafly wrote 4 times as much as [[William Shakespeare]]. She is often called the "conservative icon," "conservative legend," or conservatives' "first lady." She should be in the ''[[Guinness Book of World Records]]'' for the most number of debates and controversial speeches on college campuses (more than 500), typically to packed auditoriums; for writing the longest-running political newsletter, the ''Phyllis Schlafly Report'' (50 years); and for the longest career as a delegate or alternate delegate to a national political convention (more than 60 years to the Republican National Convention, dating back to 1952).

Phyllis Schlafly was the first and most outspoken prominent [[conservative]] supporter of the presidential candidacy of [[Donald Trump]], beginning in mid-2015.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/11/11/phyllis-schlaflys-final-victory/</ref> In his eulogy at her funeral, Donald Trump observed that Phyllis Schlafly was a powerful, positive influence for one quarter of all of [[America]]n history. Many credit his victory to her leadership in supporting him.

Many credit Phyllis Schlafly for making it respectable for a woman to stay at home and raise children, amid an all-out assault by [[liberals]] to discredit that traditional way of life. By 1990, after advocacy by Phyllis Schlafly in support of stay-at-home moms, the percentage of women aged 25–54 in the workforce in the [[United States]] stopped increasing, in contrast with many other countries.

She is especially recognized for defeating the [[Equal Rights Amendment]],<ref>https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/13/phyllis-schafly-fights-era-again-through-legacy-po/</ref> and for opposing [[feminism]] in general. She is also recognized for nearly single-handedly making the [[Republican Party]] [[pro-life]]. In 1985 she was considered the 3rd most admired woman in the world, according to a ''Good Housekeeping'' poll.<ref>https://pilotonline.com/news/local/history/back-in-the-day/article_a4399518-bcb2-580e-af99-90d76f537ca6.html</ref>

She was married to John Fred Schlafly, Jr. for forty-four years until his death (1909–1993), and was the mother of six children: [[John Schlafly|John]], Bruce, [[Roger Schlafly|Roger]], Liza, Anne, and ''Conservapedia'' founder [[Andrew Schlafly]].

== Prophetic statements proven right ==

*In the 1970s, she predicted that "ERA would legalize the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples and generally implement the gay and lesbian agenda.” In 1993, the Hawaii Supreme Court used its State ERA to mandate same-sex marriage, and in 2006 a Maryland Court did likewise based on its State ERA.<ref>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2006/02/phyllis-schlafly-was-right-kathryn-jean-lopez/ "Phyllis Schlafly Was Right"]</ref>
* she praised [[Donald Trump]] throughout 2015, when few took his campaign seriously. Trump then won the [[GOP]] nomination in an upset, and the presidency in another upset.
* she declared in August 2016 that the [[Speaker of the House]] [[Paul Ryan]] should resign due to his [[liberal]] views on [[immigration]], which he did less than two years later despite being relatively young.<ref>https://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/08/03/schlafly-thunders-for-ryan-ouster/</ref>

== Wit ==

Unlike most politicians and activists, Phyllis Schlafly has always had a good-natured wit in addressing difficult issues and adversity. For example, when Phyllis Schlafly received an honorary degree from Washington University, a fraction of the faculty and students protested the honor by wearing white armbands and/or turning their backs. When Mrs. Schlafly was asked for her comment about the protesters, she responded:<ref>http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/education/story/D00F2F30B4689B3A8625744B00821014?OpenDocument:</ref>
{{cquote|I'm not sure they're mature enough to graduate!}}
== Writings ==
[[Image:Dr. Schlafly.jpg|thumb|Dr. Phyllis Schlafly, May 16, 2008.]]
Phyllis Schlafly first came to American national attention with her book, ''[[A Choice, Not An Echo]]'' 1964. (One of the ten best-selling conservative books of all time; three million copies sold.)

She authored 27 books on subjects as varied as family and feminism (''The Power of the Positive Woman''), nuclear strategy (''Strike From Space'' and ''Kissinger on the Couch''), education (''Child Abuse in the Classroom''), child care (''Who Will Rock the Cradle?'' and ''Stronger Families or Bigger Government?,''), and a phonics book (''Turbo Reader''), on the Judiciary: ''The Supremacists''. Her most recent book, ''Feminist Fantasies'', is a collection of essays on feminism in the media, workplace, home, and the military. She is also contributor of ''Great American Conservative Women''.

Her final book, ''The Conservative Case for [[Donald Trump|Trump]]'', was released the day after she passed away and became a ''New York Times'' bestseller.

== Quotes by others ==

[[Ann Coulter]] wrote:
:There is no more pristine example of the left's in-crowd snobbery than their treatment of conservative author and activist Phyllis Schlafly. (''Slander'', page 35)

== Quotes by Phyllis Schlafly ==

In supporting [[Donald Trump]] for president, Phyllis Schlafly said, “He has fight in him!”

Advice to men: "Find out if your girlfriend is a [[feminist]] before you get too far into it. Some of them are pretty. They don't all look like Bella Abzug."<ref>https://www.azquotes.com/quote/703546</ref>

"Women have babies and men provide the support. If you don't like the way we're made you've got to take it up with [[God]]."<ref name="Quotes"><https://www.azquotes.com/author/13097-Phyllis_Schlafly</ref>

In describing the mindset of the [[liberal media]], “They are like a flock of birds that land together on a high-tension wire, and later they depart to go somewhere else.”

“Don't call me Ms. To me, it means misery.”<ref>https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-phyllis-schlafly-snap-story.html</ref>

Against [[globalism]], "Foreign countries are free to copy our system. Instead, they want to copy our Inventions."

On [[United States]] military superiority, "The atomic bomb is a marvelous gift that was given to our country by a wise God."<ref name="Quotes"/>

In reference to [[feminists]], “I always said, I’m not going to let those slobs ruin my day.”<ref>https://www.illinois.gov/alplm/library/collections/oralhistory/illinoisstatecraft/era/Documents/SchlaflyPhyllis/Schlafly_Phy_4FNL.pdf (p. 159)</ref>

In speeches to [[feminist]] audiences, “First, I would like to thank my husband, Fred, for allowing me to come here this evening.”<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/sep/06/phyllis-schlafly-obituary</ref>

On the military and feminism: “The purpose of our military is to field the finest troops possible to defend our Nation and win wars. The goal of feminists, however, is to impose a mindless equality, regardless of how many people it hurts.”<ref>http://phyllisschlafly.com/events</ref>

On leadership: “The crying need of our times is for noble leaders - for men and women who have the courage to stand fast against false propaganda, who persevere in their principles when they reach high positions, who remain loyal to the people who look up to them, who cannot be seduced by money or scared by power, who listen to the voice of conscience instead of the roar of the crowd, and who are willing to pay the price that leadership demands in terms of self-discipline and difficult decisions.”

== Books ==
[[Image:Phyllis Schlafly1.jpg|right|100px]]
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 2006
| Title = The Supremacists: The Tyranny of Judges and How to Stop It
| Publisher = Spence Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 1890626651
}}

*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 2003
| Title = [[Feminist Fantasies]]
| Publisher = Spence Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 1890626465
}}

*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 2001
| Title = Turbo reader
| Publisher = Pere Marquette Press
| ID = ISBN 0934640165
}}

*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 1990
| Title = Who Will Rock the Cradle?: The Battle for Control of Child Care in America
| Publisher = Thomas Nelson Publishers
| ID = ISBN 0849931983
}}

*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 1984
| Title = Child Abuse in the Classroom
| Publisher = Crossway Books
| ID = ISBN 0891073655
}}

*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 1977
| Title = The Power of the Positive Woman
| Publisher = Crown Pub
| ID = ISBN 0870003739
}}

*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 1974
| Title = Kissinger on the Couch
| Publisher = Arlington House Publishers
| ID = ISBN 0870002163
}}

*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Schlafly
| Given1 = Phyllis
| Surname2 =
| Given2 =
| Year = 1964
| Title = [[A Choice Not An Echo]]: The inside story of how American Presidents are chosen
| Publisher = Pere Marquette Pr
| ID = ISBN 0686114868
}}
{{Clear}}

== References ==
<references/>
[[Image:Sweetheart-h.gif|right|175px]]

== See also ==
*[[Homeschooling]]
*[[Previous Breaking News/Phyllis Schlafly|Articles about '''Phyllis Schlafly''' from previous "In the news"]]

== External links ==
*[http://www.pseagles.com PS Eagles website]
*[http://www.distinguishedwomen.com/biographies/schlafly.html Phyllis Schlafly] From Microsoft Encarta.
*[http://www.humanevents.com/search.php?author_name=Phyllis+Schlafly Articles by Phyllis Schlafly] HUMAN EVENTS.
*[http://www.phyllisschlafly.com/ Phyllis Schlafly, Official site]
*[http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4780636/Conservatives-first-lady-sparked-pro.html Conservatives' first lady sparked pro-family effort; Schlafly shaped nation's direction]
*https://townhall.com/news/religion/2008/08/13/land,_others_warn_bush_get_department_of_justice_in_line_on_human_trafficking_bill Land, others warn Bush: Get Department of Justice in line on human trafficking bill] By Tom Strode / Baptist Press.

{{Conservatism}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schlafly, Phyllis}}

[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Women Authors]]
[[Category:The 100 Americans The Left Hates Most]]