Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Bobby Orr

2010-02-14T21:26:50Z

LeviLing:

'''Robert "Bobby" Orr''' was born in Parry Sound, [[Ontario]] on March 20th, 1948. He played defence for the Bruins and is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest player ever to play the game. He was the only defenceman ever to win a scoring title and one of the few to ever record a 100-point season (Paul Coffee and Brian Leetch being the other two, Ray Borque was close with several 90-point plus seasons). Besides being known for his phenomenal scoring and play-making ability, Orr was also known for his great defensive abilities such as checking, blocking shots, and chasing opposing players. Every aspect of the game, Orr excelled in. Unfortunately, his career was cut short. He was forced to retire at the young age of 28 (what should have been his playing prime) because of injuries. Because of this, he was unable to reach the 1000 point club, something he would have easily done had he played just another few seasons. Still, he was easily elected into the [[Hockey Hall of Fame]] and is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. Orr played for the Boston Bruins during his years in the [[NHL]] and won several [[Stanley Cup]]s with them.
==See Also==
*[[Boston Bruins]]
*[[NHL]]
*[[Wayne Gretzky]]

==Links==
*[http://www.hhof.com/legendsofhockey/html/spot_oneononep197902.htm Legends of Hockey - One on One with Bobby Orr]
[[Category: NHL Players]]

Bobby Orr

2010-02-14T21:26:36Z

LeviLing: added a few links and corrected minor spelling errors

'''Robert "Bobby" Orr''' was born in Parry Sound, [[Ontario]] on March 20th, 1948. He played defence for the Bruins and is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest player ever to play the game. He was the only defenceman ever to win a scoring title and one of the few to ever record a 100-point season (Paul Coffee and Brian Leetch being the other two, Ray Borque was close with several 90-point plus seasons). Besides being known for his phenomenal scoring and play-making ability, Orr was also known for his great defensive abilities such as checking, blocking shots, and chasing opposing players. Every aspect of the game, Orr excelled in. Unfortunately, his career was cut short. He was forced to retire at the young age of 28 (what should have been his playing prime) because of injuries. Because of this, he was unable to reach the 1000 point club, something he would have easily done had he played just another few seasons. Still, he was easily elected into the [[Hockey Hall of Fam]]e and is considered by many to be the greatest player of all time. Orr played for the Boston Bruins during his years in the [[NHL]] and won several [[Stanley Cup]]s with them.
==See Also==
*[[Boston Bruins]]
*[[NHL]]
*[[Wayne Gretzky]]

==Links==
*[http://www.hhof.com/legendsofhockey/html/spot_oneononep197902.htm Legends of Hockey - One on One with Bobby Orr]
[[Category: NHL Players]]

User talk:LeviLing

2010-02-14T21:23:21Z

LeviLing: Created page with 'Hello'

Hello

Buddhism

2010-02-14T21:21:36Z

LeviLing:

'''Buddhism''' is classified as the fifth largest [[religion]] in the world. It is a belief system which teaches that desire causes suffering and if desire is eliminated, enlightenment and [[Nirvana]] are attained. Buddhism is a [[Dharmic religion]] and is often viewed as a philosophy more than a religion because gods are not necessary or primary in Buddhist thought. Much of modern Buddhism is [[atheist]]ic or [[agnostic]] in practice. The term Buddha means "the enlightened one."
[[Image:Nara.jpg|thumb|200px|Great Buddha at [[Nara]]]]
==Founder==
Buddhism was founded by an [[India|Indian]] prince, [[Siddhartha Gautama]], who, after being sheltered from coming into contact with suffering due to [[disease]], [[poverty]] and [[death]] until adulthood, finally observed the suffering of his people during his first walk outside the palace grounds. After that he worked to discover the reason for suffering and pain. He studied a number of the disciplines of the day, seeking ultimate truth. After finding other approaches to understanding lacking, he went into meditation for 49 days, vowing not to move until he had attained enlightenment. After great personal struggle he achieved enlightenment, and began to teach the principles that are now associated with Buddhism.

The philosophy has its roots in [[Hinduism]] and Vedic religion, to which Gautama belonged until the foundation of Buddhism.

==View of God==
[[Image:Mandala of Prajnaparamit.jpg|thumb|Mandala of Prajnaparamit, [[Tibet]].]]
Some Buddhist scriptures and some sects, like the Mahayana school, acknowledge that gods exist,<ref>[http://wri.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/buddhism.html Buddhism]</ref><ref>[http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma3/budgod.html Do Buddhists Believe in God?]</ref> but do not consider that knowledge crucial to an individual's practice of Buddhist teachings. The Buddha taught that we should not speculate about what we cannot know, and that speculation about [[God]] is pointless. Buddhists' priorities are release from suffering (by learning to cease striving after objects of desire and avoiding objects of discomfort) and direct experience of the true nature of reality. Many modern strains of Buddhism are [[atheist|atheistic]] in nature, thus creating a paradox as to why they are called a religion. They can be considered to be philosophies of life. Certain denominations, such as the Mahayana tradition, believe in [[Bodhisattvas]], or quasi-divine cosmic beings that seek to benefit others by remaining in a state of [[Samsara]], or eternal rebirth. These are prayed to, for advice and spiritual guidance, and often venerated.

{{Clear}}

==Teachings==
The highest ideal for a Buddhist is the state of Nirvana, or release from eternal rebirth, a state beyond conceptual thought. This descibes a state that is achieved through meditation and practice that is beyond the categories and conditioning that are a result of our education, experiences and the limitations of language. This state has been described by the Buddha as follows:
<blockquote>''"There is O monks, an Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed. Were there not, o monks, this Unborn, Unoriginated, Uncreated, Unformed, there would be no escape from the world of the born, originated, created, formed. ~ Udana, 80-81"''</blockquote>

Adherents claim that Buddhism is a very practical [[philosophy]], which teaches us to focus our attention on personal experience, to determine what is the cause of our discontents ("dukkha") and to find a way to liberate ourselves from these, all the while expressing "metta", which is universal, unconditional love, and "karuna", which roughly translates to "compassion", towards others. These teachings are encapsulated in the [[Four Noble Truths]].<ref>[http://www.parami.org/buddhistanswers/four_noble_truths.htm Four Noble Truths]</ref>

Buddhism is commonly held to be a relatively peaceful religion, due to its less "absolutist" view of morality and the fluid nature of thought that encouraged not just acceptance of other faiths and ideas, but also examination of those ideas and, if necessary, applying them to ones life. This also allows people to follow Buddhism as a philosophy, and Islam, Judaism or Christianity as a faith, without contradicting any principles of either following.<ref>http://buddhism.about.com/</ref>

It should be noted that the ideals of tolerance and introspection among the Buddhist faithful were often ignored by the leaders of Buddhist nations (much like the leaders of most other nations often disobeyed their own religions fundamental laws in the in the interest of what was practical) <ref>http://buddhism.about.com/</ref> and persecution of Christians in predominantly Buddhist nations does occur today.<ref>http://www.persecution.org/whitepapers/vietnam-2002-03.html</ref><ref>http://www.christianpersecution.info/news/new-evidence-of-religious-persecution-in-vietnam-despite-release-prisoner/</ref><ref>http://persecution.org/Countries/laos.html</ref> It is important to note that only around 55% of Vietnam is Buddhist (see below), and that Buddhist monks took an active role in protesting the corrupt Diem regime and the Vietnam War.

Many of Buddhism's tenets might be considered to promote a 'liberal' lifestyle: vegetarianism, absolute pacifism, tolerance, lack of condemnation of homosexuality, agnosticism etc.

==The Eightfold Path==
The [[Noble Eightfold Path]] is a teaching in Buddhism used to enlighten the individual, helping them to see the ultimate truth behind things like greed, suffering, and hatred.
:* Right View - Is the way of looking at the world as it really is, to understand how it really works.
:* Right Intention - The purging of qualities the person knows to be wrong or immoral from themselves. Right View helps to identify which intentions are good and which are not. Exemplified by a commitment to nonviolence against other living beings.
:* Right Speech - Instructs the practitioner of Buddhism in how to speak to others. Emphasizes telling the truth, avoiding gossip and idle chatter, and speaking in a polite, pacifying manner. This path also scorns against hateful, divisive speech.
:* Right Action - This path instructs the practitioner in how to act in a morally upright manner, abstaining from violence, stealing, taking a life, and sexual misconduct.
:* Right Livelihood - This instructs the practitioner to not engage in trades which, either directly or indirectly, result in harm to another living thing. These include Arms dealing, Human trade, working with animals raised to be slaughtered, or selling alcohol or drugs.
:* Right effort - This is the teaching of ridding oneself of all harmful thought, words, and deeds, and prevent new ones from emerging.
:* Right Mindfulness - This teaches the practitioner to be focused on their own mind and aware or changes and phenomena affecting them, never to act or speak in error due to inattention or forgetfulness.
:* Right Concentration - This path teaches the practitioner how to meditate, calming the body and mind through measured breathing and repetition of a word or phrase. Using this practice allows the person to focus on what they have learned, and through dwelling on those teachings, gain knowledge of the world around them.

==Buddhism in Antiquity==
Buddhism has been an important part of the culture in many eastern countries, such as [[Cambodia]], [[Thailand]], and [[India]]. It has endured active persecution when conflicting with older beliefs such as [[Hinduism]], and led in many countries to the rise of Buddhist warrior-dissidents, as well as such interesting anomalies as ''shinshi'' (transliterated from the Khmer), a form of torture wherein strips of flesh are removed slowly from the forehead. <ref>Schlesinger, Robert. ''Schlesinger's History of the East'', 2nd ed. New York: Camport & Sons, 1986.</ref>

==Branches of Buddhism==
Like many other religions of the world, Buddhism has developed into numerous branches and variation on the themes taught by the Buddha. While it would be impossible to give a truly succinct description of every permutation, the chools of thought encompasing Buddhism are generally broken into three major divisions, discussed briefly below.

'''Theravada'''

Therevaden Buddhism, also called Hinyama by some Mahayana Buddhist practitioners, is what can be described as the earliest advent of Buddhism and the closest to the original philosophy founded by the Buddha and is regarded by practitioners as the more conservative of the three divisions.

Central to the Theravadan school of thought is the notion of Vibhajjavada<ref>http://palikanon.com/english/wtb/u_v/vibhajja_vaada.htm</ref> or Teaching of Analysis. This notion holds that true insight for a student comes from a combination of critical reasoning and non-reliance on blind faith, though the teachings and writings of one's elders should be considered.

Furthermore, Theravada teaches that enlightenment is not attainable in a single life-time, nor should it be thought to be. Isntead, one must break free of their worldly fetters (hatred, lust, shame) before being reborn and continuing on the path to eventual enlightenment.

Theravadan Buddhism's main text can be considered the Pali Cannon, though a wealth of scripture, sutras and treatises have arisen and shall c ontinue to be written as the philosophy continues to deversify.

==Buddhism Today==
[[Image:China B.jpg|right]]
Buddhism is currently the majority religion in the following states:

Country Percent

Thailand 95%

Cambodia 90

Myanmar 88

Bhutan 75

Sri Lanka 70

Tibet * 65

Laos 60

Vietnam 55

Japan ** 50

<nowiki>*</nowiki> [[China]]: Is the country with the most buddhists, with an estimated 100 million adherents.

<nowiki>*</nowiki> Tibet is an estimate, as there has never been a reliable survey. Furthermore, it is debatable whether Tibet should be considered an independent nation.

<nowiki>**</nowiki> [[Japan]] is an "odd" case, as surveys of adherence are conducted rather differently. Firstly it is debatable at what point various Japanese beliefs shift from being traditions to being religions. This is indicated by the fact that "85% of Japanese claim Buddhism as their preferred religion", yet "75% percent claim to practice and believe in no religion" -a more accurate estimate may be 20%.
<ref>[http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_buddhist.html The Largest Buddhist Communities]</ref>

[[Image:Obon.jpg|thumb|Obon remains one of the most important Buddhist observances]]

<blockquote>
The Obon Festival is one of Japan’s oldest Buddhist celebrations; it marks the time that it’s believed the spirits of dead ancestors return to the Earth. The gathering included the Bon Odori dance, which remembers Japanese ancestors by imitating motions of picking cherries and mining coal. [http://www.culturesdiary.com/]
</blockquote>
{{Clear}}

==References==
<References/>

== See also ==
*[[Kamakura]]
*[[Nara]]
*[[Christianity in Conservapedia]]

== External links ==
*[http://wri.leaderu.com/wri-table2/buddhism.html#intro Buddhism]
*[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism]
*[http://www.kalachakranet.org/buddhism/history_japanese_buddhism.htm History of Japanese Buddhism]

== Further reading ==
[[File:Buddhism1.jpg|thumb|200px]]
* Chodron, Thubten. ''Buddhism for Beginners'' (2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Beginners-Thubten-Chodron/dp/1559391537/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262317083&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]
* Harding, John S. et al, eds. ''Wild Geese: Buddhism in Canada'' (2010)
* Landaw, Jonathan, and Stephan Bodian. ''Buddhism For Dummies'' (2002) [http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-Dummies-Religion-Spirituality/dp/0764553593/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262317083&sr=1-5 excerpt and text search]
* Rahula, Walpola. ''What the Buddha Taught: Revised and Expanded Edition with Texts from Suttas and Dhammapada''. Grove, 1994.
* Rapaport, Al, and Brian Hotchkiss. ''Buddhism in America'' (1998) [http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-America-Al-Rapaport/dp/0804831521/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262316921&sr=1-10 excerpt and text search]
* Seager, Richard Hughes. ''Buddhism in America'' (2000) [http://www.amazon.com/Buddhism-America-Richard-Hughes-Seager/dp/0231108699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262316921&sr=1-1 excerpt and text search]

[[Category:Buddhism]]
[[Category:Dharmic Religions]]
[[Category:Religion]]

MySpace

2010-02-14T21:12:58Z

LeviLing: /* Criticism */

'''MySpace''' is an online social networking web site which allows users to create custom profiles, write [[blog]]s, and upload photos and videos. It became popular among people in the music industry as a way to build a fanbase and promote their music. As of March 2007, over 130 Million people use MySpace. Myspace is owned by [[News Corporation]].
Its popularity has been dropping in recent years in favour of more popular social networking sites such as [[Facebook]].
==Criticism==
*Many adults have criticized MySpace as being a hotbed for [[pedophile]]s and other undesirable users.
*Many users do not know how much or how little information to put online, sometimes causing them to put far too much personal information online, where anyone can read it. <ref>[http://www.csoonline.com.au/index.php/id;1561163121;fp;16;fpid;0 "Mr. Safety keeps watch on MySpace security"]</ref>
* Some employers have begun to research prospective employees by browsing their MySpace sites, possibly affecting their chance at being hired. <ref>[http://www.bju.edu/collegian/index.php?issue=104&article=1084 Facebook, MySpace impact employee hiring], The Collegian Staff, Bob Jones University, Accessed October 30, 2008</ref>
*Others have criticized it for being the very demise of real-life relationships, instead forcing those relationships onto the internet.
*Several people have voiced complaints of teenagers posting suggestive or otherwise inappropriate pictures of themselves. They claim that Myspace has not done enough to protect minors from the dangers associated with the internet. Myspace responded by implementing a "private" setting for profiles, blocking access to strangers, but this and other security features have done little to sway critics.
*MySpace has been used by [[atheists]] to promote their blogs, books and to reach out to young people. However, MySpace was very decisive in deleting a large atheist group<ref>http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/2008/01/banned-myspace-deletes-largest-atheist.html
</ref>. MySpace's founder Tom Anderson is himself an atheist.<ref>http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/30/myspace-cofounder-tom-anderson-was-a-real-life-wargames-hacker-in-1980s/</ref>

==Christian alternatives==
*[http://www.faithfreaks.com Faith Freaks]
*[http://www.mypraize.com MyPraize]
*[http://www.xianz.com Xianz.com]
*[http://www.hisholyspace.com His Holy Space]

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Online social networking]]

Holocene

2010-02-14T21:07:01Z

LeviLing: /* The Ages of the Holocene */

According to evolutionary biologists and geologists, the '''Holocene''' is the geologic period we now live in. It is theorized to cover the last 12,000 years and all of human civilization (although not all of humanity). It covers the Neolithic to the Information Age, and was preceded by the [[Pleistocene]] epoch.

==The Ages of the Holocene==
*[[Neolithic]] - The New Stone Age. This is theorized to cover the advent of agriculture to the use of bronze weapons. Roughly 12,000 years ago to 4,000 years ago. However, [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creation scientists]] believe that the age of the Earth is far less than what is believed by evolutionists. Therefore, they consider the Holocene as covering the period from the creation of the Earth until 4000 years ago.
*[[Bronze Age]] - The Use of Bronze to make tools and weapons. 4,000 years ago to 2,500 years ago.
*[[Iron Age]] - This age is concurrent with classical [[Greece]] and [[Rome]]. It is during this age that [[Christianity]] first came onto the scene.
*[[Middle Ages]] - From the fall of Rome around 400 A.D. to the invention of the printing press in the 15th century.
*[[Renaissance]] - Increased interest in science and vast increase in knowledge due to the printing press. Exchange of ideas between cultures. This was the age of [[Galileo]], [[Shakespeare]], and [[Copernicus]].
*[[Industrial Age]] - From the late 1700s to the early 1900s. This age saw the invention of many modern machines that we now take for granted such as the steam locomotive, automobile, telephone, and airplane. Working conditions were difficult and sometimes brutal during this era. This is what led [[Karl Marx]] to come up with [[communism]]. The idea was later twisted into a [[totalitarian]] [[dictatorship]] by the monster [[Stalin]].
*[[Atomic Age]] - From WWII until about 1990, this era saw the invention of atomic weapons by the United States and the Soviets. This is the first time in the history of the earth that a single species is capable of destroying the entire planet.
*[[Information Age]] - Starting around 1990, the Internet began to be used by more people. Invented in 1969 by the US military, it became more commonly used by civilians during the 1980s and by 1995 the word "Internet" was beginning to enter everyday vocabulary. By 2000, high speed internet was beginning to become available and now billions of people all over the world are connected like never before. This is much to the chagrin of oppressive governments such as [[China]] and [[Colombia]] where ideas about freedom and social justice are being spread from Western Europe and [[North America]] into impoverished and oppressed nations.

== Young earth creation scientists view ==
[[Young earth creationist]] scientist state that there are numerous lines of evidence pointing to a young earth and that the old earth [[paradigm]] is errant and has many [[anomalies]] (for details please see: [[Geologic system]] and [[Young Earth Creationism]]).

==See Also==
*[[Pleistocene]]

[[Category:Geologic Systems]]

Patrick Roy

2010-02-14T21:02:46Z

LeviLing:

'''Patrick Roy''' (born October 5th, 1965) was a goaltender who played for the [[Montreal Canadiens]] and the [[Colorado Avalanche]]. He won four [[Stanley Cup]]s during his career. Two with each team. He was traded from the Canadiens to the Avs in 1995, later that season he would lead the Avalanche to their first of two Stanley Cups. Mario Tremblay later kicked himself in the head for making this trade.
[[Category:NHL Players]]

Patrick Roy

2010-02-14T21:02:18Z

LeviLing:

'''Patrick Roy''' (born October 5th, 1965) was a goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche. He won four Stanley Cups during his career. Two with each team. He was traded from the Canadiens to the Avs in 1995, later that season he would lead the Avalanche to their first of two Stanley Cups. Mario Tremblay later kicked himself in the head for making this trade.
[[Category:NHL Players]]

Patrick Roy

2010-02-14T21:02:00Z

LeviLing: Created page with ''''Patrick Roy''' (born October 5th, 1965) was a goaltender who played for the Montreal Canadiens and the Colorado Avalanche. He won four Stanley Cups during his career. Two with...'

Mario Lemieux

2010-02-14T20:49:20Z

LeviLing:

'''Mario Lemieux''' is one of the greatest [[hockey]] players of all time. He played for [[Pittsburgh]]. Lemieux was born in Montreal on October 5th, 1965. He shares the same birthday as [[Patrick Roy]]. He is the only player to approach 200 points (199) and scored the most amount of points in a single season second only to [[Wayne Gretzky]] (Gretzky however did play on a better team). He retired in 1997, was inducted into the Hall of Fame that same year and staged a comeback in 2000. He retired for the final time in 2005 after developing a heart condition.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemieux, Mario}}
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:NHL Players]]
[[Category:Canadians]]

Mario Lemieux

2010-02-14T20:48:54Z

LeviLing: support for clinton is irrelevant, plus no source, he is a canadian and can't vote in US elections, this is a sports article not a politics one

'''Mario Lemieux''' is one of the greatest [[hockey]] players of all time. He played for [[Pittsburgh]]. Lemieux was born in Montreal on October 5th, 1965. He shares the same birthday as [[Patrick Roy]]. He is the only player to approach 200 points (199) and scored the most amount of points in a single season second only to [[Wayne Gretzky]] (Gretzky however did play on a better team). He retired in 1997, was inducted into the Hall of Fame that same year and staged a comeback in 2000. He retired in 2005 after developing a heart condition.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemieux, Mario}}
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:NHL Players]]
[[Category:Canadians]]

Mario Lemieux

2010-02-14T20:47:31Z

LeviLing:

'''Mario Lemieux''' is one of the greatest [[hockey]] players of all time. He played for [[Pittsburgh]]. He supports [[Hillary Clinton]]. Lemieux was born in Montreal on October 5th, 1965. He shares the same birthday as [[Patrick Roy]]. He is the only player to approach 200 points (199) and scored the most amount of points in a single season second only to [[Wayne Gretzky]] (Gretzky however did play on a better team). He retired in 1997, was inducted into the Hall of Fame that same year and staged a comeback in 2000. He retired in 2005 after developing a heart condition.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemieux, Mario}}
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:NHL Players]]
[[Category:Canadians]]

User:LeviLing

2010-02-14T20:38:23Z

LeviLing: Created page with 'Hello my name is Pompadore'

Hello my name is Pompadore