Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

University of Wales

2011-12-06T21:23:17Z

Nahum: Link.

Founded in 1893, the '''University of Wales''' (''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a federal higher educational institution in [[Wales]], comprising nine constituent bodies, an affilliated institution, and three further 'validated' institutions for which the university is the degree-awarding body.

==Constituent Institutions==
*[[Aberystwyth]] University
*Bangor University
*North East Wales Institute of Higher Education
*[[Swansea]] Metropolitan University
*Swansea University
*Trinity College, [[Carmarthen]]
*University of Wales Institute, [[Cardiff]]
*University of Wales, [[Lampeter]]
*University of Wales, [[Newport, Gwent|Newport]]

==Affilliated Institution==
*Cardiff University

==Validated Institutions==
*Coleg [[Harlech]] Wea/Cag
*Llandrillo College
*Royal Welsh College of Music And Drama

==Further Information==
http://www.wales.ac.uk/defaultpage.asp?page=e9

[[Category:Wales]]
[[Category:British Universities]]

University of Wales

2011-12-06T21:22:25Z

Nahum: Remove incorrect link.

Founded in 1893, the '''University of Wales''' (''Prifysgol Cymru'') is a federal higher educational institution in [[Wales]], comprising nine constituent bodies, an affilliated institution, and three further 'validated' institutions for which the university is the degree-awarding body.

==Constituent Institutions==
*[[Aberystwyth]] University
*Bangor University
*North East Wales Institute of Higher Education
*[[Swansea]] Metropolitan University
*Swansea University
*Trinity College, [[Carmarthen]]
*University of Wales Institute, [[Cardiff]]
*University of Wales, [[Lampeter]]
*University of Wales, [[Newport]]

==Affilliated Institution==
*Cardiff University

==Validated Institutions==
*Coleg [[Harlech]] Wea/Cag
*Llandrillo College
*Royal Welsh College of Music And Drama

==Further Information==
http://www.wales.ac.uk/defaultpage.asp?page=e9

[[Category:Wales]]
[[Category:British Universities]]

Cornwall

2011-12-06T19:44:19Z

Nahum: Links.

'''Cornwall''' is a county in the extreme southwest of [[England]]. It lies to the west of [[Devon]], with which it has its only land boundary.

Principal towns and cities in Cornwall include Cambourne, [[Truro]], St. Ives, [[St.Austell]], [[Falmouth]], [[Looe]], [[Penzance]], [[Newquay]] and [[Bude]].

== Economy ==

Historically the area relied heavily on [[tin]] and [[lead]] [[mining]] as well as [[fishing]], and [[smuggling]] and wrecking were also significant occupations.

Now, with one of the most favorable climates in [[Britain]], the focus of industry is now firmly on [[tourism]]. Newquay is Britain's premier [[surfing]] resort. Cornwall is bounded on all sides but one by the sea, also making it a popular location for large-scale drug smuggling.

== History ==

Cornwall is regarded as being one of the Celtic nations, and has its own language, Cornish, related to modern [[Welsh language|Welsh]] and Breton. Although the language has now died out, it survives in written form and a growing number of people are learning it as part of a wider Celtic renaissance in the county.

The county has its own flag, the flag of St. Pirran, a white horizontal cross on a black background, and its own political party, Mebyon Kernow,<ref>http://www.mebyonkernow.org/Public/Stories/89-1.shtml</ref> now substantially represented on several local councils, which campaigns for greater local autonomy.

== References ==
<references />

[[Category:United Kingdom Counties]]

England

2011-12-05T21:34:10Z

Nahum: UK spelling in UK article.

[[Image:England.gif|right|thumb|300px|England (highlighted in light green), showing the boundaries of the ceremonial counties.]]
'''England''' is a constituent country of the [[United Kingdom]] located on the island of [[Great Britain]] in the north-west of [[Europe]].
It is home of the [[English]] language currently spoken by perhaps a billion people worldwide, and was the seat of an empire that spanned the globe.
England is the largest of the UK's constituent countries, both in terms of area and population. It is also home to the UK's capital and [[parliament]], making this area politically and economically important to the UK as a whole. England's government is technically a Constitutional Monarchy, although it exhibits many aspects of [[Socialism|socialism]].

== History ==

The prehistoric inhabitants of the island of Britain were largely [[Celt]]ic.
From AD 43, the [[Roman]]s invaded [[Britain]] and took control of the southern half of the islands, where they founded the fort of "Londinium", which later became [[London]].

[[File:England900.jpg|thumb|280px|England and its neighbours about 900 AD]]
As the [[Roman Empire]] abandoned Britain in AD410, [[Germanic]] tribes, specifically the [[Angles]], [[Saxons]] and [[Jutes]], began to settle over the majority of the island. Kingdoms formed, such as Northumbria (Anglian) in the north, Wessex (named after the West Saxons) in the south west and Kent (probably settled by Jutes, and now the name of a county) in the south east. Parts of the regions now known as [[Wales]], [[Scotland]], and the county of Cornwall continued to be independent Celtic nations for some time after this. The Germanic invaders were still [[pagan]]s when they conquered part of Britain (e.g. [[Penda]] of Mercia was (allegedly) the last pagan King). The English peoples were converted to [[Christianity]], however, in the 7th Century AD. This happened from two directions: the mission of [[St. Augustine]], emissary of Gregory the Great came initially to Kent, while the (successful) mission to the Northumbrian Angles (and from there to peoples further south) was from the [[Celtic Church]] based in northern British monasteries such as [[Iona]] and [[Lindisfarne]]. The entire [[British Isles]] later came under the sway of [[Roman Catholicism]] as the powerful Northumbrian King, Oswy, chose in favour of Roman practice in AD 664 ('Synod of Whitby').
[[Image:London England.jpg|right|300px]]
Later, in 1066 AD, the Norman French Duke [[William the Conqueror]] defeated the last [[Anglo-Saxon]] King, [[Harold Godwinson]]. William established himself as king of England, and the Monarchy continued until the crowning of Stephen of Blois. However, Empress Matilda, with aid of relations and riots going around England caused the signing of the Treaty of Wallingford, where King Henry III became heir of England. The House of Plantagenets (the royal family at the time) Ruled from Aquitane, a county which, although in mordern france, had been English for a long period of time.

Amongst the privileged elite [[French]] language and customs became a part of English culture, however for the most part the common population continued to use their own language and customs. William retained significant territories on mainland Europe, in what is now France. For many hundreds of years England fought a series of wars (including the [[Hundred Years War]]) for possession of northern France. These did not end until 1588 with the loss of [[Calais]]. The [[Channel Islands]] are still a crown dependency to this day.

On the basis of their territories in England and France the Norman monarchs became influential in Europe. In 1215, rebellious nobles forced [[King John]] to sign the [[Magna Carta]], essentially a charter guaranteeing the rights of the king's subject nobles and the church, and setting forward the precedent that the monarch's powers were bound by law. In 1455-1487 a series of conflicts called the [[Wars of the Roses]] were fought between the noble families of York and Lancaster for control of the throne.

After the [[Wars of the Roses]] had been won by Henry of Lancaster, the reign of the [[Tudor dynasty|Tudors]] began. Henry VII, as he became, was more concerned with defending his crown and so concentrated mainly on domestic policies. While Henry VII is one of England's less famous kings he was one of the few monarchs ever to leave the crown solvent upon his death. Henry VIII, unlike his father, was obsessed with winning glory on the battlefield, preferably in France. Henry launched three major wars throughout his reign against France and in the process managed to capture Boulogne. However Henry is most famous for his split with Rome. When the current [[Pope]] refused to allow him to divorce his first wife Catherine of Aragon, Henry passed the Statute of Restraint of appeals, declared himself head of the English Church and decreed that the Pope had no power over England. During his reign Henry had six wives, of which only three bore him children. Of these, only one was a son—a sickly child who reigned as Edward VI for just six years after his father's death. His daughter Elizabeth, however, was crowned Queen in 1558 and became perhaps England's greatest and best-loved monarch. Elizabeth was queen during some of England's greatest moments of the age, the founding of England's first American colony, the defeat of the Spanish Armarda and solidifying The Church of England's beliefs and acceptance within the nation. Upon her death, King James VI of Scotland was crowned King James I, leading to an eventual unification of the two nations.

== Religion ==
In 1533 AD King [[Henry VIII]] formed the [[Church of England]] (CoE) after the [[pope]] refused to annul the marriage between the king and [[Catherine of Aragon]]; while originally the CoE followed a policy of [[Catholic]] without the pope, his successors [[Edward VI]] and [[Elizabeth I]] moved the church in a far more [[Protestantism|protestant]] direction. Henry established himself as the head of the church and made it the state religion of England. This situation continues to this day, although in much modified form. The queen is still the nominal head of the church, although purely as a figurehead. Decisions technically taken by the queen are in fact done only on the advice of her ministers, who in matters of the church invariably act on the advice of the church leaders. Until recently certain bishops of the Church of England were automatically given seats in the House of Lords. The Church of England is closely involved with the ceremonies associated with England, for example at coronations or royal weddings.

Since the [[Reformation]] the country has remained primarily Anglican with the notable exception of the Catholic reigns of [[Mary I]] and [[James II]]. More recently, the number of [[Roman Catholics]] is poised to overtake the number of [[Anglicans]] in the country, a trend that is likely to continue with an influx of migrants from Catholic countries such as [[Ireland]] and recent [[EU]] accession countries such as [[Poland]][http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article1386939.ece]. As with the UK as a whole, the significant minority religions include [[Hinduism]], [[Judaism]] and [[Islam]].

A 2001 census gave the following figures for religious affiliation: [[Christianity]]: 71.6%, [[Islam]]: 3.1%, [[Hindu]]: 1.1%, [[Sikh]]: 0.7%, [[Jewish]]: 0.5%, and [[Buddhist]]: 0.3%, No Faith: 22.3%. Approximately 7% of responders did not answer the question.<ref>http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/commentaries/ethnicity.asp </ref> Unlike American Schools, State run Comprehensive schools in England have a daily act of Christian worship, although there have been efforts in recent times to remove this to properly reflect the multifaith make-up of England <ref>http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2010/dec/26/scrap-compulsory-acts-of-worship</ref> (as well as this it does support some "faith schools" such as Peter Vardy's Emmanuel Schools Foundation through the Academies program).

== Influence ==

England is the home of the English language, which was later spread to all parts of the world by the [[British Empire]], along with traditional English concepts such as the rule of law, universal suffrage, parliamentary government, the jury system, and freedom of speech. The language and these such rights of man are especially evident in the United States.

== References ==

<references/>

== See also ==
*[[English Bill of Rights]]
*[[English Civil War]]
*[[English Painting]]
*[[English coronation oath]]

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:England| ]]
[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:British History]]

Conspiracy theory

2011-11-30T18:56:51Z

Nahum: Add Diana, Princess of Wales.

A '''conspiracy theory''' is a belief that the official report on a major event is inaccurate or blatantly false in order to cover up an unattractive occurrence. Conspiracy theories are usually dismissed by the public as nonsense; however, in rare cases some are later proven to be true. Some of the most notable are:

*If a president of his quality and insight has failed, it must be because his opponents are uniquely evil, coordinated and effective. The problem is not [[Bill Clinton]] or [[Barack Hussein Obama]] but the ruthless Conservative conspiracy against them. <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/25/AR2010112502553.html?wpisrc=nl_opinions Washington Post; Liberals resort to conspiracy theories to explain Obama's problems]</ref>
*FDR knowing about the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]] in advance and encouraging it so America could get in the war; that officers ignored evidence that the attack had started.
*Various theories surrounding [[UFO]]s, alien abduction, and governments "covering up" the existence of extraterrestrials. Usually this is associated with supposed [[alien]] sightings at [[Roswell]], [[New Mexico|NM]]
*The theory that the [[Apollo 11]] lunar landing, commanded by Neil Armstrong, on July 20, 1969, was fake. Supporters analyze photographs, and often claim that satellite photographs of [[Area 51]] resemble a movie studio.
*Various [[9/11 conspiracy theories]].
*Various theories regarding [[JFK]]'s assassination.
*The [[George W. Bush]] presidential campaign conspired to rig the election in 2000. See also: [[Bush v. Gore]]
*The [[George W. Bush]] presidential campaign conspired with [[Diebold]] and other [[electronic]] [[voting machine]] manufacturers to rig the election in 2004. (See article: [[Diebold]])
*The so-called "[[Vast right-wing conspiracy theory|vast right-wing conspiracy]]" as described by [[Hillary Rodham Clinton]].
*People (particularly scientists) who are skeptical of [[Global Warming]] are supposedly funded by [[Big Oil]].
*Operation Northwoods is a 1962 plan by the CIA conspiracy to attack its own citizens in order to place blame on Cuba, hence the right to counter-attack aggression.
*The theory that a [[neocon]] [[cabal]] controlled the [[George W. Bush|Bush Administration]] and was responsible for the [[War in Iraq]].
*The idea that all paleontologists are falsifying evidence to make the Earth appear [[Young Earth Creationism|older than 6000 years]]
*The [[Jews]] are [[Anti-Semitism|conspiring to destroy civilization]]. (Very popular theory in [[Europe]] from the [[Middle Ages]] on, seems to have lost a lot of currency outside the [[Middle East]] since the [[Holocaust]].)<ref>[http://newint.org/features/2004/10/01/conspiracism/ "ZOG Ate My Brains"]</ref>
*Denial of the Holocaust's existence and/or claims of exaggeration. [[Iran|Iranian]] president [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] is among this theory's supporters.
*The theory that the Iraq War was started by [[Big Oil]] in order to gain access to cheap [[petroleum]].
*Various theories regarding [[population control]], including a supposed deliberate conspiracy to make foods and the [[environment]] unsafe, legalization of [[abortion]] and [[contraception]] to prevent [[population growth]], and jets spraying toxic "[[chemtrails]]" over rural areas. Usually supporters claim ease of controlling smaller groups of people.
*A "[[New World Order]]" brought about by a one-world government with a global [[currency]]. Usually this is combined with [[premillenialist]] and/or [[dispensationalist]] views of the [[Bible|Biblical]] Book of [[Revelation]]. Implanted [[RFID]] chips, mandated by the [[Antichrist]] and used for financial purposes, are thought to be the "[[Mark of the Beast]]."
*The influence of [[secret societies]], [[fraternal organizations]], and various [[religion|religious groups]]. [[Freemasons]], the [[Illuminati]], the [[United Nations]], the [[Catholic Church]], [[Judaism]], and the Catholic "Society of Jesus" ([[Jesuits]]) are popular targets. Often these groups are accused of being behind so-called "[[shadow government|shadow governments]]." [[FEMA]] has been accused of being a "shadow government" as well.
*Various claims regarding the [[income tax]], including the [[ratification]] process of the [[Sixteenth Amendment]]. The legitimacy of the [[Federal Reserve]] and the [[IRS]] are questioned by these people, and most favor a return to the [[gold standard]].
*A supposed part-human, part-reptile (or part-alien) bloodline with politically- and financially-powerful members. Former British [[soccer]] player [[David Icke]] promotes these theories.<ref>http://www.davidicke.com/</ref>
*People associated with the [[Clinton]]'s wind-up dead, Clinton Body Count conspiracy. <ref>[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Clinton+body+count&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g5 Google Search Clinton Body Count]</ref>
*[[Pat Tillman]] was killed by the government due to his antiwar/Noam Chomsky relationships. <ref>[http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/kschlichter/2010/07/13/the-tillman-story-dont-let-the-facts-get-in-the-way-of-your-agenda/ FILM REVIEW: Absurd Conspiracy Theories Abound in Agenda-Driven ‘Tillman Story’, BigHollywood.com]</ref>
*Middle East connection to the [[Oklahoma City Bombing]]. <ref>[http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2009/04/mcveigh-cited-again-as-reason-for-rightwing-warning-why-not-accomplices-hussain-alhussaini-and-.html MCVEIGH CITED AGAIN AS REASON FOR 'RIGHT-WING' WARNING; Atlas Shrugs, April 16, 2009]</ref>
*[[Sirhan Sirhan]] was complicit with the Arab world, [[RFK | RFK's]] staunch support of [[Israel]] would be the reason for his assassination. <ref>[http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/02/28/assassin-maintains-remember-shooting-rfk/?test=latestnews?test=faces?test=latestnews Assassin Maintains He Can't Remember Shooting RFK, FoxNews, February 28, 2011]</ref>
*[[Diana, Princess of Wales]] was murdered by the British security service [[MI5]] at the [[Duke of Edinburgh]]'s orders to prevent her giving birth to a [[Islam|Moslem]] child by Dodi Fayed.

==Common elements of Conspiracy Theories==
The target blamed for everything may change, but most destructive conspiracy theories believe the same things:

* The world is divided into 'us' and 'them'. We are "good," and they are "evil."
* Our opponents are evil and subversive... possibly not even human.
* "They" are responsible for our troubles – We are blameless and without fault.
* Time is running out, and we must act immediately to avoid disaster.
<ref>[http://newint.org/features/2004/10/01/conspiracism/ "ZOG Ate My Brains", again]</ref>

Conspiracy theories provide an important element of certainty in a world that seems random and perverse. Believing that a small, evil group controls everything is actually more reassuring to some minds than believing things just happen by random circumstance. Often it can be entertaining, and many [[documentaries]] and TV specials have been produced about conspiracy theories.

== External links ==

*[http://www.rense.com/general44/sevenjewishamericans.htm Seven Jewish Americans Control Most US Media.]

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

[[Category:Conspiracy Theory]]
[[Category:Terms]]

Diana, Princess of Wales

2011-11-30T18:50:11Z

Nahum: Links.

[[Image:Diana.jpg|left]]
'''Diana, Princess of Wales''' (born Diana Frances Spencer, July 1, 1961 - August 31, 1997) was the first wife of [[Prince Charles|Charles]], [[Prince of Wales]], heir to the throne of the [[United Kingdom]], and is the mother of Princes [[Prince William of Wales|William]] and Harry. She was killed in a motor accident in [[Paris]] on 31 August 1997.

She was born in Sandringham, [[Norfolk]] as the third daughter of John Spencer, Viscount Althorp (later the 8th Earl Spencer) and his first wife, Frances (later Mrs. Frances Shand-Kydd). She had older two sisters, Sarah and Jane, and a younger brother, Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer. After private schooling, she worked as a nursery school teaching assistant.

She married Prince Charles on 1981 at [[St Paul's Cathedral]], [[London]], and gave birth to Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984. However, the marriage was troubled and the couple separated in 1992; they were divorced in 1996.

==Death==
[[Image:Ritz.jpg|right|Hôtel Ritz Paris]]
In 1997 Diana was holidaying with Dodi Fayed, son of the controversial businessman [[Mohammed al Fayed]]. On 31 August the couple dined at the Ritz Hotel (owned by al Fayed) before leaving by car for Dodi Fayed's Paris appartment. While travelling at speed (eluding the paparazzi) through the Pont d'Alma underpass, their car crashed. Dodi Fayed (42) and the driver, Henri Paul (41), were killed instantly; Diana (36) died some hours later in hospital; a bodyguard survived. It was later found that Paul was over the blood alcohol limit for driving. Despite this, [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] have flourished about the incident, the most flamboyant being that the [[Duke of Edinburgh]] ordered the British security service [[MI5]] to have Diana and Dodi murdered, to prevent her giving birth to a [[Islam|Moslem]] child (though she was not pregnant at the time of her death). Such theories are fostered by Mohammed al Fayed and by the British daily newspaper the [[Daily Express]].

"Lady Di", as she was often popularly known, was buried on 6 September 1997. Her grave is on an island in a lake in the grounds of her family home (Althorp House, [[Northamptonshire]]).

In April 2008 an inquest jury in [[London]] disregarded all conspiracy theories and found that Diana and Dodi Fayed had been unlawfully killed by Henri Paul and the pursuing [[photographer]]s.

==Legacy==

:...compassionate action is the only valid test of true spirituality; and people in post-Christian Europe are keenly aware of this insight. Many have left the conventional church because they are repelled by the uncharitable behavior of the devout; crusades, inquisitions and persecutions, past and present, have discredited faith....The deification of Diana, Princess of Wales, in the extraordinary days after her death was a religious event, due, at least in part, to the fact that Diana had become an icon of compassion in a depersonalized world. - [[Karen Armstrong]], author of ''[[A History of God]]''

== External links ==

*[http://www.time.com/time/daily/special/diana/ "The Saddest Fairy Tale" and more] TIME.
*[http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/page153.asp Diana, Princess of Wales] Biography.
*[http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9709/06/diana.probe/index.html Funeral for Diana's driver]

[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Royalty]]

Maximilien de Robespierre

2011-11-30T18:37:38Z

Nahum: Links.

[[Image:Robespierre.jpg|thumb|Maximilien de Robespierre]]
'''Maximilien de Robespierre''' (1758-1794) was the head of the [[Committee of Public Safety]] in [[France]] at the time of the [[French Revolution]], leader of the [[Jacobins]] and sent to the [[guillotine]] numerous alleged enemies including King [[Louis XVI]] and Queen [[Marie Antoinette]]. Then Robespierre met the same fate himself: he was guillotined in 1794 after he gave a speech warning against the what he perceived to be government excesses and [[human rights]] violations. Robespierre's death ended the Reign of Terror.

==Personal History==

Robespierre was born in [[Arras]] in 1758. At the age of five his mother died in childbirth and shortly afterwards, his Father ran away leaving the children to be brought up by their Grandparents. He excelled at school and was chosen to recite a [[Latin]] address to [[King]] [[Louis XVI]] upon the King's visit to Arras.

As a student training to be a [[lawyer]], he became an advocate of [[Jean Jacques Rousseau]]. He worked ferociously hard as a lawyer. He was meticulous in dress, always wearing a cravat and a spare in case the first should become creased. He was [[Teetotalism|teetotal]] and there is no record of him having a boyfriend or girlfriend. Contemporary accounts suggest he was a driven and single minded man.

==Law Career==

In 1780 in a supplement to Encyclopedia, written by [[Benjamin Franklin]], studying the nature of [[electricity]] prompted a resident of [[St Omer]] to install a [[lightning]] conductor on his roof. Fearing the consequences, his neighbours took him to court to have the rod taken down. Robespierre was successful and he won renown throughout [[France]].

In 1781, Robespierre was elected to the bar and in 1786 he was elected as President of the Arras Academy, and he befriended peasants in the area, and produced pamphlets detailing the squalor of their lives.

==Revolution==
[[File:Maximilien Robespierre.jpg|thumb|left|From a drawing attributed to Gerard, ca. 1900.]]
Following the revolution of 1789, Robespierre gained high rank in the French legislature and began work on the [[freedom of the press]] and the emancipation of [[Protestantism|Protestants]] and [[Judaism|Jews]].

In 1791 the King attempted to flee from [[Paris]] and France, in order to raise a foreign army to invade France and restore the previous [[Absolute Monarchy]]. The King was caught, and his actions led to disbelief amongst many of his supporters.

This led Robespierre, who had never previously done so, to question the monarchy. He declared "ni monarchiste ni républicain" ("neither monarchist nor republican"). This position of no longer supporting the King, but stopping short of supporting a Republic was not unusual at the time.

It was Robespierre who called the loudest for the execution of King Louis XVI after the King's arrest on the 10th of August 1792. As the head of the Jacobin Club, Robespierre orchestrated the downfall of his political opponents the Girondins, and became the absolute leader of the French Revolutionary Government and the Terror. After declaring himself the head of the Cult of the Supreme Being (a deistic religion opposed to the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] Church) he was overthrown and executed during the Coup of Thermidor.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Robespierre, Maximilien}}
[[Category:International Political Figures]]
[[Category:French Revolution]]
[[Category:French History]]

Enlightenment

2011-11-28T21:39:00Z

Nahum: Links.

The '''Enlightenment''' was an 18th-century movement in European and American thought that emphasized the power of [[reason]] and [[science]], rather than traditional [[doctrine]], to understand and reform the world. Some historians also include 17th-century [[philosophy]], usually called the [[Age of Reason]].

The Enlightenment artistic style is called "classical" (as opposed to the earlier [[Baroque]] and the later [[Romantic]] styles). The Enlightenment marked advances in philosophy, the sciences (especially [[physics]], [[chemistry]] and [[mathematics]]), [[economics]], political theory, [[geography]] (especially exploration), and [[technology]] (especially the origins of the [[Industrial Revolution]]), though in fact the greatest achievements in those fields were typically inspired by [[Christianity]].

Out of the Enlightenment emerged the new philosophy of [[liberalism]]. Thinkers like [[Adam Smith]] had a major impact on creating [[classical liberalism]] and the ideals of the [[free market]]. [[John Locke]] is often considered the father of the Enlightenment and wrote several works on social contract theory and religious toleration. Several of America's [[Founding Fathers]] were actively engaged in the Enlightenment, including [[Benjamin Franklin]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], [[Alexander Hamilton]] and [[James Madison]], and their political thinking influenced American political ideas of [[republicanism]].

Developed by the [[philosophes]] in [[France]], [[England]], [[Scotland]], and the German states, the Enlightenment influenced the whole of Europe including [[Russia]] and [[Scandinavia]], as well as the American colonies in the era of the [[American Revolution]].
==Political impact==
Liberalism ([[Classical liberalism]]) was one the dominant political thoughts to emerge from the European Enlightenment. Writers like John Locke imagined the foundations of classical liberal thought in government and society. In his ''Second Treatise of Civil Government'', Locke expounds on the basic tenets of liberalism such as individual freedom<ref>Locke, John. ''A Second Treaties of Civil Government'', Chapter VII, Sec. 87</ref>, legal equality under the law, and private property<ref>Ibid., Chapter V</ref>. His concept of civil society was one of a contractual agreement between the citizens and a government formed to protect the fundamental rights of all persons<ref>Ibid., Chapter II, Sec. 13</ref>.

These ideas provided a foundation for constitutional government and the creation of rights in the private and public sphere. Discussions between philosophes in French salons and in British coffeehouses created a community now regarded to as the "[[marketplace of ideas|public sphere]]." This sharing of ideas between individuals without the overview of authority allowed for the creation and critique of ideas without fear of traditional authority figures. This tradition of the public sphere, or the "[[marketplace of ideas]]" is an underlying institution in Western democratic theory.

Constitutionalism competed with absolutism as a source of central, government power beginning the 17th century. In 1688, constitutionalism was codified in England during the ascension of William and Mary to the throne. An English Bill of Rights was also adopted. The French Revolution of 1789 replaced the absolutist tradition of the French Monarchy. American independence established a constitution (originally the Articles of Confederation and later the Constitution of 1787) and articles like the [[Declaration of Independence]] echoed themes of social contract theory.

===The Enlightened revolutions===
The Enlightenment, its writers, and its ideas are considered to have had influenced both the American and French revolutions in the late 18th century. These revolutions were unlike their predecessors. Both countries shed their ruling monarchies in favor of republican system. Both were also revolutions by and for the people, not a military coup d’etat, invasion, or reformist movement. Both countries established Constitutions, recognized equality under the law, and recognized a number of liberties afforded to all individuals. These Enlightened revolutions are thought to have changed the definition of revolution because of means and goals of both the American and French peoples.

[[The American Revolution]] began over general discontent of British economic and military policy in the new world. In 1776, Jefferson’s [[Declaration of Independence]] stated the rights of the people to “throw off such Government,” the British government, in the event that their laws overstepped the natural rights and liberties of its subjects. This rhetoric stems directly from John Locke’s treatise on social contracts and the role of government in the lives of its subjects.

[[The French Revolution]] began as a movement of the [[Third Estate]] for representation by numbers of individuals rather than a single vote per Estate (Of the three Estates-General, the Third Estate, French commoners, represented over 90% of the population). The 1789 meeting of the Estates-General deteriorated when the demands for democratic representation were not met. The Third Estate quickly formed itself into the [[French General Assembly|General Assembly]] and established the French Republic. The French adopted a vision more closely associated with Rousseau’s work ''[[The Social Contract]]''. This vision of French republicanism dictated that the participation of all citizens in the government would create a “general will” which would dictate policy and law.

Unfortunately, the French Revolution deteriorated after 1793 with the execution of [[King Louis XVI]] and the emergence of [[Maximilien Robespierre]] and other hardliners in the French Assembly. Rousseau’s famous lines in his work state that “whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. This means nothing less than that he will be forced to be free.”<ref>''Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Social Contract'' </ref> Robespierre took this quite literally to build a homogenous state and restore order to the nation. There were many dissenters who only joined the revolutionary cause to lower taxes and were unhappy with radical social reform. Thus the [[Reign of Terror]] began and the French Republic deteriorated into arguably the world’s first [[totalitarianism|totalitarian]] regime. The ascension of [[Napoleon]] to power marked a restoration of order and a more conservative movement.

==Leaders==
Intellectually the Enlightenment was identified with the French "[[philosophes]]" who aggressively spread the new gospel of reason. They were a brilliant collection of scientists, philosophers and writers including [[Voltaire]], [[Montesquieu]], [[Holbach]], [[Condorcet]], [[Denis Diderot]], [[Buffon]], [[Turgot]] and [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]] in France. Other major leaders included [[David Hume]], [[Adam Smith]] and several others in Scotland; [[John Locke]], [[Edward Gibbon]], [[Samuel Johnson]] and [[Jeremy Bentham]] in England; and [[Johann Herder]], [[Gotthold Lessing]] and [[Immanuel Kant]] in Prussia.

===Enlightened despots===
Philosophers were endorsed by "enlightened despots"—rulers who tried to impose reform by authoritarian means, including [[Joseph II]] of the Holy Roman Empire (Austria), [[Frederick II]] of Prussia, [[Catherine II]] of Russia, and [[Charles III]] of Spain. Despite heading absolutist rather than constitutional governments, these rulers are considered enlightened because of policies and laws enacted during their rule. For example, during his rule Joseph II abolished hereditary servitude ([[serfdom]]) and enacted the [[Edict of Toleration]] that extended civil rights to non-Catholics and Jews.

===America===
In America the leading Enlightenment thinkers were [[Benjamin Franklin]] (who later rejected [[deism]]), [[Thomas Jefferson]] (along with [[James Monroe]] the least Christian of the [[Founding Fathers]]) and [[James Madison]] (who cited Enlightenment thinkers in his ''[[Federalist Papers]]''). Others, such as the Rev. [[Jonathan Edwards]] and Rev. [[John Witherspoon]], were devout and brilliant Christians who were original in their sermons and writings.

American thinkers read deeply in European thought but did not share the anti-religious views typical of European intellectuals. Because the established churches in the colonies were relatively weak and not politically powerful, American thinkers seldom attacked them<ref> Jefferson and Madison led the fight to disestablish the Anglican Church in Virginia, which was tied to Britain.</ref> and were able to incorporate and build on Christian faith more easily than their European counterparts.

==Science==
Advances in science had led to principles and laws that were knowable and unchanging as described within a naturalistic framework. The advances in mathematics and chemistry were especially strong. This idea of knowledge that could be observed apart from a direct explanation dealing with God led to a change in philosophical ideals, where man could shape and determine his own destiny including areas outside of science such as social and political realities. In a sense mans' view of his own ability to bring about change and a trust in himself to determine what that change needed to be crystallized in the thought process of the times among the philosophical elite.

Writers during the Enlightenment assumed that all branches of science could emulate the achievements in physics of [[Isaac Newton]], through a systematic and logical approach.

==Deism==
Some of the Enlightenment leaders of the period challenged traditional Christianity as they adopted God in a [[deist]] form that saw his role as the clockmaker, not the personal guide. While much of the population of the times remained Christian in terms of performing traditional rituals, deism took root in England, France, and the American colonies. Historians have pointed out that argues that belief in Christianity continued to flourish at the grass roots level.<ref> S. J. Barnett, ''The Enlightenment and Religion. The Myths of Modernity'' (2003) </ref>

==Pietism==
[[Pietism]] was a new and powerful religious movement that emerged among Lutheran and Reformed circles, especially in Germany. It stressed a vision of individual rebirth as opposed to ritual and theology, with stress on individual moral behavior. Pietism promoted revivals and missionary activism to convert the world to Christ. American versions of pietism include the revivals of the [[First Great Awakening]] and was especially manifest in the rapid growth of [[Baptist]] and [[Methodist]] churches. The First Great Awakening launched [[evangelicalism]] in America.<ref> Thomas S. Kidd, ''The Great Awakening: The Roots of Evangelical Christianity in Colonial America'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/Great-Awakening-Evangelical-Christianity-Colonial/dp/0300118872/ref=ed_oe_h excerpt and text search]; William G. McLaughlin, ''Isaac Backus and the American Pietistic Tradition'' (1967)</ref>

==Ending==
Politically the [[French Revolution]] of the 1790s ended the movement. Culturally, the rise of [[Romanticism]], with its quest for the unknown future, displaced classical Enlightenment forms, especially in music, painting, literature and philosophy, after 1810.

In a deeper sense, the ideas and ways of thought of the Enlightenment, especially regarding the value of science and systematic inquiry, have become a permanent part of the modern world. Many ideas and methods of the Enlightenment are still with us, and conservatives especially admire the work of Montesquieu and Smith, as well as the Americans Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton and Madison.
==Counter-Enlightenment==
Opposition to the spirit of the Enlightenment was led by intellectuals such as [[Edmund Burke]] in Britain, who opposed the French Revolution and exalted the bonds of tradition. Opposition escalated in the [[Romantic]] era after 1810. In Germany, Herder rejected the French love of abstract ideas in favor of the genius of the German people for instinct and poetry. Important counter-Enlightenment historians included Scottish conservative [[Thomas Carlyle]], and French scholars Ernest Renan and Hippolyte Taine. In the 20th century Italian philosopher Benedetto Croce and German historian [[Oswald Spengler]] were notable opponents of the French Revolution, and the idea of universal reason.

==See also==
* [[Philosophes]]
* [[Declaration of the Rights of Man]]
* [[Natural born citizen]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* Becker, Carl L. ''The Heavenly City of the Eighteenth-Century Philosophers.'' (932)
* Buchan, James. ''Crowded with Genius: The Scottish Enlightenment: Edinburgh's Moment of the Mind'' (2004) [http://www.amazon.com/Crowded-Genius-Scottish-Enlightenment-Edinburghs/dp/006055889X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230458920&sr=8-4 excerpt and text search]
*Buck-Morss, Susan. ''Hegel, Haiti, and Universal History.'' Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 2009.
* Burns, William. ''Science in the Enlightenment: An Encyclopedia'' (2003) 353pp
* Cassirer, Ernst. ''The Philosophy of the Enlightenment.'' 1955. a highly influential study by a neoKantian philosopher [http://www.amazon.com/Philosophy-Enlightenment-Ernst-Cassirer/dp/0691019630/ref=pd_sim_b_img_1 excerpt and text search]
* Chisick, Harvey. ''Historical Dictionary of the Enlightenment.'' 2005. 512 pp
* Delon, Michel. ''Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment'' (2001) 1480pp
* Fitzpatrick, Martin et al., eds. ''The Enlightenment World.'' (2004). 714pp; 39 essays by scholars [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=107997736# online edition]
* Gay, Peter. ''The Enlightenment: The Rise of Modern Paganism'' (1966, 2nd ed. 1995), 952 pp; [http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Rise-Modern-Paganism/dp/0393313026/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198758253&sr=1-3 excerpt and text search vol 1]; ''The Enlightenment: The Science of Freedom,'' (1969 2nd ed. 1995), a highly influential study [http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Science-Freedom-Peter-Gay/dp/0393313662/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198758253&sr=1-2 excerpt and text search vol 2];
* Goodman, Dena. ''The Republic of Letters: A Cultural History of the French Enlightenment'' (1994) 338 pp [http://www.questia.com/library/book/the-republic-of-letters-a-cultural-history-of-the-french-enlightenment-by-dena-goodman.jsp online edition]
* Hazard, Paul. ''European thought in the eighteenth century: From Montesquieu to Lessing'' (1965)
* Himmelfarb, Gertrude. ''The Roads to Modernity: The British, French, and American Enlightenments.'' 2004. 272 pp. by a leading conservative scholar
* Imhof, Ulrich. ''The Enlightenment.'' 1994. 310 pp.
* Israel, Jonathan, ''Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and the Making of Modernity 1650-1750.'' Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2001.
* Kors, Alan Charles. ''Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment'' (4 vol. 1990; 2nd ed. 2003), 1984pp [http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Enlightenment-4-vol-set/dp/0195104307/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198743087&sr=8-1 excerpt and text search]; also [http://www.oxfordreference.com/pub/views/home.html complete text online at www.oxfordreference.com] by a leading conservative scholar
* May, Henry F. ''The Enlightenment in America.'' 1976. 419 pp.
*Nesbitt, Nick. ''Universal Emancipation: The Haitian Revolution and the Radical Enlightenment.'' Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2008.
* Outram, Dorinda. ''The Enlightenment''(1995) 157pp [http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-New-Approaches-European-History/dp/0521425344/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198753098&sr=1-27 excerpt and text search]
* Porter, Roy. ''The Enlightenment'' (2nd ed. 2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Second-Studies-European-History/dp/0333945050/ref=sr_1_30?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198753098&sr=1-30 excerpt and text search]
* Porter, Roy. ''The Creation of the Modern World: The Untold Story of the British Enlightenment.'' 2000. 608 pp. [http://www.amazon.com/Creation-Modern-World-British-Enlightenment/dp/0393322688/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198753023&sr=1-13 excerpt and text search]
* Reid-Maroney, Nina. ''Philadelphia's Enlightenment, 1740-1800: Kingdom of Christ, Empire of Reason.'' 2001. 199 pp.
* Reill, Peter Hanns, and Wilson, Ellen Judy. ''Encyclopedia of the Enlightenment.'' (2nd ed. 2004). 670 pp.
* Staloff, Darren. ''Hamilton, Adams, Jefferson: The Politics of Enlightenment and the American Founding.'' 2005. 419 pp. [http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Adams-Jefferson-Politics-Enlightenment/dp/080905356X/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198752935&sr=1-11 excerpt and text search]
* Till, Nicholas. ''Mozart and the Enlightenment: Truth, Virtue, and Beauty in Mozart's Operas.'' 1993. 384 pp.
* Yolton, John W. et al. ''The Blackwell Companion to the Enlightenment.'' 1992. 581 pp.

===Primary sources===
* Broadie, Alexander, ed. ''The Scottish Enlightenment: An Anthology'' (2001) [http://www.amazon.com/Scottish-Enlightenment-Anthology-Canongate-Classics/dp/0862417384/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230458920&sr=8-12 excerpt and text search]
* Jacob, Margaret C. ''The Enlightenment: Brief History with Documents'' (2000) [http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-History-Documents-Bedford-Culture/dp/0312237014/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198743087&sr=8-16 excerpt and text search]
* Williams, David, ed. ''The Enlightenment'' (Cambridge Readings in the History of Political Thought) (1999) [http://www.amazon.com/Enlightenment-Cambridge-Readings-History-Political/dp/0521564905/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198743087&sr=8-12 excerpt and text search]

[[category:Enlightenment]]
[[category:Philosophy]]
[[category:European History]]

Fred Phelps

2011-11-27T20:59:20Z

Nahum: Remove broken references.

[[Image:Phelps.jpg|right|thumb|Fred Phelps giving an interview in 2000]]'''Fred Waldron Phelps''' is the [[pastor]] of the independent [[Westboro Baptist Church]], an extremist organization not affiliated with mainstream [[Baptist]] churches, and is a controversial activist against [[homosexual]] behavior. Phelps is noted for rallies displaying signs with highly inflammatory and [[extremist]] statements. This has classified the church as a hate group by various organizations. He is said to hold a "[[Hyper-Calvinism|hyper-Calvinistic]] viewpoint" generally regarded as far outside of mainstream Christianity by most Christian scholars. Most of the congregants of the Westboro Baptist Church, which is located in [[Topeka]], [[Kansas]], are related to Phelps either by blood or marriage.

Phelps has openly denounced the [[Catholic Church]] and [[Episcopal Church]], and has made claims these religious organizations tolerate and harbor homosexuals and pedophiles. He has also referred to a variety of political figures as "fag-enablers", ranging from Republican Presidents [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[George W. Bush]] to Democrats such as [[Howard Dean]]. Phelps is a vehement critic of [[Dick Cheney]]. [http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-8194338250744686470&q#] His views are rejected by the majority of [[conservative]] [[Christian]]s; [[evangelical]] leader [[Jerry Falwell]] referred to him as a "first-class nut".

Phelps has led protests at military funerals based on his belief that America is a country that harbors homosexuals and is thus evil. As a result, President [[George W. Bush]] signed the Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act, which places limitations on protests at military funerals. These demonstrations led to the formation of the [[Patriot Guard]], an organization of motorcyclists who attend military funerals in order to shield the families of the deceased from the protests by members of Phelps's Westboro Baptist Church.<ref>[http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-09-13-funeral-protests_x.htm Funeral protesters say laws can't silence them], By Charlie Riedel, Associated Press, July 2006. Retrieved from USA Today October 14, 2007.</ref> Phelps is represented by the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] (ACLU).<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/22/AR2006072200643.html ACLU Sues for Anti-Gay Group That Pickets at Troops' Burials], By Garance Burke, Associated Press, July 23, 2006; Page A02. Retrieved from the ''[[Washington Post]]'' October 14, 2007.</ref>

Phelps has been an active contributor to the [[Democratic Party]] and was an enthusiastic supporter of [[Al Gore]] for president in 1988,<ref>http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1999/03/lauerman.html</ref> calling Gore "the icon of the conservative faction of the Democratic Party."<ref> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_20001104/ai_n11753681 </ref> Phelps's son, Fred Phelps, Jr., served as a delegate for Gore. <ref>http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=15559</ref> During Gore's 1984 campaign for the U.S. Senate, he was against a bill that would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation, and refused to take donations from gay rights organizations. Gore said in an interview with the Nashville ''Tennessean'', "I don't pretend to have an understanding of homosexuality that sustains a discussion of its roots ... but I do not believe it is simply an acceptable alternative that society should affirm."<ref>[http://cache.boston.com/news/politics/campaign2000/news/Bradley_rips_Gore_s_scare_tactics_to_win_gay_votes+.shtml Bradley rips Gore's 'scare tactics' to win gay votes] By Bob Hohler and Michael Crowley, Globe Staff, 2/15/2000, cache.boston.com, retrieved November 26, 2011</ref>

In 1992 Phelps supported [[Bill Clinton]] for president, and later became critical of President Clinton's pandering for gay voters. Phelps led a
demonstration at the 1997 Clinton inaugural. <ref> http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID={91058469-F6DE-4615-8B2A-73CDF3E8FCAC} </ref><ref> http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_20001104/ai_n11753681 </ref>

== Phelps' Criticism of Religious Leaders ==

Phelps runs several websites on the internet which preach against [[homosexuality]] and immoral living. Phelps espouses a skewed version of his own "literal" interpretation of the [[Bible]] and the holy scriptures, and speaks against mainstream religious and Christian leaders who, in his view, distort or twist the literal interpretation of the Bible. Phelps also speaks for greater accountability for religious organizations, such as the Catholic Church, and has been vocal in the press and media concerning the abuse of young boys by Catholic priests and church leaders, and practicing homosexuals in the Episcopal Church.

== Phelps and the Democratic party==
[[Image:20001025 xnjdo FredGoreFiny.jpg|thumb|240px|right|Rev. [[Fred Phelps]] with future Vice President and [[Nobel Peace Prize]] winner [[Al Gore]] at a Westboro Baptist Church event.]]
Phelps ran for governor of [[Kansas]] as a [[Democrat]] in 1990, 1994, and 1998.<ref name="ref4">[http://edition.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/1998/08/05/kansas.results/ 1998 Kansas Primary Results. Compiled by Congressional Quarterly.]</ref> Phelps received 31% of the vote in Kansas's 1992 Democratic Party primary for [[U.S. Senate]].<ref>[http://www.kssos.org/elections/elections_statistics.html State of Kansas Secretary of State Website]</ref> In 1993 and 1997,<ref>[http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=21229 The "God Hates Fags" [[Left]]], By Mark D. Tooley, FrontPageMagazine.com, February 09, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://www.religionnewsblog.com/1128/kansas-anti-gay-church-embarrasses-topekans Kansas anti-gay church embarrasses Topekans], November 7, 2002. Retrieved from ReligionNewsBlog.com, October 11, 2007.</ref> Phelps ran for mayor of [[Topeka]]. He supported [[Al Gore]] in the 1988 primaries. Phelp's support of Al Gore took an irrational U-turn in 1998 when he picketed the funeral of Al Gore's father.<ref>http://www.religionnewsblog.com/13170/pastor-who-takes-pride-in-hate-traces-the-emotion-to-bible</ref> Phelps has been an extremely vocal critic of [[President George W. Bush]] and former Vice President [[Dick Cheney]], calling Bush "A Bible pervert." Of the Cheney family Phelps said, "They know the iniquity they’ve wrought, but they’re not at all ashamed of it...God hates the Cheneys."<ref>http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8194338250744686470#</ref>

== Phelps and Saddam Hussein ==

In 1997, upset about [[United States]] sanctions on [[Iraq]], Phelps wrote a letter to [[Saddam Hussein]] that read in part, ''We understand that Iraq is the only Muslim state that allows the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to be freely and openly preached on the streets without fear of arrest and prosecution. Alas, the United States no longer allows the Gospel to be freely and openly preached on the streets, because militant sodomites now control our government, and they violently object to the Bible message.'' <ref>http://www.adl.org/special_reports/wbc/wbc_on_america.asp</ref> He requested, and received, permission from Saddam Hussein to visit Iraq. <ref>http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID={91058469-F6DE-4615-8B2A-73CDF3E8FCAC}</ref> When Saddam Hussein was executed in 2006, Phelps said Saddam was in hell for practicing the Muslim faith.

== Phelps and activism ==
[[File:1f3.jpg|right|thumb|400px]]
Phelps announced that he and his group would picket the funeral service of actor [[Heath Ledger]].

In February 2009, Phelps' group announced that they would travel to the [[United Kingdom]] to protest in [[Basingstoke]] against a gay-themed play called [[The Laramie Project]], based on the murder of [[Matthew Shepard]].
However, the British Foreign Secretary [[Jacqui Smith]] later announced on February 19th that they would be barred from entering the country as the group "engaged in unacceptable behaviour by inciting hatred against a number of communities". Phelps' group later responded with a message on their website GodHatesFags.com stating:

:"You British Bastards will not have Jesus Christ to rule over you, and think you can issue bans and pass laws to remove God’s word from the landscape. You do greatly err, not knowing the power of God; and, you do that against your own interests. It is a great kindness to have God’s prophets in your land. But, you ungrateful brutes despise knowledge. It is too late for the UK. God Hates You! God’s wrath and destruction is all that’s left for you, thanks to Secretary Smith."<ref>http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-11226.html</ref>

After the shooting of Arizona U.S. Representative Gabriella Giffords and the death of six people in Tuscon, Arizona in January 2010, Phelps stated in a video that God had sent the shooter, Jared Loughner, to "avenge the nation's sins", and that Westboro planned to protest at the funerals of the six victims.<ref name="giffords">[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40997616/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/t/arizona-suspect-could-face-death-penalty/#.Ts2iIFmwXf8 Arizona suspect could face death penalty] msnbc.com, Crime & Courts, January 11, 2010, retrieved November 23, 2011.</ref> He said, "Thank God for the violent shooter."<ref name="giffords"/> The Arizona state legislature passed an emergency bill barring protestors from within 300 feet of funerals.<ref>[http://articles.cnn.com/2011-01-11/us/arizona.funeral.westboro_1_kansas-church-westboro-baptist-church-fred-phelps?_s=PM:US Arizona enacts funeral protest legislation] cnn.com, January 11, 2010, retrieved November 23, 2011.</ref> Westboro later gave up the idea of protesting at the funeral of Christina Green, the 9-year-old girl who died in the shooting, in exchange for airtime on Phoenix and Tuscon radio stations.<ref>[http://www.aolnews.com/2011/01/12/westboro-baptist-church-wont-picket-christina-green-funeral/ Westboro Baptist Church Won't Picket Christina Green Funeral] Surge Desk, aolnews.com, January 12, 2011, retrieved on November 23, 2011.</ref>

Despite efforts by [[leftist]]s to link Phelps to the Religious Right, Phelps refers to Christian conservatives as "Lukewarm cowards. Modern day Pharisees. People who have gone a whoring after strange gods. Self-righteous hypocrites. They spend more time harrassing people who are preaching the Gospel than anything else, just like the Pharisees did to Jesus." Phelps preaching has much in common with the Reverend [[Jeremiah Wright]]. Phelps also says God hates liberals, referring to them as "the modern day Saduccees", and that they are the ultimate evil.<ref>http://www.godhatesfags.com/faq.html#Right</ref>

===Lawsuits===

*Phelps and his congregation were recently sued by Albert Snyder, the father of a soldier killed in Iraq. Phelps and his congregation protested the Iraq War at his son's funeral. The father sued for defamation over Phelps' statement: "Mr. Snyder raised his son for the devil and hell," during the funeral protest and in statements on his website. A federal jury in Baltimore awarded him nearly $11 million in a verdict against the church; Mr. Snyder won on every count of his complaint, receiving $2.9 million for compensatory damages and $8 million for punitive damages.

*Phelps has also been threatened with prosecution by the Canadian Government for alleged hate speech in Canada for preaching what he has stated are the literal teachings of the Bible against homosexuality.<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=15559 Gore sought help from anti-homosexual group], 'God hates fags' creator preaches 'hate because the Bible preaches hate', By Jon E. Dougherty, ''WorldNetDaily.com'', October 25, 2000.</ref>
*Already picketing daily in Topeka, the Phelpses began to shower faxes on the community, targeting business and political leaders they disagreed with. After Topeka councilwoman Beth Mechler publicly doubted Phelps' claims that wild [[gay sex]] was occurring in Gage Park, Phelps responded with an insulting fax.

==Criticism of Phelps==
Criticism of Phelps has been virtually universal within both the conservative and liberal movements. The Reverend [[Jerry Falwell]] has called Phelps "a first class nut". Illinois Family Institute Executive Director Peter LaBarbera said "Fred Phelps' curious message is hardly Christian, and only fuels societal bigotry toward those who espouse genuine Biblical views on social issues like homosexuality and abortion,"

Phelps was also cited during Canadian deliberations about declaring anti-gay sentiments to be a hate crime.

==Quotes==
Reasons why people call Phelps “hateful”:

*”Bloody-Knife Bombastic Big Mouth Bastard Beast Obama is going to change times and laws; we have the word of God for that fact. He will do this by his charismatic smooth forked tongue, as he’s highly skilled in the art of telling people what they want to hear. The people of this nation are in terror, at God’s hand, afraid for their future, in distress and crisis, and afraid of many unnamed enemies. Germany was stinging and laboring under financial hardship, including punishing reparations from World War I. Hitler tapped into their national pride and need for financial stability to come to power. Also like Germany, this nation has weak legislative and judicial branches. Hitler was able to quickly seize power and strip the German legislative branch of any ability to curtail him. The Congress of doomed America is full of pandering cowards; they will be putty in Beast Obama’s hands, afraid to oppose him because of the “mandate” he has from the raging masses. The cowardly congress members have no stability or moral compass, so they are subject to the whim of the people. They’ll cave like a cheap deck of cards while Obama cleverly and masterfully plays the people like banjos, to get what he wants.” Phelps on beastobama.com launched in early 2009<ref>[http://www.beastobama.com Beast Obama website</ref>

*”God hates America, and those calamities last Tuesday [September 11, 2001] are none other than the wrath of God, smiting fag America... That wasn't any accident. That wasn't any coincidence. There's only America to blame for those tragedies.”
:“How many do you suppose of those hundred (sic) and thirty soldiers died (sic) in the Pentagon last Tuesday were fags and dykes? And how many do you suppose were working in that massively composed building structure called those two World Trade Center buildings, Twin Towers? There were five thousand or ten thousand killed and, counting all those passengers in those airplanes, it's very likely that every last single one of them was a fag or dyke or a fag enabler, and that the minute he died, he split hell wide open, and the way to analyze the situation is that the Lord God Almighty, pursuant to His threatenings and warnings, killed him, looked him in the face, laughed and mocked at each one of them as He cast each one of them into Hell!... God hates America, and God demonstrated that hatred to some modest degree only last Tuesday -- sent in those bombers, those hellacious 767 Boeing bombers, and it was a glorious sight. What you need to do is see in those flames -- those sickening, twisting, burning, life-destroying flames, brightly shining from every television set around the world! You need to see in those flames a little preview of the flames of Hell that are going to soon engulf you, my friend. Burn your soul forever!” September 14, 2001<ref>[http://www.signmovies.net/videos/news/index.html Phelps on Sept. 11 attacks]</ref>

*”Same-sex marriage, by any name, civil union or otherwise, is the ultimate smashed-mouth in-your-face insult to God Almighty, and you think He's going to let England and America and the rest of this evil world get by with it? God Almighty has not joined fags in holy wedlock. God no longer keeps America safe. America is doomed. We're getting the pants beat off of us, in Iraq, in Afghanistan. God is now America's terrorist, that's who Bush is fighting, that's the terrorist that he best be afraid of. You tweaked His nose, you jackass, you tweaked His nose! God put it in your wicked heart to start that war. That's the message we've got at the funerals of these dead soldiers. God duped you into starting a war, so He could punish you. And any preacher preaching it any other way is a lying hell-bound false prophet. So almost eighteen months now and the siege has got people eating their babies, and their small children, and each other! You're gonna eat your babies! God Himself duped Bush into a no-win war, and He did that by the technique of putting a lying spirit in the mouth of all his trusted advisers, to punish America.” Phelps on April 1, 2007<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1000764/ Phelps on war, same-sex marriage, gays]</ref>

*”The Lord sent a world-class whopper of a massacre to Virginia Tech, killing thirty-three, drawing headlines like 'Shocked!', 'Horrified!', 'The worst massacre in US history!'. Well, we wish you were thirty-three thousand killed, but we are thankful to our Father for thirty-three.” Phelps on April 23, 2007<ref>[http://www.signmovies.net/videos/news/index.html Phelps on Virginia Tech massacre]</ref>

*”Canada is a filthy country run by fags, which has Draconian laws making it a crime to preach the Gospel there. All of these cowardly kissy-poo preachers who telecast their milquetoast sermons into Canada have to edit out every single word critical of fags -- snip, snip, snip -- or the fag officials of Canada will arrest and criminally prosecute the Canadian affiliates, and shut down their stations! There's no freedom of speech in Canada. There's no freedom of religion in Canada. It is against the law to read the Bible in Canada.... Our church has had a lot of bad dealings with those demon-possessed Canadians! A big Canadian flag flies at our church upside-down, the international symbol of distress. We fly it day and night, to educate and warn people about the fagi-nazi regime just to the north of us. Canadians are afraid of their tyrannical fag-run government. You can determine for yourself about Canada, and keep as far away from them as you can.” Phelps on July 31, 2008<ref>[http://www.signmovies.net/videos/news/index.html Phelps on Canada]</ref>

*”We understand that Iraq is the only Muslim state that allows the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to be freely and openly preached on the streets without fear of arrest and prosecution. Alas, the United States no longer allows the Gospel to be freely and openly preached on the streets, because militant sodomites now control our government, and they violently object to the Bible message...The same majoritarian sodomite tyranny that now guides the Clinton administration's repressive policies toward Gospel preaching on America's streets, is apparently responsible — at least in part — for the merciless slaughter by starvation of 400 innocent Iraqi babies each day in your country. If our government and laws will allow it, and at the invitation of your government, we would like to send a delegation from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, to preach the Gospel on the streets of Baghdad for one week in the near future.” Phelps’ November 30, 1997 letter to Saddam Hussein.<ref>[http://www.adl.org/special_reports/wbc/print.asp Phelps’ letter to Saddam Hussein]</ref>

*”In our experience, no modern country is more repressive of human rights than the U.S.A. The vaunted First Amendment is nothing but empty words on paper...we will journey to China at our expense, and tell our story of modern American repression of human rights, upon invitation.” Fred Phelps, demanding permission to picket in the People's Republic of China, February 26, 1997.<ref>[http://www.adl.org/special_reports/wbc/print.asp Phelps on China, U.S.A. and human rights]</ref>

*”Mr. Rogers gave aid and comfort to homosexuals. He was a man who preached tolerance of all sorts of people in ways that directly contradicted the Bible. His syrupy teachings led millions astray. He was a wuss and he was an enabler of wusses.” Phelps on March 2003.<ref>[http://www.post-gazette.com/columnists/20030307tony107col2p2.asp Phelps on Mr. Rogers]</ref>

*”You are a Bible pervert, [President George W.] Bush! And I knew it, the minute you hired that fag Scott Evertz to run your White House and told Rumsfeld to hire that fag [Stephen] Herbits, to screen all the applicants for employment to the Pentagon.” Phelps on September 14, 2001 <ref>[http://www.signmovies.net/videos/news/index.html Phelps’ tirade toward President Bush]</ref>.

*”Whatever righteous cause the Jewish victims of the 1930s-40s Nazi Holocaust had, (probably miniscule, compared to the Jewish Holocausts against Middle Passage Blacks, African Americans and Christians -- including the bloody persecution of Westboro Baptist Church by Topeka Jews in the 1990s), has been drowned in sodomite semen. American taxpayers are financing this unholy monument to Jewish mendacity and greed and to filthy fag lust…Homosexuals and Jews dominated Nazi Germany…just as they now dominate this doomed U.S.A. … The Jews now wander the earth despised, smitten with moral and spiritual blindness by a divine judicial stroke…And god has smitten Jews with a certain unique madness, whereby they are an astonishment of heart, a proverb, and a byword (the butt of jokes and ridicule) among all peoples whither the Lord has driven and scattered them…Jews, thus perverted, out of all proportion to their numbers energize the militant sodomite agenda…The American Jews are the real Nazis (misusers and abusers of governmental power) who hate God and the rule of law.” WBC news release, December 26, 1996<ref>[http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/WBC/WBC-on-Jews.asp?LEARN_Cat=Extremism&LEARN_SubCat=Extremism_in_America&xpicked=3&item=WBC Phelps on Jewish people]</ref>

*Fred Phelps believes that [[Barack Obama]] is the Antichrist. According to Phelps, we are living in the end of days and Obama will form an Unholy Trinity with the [[Catholic Church]] and [[Satan]].<ref>[http://www.beastobama.com/unholytrinity/index.html Phelps on the Antichrist and Unholy Trinity]</ref>

== Outside links ==
*[http://blank.org/addict/ Addicted to Hate: the story of Fred Phelps]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOrz5k0jWdU The Most Hated Family In America]
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8194338250744686470# Fred Phelps' Unhinged Video Message to the Cheneys]
*[http://www.adl.org/poisoning_web/homophobia.asp Poisoning the Web: Hatred Online], Anti-Defamation League (2001). Retrieved 05/23/07.
*[http://www.godhatesfredphelps.com/ God Hates Fred Phelps], Retrieved from http://www.godhatesfredphelps.com/ October 25, 2007.
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8682089528957352638&ei=YB-PSa6HCYbi2gKtgPnCCw&q=fred+phelps+jerry+falwell&hl=en Phelps denouncing] [[Jerry Falwell]] after his death.

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

[[Category:Activists]]
[[Category:Democrats]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Phelps, Fred}}