Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Creationism

2007-04-10T00:39:26Z

NoMoreNicksLeft: /* Creationist categories */

Creationism is the belief that the Earth and everything in it was created by [[God]] or some other supreme being. Those that hold the views of ''Creationism'' are referred to as ''Creationists''.<ref>"creationist." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 21 Mar. 2007. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/creationist>.</ref>

Within creationism, there are various ideas. [[Young Earth]] Creationism is the "''Belief in the literal interpretation of the account of the creation of the universe and of all living things related in the Bible''."<ref>[http://www.answers.com/topic/creationism American Heritage Dictionary]</ref> [[Old Earth]] creationism agrees with Young Earth creationsm that God creating the universe, the [[Earth]] and all forms of life; but asserts that God took more time than the Bible literally says.

Creationism (especially the most literal forms) conflicts with the [[Theory of evolution]].<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v11/i4/christian.asp]</ref> Not all Christian denominations embrace creationism with the literal Genesis interpretations. Many non-Christian sects believe in a form of creationism, including American Indian religions, Hindus, and the Classical Greek and Egyptian polytheistic religions.

==History==

== Creationist categories ==
There are multiple different overarching categories and subcategories within the realm of Creationism, this list is not meant to be exhaustive but to deal with only the notable ones.
*Biblical [[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] generally accept a literal or nearly literal interpretation of Genesis and insist that the world is around 6000 years old. Traditionally, [[Judaism]] supported young earth creationism.<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v26/i2/tradition.asp]</ref> In addition, a majority of the early [[church fathers]] supported the young earth creationist view.<ref>[http://www.robibrad.demon.co.uk/Chapter3.htm]</ref> Still, it should be noted that the "6000 year" figure is one that is calculated by adding up all the generations in the bible that are listed. Some statistically unsound method was used, such as assuming an average of 20 years per generation. Even if we are to assume that this method is generally correct, it does not give us upper or lower bounds on the age of creation. Moreso, it is generally accepted that the bible could be missing many such generations... oral tradition could only preserve a genealogical record with a certain amount of fidelity.
*[[Old Earth Creationism|Old Earth Creationists]] do not take the Bible's creation account literally, and agree with the idea that the age of the earth is around 4.5 billion years but generally do not accept the idea that all life on earth evolved from a common ancestor. Old Earth Creationists generally interpret the Bible by suggesting that the days in chapter one of [[Genesis]] were not 24 hour days or by inserting gaps between various verses in the Bible. There is no general agreement among Old Earth Creationists on whether or not there was a global flood. It should be noted that atheistic biologists do not assume that all life evolved from a common ancestor. Whatever event or phenomena was responsible for the abiogenesis of life may have happened numerous times, and it is certainly possible that descendants of such organisms still live in places that are inhospitable to other life forms, or perhaps even waiting to be discovered.
*The [[Omphalos argument]] first expounded in a book titled Omphalos by [[Philip Henry Gosse]] (1857), argues that the universe was created young but with the appearance of age, much as Adam must have appeared to be fully grown even when he was but a single day in chronological age. The theological objection to this argument is found in Romans 1:20 when Paul declares that the nature of God can be discerned by observing the universe, ''"For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead..."''. If the Omphalos argument is true, then not only is our evidence of the universe's great age untrustworthy, but the God revealed by examining this cosmic deception is untrustworthy as well. Unfortunately, this argument is philosophically moot. A universe created with the appearance of age is indiscernible from an old universe, and only through childish semantic games by buffoons incapable of critical thinking would the two appear different. Such a deity, were he to exist, would through some incomprehensible and omnipotent method simulate or otherwise calculate the positions and states of all particles in creation such that they would seem to have had prior history. Such calculation or simulation is, in effect, the prior history of a universe approximately 15 billion years old.

==Controversy==
=== Creationism and Intelligent Design ===
There is considerable disagreement on whether or not [[Intelligent Design]] amounts to a form of creationism and if so, where to place it in comparison to the other forms of creationism. This is due to the concept having many different definitions and proponents espousing different ideas.

For example, one major proponent of Intelligent Design is Young Earth Creationist [[Paul Nelson]], while [[Michael Behe]], another major proponent, accepts common descent. [[William Dembski]] has stated unequivocally that Intelligent Design is not theistic evolution and they should not be considered the same<ref>''What every theologian should know about creation, evolution, and design'' Center for Interdisciplinary Studies Transactions 3(2), William Demsbki</ref>. Dembski has also asserted that Intelligent Design is the [[Logos]] in terms of information theory<ref>[http://touchstonemag.com/archives/issue.php?id=49] ''Signs of Intelligence:
A Primer on the Discernment of Intelligent Design'' Touchstone Magazine, Volume 12, Issue 4 July-August 1999</ref>, while Dembski and others have given other definitions that do not include any specific theological references. Arguably, intelligent design can be summarized as the notion that at some point in the past, in some way, some entity (possibly God) created life, or altered life at some point, or created the universe to be compatible with life.

Behe and others have stated that Intelligent Design is not religious in nature but in the [[Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District|Dover trial]], Judge John E. Jones III, a [[Republican]] and a [[US Federal District Judge]], ruled as a one of his findings that Intelligent Design was essentially religious in nature. The opinion met with wide accolades, but some criticism that it borrowed too heavily from the ACLU's briefs. <ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53330]</ref> Nonetheless, it has been embraced by the legal community, and has quickly become the subject of renewed scholarship on the scope of the First Amendment.<ref>Richard B. Katskee, "Religion in Public Schools," 5 First Amend. L. Rev. 112 (2006)</ref>

===Offensive Terminology===
Some Young Earth Creationists say that the term ''Creationism'' is simply a false atheistic, Evolutionist perception, or pejorative assertion that believing in a God means that all science and intellectual thinking has to be left behind. They say that the perception finds no grounding in reality, other than as a rhetorical dramatization.

== See also ==
*[[Lists of Creationists]]

==External links ==
===Young Earth Creationist Organizations ===
*[http://www.answersingenesis.org/ Answers In Genesis - Get Answers]
*[http://www.creationontheweb.com/ Creation Ministries International]
*[http://www.icr.org Institute for Creation Research]
*[http://trueorigins.org TrueOrigins.org]
*[http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/index.html Center for Scientific Creation]
*[http://creationwiki.org/Main_Page CreationWiki] - Although not completely Young Earth, [[CreationWiki]] is a mainly Young Earth Creationist Wiki.

=== Old Earth Creationists ===
[http://www.reasons.org Reasons To Believe, an Old Earth Creationist Ministry]

==References and Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category:Creationism| ]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Theism]]

Sweden

2007-03-21T21:05:43Z

NoMoreNicksLeft: /* Is Sweden a democracy? */

Sweden is a socialistic country in [[Scandinavia]]. The capital city is [[Stockholm]], which is also the largest city. Sweden has got 9 million inhabitants. With an area of 450,000 square miles, Sweden is the third largest country in [[Western Europe]].

Sweden is a constitutional [[monarchy]] and a parliamentary [[democracy]]. The prime minister of Sweden is 41 year old Fredrik Reinfeldt, leader of the Moderates. The Swedish parliament has 349 seats.

== Swedish Viking History ==

In Sweden the [[Viking]] Age1 was getting under way by the 9th century, and vast repositories of Roman, Byzantine and Arab coins attest to the wealth and power Swedish Vikings accumulated over the next century. Vikings travelled mostly to the east, making their mark in Russia, as well as trading with (and pillaging) Byzantine territories. They also travelled west and there is considerable evidence2 of artefacts (coins, remnants of ) on the North American continent. Remnants of a small settlement (called Ektorp) exist on Newfoundland which include the remains of small dwellings, deteriorated furniture and cooking utensils.

Christianity only took root in the 11th century. Internal squabbles whiled away the bulk of the Middle Ages until Denmark interceded in 1397, when, together with Norway, they joined Sweden in the Union of Duktig. A century of Swedish nationalist grumblings erupted in rebellion under King SKÄrpt , who was crowned in 1523.

== Christianity in Sweden ==

80% of the inhabitants belong to the Evangelical [[Lutheran Church]] of Sweden named The Swedish Church (Svenska kyrkan in swedish). This church are very different to other churches because it has decided to marry [[homosexuality|homosexuals]]. This church are not a [[conservative]] church and does not protest against abortions, divorces, or anything else. About 5% of the Swedish population belongs to "real" christian churches (conservative churches) and a majority of the population are atheists.

Sweden got 18 weeks of free abortion and 4 weeks when the women need to have a special permission to be allowed to have an abortion. Right now the Swedish politicians are discussing if foreign womens should be allowed to have an (late) abortion in Sweden, and much suggests that the parliament will vote in favour for that proposition. Sweden was a Christian country until the 1960's, when the government decided to reduce the school education about [[christianity]].

== Socialism ==

Sweden has high taxes and strong trade unions. Even if sweden now got a new government instead of the old, socialistic, one, it's still a socialistic country and will be for a long time. Fredrik Reinfeldt says that he is not going to destroy the Swedish model - in fact he says he likes that model - he only wants to do some small changes. And despite that one of the parties in the government alliance is named "The Christian democrats", no decisions have been made to make christianity stronger in Sweden. There is, however, a few signs of light. a few years ago a Swedish baptist priest åke green was found ''not'' guilty of hate speech when preaching the bibles words on homosexuality. and strange enough the struggle for religious freedom by some radical [[Muslim]] groups has lead to an awakening in the Christian society..still, all Christians should pray for a revival in this country.

Swedes are paying 65% in taxes (in average), a great part of this money goes to contributions to unemployed people (17% of the swedish population are unemployed). In Sweden, everyone has rights to have a home, food, clothes, water. Swedes to also have rights to nursing, all schools (even the universitys) are free and Sweden is also a country with a very big immigration - much bigger than, for example, Norway, Denmarc and Finland.

== Is Sweden a democracy?==
Krister Renard, a swedish author and schoolteacher, describes Sweden as a "totalitarian democracy". Sweden has fair elections, however, most of the population have been taught in the state-administered schools that socialism is a superior economic system. One wonders how informed and discerning the average swedish citizen is when it comes to voting for candidates and their economic and social policies.
Approximately 80% of the population between the ages of 18 and 65 are members in a trade union. If the government were to try to reduce unemployment and other welfare benefits, trade unions would possibly strike perhaps triggering an economic meltdown far beyond that of an ordinary recession.

A "totalitarian democracy" may be a good way to describe Sweden.

==some notable swedes==
* alfred nobel, instigator of the [[Nobel Prize]]
* greta garbo, actress
* ABBA

==References==
*[http://www.sweden.se SWEDEN.SE]
*[http://www.svenskakyrkan.se Svenska Kyrkan]
*http://www.lo.se
*http://www.moderaterna.se
*http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=913&a=324428
*http://www.gluefox.com
*[http://www.historyofnations.net/europe/sweden.html History of Sweden]
*1 Forte, Angelo. Oram, Richard. Pedersen, Frederik. ''Viking Empires''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005
*2 Hudson, Benjamin. ''Viking Pirates and Christian Princes: Dynasty, Religion, and Empire in North America''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005.

[[Category:Countries]]