Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Tikal

2007-03-14T03:23:23Z

Paul: Added stub flag.

Located in the Peten region of Guatemala, Tikal was the largest city in the ruins of the [[Maya]]n civilization.

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User:Paul

2007-03-14T03:20:27Z

Paul:

I'm Paul. I hope to help keep Conservapedia clean and factually accurate.

Christianity

2007-03-13T16:45:38Z

Paul: Removed "This means that at least two-thirds of the people alive today will go to hell.<ref>http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html</ref>"; that is opinion, not fact.

'''Christianity''' is a [[religion]] that follows the teachings of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]], as described in the books of the [[New Testament]]. It is currently the world's largest religion, with over two billion members. Some forms of Christianity posits that anyone who does not accept Jesus Christ as their personal lord an savior will end up in hell. Other forms say that [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] is the ultimate judge of who goes to Heaven or Hell.<ref>http://www.allaboutjesuschrist.org/second-coming-of-christ.htm</ref>

== Beliefs ==
Christians believe that [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] died for their sins and rose from the dead three days after dying. Because of this Christians believe that they must be "born again" spiritually by confessing their sins, taking [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]] as their personal lord and savior, and trying not to sin again.

Not all Christians and Christian denominations share the same set of beliefs. According to an online Harris poll from 2003 <ref>http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=359</ref> 99% of all American Christians believe in God, 96% in the resurrection of [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]], 93% in [[Heaven| Heaven]], 93% in the [[Virgin Birth|virgin birth]], 92% in survival of the soul after death, 82% in [[Hell|Hell]], 50% in [[Ghosts|ghosts]], 27% in [[Astrology|Astrology]] and 21% in [[Reincarnation|reincarnation]]. Note, that the latter two beliefs are in opposition to the religous dogma of many Christian [[Christian denominations|denominations]].

== Controversy ==
Some Christians, mostly fundamentalist Christians, believe that [[abortion]], [[homosexuality]], [[premarital sex]], and the [[theory of evolution]] are morally wrong. Prominent exponents of secular humanism, but also moderate Christians, tend to characterize the fundamentalists' stance on sexual morality, gender equality, and the teaching of evolution as intractable, prejudicial and sometimes even as immoral. This has caused political problems, given the significant influence of fundamentalist Christians. It should be noted that fundamentalist Christians are a small, but rapidly growing minority.

== See also ==

*[[Catholic Church]] (the original Christian Church)
*[[Roman Catholic Church]] (Western branch of the Catholic Church)
*[[Orthodox Church]] (Eastern branch of the Catholic Church)
*[[Christian apologetics]] (Defenses of Christianity)
*[[Conservative Christianity]]
*[[Liberal Christianity]]
*[[Judaism]]
*[[Islam]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Religion]]

Earth

2007-03-13T16:19:17Z

Paul: removed false information.

[[image:Earthandmoon2.jpg|right|300px]]
'''Earth''' is the name for the planet on which humankind lives.

Scientists claim that the Earth is "round", and orbits at an average distance of about 93 million miles (150 million km) from the Sun in an almost circular orbit. It takes light (and other forms of electromagnetic radiation) approximately 500 seconds to travel from the Sun to the Earth, i.e. the distance can also be stated as "500 light-seconds." The distance to nearby stars is made by measuring the stellar [[parallax]] between observations when the earth is at opposite ends of its orbit, so the earth's orbit itself is a measuring stick for astronomical distances, and is known as the ''astronomical unit'' (A. U.) It is worth noting that if the Earth were slightly closer to the Sun, it would be too hot for life (just as Venus is) while if Earth were slightly further away from the Sun, water would freeze and life would be impossible. Many [[Christian|Christians]] believe that the Earth is the perfect distance away from the Sun and take this to be evidence of [[God]]'s existence. <ref>http://www.everystudent.com/features/isthere.html</ref>

The Earth is approximately 8000 miles (13000 km) in diameter, so its circumference is approximately 8000·π = about 25,000 miles (40,000 km). Its surface area is approximately 4·π (4000 mi)2 = 200 million square miles (510 million km2). It has been said that Earth should really be called "water:" most of the Earth's surface, about 70%, is covered by water. In fact, the Pacific and Indian oceans alone cover about half of the Earth.

Estimates by geologists of the age of the Earth give about 4.55 billion years to an accuracy of about 1%. This estimate is primarily based on radioactive dating of meteorites. In addition, most scientists also believe that the Earth formed by natural processes instead of being supernaturally created. Indeed, astronomers have detected dust lanes around other stars that indicate planet formation is a common and ongoing process.

Bible scholars have also estimated the age of the earth based on the Creation account in Genesis and the genealogical accounts in Numbers and other books of the Pentateuch. One famous estimate was published in 1650 by R. B. Knox, [[James Ussher|James Ussher Archbishop of Armagh]] (usually referred to as Archbishop Ussher) in a book called ''Anals of the World,'' in which he estimated the Creation to have occurred on 23 October 4004 B.C. Other Biblical scholars maintain that there are possible gaps in the genealogies, often using the ideas of the 19th century Calvinist theologian [[Benjamin Warfield]] on the issue. <ref>http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/primeval_chronology.shtml</ref> However, [[James Barr]], regius professor of Hebrew at [[Oxford University]], wrote in 1984 the following: "… probably, so far as I know, there is no professor of Hebrew or Old Testament at any world-class university who does not believe that the writer(s) of Genesis 1–11 intended to convey to their readers the ideas that: … the figures contained in the Genesis genealogies provided by simple addition a chronology from the beginning of the world up to later stages in the biblical story.’" <ref>http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1606/</ref> However, it should be noted that Barr himself rejects supernatural Christianity. <ref>http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/pca_creation_study_committee_report.shtml</ref>

Scientific evidence, obtained through the [[scientific method]], suggests otherwise, dating the earth at beyond 4 billion years old.<ref>http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/age.html</ref> In addition, many human societies predate the alleged creation of the world at 4000 B.C.<ref>http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/</ref>

==References==
<references/>

Rush Limbaugh

2007-03-12T21:24:18Z

Paul: Fixed spelling errors, and removed "affair" paragraph; it was Gingrich, not Limbaugh.

'''Rush Limbaugh''' (born January 12, 1951) is a conservative American radio talk show host.

Limbaugh hosts a radio show famed for its blustery denounciations of anything liberal. He is often at odds with liberal Al Franken<ref>[http://fireside.designcommunity.com/topic-9993.html Forum thread] discussing a NYT Editorial</ref>. Limbaugh's vitriolic style has been credited with "reviving AM radio in the United States, and is considered by many to have been a catalyst for the Republican Party's 1994 Congressional victories"<ref>[http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10813FA3B5D0C708EDDAB0894DE494D81&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fL%2fLimbaugh%2c%20Rush Radio Talk Show Host Fears For True Conservatism's Fate], New York Times</ref>.

Limbaugh underwent a minor scandal several years ago when his housekeeper was caught purchasing prescription medications, and it was revealed that Limbaugh was addicted to prescription drugs. He has since been rehabilitated.

Another scandal occured when Limbaugh made a joke in which he allegedly referring to Chelsea Clinton as "the White House dog". Chelsea was thirteen at the time. Limbaugh, however denied that he was talking about Chelsea, stating that he was not making a joke, and Chelsea's picture was accidentally put up on the screen<ref>MotherJones: [http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/1995/05/ivins.html "Lyin' Bully"]</ref>.

==Trivia==
*He is deaf in his left ear.

==References==
<references/>

Israel

2007-03-12T21:14:52Z

Paul: Added stub flags.

Israel is a nation located in the [[Middle East]]. It originally started when the [[Hebrews]] migrated from [[Egypt]] out of slavery. It is the location of [[Jesus]]' birth and many other major [[Bible|Bibli]]cal events.

Israel was a powerful nation in the Middle East from about 1000 to 900 B.C.

[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Bible]]

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Jerusalem

2007-03-12T21:14:24Z

Paul: Added citation and stub flags, also added link to Israel.

The "Eternal City," capital of the Country of [[Israel]]. It is home to places considered holy by Jews, Christians, and Muslims.{{fact}}

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Alabama

2007-03-12T20:59:34Z

Paul: Added stub flag

'''Alabama''' is a state in the [[United States]]. It was the twenty-second state to enter into the union, and was once a member of the [[Confederacy]]. Alabama is a state in [[the South]], and it is a [[red state]] that favors [[Republican]]s in elections.

Recently, [[Barack Obama]] claimed in a speech that he was conceived in [[Selma]], Alabama, even though he was in fact conceived four years earlier.

[[Category:US state]]

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Constitution Party

2007-03-12T20:54:59Z

Paul: Added stub flag

The '''Constitution Party''' is a paleoconservative minor political party in the United States. Founded as the US Taxpayers Party in 1992, the party changed its name in 1999. In 2004, the party nominated lawyer [[Michael Peroutka]] and Christian radio host Chuck Baldwin as its presidential ticket.

[[Category:Politics]]

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Massachusetts

2007-03-12T20:52:03Z

Paul: Added stub flag

'''Massachusetts''' is one of the first thirteen colonies.

[[Category:US state]]

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Venezuela

2007-03-12T20:46:33Z

Paul: Fixed spelling error, removed "Unfortunately" from third sentance (not neutral), and added stub flag.

Venezuela is a country in South America. The capital is Caracas. The people of Venezuela have elected a Marxist leader called [[Hugo Chavez]].

{{stub}}

Harry Potter

2007-03-11T23:24:31Z

Paul: Fixed minor link typo in "Prime Minister's Questions"

'''Harry Potter''' is the hero of a series of novels written by [[J. K. Rowling]]. Harry is an orphan child who finds that he is a wizard. Potter then goes to Hogwarts, a boarding school for young wizards, and has many adventures there learning magic and using it to fight the forces of the evil Lord Voldemort who killed Potter's parents when he was an infant. Along the way, Potter learns about life and death and grapples with questions of morality and friendship. As of 2007, the series is projected to consist of seven novels, of which six have been published, with the seventh to be released in July of 2007.

The books have been fabulously successful, selling three hundred million copies, and Forbes estimates that they have made Rowling a billionnaire, the first billion-dollar author in history.<ref>[http://www.forbes.com/maserati/billionaires2004/cx_jw_0226rowlingbill04.html J. K. Rowling And The Billion-Dollar Empire].</ref> To date, five of them have been adapted for the movies.

The English "public" schools Hogwarts resembles are Protestant institutions; but at Hogwarts, chapel is conspicuously absent. A failure to mention Christianity, combined with the presence of wizardry, have led some to wonder whether Rowling is substituting paganism for Christianity. The books have even been accused of promoting witchcraft.[http://www.chick.com/catalog/videos/potter.asp] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/arts/1735623.stm] [http://www.chick.com/catalog/videos/0127.asp] [http://www.cesnur.org/recens/potter_06.htm] Some evangelical Christians have attempted to ban the books in public schools[http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=32&url_subchannel_id=&url_article_id=14074&change_well_id=2].

In 2003, a [[Vatican]] representative said the books "aren't serving as the banner for an anti-Christian theology.... I don't think there's anyone in this room who grew up without fairies, magic, and angels in their imaginary world."<ref>Sink, Mindy (2003), "The Split Verdict on Harry Potter,"
''The New York Times,'' March 8, 2003, p. B6; representative quoted is Rev. Don Peter Fleetwood, who "helped draft a Vatican document on New Age phenomena."</ref>

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

Some expect childrens' literature to present characters that are idealized role models, and to teach simple, explicit life lessons. However, like other classics of children's literature, the world of Harry Potter is one in which adult authority figures are complex, imperfect, and occasionally ludicrous (as they are in ''Alice in Wonderland.'') Harry himself, while basically a "good" person, is sometimes petty-minded, jealous, or just plain mischievous (like Tom Sawyer, or Holden Caulfield). Although the students at Hogwarts take their studies seriously, they are not above cheating or goofing off, and some of their teachers are boring or outright incompetent.

On July 20, 2005, at [[Prime Minister's Questions]], the Right Honourable [[Tony Blair]], Prime Minister at the time, joined the [[House of Commons]] in lauding [[J.K. Rowling]] for her contribution to the education of British young minds.

On October 3rd, 2006, [[Georgia]] mom Laura Mallory attempted to get the books banned from schools because they promote witchcraft.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15127464/ Georgia mom seeks ban on Harry Potter]</ref>

==Series titles==
*Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (original title as published in England: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)
*Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
*Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
*Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
*Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
*Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (announced)

==References==
<references/>

Homeschooling

2007-03-11T23:21:48Z

Paul: Added citation links to most of supposed famous homeschoolers, and removed "(Though as the son of God he did not need an education, so His education does not matter)"; that is not relevant.

Homeschooling is opting out of formal public and private schools in order to educate children in the home or in specially arranged classes or cooperatives. Parents take a more active role in the education of their children when they homeschool.

The primary reason for homeschooling is to give the child a better education. A close second in reasons, however, is to avoid the culture of public school and its many adverse effects of hostility to Christianity and parental control, political bias, boredom, confusion, depression, etc.

In the United States, opting out of public schools is not new. When Thomas Edison's public school teacher said he was "addled," Edison's mother took him out of public school and taught him at home. But because of compulsory education laws—the first was passed in Massachusetts in 1852, and by 1918 every state had them—schooling at home was a violation of truancy laws, and was rare until the 1970s.

The origin of the U. S. homeschooling movement is often credited to John Holt and his 1964 book ''How Children Fail.'' Holt was "a left-winger who regarded schools as instruments of the bureaucratic-industrial complex."<ref>Micklethwait, John and Adrian Wooldridge, ''The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America.'' Penguin, 2004. pp. 190-1</ref> However, the movement was also catalyzed when social conservatives became alarmed at the 1962 U. S. Supreme Court ruling which banned prayer in public schools.

Truancy laws brought pioneering homeschoolers into conflict with local officials. The first New York Times story on "home schooling" appeared in 1974, and concerned two parents charged with "educational neglect" by the Westchester County Department of Social Services. Tests showed that they performed at or about grade level "except for one who is a little slow in reading," and the parents received strong support from a state senator.<ref>"Parents Accused in Home Schooling," ''The New York Times,'' July 28, 1974, p. 45</ref> By the mid-1980s the ''Times'' was running articles with titles like "Schooling in the Home: A Growing Alternative" and "There Are Benefits In Homeschooling," and states were legalizing homeschooling<ref>Belluck, Pam (1998), "Life After Home Schooling," ''The New York Times,'' November 1, 1998, p. ED26: "Some 15 years after states began legalizing home schooling in earnest, these early graduates are starting to make their way in the world."</ref> A 1997 article said "It's not only Christian fundamentalists any more" and a 2003 article noted "Unhappy in Class, More Are Learning at Home."

== High-achieving Christians who were educated at home ==
A disproportionate number of high achievers have throughout history have been Christians who were educated at home. Though it should be noted that prior to the 19th century most children worldwide were educated within their family. Here is a list of some of them:
 

 [[Leonardo da Vinci]]{{fact}}
 [[Claude Monet]]{{fact}}
 [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]]{{fact}}
 
 [[Stonewall Jackson]]{{fact}}
 [[John Paul Jones]]{{fact}}
 [[Robert E. Lee]]{{fact}}
 [[Douglas MacArthur]]{{fact}}
 [[George Patton]]{{fact}}
 
 [[Alexander Graham Bell]]{{fact}}
 [[Thomas Edison]]{{fact}}
 [[Cyrus McCormick]]{{fact}}
 
 [[George Washington]]{{fact}}
 [[John Adams|John Quincy Adams]]{{fact}}
 [[James Madison]]{{fact}}
 [[William Henry Harrison]]{{fact}}
 [[John Tyler]]{{fact}}
 [[Abraham Lincoln]]{{fact}}
 [[Theodore Roosevelt]]{{fact}}
 
 [[Joan of Arc]]{{fact}}

 [[William Cary]]{{fact}}
 [[Jonathan Edwards]]{{fact}}
 [[Dwight L. Moody]]{{fact}}
 [[John Newton]]{{fact}}
 [[Charles Wesley]]{{fact}}
 [[John Wesley]]{{fact}}
 [[Brigham Young]]{{fact}}
 
 [[George Washington Carver]]{{fact}}
 [[Pierre Curie]]{{fact}}
 [[Charles Louis Montesquieu]]{{fact}}
 [[Blaise Pascal]]{{fact}}
 [[Bernhard Riemann]]{{fact}}
 [[Booker T. Washington]]{{fact}}
 [[Adam Yahiye Gadahn]][http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/070122fa_fact_khatchadourian]
 [[John Walker Lindh]][http://www.blessedcause.org/BlessedCause%20Exclusives%20II/ReelingFromLiesofHM.htm] Checkered educational history, in and out of public schools, partly homeschooled
 [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]][http://www.nps.gov/archive/elro/glossary/roosevelt-franklin.htm] (private tutors at home through age 14, then entered Groton)
 

 [[Patrick Henry]]{{fact}}
 [[William Penn]]{{fact}}
 [[Henry Clay]]{{fact}}
 
 [[John Jay]]{{fact}}
 [[John Marshall]]{{fact}}
 [[John Rutledge]]{{fact}}
 
 [[Hans Christian Andersen]]{{fact}}
 [[Pearl S. Buck]]{{fact}}
 [[Agatha Christie]]{{fact}}
 [[Charles Dickens]]{{fact}}
 [[Bret Harte]]{{fact}}
 [[C.S. Lewis]]{{fact}}
 [[Sean O’Casey]]{{fact}}
 [[George Bernard Shaw]]{{fact}}
 [[Mark Twain]]{{fact}}
 [[Daniel Webster]]{{fact}}
 
 [[George Clymer]]{{fact}}
 [[William Livingston]]{{fact}}
 [[George Mason]]{{fact}}
 [[Charles Pickney III]]{{fact}}
 [[George Wyeth]]{{fact}}
 
 [[Ansel Adams]]{{fact}}
 [[Clara Barton]]{{fact}}
 [[John Burroughs]]{{fact}}
 [[Andrew Carnegie]]{{fact}}
 [[George Rogers Clark]]{{fact}}
 [[Florence Nightingale]]{{fact}}
 [[Leo Tolstoy]]{{fact}}
 
 [[Charles Fletcher Lummis]]{{fact}}
 [[Christopher Paolini]]{{fact}}

==Persons of the Bible==
 [[John the Baptist]]{{fact}}
 [[Jesus|Jesus Christ]]

==Footnotes==

<references/>