Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Paganism

2007-04-16T04:31:30Z

Sub Zenyth:

Paganism is a group of religions in which practitioners worship a deity, or deities, usually based on the earth or nature, and not Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. Paganism, from Latin paganus, literally means (as a noun) "country dweller." Alternatively, pagan is used as a pejorative to describe anyone not of a certain faith, similar to the pejorative 'heathen'. The most well known Pagan religion is [[Wicca]].

==Subdivisions==

Pagan subdivisions coined by Isaac Bonewits:
*Paleo-Paganism: coined to contrast with "neopaganism", denoting a pagan culture that has not been disrupted by other cultures. The term applies to [[Hinduism]], [[Shinto]], pre-Migration period Germanic paganism as described by [[Tacitus]], Celtic Polytheism as described by [[Julius Caesar]], the Ancient Greek religion and religion in ancient Rome.
*Meso-Paganism: A group, which is, or has been, significantly influenced by monotheistic, dualistic, or nontheistic worldviews, but has been able to maintain an independence of religious practices. This group includes Native Americans and Australian Aborigine Bushmen, Viking Age Norse paganism. Influences include: [[Freemasonry]], [[Rosicrucianism]], [[Theosophy]], [[Spiritualism]], as well as [[Sikhism]], and the many Afro-Diasporic faiths like Haitian Vodou and Santería.
*[[Neo-Paganism]]: An attempt by modern people to reconnect with nature, pre-Christian religions, or other nature-based spiritual paths. This definition may include anything on a sliding scale from reconstructionist to [[New Age]] and non-reconstructionist groups such as [[Asatru]] and [[Wicca]].

Wicca

2007-04-16T04:17:30Z

Sub Zenyth: /* Wiccan Holy Days */ Whoops, one was missing.

'''Wicca''' is a [[religion]] which involves the practicing of witchcraft. It has many different sects and groups similar to many other religions. Unlike many other religions, however, Wiccans have no central body or governing organization. Instead, Wiccans either belong to and practice with small, local organizations called "covens" or practice "solitary", either out of choice or necessity, as there are many places in the country were Wiccan groups and organizations are persecuted. This, plus the fact that Wicca is a religion that encourages its followers to question what they are taught and develop their own practices, makes it very difficult to come up with a universal definition of what is a Wiccan. However, most Wiccans do share a few core concepts, including a respect for and a desire to live in rhythm with nature, the worship of a God and a Goddess, and a basic code of ethics.{{fact}} Wicca calls on the practitioner to act as their own priest/ess, interacting directly with Deity rather than through an intermediary as members of the patriarchal religions do.

==Wiccan Morality==
Most Wiccans submit to two basic rules of morality, the Wiccan Rede and the Threefold Law. ''The Rede'' states: "An it harm done, do as you will," meaning that you may do what you like, so long as you do not offer harm to others or to yourself. The Threefold Law states that what you send out in both the mundane and magical planes will return to you, though not necessarily by three.

==Wiccans and Deity==
Wiccans may be either monotheistic or polytheistic; the monotheists simply directing their spells and prayers to Spirit, and the polytheists subscribing to a variety of historical pantheons, including Celtic, Greek, Nordic, Roman, and even Chinese, Japanese, and Indian. Nearly all Wiccans, however, subscribe to the idea of Spirit being divided into two polarities, the male and the female. The male polarity is the God, or the Green Man; the female polarity is the Goddess, whom herself is split into the three parts of Maiden, Mother, and Crone. They are also often called the Lord and Lady.

==Wiccans and Magic==
"Wicca" is a religion. "Witchcraft" is the practice of magic. Most Wiccans are also Witches in that they practice magic, but there are those Wiccans who do not practice magic, and there are those who practice magic, but do not call themselves Wiccans, or even [[Pagan]].

==Wiccan Holy Days==
Wiccans usually celebrate the eight Sabbats and the thirteen Esbats. The Sabbats follow the solar cycle, and are as follows:

*Imbolc (Feb. 1)
*Ostara (March 21)
*[[May Day|Beltaine]] (May 1)
*Midsummer Day (June 21)
*Lammas (Aug. 1, sometimes called Lughnasadh)
*Mabon (Sept. 21)
*[[Halloween|Samhain]] (Oct. 31)
*Yule (Dec. 21/22)
The esbats follow the lunar cycle, and are generally celebrated on the full moon.

==The Four Elements==
Wiccan worship is conducted in a [[circle]], and the participants call on the four traditional elements of [[Air]], [[Fire]], [[Water]], and [[Earth]] at the respective [[cardinal]] points of East, South, West, and North. Air and Fire are considered masculine elements, and Water and Earth are considered feminine. Air is generally represented by an athame or a [[sword]], and stands for the east, the new moon, spring, the intellect, and new beginnings. Fire is represented by a wand or [[candle]], and stands for the south, summer, the waxing moon, will, passion, and transformation. Water is represented by a chalice and stands for the west, the full moon, emotions, cleansing, and the season of fall. Earth is represented by the pentacle or a bowl of salt, and stands for winter, silence, death, the waning moon, and the practical matters of everyday living.

==Wiccans and Ritual==
The general procedure for a Wiccan ritual is as follows:

*Cleansing of the sacred space with incense/[[holy water]]
*Forming of the circle
*Invoking the four quarters/elements
*Invoking the Lord and Lady
*Invoking of the ancestral dead
*State intent of [[ritual]]
*Drawing down of sun/moon (optional)
*Perform magical work
*Cakes and Ale
*Devoke ancestors
*Thank and release Deity
*Thank and release quarters
*Devoke circle
*cleanup

This is not a hard and fast outline, however. The drawing down of the moon would generally only occur during an esbat (see above), just as the drawing down of the sun would generally only occur during a sabbat. A solitary performing a ritual, or a group performing a simpler ritual may not opt to do these things, just as they may not opt to invoke the ancestors or serve the Cakes and Ale.

==Some History of Wicca==
Although there are elements of Wicca which date back to ancient times (the Sabbat fire festivals, for example), most aspects of Wicca are modern and were come up with in the last fifty years. Wicca was first popularized in England by Gerald Gardner after the repeal of Britain's laws banning Witchcraft. Gardner was a noted [[libertarian]], and his politics were very [[conservative]]. These attitudes are still adhered to by those who follow his religion in the form in which he created it, who are known as 'Gardnerians'. Nowadays, there are many forms of Wicca, including Alexandrian, Dianic, [[Druid]]ic, Corellian, Stregha (Italian witchcraft), Faery, and many others. There are also many Solitary and Eclectic practitioners, who follow no set tradition at all.
[[Category:religion]]

Spain

2007-03-07T05:58:32Z

Sub Zenyth:

Country located on the Iberian Peninsula. Borderd by the Alantic Ocean to the west and the Mediterranean on the east. Portuagal is located on the same peninsula. Is the same country as was in the medieval times. And known for its famous explorers.

[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/sp.html CIA World Factbook entry for Spain]

Mexico (country)

2007-03-07T05:57:31Z

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'''Mexico''' is a country in [[North America]], directly south of the [[United States]]. Mexico is noted for it's many resort towns.

The dominant Religion of Mexico is [[Roman Catholic]].<ref>https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/mx.html#People</ref>

<references/>

Mexico (country)

2007-03-07T05:55:51Z

Sub Zenyth: Get references!!

Debate:How should Conservapedia work to avoid having a conservative bias?

2007-03-07T05:52:41Z

Sub Zenyth:

'''It shouldn't.''' Two plus two equals four, not five. Of course we should have a bias--toward the truth. Absolute truth does exist, and the very act of grasping that axiom establishes that we are at odds with liberals--because liberals are ''postmodernistic'' in their thinking. [[Postmodernism]] asserts that no such thing as truth exists--an echo of a famous [[Rhetoric|rhetorical]] question by [[Pontius Pilate]].--[[User:TerryH|TerryH]] 14:31, 6 March 2007 (EST)

: While no comment on the topic, I note that not all liberals are "postmodernistic (sic)" and in fact many "conservative" claims border on post-modernism. See for example Warren Nord's arguments for teaching religion in public schools, look at "pressupositional apologetics", or look at Steve Fuller's testimony in the Dover trial. [[User:JoshuaZ|JoshuaZ]] 14:42, 6 March 2007 (EST)

::Interesting claim--that not all liberals are postmodern in their thinking. Actually, some liberals are ''modernistic'', which arguably is worse. Modernists assert that "[[science]]" will inevitably explain everything, and will explain it purely as an action of matter. [[Atheism|Atheists]] are modernists--and, I maintain, modernists have to become atheists in order to remain modernists.--[[User:TerryH|TerryH]] 14:47, 6 March 2007 (EST)

::: Not all atheists are modernist either in that sense, and no a modernist doesn't need to be an atheist (could be for example, an agnostic or some form of deist who believes that God is amenable to scientific analysis). [[User:JoshuaZ|JoshuaZ]] 14:54, 6 March 2007 (EST)

"Everything conservatives believe is absolute truth" is not a very good starting point, because not all conservatives believe the same things. You can, of course, get around this by saying "the ones that don't believe the same things that I believe aren't really conservatives, then." However, you may find that the pool of people who believe ''exactly'' the same things that you believe is small.

Saying "there is such a thing as absolute truth, and two plus two equals four is an example" doesn't get you very far. You still need to figure out what to do when you know that "there is such a thing as absolute truth, and the absolute truth is that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son" and you meet someone who says "there is such a thing as absolute truth, and the absolute truth is that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father." [[User:Dpbsmith|Dpbsmith]] 15:14, 6 March 2007 (EST)

::::: Personaly, I am striving towards as much conservative "bias" as possible. --[[User:BenjaminS|BenjaminS]] 16:47, 6 March 2007 (EST)

I agree to an extent. We want to be fair and factual. One thing that separates us from Wikipedia is that we do not claim ''not'' to have a bias and then take one anyway. --[[User:David R|<<-David R->>]] 16:50, 6 March 2007 (EST)

:It's worth noting that there's a difference between conservative ''bias'' and conservative ''flavour''. One can't have bias ''and'' be 'fair and factual,' it's one or the other. [[User:Tsumetai|Tsumetai]] 16:55, 6 March 2007 (EST)

On the contrary! One '''''can't''''' be "fair" and factual. If we give equall opportunity to both sides of the political spectrum we will be half ''non''factual. I beleive that absolute truth is right-of-center (that's why I'm a conservative). '''''Conservapedia needs take a position on political issues''''' ''or else we will abandon factuality.'' --[[User:BenjaminS|BenjaminS]] 17:09, 6 March 2007 (EST)

:I think we're working to different definitions of "fair" here. I'm not a compulsive centrist. Truth is fair, IMO. The tricky part is establishing it in the first place. [[User:Tsumetai|Tsumetai]] 17:11, 6 March 2007 (EST)

:: David hit the nail on the head. We don't make false claims of neutrality, as Wikipedia does. We have certain principles that we adhere to, and we are up-front about them. Beyond that we welcome the facts.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 17:49, 6 March 2007 (EST)

::: I have to agree with Aschlafly, there will undoubtably be right-wing bias here as the site is called "Conservapedia". I just want to help make sure that everything here is based on fact and not on someone's personal opinion. If it was all based on personal opinion, it would be no better than wikipedia. I appreciate your being up front about the possibility of conservative bias, and though I do not agree with many of the political views of many of the users of this site, I intend to respect them and do my best to keep this site as unbiased and truthful as I am allowed to. The truth is all we need to make this a viable source for information on many things.--[[User:TheTruth|TheTruth]] 18:33, 6 March 2007 (EST)

We are not trying to be "unbiased" we are trying to be ''conservative''. The truth is not unbiased. I agree with ben that we should take an official position on some key issues. --[[User:TimSvendsen|TimSvendsen]] 18:40, 6 March 2007 (EST)

'''It should.''' Otherwise it will simply be labled as hypocritical (which has already happened). If removing the bias from Wikipedia's articles is one of the main reasons for establishing this site then creating a new conservative bias would simply be irrational. This site could simply semsibly point out bias' in wikipedia's articles pointing out scientifically and socially credible sources. An image of " we're more conservative than Wikipedia but we're not creationists" would go a long way to creating credibility.--[[User:ChrisF|ChrisF]]
:I agree heartily. Merely having the articles written by conservatives will put a slight spin on the issues, intentional or not. Any more than this and we are no longer writing an encyclopedia, but a conservative propaganda resource.--[[User:Sub Zenyth|Sub Zenyth]] 23:53, 6 March 2007 (EST)
::'''Counter''' Sub Zenyth, do you actually know what [[propaganda]] is? It is, by my definition, a tissue of lies, or anything presented in a manner that would lead one to suspect lying. Is anyone telling lies here? Evidence, if you please.--[[User:TerryH|TerryH]] 00:02, 7 March 2007 (EST)
:::..Wait, did I miss something? That link helped my argument. "Any ''idea, fact, rumor,'' or lie, or a ''wider body of same,'' which one circulates, publishes, or otherwise ''spreads by deliberate conscious effort in order to advance'' or hinder ''any given cause.''" So, conservatives claiming factuality of articles that are intentionally skewed to advocate conservative views would be... propaganda, no?--[[User:Sub Zenyth|Sub Zenyth]] 00:52, 7 March 2007 (EST)
==See also==
*[[Rhetorical question]]

User:Sub Zenyth

2007-03-07T04:59:25Z

Sub Zenyth:

Perhaps I can help the public take this more seriously and not write it off as conservative propaganda. I'll be perfectly honest and say that I'm mostly liberal, but the world takes both kinds, and it would do Wikipedia good to have some competition.

Debate:Should the United States leave the United Nations?

2007-03-07T04:57:34Z

Sub Zenyth:

=='''Post Your Thoughts'''==

==='''yes...'''===

Yes

YES YES YES [[User:PhilipB|PhilipB]] 12:24, 14 December 2006 (EST)

I agree....what a powerless waste of time! [[User:David R|David R]]

Assuming arguendo that the United Nations is actually an effective organization, it’s still pernicious. The underlying theory that the UN is built upon is that the world can achieve peace, security and prosperity through unified world government; however, that logic completely contradicts the principle of separation of powers. In America, the way that separate, but equal branches of government check and balance each other is one of the greatest strengths of our system of government. The checks and balances in our system of government are quite effective at preventing any faction of the government from gaining absolute power and behaving tyrannically. By unifying national governments, the UN takes a large step towards abolishing the separation of powers that truly creates peace, security, and prosperity. EWJ

Yeah, only the US can keep the rest of the world from messing up. Next time, let's invade Europe. Silly Eurotrash. :)

==='''no...'''===
Our vetoes have saved Israel so many times. [[User:MountainDew|MountainDew]] 21:57, 25 February 2007 (EST)

What good can we do by being absent? If we can do one iota of good, it's worth staying.--[[User:Sub Zenyth|Sub Zenyth]] 23:57, 6 March 2007 (EST)

Debate:How should Conservapedia work to avoid having a conservative bias?

2007-03-07T04:53:29Z

Sub Zenyth:

Bill Clinton

2007-03-07T04:46:43Z

Sub Zenyth: Tried to be a bit more balanced, less opinion, but still needs work.

'''Bill Clinton''' (full name: William Jefferson Clinton) served as the 42nd [[President of the United States of America]] from 1993-2001, following [[George H. W. Bush]] and preceding [[George W. Bush]]. His election is notable as he never won a majority of the popular vote, though he won more votes than any of his opponents, unlike his successor.

[[Image:billclinton.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Bill Clinton]]

Clinton won in 1992 with 43% of the popular vote, capitalizing on public discontent with a weak economy and public displeasure with President [[George H. W. Bush]]'s proposed tax increases, and Ross Perot, a popular third candidate. In his first two years in office, 1993 through 1994, Clinton failed at his massive attempt to "reform" health-care in the United States by some sort of government-backed universal health-care insurance, which many conservatives felt would result in effective government control of the health care system. His approach consisted of appointing a planning committee with secret members to reshape this important sector of the economy. The [[Association of American Physicians and Surgeons]] successfully sued to force disclosure of the committee members and ultimately to defeat the program.

Clinton also signed into law the [[Violence Against Women Act]], which opened the federal courts to claims of domestic disputes between men and women, which had always been handled under state rather than federal law. A key provision of this law was later ruled unconstitutional in [[United States v. Morrison]].<ref>http://supct.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/99-5.ZS.html</ref>

In 1994, voters expressed their high disapproval of Clinton by giving a landslide victory to Republicans in Congress, where Republicans won 49.9% of the popular vote (compared to the Democrat's 44%). This event was tagged the "Republican Revolution," in which Republicans promised America reforms including term limits, presidential line-item veto, and a balanced budget. That ended much of Clinton's power. He was reelected with 49.2% of the popular vote against a weak Republican candidate in 1996 ([[Robert Dole | Bob Dole]]) and a weaker "populist" candidate, [[H. Ross Perot]]. The re-election of Clinton despite the demonstrated preference of the electorate in 1994 for Republican candidates may well be due to the electorate's preference for a [[divided government]], in which the executive branch and the congress are representative of different parties, unlike the elections in 2002 or 2004. Clinton spent the remainder of his presidency combating scandals. A special prosecutor was named to investigate Clinton for allegations of impropriety in the Whitewater real-estate scandal, an investment of Clinton's in a failed real estate venture. Although nothing came out of this investigation, and it turned out that Clinton actually lost money on his investment, one of the results of the investigation was that the special prosecutor turned to investigating other Clinton activities, one of which (the [[Monica Lewinsky]] scandal) resulted in his impeachment. After a brief trial, the Senate acquitted all charges.

Under Clinton's presidency, the economy boomed, creating the largest ever budget surplus. <ref>http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/09/27/clinton.surplus/</ref>

Clinton also attempted to use the American military to kill [[Osama Bin Laden]] and [[Al Qaeda]], an action which was seen by some as an attempt to distract the nation from the [[Monica Lewinsky scandal]].

Bill Clinton's wife, [[Hillary_Rodham_Clinton|Hillary Clinton]], has long sought to become president herself. She used her position of influence to obtain the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate without opposition in 2000, and was elected in this safely Democratic state. Reelected in 2006, she is now running for president in 2008.

Most memorable quotes:

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman.... Ms. Lewinsky."<br>
"That depends on what your definition of 'is' is."

----

'''Sources:''' <references/>

Amnesty International

2007-03-07T04:32:31Z

Sub Zenyth:

As stated by their homepage: "Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights." It is a non-profit organization that speaks out against human rights abuses, demands the release of political prisoners, and opposes the death penalty.
<br>
[http://www.amnesty.org/ Amnesty International's homepage]

Talk:United States of America

2007-03-07T04:28:42Z

Sub Zenyth:

The thing on freedom of religion should be improved, as most people interpret it primarily as freedom of belief first, government noninterference second. I'm thinking an article on freedom of religion would probably be warranted, as that's a major issue in the world today. --[[User:John|John]] 14:13, 5 March 2007 (EST)

::Shouldn't that go under Bill of Rights or US Constitution?--[[User:Sub Zenyth|Sub Zenyth]] 23:28, 6 March 2007 (EST)

George H. W. Bush

2007-03-07T04:21:36Z

Sub Zenyth:

''George H. W. (Herbert Walker) Bush'', [[Republican]], was president of the U.S. from 1989-1993, following [[Ronald Reagan]] and preceding [[William Jefferson Clinton]]. He is the father of [[George W. Bush]].

His presidency was marked mostly by a poor economy, and the first [[Gulf War]].

George Bush

2007-03-07T04:20:12Z

Sub Zenyth: Created Disambig

George Bush could refer to two different [[President of the United States of America|United States presidents]].
See
*[[George W. Bush]]
*[[George H. W. Bush]]