Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Gnosticism

2007-11-05T04:39:04Z

Urthona los:

'''Gnosticism''' (after gnôsis, the [[Greek]] word for "knowledge" or "insight") is the name given to a loosely organized [[religious]] and [[philosophy|philosophical]] movement that flourished in the first and second centuries A.D. Though the exact origins of this school of thought cannot be traced with any certainty, it is possible to infer that certain non-canonical sources dating from the first and second centuries A.D. were used to develop it.

There are numerous references to the Gnostics in second century proto-orthodox literature. Most of what we know about them is from the polemic thrown at them by the early Church Fathers.<ref>http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/gnostics.html</ref>
[[Marcion]] was the most famous of the Gnostics, and he established a "canon" of the Pauline epistles that did not include the pastorals and a "mutilated" Luke. [[Justin Martyr]] mentioned Marcion c. 150 CE, and [[Irenaeus]] and [[Tertullian]] wrote against him extensively in the late second century (in ''Against Heresy'' and ''Against Marcion'', respectively).<ref>ibid.</ref>

Literary critic Harold Bloom distinguishes Gnosticism from Christianity and Judaism in his book Agon:

"Gnosticism polemically is decidedly not a faith, whether in the Christian sense, pisits, a believing that something was, is, and will be so; or in the Hebraic sense, emunah, a trusting in the Covenant. If religion is a binding, then Gnosticism is an unbinding, but not for the sake of things or persons merely as they are. Gnostic freedom is a freedom for knowledge, knowledge of what in the self, not in the psyche or soul, is Godlike, and knowledge of God beyond the cosmos. But also it is a freedom to be known, to be known by God, by what is alien to everything created, by what is alien to and beyond the stars and the cosmic system and our earth."

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Religion]]

Faith

2007-11-05T04:37:01Z

Urthona los:

'''Faith''' is a [[biblical]] concept referring to a confidence or trust in a greater good which [[God]] is able to provide. Two classic figures of faith in the [[Bible]] are [[Abraham]] and the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] centurion of [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%208:5-10;&version=49; Matthew 8:5-10.] Faith is expressed in [[Greek]] using the term ''pistis'', and in [[Latin]] using the term ''fides''. Faith is mentioned in 229 verses in the [[New Testament]] ([[KJV]]), but only twice in the much larger [[Old Testament]] ([[KJV]]).<ref>http://www.crosswalk.com</ref>

Faith embodies more than belief in two significant respects. First, faith implies a causal role by the believer in an outcome, as in [[Peter]]'s walking on water based on his faith or in overcoming a personal fear. Second, faith implies advancement or accomplishment rather than wrongdoing.

Etymologically, the word 'faith' is closely linked to the concept of "fidelity," which emphasizes commitment to something or someone, specifically [[Christ]]. Thus, faith is often understood to mean 'loyalty' to a particular view of [[divinity]]. Yet, faith can also be envisioned more broadly as a trust in [[providence]], as it entails an active role for the believer himself for advancing good.

The literary critic Harold Bloom distinguishes Christianity from the other two dominant monotheistic religions in his book Agon by contrasting them with Gnosticism:

"Gnosticism polemically is decidedly not a faith, whether in the Christian sense, pisits, a believing that something was, is, and will be so; or in the Hebraic sense, emunah, a trusting in the Covenant. If religion is a binding, then Gnosticism is an unbinding, but not for the sake of things or persons merely as they are. Gnostic freedom is a freedom for knowledge, knowledge of what in the self, not in the psyche or soul, is Godlike, and knowledge of God beyond the cosmos. But also it is a freedom to be known, to be known by God, by what is alien to everything created, by what is alien to and beyond the stars and the cosmic system and our earth."

Faith is emphasized in Christianity but is unrecognized by the worldview of [[Philosophical Skepticism|philosophical skepticism]].

==Other Biblical examples==

Perhaps the greatest description of faith is Hebrews 11. It states: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."<ref>Hebrews 11:1 (NIV).</ref>

[[Paul]] indicated that faith itself is a gift of the [[Holy Spirit]]. 1 Corinthians 12:8-9 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit

As alluded to previously, another reference to faith is [[Genesis]] 22 where [[God]] tested [[Abraham]] by commanding him to sacrifice his only son [[Isaac]]. As Abraham prepared to do what God commanded -he was stopped.
Genesis 22:12
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 

==Martin Luther on Faith==

Luther in his Table Talk papers writes this thought provoking and rather difficult passage on faith:

"This is the acme of faith, to believe that God, who saves so few and condemns so many, is merciful; that he is just who, at his own pleasure, has made us necessarily doomed to damnation, so that he seems to delight in the torture of the wretched and is more deserving of hate than of love. If by any effort of reason I could conceive how God, who shows so much anger and harshness, could be merciful and just, there would be no need of faith."

==Other Definitions and Religions==

Outside of [[Christianity]], faith is misused as a synonym for "belief". The [[Merriam-Webster]] dictionary, for example, includes this definition of faith: "a system of religious beliefs."<ref>http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/faith</ref>

Alternatively, faith often refers to a "firm belief in something for which there is no proof" or evidence.

In the [[Koran]], the concept of submission to [[Allah]] is mentioned 11 times, while the concept of faith in Allah is mentioned only once.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:religion]]
[[Category:philosophy]]

== External links ==
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://tektonics.org/whatis/whatfaith.html Fallacious Faith]

Faith

2007-11-05T04:20:11Z

Urthona los: /* Martin Luther on Faith */

'''Faith''' is a [[biblical]] concept referring to a confidence or trust in a greater good which [[God]] is able to provide. Two classic figures of faith in the [[Bible]] are [[Abraham]] and the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] centurion of [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%208:5-10;&version=49; Matthew 8:5-10.] Faith is expressed in [[Greek]] using the term ''pistis'', and in [[Latin]] using the term ''fides''. Faith is mentioned in 229 verses in the [[New Testament]] ([[KJV]]), but only twice in the much larger [[Old Testament]] ([[KJV]]).<ref>http://www.crosswalk.com</ref>

Faith embodies more than belief in two significant respects. First, faith implies a causal role by the believer in an outcome, as in [[Peter]]'s walking on water based on his faith or in overcoming a personal fear. Second, faith implies advancement or accomplishment rather than wrongdoing.

Etymologically, the word 'faith' is closely linked to the concept of "fidelity," which emphasizes commitment to something or someone, specifically [[Christ]]. Thus, faith is often understood to mean 'loyalty' to a particular view of [[divinity]]. Yet, faith can also be envisioned more broadly as a trust in [[providence]], as it entails an active role for the believer himself for advancing good.

Faith is emphasized in Christianity but is unrecognized by the worldview of [[Philosophical Skepticism|philosophical skepticism]].

==Other Biblical examples==

Perhaps the greatest description of faith is Hebrews 11. It states: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."<ref>Hebrews 11:1 (NIV).</ref>

[[Paul]] indicated that faith itself is a gift of the [[Holy Spirit]]. 1 Corinthians 12:8-9 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit

As alluded to previously, another reference to faith is [[Genesis]] 22 where [[God]] tested [[Abraham]] by commanding him to sacrifice his only son [[Isaac]]. As Abraham prepared to do what God commanded -he was stopped.
Genesis 22:12
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 

==Martin Luther on Faith==

Luther in his Table Talk papers writes this thought provoking and rather difficult passage on faith:

"This is the acme of faith, to believe that God, who saves so few and condemns so many, is merciful; that he is just who, at his own pleasure, has made us necessarily doomed to damnation, so that he seems to delight in the torture of the wretched and is more deserving of hate than of love. If by any effort of reason I could conceive how God, who shows so much anger and harshness, could be merciful and just, there would be no need of faith."

==Other Definitions and Religions==

Outside of [[Christianity]], faith is misused as a synonym for "belief". The [[Merriam-Webster]] dictionary, for example, includes this definition of faith: "a system of religious beliefs."<ref>http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/faith</ref>

Alternatively, faith often refers to a "firm belief in something for which there is no proof" or evidence.

In the [[Koran]], the concept of submission to [[Allah]] is mentioned 11 times, while the concept of faith in Allah is mentioned only once.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:religion]]
[[Category:philosophy]]

== External links ==
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://tektonics.org/whatis/whatfaith.html Fallacious Faith]

Faith

2007-11-05T04:19:10Z

Urthona los:

'''Faith''' is a [[biblical]] concept referring to a confidence or trust in a greater good which [[God]] is able to provide. Two classic figures of faith in the [[Bible]] are [[Abraham]] and the [[Roman Empire|Roman]] centurion of [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%208:5-10;&version=49; Matthew 8:5-10.] Faith is expressed in [[Greek]] using the term ''pistis'', and in [[Latin]] using the term ''fides''. Faith is mentioned in 229 verses in the [[New Testament]] ([[KJV]]), but only twice in the much larger [[Old Testament]] ([[KJV]]).<ref>http://www.crosswalk.com</ref>

Faith embodies more than belief in two significant respects. First, faith implies a causal role by the believer in an outcome, as in [[Peter]]'s walking on water based on his faith or in overcoming a personal fear. Second, faith implies advancement or accomplishment rather than wrongdoing.

Etymologically, the word 'faith' is closely linked to the concept of "fidelity," which emphasizes commitment to something or someone, specifically [[Christ]]. Thus, faith is often understood to mean 'loyalty' to a particular view of [[divinity]]. Yet, faith can also be envisioned more broadly as a trust in [[providence]], as it entails an active role for the believer himself for advancing good.

Faith is emphasized in Christianity but is unrecognized by the worldview of [[Philosophical Skepticism|philosophical skepticism]].

==Other Biblical examples==

Perhaps the greatest description of faith is Hebrews 11. It states: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."<ref>Hebrews 11:1 (NIV).</ref>

[[Paul]] indicated that faith itself is a gift of the [[Holy Spirit]]. 1 Corinthians 12:8-9 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit

As alluded to previously, another reference to faith is [[Genesis]] 22 where [[God]] tested [[Abraham]] by commanding him to sacrifice his only son [[Isaac]]. As Abraham prepared to do what God commanded -he was stopped.
Genesis 22:12
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son." 

==Martin Luther on Faith==

Luther in his Table Talk papers he writes this thought provoking and rather difficult passage on faith:

This is the acme of faith, to believe that God, who saves so few and condemns so many, is merciful; that he is just who, at his own pleasure, has made us necessarily doomed to damnation, so that he seems to delight in the torture of the wretched and is more deserving of hate than of love. If by any effort of reason I could conceive how God, who shows so much anger and harshness, could be merciful and just, there would be no need of faith.

==Other Definitions and Religions==

Outside of [[Christianity]], faith is misused as a synonym for "belief". The [[Merriam-Webster]] dictionary, for example, includes this definition of faith: "a system of religious beliefs."<ref>http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/faith</ref>

Alternatively, faith often refers to a "firm belief in something for which there is no proof" or evidence.

In the [[Koran]], the concept of submission to [[Allah]] is mentioned 11 times, while the concept of faith in Allah is mentioned only once.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:religion]]
[[Category:philosophy]]

== External links ==
* Holding, James Patrick, [http://tektonics.org/whatis/whatfaith.html Fallacious Faith]

Clean

2007-06-30T18:50:13Z

Urthona los: New page: A word that serves as an adjective and a verb. As an adjective clean can mean not dirty or in order. A clean window is a window free of dust just as a clean room is a room where the ...

A word that serves as an adjective and a verb.

As an adjective clean can mean not dirty or in order. A clean window is a window free of dust just as a clean room is a room where the clothes and other items are put in order. Clean can also refer to acceptable ideological content. For example Conservapedia defines itself as a clean source of information. By this the site means it is free of material that may be offensive to its target audience.

Walt Whitman

2007-04-26T01:45:08Z

Urthona los:

'''Walt Whitman''' (1819-1892) was an America poet and school teacher. Born on Long Island and raised in Brooklyn, he received little formal education. His poetry often rejects traditional rhymes, meters, and themes in favor of free verse reflecting democratic egalitarianism and personal liberty. His major work, ''Leaves of Grass'', was originally self-published. One of the first to receive a copy of Leaves of Grass was the American intellectual and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson who praised the book as "the finest piece of wit and wisdom to yet come from these states." Later Emerson would become critical of Whitman's mode of expressing sexuality a criticism shared by others who perceived amoral and homoerotic aspects in his writings. Only in later years did his powerful writing style and American themes win Whitman the admiration of the literary community. Whitman spent his later years working in hospitals during the civil war watching over the wounded. There are still extant many letters from soldiers and their families expressing deep thanks and love for Whitman's benevelence at this time. Henry James attempted to emulate Whitman by visiting hospitals during WWI but his biographies have noted that despite his sincerity he was not able to connect as deeply as Whitman was.

[[category:poets]]

Percy Bysshe Shelley

2007-04-26T01:37:25Z

Urthona los: New page: Percy Bysshe Shelley was born August 4, 1792 in Sussex England. He drowned in a storm while traveling from Livorno to Lerici in his schooner on July 8, 1822. Shelley was one of six great...

Percy Bysshe Shelley was born August 4, 1792 in Sussex England. He drowned in a storm while traveling from Livorno to Lerici in his schooner on July 8, 1822. Shelley was one of six great early nineteenth century British poets later dubbed the High Romantics (the others being Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron and Keats.) Shelley was an atheist his whole life and promoted a religion of the imagination. His epic poem Prometheus Unbound explores his interest in a renewed imagination/ creative life in the story of Prometheus. Shelley's principle characters Prometheus, Asia, Jupiter and Demogorgon interestingly bear resemblance to the psychic constructs of other writers including Blake, Yeats and Freud. (Harold Bloom, The Visionary Company: A Reading of English Romantic Poetry, Cornell University, New York 1971, p. 90-91).

His major poems include: Alastor, Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, Mont Blanc, Ode to the West Wind, Prometheus Unbound, The Witch of Atlas, Epipsychidion, Adonis, and the Triumph of Life.

The Gospels

2007-04-19T02:58:54Z

Urthona los:

The Gospels (from the Greek for "good news") are accounts of Jesus attributed to two of His Apostles (Matthew and John) and two disciples (Mark and Luke). The evangelical biblical scholar E.P. Sanders notes that the original texts were internally anonymous and that the four gospels were not ascribed to these figures until after 150 A.D.<ref>E.P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, 163-166.</ref> The Gospels were originally written in Greek, the common lingua franca (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient. No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only known Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions. The general consensus is that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews; the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans; the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks; and the Gospel according to John was written for everyone. Jesus had emphasized that scribes were part of those He sent forth to proselytize the world. "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...." (Matt 23:34 (NAS)).
There are a number of other "gospels" writen during this period. They include: the Gospel of the Ebionites, Gospel of the Hebrews, Gospel of Marcion, Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Peter, Gospel of Thomas, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, and the Infancy Gospel of James. <ref>Donald Harman Akenson, Surpassing Wonder: The Invention of the Bible and the Talmuds, 216.</ref>
==Etymology==
"Gospel" is derived from the Middle English word "godspel," in which "god" means "good" and "spel" means "news." Thus "Gospel" literally means "good news," and some denominations like to use the phrase "good news" because they feel it conveys the nature of the Gospel clearly. It is a translation of the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion), which is also the root of the word "evangelist;" an evangelist is someone who spreads the good news. The "good news" here is, specifically, the news of Christ's redemption. The four Gospels offer different, yet complementary, accounts of the story of Jesus's life and teachings, and lay the foundation for the doctrine of Christ's redemption.

==The relationship of the Gospels==

Although Matthew comes first in Biblical order, the gospel of Mark is widely agreed to be the oldest of the Gospels. Matthew and Luke were probably compiled slightly later, drawing both from the oral traditions of the life of [[Jesus]]. John is the last of the Gospels, the most theologically mature, and the strongest in its emphasis on God's loving sacrifice of his only son, [[Jesus]], and the ways in which this sacrifice redeemed all mankind. The first three canonical Gospels are often called the "synoptic" Gospels, as they tell slightly different versions of the same underlying story of Christ's life and ministry on earth.

Luke was a said to have been a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied Paul and also wrote the Acts of the Apostles describing the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the allegedly firsthand Gospels of Matthew and John, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file. Due to Luke's professional nature, his Gospel is very comprehensive about Jesus' life and resurrection, and it also conveys the great sense of joy that Jesus' family, friends and followers felt.

==Non-canonical Gospels==
In addition to the four Canonical gospels, many other early texts claiming to record the accounts of Jesus's earthly ministry have survived. Most notable among these is the [[Gospel of Thomas]], which contains additional sayings and teachings. Recently, a [[Gospel of Judas]] surfaced, but this text is decidedly a later one, and its claim for any original authority is very slim. These Gospels are considered [[apocryphal]] by most modern Christian denominations, and therefore not authoritative texts, but they have stirred considerable interest among theologians and many lay believers in the nature of early Christian beliefs.

Among fragments that still survive are the gospels according to the Hebrews (much prized by the early Jewish Church), according to the Egyptians, of the Ebionites, of Philip, of Matthias, of Peter, of Thomas (almost complete), of Nicodemus, of Bartholomew, of Pseudo-Melito, of Joseph of Arimathaea, of James, of Pseudo-Matthew, of Barnabas and a whole collection of infancy gospels <ref>James. M.R, The Apocryphal New Testament (Clarendon, Oxford, 1924)</ref>.

==References==

<references/>

[[Category:Bible]]

The Gospels

2007-04-19T02:51:06Z

Urthona los:

The Gospels (from the Greek for "good news") are accounts of Jesus attributed to two of His Apostles (Matthew and John) and two disciples (Mark and Luke). The evangelical biblical scholar E.P. Sanders notes that the original texts were internally anonymous and that the four gospels were not ascribed to these figures until after 150 A.D.1 The Gospels were originally written in Greek, the common lingua franca (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient. No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only known Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions. The general consensus is that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews; the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans; the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks; and the Gospel according to John was written for everyone. Jesus had emphasized that scribes were part of those He sent forth to proselytize the world. "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...." (Matt 23:34 (NAS)).

==Etymology==
"Gospel" is derived from the Middle English word "godspel," in which "god" means "good" and "spel" means "news." Thus "Gospel" literally means "good news," and some denominations like to use the phrase "good news" because they feel it conveys the nature of the Gospel clearly. It is a translation of the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion), which is also the root of the word "evangelist;" an evangelist is someone who spreads the good news. The "good news" here is, specifically, the news of Christ's redemption. The four Gospels offer different, yet complementary, accounts of the story of Jesus's life and teachings, and lay the foundation for the doctrine of Christ's redemption.

==The relationship of the Gospels==

Although Matthew comes first in Biblical order, the gospel of Mark is widely agreed to be the oldest of the Gospels. Matthew and Luke were probably compiled slightly later, drawing both from the oral traditions of the life of [[Jesus]]. John is the last of the Gospels, the most theologically mature, and the strongest in its emphasis on God's loving sacrifice of his only son, [[Jesus]], and the ways in which this sacrifice redeemed all mankind. The first three canonical Gospels are often called the "synoptic" Gospels, as they tell slightly different versions of the same underlying story of Christ's life and ministry on earth.

Luke was a said to have been a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied Paul and also wrote the Acts of the Apostles describing the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the allegedly firsthand Gospels of Matthew and John, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file. Due to Luke's professional nature, his Gospel is very comprehensive about Jesus' life and resurrection, and it also conveys the great sense of joy that Jesus' family, friends and followers felt.

==Non-canonical Gospels==
In addition to the four Canonical gospels, many other early texts claiming to record the accounts of Jesus's earthly ministry have survived. Most notable among these is the [[Gospel of Thomas]], which contains additional sayings and teachings. Recently, a [[Gospel of Judas]] surfaced, but this text is decidedly a later one, and its claim for any original authority is very slim. These Gospels are considered [[apocryphal]] by most modern Christian denominations, and therefore not authoritative texts, but they have stirred considerable interest among theologians and many lay believers in the nature of early Christian beliefs.

Among fragments that still survive are the gospels according to the Hebrews (much prized by the early Jewish Church), according to the Egyptians, of the Ebionites, of Philip, of Matthias, of Peter, of Thomas (almost complete), of Nicodemus, of Bartholomew, of Pseudo-Melito, of Joseph of Arimathaea, of James, of Pseudo-Matthew, of Barnabas and a whole collection of infancy gospels <ref>James. M.R, The Apocryphal New Testament (Clarendon, Oxford, 1924)</ref>.

==References==

<references/>
E.P. Sanders, The Historical Figure of Jesus, 163-166.

[[Category:Bible]]

Uzbekistan

2007-04-15T15:51:14Z

Urthona los:

{{stub}}

'''Uzbekistan ''' is a country in [[Central Asia]], a member of the Commenwealth of Independent States, and a former Soviet Socialist Republic. Its capitol is Tashkent. The president is Islom Karimov.

Uzbekistan shares borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The ethnic populations of Uzbekistan include Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tadjiks, Russians, Tatars and Koreans. The most common languages are Uzbek, Russian, Tadjik and Karakalpak.

----
== Notable Features==

Aral Sea
----
In the north west tip of Uzbekistan lies the Aral Sea. The largest city in this area is Nukus which was described in the Lonely Planet guide as the saddest place on earth. This is due to the rapidly shrinking water supply of the Aral Sea. The sea is also heavily poluted due to weapons testing.

Ferghana Valley
----
The most fertile and heavily populated area of Uzbekistan. Prominent cities include the historically city Kokand that was once the capital of the Kokand Dynasty and Ferghana City a very Russian city.

Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
----
The three most famous ancient cities of Uzbekistan.

[[Category:Asian Countries]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Uzbekistan

2007-04-15T15:50:40Z

Urthona los:

{{stub}}

'''Uzbekistan ''' is a country in [[Central Asia]], a member of the Commenwealth of Independent States, and a former Soviet Socialist Republic. Its capitol is Tashkent. The president is Islom Karimov.

Uzbekistan shares borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The ethnic populations of Uzbekistan include Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tadjiks, Russians, Tatars and Koreans. The most common languages are Uzbek, Russian, Tadjik and Karakalpak.

----
== Notable Features==

Aral Sea
----

In the north west tip of Uzbekistan lies the Aral Sea. The largest city in this area is Nukus which was described in the Lonely Planet guide as the saddest place on earth. This is due to the rapidly shrinking water supply of the Aral Sea. The sea is also heavily poluted due to weapons testing.

Ferghana Valley
----

The most fertile and heavily populated area of Uzbekistan. Prominent cities include the historically city Kokand that was once the capital of the Kokand Dynasty and Ferghana City a very Russian city.

Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
----

The three most famous ancient cities of Uzbekistan.

[[Category:Asian Countries]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Uzbekistan

2007-04-15T15:50:03Z

Urthona los:

{{stub}}

'''Uzbekistan ''' is a country in [[Central Asia]], a member of the Commenwealth of Independent States, and a former Soviet Socialist Republic. Its capitol is Tashkent. The president is Islom Karimov.

Uzbekistan shares borders with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. The ethnic populations of Uzbekistan include Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tadjiks, Russians, Tatars and Koreans. The most common languages are Uzbek, Russian, Tadjik and Karakalpak.

----
== Notable Features==
----

Aral Sea
In the north west tip of Uzbekistan lies the Aral Sea. The largest city in this area is Nukus which was described in the Lonely Planet guide as the saddest place on earth. This is due to the rapidly shrinking water supply of the Aral Sea. The sea is also heavily poluted due to weapons testing.

Ferghana Valley
The most fertile and heavily populated area of Uzbekistan. Prominent cities include the historically city Kokand that was once the capital of the Kokand Dynasty and Ferghana City a very Russian city.

Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva
The three most famous ancient cities of Uzbekistan.

[[Category:Asian Countries]]
[[Category:Former Soviet Countries]]

Harold Bloom

2007-04-14T12:46:19Z

Urthona los:

American religious and literary critic, born July 11, 1930 in New York from Jewish emigrees from Russia. Bloom teaches at Yale and New York University. As a literary critic is work is generally agreed to have gone through three stages. The first is his work on the British Romantic Poets of the 19th Century. The second is his development of his theory of poetic influence. Bloom's current writings are directed more towards a common audience than scholars.

----

== Bibliography ==

Shelley's Mythmaking. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959.

The Visionary Company: A Reading of English Romantic Poetry. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1961. Rev. and enlarged ed. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1971.

Blake's Apocalypse: A Study in Poetic Argument. Anchor Books: New York: Doubleday and Co., 1963.

Yeats. New York: Oxford University Press, 1970. ISBN 0-19-501603-3

The Ringers in the Tower: Studies in Romantic Tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971.

Poetry and Repression: Revisionism from Blake to Stevens. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976.

Figures of Capable Imagination. New York: Seabury Press, 1976.

Wallace Stevens: The Poems of our Climate. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1977.

Deconstruction and Criticism. New York: Seabury Press, 1980.

The Flight to Lucifer: Gnostic Fantasy. New York: Vintage Books, 1980. ISBN 0-394-74323-7

The Breaking of the Vessels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.

The Book of J: Translated from the Hebrew by David Rosenberg; Interpreted by Harold Bloom. New York: Grove Press, 1990 ISBN 0-8021-4191-9

Ruin the Sacred Truths: Poetry and Belief from the Bible to the Present. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1989.

The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation; Touchstone Books; ISBN 0-671-86737-7 (1992; August 1993)

The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973; 2d ed., 1997. ISBN 0-19-511221-0

A Map of Misreading. New York: Oxford University Press, 1975.

Kabbalah and Criticism. New York : Seabury Press, 1975. ISBN 0-8264-0242-9

Agon: Towards a Theory of Revisionism. New York : Oxford University Press, 1982.

The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1994.

Omens of Millennium: The Gnosis of Angels, Dreams, and Resurrection. New York: Riverhead Books, 1996.

Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: 1999. ISBN 1-57322-751-X

Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages. New York: 2001.

How to Read and Why. New York: 2001. ISBN 0-684-85906-8

El futur de la imaginació (The Future of the Imagination). Barcelona: Anagrama / Empúries, 2002. ISBN 84-7596-927-5

Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds. New York: 2003. ISBN 0-446-52717-3

Hamlet: Poem Unlimited. New York: 2003.

The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Frost. New York: 2004. ISBN 0-06-054041-9

Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? New York: 2004. ISBN 1-57322-284-4

Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine 2005. ISBN 1-57322-322-0

American Religious Poems: An Anthology By Harold Bloom 2006. ISBN 1-931082-74-X

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Harold Bloom

2007-04-14T12:45:38Z

Urthona los: New page: American religious and literary critic, born July 11, 1930 in New York from Jewish emigrees from Russia. Bloom is a teaches at Yale and New York University. As a literary critic is work ...

American religious and literary critic, born July 11, 1930 in New York from Jewish emigrees from Russia. Bloom is a teaches at Yale and New York University. As a literary critic is work is generally agreed to have gone through three stages. The first is his work on the British Romantic Poets of the 19th Century. The second is his development of his theory of poetic influence. Bloom's current writings are directed more towards a common audience than scholars.

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== Bibliography ==

Shelley's Mythmaking. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1959.

The Visionary Company: A Reading of English Romantic Poetry. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1961. Rev. and enlarged ed. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1971.

Blake's Apocalypse: A Study in Poetic Argument. Anchor Books: New York: Doubleday and Co., 1963.

Yeats. New York: Oxford University Press, 1970. ISBN 0-19-501603-3

The Ringers in the Tower: Studies in Romantic Tradition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1971.

Poetry and Repression: Revisionism from Blake to Stevens. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976.

Figures of Capable Imagination. New York: Seabury Press, 1976.

Wallace Stevens: The Poems of our Climate. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1977.

Deconstruction and Criticism. New York: Seabury Press, 1980.

The Flight to Lucifer: Gnostic Fantasy. New York: Vintage Books, 1980. ISBN 0-394-74323-7

The Breaking of the Vessels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982.

The Book of J: Translated from the Hebrew by David Rosenberg; Interpreted by Harold Bloom. New York: Grove Press, 1990 ISBN 0-8021-4191-9

Ruin the Sacred Truths: Poetry and Belief from the Bible to the Present. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1989.

The American Religion: The Emergence of the Post-Christian Nation; Touchstone Books; ISBN 0-671-86737-7 (1992; August 1993)

The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry. New York: Oxford University Press, 1973; 2d ed., 1997. ISBN 0-19-511221-0

A Map of Misreading. New York: Oxford University Press, 1975.

Kabbalah and Criticism. New York : Seabury Press, 1975. ISBN 0-8264-0242-9

Agon: Towards a Theory of Revisionism. New York : Oxford University Press, 1982.

The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1994.

Omens of Millennium: The Gnosis of Angels, Dreams, and Resurrection. New York: Riverhead Books, 1996.

Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human. New York: 1999. ISBN 1-57322-751-X

Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages. New York: 2001.

How to Read and Why. New York: 2001. ISBN 0-684-85906-8

El futur de la imaginació (The Future of the Imagination). Barcelona: Anagrama / Empúries, 2002. ISBN 84-7596-927-5

Genius: A Mosaic of One Hundred Exemplary Creative Minds. New York: 2003. ISBN 0-446-52717-3

Hamlet: Poem Unlimited. New York: 2003.

The Best Poems of the English Language: From Chaucer Through Frost. New York: 2004. ISBN 0-06-054041-9

Where Shall Wisdom Be Found? New York: 2004. ISBN 1-57322-284-4

Jesus and Yahweh: The Names Divine 2005. ISBN 1-57322-322-0

American Religious Poems: An Anthology By Harold Bloom 2006. ISBN 1-931082-74-X

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Wisdom

2007-04-13T23:59:51Z

Urthona los:

Wisdom entails a knowledge of truth and goodness. In the Bible the Book of Proverbs opens with a definition of its purpose and use and includes a powerful definition of wisdom:

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
For attaining wisdom and discipline;
For understanding words of insight;
For acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
Doing what is right and just and fair;
For giving prudence to the simple,
Knowledge and discretion to the young-
Let the wise listen and add to their learning,
And let the discerning get guidance-
For understanding proverbs and parables,
The sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools [a] despise wisdom and discipline.

Plato stated that wisdom concerned knowledge of the whole and that wisdom required both scientific and practical knowledge. Aristotle differentiated practical wisdom (prudence) from speculative wisdom (wisdom). For Aristotle practical wisdom concerned the conduct of life while speculative wisdom related to theology and the philosophy of origins. A later follower of Aristotole's distincitions was Thomas Aquinas. Baruch Spinoza differentiated wisdom between "the ratio" or reason and "scientia intuitiva" or intuitive knowledge. [Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, W.L. Reese]

Wisdom

2007-04-13T23:58:38Z

Urthona los: New page: Wisdom entails a knowledge of truth and goodness. In the Bible the Book of Proverbs opens with a definition of its purpose and use and includes a powerful definition of wisdom: The pro...

Wisdom entails a knowledge of truth and goodness. In the Bible the Book of Proverbs opens with a definition of its purpose and use and includes a powerful definition of wisdom:

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
For attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;
For acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;
For giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-
Let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-
For understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools [a] despise wisdom and discipline.

Plato stated that wisdom concerned knowledge of the whole and that wisdom required both scientific and practical knowledge. Aristotle differentiated practical wisdom (prudence) from speculative wisdom (wisdom). For Aristotle practical wisdom concerned the conduct of life while speculative wisdom related to theology and the philosophy of origins. A later follower of Aristotole's distincitions was Thomas Aquinas. Baruch Spinoza differentiated wisdom between "the ratio" or reason and "scientia intuitiva" or intuitive knowledge. [Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, W.L. Reese]