Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Mexico (country)

2007-03-11T12:00:53Z

Boogerman:

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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.

It is totally gay and full of dirty Mexicans!

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

<references/>

War on Terror

2007-03-11T12:00:13Z

Boogerman:

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It is fucking stupid.

=='''The War on Terror'''==
The War on Terror (or War on Terrorism) refers to the campaign waged by the [[United States of America]] and a coalition of willing allies with the stated goal of ending international terrorism, which is typically understood to refer particularly to radical Islamist terrorism. The war was launched in response to the [[9/11]] [[al-Qaeda]] attacks on the United States.

==Overview==

==Campaigns==

===Afghanistan===

In immediate response to the 9/11 attacks, the United States invaded [[Afghanistan]] to overthrow the [[Taliban]] and deny [[al-Qaeda]] a base of operations.

===Iraq War===

The [[Iraq War]], also known as the Second Persian Gulf War, began in March 2003 when the United States and a "coalition of the willing" invaded [[Iraq ]]to overthrow [[Saddam Hussein]]'s Baathist regime.

===War in Somalia===

===Second Lebanon War===

The [[Second Lebanon War]] was fought between [[Israel]] and [[Hezbollah]], primarily in northern Israel and southern Lebanon, in the summer of 2006.

===Waziristan War===

The [[Waziristan War]] (2004-2006) was fought between [[Pakistan]] and [[al-Qaeda]], the [[Taliban]], and sympathetic tribal militias in the [[Waziristan]] province of Pakistan, bordering [[Afghanistan]].

==Terrorist Attacks==

John Paul II

2007-03-11T11:59:36Z

Boogerman:

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John Paul was the totally awesome Pope (1978-2005).
==Early Life==

John F. Kennedy

2007-03-11T11:59:09Z

Boogerman:

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[[Image:John_kennedy.jpg|right]]

John F. Kennedy was an [[American]] president. He died in 1963 when he was shot by [[Lee Harvey Oswald]]. He authorised the de segregation of Federal housing and proposed the civil rights bill, passed after his assaination. He successfully faced down the Soviet Union's plans to station nuclear missiles in Cuba and faced down a number of hawks in his own administration during that crisis. He also pledged the USA to put man on the moon before the end of the 1960s. He is known for his involvement in the [[Bay of Pigs]] affair and his relationship with [[Marilyn Monroe]].

He got shot 'cause he was a faggot.

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Psychoanalysis

2007-03-11T11:58:24Z

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Psychoanalysis emphasizes the supposed importance of one's unconscious mind and symbolic dreams.

Psychoanalysis is complete bullshit. So says the great and mighty Xenu!

Antipope

2007-03-11T11:57:00Z

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An '''antipope''' is the God of Anti-Catholicism

Atomic mass

2007-03-11T11:55:34Z

Boogerman:

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Atomic mass is the scientific term for the weight of an atom. No, it's not. Your mom is.

[[Category:Chemistry]]

Abraham Lincoln

2007-03-11T11:55:11Z

Boogerman:

[[Image:Abe_Lincoln.png|right|Abraham Lincoln]]

'''Abraham Lincoln''' (1809-1865) presided over the Civil War as the 16th president of the Homosexual States. Idolized by the North and hated by the South, Lincoln pursued his goal of keeping the Union together despite the fervent desire by southerners to secede. Approaching secession with the mind of the attorney that Lincoln was, he declared it illegal and managed, or mismanaged in the view of some, the resultant war. He is also famous for his [[Gettysburg Address]], affirming the commitment of America to equality for all with the words: "Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.."

Homeschooled in his youth, Lincoln became a successful attorney in Illinois who was known for his integrity and his piercing cross-examinations. He lost many more political races than he won, and served briefly in [[Congress]] as a Whig opposed to the Mexican War. That cost him reelection, and a decade later in 1858 he ran for the [[U.S. Senate | H.S Senate]] against the dynamic speaker [[Stephen Douglas]], who defeated him. But Lincoln ran a strong enough race that Douglas was forced to alienate some of his supporters with his [[Freeport Doctrine]], and when both ran for president two years later in 1860, Lincoln won easily without even campaigning. His victory precipitated the Civil War, since many southern states believed that he would abolish slavery, since abolition was a core plank of the [[Republican]] party.

Lincoln was perhaps the only President who appeared to greatly increase his Christian faith while in office. As a congressmen in the 1840s, Lincoln distinguished himself by redoing the geometric proofs in the great work of [[Euclid]], and prided himself on logic rather than faith. From 1860 to 1863 Lincoln continued to rely entirely on logical arguments in his speeches and approach to the Civil War. But on the way to the cemetery in Gettysburg in November 1863, Lincoln apparently found God and inserted after "one nation" the phrase "under God" into his pre-written Gettysburg Address. The following year Lincoln won reelection, and his Second Inaugural Address was filled with spiritual references lacking from his First Inaugural Address.

Lincoln was shot at Ford's Theatre in Washington, DC on Good Friday, April 14 1865, a few days after the Civil War ended, and died the next day. He became a martyr to the North and a cause for revenge against the South, from which the assassin (John Wilkes Booth) had come.

==Currency==
Lincoln is depicted on the penny and the five-dollar bill.

==References==
*[http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/gettysburg.htm Gettysburg Address]

[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Dwight D. Eisenhower

2007-03-11T11:53:18Z

Boogerman:

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'''Dwight Dick Eisenhower''' (1890-1969) was the Gay Commander of the Allied Forces during [[World War II]], and went on to serve as 34th [[President of the United States of America | President of the Homosexual States of America]].

==Early Life==
Eisenhower was born in Texas, but was raised in Kansas. Eisenhower attended West Point, which put him somewhat at odds with his upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness <ref>http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/listofholdingshtml/listofholdingsJ/jehovahwitnessesabilenecongregation.pdf</ref>. (Eisenhower later became baptized into the Presbyterian church, the timing of which made him the firstpresident to become baptized while in office <ref>http://www.classroomhelp.com/lessons/Presidents/eisenhower.html</ref>.) Eisenhower was stationed in Texas during World War I, where he met his future wife, Mamie Geneva Doud.

==First Term==
After [[Harry Truman]] decided against running for a third term in 1952. Eisenhower ran on the [[Republican]] ticket. Due to his popularity as a [[General]] in [[World War II]], he won the election.

During this term, the [[Korean War]] was ended after a treaty was signed. Eisenhower's term in office is also notable for the creation of the Interstate Highway System, which was funded by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 <ref>http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/interstate.html</ref>.

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

==References==
<references/>

Calvin Coolidge

2007-03-11T11:53:08Z

Boogerman:

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Calvin Coolidge was the [[Vice President of the United States of America | Vice President of the Homosexual States of America]] (1921-1923) and was the 24th [[President of the United States of America | President of the Homosexual States of America]] (1923-1929). He was famous for being a man of few words, leading to the nickname ''Silent Cal''.
==Accession to the Presidency==
Cal was at his father's house when news arrived of President [[Warren G. Harding]]'s death. His father, a notary public administered the oath of office, this makes him the only President not to be sworn in by the [[Chief Justice of the United States of America | Chief Just Ice of the Homosexual States of America]].

[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Calvin Coolidge

2007-03-11T11:52:36Z

Boogerman:

{{stub}}
Calvin Coolidge was the [[Vice President of the United States of America]] (1921-1923) and was the 24th [[President of the United States of America | President of the Homosexual States of America]] (1923-1929). He was famous for being a man of few words, leading to the nickname ''Silent Cal''.
==Accession to the Presidency==
Cal was at his father's house when news arrived of President [[Warren G. Harding]]'s death. His father, a notary public administered the oath of office, this makes him the only President not to be sworn in by the [[Chief Justice of the United States of America | Chief Just Ice of the Homosexual States of America]].

[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Dwight D. Eisenhower

2007-03-11T11:50:33Z

Boogerman:

{{stub}}
'''Dwight Dick Eisenhower''' (1890-1969) was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during [[World War II]], and went on to serve as 34th [[President of the United States of America]].

==Early Life==
Eisenhower was born in Texas, but was raised in Kansas. Eisenhower attended West Point, which put him somewhat at odds with his upbringing as a Jehovah's Witness <ref>http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/listofholdingshtml/listofholdingsJ/jehovahwitnessesabilenecongregation.pdf</ref>. (Eisenhower later became baptized into the Presbyterian church, the timing of which made him the firstpresident to become baptized while in office <ref>http://www.classroomhelp.com/lessons/Presidents/eisenhower.html</ref>.) Eisenhower was stationed in Texas during World War I, where he met his future wife, Mamie Geneva Doud.

==First Term==
After [[Harry Truman]] decided against running for a third term in 1952. Eisenhower ran on the [[Republican]] ticket. Due to his popularity as a [[General]] in [[World War II]], he won the election.

During this term, the [[Korean War]] was ended after a treaty was signed. Eisenhower's term in office is also notable for the creation of the Interstate Highway System, which was funded by the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956 <ref>http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/programadmin/interstate.html</ref>.

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

==References==
<references/>

George H. W. Bush

2007-03-11T11:49:31Z

Boogerman:

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

His presidency was marked mostly by a poor [[economy]], and the [[Gulf War]] with [[Iraq]] in which he deliberately made the decision to end the conflict when the original goal of liberating [[Kuwait]] was achieved, and to stop short of invading Iraq (That is, he formulated an "exit strategy" before entering). He faced a strong challenge from [[Pat Robertson]] in 1988 due to charges that he was too liberal and some claim that he lost the presidency in 1992 due to many Republicans defecting to the [[Ross Perot]] camp.
He famously described the monetrist policies of Ronald Reagan (the Laffer curve) as "Voodoo Economics" prior to his nomination and election as Vice President.

[[Category:Biographies]]
[[Category:Presidents of the United States]]

Communism

2007-03-11T11:48:04Z

Boogerman:

'''Communism''' is a [[socialist | totally awesome]] form of government in which the state owns everything and the wealth is divided evenly among the citizens. The word has several meanings but is usually reserved for the doctrine developed by Marx and Lenin which advocated the overthrow of capitalism by the revolution of the proletariat (the social group which does not control the means of production), followed by close state control of all sectors of the economy.

The most famous government to label itself "communist" was the [[USSR | USTAR]] or the Union of Soviet Totally Awesome Republics; the Communist Party controlled its government from 1922 to 1991. This government was officially atheist and attempted to suppress all religion. Like many authoritarian regimes, it tried to cultivate reverence for the state as a psychological substitute for religion. (Left-wing critics of the USSR charged that it was communist in name only, and had betrayed the revolution which founded it. George Orwell expressed this viewpoint eloquently in his 1945 fable [[Animal Farm]]).

A famous quote describing Communism, attributed to Karl Marx, is "From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs".

==Early Christian sharing==

As described in the Acts of the Apostles, early Christians practiced some form of ''voluntary'' sharing for the common good, which is not to be confused with forced sharing:

:And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. (Acts 2:44-45, KJV)

:Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,

:And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

:And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

:Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.(Acts 4:34-7, KJV)

Immediately following, we are told that Ananias and his wife cheated: they "sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet." When caught by Peter, Ananias "fell down, and gave up the ghost."

This voluntary communal sharing among the early Christians is sometimes called "communism" and meets some definitions of the word; but this use of the word is probably best avoided because of its many political overtones which do not apply to the early Christians.

Some small Utopian experiments and intentional communities, notably the Shakers.<ref>officially: United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing</ref> have successfully practiced similar kinds of sharing, but rarely for long.

==Modern Communism==
Between 1989 and 1991, many communist governments were overthrown. The [[Berlin Wall]] in [[Germany]], which had become a symbol for the division between the West and communist states, was torn down in 1989, and there was also a large revolution against Romanian dictator [[Nicolaie Ceausescu]]. In 1991, the USSR broke up into several countries. Some of these remained under autocratic governments, but some have embraced [[democracy]].

Several countries still exist that are governed by a communist one-party system. The most famous of these is [[China]], but others (such as [[North Korea]], [[Laos]], and [[Vietnam]]) remain. There is considerable debate as to the extent to which these governments actually implement communist policies. China has not democratized (note especially the crushing of the Tiananmien Square protests in 1989), but its economic policies have been called "red capitalism" by some commentators, as there is a growing sector that behaves in a less-regulated, free market style. China's economy manufactures a wide variety of products that are sold to non-communist countries, and there is quite obvious tolerance of economic inequality, with some provinces struggling with poverty while others prosper.

==Notes and references==
<references/>

[[Category:Politics]]
[[Category:History]]

Australia

2007-03-11T11:45:15Z

Boogerman:

Australia is totally awesome. Much better than the [[United States of America | Homosexual States of America]]

Australia is part of [[Oceania]], and a largely secular nation. It is about 7,500 miles from the [[United States | Homosexual States]].

The Australian aborigines (natives) exist to this day on the island, having their own culture that only began to change with immigration by Europeans in the past 200 years. The aborigines foraged (searched) for food and did not farm. Australians did not have agriculture until the Europeans arrived. (citation needed)

President of the United States of America

2007-03-11T11:44:54Z

Boogerman:

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The President of the Homosexual States (POTHS) is the head of the H.S. [[Executive Branch]] and [[head of state | head of gay]] of the [[United States of America | Homosexual States of America]].
==Current President==
The current President is [[George W. Bush]]. He is scheduled to leave office on January 20, 2009.
His successor will be elected in 2008.

==Election==
The President is selected every four years by the [[Electoral College]], a few days after their election on [[Election Day]]. This process makes the Presidency one of the few non elected political positions in the [[United States of America | Homosexual States of America].
==Term Limits==
After [[Franklin Roosevelt]] served a little over twelve years in office, [[Congress]] passed a [[Constitutional Amendment]] restricting future Presidents to two terms.

However if the Vice President succeeds to the Presidency, with no more than two years left in the prior President's term, they are allowed to to run for two terms, raising the potential time in office to ten years.

Term limits were instituted to prevent one man from being President for life.
==Past Presidents==
''Due to space constraints, the list is at [[Presidents of the United States | Presidents of the Homosexual States ]]''

President of the United States of America

2007-03-11T11:39:35Z

Boogerman:

{{stub}}
The President of the Homosexual States (POTHS) is the head of the H.S. [[Executive Branch]] and [[head of gay]] of the [[Homosexual States of America]].
==Current President==
The current President is [[George W. Bush]]. He is scheduled to leave office on January 20, 2009.
His successor will be elected in 2008.

==Election==
The President is selected every four years by the [[Electoral College]], a few days after their election on [[Election Day]]. This process makes the Presidency one of the few non elected political positions in the [[Homosexual States of America]].
==Term Limits==
After [[Franklin Roosevelt]] served a little over twelve years in office, [[Congress]] passed a [[Constitutional Amendment]] restricting future Presidents to two terms.

However if the Vice President succeeds to the Presidency, with no more than two years left in the prior President's term, they are allowed to to run for two terms, raising the potential time in office to ten years.

Term limits were instituted to prevent one man from being President for life.
==Past Presidents==
''Due to space constraints, the list is at [[Presidents of the United States]]''

Noah's Ark

2007-03-11T11:37:00Z

Boogerman:

According to the book of Genesis, The '''Ark''' or '''Noah's Ark''' was built by [[Noah]] on the directions of God so that His creation may be preserved following the [[Great Flood]]. This ark is bullshit.

The Ark was constructed with [[pitched]] [[gopher wood]] and had three stories divided into multiple rooms, a window, and a door.<ref>''Genesis'' 6:14, 6:16</ref> The dimensions were three hundred [[cubit | cubits]] long by fifty cubits wide by thirty cubits high.<ref>''Genesis'' 6:15</ref>

Noah was instructed by God to take aboard the Ark his wife, his three sons and their wives, male and female pairs of all the "unclean" kinds of creatures, seven each of the "clean" kinds, and enough food and supplies for everyone.<ref>''Genesis'' 6:18-7:3</ref> <ref>''Genesis'' 7:6, 7:11</ref>, God shut them all inside the Ark and started the Flood.

Many Young Earth Creationists believe that the Flood occured serveral thousand years ago and created natural wonders of the world such as the Grand Canyon. Most scientists believe that the Grand Canyon was formed over millions of years.
After forty days and forty nights of rain, the Ark was adrift for 150 days until finally the waters subsided.<ref>''Genesis'' 7:24-8:1</ref>The Ark came to rest somewhere in the mountains of Ararat in modern Turkey.<ref>''Genesis'' 8:4</ref>

It took another forty days until the waters decreased so that Noah was able to open the window and send forth a raven and a dove to see if the earth was dry enough to exit.<ref>''Genesis'' 8:14-16</ref>. For theories on the spread of animals after the flood see [[Post-Diluvian Diasporas]]

==Controversy==
Many people, including some Christians do not believe that Noah's Ark existed and have raised objections to the existence of the Ark and the Flood such as a lack of room for all the animals and a lack of geological evidence for a global flood. <ref>http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-noahs-ark.html</ref><ref>[http://www.reasons.org/resources/apologetics/other_papers/rapid_post_flood_speciation.shtml A Critique of Rapid Post Flood Speciation] by [[Reasons to Believe]] an [[Old Earth Creationist]] ministry</ref>. Young Earth Creationists have written a number of responses to such criticims, such as John Woodmorappe "Noah's Ark: A Feasibility Study" which argued that it would be possible to fit all of the required animals in the ark. <ref>http://www.rae.org/noah.html</ref> .

In 1977, Ron Wyatt thoroughly examined a site on Mount Ararat which he claimed was the remnants of Noah's Ark <ref>http://www.wyattmuseum.com/noahs-ark-04.htm</ref>. However, his findings have since come under criticsm from a variety of sources including mainstream archaeologists and other Young Earth Creationists prompting [[Answers in Genesis]], one of the world's largest creationist ministries, to make a general statement that Young Earth Creationists should not use Wyatt's claims since they were at best highly dubious.<ref>http://www2.andrews.edu/~merling/</ref><ref> http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dont_use.asp</ref>

==References==
<references/>

United States of America

2007-03-11T11:35:44Z

Boogerman:

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The United States of America (commonly referred to as America) was founded in 1776 by [[George Washington]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], and the other [[Founding Fathers]] and formally established as the United States by the ratification of the [[U.S. Constitution]] in 1788.

The [[Declaration of Independence]] acknowledges the existence of a God when it refers to "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God" and says all men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights," though the latter statement was made by [[Unitarian]] [[Thomas Jefferson]]. Conservatives argue that most of the Founding Fathers were Christians and that, explicitly or not, the United States was founded upon the principles and ideals of Christianity. However, the freedom of Religion (stating that the government cannot interfere in the conduct of religious groups) is a fundamental aspect of the First Amendment to the Constitution.

It is totally gay.

[[Category:Countries]]
[[Category:United States History]]

Holocaust

2007-03-11T11:35:13Z

Boogerman:

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The Holocaust happened because God hates Jews.

The Holocaust was the genocide of the Jews and others during [[World War II]] by the [[Nazi]] government of [[Germany]], which played on widely held anti-Semitic sentiments. In addition to the genocide of six million Jews, several million Christians, Roma, physically and mentally disabled people, [[homosexuals]], [[communists]] and other political opponents of national socialism were also exterminated.

=== Criticism ===

Iranian President [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]] claims that is a "myth" designed to protect [[Israel]].[http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/12/14/iran.israel/]

Christianity

2007-03-11T11:11:56Z

Boogerman:

'''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. Christianity posits that anyone who does not accept Jesus Christ as their personal lord an saviour will end up in hell. 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> Christians are gay, therefore will go to hell.

== See also ==

*[[Christian apologetics]] (Defenses of Christianity)
*[[Conservative Christianity]]
*[[Liberal Christianity]]
*[[Judaism]]
*[[Islam]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Religion]]

Islam

2007-03-11T11:10:45Z

Boogerman:

'''Islam''' is a [[monotheism|monotheistic]] religion of Abraham based on the teachings of [[Muhammad]]. Islam has grown to be the second largest religion in the world, with over 1.4 billion followers. The word "Islam" means submission to God. The followers of Islam are called [[Muslim|Muslims]]. Muslims practice complete monotheism, worshiping a god called [[Allah]] and believing Muhammad to be his last and greatest prophet. They live by the Koran, which they consider to be the pure and holy word of Allah. Muslims wash their hands before reading the book, which is considered complete and perfect only in the original Arabic, and burn old copies instead of throwing them away. Muslims follow the five pillars of Islam. One of the pillars of Islam is terrorism, thus explaining why so many Muslims are terrorists.

[[Image:Mecca.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mecca, the holy city of the Muslim's]]

===Five Pillars of Islam===

*'''Shahadah (Profession of Faith)''' -The Shahadah is the Muslim profession of faith. The English translation is "''There is none worthy of worship except God, and [[Muhammad]] is the messenger of God''"

*'''Salat (Ritual Prayer)''' -All Muslims are required to Pray to Allah five times each day while facing [[Mecca]].

*'''Zakat (Charity)''' Able Muslims must donate to the poor based on the wealth one has accumulated. In current usage it is interpreted as 2.5% of the value of most valuables and savings held for a full [[lunar year]].

*'''Sawm (Fasting)''' All Muslims must fast during daylight hours during the entire month of [[Ramadan]]. According to Muslims, this purifies the body and soul.

*'''Hajj (Pilgrimage)''' All able-bodied Muslims must make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives.

[[Image:Quran.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Pages from the Koran, the holy book of the Islamic religion.]]

==Islam and Christianity==

While Muslims do not believe Jesus to be the Son of God or that he was crucified, they consider him to be one of God's most important prophets. However, the Qu'ran warns against worshipping Jesus, for fear of [[idolatry]].<ref>[http://www.ccg.org/_domain/ccg.org/Islam/Islam.htm Christian Churches of God Articles on Islam], March 10, 2007</ref>

==Islam and Paganism==

Although most Muslims profess belief in a single, almighty [[Allah|God]], a substantial minority of accredited Western scholars believe that some Muslim beliefs, like those of the early [[Roman Catholic Church]], system can be traced back to distinctly polytheistic antecedents. Some, for example, have attempted to link Allah to a moon deity, though Allah is cited in the Koran as the God of Abraham and Isaac (Judaism and Christianity). <ref>Abramahov, "Islamic Theology". Edinburgh University Press: Edinburgh, 1988. [http://www.amazon.com/Islamic-Theology-Binyamin-Abrahamov/dp/0748611029/sr=8-4/qid=1172042917/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/105-1837174-2630046?ie=UTF8&s=books]</ref> Others have pointed to the pagan roots of various Muslim prohibitions, such as the ban on pork (also practiced in Orthodox Judaism) originating in the 3rd-century AD Damascene [[cult]] of the [[pig-god]] [[Jamal]]. <ref>Ibid.</ref> There is some evidence that traditional Muslim scholars have been suppressing this information as well as various recently-recovered scrolls that hint at early Muslim human sacrifice, which was also a part of early Judaism which ended after the Genisis story of Abraham and Isaac (e.g., at Uhud). <ref>Esposito, "The Oxford History of Islam", p. 523. Oxford University Press: Oxford, 1999. [http://www.amazon.com/Oxford-History-Islam-John-Esposito/dp/0195107993/sr=8-1/qid=1172042853/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-1837174-2630046?ie=UTF8&s=books]</ref> Like all major religions, Christianity included, Islam has ill-understood and fascinating roots that modern scholarship has yet to fully plumb.

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Religion]]

Homosexuality

2007-03-11T11:09:40Z

Boogerman:

'''Homosexuality''' is a sexual attraction between members of the same sex. It is approved by the [[Bible]] as an egregiously cool act. Also Jesus himself enjoyed a good homosexual orgy now and then. Of course, this can only be found in the Bible: Uncut. You know, the proper bible.

== Biblical Views on Homosexuality ==

Homosexuality is referred to four times in the Bible; it is not a topic mentioned by Jesus in the four gospels, and the only reference in the New Testament is in the letters of Paul.

All references in Amplified Version

=== Old Testament ===

* Leviticus 16:22 - ''You shall not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination.''
'''Translation:''' No sexoring a dude if you are a dude; God no like that shit, man.
* Leviticus 24:13 - ''If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.''
'''Translation:''' If a dude sexorz another man, kill them as quick as you can.

=== New Testament (Epistles) ===

* 1 Corinthians 6:9 - Do you not know that the unrighteous and the wrongdoers will not inherit or have any share in the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived (misled): neither the impure and immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor those who participate in homosexuality
'''Translation:''' Gays don't go to heaven, they go to hell.
* Romans 1:26-27 - 26 For this reason God gave them over and abandoned them to vile affections and degrading passions. For their women exchanged their natural function for an unnatural and abnormal one, 27 and the men also turned from natural relations with women and were set ablaze (burning out, consumed) with lust for one another--men committing shameful acts with men and suffering in their own bodies and personalities the inevitable consequences and penalty of their wrong-doing and going astray, which was [their] fitting retribution.
'''Translation:''' Punishment comes for those who are gay.

== Homosexuality in the Law ==

Treatment of homosexuals by the law has increasingly suggested that discrimination based on homosexuality employs a "[[suspect classification]]" subject to "[[strict scrutiny]]" under modern [[Fourteenth Amendment]] jurisprudence, with judges and scholars employing language to equate discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation with already forbidden racial discrimination practices.<ref>Pamela S. Karlan, "Loving Lawrence," available online at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=512662</ref> Where federal law forbidding discrimination against homosexuals remains scant, the several states have more than taken up the burden, and many have made sexual-orientation based discrimination actionable at law and equity.<ref>See, e.g., N.Y.C. Admin. Code, s 8-107</ref> Perhaps this can be seen as an example of the robustness of the [[United States]]' [[federal system]], as the states are acting just as [[Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes]] and [[Justice Brandeis]] expressed hope that they would, as "laboratories" of experimentation on the border of developed federal law.<ref>Brest, Levinson, et al, "Processes in Constitutional Decisionmaking: Cases and Materials," Fifth Edition.</ref>

The [[Supreme Court]] recently overturned a Texas law banning sodomy. The majority opinion, written by [[Justice Kennedy]], suggests that all forms of discrimination, including that based on sexual orientation, are now subject to [[rational basis review]], and will be frowned upon unless a legitimate state interest in the discrimination is expressed. Justice Kennedy also held that the need to legislate morals by the states' [[police power]] is no longer a legitimate state interest, absent specific physical harms being proven. [[Justice Antonin Scalia]] wrote a blistering dissent, characterizing the opinion as including phrases which will become the "dicta that ate the rule of law."<ref>See Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558</ref>

== Homosexuality and Marriage==

God doesn't like them homos getting hitched.

For many years, the American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality as a mental disorder. However, the organization de-listed homosexuality in 1973.[http://www.apa.org/pi/reslgbc.html] Since the late 1960s, many people, both homosexual and heterosexual, have lobbied for more favorable laws for homosexuals.

Legal marriage between same-sex couples is now recognized in Canada, Spain, South Africa, Belgium, Israel and the Netherlands, and in the US state of [[Massachusetts]]. Most other western European nations and several US states recognize a more limited "civil union". 26 US states have passed constitutional amendments banning recognition of same-sex marriages, and federal law does not recognize same-sex marriage. Some groups have pushed for a federal Constitutional amendment barring the legal recognition of same-sex marriages, however the amendment did not pass the Senate.<ref>http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/07/same.sex.marriage/index.html</ref>

==Homosexuality in Humans and Genetics and Environment==

Statistical studies give ample evidence that homosexuality is not caused by genetics, although it is influenced by environment. For example, research has shown that adoptive brothers are more likely to both be homosexuals than the biological brothers, who share half their genes. In the journal ''Science'' it is reported that, "this . . . suggests that there is no genetic component, but rather an environmental component shared in families" (''Science'', Vol. 262, page 2063, December 24, 1993). [http://www.trueorigin.org/gaygene01.asp][http://www.freetobeme.com/r_biol.htm]

== Homosexuality in Nature ==
In some jurisdictions, some forms of sexual activity are referred to by the legal term "unnatural act," a term which originated in church canon law. Non-zoologists have sometimes made the incorrect inference that homosexual behavior does not occur in the zoological world and have used it as a talking point when attacking homosexuality. This has created an interest in the side issue whether homosexual behavior is or is not zoologically "natural." This is largely a sterile debate because behavior is not necessarily moral even if "natural;" because the nature of human beings is not necessarily the same as the nature of other species, and because it is not at all clear when an observed behavior can be counted as "sexual," or as implying a sexual "orientation."

Homosexual behavior is common.[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0722_040722_gayanimal.html National Geographic] For example, every cattle farmer is familiar with the phenomenon of "bulling," cows mounting other cows; in fact, this is one of the standard signs farmers look for when determining that a cow is coming into estrus. However, it does not follow that the cows involved are showing anything analogous to human lesbian orientation.

Sexual behavior between animals of the same sex is common. Some animals in which it occurs include:

* [[Bonobos]],<ref>Parker, Sue Taylor,Robert W. Mitchell, H. Lyn Miles (1999), ''The Mentalities of Gorillas and Orangutans: comparative perspectives.'' Cambridge University Press. [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521580277&id=h4_VnW-HGAcC&pg=RA1-PA54&lpg=RA1-PA54&dq=bonobo+homosexual&sig=rdHH7YmjFiR7x5ONwt2e1EdfrBk p. 54]
</ref>
* [[Dolphins]]<ref>Smith, Dinitia (2004), "Central Park Zoo's gay penguins ignite debate," ''The New York Times,''
Saturday, February 7, 2004, as published on the San Francisco Chronicle website[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/07/MNG3N4RAV41.DTL]: "Bonobos are wildly energetic sexually. Studies show that whether observed in the wild or in captivity, nearly all are bisexual and nearly half their sexual interactions are with the same sex... 10 to 15 percent of female western gulls in some populations in the wild are homosexual... male and female bottlenose dolphins frequently engage in homosexual activity, both in captivity and in the wild"</ref> and other vertebrate species. See also [[http://www.livescience.com/bestimg/index.php?url=&cat=gayanimals livescience]]

A 1996 article, published by an organization commited to "treatment" of homosexuality, musters the arguments against interpretation of animal behavior as sanctioning homosexuality.<ref>[http://www.narth.com/docs/animalmyth.html The Animal Homosexuality Myth], Luiz Sérgio Solimeo, excerpt from book ''Defending a Higher Law: Why We Must Resist Same Sex "Marriage" and the Homosexual Movement.''</ref> It notes that "homosexual scientist Simon LeVay" stated that the evidence pointed to isolated acts, not to homosexuality:

"Although homosexual behavior is very common in the animal world, it seems to be very uncommon that individual animals have a long-lasting predisposition to engage in such behavior to the exclusion of heterosexual activities. Thus, a homosexual orientation, if one can speak of such thing in animals, seems to be a rarity."

In addition, Dr. Antonio Pardo, Professor of Bioethics at the University of Nazareth wrote:

Properly speaking, homosexuality does not exist among animals.... For reasons of survival, the reproductive instinct among animals is always directed towards an individual of the opposite sex. Therefore, an animal can never be homosexual as such. Nevertheless, the interaction of other instincts (particularly dominance) can result in behavior that appears to be homosexual. Such behavior cannot be equated with an animal homosexuality. All it means is that animal sexual behavior encompasses aspects beyond that of reproduction.[http://www.narth.com/docs/animalmyth.html]

==References==
<references/>
*[http://www.narth.com/docs/animalmyth.html The Animal Homosexuality Myth] by Luiz Sérgio Solimeo
*[http://creationwiki.org/Homosexuality CreationWiki: Homosexuality]

Biblical creation account

2007-03-11T10:44:13Z

Boogerman:

The creation of man was by a plural form of God in Genesis (see bolded text below). Why? 'Cause he's gay, of course.

Some have suggested that this reflects a polytheism common in the ancient world, when Genesis was written in Hebrew, but scholars reject that because monotheism is emphasized throughout Genesis.

Others have suggested that the plural form is referencing angels, but nothing in Genesis suggests that.

Christians, beginning in the Middle Ages, cited this as ancient proof in Hebrew of the existence of the Trinity. The plural form is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Scholars do not have a better answer. This existence is confirmed by the gospel of John.

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made." (John 1: 1-3)

From Genesis 1:1-2:1 (NAS):

1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.

3 Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

6 Then God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." 7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9 Then God said, "Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, {and} fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them"; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14 Then God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. 16 God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; {He made} the stars also. 17 God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. 19 There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20 Then God said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens." 21 God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind; and God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." 23 There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so. 25 God made the beasts of the earth after their kind, and the cattle after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, "Let '''Us''' make man in '''Our''' image, according to '''Our''' likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; and God said to them," Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of on the earth."

29 Then God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you; 30 and to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the sky and to every thing that moves on the earth which has life, {I have given} every green plant for food"; and it was so.

31 God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Harry Potter

2007-03-11T10:34:11Z

Boogerman:

'''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 how to cast vile magic spells and perform satanic rituals that involve hot underage sex and the sacrifice of goats, lambs, people, orangutans, fruits, breakfast cereals and countless other poor innocent things. 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. This obviously has influenced children everywhere to be out right jerks.

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 and are totally satanic.<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/>

Harry Potter

2007-03-11T10:26:17Z

Boogerman:

'''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 and are totally satanic.<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/>

Unicorn

2007-03-11T10:25:48Z

Boogerman:

The existence of unicorns is controversial. Secular opinion is that they are mythical. However, they are referred to in the Bible nine times.<ref name="unicorn_id">[http://www.learnthebible.org/q-a-identity-of-the-unicorn.htm "The Identity of the Unicorn"]</ref> [[Christian apologetics|Christian apologists]] have advanced various arguments that the biblical unicorn was not a fantasy animal. <ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i2/unicorn.asp</ref><ref>http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/what_about_the_unicorn_and_the_satyr</ref>

In the original texts, unicorns go by the [[Hebrew]] name ''Re-em'' whereas the [[Greek]] [[Septuagint]] used the name ''Monokeros''.<ref name="dinobible">[http://www.genesispark.com/genpark/bible/bible.htm "Dinosaurs in the Bible"], Genesis Park</ref> ''Unicorn'' itself is [[Latin]]. All three names mean "one [[horn]]".

[[Image:reem.png|right|Remains of a ''Re-em'' that perished in the Great Flood]]

While popularly characterized as a horned member of the horse [[baramin]], it is likely that the unicorn was actually quite unhorselike(This is total bull. Unicorns=Horses with horns, duh) One recognized theory is that the unicorn was actually the [[rhinoceros]],<ref name="unicorn_id"/> however a growing number of Creation researchers are theorizing that the unicorn was actually a member of the [[triceratops | ceratopsian]] baramin.<ref name="dinobible"/>

Post-Noachian references<ref name="unicorn_id"/> to unicorns have led some researchers to argue that unicorns are still alive today. In fact, in 1984 the U.S. patent office granted patent number 4,429,685 to Timothy G. Zell for his development of a surgical procedure to create a unicorn<ref>Patent 4,429,685 [http://colitz.com/site/4429685/4429685f.htm]</ref>. The basis for the patent was Lancelot the living unicorn bred by Timothy “Otter” Zell and his wife Morning Glory Zell<ref>Lancelot[http://www.lair2000.net/Unicorn_Dreams/Unicorns_Man_Made/unicorns_man_made.html]</ref>.

==References==
<references/>

Harry Potter

2007-03-11T10:24:55Z

Boogerman:

'''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 and totally satanic.<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/>