Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Sparta

2007-04-05T20:15:59Z

Mjc12:

'''Sparta''' was a [[Greece|Greek]] [[City-states|City state]] best known for military strength.

== Introduction ==
An ancient city-state, its early history is clouded but it goes back to at least 1200 BC. They are known to claim that they are descended from the [[pagan]] god Hercules, although Greece has since been Christianized. Sparta was one of the two major regional powers through much of ancient Greek history, along with its chief rival Athens. Politically & culturally it was a military state in which its citizens enjoyed few amenities of life, hence the term spartan we use today connotates a lack of things, not poverty as such, simply a lack of desire for things without a practical purpose. Everything in ancient Sparta was centered around two things, the military and childbith. Although often in conflict or competition with Athens and some of the other city-states, their military strength was ulimately vital in protecting Greece from long term domination by outside threats and helping forge a single Greek nation. Even though Sparta itself had little use for art, music, philosophy and other non-military aspects of life, their strength helped preserve such things in Athens from destruction by outside powers (particulary the mighty Persian Empire). Democracy itself had its first birth pangs in Athens, had Persia destroyed the Athenian civilization it is hard to see where else in those ancient times democracy could have been born. Indeed, without the survival of the Athenians, it is conceivable that democracy may well have been snuffed out at birth. It may be one of the facts of history that democray owes it existence today not to philosophers & political thinkers but to the warrior culture of Sparta. Athenian thinkers may have come up with, and tried to live, the idea of democracy, but it was Sparta and its military allies (including the Athenian navy and army of course) that ulitmately preserved Athens by force of arms and thereby preserved democracy.

== Thermopylae ==
A famous battle was fought at [[Thermopylae]] where a small band of Spartans, and other Greeks (who were a bunch of pussies), held off the entire [[Iran|Persian]] army, led by Xerxes lord of hosts, who looks surpisingly like Paulo from Lost, crossed with an androgynous pincushion, for a surprising amount of time. Led by The Phantom of the Opera and Faramir, they managed to kill thousands of ethically dubious invaders, mainly in slow motion, all while keeping their imacculately coiffured hair intact. Historical commentators Luke Watson and Tim Leary however, have disputed the veracity of the accounts provided, saying that in decapitations, "there should be a lot more blood". After surviving many horrors, including the evil of Xerxes's tent of depravity, they were finally betrayed by Ephialtes, a Spartan exile with a name that means "Guy who looks a lot like an orange version of Gollum with a big tumour on his back and funny teeth". However, it became one of the most historically famous last stands after the massacre of the Greeks by the Persian invaders. The Athenian navy fought the Persian fleet to try keep the Persians from getting behind the Greek land force, led by the Spartans.
http://www.sikyon.com/sparta/sparta_eg.html

Sparta

2007-04-05T20:09:26Z

Mjc12:

'''Sparta''' was a [[Greece|Greek]] [[City-states|City state]] best known for military strength.

== Introduction ==
An ancient city-state, its early history is clouded but it goes back to at least 1200 BC. They are known to claim that they are descended from the [[pagan]] god Hercules, although Greece has since been Christianized. Sparta was one of the two major regional powers through much of ancient Greek history, along with its chief rival Athens. Politically & culturally it was a military state in which its citizens enjoyed few amenities of life, hence the term spartan we use today connotates a lack of things, not poverty as such, simply a lack of desire for things without a practical purpose. Everything in ancient Sparta was centered around two things, the military and childbith. Although often in conflict or competition with Athens and some of the other city-states, their military strength was ulimately vital in protecting Greece from long term domination by outside threats and helping forge a single Greek nation. Even though Sparta itself had little use for art, music, philosophy and other non-military aspects of life, their strength helped preserve such things in Athens from destruction by outside powers (particulary the mighty Persian Empire). Democracy itself had its first birth pangs in Athens, had Persia destroyed the Athenian civilization it is hard to see where else in those ancient times democracy could have been born. Indeed, without the survival of the Athenians, it is conceivable that democracy may well have been snuffed out at birth. It may be one of the facts of history that democray owes it existence today not to philosophers & political thinkers but to the warrior culture of Sparta. Athenian thinkers may have come up with, and tried to live, the idea of democracy, but it was Sparta and its military allies (including the Athenian navy and army of course) that ulitmately preserved Athens by force of arms and thereby preserved democracy.

== Thermopylae ==
A famous battle was fought at [[Thermopylae]] where a small band or Spartans, and other Greeks, held off the entire [[Iran|Persian]] army, led by Xerxes, for a surprising amount of time. However, it became one of the most historically famous last stands after the massacre of the Greeks by the Persian invaders. The Athenian navy fought the Persian fleet to try keep the Persians from getting behind the Greek land force, led by the Spartans.
http://www.sikyon.com/sparta/sparta_eg.html

Sparta

2007-04-05T20:08:37Z

Mjc12:

'''Sparta''' was a [[Greece|Greek]] [[City-states|City state]] best known for military strength.

An ancient city-state, its early history is clouded but it goes back to at least 1200 BC. They are known to claim that they are descended from the [[pagan]] god Hercules, although Greece has since been Christianized. Sparta was one of the two major regional powers through much of ancient Greek history, along with its chief rival Athens. Politically & culturally it was a military state in which its citizens enjoyed few amenities of life, hence the term spartan we use today connotates a lack of things, not poverty as such, simply a lack of desire for things without a practical purpose. Everything in ancient Sparta was centered around two things, the military and childbith. Although often in conflict or competition with Athens and some of the other city-states, their military strength was ulimately vital in protecting Greece from long term domination by outside threats and helping forge a single Greek nation. Even though Sparta itself had little use for art, music, philosophy and other non-military aspects of life, their strength helped preserve such things in Athens from destruction by outside powers (particulary the mighty Persian Empire). Democracy itself had its first birth pangs in Athens, had Persia destroyed the Athenian civilization it is hard to see where else in those ancient times democracy could have been born. Indeed, without the survival of the Athenians, it is conceivable that democracy may well have been snuffed out at birth. It may be one of the facts of history that democray owes it existence today not to philosophers & political thinkers but to the warrior culture of Sparta. Athenian thinkers may have come up with, and tried to live, the idea of democracy, but it was Sparta and its military allies (including the Athenian navy and army of course) that ulitmately preserved Athens by force of arms and thereby preserved democracy.

A famous battle was fought at [[Thermopylae]] where a small band or Spartans, and other Greeks, held off the entire [[Iran|Persian]] army, led by Xerxes, for a surprising amount of time. However, it became one of the most historically famous last stands after the massacre of the Greeks by the Persian invaders. The Athenian navy fought the Persian fleet to try keep the Persians from getting behind the Greek land force, led by the Spartans.
http://www.sikyon.com/sparta/sparta_eg.html

Pope Benedict XVI

2007-04-05T20:01:29Z

Mjc12:

{{stub}}

'''Pope Benedict XVI''' is the current Pope, born Josef Alois Ratzinger. Elected to position on April 19, 2005, he succeeded [[Pope John Paul II]]. He was previously Archbishop of [[Munich]].

He claims [[relativism]]'s denial of objective and [[moral truths]] to be the main problem of [[21st century]] society.{{fact}} He also really looks like Emperor Palpatine (see below).

[[Image:XVI.jpg]]

[[Category:Popes|Benedict XVI, Pope]]

Germany

2007-04-05T20:00:27Z

Mjc12:

{| border="1" align="right" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="300" style="margin-left:5px"
|align="center" colspan="2"|[[Image:GermanyMap.gif|250px]]
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Federal Republic of Germany
|-
!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white no-repeat scroll top left;"|[[Image:Flag of Germany.JPG|250px]]
Flag of Germany
|-
|Capital
|Berlin
|-
|Government
|Federal Republic (parliamentary)
|-
|Official Language
|German
|-
|President
|Horst Köhler
|-
|Chancellor
|Angela Merkel
|-
|Area
|137,858 sq. miles
|-
|Population (2006)
|82,310,000
|-
|GDP (2006)
|$3.045 trillion
|-
|GDP per capita (2006)
|$36,975
|-
|}

'''Germany''' is a federally organized [[Fascist Dicatorship]] in Western [[Europe]] with a population of about 82.4 million. The capital is [[Berlin]].

As Europe's largest military force and second most dangerous nation, Germany (also referred to as Das Dritten Reich), is a major proponent of the Blitzkrieg Doctrine, determined to destroy all inferior beings with its impeccable taste in music, love of David Hasselhoff, and highly dubious Formula 1 tactics. Since defeat in World War 2, the administration has gone into hiding, instead trying to acheive global domination by covert means, including the popularisation of leather trousers, and undeniable control of beach towel space.

==History==

The emergence of Germany as a nation in its own right came later than for most European powers. The German-speaking areas of Europe had historically been parts of diverse other nations, among them [[Prussia]], [[Austria]], and the [[Holy Roman Empire]], along with numerous smaller principiates.

===Early Germanic Tribes===
The first distinct Germanic tribes emerged around 100BC in northern Germany, and are usually thought to have migrated south from [[Scandinavia]]. From there, the tribes continued to expand, coming in contact with the [[Celts]] of [[Gaul]] in the west, and Slavic tribes to the east. However, not much is known about the early Germanic people due to the lack of a written language. Most of what is known is due to contact with the [[Roman Empire]] and archaeological digs. To the rest of the world, the Germanic tribes inhabited a region known as [[Germania]], Latin for "Land of the Germans".<ref>[http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/tacitus1.html Medieval Sourcebook Tacitus: Germania]</ref> Soon, the Germanic people began low-intensity coflict with the Roman Empire, climaxing at the [[Battle of the Teutoburg Forest]]. From this point, the Germanic tribes began winning battles against the Romans. In 410AD, The Germanic tribes assisted the [[Visigoths]] under [[Alaric I]] in sacking the city of [[Rome]].<ref>[http://www.vinland.org/scamp/grove/kreich/chapter7.html The Sack of Rome]</ref> This was a blow to the Western Empire, but not a killing one as the capital had moved to Ravenna in 402 AD. But in 476 AD, dissatisfied German mercanaries led by Odoacer captured Ravenna and deposed Emperor Romulus Augustulus. Since Odoacer refused to assume the title of Emperor, this date is generally considered to be the official end of the Western Roman Empire.<ref>[http://www.bartleby.com/65/od/Odoacer.html]</ref>

===The Holy Roman Empire (843–1806)===

The medieval German empire originated from the division of the [[Carolingian Empire]] in 843, and was known as the ''Holy Roman Empire''. It gradually expanded through the addition of Lorraine, Saxony, Franconia, Thuringia, and Bavaria, and the German king was crowned [[Holy Roman Emperor]] of these regions in 962. Under the reign of the [[Salian]] emperors (1024–1125), the Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern [[Italy]] and Burgundy. The edict of the Golden Bull in 1356 provided the constitution of the empire; it established the election of the emperor by seven Prince-Electors, each of whom ruled one of the more powerful principalities or archbishoprics. Notably, one of these Electors, George Louis the Elector of Hanover (1660-1727), was recruited by the heirless [[Great Britain]] in 1714 to become its king, taking the name George I.

===The Reformation===

In 1517, [[Martin Luther]] wrote his [[The 95 Theses|95 Theses]] questioning the [[Roman Catholic Church]], an act which began the [[Protestant Reformation]]. A separate [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] church was acknowledged as the new sanctioned religion in many states of Germany in 1530. Religious conflicts known as the 30 Years War pitted Protestant German states against Catholic one, and devastated the former Empire. The [[Peace of Westphalia]] (1648) ended religious warfare in Germany, but the empire broke down into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, the dualism between the Austrian [[Habsburg Monarchy]] and the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] dominated German history. In 1806, the ''Imperium'' was overrun and dissolved as a result of the [[Napoleonic Wars]].

===Nationalism===

It was not until after the fall of French Emperor [[Napoleon Bonaparte]] in 1814 that the [[German Confederation]], a loosely-organized league of 39 states, began to lay the ground for nationhood. Numerous conflicts between these sates marked the first half of the nineteenth cenrury, and it was not until [[Otto von Bismarck]]'s ascension as Prime Minister of [[Prussia]] in mid-century that something resembling the modern sense of "Germany" came into being. Austria was, however, not a part of this new [[North German Confederation]]. After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian war in 1871, the German Empire was formally proclaimed, under [[Wilhelm I]], with its capital in [[Berlin]].

European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious [[Allied powers]] of the [[USA]], [[UK]], [[France]], and the [[Soviet Union]] in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western [[Federal Republic of Germany]] (FRG) and the eastern [[German Democratic Republic]] (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key Western economic and security organizations, the [[EC]], which became the [[European Union]] (EU), and the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]] (NATO), while the Communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the [[Cold War]] allowed for German unification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring Eastern productivity and wages up to Western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the [[euro]].

== Economic Overview ==

Germany's affluent and technologically powerful economy - the fifth largest in the world in [[PPP]] terms - showed considerable improvement in 2006 with 2.7% growth. After a long period of stagnation with an average growth rate of 0.7% between 2001-05 and chronically high unemployment, stronger growth has led to a considerable fall in unemployment to about 8% at the end of 2006. Among the most important reasons for Germany's high unemployment during the past decade were [[macroeconomic]] stagnation, the declining level of investment in plant and equipment, company restructuring, flat domestic consumption, structural rigidities in the labor market, lack of competition in the service sector, and high interest rates. The modernization and integration of the eastern German economy continues to be a costly long-term process, with annual transfers from west to east amounting to roughly $80 billion. The former government of Chancellor [[Gerhard Schroeder]] launched a comprehensive set of reforms of labor market and [[welfare]]-related institutions. The current government of Chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] has initiated other reform measures, such as a gradual increase in the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 67 and measures to increase female participation in the labor market. Germany's aging population, combined with high chronic unemployment, has pushed social security outlays to a level exceeding contributions, but higher government revenues from the cyclical upturn in 2006 reduced Germany's budget deficit to within the EU's 3% debt limit. Corporate restructuring and growing capital markets are setting the foundations that could help Germany meet the long-term challenges of European economic integration and globalization.<ref>[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gm.html] CIA World Factbook</ref>
==Government==
===Executive Branch===
Germany has a President as [[Head of State]]. However real power is exercised by a Chancellor.
The current Chancellor is [[Angela Merkel]].

==Famous Germans==
*[[Pope Benedict XVI]]
*[[Ludwig van Beethoven]]
*[[Albert Einstein]]
*[[Friedrich Engels]]
*[[Daniel Fahrenheit]]
*[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]]
*[[Henry Kissinger]]
*[[Martin Luther]]
*[[Karl Marx]]
*[[Friedrich Nietzsche]]
*[[Friedrich Schiller]]
*[[Richard Wagner]]
*[[Otto von Bismarck]]
*[[Adolf Hitler]]
*[[Wernher von Braun]]

==War on Terror==
Germany currently contributes troops to the NATO-led operation in [[Afghanistan]], but did not support the invasion of [[Iraq]].

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]

Dinosaur

2007-04-05T19:53:48Z

Mjc12: /* Evolutionary Perspective */

[[Image:Fdt566e4.jpg|right|thumb|400px|Triceratops skeleton at the American Museum of Natural History.]]
'''Dinosaurs''' were large, reptilian creatures which are now believed to be extinct. The word '''dinosaur''' was coined in 1841 by Richard Owen<ref>[http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v14/i3/dinosaurs.asp Dinosaurs and dragons: stamping on the legends], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref>, from the [[Greek]] word δεινόςσαύρα, meaning "terrible lizard".

==Highlights of the history of dinosaur paleontology==

In the United States during the 1900s, the public imagination was caught by the discoveries of [[Henry Fairfield Osborn]] (1857-1935) and the great competitive dinosaur hunters, [[Edward Drinker Cope]] (1847-1897) and [[Othniel Charles Marsh]] (1831-1899). Exploring in Wyoming, Colorado, and New Mexico, they found numerous fossil dinosaurs. Their museums worked out the techniques for mounting and displaying them.

Osborn was a proponent of ''orthogenesis,'' as were many paleontologists up through the middle of the twentieth century. These paleontologists interpreted the fossil record as showing sustained, continuing, unidirectional trends in evolution, which they felt required some kind of driving principle in addition to natural selection. As the author of an encyclopedia article on variation and selection put it in 1911,
:Selection cannot create the materials on which it is supposed to operate... Both sides concur in the position assumed by Darwin, that the word "chance" in such a phrase as "chance variation" does not mean that the occurrences are independent of natural causation and so far undetermined, but covers in the first place our ignorance of the exact causation.... No doubt a large amount of variation is truly indefinite, so that many meaningless or useless variations arise... But there are several directions in which the field of variation appears to be not only limited but defined in a certain direction.... When beetles, or medusae, or cats vary, the range of possible variation is limited and determined by the beetle, medusa or cat constitution, and any possible further differentiation or specialization must be in a sense at least orthogenetic - that is to say, a continuation of the line along which the ancestors of the individual in question have been forced. Darwin himself showed that different species in a genus, or varieties in a species, tended to show parallel variations.<ref>Mitchell, Peter Chalmers (1911), ''Variation and Selection,'' ''Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th edition,'' volume 27 (TON-VES), p. 906</ref>

[[Roy Chapman Andrews]] (1884–1960), said to be the prototype for the fictional Indiana Jones, is famous for his discovery of fossil dinosaur eggs in Outer Mongolia.

In the 1970, Robert Bakker catalyzed a new era of dinosaur paleontology with evidence that dinosaurs were fully warm-blooded ([[endotherms]]) and fast-moving.<ref>Benton, Michael J. (2000), ''Vertebrate Paleontology'' [http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0632056142&id=PQuKO7xqjNQC&pg=PA217&lpg=PA217&dq=%22robert+bakker%22&sig=imoHNyurTTCpztNV0Pp2EU7Fj6c p. 217]</ref>

==Dinosaur Species==
Dinosaurs were immensely varied, and included both herbivores and carnivores. Although many have been found in the fossil record, paleontologists expect that they have barely scratched the surface of the vast genus that the dinosaurs encompassed.<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/09/060905-dinosaurs_2.html Vast Majority of Dinosaurs Still to Be Found, Scientists Say], ''National Geographic''</ref>

== Different Perspectives ==

Ever since the discovery of dinosaur fossils, there has been debate about whether and how dinosaurs fit into the history of life on Earth.

Christians are often caricatured as believing that God planted the fossils to test their faith, and it's true that some Christians believe that dinosaurs never existed.
However, no informed creationists believes this.
All viewpoints accept that dinosaurs existed.
Young-Earth creationists, however, reject the [[uniformitarian]] time-scale, and therefore believe that humans and dinosaurs co-existed.
Creationists also reject the now-popular idea that dinosaurs evolved into birds.

===Creationary Perspective===

[[Creationism|Young Earth Creationists]] believe, based primarily on Biblical [[sources]], that dinosaurs were created on day 6 of the [[Creation Week|creation week]]<ref>''Genesis'' 1:25</ref> approximately 6,000 years ago, along with other land animals, and therefore co-existed with humans.
As such, they reject the [[Theory of Evolution]] and the beliefs of evolutionary scientists about the age of the earth.

They believe that dinosaurs lived in harmony with other animals, (probably including in the [[Garden of Eden]]) eating only plants<ref>''Genesis'' 1:29-30</ref>; that pairs of each dinosaur [[kind]] were taken onto [[Noah's Ark]] during the [[Great Flood]] and were preserved from drowning<ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3967/ Were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?], ''Creation Ministries International''</ref>; that many of the fossilized dinosaur bones originated during the mass killing of the Flood<ref>Carl Wieland, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/219/ Dinosaur bones—just how old are they really?], ''Creation'', vol. 21 No. 1 p. 54</ref>; and that some descendants of those dinosaurs taken aboard the Ark still roam the earth today.<ref Name="Today">Robert Doolan, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/833/ Are dinosaurs alive today?], ''Creation'', vol. 15 No. 4 p. 12.</ref>

They also use [[archeological]], [[fossil]], and documentary evidence to argue that dinosaurs co-existed with mankind until at least relatively recent times.

Because the term only came into use in the 19th century, the [[Bible]] does not use the word "dinosaur." However, they are alleged to be mentioned in numerous places throughout the biblical account. For example, the '''behemoth''' in [[Job]] and the '''leviathan''' in [[Isaiah]] are sometimes said to be references to dinosaurs,<ref>Allan K. Steel, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1799 Could Behemoth have been a dinosaur?], ''Journal of Creation'' vol. 15 No. 2 p. 42.</ref> <ref>[http://www.answersincreation.org/job4041a.htm], ''Answers in Creation''</ref>, although others have claimed that Behemoth and Leviathan are references to a hippopotamus or elephant and a crocodile respectively. Young-Earth creationists point out that the descriptions don't fit these creatures, including that hippopotamuses and elephants don't have a "tail like a cedar".

==== Extinction ====

Creationists reject the "Great Impact Theory" that a meteor struck the earth and caused climatic changes which caused the extinction of dinosaurs and point out multiple problems evidentially with this theory. <ref>Jonathan Sarfati, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2426 Did a meteor wipe out the dinosaurs?], ''Refuting Evolution'', chapter 4.</ref>

Creationists assert that evolutionists are frequently coming out with a "New Theory of Dinosaur Extinction" and that their theories are laden with false assumptions. <ref>Michael Matthews, [http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2002/1115dinosaur.asp Dinosaur demise theory, version #451], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref> It is worth noting, however, that more and more of these theories are being harmonized with one another.<ref>[http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=21082 More Than a Meteor Likely Killed Dinosaurs 65 Million Years Ago], ''SpaceRef.com''</ref>

==== Dinosaurs and birds ====

Creationists contend that the idea that birds are descendants of dinosaurs is not demonstrated by the evidence <ref>[http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3833/106/ Bird evolution?], ''Creation Ministries International''</ref> <ref>Andy McIntosh, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/540/ 100 years of airplanes—but these weren’t the first flying machines!], ''Creation'' vol. 26 No. 1 p. 44</ref>, and that the dinosaur-bird connection is even disputed by some evolutionists.

Dr. [[Jonathon Safarti]] wrote regarding dinosaurs being descendants of birds:
<blockquote style="background: #F9F9F9; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: .3em;">
The same logic applies to the dinosaur-[[Bird|bird]] debate. It is perfectly in order for creationists to cite [[Alan Feduccia|Feduccia]]’s devastating criticism against the idea that birds evolved ‘ground up’ from running dinosaurs (the cursorial theory). But the dino-to-bird advocates counter with equally powerful arguments against Feduccia’s ‘trees-down’ (arboreal) theory. The evidence indicates that the critics are ''both'' right — birds did not evolve either from running dinos or from tree-living mini-crocodiles. In fact, birds did not evolve from non-birds at all!
<ref>Jonathan Sarfati, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/2610 15 ways to refute materialistic bigotry], ''Creation Ministries International''</ref>
</blockquote>

Creationists also cite the evolutionist [[Ernst Mayr]] who in 1942 stated the following:

“It must be admitted, however, that it is a considerable strain on one’s credulity to assume that finely balanced systems such as certain sense organs (the eye of vertebrates, or the bird’s feather) could be improved by random mutations." <ref>[http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/ReferencesandNotes10.html In the Beginning: Compelling Evidence for Creation and the Flood], ''Center for Scientific Creation''</ref>

The March 2003 issue of Scientific American is also cited by creationists:

<blockquote style="background: #F9F9F9; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: .3em;">
"Of all the body coverings nature has designed, feathers are the most various and the most mysterious...The origin of feathers is a specific instance of the much more general question of the origin of evolutionary novelties--structures that have no clear antecedents in ancestral animals and no clear related structures (homologues) in contemporary relatives. Although evolutionary theory provides a robust explanation for the appearance of minor variations in the size and shape of creatures and their component parts, it does not yet give as much guidance for understanding the emergence of entirely new structures, including digits, limbs, eyes and feathers...." <ref>Michael Matthews, [http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2003/0313sciam.asp Scientific American admits creationists hit a sore spot], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref> <ref>[http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=000CD7F6-B16F-1E41-89E0809EC588EEDF Which Came First, the Feather or the Bird?], ''Scientific American''</ref>
</blockquote>

Creationists also assert that the comparative anatomy analysis done by evolutionists comparing bird bones and dinosaur bones is flawed. <ref>Dr. David N. Menton, [http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs2005/0328discovery.asp "Ostrich-osaurus" Discovery?], ''Answers in Genesis''</ref>

====Humans and Dinosaurs Coexisting====
Creationists use a number of lines of evidence to support their view that dinosaurs and man coexisted. For example, explorers have reported seeing a live dinosaur.<ref name="Today" />
A thousand people reported seeing a dinosaur-like monster in two sightings around Sayram Lake in Xinjiang according to the Chinese publication, China Today.
An expedition which included Charles W. Gilmore, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology with the United States National Museum, examined an ancient pictograph which is claimed to portray dinosaurs and man coexisting.<ref>[http://www.creationism.org/swift/DohenyExpedition/Doheny01Main.htm Doheny Scientific Expedition, Hava Supai Canyon, Arizona], ''Creationism.org''</ref><ref>[http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_hava_supai_dinosaur_carving The Hava Supai Dinosaur Carving], ''ChristianCourier.com''</ref>.
The World Book Encyclopedia states that: "The [[dragon]]s of legend are strangely like actual creatures that have lived in the past. They are much like the great reptiles [dinosaurs] which inhabited the earth long before man is supposed to have appeared on earth." <ref>Quoted in [http://www.creationscience.com/onlinebook/FAQ25.html What about the Dinosaurs?], ''CreationScience.com''</ref>.
Dragons exist in the folklore of many European and Asian cultures.<ref name="WB2000">''Dragon'' entry in World Book Millennium 2000 CD ROM</ref>
World Book Encyclopedia says, "In Europe, dragons are traditionally portrayed as ferocious beasts that represent the evils fought by human beings. But in Asia, especially in China and Japan, the animals are generally considered friendly creatures that ensure good luck and wealth."<ref Name="WB2000" />
Dragons appear in the flag of [[Wales]], and in traditional Chinese New Years' Day celebrations.
The Nile Mosaic of Palestrina, a second century piece of art, is said to appear to be a piece of artwork that shows a dinosaur and man coexisting. <ref>[http://www.s8int.com/dinolit2.html Dinosaurs in Literature, Art & History-- Page 2], ''s8int.com''</ref>
Creation scientists also see the recent dinosaur tissue find as a strong rebuttal of the claim that dinosaurs lived millions of years ago. <ref>Carl Wieland, [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/3042 Still soft and stretchy], ''Creation Ministries International''</ref>

Among those who believe in the existence of the [[Loch Ness Monster]], one popular theory is that it is a living [[plesiosaur]].<ref>"New Quest Is Haunted By 'Nessie'", ''The New York Times,'' July 14, 1992, p. C4: "Believers say it resembles a plesiosaur and was trapped in Loch Ness during the Ice Age 12,000 years ago. The plesiosaurs were marine reptiles who are thought to have lived 65 million to 200 million years ago."</ref>

Talk.Origins argues<ref>[http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CH/CH712.html Claim CH712], ''TalkOrigins.org''</ref> that the inclusion of dinosaurs within many cultures is based on the existence of fossils. Ancient people, unaware that the ancient fossils uncovered by erosion were of extinct animals, attributed the bones to living, magical creatures. This would explain the importance of dragons in Chinese culture - there are a large number of dinosaur (as well as non-dinosaur) fossils to be found in China. CreationWiki's response<ref>[http://creationwiki.org/Dragons_were_dinosaurs Dragons were dinosaurs] (rebuttal of Talk.Origins' claim CH712)</ref> is that the fossils reminded people of the legends, not that the fossils inspired the legends.

----

===Evolutionary Perspective===

The view of evolutionists and others who accept the uniformitarian timescale is that dinosaurs existed on earth from 230 million years ago to 65 million years ago.
In this view, the entire population of dinosaurs were wiped out by a mass extinction event (usually thought to be an asteroid) about 65 million years ago.
Of course this precludes humans and dinosaurs co-existing.
However, a certain "Dr. Karl Pilkington", has used numerous reliable paleontological sources, such as "1 million years BC", by the eminent social philosopher Racquel Welch, to deduce that since dinosaurs and humans have once lived, there must be "some cross over point" where both roamed the Earth. This standpoint has gained a large amount of publicity, and is now taken more seriously than accepted extinction theory.

====Extinction====

According to most scientists, close to 65 million years ago, at the end of the [[Cretaceous]] period, and the beginning of what is called the [[Tertiary]] period, an event occurred which has come to be known as the [[K-T Event]]. This event would have obliterated most life on Earth, plunging the world into something that would now be likened to global nuclear winter, through which few extant species could survive. Although these scientists dispute the nature of the K-T Event (selecting among any number of catastrophes that could have caused the significant global cooling that resulted), most find that the claimed K-T Event was caused by the collision of a massive asteroid with the Earth, the dust and debris from which would have shrouded the sky for thousands of years, cooling Earth considerably.<ref>Kevin O Pope, "Meteorite impact and the mass extinction of species at the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary," Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, available at [http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/95/19/11028]</ref> According to this view, the dinosaurs did not survive this cataclysm.<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/08/0823_020823_asteroid.html Prehistoric Asteroid "Killed Everything"], ''National Geographic''</ref> The dust from this impact is supposedly still visible as a line of metal of extraterrestrial origin and is often visible in sediment worldwide, occurring as a result of the vaporization and then fall of dust from the meteorite's impact, and its compression within the subsequent geological record.<ref>''Ibid''</ref> The crater is also visible.<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/03/0307_030307_impactcrater.html "Dinosaur-Killer" Asteroid Crater Imaged for First Time], ''National Geographic''</ref>

====An Explosion of new species ====

The mass extinction of the dinosaurs removed a major food competitor, and predator, of smaller animals. As a result of a new "vacancy" in the food chain, following the [[K-T Event]], vast speciation occurred, as the evolutionary pressure of a new cold age propelled animal species to adapt or die out. According to this view, [[mammals]] were some of the main beneficiaries of this explosion: their fur allowed them to adapt to the cold, and their small size allowed them to conserve energy relative to the huge dinosaurs of the previous age.<ref>Bennet, Shostak, Jakotsky, "Life in the Universe," viewable at [http://www.amazon.com/Life-Universe-Jeffrey-Bennett/dp/0805385770]</ref>

====Dinosaurs and Birds====

As a number of feathered fossils (claimed to be dinosaurs) have been discovered, and evolutionary scientists claim the similarity in the bone structure between birds and dinosaurs show that modern birds are a descendants of dinosaurs. This is often cited as an example of [[macroevolution]].<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1006_041006_feathery_dino.html New Dinosaur Discovered: T. Rex Cousin Had Feathers], ''National Geographic''</ref>

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Biology]]

History of rugby

2007-04-05T19:49:58Z

Mjc12:

Rugby is a ball game played by 13 ([[rugby league]]) or 15 (rugby union) players over two halves of 40 minutes.

[[American Football]] derives from rugby, which itself evolved out of many ancient and prehistoric ball games. Rugby however, is a genuine sport, not a group of setpieces chucked together to allow a group of cushion wearing nonces with zero IQ to coast their way through the higher education system without lifting an intellectual finger.

France

2007-04-05T19:46:30Z

Mjc12: /* Gaul */

{{stub}}
[[Image:map_of_france.jpg|thumbnail|right|250px|Map of France]]
France is a country in Western Europe.

At its height, the French Empire rivaled the British Empire, with colonies in every corner of the world. It continues to be a strong presence in academia and has been the birthplace of countless renowned scholars. It remains a powerhouse in the [[European Union]], often at odds with the [[United Kingdom]] on issues of EU policy. The capital city is Paris, often called the "City of Lights" due to its renown for a center of learning and philosophy.

France is also renowned for its cuisine and its wines. Good food (often opposed to fast food) is highly valued in France.

It was a founding member of the European Coal and Steel treaty which led to the EEC and EU. It greatly assisted then-Great Britain's North American colonies both militarily and financially in their effort to gain independence, and established universal legal codes in much of the non-Anglo-Saxon west. It has made a number of philosophical contributions to the world, including Descartes and Sartre, existentialism and post modernism. It gifted the Statue of Liberty to the USA in celebration of its independence, echoing the French aid given to the colonies during the American Revolutionary War.

In March of 2003 A.D., France was one of over a hundred nations that did not participate in the alliance that liberated [[Iraq]], with its aim of removing the [[Baathist]] regime of the dictator [[Saddam Hussein]], despite evidence that Saddam Hussein was producing chemical and biological weapons which were found and destroyed by US troops.[http://www.counterpunch.org/dixon06172004.html,/] French forces did, however, participate in the war in Afghanistan, and suffered casualties in the fighting [http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2004/oef.casualties/,/]

==Gaul==
Back during the time of the [[Roman Republic]], France was a territory called Gaul, populated by Celtic tribes. [[Julius Caesar]] conquered Gaul, thanks to the lack of unity among the tribes. Gaul remained an important part of the [[Roman Empire]] for several centuries. However, in the following centuries, the Romans were successfully and continuously repulsed by a particular feisty band of Gauls led by the druid colloquially known as Getafix. Along with the generals Asterix and Obelix, they managed to score many victories, along with travelling around the world and making liberal quantities of magic potion.

==Frankland under Clovis==
France is named after the Franks, a Saxon tribe who established Soissons, the capital. A Frank called [[Clovis]] united the Franks and established Frankland. Franks were pagans but Clovis converted to Christianity (legend has it he prayed to Christ during a difficult battle, offering to become a Christian in exchange for victory ; shortly after that, the enemy fled).

[[Category:European Countries]]
[[Category:EU Members]]
[[Category:France| ]]