Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Mystery:Why Do Atheists Dislike Underdogs?

2012-05-09T23:56:53Z

Notched: /* "Militant Atheism" Is a Bullying Ideology */

In [[atheist]]ic [[Britain]], people dislike [[underdog]]s and tend to root for the contestant who is favored to win. The opposite is true in the [[Christian]] [[United States]], where the underdogs have traditionally been the favorites of the people.

However, as the [[liberal media]] in the United States becomes increasingly atheistic, victories by underdogs are increasingly met with dismay or disapproval.

The failure by atheists to build hospitals illustrates their tendencies not to help the weak. The underdog epitomizes the weaker side in a contest, and atheists are fine with the underdog losing. '''''Rooting for the underdog is like giving to charity, something that Christians do at a much higher rate on average than atheists'''''.

Here are additional possible reasons why atheists dislike underdogs:

== Belief in Survival of the Fittest ==

Atheists are fervent believers in "survival of the fittest," and this implies that the underdog will lose and '''''should''''' lose.

== Atheism Denies Faith and Hope -- the Keys to Underdog Success ==

Atheism is a denial of [[faith]] and hope, but these are essential ingredients to rooting for an underdog.

== Atheists are Wannabes, Craving Recognition ==

Atheists are wannabes, craving recognition by others whom they perceive to be smarter. This leads them to side with the team or candidate who is favored by others, particularly by other atheists.

== Clinging to a Belief Against Surprises ==

The belief system of an atheist clings to a denial that there will be any surprises like [[Hell]]. Victory by an underdog is a surprise, which is unsettling for atheists who insist that there must not be any big surprises in an afterlife.

== Optimized for an audience IQ of perhaps 105 ==

Atheism is optimized for an audience having an IQ only slightly above average, perhaps 105. That audience can be more easily persuaded that because something is probable, it will happen 100% of the time. This is flawed by not recognizing the possibility of unlikely outcomes, which often result in important upsets. (Such as predictions against the existence of [[Hell]]).

== Atheism Is About Control ==

One obvious reason is that atheism is about control. Stalin, a famous atheist in the 20th century, probably did not like underdogs. Underdogs threaten the status quo and the worldview of atheists. Upset victories are unsettling to people like Stalin.

== "Militant Atheism" Is a Bullying Ideology ==

[[Militant atheism]] is, obviously, a bullying ideology. For example, it demands [[censorship]] of [[classroom prayer]] even when everyone in the classroom wants to pray. A bullying attitude is incompatible with rooting for underdogs.

== Atheists Cling to "Conventional Wisdom" of (Atheistic) [[Public Schools]] ==

Atheism relies heavily on clinging to "conventional wisdom" as taught in atheistic [[public schools]]. The underdog is a counterexample to government-style conventional wisdom.

== Atheism is a Self-Centered Ideology; No Room for Underdogs ==

Self-centered ideologies obviously have less room for underdogs. Atheism is a self-centered belief system.

== Atheists Prefer Policies that Thwart Social Mobility ==

Upward social mobility is much easier in the United States than in atheistic nations, reflecting the very different views of Christianity and atheism toward underdogs.

== Atheists Are More Prone to Hate ==

Atheists often reach their views based upon a dislike or hate of [[God]]'s existence, for they like to see [[Atheism|the nonexistence of god]] as inevitable. People overcome with so much hate often will also hate the underdog for challenging what they see as inevitable victory of the expected winner.

[[Category:Mystery]]

Doctor Who

2012-05-03T00:30:52Z

Notched: /* David Tennant (2006-2010) */

'''''Doctor Who''''' is a [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] science fiction television programme originally created in 1963. It centres around a character named The Doctor, who travels around the universe in a [[time machine]] called the TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimension in Space"), which resembles a 1950s British Police phone box, but is considerably larger on the inside than it is on the outside.

The programme ran for twenty-six seasons between 1963 and 1989, at which point it was canceled indefinitely. Various forms of the series continued after the cancellation, with popular series of novels published by Target and then BBC Books, along with audio serials and re-releases of past episodes on VHS and DVD. Since 2005, a "new series" has been produced by BBC Wales.

The Doctor has the ability to regenerate his body when mortally weakened, a useful plot device that has allowed the role to be played on TV by eleven different actors so far.

==The Doctors==
===[[William Hartnell]] (1963-66)===
The first actor to play the Doctor portrayed him as a cantankerous old man. Initially a somewhat dark character, he became more grandfatherly in later episodes. Hartnell's era introduced the most well-known of the Doctor's foes, the [[Dalek]]s.

===[[Patrick Troughton]] (1966-1969)===
Troughton's Doctor was an impish figure, whose gimmicks included playing the recorder. In this period, much of which is lost, the program felt the influence of [[Star Trek]] somewhat.

===[[Jon Pertwee]] (1970-1974)===
The third Doctor was Earth-bound for much of his tenure, a move that was partly motivated by budgeting constraints in production. In the stories themselves, this was explained by the Doctor's race - the Time Lords - imposing an exile upon him due to alleged crimes prosecuted in ''The War Games''. During this time, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce ("UNIT") was a key element of plots - the Doctor was officially UNIT's scientific advisor, but he frequently attempts to break free of the Time Lords' imposition of exile.

===[[Tom Baker]] (1974-1981)===
Arguably the most well-known Doctor, Baker, with his seven-foot long scarf and fondness for jelly babies played the role for longer than any other actor. Considered to be an "eccentric" character, he was capable both of representing human attributes and being aloof and of being detached from others around him.

===[[Peter Davison]] (1981-1984)===
The fifth Doctor became something of a vulnerable character, which was a conscious decision by the production team (led by John Nathan-Turner) to remove the aura of invincibility that they had felt was becoming part of the Doctor's characterisation with Tom Baker. Shown to be a keen cricket fan, the Doctor was arguably more human than any of his predecessors and often relied more on his companions to assist throughout his missions.

===[[Colin Baker]] (1984-1986)===
The sixth Doctor was premised around being the antithesis of his predecessor, with his garish and colour-mismatched costume reflecting the vast contrast with the mild-mannered fifth Doctor. In terms of characterisation, the Doctor became something of an unstable character, often violently responding to people and events around him.

===[[Sylvester McCoy]] (1987-1989)===
After the departure of Colin Baker, McCoy's depiction of the Doctor saw the series shift mood considerably. Early stories within the era depicted a somewhat comic and light-hearted Doctor, but over time the Doctor's character became steadily darker - a development that has been commonly described as making the Doctor a manipulating, scheming character who influenced events like a chess game.

===[[Paul McGann]] (1996)===
McGann played the role for a television movie, with the creation of a new series by US producers dependent on the success of the movie. This was never made. The Doctor himself was perhaps more human than any other, with the revelation that he was "half-human" on his mother's side and displaying far greater emotional response than in the past.

===[[Christopher Eccleston]] (2005)===
The first Doctor in the "new series" created by [[Russell T. Davies]], Eccleston's portrayal saw much of the eccentricity of the past integrated into the ninth regeneration of the Doctor. An indefinite amount of time has elapsed since he was last seen on television screens, and it is clear that the events of the Time War have scarred him: he is the last of the Time Lord race. His character reflected a manic unpredictability that saw him capable of both compassion and apathy while maintaining a love-hate relationship with humans.

===[[David Tennant]] (2006-2010)===
The "current" actor playing the Doctor was also well-known beforehand ([[Casanova]], [[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]). His portrayal is more humorous and vivacious than Eccleston's. Yet, the anger is still there. He destroyed the daleks again in "The Parting of Ways"

===[[Matt Smith]] (2010-)===
Matt Smith has been confirmed to take Tennants place in series 5 of Doctor Who. He is the youngest actor to play the role and is expected to bring radical changes with him. This, in fact, happened in 2010, but the page has not yet been updated. Someone should really update this.

==Political and Social Themes==
Several stories in the series have been subtly or overtly political in their themes. For instance, ''The Green Death'' (1973) emphasized the dangers of [[pollution]] and big business; while the following year's ''Invasion of the Dinosaurs'' featured a contrasting menace -- pro-environment extremists. Other stories have taken their themes from current news stories of the time, such as the [[United Kingdom]]'s entry into the [[European Union|Common Market]]. Many of these pro-liberal stories came during the period where the show was produced by Barry Letts, whose heavily liberal and [[environmentalist]] views shaped a lot of stories in the early 1970s. Apart from this period, the original series generally did not have a particularly heavily political leaning, and in fact ''The Sun Makers'' (1977) was a conservative story that told of the dangers of heavy [[taxation|taxes]] and overly complex governments.

In a recent episode, the Daleks - Doctor Who's most dangerous enemy, a race of creatures who are physically shriveled and weak, but who are contained within an armored tank-like body - take over Manhattan. They ruthlessly exploit workers engaged in construction and repair on the Empire State Building. This was reported in the British newspaper [[The Independent]] as a metaphor for the rampant abuse of capitalism. The lead writer of Dr. Who, [[Russell T Davies]] is known for aggressively promoting the [[gay agenda]] in his prior show [[Queer as Folk]] and continuing to promote it in Doctor Who (despite the fact that the show is supposed to be geared towards a young audience), with many openly gay or bisexual (or as the show jokes "omnisexual" due to relations with aliens) characters, including the lead of the spin-off [[Torchwood]], [[Captain Jack Harkness]]. Davies' attitude has been contrasted with that of [[John Nathan-Turner]], the final producer of the original series who, while being publicly known as a homosexual, never allowed this to overtly influence the stories written while he produced the show.

==Popular Culture==
Doctor Who is one of the most well known icons in the United Kingdom, and the Iconic TARDIS is generally well known.<ref>http://www.theguardian.uk.co/doctor_who</ref>. It has been parodied many times by [[Family Guy]], [[The Simpsons]] and other mainstream comedies. Doctor Who paraphernalia can be found in most conventions and at sites like Amazon<ref>http://www.webfreak.com/doctor_who</ref>.

==Transmission==
Around the world, Doctor Who can be seen on:
*[[BBC]] One or BBC Three in the UK
*[[Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation|CBC Television]] and Space Channel in Canada
*[[BBC America]] in the US, or via Netflix
*[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] in Australia

Other countries to receive Doctor Who include the [[Netherlands]], [[France]], [[Denmark]] and [[Russia]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See Also==
*[[List of british science fiction shows]]
*[[Science Fiction]]
*[[Time Travel]]

[[Category:Television Shows]]

Doctor Who

2012-04-15T15:40:09Z

Notched: /* Matt Smith (2010-) */

'''''Doctor Who''''' is a [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] science fiction television programme originally created in 1963. It centres around a character named The Doctor, who travels around the universe in a [[time machine]] called the TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimension in Space"), which resembles a 1950s British Police phone box, but is considerably larger on the inside than it is on the outside.

The programme ran for twenty-six seasons between 1963 and 1989, at which point it was canceled indefinitely. Various forms of the series continued after the cancellation, with popular series of novels published by Target and then BBC Books, along with audio serials and re-releases of past episodes on VHS and DVD. Since 2005, a "new series" has been produced by BBC Wales.

The Doctor has the ability to regenerate his body when mortally weakened, a useful plot device that has allowed the role to be played on TV by eleven different actors so far.

==The Doctors==
===[[William Hartnell]] (1963-66)===
The first actor to play the Doctor portrayed him as a cantankerous old man. Initially a somewhat dark character, he became more grandfatherly in later episodes. Hartnell's era introduced the most well-known of the Doctor's foes, the [[Dalek]]s.

===[[Patrick Troughton]] (1966-1969)===
Troughton's Doctor was an impish figure, whose gimmicks included playing the recorder. In this period, much of which is lost, the program felt the influence of [[Star Trek]] somewhat.

===[[Jon Pertwee]] (1970-1974)===
The third Doctor was Earth-bound for much of his tenure, a move that was partly motivated by budgeting constraints in production. In the stories themselves, this was explained by the Doctor's race - the Time Lords - imposing an exile upon him due to alleged crimes prosecuted in ''The War Games''. During this time, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce ("UNIT") was a key element of plots - the Doctor was officially UNIT's scientific advisor, but he frequently attempts to break free of the Time Lords' imposition of exile.

===[[Tom Baker]] (1974-1981)===
Arguably the most well-known Doctor, Baker, with his seven-foot long scarf and fondness for jelly babies played the role for longer than any other actor. Considered to be an "eccentric" character, he was capable both of representing human attributes and being aloof and of being detached from others around him.

===[[Peter Davison]] (1981-1984)===
The fifth Doctor became something of a vulnerable character, which was a conscious decision by the production team (led by John Nathan-Turner) to remove the aura of invincibility that they had felt was becoming part of the Doctor's characterisation with Tom Baker. Shown to be a keen cricket fan, the Doctor was arguably more human than any of his predecessors and often relied more on his companions to assist throughout his missions.

===[[Colin Baker]] (1984-1986)===
The sixth Doctor was premised around being the antithesis of his predecessor, with his garish and colour-mismatched costume reflecting the vast contrast with the mild-mannered fifth Doctor. In terms of characterisation, the Doctor became something of an unstable character, often violently responding to people and events around him.

===[[Sylvester McCoy]] (1987-1989)===
After the departure of Colin Baker, McCoy's depiction of the Doctor saw the series shift mood considerably. Early stories within the era depicted a somewhat comic and light-hearted Doctor, but over time the Doctor's character became steadily darker - a development that has been commonly described as making the Doctor a manipulating, scheming character who influenced events like a chess game.

===[[Paul McGann]] (1996)===
McGann played the role for a television movie, with the creation of a new series by US producers dependent on the success of the movie. This was never made. The Doctor himself was perhaps more human than any other, with the revelation that he was "half-human" on his mother's side and displaying far greater emotional response than in the past.

===[[Christopher Eccleston]] (2005)===
The first Doctor in the "new series" created by [[Russell T. Davies]], Eccleston's portrayal saw much of the eccentricity of the past integrated into the ninth regeneration of the Doctor. An indefinite amount of time has elapsed since he was last seen on television screens, and it is clear that the events of the Time War have scarred him: he is the last of the Time Lord race. His character reflected a manic unpredictability that saw him capable of both compassion and apathy while maintaining a love-hate relationship with humans.

===[[David Tennant]] (2006-2010)===
The current actor playing the Doctor was also well-known beforehand ([[Casanova]], [[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]). His portrayal is more humorous and vivacious than Eccleston's. Yet, the anger is still there. He destroyed the daleks again in "The Parting of Ways"

===[[Matt Smith]] (2010-)===
Matt Smith has been confirmed to take Tennants place in series 5 of Doctor Who. He is the youngest actor to play the role and is expected to bring radical changes with him. This, in fact, happened in 2010, but the page has not yet been updated. Someone should really update this.

==Political and Social Themes==
Several stories in the series have been subtly or overtly political in their themes. For instance, ''The Green Death'' (1973) emphasized the dangers of [[pollution]] and big business; while the following year's ''Invasion of the Dinosaurs'' featured a contrasting menace -- pro-environment extremists. Other stories have taken their themes from current news stories of the time, such as the [[United Kingdom]]'s entry into the [[European Union|Common Market]]. Many of these pro-liberal stories came during the period where the show was produced by Barry Letts, whose heavily liberal and [[environmentalist]] views shaped a lot of stories in the early 1970s. Apart from this period, the original series generally did not have a particularly heavily political leaning, and in fact ''The Sun Makers'' (1977) was a conservative story that told of the dangers of heavy [[taxation|taxes]] and overly complex governments.

In a recent episode, the Daleks - Doctor Who's most dangerous enemy, a race of creatures who are physically shriveled and weak, but who are contained within an armored tank-like body - take over Manhattan. They ruthlessly exploit workers engaged in construction and repair on the Empire State Building. This was reported in the British newspaper [[The Independent]] as a metaphor for the rampant abuse of capitalism. The lead writer of Dr. Who, [[Russell T Davies]] is known for aggressively promoting the [[gay agenda]] in his prior show [[Queer as Folk]] and continuing to promote it in Doctor Who (despite the fact that the show is supposed to be geared towards a young audience), with many openly gay or bisexual (or as the show jokes "omnisexual" due to relations with aliens) characters, including the lead of the spin-off [[Torchwood]], [[Captain Jack Harkness]]. Davies' attitude has been contrasted with that of [[John Nathan-Turner]], the final producer of the original series who, while being publicly known as a homosexual, never allowed this to overtly influence the stories written while he produced the show.

==Popular Culture==
Doctor Who is one of the most well known icons in the United Kingdom, and the Iconic TARDIS is generally well known.<ref>http://www.theguardian.uk.co/doctor_who</ref>. It has been parodied many times by [[Family Guy]], [[The Simpsons]] and other mainstream comedies. Doctor Who paraphernalia can be found in most conventions and at sites like Amazon<ref>http://www.webfreak.com/doctor_who</ref>.

==Transmission==
Around the world, Doctor Who can be seen on:
*[[BBC]] One or BBC Three in the UK
*[[Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation|CBC Television]] and Space Channel in Canada
*[[BBC America]] in the US, or via Netflix
*[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] in Australia

Other countries to receive Doctor Who include the [[Netherlands]], [[France]], [[Denmark]] and [[Russia]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See Also==
*[[List of british science fiction shows]]
*[[Science Fiction]]
*[[Time Travel]]

[[Category:Television Shows]]

Doctor Who

2011-12-16T23:25:36Z

Notched: /* Matt Smith (2010-) */

'''''Doctor Who''''' is a [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] science fiction television programme originally created in 1963. It centres around a character named The Doctor, who travels around the universe in a [[time machine]] called the TARDIS ("Time and Relative Dimensions in Space"), which resembles a 1950s British Police phone box, but is considerably larger on the inside than it is on the outside.

The programme ran for twenty-six seasons between 1963 and 1989, at which point it was canceled indefinitely. Various forms of the series continued after the cancellation, with popular series of novels published by Target and then BBC Books, along with audio serials and re-releases of past episodes on VHS and DVD. Since 2005, a "new series" has been produced by BBC Wales.

The Doctor has the ability to regenerate his body when mortally weakened, a useful plot device that has allowed the role to be played on TV by eleven different actors so far.

==The Doctors==
===[[William Hartnell]] (1963-66)===
The first actor to play the Doctor portrayed him as a cantankerous old man. Initially a somewhat dark character, he became more grandfatherly in later episodes. Hartnell's era introduced the most well-known of the Doctor's foes, the [[Dalek]]s.

===[[Patrick Troughton]] (1966-1969)===
Troughton's Doctor was an impish figure, whose gimmicks included playing the recorder. In this period, much of which is lost, the program felt the influence of [[Star Trek]] somewhat.

===[[Jon Pertwee]] (1970-1974)===
The third Doctor was Earth-bound for much of his tenure, a move that was partly motivated by budgeting constraints in production. In the stories themselves, this was explained by the Doctor's race - the Time Lords - imposing an exile upon him due to alleged crimes prosecuted in ''The War Games''. During this time, the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce ("UNIT") was a key element of plots - the Doctor was officially UNIT's scientific advisor, but he frequently attempts to break free of the Time Lords' imposition of exile.

===[[Tom Baker]] (1974-1981)===
Arguably the most well-known Doctor, Baker, with his seven-foot long scarf and fondness for jelly babies played the role for longer than any other actor. Considered to be an "eccentric" character, he was capable both of representing human attributes and being aloof and of being detached from others around him.

===[[Peter Davison]] (1981-1984)===
The fifth Doctor became something of a vulnerable character, which was a conscious decision by the production team (led by John Nathan-Turner) to remove the aura of invincibility that they had felt was becoming part of the Doctor's characterisation with Tom Baker. Shown to be a keen cricket fan, the Doctor was arguably more human than any of his predecessors and often relied more on his companions to assist throughout his missions.

===[[Colin Baker]] (1984-1986)===
The sixth Doctor was premised around being the antithesis of his predecessor, with his garish and colour-mismatched costume reflecting the vast contrast with the mild-mannered fifth Doctor. In terms of characterisation, the Doctor became something of an unstable character, often violently responding to people and events around him.

===[[Sylvester McCoy]] (1987-1989)===
After the departure of Colin Baker, McCoy's depiction of the Doctor saw the series shift mood considerably. Early stories within the era depicted a somewhat comic and light-hearted Doctor, but over time the Doctor's character became steadily darker - a development that has been commonly described as making the Doctor a manipulating, scheming character who influenced events like a chess game.

===[[Paul McGann]] (1996)===
McGann played the role for a television movie, with the creation of a new series by US producers dependent on the success of the movie. This was never made. The Doctor himself was perhaps more human than any other, with the revelation that he was "half-human" on his mother's side and displaying far greater emotional response than in the past.

===[[Christopher Eccleston]] (2005)===
The first Doctor in the "new series" created by [[Russell T. Davies]], Eccleston's portrayal saw much of the eccentricity of the past integrated into the ninth regeneration of the Doctor. An indefinite amount of time has elapsed since he was last seen on television screens, and it is clear that the events of the Time War have scarred him: he is the last of the Time Lord race. His character reflected a manic unpredictability that saw him capable of both compassion and apathy while maintaining a love-hate relationship with humans.

===[[David Tennant]] (2006-2010)===
The current actor playing the Doctor was also well-known beforehand ([[Casanova]], [[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire]]). His portrayal is more humorous and vivacious than Eccleston's. Yet, the anger is still there. He destroyed the daleks again in "The Parting of Ways"

===[[Matt Smith]] (2010-)===
Matt Smith has been confirmed to take Tennants place in series 5 of Doctor Who. He is the youngest actor to play the role and is expected to bring radical changes with him. This, in fact, happened in 2010, but the page has not yet been updated.

==Political and Social Themes==
Several stories in the series have been subtly or overtly political in their themes. For instance, ''The Green Death'' (1973) emphasized the dangers of [[pollution]] and big business; while the following year's ''Invasion of the Dinosaurs'' featured a contrasting menace -- pro-environment extremists. Other stories have taken their themes from current news stories of the time, such as the [[United Kingdom]]'s entry into the [[European Union|Common Market]]. Many of these pro-liberal stories came during the period where the show was produced by Barry Letts, whose heavily liberal and [[environmentalist]] views shaped a lot of stories in the early 1970s. Apart from this period, the original series generally did not have a particularly heavily political leaning, and in fact ''The Sun Makers'' (1977) was a conservative story that told of the dangers of heavy [[taxation|taxes]] and overly complex governments.

In a recent episode, the Daleks - Doctor Who's most dangerous enemy, a race of creatures who are physically shriveled and weak, but who are contained within an armored tank-like body - take over Manhattan. They ruthlessly exploit workers engaged in construction and repair on the Empire State Building. This was reported in the British newspaper [[The Independent]] as a metaphor for the rampant abuse of capitalism. The lead writer of Dr. Who, [[Russell T Davies]] is known for aggressively promoting the [[gay agenda]] in his prior show [[Queer as Folk]] and continuing to promote it in Doctor Who (despite the fact that the show is supposed to be geared towards a young audience), with many openly gay or bisexual (or as the show jokes "omnisexual" due to relations with aliens) characters, including the lead of the spin-off [[Torchwood]], [[Captain Jack Harkness]]. Davies' attitude has been contrasted with that of [[John Nathan-Turner]], the final producer of the original series who, while being publicly known as a homosexual, never allowed this to overtly influence the stories written while he produced the show.

==Popular Culture==
Doctor Who is one of the most well known icons in the United Kingdom, and the Iconic TARDIS is generally well known.<ref>http://www.theguardian.uk.co/doctor_who</ref>. It has been parodied many times by [[Family Guy]], [[The Simpsons]] and other mainstream comedies. Doctor Who paraphernalia can be found in most conventions and at sites like Amazon<ref>http://www.webfreak.com/doctor_who</ref>.

==Transmission==
Around the world, Doctor Who can be seen on:
*[[BBC]] One or BBC Three in the UK
*[[Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation|CBC Television]] and Space Channel in Canada
*[[BBC America]] in the US, or via Netflix
*[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] in Australia

Other countries to receive Doctor Who include the [[Netherlands]], [[France]], [[Denmark]] and [[Russia]].
==References==
{{reflist}}
==See Also==
*[[List of british science fiction shows]]
*[[Science Fiction]]
*[[Time Travel]]

[[Category:Television Shows]]