https://conservapedia.com/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Summa+VerbiusConservapedia - User contributions [en]2026-06-09T15:18:13ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.24.2https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1821995Jehovah's Witnesses2021-12-18T00:48:17Z<p>Summa Verbius: POV removed per policy</p>
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<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
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Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
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* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
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* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
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* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
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* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
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* International Bible Students Association<br />
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* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
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* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
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* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
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* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
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* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
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Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
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The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
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==Theology==<br />
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1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
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2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
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3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
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4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:28, Colossians 1:15, and Psalms 83:18 in their Bible translation where God the Father is spoken of as greater than the Son, and is referred to of as the One God Jehovah Alone.<br />
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5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, resting in the Grave (Hades, Sheol), citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, with no dreaming, and where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell-fire'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''destroyed'' (which is interpreted to be "annihilated") rather than tortured consciously forever. They believe in the existence of Heaven, but believe that only God, Christ, and the Angels, and a select few from earth (144,000) would exist in Heaven.<br />
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6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
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7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
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8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died on a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
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9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
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10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
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==Morality==<br />
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Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
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The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
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== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). He did so in the town of Columbus, Ohio, in 1931. As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded ''The Herald of the Morning'' (1879), which later became ''The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom'', then was renamed to ''Zion's Watch Tower'', and now simply ''The Watchtower'', and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).<ref name="Kingdom of the Cults">Martin, Walter. Kingdom of the Cults. Bethany House, 1997.</ref><br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
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Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
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===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Gospel of John|John]] 15:19; [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
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In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
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The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
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===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
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In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
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===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
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== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
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Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
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Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
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Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
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{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
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==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
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In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
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==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
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*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
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;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=1758271User talk:Northwest2021-05-22T04:26:25Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Engagement and communication is NOT "harassment"...even if thin-skinned whiny types don't like it */ new section</p>
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<div>{{welcome}}[[User:Brenden|brenden]] 23:37, 18 September 2012 (EDT)<br />
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== same sex marriage revert? ==<br />
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Greetings, and hope you are well. Just wanted to ask, why the revert of my same-sex marriage page edit?<br />
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[[User:KatieKomori|KatieKomori]] 10:19, 1 December 2012 (EST)<br />
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==Vandal==<br />
A vandal on the loose. [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Benkumar] I have told four other editors. If you are able, please block him[[User:U.U|U.U]] ([[User talk:U.U|talk]]) 02:34, 27 February 2016 (EST)<br />
:Thank you. When I see an edit of minus five digits on a page like Republican Party, it's pretty obvious that a vandal swept by. Well done. --[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 22:18, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Are you sure that was vandalism? It could have been an inadvertent removal of information when he intended on just adding "pro-capitalism" to the article. I have seen numerous times where this has happened, which an editor adding info but for whatever reason accidently removing a whole bunch of information without even knowing it, and in those other times, it was clearly a mistake. I honestly don't see how it was intentional. I request that you review your block. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 23:35, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::It turns out that user was a sock of TAR, and he was blocked by an admin (but for a different reason). Thank you for your work on this site, Northwest. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:43, 20 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Expansion of Greatest Conservative TV Shows and Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies, as well as Star Wars. ==<br />
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Hi.<br />
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I noticed the great job you did in expanding the Worst Liberal TV Shows, and was wondering whether you are planning to do something similar regarding the Greatest Conservative TV Shows and the Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies lists (namely the opening paragraphs).<br />
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Also, since I noticed you're doing a lot of edits regarding Star Wars currently, I was wondering whether you could expand it to include any real life influences on the characters and franchise. I know that the Empire was largely inspired by America during the time of the Vietnam War, and that the Rebel Alliance was based on the Vietcong (in fact, that's actually the reason why I'm, albeit reluctantly, an Empire supporter now, and probably full time as well). I included a bit regarding Palpatine being directly inspired by Richard Nixon, for example. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:53, 3 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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+==<br />
Okay mate, that's enough! If you want to revert my edits then give me reasons that have more veracity than the weasel words you gave in the Summary of one of the pages. <br />
:I have reread the article(s), struggled through TAR's attached blogs, read your [[Northwest]] edit history and have realised you have no real understanding or knowledge of the words involved. Nor do you understand it is not advisable to link to non-existent pages which your reverts always do.<br />
:I am about to revert... again! If you revert me without good reason I will ban you.<br />
:[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] ([[User talk:AlanE|talk]]) 00:59, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== re: Lenin quote in Bourgeoisie article ==<br />
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re: [[Bourgeoisie]] article<br />
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AlanE is acting in good faith about the Lenin quote: http://www.azcentral.com/story/claythompson/2014/10/13/lenin-ronald-reagan-quotes/17226727/<br />
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If you want to discuss the matter of the historicity of the quote with AlanE on the talk page of the article, here is a useful resource: [http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
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Thanks. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 02:31, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your note to me ==<br />
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I respond to your email from me. <br />
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Second, I will write a note to AlanE.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:04, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== Princess and the Frog revert. ==<br />
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Just writing because I'm not sure why you reverted the Princess and the Frog removal from Worst Liberal Movies. The movie promoteshard work and family while condemning hedonism and nihilism and p k it's out the danger of accepting handouts and feeling entitled. This seems to me to be a deeply conservative film. --[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 07:47, 1 June 2016 (EDT)<br />
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==Evolution==<br />
A simple question: do you believe in it, Creationism, or otherwise?--[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 03:29, 23 August 2016 (EDT)<br />
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==Account promoted==<br />
Your account has just been given a promotion to 24x7 editing and blocking privileges. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:02, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:Congratulations! You do very good work on this wiki, which I appreciate. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:20, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
::Congrats! Keep up the good work! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:55, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:::Congratulations. It is good working with you. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 03:36, 7 March 2017 (EST)<br />
==JohnZ==<br />
Dear Northwest, I changed your two-year block to 1 day for [[User:JohnZ]]. While I do not like profanity, I think that we should show a kind and understanding approach to users who have been around for years. Let's give him a second chance, and if he does it again, then we would be justified in coming down hard. This is a volunteer project, and CP wants to avoid a reputation of long-blocks-at-the-drop-of-a-hat. Thank you for your understanding. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 14:57, 12 March 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I like that==<br />
Replace "religion" with "ideology™. Because of certain legal issues the US will face in the future, I go out of my way never to refer the a certain collective entity as a "faith" or "religion". " Political system" I use a lot, but haven't of thought of "ideology". We should collect a whole basket of different terms that can be used, and always insert them wherever necessary. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''CIA v Trump updated score'':CIA 3, Trump 2]]</sup> 05:10, 2 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== IRC ==<br />
<br />
Hello,<br /><br />
After some discussion (on [[User_talk:DavidB4#Conservapedia_IRC_channel|my talk page]] and [[User_talk:Aschlafly#IRC|Andy's]]) it has been decided that I start an [[Internet Relay Chat]] channel for Conservapedia, since our old one has been dead since 2009. It is now registered and somewhat set up. I don't know if you use IRC or are interested in doing so, but anyone with block privileges on Conservapedia can also get block privileges on the new IRC channel. Unfortunately, IRC accounts are deleted after 30 days of being unused, so unless you plan on using the IRC at least once a month, there is probably not much point in registering. In any case, feel free to try it out--if you account gets deleted, we can always make another one later. If you are interested, please let me know!<br /><br />
The IRC channel is: #conservapedia @irc.accessIRC.net<br /><br />
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else, also! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:36, 11 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Misslizzynj ==<br />
<br />
Please don't block new users due to the name policy unless they have usernames that are obviously offensive or silly. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:58, 11 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Length of blocks ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest, Andy recently messaged me on my talk page and told me to refrain from using blocks longer than around six months because many people's IP addresses change by then. I see you changed the length of a block for an impersonator of you, and I am not going to challenge that, but please refrain from doing long blocks for non-serious vandalism, per what Andy told me. Thanks. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:37, 2 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Trolls ==<br />
<br />
Don't feed them. Block them and move on. I would have emailed this to you, but you don't seem to have email activated. [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 16:04, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
:Just block trolls. Do not communicate with them.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:22, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Whizkid ==<br />
<br />
One comment, as blunt and rude as it may have been, is not enough to block a long-time editor for any amount of time. You should have warned him about making such comments first. Don't ever make such a block again.<br />
<br />
While I'm commenting here, you realize that the links [[Democrat Party]] and [[Democratic Party]] link to two different articles? I see that you're changing every link to "Democrat Party" (which I support, for the most part), but you're having every article link to a different article. Please change the links so they link to the actual article about the party, even if you pipe it so the reader sees "Democrat Party." --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
:It was made clear to me when I was promoted to Assistant SysOp that this role is only for blocking blatant vandals, not working in good faith. While I haven't carefully studied the issue, he was disputing your changes in good faith. As [[Conservapedia:User_rights#Blocking_rights|officially stated]], only full administrators are to resolve disputes. Just because you have the block button doesn't mean you should use it whenever someone disagrees. In your defense, edit warring is discouraged, but it takes two to edit war. If you are the one making a change, then it is reasonable to assume that the original version should take precedence until the dispute can be resolved. Please discuss it with an administrator rather than just blocking someone. Should he have kept reverting your changes? Probably not. Should you have kept forcing your change back in? Probably not. Please take it to an admin next time, rather than just abusing the block button. Thank you. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:28, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
::First of all, I apologize for being rude. It was a fit of pique, brought on by my feeling you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying. Still, it was inappropriate, and I don't believe you're vandalizing the site, or that you're attempting to be deceitful. So I hope that you can forgive me and we can come to the understanding that, even if we disagree on things, we're both working for what we believe to be the good, and we should treat each other with respect and charity. I hope we can agree on that much at least.<br />
<br />
::That being said, I still strongly disagree with your position about this, and don't feel that it's ultimately good for the site, but I have no desire to get into an edit war with you that won't do anything but waste both our time. So maybe we could agree to make our cases before an administrator or someone, for the sake of harmony, and get a decision on this. Let me know what you think.--[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 23:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Liberal Denial revert? ==<br />
<br />
Why did you do this? We know that the ultimate goal of liberals is to do more than just censor Christianity in America. A site made for American conservatives should be about politics as much as it is about religion.<br />
<br />
[[User:MacTavish|MacTavish]] ([[User talk:MacTavish|talk]]) 16:44, 29 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please backup your recent edits ==<br />
<br />
Please try to either save a copy of your recent edits, or just refrain from editing for the next 24 hours or so. Conservapedia is changing web servers, and there is a risk that pages might be exported before you make the change, meaning your change will be lost. Thanks for understanding! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 17:56, 12 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Islam ==<br />
<br />
I saw you reverting my edits to the article on [[Islam]]. There is a belief system to Islam, but it's more about worshiping an ''ideology'' than any God or gods. Even so, the source cited says Islam "…is an amalgam of social, political and judicial systems '''as well as''' a belief system. It is neither one thing nor the other – Islam is unique."<br />
<br />
== Marijuana article ==<br />
<br />
Did you see that there was a talk page discussion on the marijuana article about the content in question? I recommend that you explain [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&curid=7524&diff=1412346&oldid=1412214 your reverting] there and reach an agreement with the other editors, and I strongly recommend that you leave an edit summary when you revert. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:35, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
:Same, an edit summary would really be helpful there to clarify your intent. Did you read the Talk page discussion about how those portions of the lede undermine our argument? Please see [[Talk:Marijuana#Objections_to_presentation_of_lead]]. [[User:DavidLReyes|DavidLReyes]] ([[User talk:DavidLReyes|talk]]) 21:27, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Discussing Christian Denominations on This Site ==<br />
<br />
I am someone who believes very staunchly in the five solas. I think that Ephesians 2:8-9 indicates the validity of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, John 14:6 for Solo Christo, and Psalm 115 for Sola Deo Gloria. I am not here to debate religious issues with you, but as you are a high-ranking admin on this site and Catholic, I have to ask you, what would you do if you saw edits to certain articles promoting a Protestant point of view? [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 12:58, 16 December 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== My Ban ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I was banned for making edits that I thought were accurate on the Political Spectrum page under my account Classical Liberal. I didn't know how to contact you, so I created this page instead so I could. I'm really sorry. I'm a new user who just registered within the same hour of getting banned, I am a conservative, but I prefer that we take our title of being the liberals back, I'm not a troll, and I'm a student who's interested in politics and all I'm trying to do is inform people about modern conservatives so women and minorities aren't deceived anymore and will come back home to the Republican Party. I don't see how my edits were lies or revisionist history. I was just trying to inform people who wrongly accuse us of what the Democrats did like the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation because they always claim whenever you tell them that the Democrats were responsible for all of it that that's when the Democrats were the conservative party because they think that the parties switched and since I learned that the word liberal was redefined in the 1930s, I also thought the word conservative was redefined as well and that classical conservatism meant modern liberalism now just like how classical liberalism means modern conservatism now. I thought that I should've informed people that the conservatives of the past who the modern liberals pin the actions of on us modern conservatives were the modern liberals because the word liberal was hijacked from us and redefined and they like to accredit modern liberals for the things we classical liberals and modern conservatives actually did before the word liberalism was redefined. They'll argue with us conservatives and tell us that Lincoln would be a Democrat since he was a liberal because they don't realize that he was a liberal when the definitions of liberal and conservative were reversed. They believe the parties were reversed instead. I thought that since we were called the liberals in the past before they hijacked and redefined the term for themselves, they were called the conservatives because they're trying to pin the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation on modern conservatives and blame us for it and insist that since Democrats are now called the liberals and Republicans are called the conservatives, that the parties switched rather than the definitions of liberal and conservative. I thought this was the correct explanation since liberals of today whenever you point out the Democrats' history say "that's when the Republicans were the liberals and the Democrats were the conservatives and Lincoln would be a Democrat today since the liberal party is the Democratic Party now." They're unaware that when we were the liberal party, that the word liberal did not mean what it does now. I was just trying to clear the confusion that the Democrats created up when they redefined the word liberal and hijacked it from us. I thought that since classical liberalism means what modern conservatism does, classical conservatism must've meant what modern liberalism does now because I thought that since we were called the liberals before the New Deal, that the Democrats must've been called the conservatives then because what else would that have made them if we were called the liberals before the New Deal and conservatives after? If we were called liberals prior to the New Deal, what were they called? Conservatives wanting to keep blacks enslaved and minorities and women oppressed who had a bad reputation and stole our term? And I thought that them stealing the term liberal from us and us having to call ourselves the conservatives instead of liberals which we used to be called was part of their plan to push the party switch myth 30 years later because we have the title of conservative and they have the title of liberal that they stole from us and I thought the Democrats did this to make it look like the parties switched instead of the titles and to make it look like they were the good guys since they're now called "liberals" instead and no longer us which we used to be called until they hijacked the term from us. I thought this was the best way to debunk the claim that modern conservatives of the Republican Party who used to be called liberals prior to the definition switch had anything to do with what the Democrats did in the past. I thought that if being a conservative meant what being a liberal meant before the word was redefined, that being a liberal meant what being a conservative meant because I thought that since the term liberal belonged to us at one time, the term conservative must've belonged to them and that if classical liberalism means modern conservatism, classical conservatism must mean modern liberalism. You see where I'm getting at? I thought that if the word liberal belonged to us at one time, the word conservative belonged to them if we were called the liberals because what is the opposite of liberal? Conservative. And I thought that since the word liberal had a different definition, the word conservative had a different definition too. So I'm sorry if I in your words inserted historical revisionism and lies. That was not my intent. My intent was to clear up confusion, not create it. I want people to stop accrediting modern liberals for what we did and stop claiming that we used to be the Democrats and that the Republicans used to be what Democrats are now which is not true. I'm new to all this and I'm a beginner. I'll probably need some help with editing. I'm still learning my history. History and philosophy and studying the Bible are my favorite things. I'm obsessed with politics. I'm really good at explaining things and I was just trying to help. You could've just let me know where you thought I was wrong instead of slapping a 2-year ban on me. If unbanned, from now on, I will verify with you the things I want to add to pages before I add them so this won't happen again. Please give me another chance. I'm only a guy in his late teens whose been into politics for 7 years now. I share your information with everyone I can and I've convinced many family members to become Republicans while even being disowned by several others which you could just imagine how that makes someone feel. Especially someone my age. {{unsigned|Modern Conservative}}<br />
:I have unblocked the "Classical Liberal" account. I strongly recommend you first go to the article talk pages before making changes like this before unilaterally making them. Then, we can discuss those changes, which will be helpful. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 08:59, 11 February 2019 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Sissy punk site ==<br />
<br />
[[User_talk:DMorris/Archive_1#Sissy_punks|Per Jpatt and the late TK, I would try to avoid mentioning that vandal site at all, fair enough?]] [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 21:10, 24 March 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The atheist page has straw man arguments and generalisations against atheism like that atheism is a worldview. You cannot just delete and ban everybody that doesn't agree with you. The evolution page is full of inconsistencies too.<br />
<br />
== New show ==<br />
<br />
Hey, since you seem to be the most active person on the [[Essay:Greatest_Conservative_TV_Shows|Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] page I figured you might want to add Preacher to the page. It is about a disgraced preacher coming back to church and trying to find God.<br />
<br />
== Please help defend Catholicism from the baiters! ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, if you have the time, can you please look out for the Catholic-baiters on this site (RobSmith, Conservative, VargasMilan, and Shobson20) and rebuke them if need be? They have [[User talk:NishantXavier|harshly attacked NishantXavier on his talk page]], and it's evident that they spread lies, smears, baiting rhetoric, and mischaracterizations to "prove" their points, which are often times fallacious. Thank you! —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 15:03, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Don't listen to him, he has as much of a victim complex as BLM supporters. Actually, the most mature thing you can do is not get involved in this argument like you have all along. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:06, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Wait, I have the victim mentality in the same manner of BLM idiots? Need I remind you, Shobson20, for the gazillionth time that ''you'' were the one whining immediately after NishantXavier was promoted and you weren't yet? —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 16:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Deflection. You've done plenty of whining yourself and STILL doing it. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:33, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::You're the one who's posting on other people's talk pages trying to get them involved, not us. First you tried to get Karajou, now Northwest. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 18:18, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I'm really sorry this guy is trying to drag you into his fight. If you want to, you can contribute [[Debate:Does the Catholic Church have the biblical authority of Christ Himself to preach and to teach the truth forever?| this debate page]]. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:01, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The truth is that a Catholic vs. Protestant argument was getting out of hand, so User:Conservative suggested making that debate page to make the debate more structured and civil. Since then, both sides have been mostly talking there, but Liberaltears just can't let things go. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Great to see you around again! ==<br />
<br />
Great to see you back, Northwest! How are you doing? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, 9 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Check this out==<br />
[https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/murder-for-ratings/ Murder for Ratings]. I'm fairly certain I put the assault by Jacob Lebron Kelly at a Sanders rally in the February 2020 list of violence. I'm checking it now. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 20:27, 13 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Here it is https://www.conservapedia.com/Left-wing_violence_in_the_Trump_era_(2020)#cite_note-49 and footnote 50<br />
<br />
== Juvenile Delinquent ==<br />
<br />
What can we do, if the Juvenile Delinquent comes after us? He came after me again. --[[User:United States|United States]] ([[User talk:United States|talk]]) 19:41, 2 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== A note about that troll ==<br />
<br />
Please don't take this the wrong way, but the troll whose socks you were quick to block was probably trying to make a fool out of you and CP in general. Since the imbecile thought that you would immediately block him upon sight, he trolls you with usernames like [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=&user=&page=User%3ALightningBlocks&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= this] to prove he's correct in a sense and make us look paranoid. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 22:50, 31 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please help formulate the Mission Statement ==<br />
<br />
I need input on [[Conservapedia:Mission Statement]]. Please contribute. I want Conservapedia to leave Wikipedia in its dust.--[[User:Amorrow|Amorrow]] ([[User talk:Amorrow|talk]]) 01:22, 21 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Chimpout==<br />
Good catch on User:Chimpout. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Chimpout] I never would have caught it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 03:25, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
:Just doing what needs to be done. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Debate ==<br />
<br />
:Hi Northwest. I would like to get your input on a debate page I just created [[Debate:Should the United States attack Pakistan?]]. Thanks.[[User:Bytemsbu|Bytemsbu]] ([[User talk:Bytemsbu|talk]]) 21:37, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
+ <br />
==Proposal==<br />
We would appreciate your input at [[Conservapedia:Community_Portal#Proposal]]. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:59, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:You have no real interest in "civil" discussion, only to be disruptive, to act in an uncivil manner and to hide comments I make specifically calling you out for your behavior here in the past four days because you don't like what I have to say. Karajou's even had to undo what you're trying to do, but your reversals of his undos show that you're just not interested in doing the right thing and would rather seize power here and do exactly what Pokeria1 pointed out you're trying to do - take Conservapedia in a more leftward direction, which is not what this site is about. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 22:12, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
== Thanks ==<br />
Thanks for the tremendous blocking last night on the avalanche of vandal accounts. Today I've written and installed a program to minimize that from occurring again. Really appreciate your blocks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 16:07, 3 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== re: RobS ==<br />
<br />
Later in this week, I will be attempting to mediate the dispute involving RobS as RobS creates a lot of content. <br />
<br />
In the meantime and in the future, please do not provoke RobS. I cannot stress this enough. <br />
<br />
Also, thank you for all your contributions to Conservapedia.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:08, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Who was this topic made by? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 04:31, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Re: your editing warring with RobS about Obama's birthplace ==<br />
<br />
Northwest, you wrote about Obama: "because of him not being a natural-born citizen". <br />
<br />
At Conservapedia, you cannot '''definitively state''' that Obama was not a natural born citizen because there is no definitive/absolute/direct proof to that effect. The best you can do is point out that certain sources/people suspect that Obama was not a natural born citizen for X, Y, Z, etc. reasons. If you are definitively insisting that Obama was not a natural born citizen in articles, please stop. In many cases, historical claims are probabilistic. This is one of those cases.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:34, 10 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Why are you and rob fighting ==<br />
<br />
Why. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 01:03, 20 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== RobS' talk page. It's his castle ==<br />
<br />
Please stop endeavoring to retain your postings on RobS' user talk page. <br />
<br />
As per Mr. Schlafly, "We respect users' control over their own talk pages as much as possible. Wikipedia treats users' own talk pages like government or public property, and it becomes a place for Wikipedia editors to bully users."[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia] Source: [[Conservapedia:How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:25, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Also, "Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users, and their opinions. Users are free to remove comments from their own user talk pages."[https://conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Guidelines] Source: [[Conservapedia:Guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:28, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== There’s no RationalWiki article yet. ==<br />
<br />
Why is that? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 07:42, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Basically denying the site traffic. Probably for the best. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:22, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Multiple admins there are ruining what was already a bad site and made it even worse --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 08:23, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Don't take content disputes to user talk pages. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages ==<br />
<br />
You immediately took a content dispute to a user's personal talk page. <br />
<br />
You shouldn't immediately take content disputes to a user's talk page. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages and endeavor to have a cordial, constructive dialogue with the person to resolve matters. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 04:09, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
=== Re: Don't take content disputes to user talk pages ===<br />
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when RobS chose ''not'' to be cordial or constructive (as per his history) with me or other editors during the kerfuffle back in January that led to his being desysopped and stripped of his admin powers. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 04:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
:For all parties involved, I suggest practicing forgiveness and trying to start things over with a new slate. <br />
<br />
:I have been talking to Andy about this matter and he wants greater civility and constructive dialogue by all parties involved. <br />
<br />
:This coming weekend, I will be talking to Andy about upgrading Conservapedia's civility guidelines.<br />
<br />
:In addition, I will be talking to Andy about Conservapedia articles/content having an more encyclopedic tone. Why? Because Andy raised this issue with me and would like to see Conservapedia have a more encyclopedic tone in all cases where it is important to do so (I will explain this matter). Encyclopedia articles should first and foremost be designed to inform and shouldn't go out of their way to troll. For example, as far as a an article dispute you had with RobS, you insisted that the word "transgender" be struck out and "gender confusion" be used instead because you said that liberals don't like the phrase "gender confusion". But the purpose of articles is not to tick off liberals, but to inform the public. From what I understand, the topic had to do with transgenderism so when you insisted that "gender confusion" be used it unnecessarily clouded the meaning of the article as that is a broader term. Even when I write on provocative topics like [[Gay bowel syndrome]], [[Homosexuality and Parasites|Homosexuality and parasites]], [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Atheism and bestiality]], I make every effort to keep the articles encyclopedic in tone. I am also not a fan of RobS using "Biden junta" for article titles or article content. The term "Biden junta" is fine for essays, but not articles in my estimation. Andy wants main page right content to have a more encyclopedic tone too. I plan on talking to RobS about this matter this coming weekend and to talk to Andy about this matter too. In short, if you want content to have a very provocative tone, that is fine, but do it in essays.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:10, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::I upgraded the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]] as far as the civility portion. I will be talking to Andy this week to get it approved. <br />
<br />
::This is my addition: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unneccesary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:24, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Well, what I actually stated in my edit summaries was that since this is a conservative wiki, use of liberal-preferred terms should be avoided except in certain contexts (such as in quotes made by public figures, or names of liberal organizations). If liberals don't like their preferred terms not being used, that's their issue, but giving in on that subject is essentially a matter of "give them an inch..." (or to be more specific, give liberals an inch and they'll eventually demand the distance between Earth and Pluto, as they always do). [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:43, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in Google searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 07:04, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Really? You're using Google searches for viability? Newsflash, Google manipulates search results. We even have an entire article on the subject on here. Even if we kowtow to Liberal redefining of things, Google STILL will end up manipulating search results to block us out. Better be a pure conservative site than sacrifice even a small amount of conservativism under the belief it would give us more traffic. If anything, you should go by DuckDuckGo or even Bing. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 07:14, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::You are correct. Here's my revised statement: "The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in <s>Google</s> searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text." I removed the offensive proper noun. That should be helpful now, [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:35, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: latest edit war with RobS ==<br />
<br />
As far as your latest edit war with RobS, If you are going to source material, please do better than Quora or sites like it such as Yahoo Answers. Anyone can put material on sites like that. The fourth footnote for the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]] indicates, "Sources should be authoritative works, not merely published opinions by others. No sources advocating or supporting unlawful activity of any kind are allowed."<br />
<br />
Quora is not an authoritative work.<br />
<br />
Under the new civility rules update that Andy approved, it does state you have to properly source material.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:01, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Friendly invite to a new Conservapedia project ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest! I hope you are having a good day. I wanted to invite you to [[Conservapedia:Project Current Events]] since it is a new project that I recently started. The goal of the project is to improve Conservapedia within current events, Hopefully you will consider joining. --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 12:36, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:46, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: your edit to the European migrant crisis article ==<br />
<br />
Please look at this edit of yours: https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=European_migrant_crisis&diff=prev&oldid=1309224 which you posted in 2017. <br />
<br />
1990sguy and RobS spent countless hours on the article. <br />
<br />
I want to focus on one aspect of your edit to that article. In 2017, after Barack Obama served 8 years as the president of the USA, your edit indicated the following and I will quote it : "When Barack Hussein Obama became "president"". Norwest, when you posted "president", with no explanation, its obvious your intent was to merely "stick it to the libs" and not to educate the public. The purpose of an encylopedia is to inform the public and not merely to upset people who hold to a certain political ideology. <br />
<br />
Now in an article devoted to specific topic of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] one can certainly briefly go over the pro/con arguments of Obama's actual birthplace (like the various arguments of computer experts on Obama's online long form birth certificate giving the pro-con arguments of the various computer experts opinions on its authenticity). In addition, in that main Obama arrticle one can have a link to a longer article specifically geared to the issue of Obama's birthplace controversy. <br />
<br />
But an article which merely refers to "President" Obama for example is potentially confusing to the reader as he/she may not know what it means. For example, a young person in India who reads "President" Obama could easily be confused on why the quotation marks are there. <br />
<br />
One the reasons why I shared Fischer's rules above is to point out that historical investigations/conclusions are often probabilistic. A historian looking into the birthplace of Obama would carefully weigh all the evidence and after doing so would not make dogmatic statements like "Obama was definitely not born in the USA" because he would actually have no absolute certainty. For example, I know that one Republican computer expert said the online rendition of Barack Obama's birth certification document was a bona fide copy of Obama's birth certificate. Some computer experts on the other hand say the online, long form birth certificate was a fraud.<br />
<br />
If you stick the facts in articles and not needlessly inject opinions that claim to be facts, you will have more harmony with other editors.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 23:41, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Re: Trump Reverts==<br />
Thanks for leaving a message. You bring up a very good point about whether Joe Biden should even legally be in power, because of how greatly distrusted last year's election was. But it also raises the question of, if Joe Biden is not the legal president, then who is? It can't be Donald Trump, because he failed to win Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona (which had no voting law changes and the suburbs and working-class voters there were almost certainly going to hand the state to Joe Biden), so massive voter fraud in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which was declined by a leftist agenda of the courts in those locations, would not have been able to change the election. Plus, courts with a political agenda are nothing new either. Bush v. Gore, for example, only favored Bush because of a rightist agenda of the court. So even if there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election like we suspect, don't courts and local election officials serve the bottom line for presidential legitimacy? Not only do I find it very unlikely that Republican officials wish to promote a big-government leftist agenda, but the reason I say all this is because even if Joe Biden didn't receive as many votes as it seemed in 2020, he may still be a legal president. Even if it is the fault of the people who ran the election, the Biden administration may not be the one to blame. - [[User:TrumpLover84|TrumpLover84]]([[User talk:TrumpLover84|talk]])<br />
<br />
==Vandal patrol==<br />
While on vandal patrol, you missed the most obvious. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 This edit] claims Stacey Abrams is a bizarre conspiracy theorist cause she accused brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger of election rigging with voting machines before Sidney Powell or Donald Trump did.<br />
<br />
== Question ==<br />
<br />
Do I use infobox officeholder or dictator bio for this person https://conservapedia.com/Albert_René as he was accused of using torture against people. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 19:28, 25 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Conservapedia Guidelines==<br />
[[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility]] states:<br />
*''Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However '''you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users''', and their opinions.''<br />
You Userpage mainspace presently has an attack upon another CP editor placed by you. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:Northwest&curid=123230&diff=1753219&oldid=1752798] Please remove the abusive content. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:58, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:If you ask me, the only one actually coming across as a bully is you, Rob. And quite frankly, I have to agree with Northwest, your actions are coming across as unjust, and more likely to aid the liberal agenda as it is. We formed Conservapedia specifically to get AWAY from the liberal bias that is Wikipedia. We cannot allow ourselves to become Wikipedia-lite. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 23:22, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==John Wayne==<br />
Why don't you go fix the [[John Wayne]] article and change it to [[Marion Wayne]]? [https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/John_Wayne] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:And how was my edit summary regarding the Bruce Jenner article a "snide comment" (which you yourself are guilty of leaving in other past edits of yours[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=next&oldid=1730163][https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Aschlafly&diff=next&oldid=1730429]), even though it was not - it simply stated the truth, which you then proceeded to hide (and in so doing, makes you look guilty of covering up that truth) by hiding that summary and by protecting the [[Bruce Jenner]] redirect[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Bruce_Jenner&action=history] to prevent a move back to what the article should be - which, in your doing, makes it look like you're trying to coddle, enable and encourage a mental disorder instead of treating it as what it is.[https://fwipetitions.org/fwi/16-facts-on-gender-confusion/] <br />
<br />
:And, oh yeah - [[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility|civility]], remember? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 23:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Don't worry. You don't have edit war with [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=next&oldid=1758240 the guy harassing you.] I reverted to [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&curid=24281&action=history your version] and locked the page. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:55, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Engagement and communication is NOT "harassment"...even if thin-skinned whiny types don't like it ==<br />
<br />
So engaging in discussion is "harassing" to you? Isn't that was is recommended and the policy? Communication? And engagement? Even if blunt? I was straightforward in my previous attempt, but not "harassing". But now I don't care anymore. Respect is earned, and you've earned zero now, but the opposition. You just DODGED everything I wrote, the facts, and points I was making, and never engaged, but erased and then the other editor (another one with no objectivity or credibility) backed your idiocy and insanity up. Birds of a feather...lol. I'm being insulting now more so because RESPECT IS EARNED, and you've earned zero of it, by your initial actions, and your actions subsequent. You little weasel and pagan wimp. (And I know you'll probably just dodge and delete...like a rude juvenile no-answer evasive schmuck...as you've proven what type of person and editor you are already...) But I am curious....<br />
<br />
Why exactly did you revert me when my revert was the justified one? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. <br />
<br />
David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. <br />
<br />
An editor on this thing may have hundreds of thousands of edits, hundreds of GAs, FAs, dozens of barnstars and a legion of friends-and-relations; DOESN'T MATTER....because, disruption is disruption, POV is POV, and tendentious malicious mendacious editing is tendentious malicious mendacious editing, no matter who does it.<br />
<br />
David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... <br />
<br />
(I know that you'll DODGE AND DELETE like you did before, further confirming what a flop and failure you and those enable your POV idiocy are.) Conservapedia and Wikipedia and Rational Wiki are just BLOGS in many ways with various articles...at this point, when it comes to religious, philosophical, theological, or political articles. [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:26, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:RobSmith&diff=1758270User talk:RobSmith2021-05-22T04:20:25Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Graph (1).png|right|500px|thumb|]]<br />
February 3, 2020 - September 30, 2020 - '''145,228''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 3, 2020 - Election day.<br />
:hypestat: '''33K''' visitors and '''206,000''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 23, 2020 - DDoS attack<br />
<br />
'''December 29, 2020''' - started keeping records in Slack.<br />
Country Alexa Rank<br />
United States '''#63,303''' <br />
:hypestat: '''27.1K''' visitors and 67,786 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
January 2021 - Similiarweb data [https://www.similarweb.com/website/conservapedia.com/]<br />
United States '''#31,638'''<br />
<br />
'''February 1, 2021''' - throughout Capitol riot and impeachment. <br />
United States '''#33,508'''<br />
<br />
February 3, 2021 - Rob's de-sysoping.<br />
<br />
February 11, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''24.7K''' daily visitors Daily Pageviews 61,624.<br />
<br />
February 13, 2021 - Last Google cache until March 25, 2021<br />
<br />
February 15, 2021<br />
United States #36,617<br />
<br />
February 16, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''23.7K''' visitors and 56,793 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
February 17, 2021<br />
United States #40,319<br />
<br />
February 19, 2021<br />
United States #45,529<br />
<br />
February 23, 2021<br />
United States #50,091<br />
<br />
February 24, 2021<br />
United States #58,914<br />
<br />
February 28, 2021<br />
United States #61,140<br />
<br />
March 1, 2021<br />
United States #72,355<br />
<br />
March 2, 2021 <br />
United States #81,250<br />
<br />
March 3, 2021<br />
United States #87,177<br />
<br />
March 4, 2021<br />
United States #94,183<br />
:hypestat: '''21.2K''' visitors and 52,997 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 5, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''20.7K''' visitors and 51,764 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 6, 2021<br />
United States #99,248<br />
<br />
March 7, 2021<br />
United States #109,993<br />
:'''#158,631''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
<br />
March 8, 2021<br />
United States '''#120,617'''<br />
<br />
March 30, 2021 <br />
:hypestat: 20.7K visitors and '''49,694''' page impressions per day<br />
:2.4 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:27 Daily Time on Site <br />
:Traffic Sources Past 30 Days 24% Search <br />
<br />
April 2, 2021<br />
:2.3 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:24 Daily Time on Site <br />
<br />
April 4, 2021<br />
:2:14 Daily Time on Site<br />
<br />
April 5, 2021 - RobSmith blocked until April 12, 2021<br />
<br />
April 11, 2021<br />
:'''172,231''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2:12''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestat: '''19.2K''' visitors and 44,221 page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
April 12, 2021<br />
:'''173,873''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2.2''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:news lows<br />
<br />
April 13, 2021<br />
:'''175,407''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:hypestat: '''18.7K''' visitors and '''41,214''' page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
Restored - welcome back.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:14, 17 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 18 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
April 23, 2021<br />
:'''130,885''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:United States '''#34,760'''<br />
:'''6.3''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:'''7:08''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestate: '''19.7K''' visitors and '''120,290''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Estimated value of Conservapedia.com is $976,213.61<br />
:near term highs<br />
<br />
:Karajou reinstated<br />
<br />
April 24, 2021<br />
United States '''#29,655'''<br />
:new near term high<br />
<br />
May 2, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.7K''' visitors and '''177,477''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Monthly Visits (SEMrush): 169,321<br />
:Monthly Unique Visitors (SEMrush): 124,005<br />
:Monthly Visits (SimilarWeb): 366,059<br />
:Daily Unique Visitors: 17,748<br />
:daily visitors down 2,000<br />
<br />
May 4, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.3K''' visitors and 258,821 page impressions per day.<br />
:loss of another 400 viewers.<br />
:Analysis: the trolls have the Alexa App - which gathers the information Alexa uses - installed on their browsers and leave open pages on their browser 24 hours a day while they do reconnaissance on which pages to target, in addition to their routine trolling. This distorts Time on site and Page views per visitor stats, with a direct impact on Alexa ranking stats.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<br />
== Hey, Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Where can I find the inactive template? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayoise the editor]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 20:40, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Copy paste it from here. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:RobSmith&action=edit] Incidentally, I reviewed both your stub about the Welsh guy and the WP article, and didn't see any "copying" from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup><br />
:Unless of course you call reporting historical facts "copying". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:03, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Another question. ==<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of everipedia? --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:11, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Sounds vaguely familiar. What is it? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:13, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:It’s similar to Wikipedia. It basically ported Wikipedia’s articles over. --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:14, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Sounds interesting They're ranked 26,000 globally and 8,000 domestically. [https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/everipedia.org] They eventually are concerned about their rank, competitiveness, and readership. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:31, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::Does this article look bad for a start? https://conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge<br />
::::No. It doesn't look anymore copied from Wikipedia any more than Conservapedia copied the idea of a source of knowledge from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 22:02, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::::So much for quitting eh Rob?--[[User:Mercian12|Mercian12]] ([[User talk:Mercian12|talk]]) 19:44, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::::I'm looking for a few doggie biscuits. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:47, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Greetings RobS, how are you doing? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, Rob. I'm back. Hope you've been well. Thanks for all your efforts and hard work in making Conservapedia the great place that it is. I wonder if you've seen the recent Gordon Cromwell Report on the Status of Global Christianity 2021? I'm praying and working for Global Christianity to reach 3 Billion Souls - wow, how pleasing that would be to the Lord Jesus - by 2030. Please work with me and may all Christians unite for Christendom's sake!<br />
<br />
In Our Lord Jesus,<br />
Nishant X. God Bless.<br />
<br />
:Thank you. Good to see you. Hope you've been well. Did you know that 20% of all CP traffic right now is coming from India? Your timing of a comeback couldn't have been better. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:57, 21 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Welcome back NishantXavier! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 00:06, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Great to know, Rob! India is going to rise to internet prominence in the next decade, with an estimated 1 billion internet users by 2025! https://www.analyticsinsight.net/india-estimated-to-reach-1-billion-internet-users-by-2025/ Thanks for all your great efforts in promoting Conservapedia! Together, we can reach the world, your country, the great USA, my country, my beloved India, for the Gospel, and the Conservative Cause!<br />
<br />
I pray Our Lord Jesus will richly bless you and reward you for your good efforts in contributing to the Cause, in this life and the next. God Bless.<br />
<br />
Edit: Thanks, LT. You're the reason I returned. Thanks for emailing me to remind me. Thanks for all your great work in promoting Conservapedia too![[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 00:09, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Please see if you can contribute to this article: https://conservapedia.com/Debate:_Will_Christianity_reach_3_billion_adherents_by_2030 [[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 04:35, 26 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== My update to the civility guideliness ==<br />
<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:33, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:34, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:48, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Black Lives Matter / Stacey Abrams / Noah Green ==<br />
<br />
What was the idea of undoing [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Black_Lives_Matter&curid=138053&diff=1741707&oldid=1741699 my edits] in the [[Black Lives Matter]] article, which I intended to clean up part of the article (including replacing liberal-preferred terms with more appropriate ones) and add info? Also regarding [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 the edit you pointed out] in the Stacey Abrams article, I didn't miss it because it was accurate and sourced and it didn't need to be dealt with. In the [[Noah Green]] article, I also replaced the New York Times and Mediaite links with one from TGP because [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages#Partisanship of Sources|per CP's guidelines, liberal news sources (such as the NYT and Mediaite) are not trustworthy due to their partisan bias and penchant for blatantly lying to suit the liberal narrative]]. Are you just trying to stir up trouble again because I'm actually trying to get articles cleaned up? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:10, 3 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I just reviewed the CP Guidelines page you linked to, and nowhere on that page does the phrase "liberal news sources" appear, let alone your specific parenthetical inclusions. Nice try. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:34, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Your recent post on my talk page ==<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get the memo, Islam is not a "race", and making such a false accusation (as well as falsely accusing me of "trolling") is not only a case of you doing the trolling yourself (and trying to start yet another fight), but by making it about race when it has nothing to do with such (which [[liberalism and racism|only liberals do]]), you're displaying racism yourself. Tread lightly. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:04, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Full disclosure: here is the text of an email I just sent to Andy.<br />
{{quotebox|"I have just cause to be angry about User: Northwest's racist trolling. RobSmith edits under his real life identity. In an effort to find neutral language for the birther movement, I am the Admin who reverted Northwest's racist trolling and put in "said to be born in Honolulu" (as cited by Eugene Robinson of WaPo). I cleaned up Northwest's racist trolling in at least a half dozen articles with neutral compromise language. For those efforts, there now is a webpage on the internet calling me a racist and birther, for which I am neither. And Northwest does not edit under his true life identity.<br />
<br />
Andy can't be involved in all aspects of CP day-to-day, but had I blocked Northwest for 5 years in 2017 for what on its face looks like subversive racist trolling, Conservapedia would still be in the 30,000 today rather than fighting to remain in top 90,000.<br />
<br />
By Andy's actions, trusting and rewarding racists trolls while disciplining good-faith users who risked their own names and reputations, not to mention dedicating their valuable time and lives to the project, makes the notion of CP being a meritocracy a joke. Andy needs to wake up and smell the coffee.}}<br />
I suggest you stop stalking pages I create edit or create, stop harassing other users, and stop making threats and allow Andy to complete his full review. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 10:32, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:So basically, you lied to Andy and you're lying now on your own talk page (while still trying to make trouble, make false accusations, start fights, play the "victim" and project your own racism and trolling while making your imagined issue about race, even though it actually has nothing to do with race). All you're doing is still making yourself look bad in the process. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Why is it you sound more like a program than a thinking human being? Why are all responses programmed ("only liberals call people racists, therefore you are a liberal", "the NYT is liberal, therefore bad, wrong, and evil", etc). If you are not a sockpuppet of Karajou, you likely advanced your CP career by parroting him. Only Karajou is capable of human reason, emotion, and discussion. You are not. You sound like program whose only purpose is to harm the project and sow division. Conservapedia has suffered the likes of your kind in the past. It's nothing new. And don't threaten me. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:49, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I saw Karajou lost his admin. ==<br />
<br />
Have you seen yet? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 05:14, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Not til now. Looks like a policy shift away from arbitrary blocking and enforcement of site policies. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:17, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Is his death date known? ==<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 12:28, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:According to the German wiki, unknown. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter] If no body was recovered, he may have disappeared into the Soviet gulag or was executed on the spot after I945. The same fate happened to hundreds of thousands at that time. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:46, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Question. ==<br />
<br />
Who can start Conservapedia projects? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Anybody, I guess. Unless a senior Admin tries to kill it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:51, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I recently made a proposal for comment at the Community Portal and another Admin hit the SiteAdmin panic button, shut the site down, claimed it was an attempt by Rationalwiki to take over the site, and I got de-sysoped. So honestly, I don't know how to answer your question. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:55, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Hey RobS. ==<br />
<br />
How are you. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 16:21, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I'm breathing and still have a pulse. But the deep state still has its knee on my neck. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:30, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Nice Edit! ==<br />
I saw the edit to my contribution on the article [[Democratic Plantation]] regrading Sen. Tim Scott. I concur... [[User:Let us eat lettuce|Let us eat lettuce]] ([[User talk:Let us eat lettuce|talk]]) 21:17, 3 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Are the images on this page able to be used on the person's article (if they have one)? <br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Gallery_of_British_Heroes --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 09:54, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I don't see why not. We stopped paying rent to them a long time ago. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:34, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Conservapedia Guidelines ==<br />
<br />
Pointing out your abuses of power and your own incivility, false accusations (i.e. "violation of 90/10", which I did ''not'' do if you'd pay attention to my contributions page) and attacks on me is ''not'' "attacking" - and besides, as the guidelines themselves say, my user page, my castle. And incidentally, you yourself are guilty of incivility, bullying, ridiculing and attacking other users here (per your history), so you have no ground to stand on with your argument. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 16:45, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I need your opinion. ==<br />
<br />
How is this article so far?<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Joseph_D._Sayers --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Well, it's interesting how he went from Birth to fighting in Civil War battles. Perhaps you need more subdivisions or retitle "Birth" as "Early life". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:54, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== New Discussion - Friendly Notice ==<br />
<br />
Hey RobSmith. I just wanted to let you know I started a discussion about new content (Maybe a new article for it) about content on Wikipedia. You can see the discussion here: [[Conservapedia:Community Portal#Discussion for a possible new Wikipedia Article]]. I am letting the active editors know about the discussion. Feel free to drop your opinion in it! --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 18:12, 14 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
==Thanks Rob==<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Thanks so much.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the great work you do.<br />
<br />
Question. I noticed, sometimes, there is a block from editing any page, there appears only the 'view sources,' page stating, only administrators can edit. <br />
<br />
I see it takes some time from the time I edit a page and seeing the edit while signed on, till it appears to the 'outside world.'<br />
<br />
If/when I do have images, how does one upload it here, or how do I send them to you rather?<br />
<br />
Thinking of a page dedicated to the issue of using civilians by anti-Anerican and anti-Israel forces. There are images from certain domains. Is there a way you can upload them, so that it is saved, conserved-on-conservapedia? <br />
<br />
<br />
God bless.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:(1) We have a robot Minuteman who does temporary autoblocks when it detects unusual activity, such as adding or removing large blocks of text. It accidentally blocked you for about 5 minutes last night til I caught it. Sorry for the inconvenience. We can work around it.<br />
<br />
:(2) As to images, just place a link here on my talk page and I'll upload it. Please make sure it's not copyright material, like the Associated Press for example.<br />
<br />
:Thanks again, you're doing great work. I'm trying to cover all bases by creating Redirects. So far I have [[2021 Gaza War]] and [[2021 Hamas war]]. We'll probably do a [[2021 Isreali-Palestinian conflict]] eventually as well. But we also need a title to emphasize that attacks are coming from Lebanon and Syria,as well. Any suggestions? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:10, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Sounds great.<br />
Here are links to images re human shields:<br />
The BBC image, its URL source is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm which contains several.<br />
<br />
https://sderotmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/hamashumanshields.jpg<br />
<br />
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4422/2704/1600/palestinianuseofhumanshields1.jpg<br />
<br />
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xlOQjfLk_ks/SWKuHzgvc9I/AAAAAAAAAC4/7MiTOUg3rWc/s1600-h/terrorchildren2.jpg<br />
<br />
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WPgVvOHdsLQ/maxresdefault.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/Uploads/pics/%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.outlookindia.com/public/uploads/gallery/20040512/gaza_palestinian_militants_040512.jpg<br />
<br />
https://avaazdo.s3.amazonaws.com/350db222d9c32f2bca8e1ebea01ae80d.png<br />
<br />
https://static.educalingo.com/img/en/800/human-shield.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sites/default/files/images/articles/2018/04/21/152433084061_b.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg<br />
<br />
https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Children-in-Hamas-Summer-Gamp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/08/fff-e1408151169183.jpg<br />
<br />
https://img.mako.co.il/2011/04/12/166411.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/12/Using-an-Ambulance-as-a-Shield-2.jpeg<br />
<br />
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42337000/jpg/_42337228_women_afp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.idf.il/media/27099/hamas-children.png<br />
<br />
http://www.thetower.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FeaturedImage_2018-08-23_155940_YouTube_Hamas_Human_Shields.jpg<br />
<br />
https://blinchiki.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/human-shield-2.jpg<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Heres most of them]. Give me a few minutes, I'm still working on 2 or 3. One is too large to upload, so I'm going to try something another way. If it doesn't work, you may have to look for a smaller version. I'll put the link to the uploads on the talk page, too. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:12, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Please take your time. No rush. <br />
<br />
:::There all done except the [https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg one that is too large.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
On an unrelated matter, where would the following item go:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/joe-biden-leaves-god-out-of-the-national-day-of-prayer/amp/ Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer]. National Review. May 10, 2021. Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer</blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:In the Joe Biden article. I'd put it here for now [[Joseph_Biden#Unity]], and depending how much information you have I can work on integrating it into the article later. Great catch, too! [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You're right.<br />
<br />
<br />
BTW the following are related published cartoons. Should they be uploaded?<br />
<br />
<br />
http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/15638000/ngbbs47c9c30f04c8f.jpg<br />
<br />
<br />
http://markhumphrys.com/Bitmaps/israel.11.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/152477/500/15247.png<br />
<br />
https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2014/07/ed-1024x736.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg<br />
<br />
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-07-16-Smith_C20140715HP.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/150976/500/150976.png<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:Generally, cartoons are copyright material, so we have to look at the terms of use from the original source. Look for wording such as "permission granted with proper attribution" or some such. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:26, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:[https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg This one] for example, we may be able to use with attribution to the photographer. if someone complains later, big deal, we'll take it down. We're not using it for commercial exploitation. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:32, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Yes. It is good that the sources of the files are posted here, in case for any complaints.<br />
<br />
How do I use attributes (sizes) within the wiki page? (Width="" height="")?<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Here's the basic format: <nowiki>[[File:Paste image here.jpg|right|300px|thumb|add text here]]</nowiki> <br />
<br />
:I typically use 300px to 350px for images in the body of articles. You can change position from right to left. The 'thumb' allows for a box to add text, which can even hold footnotes to external links. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:06, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Great help. Thanks for already resizing the large one there...[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::I added the new article to Template:Terrorism, which de-orphaned the page and created several [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Human_shields_by_terrorists&limit=500 inbound internal links]. This will help in Google results. I'm looking to create more internal links to Guardian of Walls also. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:21, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Very smart.<br />
BTW.<br />
<br />
The following image, as quoted in this tweet about an Arab nurse (Yusuf Naim) resident of and working in Israel, who put in his Instagram simply "Palestinian nazi"<br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914/photo/1<br />
Main tweet: <br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914<br />
<br />
(Nevermind the irony. As Hitler would exterminate also the Arabs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181121205350/https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/have-no-doubt-hitler-would-have-wiped-out-arabs-after-jews-26277585.html Have no doubt Hitler would have wiped out Arabs after Jews, The Independent, 24 February 2007] eventually as another "inferior race" in his eyes)<br />
<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:This guy's a professional nurse? Those imgs can be uploaded, no problem. And if they get deleted from Twitter, we have a record here, then. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:45, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Arabs? Possibly. Muslims however, did [https://conservapedia.com/Adolf_Hitler#Barbarossa serve in the SS.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Agreed. And an Arab author explained, Hitler's people tried to convince themselves the Mufti [[Haj Amin al-Husseini]] isn't pure Arab in blood... || And the guy, Yusuf Naim is a nurse, he worked as such in the Israeli Hadassah hospital before being suspended over this. || I tried to insert this url of image https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1dG7I-XMAAiEUm.jpg , it didn't work. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Your tax dollars at work. As to the Arabs, the Nazis classified their Japanese allies as "Honorary Aryans" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_Aryan] The same could have been done to Arabs for service to the Reich. But now we're into coulda woulda shoulda historical writing. All we have are facts to deal with. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:52, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Hi Rob. If and when you have a chance for these two images to be uploaded, please. The second is from the BBC a few years back.<br />
<br />
https://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Web_F081218AA01.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/76535000/jpg/_76535336_shields.jpg<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:57, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=RobSmith&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= Done.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Rob the great one... one more here when you can - https://mfa.gov.il/MFA_Graphics/MFA%20Gallery/2011/Turkel/ambulance.jpg <br />
Thanks. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Done. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:38, 20 May 2021 (EDT) [[File:Ambulance.jpg|center|250px|thumb|]]<br />
<br />
___<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Great job. Here are three images. One related to human shields. The other two to genocidal call by Hamas.<br />
<br />
<br />
* http://www.peacewithrealism.org/images/hammad.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://palwatch.org/page/1089][https://youtu.be/RTu-AUE9ycs]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://stream.org/wp-content/uploads/Memri-hamas-1.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://stream.org/hamas-wants-to-kill-all-jews-worldwide/]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://likoed.nl/wp-content/uploads-plikud01/2016/03/By-Allah-we-will-dig-up-your-bones1.jpg <br />
<br />
Related to:<br />
[Https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-cleric-and-tv-host-abu-funun-we-will-not-leave-single-jew-dead-or-alive-our-land]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 23:10, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Done]. These people are sick. I hope you don't use the ceasefire to slowdown reporting, but rather to catch up. There is so much there readers need to see and hear. Even in New York, Los Angelas, and elsewhere. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:40, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You are do right. BTW, efardibg NY/LA... there is a parallel between the recent Islamic "protesters" appearing in one particular area in Manhattan violently and May 1, 2020 some Islamic "activists" taking advantage of BLM protests and carrying out an attack in LA, including graffiti of "palestine" on a synagogue. It was facilitated by a BLM operative Melina Abdullah (mostly raisd by her mother) who is a Farrakhan fan.. Why, if not intolerance was the particular Fairfax area even chosen?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:23, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::If you're too busy with events on the ground there in Israel, I can add content about it here in the U.S. and may elsewhere (London for example). Just create a subheading for it where you think it appropriate and I'll add it daily as news comes in. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:27, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Are you referring to something like a blog/column of updates on the main page? BTW I'm concerned about our country here in the US. But, it's just that it's so sensitive there and threat to survival and demonization are constant, at the same time. (True David VS Goliath, in many aspects) . And both countries are bound in shared values.|| Sorry to bother you with one more:<br />
http://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/israel-pilot.jpg [https://nypost.com/2021/05/18/israeli-video-shows-mission-being-scrubbed-after-kids-were-seen/amp/ source]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::(ec)I mean separating violent protests and incidents outside Israel in the mainspace of the article. Rocket launches from Syria, for example, should probably go under their own subheading. As well as people eating in restaurants in NY and LA getting beat up.<br />
<br />
:::::I do have Main Page access for headlines. This site however, is somewhat anti-[[neocon]] so the headlines can't be made to look like somebody is trying to drag the U.S. into war. OTOH, stories about [[AOC]] and [[The Squad]] trying to sabotage U.S. commitments to allies or being sympathetic to terrorists certainly is newsworthy. When you find a headline like that that appeals to U.S. readers, you can feed it to me and I'll see what I can do with it to link the [[Guardian of Walls]] article from the Main Page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:50, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Latest img is uploaded. Bottomline, from my perspective, Israel is at war with Iran right now. Hamas are just the frontline foot soldiers and proxies. And most Americans do not understand this, as Biden and Kerry seek to facilitate an iranian nuclear weapon. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:59, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::Of course the main page should be about US 'direct' news. I actually joined this site when liberals tried to portrayed Ahmad Al Issa as some Trumpist-white-supremacist... BTW I'm for clarity, especially about bias in the media and that other site.. I am not advocating for any wars. For these decisions I leave for experts. . A little secret... I might be able to dig up some AOL email I sent at the time against invading Iraq. There is also a huge difference between an operation or operations and an invasion. And yes, the elephant in the room is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Weak Biden knows more than Sanders, but he is not the de-facto leader of the Dems... Radical leftists have grown stronger there (not that Omar/Tlaib are true progressives like AOC and Sanders, this pair's true agenda isn't entirely as the others in the group. Their joint appearances should not fool anyone.. The squad isn't made all of the same cloth. Though in reality, on the ground, as is, this gang is detrimental to our country for many aspects) though there is an internal struggle there. The 'conflict' in the middle east is about incitement to intolerance. Since the 1920s by the Mufti (who also assassinated the moderates) and still going on today http://palwatch.org school textbooks, plays/shows at a very young age or in mosque, which is why the April spike in attacks on Jews inside Israel who are known not to serve in the Israeli army shows the 'real' problem, beyond "issus". And of course dead kids pics are powerful in the campaign for this purpose. The element of forcefully spreading one particular religion should not be overlooked.. Further on, 'if' any attacks in the US occur they don't have to be related to 'Guardian of Walls'. Another parallel point, the race card being obsessively abused at every corner for political purposes here in God's great country is played so in the Haaretz phenomenon of the last decades (vs what it was historically they even give voice for rewriters of history), the paper's more popular outside Israel very much adopted by radical left internationally but most in Israel regard it as radical, fringe. Most Israelis have faith in God. || Here is a recent image: https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/israel5-1.jpg<br />
[https://hannity.com/media-room/listen-palestinian-tells-israeli-soldier-if-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die/ source] Will embed/link the Hannity source in it|| Thanks and have a great weekend.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Got it with my [https://conservapedia.com/File:Israel5-1.png Snipping tool on Windows 10.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Great! I think you have an excellent understanding of the facts we are dealing with. Me personally, I have a deep abiding mistrust of American mainstream media, and I'm much impressed with the sources you have been using. These are the facts we can bring to readers and the American public. Feel free, please, to update [[The Squad]], AOC, or any other members' articles with their comments and reactions to these gross and vile human rights violations we are witnessing daily, or how it was facilitated by the present regime occupying the White House with cash to terrorist organizations. Or expanding the role the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] is playing in all this. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Summing up your words. True, concise and precise. There are many factors in media bias [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Question. How long is the delay from what is seen (edited matetial) internally by site users and external view - what is seen by all?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:51, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I don't really know. I believe users accessing the site, like yourself or anybody else, see the current version. The question is how long before Google or others Index the site to appear in Search engine results, which I think is about 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::IOWs, when Google scans the site, they are looking at a 72 hour old version, I think. The site owner knows those details and hasn't shared them. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:57, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::Interesting. But in case you haven't noticed it. Try viewing a page you or others just edited. Then sign off and view at it again. Spot the difference.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
::::As I noted earlier, Conservapedia famously has been the target of trolling attacks, so new users have to go through a probationary period to establish ''bona fides''. Apparently the site owner is reviewing your edits, at which point you'll be granted more users rights, etc. (like SkipCaptcha is the bottom rung of the ladder). The problem is, he also has a fulltime job and his time can be limited. Just keep doing what your doing and there shouldn't be a problem (we've discussed the anti-neocon editorial stance already). My guess is that any alleged 'controversial' edits should be cleared in 72 hours. I'll bring this up in discussion with another Admin slated for this weekend. Let me know if something added does not appear in 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:21, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::I see. When you get a chance,, https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield2.jpg<br />
[https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Hamas-again-uses-Gazan-civilians-as-human-shields-July-2014.aspx source] And thanks again for your awesome work.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:25, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield2.jpg Here's the latest]. Thanks for understanding. CP Admins are notorious for garbled communication and things can get fouled up. Everybody is preoccupied with their own pet projects. But I'm your advocate here and the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly sometimes. If it's not inconvenient, you can provide to me diffs that show the lag time on edits appearing (I'm assuming nothing has been censored or removed). The time stamp on the diff could help. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:33, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Thanks so much. And I was curious to ask what's the story with the cat you have in your profile. This one https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield.jpg belongs also to the last source. It's in Arabic <br />
'Announcement from the ("Palestinian") ministry of the interior to the residents of the Gaza Strip, telling them not to pay attention to IDF announcements about vacating their homes'.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:39, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield.jpg Here's the Arabic statement]. As to the cat, it's been an ongoing game of cat n mouse with trolls from Rationalwiki for 15 years. It's just a message that I'm always here, always watching, vetting content, ready to pounce. Some of my fellow Admins think I'm paranoid and nuts, but I know who the trolls are and can identify them easily after 15 years on the job. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::That site... I see. I presume CP had many hackers' attempts too in course of years, no doubts.|| This one is of the recent famous event in May 16. https://www.algemeiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2.jpg [https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/16/idf-releases-video-showing-pilot-aborting-air-strike-after-spotting-children-in-target-area/ source] [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 14:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Command_Control.jpg This img has a better resolution than the one uploaded last night]. We've experienced every kind of Crapflood and DDoS attack imaginable. Most of it can be traced to the RW network and Wikipedia Rogue Admin cabal. I wouldn't be surprised if we've come to the attention of the Chinese 50 cent Army lately. Right now, according to Alexa, visitors are spending one hour Time on Site without the actual number of unique visitors going up, which to me looks like a clickbot attack. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Message ==<br />
I am sorry if I haven't responded. I just don't know that you have sent responses. I am not ignoring them. [[User:ChadUser|ChadUser]] ([[User talk:ChadUser|talk]]) 16:46, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reverts and "Protected" ==<br />
So engaging in discussion is "harassing" to you? Isn't that was is recommended and the policy? Communication? And engagement? Even if blunt? You put silly stuff on on Northwest's talk page, after did what you did. You obviously have no credibility...so it's irrelevant at this point in a way. But I'm curious.... (And I know you'll probably just dodge and delete...like a rude juvenile no-answer evasive schmuck...as you've proven what type of person and editor you are already...) But I am curious....<br />
<br />
Why exactly did you revert me before putting that protection on that JW article, when my reverts were the justified ones? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. <br />
<br />
David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. <br />
<br />
An editor on this thing may have hundreds of thousands of edits, hundreds of GAs, FAs, dozens of barnstars and a legion of friends-and-relations; DOESN'T MATTER....because, disruption is disruption, POV is POV, and tendentious malicious mendacious editing is tendentious malicious mendacious editing, no matter who does it. <br />
<br />
David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:08, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:RobSmith&diff=1758269User talk:RobSmith2021-05-22T04:20:00Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Graph (1).png|right|500px|thumb|]]<br />
February 3, 2020 - September 30, 2020 - '''145,228''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 3, 2020 - Election day.<br />
:hypestat: '''33K''' visitors and '''206,000''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 23, 2020 - DDoS attack<br />
<br />
'''December 29, 2020''' - started keeping records in Slack.<br />
Country Alexa Rank<br />
United States '''#63,303''' <br />
:hypestat: '''27.1K''' visitors and 67,786 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
January 2021 - Similiarweb data [https://www.similarweb.com/website/conservapedia.com/]<br />
United States '''#31,638'''<br />
<br />
'''February 1, 2021''' - throughout Capitol riot and impeachment. <br />
United States '''#33,508'''<br />
<br />
February 3, 2021 - Rob's de-sysoping.<br />
<br />
February 11, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''24.7K''' daily visitors Daily Pageviews 61,624.<br />
<br />
February 13, 2021 - Last Google cache until March 25, 2021<br />
<br />
February 15, 2021<br />
United States #36,617<br />
<br />
February 16, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''23.7K''' visitors and 56,793 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
February 17, 2021<br />
United States #40,319<br />
<br />
February 19, 2021<br />
United States #45,529<br />
<br />
February 23, 2021<br />
United States #50,091<br />
<br />
February 24, 2021<br />
United States #58,914<br />
<br />
February 28, 2021<br />
United States #61,140<br />
<br />
March 1, 2021<br />
United States #72,355<br />
<br />
March 2, 2021 <br />
United States #81,250<br />
<br />
March 3, 2021<br />
United States #87,177<br />
<br />
March 4, 2021<br />
United States #94,183<br />
:hypestat: '''21.2K''' visitors and 52,997 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 5, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''20.7K''' visitors and 51,764 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 6, 2021<br />
United States #99,248<br />
<br />
March 7, 2021<br />
United States #109,993<br />
:'''#158,631''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
<br />
March 8, 2021<br />
United States '''#120,617'''<br />
<br />
March 30, 2021 <br />
:hypestat: 20.7K visitors and '''49,694''' page impressions per day<br />
:2.4 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:27 Daily Time on Site <br />
:Traffic Sources Past 30 Days 24% Search <br />
<br />
April 2, 2021<br />
:2.3 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:24 Daily Time on Site <br />
<br />
April 4, 2021<br />
:2:14 Daily Time on Site<br />
<br />
April 5, 2021 - RobSmith blocked until April 12, 2021<br />
<br />
April 11, 2021<br />
:'''172,231''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2:12''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestat: '''19.2K''' visitors and 44,221 page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
April 12, 2021<br />
:'''173,873''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2.2''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:news lows<br />
<br />
April 13, 2021<br />
:'''175,407''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:hypestat: '''18.7K''' visitors and '''41,214''' page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
Restored - welcome back.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:14, 17 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 18 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
April 23, 2021<br />
:'''130,885''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:United States '''#34,760'''<br />
:'''6.3''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:'''7:08''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestate: '''19.7K''' visitors and '''120,290''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Estimated value of Conservapedia.com is $976,213.61<br />
:near term highs<br />
<br />
:Karajou reinstated<br />
<br />
April 24, 2021<br />
United States '''#29,655'''<br />
:new near term high<br />
<br />
May 2, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.7K''' visitors and '''177,477''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Monthly Visits (SEMrush): 169,321<br />
:Monthly Unique Visitors (SEMrush): 124,005<br />
:Monthly Visits (SimilarWeb): 366,059<br />
:Daily Unique Visitors: 17,748<br />
:daily visitors down 2,000<br />
<br />
May 4, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.3K''' visitors and 258,821 page impressions per day.<br />
:loss of another 400 viewers.<br />
:Analysis: the trolls have the Alexa App - which gathers the information Alexa uses - installed on their browsers and leave open pages on their browser 24 hours a day while they do reconnaissance on which pages to target, in addition to their routine trolling. This distorts Time on site and Page views per visitor stats, with a direct impact on Alexa ranking stats.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<br />
== Hey, Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Where can I find the inactive template? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayoise the editor]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 20:40, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Copy paste it from here. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:RobSmith&action=edit] Incidentally, I reviewed both your stub about the Welsh guy and the WP article, and didn't see any "copying" from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup><br />
:Unless of course you call reporting historical facts "copying". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:03, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Another question. ==<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of everipedia? --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:11, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Sounds vaguely familiar. What is it? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:13, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:It’s similar to Wikipedia. It basically ported Wikipedia’s articles over. --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:14, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Sounds interesting They're ranked 26,000 globally and 8,000 domestically. [https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/everipedia.org] They eventually are concerned about their rank, competitiveness, and readership. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:31, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::Does this article look bad for a start? https://conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge<br />
::::No. It doesn't look anymore copied from Wikipedia any more than Conservapedia copied the idea of a source of knowledge from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 22:02, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::::So much for quitting eh Rob?--[[User:Mercian12|Mercian12]] ([[User talk:Mercian12|talk]]) 19:44, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::::I'm looking for a few doggie biscuits. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:47, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Greetings RobS, how are you doing? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, Rob. I'm back. Hope you've been well. Thanks for all your efforts and hard work in making Conservapedia the great place that it is. I wonder if you've seen the recent Gordon Cromwell Report on the Status of Global Christianity 2021? I'm praying and working for Global Christianity to reach 3 Billion Souls - wow, how pleasing that would be to the Lord Jesus - by 2030. Please work with me and may all Christians unite for Christendom's sake!<br />
<br />
In Our Lord Jesus,<br />
Nishant X. God Bless.<br />
<br />
:Thank you. Good to see you. Hope you've been well. Did you know that 20% of all CP traffic right now is coming from India? Your timing of a comeback couldn't have been better. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:57, 21 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Welcome back NishantXavier! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 00:06, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Great to know, Rob! India is going to rise to internet prominence in the next decade, with an estimated 1 billion internet users by 2025! https://www.analyticsinsight.net/india-estimated-to-reach-1-billion-internet-users-by-2025/ Thanks for all your great efforts in promoting Conservapedia! Together, we can reach the world, your country, the great USA, my country, my beloved India, for the Gospel, and the Conservative Cause!<br />
<br />
I pray Our Lord Jesus will richly bless you and reward you for your good efforts in contributing to the Cause, in this life and the next. God Bless.<br />
<br />
Edit: Thanks, LT. You're the reason I returned. Thanks for emailing me to remind me. Thanks for all your great work in promoting Conservapedia too![[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 00:09, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Please see if you can contribute to this article: https://conservapedia.com/Debate:_Will_Christianity_reach_3_billion_adherents_by_2030 [[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 04:35, 26 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== My update to the civility guideliness ==<br />
<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:33, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:34, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:48, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Black Lives Matter / Stacey Abrams / Noah Green ==<br />
<br />
What was the idea of undoing [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Black_Lives_Matter&curid=138053&diff=1741707&oldid=1741699 my edits] in the [[Black Lives Matter]] article, which I intended to clean up part of the article (including replacing liberal-preferred terms with more appropriate ones) and add info? Also regarding [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 the edit you pointed out] in the Stacey Abrams article, I didn't miss it because it was accurate and sourced and it didn't need to be dealt with. In the [[Noah Green]] article, I also replaced the New York Times and Mediaite links with one from TGP because [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages#Partisanship of Sources|per CP's guidelines, liberal news sources (such as the NYT and Mediaite) are not trustworthy due to their partisan bias and penchant for blatantly lying to suit the liberal narrative]]. Are you just trying to stir up trouble again because I'm actually trying to get articles cleaned up? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:10, 3 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I just reviewed the CP Guidelines page you linked to, and nowhere on that page does the phrase "liberal news sources" appear, let alone your specific parenthetical inclusions. Nice try. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:34, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Your recent post on my talk page ==<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get the memo, Islam is not a "race", and making such a false accusation (as well as falsely accusing me of "trolling") is not only a case of you doing the trolling yourself (and trying to start yet another fight), but by making it about race when it has nothing to do with such (which [[liberalism and racism|only liberals do]]), you're displaying racism yourself. Tread lightly. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:04, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Full disclosure: here is the text of an email I just sent to Andy.<br />
{{quotebox|"I have just cause to be angry about User: Northwest's racist trolling. RobSmith edits under his real life identity. In an effort to find neutral language for the birther movement, I am the Admin who reverted Northwest's racist trolling and put in "said to be born in Honolulu" (as cited by Eugene Robinson of WaPo). I cleaned up Northwest's racist trolling in at least a half dozen articles with neutral compromise language. For those efforts, there now is a webpage on the internet calling me a racist and birther, for which I am neither. And Northwest does not edit under his true life identity.<br />
<br />
Andy can't be involved in all aspects of CP day-to-day, but had I blocked Northwest for 5 years in 2017 for what on its face looks like subversive racist trolling, Conservapedia would still be in the 30,000 today rather than fighting to remain in top 90,000.<br />
<br />
By Andy's actions, trusting and rewarding racists trolls while disciplining good-faith users who risked their own names and reputations, not to mention dedicating their valuable time and lives to the project, makes the notion of CP being a meritocracy a joke. Andy needs to wake up and smell the coffee.}}<br />
I suggest you stop stalking pages I create edit or create, stop harassing other users, and stop making threats and allow Andy to complete his full review. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 10:32, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:So basically, you lied to Andy and you're lying now on your own talk page (while still trying to make trouble, make false accusations, start fights, play the "victim" and project your own racism and trolling while making your imagined issue about race, even though it actually has nothing to do with race). All you're doing is still making yourself look bad in the process. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Why is it you sound more like a program than a thinking human being? Why are all responses programmed ("only liberals call people racists, therefore you are a liberal", "the NYT is liberal, therefore bad, wrong, and evil", etc). If you are not a sockpuppet of Karajou, you likely advanced your CP career by parroting him. Only Karajou is capable of human reason, emotion, and discussion. You are not. You sound like program whose only purpose is to harm the project and sow division. Conservapedia has suffered the likes of your kind in the past. It's nothing new. And don't threaten me. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:49, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I saw Karajou lost his admin. ==<br />
<br />
Have you seen yet? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 05:14, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Not til now. Looks like a policy shift away from arbitrary blocking and enforcement of site policies. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:17, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Is his death date known? ==<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 12:28, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:According to the German wiki, unknown. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter] If no body was recovered, he may have disappeared into the Soviet gulag or was executed on the spot after I945. The same fate happened to hundreds of thousands at that time. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:46, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Question. ==<br />
<br />
Who can start Conservapedia projects? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Anybody, I guess. Unless a senior Admin tries to kill it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:51, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I recently made a proposal for comment at the Community Portal and another Admin hit the SiteAdmin panic button, shut the site down, claimed it was an attempt by Rationalwiki to take over the site, and I got de-sysoped. So honestly, I don't know how to answer your question. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:55, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Hey RobS. ==<br />
<br />
How are you. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 16:21, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I'm breathing and still have a pulse. But the deep state still has its knee on my neck. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:30, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Nice Edit! ==<br />
I saw the edit to my contribution on the article [[Democratic Plantation]] regrading Sen. Tim Scott. I concur... [[User:Let us eat lettuce|Let us eat lettuce]] ([[User talk:Let us eat lettuce|talk]]) 21:17, 3 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Are the images on this page able to be used on the person's article (if they have one)? <br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Gallery_of_British_Heroes --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 09:54, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I don't see why not. We stopped paying rent to them a long time ago. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:34, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Conservapedia Guidelines ==<br />
<br />
Pointing out your abuses of power and your own incivility, false accusations (i.e. "violation of 90/10", which I did ''not'' do if you'd pay attention to my contributions page) and attacks on me is ''not'' "attacking" - and besides, as the guidelines themselves say, my user page, my castle. And incidentally, you yourself are guilty of incivility, bullying, ridiculing and attacking other users here (per your history), so you have no ground to stand on with your argument. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 16:45, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I need your opinion. ==<br />
<br />
How is this article so far?<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Joseph_D._Sayers --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Well, it's interesting how he went from Birth to fighting in Civil War battles. Perhaps you need more subdivisions or retitle "Birth" as "Early life". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:54, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== New Discussion - Friendly Notice ==<br />
<br />
Hey RobSmith. I just wanted to let you know I started a discussion about new content (Maybe a new article for it) about content on Wikipedia. You can see the discussion here: [[Conservapedia:Community Portal#Discussion for a possible new Wikipedia Article]]. I am letting the active editors know about the discussion. Feel free to drop your opinion in it! --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 18:12, 14 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
==Thanks Rob==<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Thanks so much.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the great work you do.<br />
<br />
Question. I noticed, sometimes, there is a block from editing any page, there appears only the 'view sources,' page stating, only administrators can edit. <br />
<br />
I see it takes some time from the time I edit a page and seeing the edit while signed on, till it appears to the 'outside world.'<br />
<br />
If/when I do have images, how does one upload it here, or how do I send them to you rather?<br />
<br />
Thinking of a page dedicated to the issue of using civilians by anti-Anerican and anti-Israel forces. There are images from certain domains. Is there a way you can upload them, so that it is saved, conserved-on-conservapedia? <br />
<br />
<br />
God bless.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:(1) We have a robot Minuteman who does temporary autoblocks when it detects unusual activity, such as adding or removing large blocks of text. It accidentally blocked you for about 5 minutes last night til I caught it. Sorry for the inconvenience. We can work around it.<br />
<br />
:(2) As to images, just place a link here on my talk page and I'll upload it. Please make sure it's not copyright material, like the Associated Press for example.<br />
<br />
:Thanks again, you're doing great work. I'm trying to cover all bases by creating Redirects. So far I have [[2021 Gaza War]] and [[2021 Hamas war]]. We'll probably do a [[2021 Isreali-Palestinian conflict]] eventually as well. But we also need a title to emphasize that attacks are coming from Lebanon and Syria,as well. Any suggestions? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:10, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Sounds great.<br />
Here are links to images re human shields:<br />
The BBC image, its URL source is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm which contains several.<br />
<br />
https://sderotmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/hamashumanshields.jpg<br />
<br />
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4422/2704/1600/palestinianuseofhumanshields1.jpg<br />
<br />
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xlOQjfLk_ks/SWKuHzgvc9I/AAAAAAAAAC4/7MiTOUg3rWc/s1600-h/terrorchildren2.jpg<br />
<br />
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WPgVvOHdsLQ/maxresdefault.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/Uploads/pics/%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.outlookindia.com/public/uploads/gallery/20040512/gaza_palestinian_militants_040512.jpg<br />
<br />
https://avaazdo.s3.amazonaws.com/350db222d9c32f2bca8e1ebea01ae80d.png<br />
<br />
https://static.educalingo.com/img/en/800/human-shield.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sites/default/files/images/articles/2018/04/21/152433084061_b.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg<br />
<br />
https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Children-in-Hamas-Summer-Gamp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/08/fff-e1408151169183.jpg<br />
<br />
https://img.mako.co.il/2011/04/12/166411.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/12/Using-an-Ambulance-as-a-Shield-2.jpeg<br />
<br />
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42337000/jpg/_42337228_women_afp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.idf.il/media/27099/hamas-children.png<br />
<br />
http://www.thetower.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FeaturedImage_2018-08-23_155940_YouTube_Hamas_Human_Shields.jpg<br />
<br />
https://blinchiki.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/human-shield-2.jpg<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Heres most of them]. Give me a few minutes, I'm still working on 2 or 3. One is too large to upload, so I'm going to try something another way. If it doesn't work, you may have to look for a smaller version. I'll put the link to the uploads on the talk page, too. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:12, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Please take your time. No rush. <br />
<br />
:::There all done except the [https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg one that is too large.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
On an unrelated matter, where would the following item go:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/joe-biden-leaves-god-out-of-the-national-day-of-prayer/amp/ Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer]. National Review. May 10, 2021. Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer</blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:In the Joe Biden article. I'd put it here for now [[Joseph_Biden#Unity]], and depending how much information you have I can work on integrating it into the article later. Great catch, too! [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You're right.<br />
<br />
<br />
BTW the following are related published cartoons. Should they be uploaded?<br />
<br />
<br />
http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/15638000/ngbbs47c9c30f04c8f.jpg<br />
<br />
<br />
http://markhumphrys.com/Bitmaps/israel.11.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/152477/500/15247.png<br />
<br />
https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2014/07/ed-1024x736.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg<br />
<br />
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-07-16-Smith_C20140715HP.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/150976/500/150976.png<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:Generally, cartoons are copyright material, so we have to look at the terms of use from the original source. Look for wording such as "permission granted with proper attribution" or some such. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:26, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:[https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg This one] for example, we may be able to use with attribution to the photographer. if someone complains later, big deal, we'll take it down. We're not using it for commercial exploitation. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:32, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Yes. It is good that the sources of the files are posted here, in case for any complaints.<br />
<br />
How do I use attributes (sizes) within the wiki page? (Width="" height="")?<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Here's the basic format: <nowiki>[[File:Paste image here.jpg|right|300px|thumb|add text here]]</nowiki> <br />
<br />
:I typically use 300px to 350px for images in the body of articles. You can change position from right to left. The 'thumb' allows for a box to add text, which can even hold footnotes to external links. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:06, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Great help. Thanks for already resizing the large one there...[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::I added the new article to Template:Terrorism, which de-orphaned the page and created several [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Human_shields_by_terrorists&limit=500 inbound internal links]. This will help in Google results. I'm looking to create more internal links to Guardian of Walls also. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:21, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Very smart.<br />
BTW.<br />
<br />
The following image, as quoted in this tweet about an Arab nurse (Yusuf Naim) resident of and working in Israel, who put in his Instagram simply "Palestinian nazi"<br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914/photo/1<br />
Main tweet: <br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914<br />
<br />
(Nevermind the irony. As Hitler would exterminate also the Arabs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181121205350/https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/have-no-doubt-hitler-would-have-wiped-out-arabs-after-jews-26277585.html Have no doubt Hitler would have wiped out Arabs after Jews, The Independent, 24 February 2007] eventually as another "inferior race" in his eyes)<br />
<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:This guy's a professional nurse? Those imgs can be uploaded, no problem. And if they get deleted from Twitter, we have a record here, then. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:45, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Arabs? Possibly. Muslims however, did [https://conservapedia.com/Adolf_Hitler#Barbarossa serve in the SS.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Agreed. And an Arab author explained, Hitler's people tried to convince themselves the Mufti [[Haj Amin al-Husseini]] isn't pure Arab in blood... || And the guy, Yusuf Naim is a nurse, he worked as such in the Israeli Hadassah hospital before being suspended over this. || I tried to insert this url of image https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1dG7I-XMAAiEUm.jpg , it didn't work. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Your tax dollars at work. As to the Arabs, the Nazis classified their Japanese allies as "Honorary Aryans" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_Aryan] The same could have been done to Arabs for service to the Reich. But now we're into coulda woulda shoulda historical writing. All we have are facts to deal with. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:52, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Hi Rob. If and when you have a chance for these two images to be uploaded, please. The second is from the BBC a few years back.<br />
<br />
https://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Web_F081218AA01.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/76535000/jpg/_76535336_shields.jpg<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:57, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=RobSmith&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= Done.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Rob the great one... one more here when you can - https://mfa.gov.il/MFA_Graphics/MFA%20Gallery/2011/Turkel/ambulance.jpg <br />
Thanks. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Done. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:38, 20 May 2021 (EDT) [[File:Ambulance.jpg|center|250px|thumb|]]<br />
<br />
___<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Great job. Here are three images. One related to human shields. The other two to genocidal call by Hamas.<br />
<br />
<br />
* http://www.peacewithrealism.org/images/hammad.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://palwatch.org/page/1089][https://youtu.be/RTu-AUE9ycs]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://stream.org/wp-content/uploads/Memri-hamas-1.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://stream.org/hamas-wants-to-kill-all-jews-worldwide/]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://likoed.nl/wp-content/uploads-plikud01/2016/03/By-Allah-we-will-dig-up-your-bones1.jpg <br />
<br />
Related to:<br />
[Https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-cleric-and-tv-host-abu-funun-we-will-not-leave-single-jew-dead-or-alive-our-land]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 23:10, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Done]. These people are sick. I hope you don't use the ceasefire to slowdown reporting, but rather to catch up. There is so much there readers need to see and hear. Even in New York, Los Angelas, and elsewhere. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:40, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You are do right. BTW, efardibg NY/LA... there is a parallel between the recent Islamic "protesters" appearing in one particular area in Manhattan violently and May 1, 2020 some Islamic "activists" taking advantage of BLM protests and carrying out an attack in LA, including graffiti of "palestine" on a synagogue. It was facilitated by a BLM operative Melina Abdullah (mostly raisd by her mother) who is a Farrakhan fan.. Why, if not intolerance was the particular Fairfax area even chosen?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:23, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::If you're too busy with events on the ground there in Israel, I can add content about it here in the U.S. and may elsewhere (London for example). Just create a subheading for it where you think it appropriate and I'll add it daily as news comes in. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:27, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Are you referring to something like a blog/column of updates on the main page? BTW I'm concerned about our country here in the US. But, it's just that it's so sensitive there and threat to survival and demonization are constant, at the same time. (True David VS Goliath, in many aspects) . And both countries are bound in shared values.|| Sorry to bother you with one more:<br />
http://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/israel-pilot.jpg [https://nypost.com/2021/05/18/israeli-video-shows-mission-being-scrubbed-after-kids-were-seen/amp/ source]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::(ec)I mean separating violent protests and incidents outside Israel in the mainspace of the article. Rocket launches from Syria, for example, should probably go under their own subheading. As well as people eating in restaurants in NY and LA getting beat up.<br />
<br />
:::::I do have Main Page access for headlines. This site however, is somewhat anti-[[neocon]] so the headlines can't be made to look like somebody is trying to drag the U.S. into war. OTOH, stories about [[AOC]] and [[The Squad]] trying to sabotage U.S. commitments to allies or being sympathetic to terrorists certainly is newsworthy. When you find a headline like that that appeals to U.S. readers, you can feed it to me and I'll see what I can do with it to link the [[Guardian of Walls]] article from the Main Page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:50, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Latest img is uploaded. Bottomline, from my perspective, Israel is at war with Iran right now. Hamas are just the frontline foot soldiers and proxies. And most Americans do not understand this, as Biden and Kerry seek to facilitate an iranian nuclear weapon. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:59, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::Of course the main page should be about US 'direct' news. I actually joined this site when liberals tried to portrayed Ahmad Al Issa as some Trumpist-white-supremacist... BTW I'm for clarity, especially about bias in the media and that other site.. I am not advocating for any wars. For these decisions I leave for experts. . A little secret... I might be able to dig up some AOL email I sent at the time against invading Iraq. There is also a huge difference between an operation or operations and an invasion. And yes, the elephant in the room is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Weak Biden knows more than Sanders, but he is not the de-facto leader of the Dems... Radical leftists have grown stronger there (not that Omar/Tlaib are true progressives like AOC and Sanders, this pair's true agenda isn't entirely as the others in the group. Their joint appearances should not fool anyone.. The squad isn't made all of the same cloth. Though in reality, on the ground, as is, this gang is detrimental to our country for many aspects) though there is an internal struggle there. The 'conflict' in the middle east is about incitement to intolerance. Since the 1920s by the Mufti (who also assassinated the moderates) and still going on today http://palwatch.org school textbooks, plays/shows at a very young age or in mosque, which is why the April spike in attacks on Jews inside Israel who are known not to serve in the Israeli army shows the 'real' problem, beyond "issus". And of course dead kids pics are powerful in the campaign for this purpose. The element of forcefully spreading one particular religion should not be overlooked.. Further on, 'if' any attacks in the US occur they don't have to be related to 'Guardian of Walls'. Another parallel point, the race card being obsessively abused at every corner for political purposes here in God's great country is played so in the Haaretz phenomenon of the last decades (vs what it was historically they even give voice for rewriters of history), the paper's more popular outside Israel very much adopted by radical left internationally but most in Israel regard it as radical, fringe. Most Israelis have faith in God. || Here is a recent image: https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/israel5-1.jpg<br />
[https://hannity.com/media-room/listen-palestinian-tells-israeli-soldier-if-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die/ source] Will embed/link the Hannity source in it|| Thanks and have a great weekend.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Got it with my [https://conservapedia.com/File:Israel5-1.png Snipping tool on Windows 10.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Great! I think you have an excellent understanding of the facts we are dealing with. Me personally, I have a deep abiding mistrust of American mainstream media, and I'm much impressed with the sources you have been using. These are the facts we can bring to readers and the American public. Feel free, please, to update [[The Squad]], AOC, or any other members' articles with their comments and reactions to these gross and vile human rights violations we are witnessing daily, or how it was facilitated by the present regime occupying the White House with cash to terrorist organizations. Or expanding the role the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] is playing in all this. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Summing up your words. True, concise and precise. There are many factors in media bias [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Question. How long is the delay from what is seen (edited matetial) internally by site users and external view - what is seen by all?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:51, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I don't really know. I believe users accessing the site, like yourself or anybody else, see the current version. The question is how long before Google or others Index the site to appear in Search engine results, which I think is about 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::IOWs, when Google scans the site, they are looking at a 72 hour old version, I think. The site owner knows those details and hasn't shared them. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:57, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::Interesting. But in case you haven't noticed it. Try viewing a page you or others just edited. Then sign off and view at it again. Spot the difference.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
::::As I noted earlier, Conservapedia famously has been the target of trolling attacks, so new users have to go through a probationary period to establish ''bona fides''. Apparently the site owner is reviewing your edits, at which point you'll be granted more users rights, etc. (like SkipCaptcha is the bottom rung of the ladder). The problem is, he also has a fulltime job and his time can be limited. Just keep doing what your doing and there shouldn't be a problem (we've discussed the anti-neocon editorial stance already). My guess is that any alleged 'controversial' edits should be cleared in 72 hours. I'll bring this up in discussion with another Admin slated for this weekend. Let me know if something added does not appear in 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:21, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::I see. When you get a chance,, https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield2.jpg<br />
[https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Hamas-again-uses-Gazan-civilians-as-human-shields-July-2014.aspx source] And thanks again for your awesome work.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:25, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield2.jpg Here's the latest]. Thanks for understanding. CP Admins are notorious for garbled communication and things can get fouled up. Everybody is preoccupied with their own pet projects. But I'm your advocate here and the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly sometimes. If it's not inconvenient, you can provide to me diffs that show the lag time on edits appearing (I'm assuming nothing has been censored or removed). The time stamp on the diff could help. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:33, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Thanks so much. And I was curious to ask what's the story with the cat you have in your profile. This one https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield.jpg belongs also to the last source. It's in Arabic <br />
'Announcement from the ("Palestinian") ministry of the interior to the residents of the Gaza Strip, telling them not to pay attention to IDF announcements about vacating their homes'.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:39, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield.jpg Here's the Arabic statement]. As to the cat, it's been an ongoing game of cat n mouse with trolls from Rationalwiki for 15 years. It's just a message that I'm always here, always watching, vetting content, ready to pounce. Some of my fellow Admins think I'm paranoid and nuts, but I know who the trolls are and can identify them easily after 15 years on the job. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::That site... I see. I presume CP had many hackers' attempts too in course of years, no doubts.|| This one is of the recent famous event in May 16. https://www.algemeiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2.jpg [https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/16/idf-releases-video-showing-pilot-aborting-air-strike-after-spotting-children-in-target-area/ source] [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 14:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Command_Control.jpg This img has a better resolution than the one uploaded last night]. We've experienced every kind of Crapflood and DDoS attack imaginable. Most of it can be traced to the RW network and Wikipedia Rogue Admin cabal. I wouldn't be surprised if we've come to the attention of the Chinese 50 cent Army lately. Right now, according to Alexa, visitors are spending one hour Time on Site without the actual number of unique visitors going up, which to me looks like a clickbot attack. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Message ==<br />
I am sorry if I haven't responded. I just don't know that you have sent responses. I am not ignoring them. [[User:ChadUser|ChadUser]] ([[User talk:ChadUser|talk]]) 16:46, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reverts and "Protected" ==<br />
So engaging in discussion is "harassing" to you? Isn't that was is recommended and the policy? Communication? And engagement? Even if blunt? You put silly stuff on on Northwest's talk page, and then did what you did. You obviosly have no credibility...so it's irrelevant at this point in a way. But I'm curious.... (And I know you'll probably just dodge and delete...like a rude juvenile no-answer evasive schmuck...as you've proven what type of person and editor you are already...) But I am curious....<br />
<br />
Why exactly did you revert me before putting that protection on that JW article, when my reverts were the justified ones? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. <br />
<br />
David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. <br />
<br />
An editor on this thing may have hundreds of thousands of edits, hundreds of GAs, FAs, dozens of barnstars and a legion of friends-and-relations; DOESN'T MATTER....because, disruption is disruption, POV is POV, and tendentious malicious mendacious editing is tendentious malicious mendacious editing, no matter who does it. <br />
<br />
David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:08, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:RobSmith&diff=1758268User talk:RobSmith2021-05-22T04:15:05Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Graph (1).png|right|500px|thumb|]]<br />
February 3, 2020 - September 30, 2020 - '''145,228''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 3, 2020 - Election day.<br />
:hypestat: '''33K''' visitors and '''206,000''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 23, 2020 - DDoS attack<br />
<br />
'''December 29, 2020''' - started keeping records in Slack.<br />
Country Alexa Rank<br />
United States '''#63,303''' <br />
:hypestat: '''27.1K''' visitors and 67,786 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
January 2021 - Similiarweb data [https://www.similarweb.com/website/conservapedia.com/]<br />
United States '''#31,638'''<br />
<br />
'''February 1, 2021''' - throughout Capitol riot and impeachment. <br />
United States '''#33,508'''<br />
<br />
February 3, 2021 - Rob's de-sysoping.<br />
<br />
February 11, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''24.7K''' daily visitors Daily Pageviews 61,624.<br />
<br />
February 13, 2021 - Last Google cache until March 25, 2021<br />
<br />
February 15, 2021<br />
United States #36,617<br />
<br />
February 16, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''23.7K''' visitors and 56,793 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
February 17, 2021<br />
United States #40,319<br />
<br />
February 19, 2021<br />
United States #45,529<br />
<br />
February 23, 2021<br />
United States #50,091<br />
<br />
February 24, 2021<br />
United States #58,914<br />
<br />
February 28, 2021<br />
United States #61,140<br />
<br />
March 1, 2021<br />
United States #72,355<br />
<br />
March 2, 2021 <br />
United States #81,250<br />
<br />
March 3, 2021<br />
United States #87,177<br />
<br />
March 4, 2021<br />
United States #94,183<br />
:hypestat: '''21.2K''' visitors and 52,997 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 5, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''20.7K''' visitors and 51,764 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 6, 2021<br />
United States #99,248<br />
<br />
March 7, 2021<br />
United States #109,993<br />
:'''#158,631''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
<br />
March 8, 2021<br />
United States '''#120,617'''<br />
<br />
March 30, 2021 <br />
:hypestat: 20.7K visitors and '''49,694''' page impressions per day<br />
:2.4 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:27 Daily Time on Site <br />
:Traffic Sources Past 30 Days 24% Search <br />
<br />
April 2, 2021<br />
:2.3 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:24 Daily Time on Site <br />
<br />
April 4, 2021<br />
:2:14 Daily Time on Site<br />
<br />
April 5, 2021 - RobSmith blocked until April 12, 2021<br />
<br />
April 11, 2021<br />
:'''172,231''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2:12''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestat: '''19.2K''' visitors and 44,221 page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
April 12, 2021<br />
:'''173,873''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2.2''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:news lows<br />
<br />
April 13, 2021<br />
:'''175,407''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:hypestat: '''18.7K''' visitors and '''41,214''' page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
Restored - welcome back.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:14, 17 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 18 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
April 23, 2021<br />
:'''130,885''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:United States '''#34,760'''<br />
:'''6.3''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:'''7:08''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestate: '''19.7K''' visitors and '''120,290''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Estimated value of Conservapedia.com is $976,213.61<br />
:near term highs<br />
<br />
:Karajou reinstated<br />
<br />
April 24, 2021<br />
United States '''#29,655'''<br />
:new near term high<br />
<br />
May 2, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.7K''' visitors and '''177,477''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Monthly Visits (SEMrush): 169,321<br />
:Monthly Unique Visitors (SEMrush): 124,005<br />
:Monthly Visits (SimilarWeb): 366,059<br />
:Daily Unique Visitors: 17,748<br />
:daily visitors down 2,000<br />
<br />
May 4, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.3K''' visitors and 258,821 page impressions per day.<br />
:loss of another 400 viewers.<br />
:Analysis: the trolls have the Alexa App - which gathers the information Alexa uses - installed on their browsers and leave open pages on their browser 24 hours a day while they do reconnaissance on which pages to target, in addition to their routine trolling. This distorts Time on site and Page views per visitor stats, with a direct impact on Alexa ranking stats.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<br />
== Hey, Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Where can I find the inactive template? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayoise the editor]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 20:40, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Copy paste it from here. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:RobSmith&action=edit] Incidentally, I reviewed both your stub about the Welsh guy and the WP article, and didn't see any "copying" from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup><br />
:Unless of course you call reporting historical facts "copying". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:03, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Another question. ==<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of everipedia? --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:11, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Sounds vaguely familiar. What is it? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:13, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:It’s similar to Wikipedia. It basically ported Wikipedia’s articles over. --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:14, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Sounds interesting They're ranked 26,000 globally and 8,000 domestically. [https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/everipedia.org] They eventually are concerned about their rank, competitiveness, and readership. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:31, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::Does this article look bad for a start? https://conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge<br />
::::No. It doesn't look anymore copied from Wikipedia any more than Conservapedia copied the idea of a source of knowledge from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 22:02, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::::So much for quitting eh Rob?--[[User:Mercian12|Mercian12]] ([[User talk:Mercian12|talk]]) 19:44, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::::I'm looking for a few doggie biscuits. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:47, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Greetings RobS, how are you doing? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, Rob. I'm back. Hope you've been well. Thanks for all your efforts and hard work in making Conservapedia the great place that it is. I wonder if you've seen the recent Gordon Cromwell Report on the Status of Global Christianity 2021? I'm praying and working for Global Christianity to reach 3 Billion Souls - wow, how pleasing that would be to the Lord Jesus - by 2030. Please work with me and may all Christians unite for Christendom's sake!<br />
<br />
In Our Lord Jesus,<br />
Nishant X. God Bless.<br />
<br />
:Thank you. Good to see you. Hope you've been well. Did you know that 20% of all CP traffic right now is coming from India? Your timing of a comeback couldn't have been better. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:57, 21 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Welcome back NishantXavier! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 00:06, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Great to know, Rob! India is going to rise to internet prominence in the next decade, with an estimated 1 billion internet users by 2025! https://www.analyticsinsight.net/india-estimated-to-reach-1-billion-internet-users-by-2025/ Thanks for all your great efforts in promoting Conservapedia! Together, we can reach the world, your country, the great USA, my country, my beloved India, for the Gospel, and the Conservative Cause!<br />
<br />
I pray Our Lord Jesus will richly bless you and reward you for your good efforts in contributing to the Cause, in this life and the next. God Bless.<br />
<br />
Edit: Thanks, LT. You're the reason I returned. Thanks for emailing me to remind me. Thanks for all your great work in promoting Conservapedia too![[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 00:09, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Please see if you can contribute to this article: https://conservapedia.com/Debate:_Will_Christianity_reach_3_billion_adherents_by_2030 [[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 04:35, 26 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== My update to the civility guideliness ==<br />
<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:33, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:34, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
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I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:48, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Black Lives Matter / Stacey Abrams / Noah Green ==<br />
<br />
What was the idea of undoing [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Black_Lives_Matter&curid=138053&diff=1741707&oldid=1741699 my edits] in the [[Black Lives Matter]] article, which I intended to clean up part of the article (including replacing liberal-preferred terms with more appropriate ones) and add info? Also regarding [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 the edit you pointed out] in the Stacey Abrams article, I didn't miss it because it was accurate and sourced and it didn't need to be dealt with. In the [[Noah Green]] article, I also replaced the New York Times and Mediaite links with one from TGP because [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages#Partisanship of Sources|per CP's guidelines, liberal news sources (such as the NYT and Mediaite) are not trustworthy due to their partisan bias and penchant for blatantly lying to suit the liberal narrative]]. Are you just trying to stir up trouble again because I'm actually trying to get articles cleaned up? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:10, 3 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:I just reviewed the CP Guidelines page you linked to, and nowhere on that page does the phrase "liberal news sources" appear, let alone your specific parenthetical inclusions. Nice try. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:34, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Re: Your recent post on my talk page ==<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get the memo, Islam is not a "race", and making such a false accusation (as well as falsely accusing me of "trolling") is not only a case of you doing the trolling yourself (and trying to start yet another fight), but by making it about race when it has nothing to do with such (which [[liberalism and racism|only liberals do]]), you're displaying racism yourself. Tread lightly. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:04, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Full disclosure: here is the text of an email I just sent to Andy.<br />
{{quotebox|"I have just cause to be angry about User: Northwest's racist trolling. RobSmith edits under his real life identity. In an effort to find neutral language for the birther movement, I am the Admin who reverted Northwest's racist trolling and put in "said to be born in Honolulu" (as cited by Eugene Robinson of WaPo). I cleaned up Northwest's racist trolling in at least a half dozen articles with neutral compromise language. For those efforts, there now is a webpage on the internet calling me a racist and birther, for which I am neither. And Northwest does not edit under his true life identity.<br />
<br />
Andy can't be involved in all aspects of CP day-to-day, but had I blocked Northwest for 5 years in 2017 for what on its face looks like subversive racist trolling, Conservapedia would still be in the 30,000 today rather than fighting to remain in top 90,000.<br />
<br />
By Andy's actions, trusting and rewarding racists trolls while disciplining good-faith users who risked their own names and reputations, not to mention dedicating their valuable time and lives to the project, makes the notion of CP being a meritocracy a joke. Andy needs to wake up and smell the coffee.}}<br />
I suggest you stop stalking pages I create edit or create, stop harassing other users, and stop making threats and allow Andy to complete his full review. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 10:32, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:So basically, you lied to Andy and you're lying now on your own talk page (while still trying to make trouble, make false accusations, start fights, play the "victim" and project your own racism and trolling while making your imagined issue about race, even though it actually has nothing to do with race). All you're doing is still making yourself look bad in the process. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Why is it you sound more like a program than a thinking human being? Why are all responses programmed ("only liberals call people racists, therefore you are a liberal", "the NYT is liberal, therefore bad, wrong, and evil", etc). If you are not a sockpuppet of Karajou, you likely advanced your CP career by parroting him. Only Karajou is capable of human reason, emotion, and discussion. You are not. You sound like program whose only purpose is to harm the project and sow division. Conservapedia has suffered the likes of your kind in the past. It's nothing new. And don't threaten me. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:49, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== I saw Karajou lost his admin. ==<br />
<br />
Have you seen yet? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 05:14, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Not til now. Looks like a policy shift away from arbitrary blocking and enforcement of site policies. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:17, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Is his death date known? ==<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 12:28, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:According to the German wiki, unknown. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter] If no body was recovered, he may have disappeared into the Soviet gulag or was executed on the spot after I945. The same fate happened to hundreds of thousands at that time. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:46, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Question. ==<br />
<br />
Who can start Conservapedia projects? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:Anybody, I guess. Unless a senior Admin tries to kill it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:51, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::I recently made a proposal for comment at the Community Portal and another Admin hit the SiteAdmin panic button, shut the site down, claimed it was an attempt by Rationalwiki to take over the site, and I got de-sysoped. So honestly, I don't know how to answer your question. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:55, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Hey RobS. ==<br />
<br />
How are you. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 16:21, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I'm breathing and still have a pulse. But the deep state still has its knee on my neck. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:30, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Nice Edit! ==<br />
I saw the edit to my contribution on the article [[Democratic Plantation]] regrading Sen. Tim Scott. I concur... [[User:Let us eat lettuce|Let us eat lettuce]] ([[User talk:Let us eat lettuce|talk]]) 21:17, 3 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Rob. ==<br />
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Are the images on this page able to be used on the person's article (if they have one)? <br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Gallery_of_British_Heroes --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 09:54, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I don't see why not. We stopped paying rent to them a long time ago. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:34, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Conservapedia Guidelines ==<br />
<br />
Pointing out your abuses of power and your own incivility, false accusations (i.e. "violation of 90/10", which I did ''not'' do if you'd pay attention to my contributions page) and attacks on me is ''not'' "attacking" - and besides, as the guidelines themselves say, my user page, my castle. And incidentally, you yourself are guilty of incivility, bullying, ridiculing and attacking other users here (per your history), so you have no ground to stand on with your argument. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 16:45, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== I need your opinion. ==<br />
<br />
How is this article so far?<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Joseph_D._Sayers --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:Well, it's interesting how he went from Birth to fighting in Civil War battles. Perhaps you need more subdivisions or retitle "Birth" as "Early life". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:54, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== New Discussion - Friendly Notice ==<br />
<br />
Hey RobSmith. I just wanted to let you know I started a discussion about new content (Maybe a new article for it) about content on Wikipedia. You can see the discussion here: [[Conservapedia:Community Portal#Discussion for a possible new Wikipedia Article]]. I am letting the active editors know about the discussion. Feel free to drop your opinion in it! --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 18:12, 14 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
==Thanks Rob==<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Thanks so much.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the great work you do.<br />
<br />
Question. I noticed, sometimes, there is a block from editing any page, there appears only the 'view sources,' page stating, only administrators can edit. <br />
<br />
I see it takes some time from the time I edit a page and seeing the edit while signed on, till it appears to the 'outside world.'<br />
<br />
If/when I do have images, how does one upload it here, or how do I send them to you rather?<br />
<br />
Thinking of a page dedicated to the issue of using civilians by anti-Anerican and anti-Israel forces. There are images from certain domains. Is there a way you can upload them, so that it is saved, conserved-on-conservapedia? <br />
<br />
<br />
God bless.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:(1) We have a robot Minuteman who does temporary autoblocks when it detects unusual activity, such as adding or removing large blocks of text. It accidentally blocked you for about 5 minutes last night til I caught it. Sorry for the inconvenience. We can work around it.<br />
<br />
:(2) As to images, just place a link here on my talk page and I'll upload it. Please make sure it's not copyright material, like the Associated Press for example.<br />
<br />
:Thanks again, you're doing great work. I'm trying to cover all bases by creating Redirects. So far I have [[2021 Gaza War]] and [[2021 Hamas war]]. We'll probably do a [[2021 Isreali-Palestinian conflict]] eventually as well. But we also need a title to emphasize that attacks are coming from Lebanon and Syria,as well. Any suggestions? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:10, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:: Sounds great.<br />
Here are links to images re human shields:<br />
The BBC image, its URL source is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm which contains several.<br />
<br />
https://sderotmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/hamashumanshields.jpg<br />
<br />
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4422/2704/1600/palestinianuseofhumanshields1.jpg<br />
<br />
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xlOQjfLk_ks/SWKuHzgvc9I/AAAAAAAAAC4/7MiTOUg3rWc/s1600-h/terrorchildren2.jpg<br />
<br />
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WPgVvOHdsLQ/maxresdefault.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/Uploads/pics/%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.outlookindia.com/public/uploads/gallery/20040512/gaza_palestinian_militants_040512.jpg<br />
<br />
https://avaazdo.s3.amazonaws.com/350db222d9c32f2bca8e1ebea01ae80d.png<br />
<br />
https://static.educalingo.com/img/en/800/human-shield.jpg<br />
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https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sites/default/files/images/articles/2018/04/21/152433084061_b.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg<br />
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https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Children-in-Hamas-Summer-Gamp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/08/fff-e1408151169183.jpg<br />
<br />
https://img.mako.co.il/2011/04/12/166411.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/12/Using-an-Ambulance-as-a-Shield-2.jpeg<br />
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http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42337000/jpg/_42337228_women_afp.jpg<br />
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https://www.idf.il/media/27099/hamas-children.png<br />
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http://www.thetower.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FeaturedImage_2018-08-23_155940_YouTube_Hamas_Human_Shields.jpg<br />
<br />
https://blinchiki.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/human-shield-2.jpg<br />
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[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Heres most of them]. Give me a few minutes, I'm still working on 2 or 3. One is too large to upload, so I'm going to try something another way. If it doesn't work, you may have to look for a smaller version. I'll put the link to the uploads on the talk page, too. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:12, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Please take your time. No rush. <br />
<br />
:::There all done except the [https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg one that is too large.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
On an unrelated matter, where would the following item go:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/joe-biden-leaves-god-out-of-the-national-day-of-prayer/amp/ Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer]. National Review. May 10, 2021. Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer</blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:In the Joe Biden article. I'd put it here for now [[Joseph_Biden#Unity]], and depending how much information you have I can work on integrating it into the article later. Great catch, too! [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You're right.<br />
<br />
<br />
BTW the following are related published cartoons. Should they be uploaded?<br />
<br />
<br />
http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/15638000/ngbbs47c9c30f04c8f.jpg<br />
<br />
<br />
http://markhumphrys.com/Bitmaps/israel.11.jpg<br />
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http://image.cagle.com/152477/500/15247.png<br />
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https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2014/07/ed-1024x736.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg<br />
<br />
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-07-16-Smith_C20140715HP.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/150976/500/150976.png<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:Generally, cartoons are copyright material, so we have to look at the terms of use from the original source. Look for wording such as "permission granted with proper attribution" or some such. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:26, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:[https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg This one] for example, we may be able to use with attribution to the photographer. if someone complains later, big deal, we'll take it down. We're not using it for commercial exploitation. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:32, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Yes. It is good that the sources of the files are posted here, in case for any complaints.<br />
<br />
How do I use attributes (sizes) within the wiki page? (Width="" height="")?<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Here's the basic format: <nowiki>[[File:Paste image here.jpg|right|300px|thumb|add text here]]</nowiki> <br />
<br />
:I typically use 300px to 350px for images in the body of articles. You can change position from right to left. The 'thumb' allows for a box to add text, which can even hold footnotes to external links. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:06, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Great help. Thanks for already resizing the large one there...[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::I added the new article to Template:Terrorism, which de-orphaned the page and created several [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Human_shields_by_terrorists&limit=500 inbound internal links]. This will help in Google results. I'm looking to create more internal links to Guardian of Walls also. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:21, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Very smart.<br />
BTW.<br />
<br />
The following image, as quoted in this tweet about an Arab nurse (Yusuf Naim) resident of and working in Israel, who put in his Instagram simply "Palestinian nazi"<br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914/photo/1<br />
Main tweet: <br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914<br />
<br />
(Nevermind the irony. As Hitler would exterminate also the Arabs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181121205350/https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/have-no-doubt-hitler-would-have-wiped-out-arabs-after-jews-26277585.html Have no doubt Hitler would have wiped out Arabs after Jews, The Independent, 24 February 2007] eventually as another "inferior race" in his eyes)<br />
<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:This guy's a professional nurse? Those imgs can be uploaded, no problem. And if they get deleted from Twitter, we have a record here, then. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:45, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Arabs? Possibly. Muslims however, did [https://conservapedia.com/Adolf_Hitler#Barbarossa serve in the SS.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Agreed. And an Arab author explained, Hitler's people tried to convince themselves the Mufti [[Haj Amin al-Husseini]] isn't pure Arab in blood... || And the guy, Yusuf Naim is a nurse, he worked as such in the Israeli Hadassah hospital before being suspended over this. || I tried to insert this url of image https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1dG7I-XMAAiEUm.jpg , it didn't work. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Your tax dollars at work. As to the Arabs, the Nazis classified their Japanese allies as "Honorary Aryans" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_Aryan] The same could have been done to Arabs for service to the Reich. But now we're into coulda woulda shoulda historical writing. All we have are facts to deal with. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:52, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Hi Rob. If and when you have a chance for these two images to be uploaded, please. The second is from the BBC a few years back.<br />
<br />
https://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Web_F081218AA01.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/76535000/jpg/_76535336_shields.jpg<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:57, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=RobSmith&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= Done.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Rob the great one... one more here when you can - https://mfa.gov.il/MFA_Graphics/MFA%20Gallery/2011/Turkel/ambulance.jpg <br />
Thanks. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Done. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:38, 20 May 2021 (EDT) [[File:Ambulance.jpg|center|250px|thumb|]]<br />
<br />
___<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Great job. Here are three images. One related to human shields. The other two to genocidal call by Hamas.<br />
<br />
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* http://www.peacewithrealism.org/images/hammad.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://palwatch.org/page/1089][https://youtu.be/RTu-AUE9ycs]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://stream.org/wp-content/uploads/Memri-hamas-1.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://stream.org/hamas-wants-to-kill-all-jews-worldwide/]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://likoed.nl/wp-content/uploads-plikud01/2016/03/By-Allah-we-will-dig-up-your-bones1.jpg <br />
<br />
Related to:<br />
[Https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-cleric-and-tv-host-abu-funun-we-will-not-leave-single-jew-dead-or-alive-our-land]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 23:10, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Done]. These people are sick. I hope you don't use the ceasefire to slowdown reporting, but rather to catch up. There is so much there readers need to see and hear. Even in New York, Los Angelas, and elsewhere. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:40, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You are do right. BTW, efardibg NY/LA... there is a parallel between the recent Islamic "protesters" appearing in one particular area in Manhattan violently and May 1, 2020 some Islamic "activists" taking advantage of BLM protests and carrying out an attack in LA, including graffiti of "palestine" on a synagogue. It was facilitated by a BLM operative Melina Abdullah (mostly raisd by her mother) who is a Farrakhan fan.. Why, if not intolerance was the particular Fairfax area even chosen?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:23, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::If you're too busy with events on the ground there in Israel, I can add content about it here in the U.S. and may elsewhere (London for example). Just create a subheading for it where you think it appropriate and I'll add it daily as news comes in. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:27, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Are you referring to something like a blog/column of updates on the main page? BTW I'm concerned about our country here in the US. But, it's just that it's so sensitive there and threat to survival and demonization are constant, at the same time. (True David VS Goliath, in many aspects) . And both countries are bound in shared values.|| Sorry to bother you with one more:<br />
http://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/israel-pilot.jpg [https://nypost.com/2021/05/18/israeli-video-shows-mission-being-scrubbed-after-kids-were-seen/amp/ source]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::(ec)I mean separating violent protests and incidents outside Israel in the mainspace of the article. Rocket launches from Syria, for example, should probably go under their own subheading. As well as people eating in restaurants in NY and LA getting beat up.<br />
<br />
:::::I do have Main Page access for headlines. This site however, is somewhat anti-[[neocon]] so the headlines can't be made to look like somebody is trying to drag the U.S. into war. OTOH, stories about [[AOC]] and [[The Squad]] trying to sabotage U.S. commitments to allies or being sympathetic to terrorists certainly is newsworthy. When you find a headline like that that appeals to U.S. readers, you can feed it to me and I'll see what I can do with it to link the [[Guardian of Walls]] article from the Main Page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:50, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Latest img is uploaded. Bottomline, from my perspective, Israel is at war with Iran right now. Hamas are just the frontline foot soldiers and proxies. And most Americans do not understand this, as Biden and Kerry seek to facilitate an iranian nuclear weapon. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:59, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::Of course the main page should be about US 'direct' news. I actually joined this site when liberals tried to portrayed Ahmad Al Issa as some Trumpist-white-supremacist... BTW I'm for clarity, especially about bias in the media and that other site.. I am not advocating for any wars. For these decisions I leave for experts. . A little secret... I might be able to dig up some AOL email I sent at the time against invading Iraq. There is also a huge difference between an operation or operations and an invasion. And yes, the elephant in the room is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Weak Biden knows more than Sanders, but he is not the de-facto leader of the Dems... Radical leftists have grown stronger there (not that Omar/Tlaib are true progressives like AOC and Sanders, this pair's true agenda isn't entirely as the others in the group. Their joint appearances should not fool anyone.. The squad isn't made all of the same cloth. Though in reality, on the ground, as is, this gang is detrimental to our country for many aspects) though there is an internal struggle there. The 'conflict' in the middle east is about incitement to intolerance. Since the 1920s by the Mufti (who also assassinated the moderates) and still going on today http://palwatch.org school textbooks, plays/shows at a very young age or in mosque, which is why the April spike in attacks on Jews inside Israel who are known not to serve in the Israeli army shows the 'real' problem, beyond "issus". And of course dead kids pics are powerful in the campaign for this purpose. The element of forcefully spreading one particular religion should not be overlooked.. Further on, 'if' any attacks in the US occur they don't have to be related to 'Guardian of Walls'. Another parallel point, the race card being obsessively abused at every corner for political purposes here in God's great country is played so in the Haaretz phenomenon of the last decades (vs what it was historically they even give voice for rewriters of history), the paper's more popular outside Israel very much adopted by radical left internationally but most in Israel regard it as radical, fringe. Most Israelis have faith in God. || Here is a recent image: https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/israel5-1.jpg<br />
[https://hannity.com/media-room/listen-palestinian-tells-israeli-soldier-if-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die/ source] Will embed/link the Hannity source in it|| Thanks and have a great weekend.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Got it with my [https://conservapedia.com/File:Israel5-1.png Snipping tool on Windows 10.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Great! I think you have an excellent understanding of the facts we are dealing with. Me personally, I have a deep abiding mistrust of American mainstream media, and I'm much impressed with the sources you have been using. These are the facts we can bring to readers and the American public. Feel free, please, to update [[The Squad]], AOC, or any other members' articles with their comments and reactions to these gross and vile human rights violations we are witnessing daily, or how it was facilitated by the present regime occupying the White House with cash to terrorist organizations. Or expanding the role the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] is playing in all this. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Summing up your words. True, concise and precise. There are many factors in media bias [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Question. How long is the delay from what is seen (edited matetial) internally by site users and external view - what is seen by all?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:51, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I don't really know. I believe users accessing the site, like yourself or anybody else, see the current version. The question is how long before Google or others Index the site to appear in Search engine results, which I think is about 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::IOWs, when Google scans the site, they are looking at a 72 hour old version, I think. The site owner knows those details and hasn't shared them. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:57, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::Interesting. But in case you haven't noticed it. Try viewing a page you or others just edited. Then sign off and view at it again. Spot the difference.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
::::As I noted earlier, Conservapedia famously has been the target of trolling attacks, so new users have to go through a probationary period to establish ''bona fides''. Apparently the site owner is reviewing your edits, at which point you'll be granted more users rights, etc. (like SkipCaptcha is the bottom rung of the ladder). The problem is, he also has a fulltime job and his time can be limited. Just keep doing what your doing and there shouldn't be a problem (we've discussed the anti-neocon editorial stance already). My guess is that any alleged 'controversial' edits should be cleared in 72 hours. I'll bring this up in discussion with another Admin slated for this weekend. Let me know if something added does not appear in 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:21, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::I see. When you get a chance,, https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield2.jpg<br />
[https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Hamas-again-uses-Gazan-civilians-as-human-shields-July-2014.aspx source] And thanks again for your awesome work.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:25, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield2.jpg Here's the latest]. Thanks for understanding. CP Admins are notorious for garbled communication and things can get fouled up. Everybody is preoccupied with their own pet projects. But I'm your advocate here and the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly sometimes. If it's not inconvenient, you can provide to me diffs that show the lag time on edits appearing (I'm assuming nothing has been censored or removed). The time stamp on the diff could help. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:33, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Thanks so much. And I was curious to ask what's the story with the cat you have in your profile. This one https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield.jpg belongs also to the last source. It's in Arabic <br />
'Announcement from the ("Palestinian") ministry of the interior to the residents of the Gaza Strip, telling them not to pay attention to IDF announcements about vacating their homes'.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:39, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield.jpg Here's the Arabic statement]. As to the cat, it's been an ongoing game of cat n mouse with trolls from Rationalwiki for 15 years. It's just a message that I'm always here, always watching, vetting content, ready to pounce. Some of my fellow Admins think I'm paranoid and nuts, but I know who the trolls are and can identify them easily after 15 years on the job. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::That site... I see. I presume CP had many hackers' attempts too in course of years, no doubts.|| This one is of the recent famous event in May 16. https://www.algemeiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2.jpg [https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/16/idf-releases-video-showing-pilot-aborting-air-strike-after-spotting-children-in-target-area/ source] [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 14:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Command_Control.jpg This img has a better resolution than the one uploaded last night]. We've experienced every kind of Crapflood and DDoS attack imaginable. Most of it can be traced to the RW network and Wikipedia Rogue Admin cabal. I wouldn't be surprised if we've come to the attention of the Chinese 50 cent Army lately. Right now, according to Alexa, visitors are spending one hour Time on Site without the actual number of unique visitors going up, which to me looks like a clickbot attack. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Message ==<br />
I am sorry if I haven't responded. I just don't know that you have sent responses. I am not ignoring them. [[User:ChadUser|ChadUser]] ([[User talk:ChadUser|talk]]) 16:46, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reverts and "Protected" ==<br />
So engaging in discussion is "harassing" to you? Isn't that was is recommended and the policy? Communication? And engagement? Even if blunt? You removed my section on Northwest's talk page, and then did what you did. You obviosly have no credibility...so it's irrelevant at this point in a way. But I'm curious.... (And I know you'll probably just dodge and delete...like a rude juvenile no-answer evasive schmuck...as you've proven what type of person and editor you are already...) But I am curious....<br />
<br />
Why exactly did you revert me before putting that protection on that JW article, when my reverts were the justified ones? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. <br />
<br />
David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. <br />
<br />
An editor on this thing may have hundreds of thousands of edits, hundreds of GAs, FAs, dozens of barnstars and a legion of friends-and-relations; DOESN'T MATTER....because, disruption is disruption, POV is POV, and tendentious malicious mendacious editing is tendentious malicious mendacious editing, no matter who does it. <br />
<br />
David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:08, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:RobSmith&diff=1758266User talk:RobSmith2021-05-22T04:14:07Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Graph (1).png|right|500px|thumb|]]<br />
February 3, 2020 - September 30, 2020 - '''145,228''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 3, 2020 - Election day.<br />
:hypestat: '''33K''' visitors and '''206,000''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 23, 2020 - DDoS attack<br />
<br />
'''December 29, 2020''' - started keeping records in Slack.<br />
Country Alexa Rank<br />
United States '''#63,303''' <br />
:hypestat: '''27.1K''' visitors and 67,786 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
January 2021 - Similiarweb data [https://www.similarweb.com/website/conservapedia.com/]<br />
United States '''#31,638'''<br />
<br />
'''February 1, 2021''' - throughout Capitol riot and impeachment. <br />
United States '''#33,508'''<br />
<br />
February 3, 2021 - Rob's de-sysoping.<br />
<br />
February 11, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''24.7K''' daily visitors Daily Pageviews 61,624.<br />
<br />
February 13, 2021 - Last Google cache until March 25, 2021<br />
<br />
February 15, 2021<br />
United States #36,617<br />
<br />
February 16, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''23.7K''' visitors and 56,793 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
February 17, 2021<br />
United States #40,319<br />
<br />
February 19, 2021<br />
United States #45,529<br />
<br />
February 23, 2021<br />
United States #50,091<br />
<br />
February 24, 2021<br />
United States #58,914<br />
<br />
February 28, 2021<br />
United States #61,140<br />
<br />
March 1, 2021<br />
United States #72,355<br />
<br />
March 2, 2021 <br />
United States #81,250<br />
<br />
March 3, 2021<br />
United States #87,177<br />
<br />
March 4, 2021<br />
United States #94,183<br />
:hypestat: '''21.2K''' visitors and 52,997 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 5, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''20.7K''' visitors and 51,764 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 6, 2021<br />
United States #99,248<br />
<br />
March 7, 2021<br />
United States #109,993<br />
:'''#158,631''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
<br />
March 8, 2021<br />
United States '''#120,617'''<br />
<br />
March 30, 2021 <br />
:hypestat: 20.7K visitors and '''49,694''' page impressions per day<br />
:2.4 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:27 Daily Time on Site <br />
:Traffic Sources Past 30 Days 24% Search <br />
<br />
April 2, 2021<br />
:2.3 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:24 Daily Time on Site <br />
<br />
April 4, 2021<br />
:2:14 Daily Time on Site<br />
<br />
April 5, 2021 - RobSmith blocked until April 12, 2021<br />
<br />
April 11, 2021<br />
:'''172,231''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2:12''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestat: '''19.2K''' visitors and 44,221 page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
April 12, 2021<br />
:'''173,873''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2.2''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:news lows<br />
<br />
April 13, 2021<br />
:'''175,407''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:hypestat: '''18.7K''' visitors and '''41,214''' page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
Restored - welcome back.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:14, 17 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 18 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
April 23, 2021<br />
:'''130,885''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:United States '''#34,760'''<br />
:'''6.3''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:'''7:08''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestate: '''19.7K''' visitors and '''120,290''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Estimated value of Conservapedia.com is $976,213.61<br />
:near term highs<br />
<br />
:Karajou reinstated<br />
<br />
April 24, 2021<br />
United States '''#29,655'''<br />
:new near term high<br />
<br />
May 2, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.7K''' visitors and '''177,477''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Monthly Visits (SEMrush): 169,321<br />
:Monthly Unique Visitors (SEMrush): 124,005<br />
:Monthly Visits (SimilarWeb): 366,059<br />
:Daily Unique Visitors: 17,748<br />
:daily visitors down 2,000<br />
<br />
May 4, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.3K''' visitors and 258,821 page impressions per day.<br />
:loss of another 400 viewers.<br />
:Analysis: the trolls have the Alexa App - which gathers the information Alexa uses - installed on their browsers and leave open pages on their browser 24 hours a day while they do reconnaissance on which pages to target, in addition to their routine trolling. This distorts Time on site and Page views per visitor stats, with a direct impact on Alexa ranking stats.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<br />
== Hey, Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Where can I find the inactive template? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayoise the editor]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 20:40, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Copy paste it from here. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:RobSmith&action=edit] Incidentally, I reviewed both your stub about the Welsh guy and the WP article, and didn't see any "copying" from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup><br />
:Unless of course you call reporting historical facts "copying". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:03, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Another question. ==<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of everipedia? --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:11, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Sounds vaguely familiar. What is it? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:13, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:It’s similar to Wikipedia. It basically ported Wikipedia’s articles over. --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:14, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Sounds interesting They're ranked 26,000 globally and 8,000 domestically. [https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/everipedia.org] They eventually are concerned about their rank, competitiveness, and readership. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:31, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::Does this article look bad for a start? https://conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge<br />
::::No. It doesn't look anymore copied from Wikipedia any more than Conservapedia copied the idea of a source of knowledge from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 22:02, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::::So much for quitting eh Rob?--[[User:Mercian12|Mercian12]] ([[User talk:Mercian12|talk]]) 19:44, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::::I'm looking for a few doggie biscuits. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:47, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Greetings RobS, how are you doing? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, Rob. I'm back. Hope you've been well. Thanks for all your efforts and hard work in making Conservapedia the great place that it is. I wonder if you've seen the recent Gordon Cromwell Report on the Status of Global Christianity 2021? I'm praying and working for Global Christianity to reach 3 Billion Souls - wow, how pleasing that would be to the Lord Jesus - by 2030. Please work with me and may all Christians unite for Christendom's sake!<br />
<br />
In Our Lord Jesus,<br />
Nishant X. God Bless.<br />
<br />
:Thank you. Good to see you. Hope you've been well. Did you know that 20% of all CP traffic right now is coming from India? Your timing of a comeback couldn't have been better. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:57, 21 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Welcome back NishantXavier! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 00:06, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Great to know, Rob! India is going to rise to internet prominence in the next decade, with an estimated 1 billion internet users by 2025! https://www.analyticsinsight.net/india-estimated-to-reach-1-billion-internet-users-by-2025/ Thanks for all your great efforts in promoting Conservapedia! Together, we can reach the world, your country, the great USA, my country, my beloved India, for the Gospel, and the Conservative Cause!<br />
<br />
I pray Our Lord Jesus will richly bless you and reward you for your good efforts in contributing to the Cause, in this life and the next. God Bless.<br />
<br />
Edit: Thanks, LT. You're the reason I returned. Thanks for emailing me to remind me. Thanks for all your great work in promoting Conservapedia too![[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 00:09, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Please see if you can contribute to this article: https://conservapedia.com/Debate:_Will_Christianity_reach_3_billion_adherents_by_2030 [[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 04:35, 26 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== My update to the civility guideliness ==<br />
<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:33, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:34, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:48, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Black Lives Matter / Stacey Abrams / Noah Green ==<br />
<br />
What was the idea of undoing [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Black_Lives_Matter&curid=138053&diff=1741707&oldid=1741699 my edits] in the [[Black Lives Matter]] article, which I intended to clean up part of the article (including replacing liberal-preferred terms with more appropriate ones) and add info? Also regarding [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 the edit you pointed out] in the Stacey Abrams article, I didn't miss it because it was accurate and sourced and it didn't need to be dealt with. In the [[Noah Green]] article, I also replaced the New York Times and Mediaite links with one from TGP because [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages#Partisanship of Sources|per CP's guidelines, liberal news sources (such as the NYT and Mediaite) are not trustworthy due to their partisan bias and penchant for blatantly lying to suit the liberal narrative]]. Are you just trying to stir up trouble again because I'm actually trying to get articles cleaned up? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:10, 3 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I just reviewed the CP Guidelines page you linked to, and nowhere on that page does the phrase "liberal news sources" appear, let alone your specific parenthetical inclusions. Nice try. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:34, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Your recent post on my talk page ==<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get the memo, Islam is not a "race", and making such a false accusation (as well as falsely accusing me of "trolling") is not only a case of you doing the trolling yourself (and trying to start yet another fight), but by making it about race when it has nothing to do with such (which [[liberalism and racism|only liberals do]]), you're displaying racism yourself. Tread lightly. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:04, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Full disclosure: here is the text of an email I just sent to Andy.<br />
{{quotebox|"I have just cause to be angry about User: Northwest's racist trolling. RobSmith edits under his real life identity. In an effort to find neutral language for the birther movement, I am the Admin who reverted Northwest's racist trolling and put in "said to be born in Honolulu" (as cited by Eugene Robinson of WaPo). I cleaned up Northwest's racist trolling in at least a half dozen articles with neutral compromise language. For those efforts, there now is a webpage on the internet calling me a racist and birther, for which I am neither. And Northwest does not edit under his true life identity.<br />
<br />
Andy can't be involved in all aspects of CP day-to-day, but had I blocked Northwest for 5 years in 2017 for what on its face looks like subversive racist trolling, Conservapedia would still be in the 30,000 today rather than fighting to remain in top 90,000.<br />
<br />
By Andy's actions, trusting and rewarding racists trolls while disciplining good-faith users who risked their own names and reputations, not to mention dedicating their valuable time and lives to the project, makes the notion of CP being a meritocracy a joke. Andy needs to wake up and smell the coffee.}}<br />
I suggest you stop stalking pages I create edit or create, stop harassing other users, and stop making threats and allow Andy to complete his full review. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 10:32, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:So basically, you lied to Andy and you're lying now on your own talk page (while still trying to make trouble, make false accusations, start fights, play the "victim" and project your own racism and trolling while making your imagined issue about race, even though it actually has nothing to do with race). All you're doing is still making yourself look bad in the process. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Why is it you sound more like a program than a thinking human being? Why are all responses programmed ("only liberals call people racists, therefore you are a liberal", "the NYT is liberal, therefore bad, wrong, and evil", etc). If you are not a sockpuppet of Karajou, you likely advanced your CP career by parroting him. Only Karajou is capable of human reason, emotion, and discussion. You are not. You sound like program whose only purpose is to harm the project and sow division. Conservapedia has suffered the likes of your kind in the past. It's nothing new. And don't threaten me. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:49, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I saw Karajou lost his admin. ==<br />
<br />
Have you seen yet? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 05:14, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Not til now. Looks like a policy shift away from arbitrary blocking and enforcement of site policies. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:17, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Is his death date known? ==<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 12:28, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:According to the German wiki, unknown. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter] If no body was recovered, he may have disappeared into the Soviet gulag or was executed on the spot after I945. The same fate happened to hundreds of thousands at that time. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:46, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Question. ==<br />
<br />
Who can start Conservapedia projects? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Anybody, I guess. Unless a senior Admin tries to kill it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:51, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I recently made a proposal for comment at the Community Portal and another Admin hit the SiteAdmin panic button, shut the site down, claimed it was an attempt by Rationalwiki to take over the site, and I got de-sysoped. So honestly, I don't know how to answer your question. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:55, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Hey RobS. ==<br />
<br />
How are you. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 16:21, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I'm breathing and still have a pulse. But the deep state still has its knee on my neck. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:30, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Nice Edit! ==<br />
I saw the edit to my contribution on the article [[Democratic Plantation]] regrading Sen. Tim Scott. I concur... [[User:Let us eat lettuce|Let us eat lettuce]] ([[User talk:Let us eat lettuce|talk]]) 21:17, 3 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Are the images on this page able to be used on the person's article (if they have one)? <br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Gallery_of_British_Heroes --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 09:54, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I don't see why not. We stopped paying rent to them a long time ago. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:34, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Conservapedia Guidelines ==<br />
<br />
Pointing out your abuses of power and your own incivility, false accusations (i.e. "violation of 90/10", which I did ''not'' do if you'd pay attention to my contributions page) and attacks on me is ''not'' "attacking" - and besides, as the guidelines themselves say, my user page, my castle. And incidentally, you yourself are guilty of incivility, bullying, ridiculing and attacking other users here (per your history), so you have no ground to stand on with your argument. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 16:45, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I need your opinion. ==<br />
<br />
How is this article so far?<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Joseph_D._Sayers --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Well, it's interesting how he went from Birth to fighting in Civil War battles. Perhaps you need more subdivisions or retitle "Birth" as "Early life". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:54, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== New Discussion - Friendly Notice ==<br />
<br />
Hey RobSmith. I just wanted to let you know I started a discussion about new content (Maybe a new article for it) about content on Wikipedia. You can see the discussion here: [[Conservapedia:Community Portal#Discussion for a possible new Wikipedia Article]]. I am letting the active editors know about the discussion. Feel free to drop your opinion in it! --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 18:12, 14 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
==Thanks Rob==<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Thanks so much.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the great work you do.<br />
<br />
Question. I noticed, sometimes, there is a block from editing any page, there appears only the 'view sources,' page stating, only administrators can edit. <br />
<br />
I see it takes some time from the time I edit a page and seeing the edit while signed on, till it appears to the 'outside world.'<br />
<br />
If/when I do have images, how does one upload it here, or how do I send them to you rather?<br />
<br />
Thinking of a page dedicated to the issue of using civilians by anti-Anerican and anti-Israel forces. There are images from certain domains. Is there a way you can upload them, so that it is saved, conserved-on-conservapedia? <br />
<br />
<br />
God bless.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:(1) We have a robot Minuteman who does temporary autoblocks when it detects unusual activity, such as adding or removing large blocks of text. It accidentally blocked you for about 5 minutes last night til I caught it. Sorry for the inconvenience. We can work around it.<br />
<br />
:(2) As to images, just place a link here on my talk page and I'll upload it. Please make sure it's not copyright material, like the Associated Press for example.<br />
<br />
:Thanks again, you're doing great work. I'm trying to cover all bases by creating Redirects. So far I have [[2021 Gaza War]] and [[2021 Hamas war]]. We'll probably do a [[2021 Isreali-Palestinian conflict]] eventually as well. But we also need a title to emphasize that attacks are coming from Lebanon and Syria,as well. Any suggestions? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:10, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Sounds great.<br />
Here are links to images re human shields:<br />
The BBC image, its URL source is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm which contains several.<br />
<br />
https://sderotmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/hamashumanshields.jpg<br />
<br />
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4422/2704/1600/palestinianuseofhumanshields1.jpg<br />
<br />
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xlOQjfLk_ks/SWKuHzgvc9I/AAAAAAAAAC4/7MiTOUg3rWc/s1600-h/terrorchildren2.jpg<br />
<br />
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WPgVvOHdsLQ/maxresdefault.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/Uploads/pics/%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.outlookindia.com/public/uploads/gallery/20040512/gaza_palestinian_militants_040512.jpg<br />
<br />
https://avaazdo.s3.amazonaws.com/350db222d9c32f2bca8e1ebea01ae80d.png<br />
<br />
https://static.educalingo.com/img/en/800/human-shield.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sites/default/files/images/articles/2018/04/21/152433084061_b.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg<br />
<br />
https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Children-in-Hamas-Summer-Gamp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/08/fff-e1408151169183.jpg<br />
<br />
https://img.mako.co.il/2011/04/12/166411.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/12/Using-an-Ambulance-as-a-Shield-2.jpeg<br />
<br />
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42337000/jpg/_42337228_women_afp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.idf.il/media/27099/hamas-children.png<br />
<br />
http://www.thetower.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FeaturedImage_2018-08-23_155940_YouTube_Hamas_Human_Shields.jpg<br />
<br />
https://blinchiki.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/human-shield-2.jpg<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Heres most of them]. Give me a few minutes, I'm still working on 2 or 3. One is too large to upload, so I'm going to try something another way. If it doesn't work, you may have to look for a smaller version. I'll put the link to the uploads on the talk page, too. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:12, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Please take your time. No rush. <br />
<br />
:::There all done except the [https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg one that is too large.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
On an unrelated matter, where would the following item go:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/joe-biden-leaves-god-out-of-the-national-day-of-prayer/amp/ Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer]. National Review. May 10, 2021. Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer</blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:In the Joe Biden article. I'd put it here for now [[Joseph_Biden#Unity]], and depending how much information you have I can work on integrating it into the article later. Great catch, too! [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You're right.<br />
<br />
<br />
BTW the following are related published cartoons. Should they be uploaded?<br />
<br />
<br />
http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/15638000/ngbbs47c9c30f04c8f.jpg<br />
<br />
<br />
http://markhumphrys.com/Bitmaps/israel.11.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/152477/500/15247.png<br />
<br />
https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2014/07/ed-1024x736.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg<br />
<br />
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-07-16-Smith_C20140715HP.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/150976/500/150976.png<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:Generally, cartoons are copyright material, so we have to look at the terms of use from the original source. Look for wording such as "permission granted with proper attribution" or some such. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:26, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:[https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg This one] for example, we may be able to use with attribution to the photographer. if someone complains later, big deal, we'll take it down. We're not using it for commercial exploitation. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:32, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Yes. It is good that the sources of the files are posted here, in case for any complaints.<br />
<br />
How do I use attributes (sizes) within the wiki page? (Width="" height="")?<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Here's the basic format: <nowiki>[[File:Paste image here.jpg|right|300px|thumb|add text here]]</nowiki> <br />
<br />
:I typically use 300px to 350px for images in the body of articles. You can change position from right to left. The 'thumb' allows for a box to add text, which can even hold footnotes to external links. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:06, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Great help. Thanks for already resizing the large one there...[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::I added the new article to Template:Terrorism, which de-orphaned the page and created several [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Human_shields_by_terrorists&limit=500 inbound internal links]. This will help in Google results. I'm looking to create more internal links to Guardian of Walls also. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:21, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Very smart.<br />
BTW.<br />
<br />
The following image, as quoted in this tweet about an Arab nurse (Yusuf Naim) resident of and working in Israel, who put in his Instagram simply "Palestinian nazi"<br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914/photo/1<br />
Main tweet: <br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914<br />
<br />
(Nevermind the irony. As Hitler would exterminate also the Arabs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181121205350/https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/have-no-doubt-hitler-would-have-wiped-out-arabs-after-jews-26277585.html Have no doubt Hitler would have wiped out Arabs after Jews, The Independent, 24 February 2007] eventually as another "inferior race" in his eyes)<br />
<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:This guy's a professional nurse? Those imgs can be uploaded, no problem. And if they get deleted from Twitter, we have a record here, then. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:45, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Arabs? Possibly. Muslims however, did [https://conservapedia.com/Adolf_Hitler#Barbarossa serve in the SS.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Agreed. And an Arab author explained, Hitler's people tried to convince themselves the Mufti [[Haj Amin al-Husseini]] isn't pure Arab in blood... || And the guy, Yusuf Naim is a nurse, he worked as such in the Israeli Hadassah hospital before being suspended over this. || I tried to insert this url of image https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1dG7I-XMAAiEUm.jpg , it didn't work. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Your tax dollars at work. As to the Arabs, the Nazis classified their Japanese allies as "Honorary Aryans" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_Aryan] The same could have been done to Arabs for service to the Reich. But now we're into coulda woulda shoulda historical writing. All we have are facts to deal with. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:52, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Hi Rob. If and when you have a chance for these two images to be uploaded, please. The second is from the BBC a few years back.<br />
<br />
https://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Web_F081218AA01.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/76535000/jpg/_76535336_shields.jpg<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:57, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=RobSmith&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= Done.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Rob the great one... one more here when you can - https://mfa.gov.il/MFA_Graphics/MFA%20Gallery/2011/Turkel/ambulance.jpg <br />
Thanks. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Done. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:38, 20 May 2021 (EDT) [[File:Ambulance.jpg|center|250px|thumb|]]<br />
<br />
___<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Great job. Here are three images. One related to human shields. The other two to genocidal call by Hamas.<br />
<br />
<br />
* http://www.peacewithrealism.org/images/hammad.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://palwatch.org/page/1089][https://youtu.be/RTu-AUE9ycs]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://stream.org/wp-content/uploads/Memri-hamas-1.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://stream.org/hamas-wants-to-kill-all-jews-worldwide/]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://likoed.nl/wp-content/uploads-plikud01/2016/03/By-Allah-we-will-dig-up-your-bones1.jpg <br />
<br />
Related to:<br />
[Https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-cleric-and-tv-host-abu-funun-we-will-not-leave-single-jew-dead-or-alive-our-land]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 23:10, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Done]. These people are sick. I hope you don't use the ceasefire to slowdown reporting, but rather to catch up. There is so much there readers need to see and hear. Even in New York, Los Angelas, and elsewhere. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:40, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You are do right. BTW, efardibg NY/LA... there is a parallel between the recent Islamic "protesters" appearing in one particular area in Manhattan violently and May 1, 2020 some Islamic "activists" taking advantage of BLM protests and carrying out an attack in LA, including graffiti of "palestine" on a synagogue. It was facilitated by a BLM operative Melina Abdullah (mostly raisd by her mother) who is a Farrakhan fan.. Why, if not intolerance was the particular Fairfax area even chosen?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:23, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::If you're too busy with events on the ground there in Israel, I can add content about it here in the U.S. and may elsewhere (London for example). Just create a subheading for it where you think it appropriate and I'll add it daily as news comes in. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:27, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Are you referring to something like a blog/column of updates on the main page? BTW I'm concerned about our country here in the US. But, it's just that it's so sensitive there and threat to survival and demonization are constant, at the same time. (True David VS Goliath, in many aspects) . And both countries are bound in shared values.|| Sorry to bother you with one more:<br />
http://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/israel-pilot.jpg [https://nypost.com/2021/05/18/israeli-video-shows-mission-being-scrubbed-after-kids-were-seen/amp/ source]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::(ec)I mean separating violent protests and incidents outside Israel in the mainspace of the article. Rocket launches from Syria, for example, should probably go under their own subheading. As well as people eating in restaurants in NY and LA getting beat up.<br />
<br />
:::::I do have Main Page access for headlines. This site however, is somewhat anti-[[neocon]] so the headlines can't be made to look like somebody is trying to drag the U.S. into war. OTOH, stories about [[AOC]] and [[The Squad]] trying to sabotage U.S. commitments to allies or being sympathetic to terrorists certainly is newsworthy. When you find a headline like that that appeals to U.S. readers, you can feed it to me and I'll see what I can do with it to link the [[Guardian of Walls]] article from the Main Page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:50, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Latest img is uploaded. Bottomline, from my perspective, Israel is at war with Iran right now. Hamas are just the frontline foot soldiers and proxies. And most Americans do not understand this, as Biden and Kerry seek to facilitate an iranian nuclear weapon. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:59, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::Of course the main page should be about US 'direct' news. I actually joined this site when liberals tried to portrayed Ahmad Al Issa as some Trumpist-white-supremacist... BTW I'm for clarity, especially about bias in the media and that other site.. I am not advocating for any wars. For these decisions I leave for experts. . A little secret... I might be able to dig up some AOL email I sent at the time against invading Iraq. There is also a huge difference between an operation or operations and an invasion. And yes, the elephant in the room is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Weak Biden knows more than Sanders, but he is not the de-facto leader of the Dems... Radical leftists have grown stronger there (not that Omar/Tlaib are true progressives like AOC and Sanders, this pair's true agenda isn't entirely as the others in the group. Their joint appearances should not fool anyone.. The squad isn't made all of the same cloth. Though in reality, on the ground, as is, this gang is detrimental to our country for many aspects) though there is an internal struggle there. The 'conflict' in the middle east is about incitement to intolerance. Since the 1920s by the Mufti (who also assassinated the moderates) and still going on today http://palwatch.org school textbooks, plays/shows at a very young age or in mosque, which is why the April spike in attacks on Jews inside Israel who are known not to serve in the Israeli army shows the 'real' problem, beyond "issus". And of course dead kids pics are powerful in the campaign for this purpose. The element of forcefully spreading one particular religion should not be overlooked.. Further on, 'if' any attacks in the US occur they don't have to be related to 'Guardian of Walls'. Another parallel point, the race card being obsessively abused at every corner for political purposes here in God's great country is played so in the Haaretz phenomenon of the last decades (vs what it was historically they even give voice for rewriters of history), the paper's more popular outside Israel very much adopted by radical left internationally but most in Israel regard it as radical, fringe. Most Israelis have faith in God. || Here is a recent image: https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/israel5-1.jpg<br />
[https://hannity.com/media-room/listen-palestinian-tells-israeli-soldier-if-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die/ source] Will embed/link the Hannity source in it|| Thanks and have a great weekend.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Got it with my [https://conservapedia.com/File:Israel5-1.png Snipping tool on Windows 10.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Great! I think you have an excellent understanding of the facts we are dealing with. Me personally, I have a deep abiding mistrust of American mainstream media, and I'm much impressed with the sources you have been using. These are the facts we can bring to readers and the American public. Feel free, please, to update [[The Squad]], AOC, or any other members' articles with their comments and reactions to these gross and vile human rights violations we are witnessing daily, or how it was facilitated by the present regime occupying the White House with cash to terrorist organizations. Or expanding the role the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] is playing in all this. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Summing up your words. True, concise and precise. There are many factors in media bias [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Question. How long is the delay from what is seen (edited matetial) internally by site users and external view - what is seen by all?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:51, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I don't really know. I believe users accessing the site, like yourself or anybody else, see the current version. The question is how long before Google or others Index the site to appear in Search engine results, which I think is about 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::IOWs, when Google scans the site, they are looking at a 72 hour old version, I think. The site owner knows those details and hasn't shared them. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:57, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::Interesting. But in case you haven't noticed it. Try viewing a page you or others just edited. Then sign off and view at it again. Spot the difference.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
::::As I noted earlier, Conservapedia famously has been the target of trolling attacks, so new users have to go through a probationary period to establish ''bona fides''. Apparently the site owner is reviewing your edits, at which point you'll be granted more users rights, etc. (like SkipCaptcha is the bottom rung of the ladder). The problem is, he also has a fulltime job and his time can be limited. Just keep doing what your doing and there shouldn't be a problem (we've discussed the anti-neocon editorial stance already). My guess is that any alleged 'controversial' edits should be cleared in 72 hours. I'll bring this up in discussion with another Admin slated for this weekend. Let me know if something added does not appear in 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:21, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::I see. When you get a chance,, https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield2.jpg<br />
[https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Hamas-again-uses-Gazan-civilians-as-human-shields-July-2014.aspx source] And thanks again for your awesome work.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:25, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield2.jpg Here's the latest]. Thanks for understanding. CP Admins are notorious for garbled communication and things can get fouled up. Everybody is preoccupied with their own pet projects. But I'm your advocate here and the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly sometimes. If it's not inconvenient, you can provide to me diffs that show the lag time on edits appearing (I'm assuming nothing has been censored or removed). The time stamp on the diff could help. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:33, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Thanks so much. And I was curious to ask what's the story with the cat you have in your profile. This one https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield.jpg belongs also to the last source. It's in Arabic <br />
'Announcement from the ("Palestinian") ministry of the interior to the residents of the Gaza Strip, telling them not to pay attention to IDF announcements about vacating their homes'.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:39, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield.jpg Here's the Arabic statement]. As to the cat, it's been an ongoing game of cat n mouse with trolls from Rationalwiki for 15 years. It's just a message that I'm always here, always watching, vetting content, ready to pounce. Some of my fellow Admins think I'm paranoid and nuts, but I know who the trolls are and can identify them easily after 15 years on the job. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::That site... I see. I presume CP had many hackers' attempts too in course of years, no doubts.|| This one is of the recent famous event in May 16. https://www.algemeiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2.jpg [https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/16/idf-releases-video-showing-pilot-aborting-air-strike-after-spotting-children-in-target-area/ source] [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 14:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Command_Control.jpg This img has a better resolution than the one uploaded last night]. We've experienced every kind of Crapflood and DDoS attack imaginable. Most of it can be traced to the RW network and Wikipedia Rogue Admin cabal. I wouldn't be surprised if we've come to the attention of the Chinese 50 cent Army lately. Right now, according to Alexa, visitors are spending one hour Time on Site without the actual number of unique visitors going up, which to me looks like a clickbot attack. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Message ==<br />
I am sorry if I haven't responded. I just don't know that you have sent responses. I am not ignoring them. [[User:ChadUser|ChadUser]] ([[User talk:ChadUser|talk]]) 16:46, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reverts and "Protected" ==<br />
So engaging in discussion is "harassing" to you? Isn't that was is recommended and the policy? Communication? And engagement? Even if blunt? You removed my section on Northwest's talk page, and then did what you did. You obviosly have no credibility...so it's irrelevant at this point in a way. But I'm curious.... (And I know you'll probably just dodge and delete...like a rude juvenile no-answer evasive schmuck...as you've proven what type of person and editor you are already...) But I am curious....<br />
<br />
Why exactly did you revert me before putting that protection on that JW article, when my reverts were the justified ones? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. <br />
<br />
David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. <br />
<br />
An editor on this thing may have hundreds of thousands of edits, hundreds of GAs, FAs, dozens of barnstars and a legion of friends-and-relations; DOESN'T MATTER....because, disruption is disruption, POV is POV, and tendentious malicious mendacious editing is tendentious malicious mendacious editing,no matter how does it. <br />
<br />
David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:08, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:RobSmith&diff=1758265User talk:RobSmith2021-05-22T04:13:24Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Graph (1).png|right|500px|thumb|]]<br />
February 3, 2020 - September 30, 2020 - '''145,228''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 3, 2020 - Election day.<br />
:hypestat: '''33K''' visitors and '''206,000''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 23, 2020 - DDoS attack<br />
<br />
'''December 29, 2020''' - started keeping records in Slack.<br />
Country Alexa Rank<br />
United States '''#63,303''' <br />
:hypestat: '''27.1K''' visitors and 67,786 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
January 2021 - Similiarweb data [https://www.similarweb.com/website/conservapedia.com/]<br />
United States '''#31,638'''<br />
<br />
'''February 1, 2021''' - throughout Capitol riot and impeachment. <br />
United States '''#33,508'''<br />
<br />
February 3, 2021 - Rob's de-sysoping.<br />
<br />
February 11, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''24.7K''' daily visitors Daily Pageviews 61,624.<br />
<br />
February 13, 2021 - Last Google cache until March 25, 2021<br />
<br />
February 15, 2021<br />
United States #36,617<br />
<br />
February 16, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''23.7K''' visitors and 56,793 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
February 17, 2021<br />
United States #40,319<br />
<br />
February 19, 2021<br />
United States #45,529<br />
<br />
February 23, 2021<br />
United States #50,091<br />
<br />
February 24, 2021<br />
United States #58,914<br />
<br />
February 28, 2021<br />
United States #61,140<br />
<br />
March 1, 2021<br />
United States #72,355<br />
<br />
March 2, 2021 <br />
United States #81,250<br />
<br />
March 3, 2021<br />
United States #87,177<br />
<br />
March 4, 2021<br />
United States #94,183<br />
:hypestat: '''21.2K''' visitors and 52,997 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 5, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''20.7K''' visitors and 51,764 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 6, 2021<br />
United States #99,248<br />
<br />
March 7, 2021<br />
United States #109,993<br />
:'''#158,631''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
<br />
March 8, 2021<br />
United States '''#120,617'''<br />
<br />
March 30, 2021 <br />
:hypestat: 20.7K visitors and '''49,694''' page impressions per day<br />
:2.4 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:27 Daily Time on Site <br />
:Traffic Sources Past 30 Days 24% Search <br />
<br />
April 2, 2021<br />
:2.3 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:24 Daily Time on Site <br />
<br />
April 4, 2021<br />
:2:14 Daily Time on Site<br />
<br />
April 5, 2021 - RobSmith blocked until April 12, 2021<br />
<br />
April 11, 2021<br />
:'''172,231''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2:12''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestat: '''19.2K''' visitors and 44,221 page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
April 12, 2021<br />
:'''173,873''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2.2''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:news lows<br />
<br />
April 13, 2021<br />
:'''175,407''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:hypestat: '''18.7K''' visitors and '''41,214''' page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
Restored - welcome back.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:14, 17 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 18 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
April 23, 2021<br />
:'''130,885''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:United States '''#34,760'''<br />
:'''6.3''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:'''7:08''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestate: '''19.7K''' visitors and '''120,290''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Estimated value of Conservapedia.com is $976,213.61<br />
:near term highs<br />
<br />
:Karajou reinstated<br />
<br />
April 24, 2021<br />
United States '''#29,655'''<br />
:new near term high<br />
<br />
May 2, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.7K''' visitors and '''177,477''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Monthly Visits (SEMrush): 169,321<br />
:Monthly Unique Visitors (SEMrush): 124,005<br />
:Monthly Visits (SimilarWeb): 366,059<br />
:Daily Unique Visitors: 17,748<br />
:daily visitors down 2,000<br />
<br />
May 4, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.3K''' visitors and 258,821 page impressions per day.<br />
:loss of another 400 viewers.<br />
:Analysis: the trolls have the Alexa App - which gathers the information Alexa uses - installed on their browsers and leave open pages on their browser 24 hours a day while they do reconnaissance on which pages to target, in addition to their routine trolling. This distorts Time on site and Page views per visitor stats, with a direct impact on Alexa ranking stats.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<br />
== Hey, Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Where can I find the inactive template? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayoise the editor]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 20:40, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Copy paste it from here. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:RobSmith&action=edit] Incidentally, I reviewed both your stub about the Welsh guy and the WP article, and didn't see any "copying" from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup><br />
:Unless of course you call reporting historical facts "copying". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:03, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Another question. ==<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of everipedia? --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:11, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Sounds vaguely familiar. What is it? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:13, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:It’s similar to Wikipedia. It basically ported Wikipedia’s articles over. --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:14, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Sounds interesting They're ranked 26,000 globally and 8,000 domestically. [https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/everipedia.org] They eventually are concerned about their rank, competitiveness, and readership. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:31, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::Does this article look bad for a start? https://conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge<br />
::::No. It doesn't look anymore copied from Wikipedia any more than Conservapedia copied the idea of a source of knowledge from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 22:02, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::::So much for quitting eh Rob?--[[User:Mercian12|Mercian12]] ([[User talk:Mercian12|talk]]) 19:44, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::::I'm looking for a few doggie biscuits. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:47, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Greetings RobS, how are you doing? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, Rob. I'm back. Hope you've been well. Thanks for all your efforts and hard work in making Conservapedia the great place that it is. I wonder if you've seen the recent Gordon Cromwell Report on the Status of Global Christianity 2021? I'm praying and working for Global Christianity to reach 3 Billion Souls - wow, how pleasing that would be to the Lord Jesus - by 2030. Please work with me and may all Christians unite for Christendom's sake!<br />
<br />
In Our Lord Jesus,<br />
Nishant X. God Bless.<br />
<br />
:Thank you. Good to see you. Hope you've been well. Did you know that 20% of all CP traffic right now is coming from India? Your timing of a comeback couldn't have been better. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:57, 21 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Welcome back NishantXavier! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 00:06, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Great to know, Rob! India is going to rise to internet prominence in the next decade, with an estimated 1 billion internet users by 2025! https://www.analyticsinsight.net/india-estimated-to-reach-1-billion-internet-users-by-2025/ Thanks for all your great efforts in promoting Conservapedia! Together, we can reach the world, your country, the great USA, my country, my beloved India, for the Gospel, and the Conservative Cause!<br />
<br />
I pray Our Lord Jesus will richly bless you and reward you for your good efforts in contributing to the Cause, in this life and the next. God Bless.<br />
<br />
Edit: Thanks, LT. You're the reason I returned. Thanks for emailing me to remind me. Thanks for all your great work in promoting Conservapedia too![[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 00:09, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Please see if you can contribute to this article: https://conservapedia.com/Debate:_Will_Christianity_reach_3_billion_adherents_by_2030 [[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 04:35, 26 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== My update to the civility guideliness ==<br />
<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:33, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:34, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:48, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Black Lives Matter / Stacey Abrams / Noah Green ==<br />
<br />
What was the idea of undoing [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Black_Lives_Matter&curid=138053&diff=1741707&oldid=1741699 my edits] in the [[Black Lives Matter]] article, which I intended to clean up part of the article (including replacing liberal-preferred terms with more appropriate ones) and add info? Also regarding [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 the edit you pointed out] in the Stacey Abrams article, I didn't miss it because it was accurate and sourced and it didn't need to be dealt with. In the [[Noah Green]] article, I also replaced the New York Times and Mediaite links with one from TGP because [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages#Partisanship of Sources|per CP's guidelines, liberal news sources (such as the NYT and Mediaite) are not trustworthy due to their partisan bias and penchant for blatantly lying to suit the liberal narrative]]. Are you just trying to stir up trouble again because I'm actually trying to get articles cleaned up? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:10, 3 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I just reviewed the CP Guidelines page you linked to, and nowhere on that page does the phrase "liberal news sources" appear, let alone your specific parenthetical inclusions. Nice try. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:34, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Your recent post on my talk page ==<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get the memo, Islam is not a "race", and making such a false accusation (as well as falsely accusing me of "trolling") is not only a case of you doing the trolling yourself (and trying to start yet another fight), but by making it about race when it has nothing to do with such (which [[liberalism and racism|only liberals do]]), you're displaying racism yourself. Tread lightly. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:04, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Full disclosure: here is the text of an email I just sent to Andy.<br />
{{quotebox|"I have just cause to be angry about User: Northwest's racist trolling. RobSmith edits under his real life identity. In an effort to find neutral language for the birther movement, I am the Admin who reverted Northwest's racist trolling and put in "said to be born in Honolulu" (as cited by Eugene Robinson of WaPo). I cleaned up Northwest's racist trolling in at least a half dozen articles with neutral compromise language. For those efforts, there now is a webpage on the internet calling me a racist and birther, for which I am neither. And Northwest does not edit under his true life identity.<br />
<br />
Andy can't be involved in all aspects of CP day-to-day, but had I blocked Northwest for 5 years in 2017 for what on its face looks like subversive racist trolling, Conservapedia would still be in the 30,000 today rather than fighting to remain in top 90,000.<br />
<br />
By Andy's actions, trusting and rewarding racists trolls while disciplining good-faith users who risked their own names and reputations, not to mention dedicating their valuable time and lives to the project, makes the notion of CP being a meritocracy a joke. Andy needs to wake up and smell the coffee.}}<br />
I suggest you stop stalking pages I create edit or create, stop harassing other users, and stop making threats and allow Andy to complete his full review. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 10:32, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:So basically, you lied to Andy and you're lying now on your own talk page (while still trying to make trouble, make false accusations, start fights, play the "victim" and project your own racism and trolling while making your imagined issue about race, even though it actually has nothing to do with race). All you're doing is still making yourself look bad in the process. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Why is it you sound more like a program than a thinking human being? Why are all responses programmed ("only liberals call people racists, therefore you are a liberal", "the NYT is liberal, therefore bad, wrong, and evil", etc). If you are not a sockpuppet of Karajou, you likely advanced your CP career by parroting him. Only Karajou is capable of human reason, emotion, and discussion. You are not. You sound like program whose only purpose is to harm the project and sow division. Conservapedia has suffered the likes of your kind in the past. It's nothing new. And don't threaten me. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:49, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I saw Karajou lost his admin. ==<br />
<br />
Have you seen yet? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 05:14, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Not til now. Looks like a policy shift away from arbitrary blocking and enforcement of site policies. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:17, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Is his death date known? ==<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 12:28, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:According to the German wiki, unknown. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter] If no body was recovered, he may have disappeared into the Soviet gulag or was executed on the spot after I945. The same fate happened to hundreds of thousands at that time. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:46, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Question. ==<br />
<br />
Who can start Conservapedia projects? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Anybody, I guess. Unless a senior Admin tries to kill it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:51, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I recently made a proposal for comment at the Community Portal and another Admin hit the SiteAdmin panic button, shut the site down, claimed it was an attempt by Rationalwiki to take over the site, and I got de-sysoped. So honestly, I don't know how to answer your question. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:55, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Hey RobS. ==<br />
<br />
How are you. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 16:21, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I'm breathing and still have a pulse. But the deep state still has its knee on my neck. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:30, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Nice Edit! ==<br />
I saw the edit to my contribution on the article [[Democratic Plantation]] regrading Sen. Tim Scott. I concur... [[User:Let us eat lettuce|Let us eat lettuce]] ([[User talk:Let us eat lettuce|talk]]) 21:17, 3 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Are the images on this page able to be used on the person's article (if they have one)? <br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Gallery_of_British_Heroes --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 09:54, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I don't see why not. We stopped paying rent to them a long time ago. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:34, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Conservapedia Guidelines ==<br />
<br />
Pointing out your abuses of power and your own incivility, false accusations (i.e. "violation of 90/10", which I did ''not'' do if you'd pay attention to my contributions page) and attacks on me is ''not'' "attacking" - and besides, as the guidelines themselves say, my user page, my castle. And incidentally, you yourself are guilty of incivility, bullying, ridiculing and attacking other users here (per your history), so you have no ground to stand on with your argument. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 16:45, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I need your opinion. ==<br />
<br />
How is this article so far?<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Joseph_D._Sayers --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Well, it's interesting how he went from Birth to fighting in Civil War battles. Perhaps you need more subdivisions or retitle "Birth" as "Early life". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:54, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== New Discussion - Friendly Notice ==<br />
<br />
Hey RobSmith. I just wanted to let you know I started a discussion about new content (Maybe a new article for it) about content on Wikipedia. You can see the discussion here: [[Conservapedia:Community Portal#Discussion for a possible new Wikipedia Article]]. I am letting the active editors know about the discussion. Feel free to drop your opinion in it! --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 18:12, 14 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
==Thanks Rob==<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Thanks so much.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the great work you do.<br />
<br />
Question. I noticed, sometimes, there is a block from editing any page, there appears only the 'view sources,' page stating, only administrators can edit. <br />
<br />
I see it takes some time from the time I edit a page and seeing the edit while signed on, till it appears to the 'outside world.'<br />
<br />
If/when I do have images, how does one upload it here, or how do I send them to you rather?<br />
<br />
Thinking of a page dedicated to the issue of using civilians by anti-Anerican and anti-Israel forces. There are images from certain domains. Is there a way you can upload them, so that it is saved, conserved-on-conservapedia? <br />
<br />
<br />
God bless.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:(1) We have a robot Minuteman who does temporary autoblocks when it detects unusual activity, such as adding or removing large blocks of text. It accidentally blocked you for about 5 minutes last night til I caught it. Sorry for the inconvenience. We can work around it.<br />
<br />
:(2) As to images, just place a link here on my talk page and I'll upload it. Please make sure it's not copyright material, like the Associated Press for example.<br />
<br />
:Thanks again, you're doing great work. I'm trying to cover all bases by creating Redirects. So far I have [[2021 Gaza War]] and [[2021 Hamas war]]. We'll probably do a [[2021 Isreali-Palestinian conflict]] eventually as well. But we also need a title to emphasize that attacks are coming from Lebanon and Syria,as well. Any suggestions? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:10, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Sounds great.<br />
Here are links to images re human shields:<br />
The BBC image, its URL source is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm which contains several.<br />
<br />
https://sderotmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/hamashumanshields.jpg<br />
<br />
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4422/2704/1600/palestinianuseofhumanshields1.jpg<br />
<br />
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xlOQjfLk_ks/SWKuHzgvc9I/AAAAAAAAAC4/7MiTOUg3rWc/s1600-h/terrorchildren2.jpg<br />
<br />
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WPgVvOHdsLQ/maxresdefault.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/Uploads/pics/%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.outlookindia.com/public/uploads/gallery/20040512/gaza_palestinian_militants_040512.jpg<br />
<br />
https://avaazdo.s3.amazonaws.com/350db222d9c32f2bca8e1ebea01ae80d.png<br />
<br />
https://static.educalingo.com/img/en/800/human-shield.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sites/default/files/images/articles/2018/04/21/152433084061_b.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg<br />
<br />
https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Children-in-Hamas-Summer-Gamp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/08/fff-e1408151169183.jpg<br />
<br />
https://img.mako.co.il/2011/04/12/166411.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/12/Using-an-Ambulance-as-a-Shield-2.jpeg<br />
<br />
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42337000/jpg/_42337228_women_afp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.idf.il/media/27099/hamas-children.png<br />
<br />
http://www.thetower.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FeaturedImage_2018-08-23_155940_YouTube_Hamas_Human_Shields.jpg<br />
<br />
https://blinchiki.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/human-shield-2.jpg<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Heres most of them]. Give me a few minutes, I'm still working on 2 or 3. One is too large to upload, so I'm going to try something another way. If it doesn't work, you may have to look for a smaller version. I'll put the link to the uploads on the talk page, too. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:12, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Please take your time. No rush. <br />
<br />
:::There all done except the [https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg one that is too large.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
On an unrelated matter, where would the following item go:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/joe-biden-leaves-god-out-of-the-national-day-of-prayer/amp/ Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer]. National Review. May 10, 2021. Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer</blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:In the Joe Biden article. I'd put it here for now [[Joseph_Biden#Unity]], and depending how much information you have I can work on integrating it into the article later. Great catch, too! [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You're right.<br />
<br />
<br />
BTW the following are related published cartoons. Should they be uploaded?<br />
<br />
<br />
http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/15638000/ngbbs47c9c30f04c8f.jpg<br />
<br />
<br />
http://markhumphrys.com/Bitmaps/israel.11.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/152477/500/15247.png<br />
<br />
https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2014/07/ed-1024x736.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg<br />
<br />
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-07-16-Smith_C20140715HP.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/150976/500/150976.png<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:Generally, cartoons are copyright material, so we have to look at the terms of use from the original source. Look for wording such as "permission granted with proper attribution" or some such. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:26, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:[https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg This one] for example, we may be able to use with attribution to the photographer. if someone complains later, big deal, we'll take it down. We're not using it for commercial exploitation. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:32, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Yes. It is good that the sources of the files are posted here, in case for any complaints.<br />
<br />
How do I use attributes (sizes) within the wiki page? (Width="" height="")?<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Here's the basic format: <nowiki>[[File:Paste image here.jpg|right|300px|thumb|add text here]]</nowiki> <br />
<br />
:I typically use 300px to 350px for images in the body of articles. You can change position from right to left. The 'thumb' allows for a box to add text, which can even hold footnotes to external links. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:06, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Great help. Thanks for already resizing the large one there...[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::I added the new article to Template:Terrorism, which de-orphaned the page and created several [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Human_shields_by_terrorists&limit=500 inbound internal links]. This will help in Google results. I'm looking to create more internal links to Guardian of Walls also. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:21, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Very smart.<br />
BTW.<br />
<br />
The following image, as quoted in this tweet about an Arab nurse (Yusuf Naim) resident of and working in Israel, who put in his Instagram simply "Palestinian nazi"<br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914/photo/1<br />
Main tweet: <br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914<br />
<br />
(Nevermind the irony. As Hitler would exterminate also the Arabs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181121205350/https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/have-no-doubt-hitler-would-have-wiped-out-arabs-after-jews-26277585.html Have no doubt Hitler would have wiped out Arabs after Jews, The Independent, 24 February 2007] eventually as another "inferior race" in his eyes)<br />
<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:This guy's a professional nurse? Those imgs can be uploaded, no problem. And if they get deleted from Twitter, we have a record here, then. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:45, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Arabs? Possibly. Muslims however, did [https://conservapedia.com/Adolf_Hitler#Barbarossa serve in the SS.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Agreed. And an Arab author explained, Hitler's people tried to convince themselves the Mufti [[Haj Amin al-Husseini]] isn't pure Arab in blood... || And the guy, Yusuf Naim is a nurse, he worked as such in the Israeli Hadassah hospital before being suspended over this. || I tried to insert this url of image https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1dG7I-XMAAiEUm.jpg , it didn't work. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Your tax dollars at work. As to the Arabs, the Nazis classified their Japanese allies as "Honorary Aryans" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_Aryan] The same could have been done to Arabs for service to the Reich. But now we're into coulda woulda shoulda historical writing. All we have are facts to deal with. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:52, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Hi Rob. If and when you have a chance for these two images to be uploaded, please. The second is from the BBC a few years back.<br />
<br />
https://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Web_F081218AA01.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/76535000/jpg/_76535336_shields.jpg<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:57, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=RobSmith&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= Done.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Rob the great one... one more here when you can - https://mfa.gov.il/MFA_Graphics/MFA%20Gallery/2011/Turkel/ambulance.jpg <br />
Thanks. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Done. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:38, 20 May 2021 (EDT) [[File:Ambulance.jpg|center|250px|thumb|]]<br />
<br />
___<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Great job. Here are three images. One related to human shields. The other two to genocidal call by Hamas.<br />
<br />
<br />
* http://www.peacewithrealism.org/images/hammad.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://palwatch.org/page/1089][https://youtu.be/RTu-AUE9ycs]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://stream.org/wp-content/uploads/Memri-hamas-1.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://stream.org/hamas-wants-to-kill-all-jews-worldwide/]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://likoed.nl/wp-content/uploads-plikud01/2016/03/By-Allah-we-will-dig-up-your-bones1.jpg <br />
<br />
Related to:<br />
[Https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-cleric-and-tv-host-abu-funun-we-will-not-leave-single-jew-dead-or-alive-our-land]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 23:10, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Done]. These people are sick. I hope you don't use the ceasefire to slowdown reporting, but rather to catch up. There is so much there readers need to see and hear. Even in New York, Los Angelas, and elsewhere. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:40, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You are do right. BTW, efardibg NY/LA... there is a parallel between the recent Islamic "protesters" appearing in one particular area in Manhattan violently and May 1, 2020 some Islamic "activists" taking advantage of BLM protests and carrying out an attack in LA, including graffiti of "palestine" on a synagogue. It was facilitated by a BLM operative Melina Abdullah (mostly raisd by her mother) who is a Farrakhan fan.. Why, if not intolerance was the particular Fairfax area even chosen?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:23, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::If you're too busy with events on the ground there in Israel, I can add content about it here in the U.S. and may elsewhere (London for example). Just create a subheading for it where you think it appropriate and I'll add it daily as news comes in. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:27, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Are you referring to something like a blog/column of updates on the main page? BTW I'm concerned about our country here in the US. But, it's just that it's so sensitive there and threat to survival and demonization are constant, at the same time. (True David VS Goliath, in many aspects) . And both countries are bound in shared values.|| Sorry to bother you with one more:<br />
http://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/israel-pilot.jpg [https://nypost.com/2021/05/18/israeli-video-shows-mission-being-scrubbed-after-kids-were-seen/amp/ source]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::(ec)I mean separating violent protests and incidents outside Israel in the mainspace of the article. Rocket launches from Syria, for example, should probably go under their own subheading. As well as people eating in restaurants in NY and LA getting beat up.<br />
<br />
:::::I do have Main Page access for headlines. This site however, is somewhat anti-[[neocon]] so the headlines can't be made to look like somebody is trying to drag the U.S. into war. OTOH, stories about [[AOC]] and [[The Squad]] trying to sabotage U.S. commitments to allies or being sympathetic to terrorists certainly is newsworthy. When you find a headline like that that appeals to U.S. readers, you can feed it to me and I'll see what I can do with it to link the [[Guardian of Walls]] article from the Main Page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:50, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Latest img is uploaded. Bottomline, from my perspective, Israel is at war with Iran right now. Hamas are just the frontline foot soldiers and proxies. And most Americans do not understand this, as Biden and Kerry seek to facilitate an iranian nuclear weapon. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:59, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::Of course the main page should be about US 'direct' news. I actually joined this site when liberals tried to portrayed Ahmad Al Issa as some Trumpist-white-supremacist... BTW I'm for clarity, especially about bias in the media and that other site.. I am not advocating for any wars. For these decisions I leave for experts. . A little secret... I might be able to dig up some AOL email I sent at the time against invading Iraq. There is also a huge difference between an operation or operations and an invasion. And yes, the elephant in the room is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Weak Biden knows more than Sanders, but he is not the de-facto leader of the Dems... Radical leftists have grown stronger there (not that Omar/Tlaib are true progressives like AOC and Sanders, this pair's true agenda isn't entirely as the others in the group. Their joint appearances should not fool anyone.. The squad isn't made all of the same cloth. Though in reality, on the ground, as is, this gang is detrimental to our country for many aspects) though there is an internal struggle there. The 'conflict' in the middle east is about incitement to intolerance. Since the 1920s by the Mufti (who also assassinated the moderates) and still going on today http://palwatch.org school textbooks, plays/shows at a very young age or in mosque, which is why the April spike in attacks on Jews inside Israel who are known not to serve in the Israeli army shows the 'real' problem, beyond "issus". And of course dead kids pics are powerful in the campaign for this purpose. The element of forcefully spreading one particular religion should not be overlooked.. Further on, 'if' any attacks in the US occur they don't have to be related to 'Guardian of Walls'. Another parallel point, the race card being obsessively abused at every corner for political purposes here in God's great country is played so in the Haaretz phenomenon of the last decades (vs what it was historically they even give voice for rewriters of history), the paper's more popular outside Israel very much adopted by radical left internationally but most in Israel regard it as radical, fringe. Most Israelis have faith in God. || Here is a recent image: https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/israel5-1.jpg<br />
[https://hannity.com/media-room/listen-palestinian-tells-israeli-soldier-if-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die/ source] Will embed/link the Hannity source in it|| Thanks and have a great weekend.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Got it with my [https://conservapedia.com/File:Israel5-1.png Snipping tool on Windows 10.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Great! I think you have an excellent understanding of the facts we are dealing with. Me personally, I have a deep abiding mistrust of American mainstream media, and I'm much impressed with the sources you have been using. These are the facts we can bring to readers and the American public. Feel free, please, to update [[The Squad]], AOC, or any other members' articles with their comments and reactions to these gross and vile human rights violations we are witnessing daily, or how it was facilitated by the present regime occupying the White House with cash to terrorist organizations. Or expanding the role the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] is playing in all this. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Summing up your words. True, concise and precise. There are many factors in media bias [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Question. How long is the delay from what is seen (edited matetial) internally by site users and external view - what is seen by all?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:51, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I don't really know. I believe users accessing the site, like yourself or anybody else, see the current version. The question is how long before Google or others Index the site to appear in Search engine results, which I think is about 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::IOWs, when Google scans the site, they are looking at a 72 hour old version, I think. The site owner knows those details and hasn't shared them. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:57, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::Interesting. But in case you haven't noticed it. Try viewing a page you or others just edited. Then sign off and view at it again. Spot the difference.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
::::As I noted earlier, Conservapedia famously has been the target of trolling attacks, so new users have to go through a probationary period to establish ''bona fides''. Apparently the site owner is reviewing your edits, at which point you'll be granted more users rights, etc. (like SkipCaptcha is the bottom rung of the ladder). The problem is, he also has a fulltime job and his time can be limited. Just keep doing what your doing and there shouldn't be a problem (we've discussed the anti-neocon editorial stance already). My guess is that any alleged 'controversial' edits should be cleared in 72 hours. I'll bring this up in discussion with another Admin slated for this weekend. Let me know if something added does not appear in 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:21, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::I see. When you get a chance,, https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield2.jpg<br />
[https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Hamas-again-uses-Gazan-civilians-as-human-shields-July-2014.aspx source] And thanks again for your awesome work.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:25, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield2.jpg Here's the latest]. Thanks for understanding. CP Admins are notorious for garbled communication and things can get fouled up. Everybody is preoccupied with their own pet projects. But I'm your advocate here and the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly sometimes. If it's not inconvenient, you can provide to me diffs that show the lag time on edits appearing (I'm assuming nothing has been censored or removed). The time stamp on the diff could help. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:33, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Thanks so much. And I was curious to ask what's the story with the cat you have in your profile. This one https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield.jpg belongs also to the last source. It's in Arabic <br />
'Announcement from the ("Palestinian") ministry of the interior to the residents of the Gaza Strip, telling them not to pay attention to IDF announcements about vacating their homes'.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:39, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield.jpg Here's the Arabic statement]. As to the cat, it's been an ongoing game of cat n mouse with trolls from Rationalwiki for 15 years. It's just a message that I'm always here, always watching, vetting content, ready to pounce. Some of my fellow Admins think I'm paranoid and nuts, but I know who the trolls are and can identify them easily after 15 years on the job. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::That site... I see. I presume CP had many hackers' attempts too in course of years, no doubts.|| This one is of the recent famous event in May 16. https://www.algemeiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2.jpg [https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/16/idf-releases-video-showing-pilot-aborting-air-strike-after-spotting-children-in-target-area/ source] [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 14:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Command_Control.jpg This img has a better resolution than the one uploaded last night]. We've experienced every kind of Crapflood and DDoS attack imaginable. Most of it can be traced to the RW network and Wikipedia Rogue Admin cabal. I wouldn't be surprised if we've come to the attention of the Chinese 50 cent Army lately. Right now, according to Alexa, visitors are spending one hour Time on Site without the actual number of unique visitors going up, which to me looks like a clickbot attack. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Message ==<br />
I am sorry if I haven't responded. I just don't know that you have sent responses. I am not ignoring them. [[User:ChadUser|ChadUser]] ([[User talk:ChadUser|talk]]) 16:46, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reverts and "Protected" ==<br />
So engaging in discussion is "harassing" to you? Isn't that was is recommended and the policy? Communication? And engagement? Even if blunt? You removed my section on Northwest's talk page, and then did what you did. You obviosly have njo credibility...so it's irrelevant at this point. But I'm curious.... (And I know you'll probably just dodge and delete...like a rude juvenile no-answer schmuck...as you've proven what type of person and editor you are already...) But I am curious....<br />
<br />
Why exactly did you revert me before putting that protection on that JW article, when my reverts were the justified ones? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. <br />
<br />
David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. <br />
<br />
An editor on this thing may have hundreds of thousands of edits, hundreds of GAs, FAs, dozens of barnstars and a legion of friends-and-relations; DOESN'T MATTER....because, disruption is disruption, POV is POV, and tendentious malicious mendacious editing is tendentious malicious mendacious editing,no matter how does it. <br />
<br />
David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:08, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:RobSmith&diff=1758264User talk:RobSmith2021-05-22T04:13:03Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Reverts and "Protected" and false charges of "harassment" when it's communication and engagement as RECOMMENDED BY POLICY</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Graph (1).png|right|500px|thumb|]]<br />
February 3, 2020 - September 30, 2020 - '''145,228''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 3, 2020 - Election day.<br />
:hypestat: '''33K''' visitors and '''206,000''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 23, 2020 - DDoS attack<br />
<br />
'''December 29, 2020''' - started keeping records in Slack.<br />
Country Alexa Rank<br />
United States '''#63,303''' <br />
:hypestat: '''27.1K''' visitors and 67,786 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
January 2021 - Similiarweb data [https://www.similarweb.com/website/conservapedia.com/]<br />
United States '''#31,638'''<br />
<br />
'''February 1, 2021''' - throughout Capitol riot and impeachment. <br />
United States '''#33,508'''<br />
<br />
February 3, 2021 - Rob's de-sysoping.<br />
<br />
February 11, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''24.7K''' daily visitors Daily Pageviews 61,624.<br />
<br />
February 13, 2021 - Last Google cache until March 25, 2021<br />
<br />
February 15, 2021<br />
United States #36,617<br />
<br />
February 16, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''23.7K''' visitors and 56,793 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
February 17, 2021<br />
United States #40,319<br />
<br />
February 19, 2021<br />
United States #45,529<br />
<br />
February 23, 2021<br />
United States #50,091<br />
<br />
February 24, 2021<br />
United States #58,914<br />
<br />
February 28, 2021<br />
United States #61,140<br />
<br />
March 1, 2021<br />
United States #72,355<br />
<br />
March 2, 2021 <br />
United States #81,250<br />
<br />
March 3, 2021<br />
United States #87,177<br />
<br />
March 4, 2021<br />
United States #94,183<br />
:hypestat: '''21.2K''' visitors and 52,997 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 5, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''20.7K''' visitors and 51,764 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 6, 2021<br />
United States #99,248<br />
<br />
March 7, 2021<br />
United States #109,993<br />
:'''#158,631''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
<br />
March 8, 2021<br />
United States '''#120,617'''<br />
<br />
March 30, 2021 <br />
:hypestat: 20.7K visitors and '''49,694''' page impressions per day<br />
:2.4 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:27 Daily Time on Site <br />
:Traffic Sources Past 30 Days 24% Search <br />
<br />
April 2, 2021<br />
:2.3 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:24 Daily Time on Site <br />
<br />
April 4, 2021<br />
:2:14 Daily Time on Site<br />
<br />
April 5, 2021 - RobSmith blocked until April 12, 2021<br />
<br />
April 11, 2021<br />
:'''172,231''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2:12''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestat: '''19.2K''' visitors and 44,221 page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
April 12, 2021<br />
:'''173,873''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2.2''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:news lows<br />
<br />
April 13, 2021<br />
:'''175,407''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:hypestat: '''18.7K''' visitors and '''41,214''' page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
Restored - welcome back.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:14, 17 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 18 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
April 23, 2021<br />
:'''130,885''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:United States '''#34,760'''<br />
:'''6.3''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:'''7:08''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestate: '''19.7K''' visitors and '''120,290''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Estimated value of Conservapedia.com is $976,213.61<br />
:near term highs<br />
<br />
:Karajou reinstated<br />
<br />
April 24, 2021<br />
United States '''#29,655'''<br />
:new near term high<br />
<br />
May 2, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.7K''' visitors and '''177,477''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Monthly Visits (SEMrush): 169,321<br />
:Monthly Unique Visitors (SEMrush): 124,005<br />
:Monthly Visits (SimilarWeb): 366,059<br />
:Daily Unique Visitors: 17,748<br />
:daily visitors down 2,000<br />
<br />
May 4, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.3K''' visitors and 258,821 page impressions per day.<br />
:loss of another 400 viewers.<br />
:Analysis: the trolls have the Alexa App - which gathers the information Alexa uses - installed on their browsers and leave open pages on their browser 24 hours a day while they do reconnaissance on which pages to target, in addition to their routine trolling. This distorts Time on site and Page views per visitor stats, with a direct impact on Alexa ranking stats.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<br />
== Hey, Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Where can I find the inactive template? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayoise the editor]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 20:40, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Copy paste it from here. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:RobSmith&action=edit] Incidentally, I reviewed both your stub about the Welsh guy and the WP article, and didn't see any "copying" from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup><br />
:Unless of course you call reporting historical facts "copying". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:03, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Another question. ==<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of everipedia? --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:11, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Sounds vaguely familiar. What is it? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:13, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:It’s similar to Wikipedia. It basically ported Wikipedia’s articles over. --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:14, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Sounds interesting They're ranked 26,000 globally and 8,000 domestically. [https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/everipedia.org] They eventually are concerned about their rank, competitiveness, and readership. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:31, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::Does this article look bad for a start? https://conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge<br />
::::No. It doesn't look anymore copied from Wikipedia any more than Conservapedia copied the idea of a source of knowledge from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 22:02, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::::So much for quitting eh Rob?--[[User:Mercian12|Mercian12]] ([[User talk:Mercian12|talk]]) 19:44, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::::I'm looking for a few doggie biscuits. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:47, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Greetings RobS, how are you doing? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, Rob. I'm back. Hope you've been well. Thanks for all your efforts and hard work in making Conservapedia the great place that it is. I wonder if you've seen the recent Gordon Cromwell Report on the Status of Global Christianity 2021? I'm praying and working for Global Christianity to reach 3 Billion Souls - wow, how pleasing that would be to the Lord Jesus - by 2030. Please work with me and may all Christians unite for Christendom's sake!<br />
<br />
In Our Lord Jesus,<br />
Nishant X. God Bless.<br />
<br />
:Thank you. Good to see you. Hope you've been well. Did you know that 20% of all CP traffic right now is coming from India? Your timing of a comeback couldn't have been better. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:57, 21 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Welcome back NishantXavier! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 00:06, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Great to know, Rob! India is going to rise to internet prominence in the next decade, with an estimated 1 billion internet users by 2025! https://www.analyticsinsight.net/india-estimated-to-reach-1-billion-internet-users-by-2025/ Thanks for all your great efforts in promoting Conservapedia! Together, we can reach the world, your country, the great USA, my country, my beloved India, for the Gospel, and the Conservative Cause!<br />
<br />
I pray Our Lord Jesus will richly bless you and reward you for your good efforts in contributing to the Cause, in this life and the next. God Bless.<br />
<br />
Edit: Thanks, LT. You're the reason I returned. Thanks for emailing me to remind me. Thanks for all your great work in promoting Conservapedia too![[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 00:09, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Please see if you can contribute to this article: https://conservapedia.com/Debate:_Will_Christianity_reach_3_billion_adherents_by_2030 [[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 04:35, 26 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== My update to the civility guideliness ==<br />
<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:33, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:34, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:48, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Black Lives Matter / Stacey Abrams / Noah Green ==<br />
<br />
What was the idea of undoing [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Black_Lives_Matter&curid=138053&diff=1741707&oldid=1741699 my edits] in the [[Black Lives Matter]] article, which I intended to clean up part of the article (including replacing liberal-preferred terms with more appropriate ones) and add info? Also regarding [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 the edit you pointed out] in the Stacey Abrams article, I didn't miss it because it was accurate and sourced and it didn't need to be dealt with. In the [[Noah Green]] article, I also replaced the New York Times and Mediaite links with one from TGP because [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages#Partisanship of Sources|per CP's guidelines, liberal news sources (such as the NYT and Mediaite) are not trustworthy due to their partisan bias and penchant for blatantly lying to suit the liberal narrative]]. Are you just trying to stir up trouble again because I'm actually trying to get articles cleaned up? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:10, 3 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I just reviewed the CP Guidelines page you linked to, and nowhere on that page does the phrase "liberal news sources" appear, let alone your specific parenthetical inclusions. Nice try. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:34, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Your recent post on my talk page ==<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get the memo, Islam is not a "race", and making such a false accusation (as well as falsely accusing me of "trolling") is not only a case of you doing the trolling yourself (and trying to start yet another fight), but by making it about race when it has nothing to do with such (which [[liberalism and racism|only liberals do]]), you're displaying racism yourself. Tread lightly. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:04, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Full disclosure: here is the text of an email I just sent to Andy.<br />
{{quotebox|"I have just cause to be angry about User: Northwest's racist trolling. RobSmith edits under his real life identity. In an effort to find neutral language for the birther movement, I am the Admin who reverted Northwest's racist trolling and put in "said to be born in Honolulu" (as cited by Eugene Robinson of WaPo). I cleaned up Northwest's racist trolling in at least a half dozen articles with neutral compromise language. For those efforts, there now is a webpage on the internet calling me a racist and birther, for which I am neither. And Northwest does not edit under his true life identity.<br />
<br />
Andy can't be involved in all aspects of CP day-to-day, but had I blocked Northwest for 5 years in 2017 for what on its face looks like subversive racist trolling, Conservapedia would still be in the 30,000 today rather than fighting to remain in top 90,000.<br />
<br />
By Andy's actions, trusting and rewarding racists trolls while disciplining good-faith users who risked their own names and reputations, not to mention dedicating their valuable time and lives to the project, makes the notion of CP being a meritocracy a joke. Andy needs to wake up and smell the coffee.}}<br />
I suggest you stop stalking pages I create edit or create, stop harassing other users, and stop making threats and allow Andy to complete his full review. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 10:32, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:So basically, you lied to Andy and you're lying now on your own talk page (while still trying to make trouble, make false accusations, start fights, play the "victim" and project your own racism and trolling while making your imagined issue about race, even though it actually has nothing to do with race). All you're doing is still making yourself look bad in the process. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Why is it you sound more like a program than a thinking human being? Why are all responses programmed ("only liberals call people racists, therefore you are a liberal", "the NYT is liberal, therefore bad, wrong, and evil", etc). If you are not a sockpuppet of Karajou, you likely advanced your CP career by parroting him. Only Karajou is capable of human reason, emotion, and discussion. You are not. You sound like program whose only purpose is to harm the project and sow division. Conservapedia has suffered the likes of your kind in the past. It's nothing new. And don't threaten me. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:49, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I saw Karajou lost his admin. ==<br />
<br />
Have you seen yet? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 05:14, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Not til now. Looks like a policy shift away from arbitrary blocking and enforcement of site policies. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:17, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Is his death date known? ==<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 12:28, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:According to the German wiki, unknown. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter] If no body was recovered, he may have disappeared into the Soviet gulag or was executed on the spot after I945. The same fate happened to hundreds of thousands at that time. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:46, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Question. ==<br />
<br />
Who can start Conservapedia projects? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Anybody, I guess. Unless a senior Admin tries to kill it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:51, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I recently made a proposal for comment at the Community Portal and another Admin hit the SiteAdmin panic button, shut the site down, claimed it was an attempt by Rationalwiki to take over the site, and I got de-sysoped. So honestly, I don't know how to answer your question. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:55, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Hey RobS. ==<br />
<br />
How are you. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 16:21, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I'm breathing and still have a pulse. But the deep state still has its knee on my neck. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:30, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Nice Edit! ==<br />
I saw the edit to my contribution on the article [[Democratic Plantation]] regrading Sen. Tim Scott. I concur... [[User:Let us eat lettuce|Let us eat lettuce]] ([[User talk:Let us eat lettuce|talk]]) 21:17, 3 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Are the images on this page able to be used on the person's article (if they have one)? <br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Gallery_of_British_Heroes --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 09:54, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I don't see why not. We stopped paying rent to them a long time ago. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:34, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Conservapedia Guidelines ==<br />
<br />
Pointing out your abuses of power and your own incivility, false accusations (i.e. "violation of 90/10", which I did ''not'' do if you'd pay attention to my contributions page) and attacks on me is ''not'' "attacking" - and besides, as the guidelines themselves say, my user page, my castle. And incidentally, you yourself are guilty of incivility, bullying, ridiculing and attacking other users here (per your history), so you have no ground to stand on with your argument. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 16:45, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I need your opinion. ==<br />
<br />
How is this article so far?<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Joseph_D._Sayers --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Well, it's interesting how he went from Birth to fighting in Civil War battles. Perhaps you need more subdivisions or retitle "Birth" as "Early life". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:54, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== New Discussion - Friendly Notice ==<br />
<br />
Hey RobSmith. I just wanted to let you know I started a discussion about new content (Maybe a new article for it) about content on Wikipedia. You can see the discussion here: [[Conservapedia:Community Portal#Discussion for a possible new Wikipedia Article]]. I am letting the active editors know about the discussion. Feel free to drop your opinion in it! --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 18:12, 14 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
==Thanks Rob==<br />
<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Thanks so much.<br />
<br />
Kudos to the great work you do.<br />
<br />
Question. I noticed, sometimes, there is a block from editing any page, there appears only the 'view sources,' page stating, only administrators can edit. <br />
<br />
I see it takes some time from the time I edit a page and seeing the edit while signed on, till it appears to the 'outside world.'<br />
<br />
If/when I do have images, how does one upload it here, or how do I send them to you rather?<br />
<br />
Thinking of a page dedicated to the issue of using civilians by anti-Anerican and anti-Israel forces. There are images from certain domains. Is there a way you can upload them, so that it is saved, conserved-on-conservapedia? <br />
<br />
<br />
God bless.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:(1) We have a robot Minuteman who does temporary autoblocks when it detects unusual activity, such as adding or removing large blocks of text. It accidentally blocked you for about 5 minutes last night til I caught it. Sorry for the inconvenience. We can work around it.<br />
<br />
:(2) As to images, just place a link here on my talk page and I'll upload it. Please make sure it's not copyright material, like the Associated Press for example.<br />
<br />
:Thanks again, you're doing great work. I'm trying to cover all bases by creating Redirects. So far I have [[2021 Gaza War]] and [[2021 Hamas war]]. We'll probably do a [[2021 Isreali-Palestinian conflict]] eventually as well. But we also need a title to emphasize that attacks are coming from Lebanon and Syria,as well. Any suggestions? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:10, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Sounds great.<br />
Here are links to images re human shields:<br />
The BBC image, its URL source is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm which contains several.<br />
<br />
https://sderotmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/hamashumanshields.jpg<br />
<br />
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4422/2704/1600/palestinianuseofhumanshields1.jpg<br />
<br />
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xlOQjfLk_ks/SWKuHzgvc9I/AAAAAAAAAC4/7MiTOUg3rWc/s1600-h/terrorchildren2.jpg<br />
<br />
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WPgVvOHdsLQ/maxresdefault.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/Uploads/pics/%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.outlookindia.com/public/uploads/gallery/20040512/gaza_palestinian_militants_040512.jpg<br />
<br />
https://avaazdo.s3.amazonaws.com/350db222d9c32f2bca8e1ebea01ae80d.png<br />
<br />
https://static.educalingo.com/img/en/800/human-shield.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sites/default/files/images/articles/2018/04/21/152433084061_b.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg<br />
<br />
https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Children-in-Hamas-Summer-Gamp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/08/fff-e1408151169183.jpg<br />
<br />
https://img.mako.co.il/2011/04/12/166411.jpg<br />
<br />
https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/12/Using-an-Ambulance-as-a-Shield-2.jpeg<br />
<br />
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42337000/jpg/_42337228_women_afp.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.idf.il/media/27099/hamas-children.png<br />
<br />
http://www.thetower.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FeaturedImage_2018-08-23_155940_YouTube_Hamas_Human_Shields.jpg<br />
<br />
https://blinchiki.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/human-shield-2.jpg<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Heres most of them]. Give me a few minutes, I'm still working on 2 or 3. One is too large to upload, so I'm going to try something another way. If it doesn't work, you may have to look for a smaller version. I'll put the link to the uploads on the talk page, too. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:12, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Please take your time. No rush. <br />
<br />
:::There all done except the [https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg one that is too large.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
On an unrelated matter, where would the following item go:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/joe-biden-leaves-god-out-of-the-national-day-of-prayer/amp/ Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer]. National Review. May 10, 2021. Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer</blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
Blessings.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:In the Joe Biden article. I'd put it here for now [[Joseph_Biden#Unity]], and depending how much information you have I can work on integrating it into the article later. Great catch, too! [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You're right.<br />
<br />
<br />
BTW the following are related published cartoons. Should they be uploaded?<br />
<br />
<br />
http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/15638000/ngbbs47c9c30f04c8f.jpg<br />
<br />
<br />
http://markhumphrys.com/Bitmaps/israel.11.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/152477/500/15247.png<br />
<br />
https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2014/07/ed-1024x736.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg<br />
<br />
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-07-16-Smith_C20140715HP.jpg<br />
<br />
http://image.cagle.com/150976/500/150976.png<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:Generally, cartoons are copyright material, so we have to look at the terms of use from the original source. Look for wording such as "permission granted with proper attribution" or some such. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:26, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:[https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg This one] for example, we may be able to use with attribution to the photographer. if someone complains later, big deal, we'll take it down. We're not using it for commercial exploitation. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:32, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Yes. It is good that the sources of the files are posted here, in case for any complaints.<br />
<br />
How do I use attributes (sizes) within the wiki page? (Width="" height="")?<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Here's the basic format: <nowiki>[[File:Paste image here.jpg|right|300px|thumb|add text here]]</nowiki> <br />
<br />
:I typically use 300px to 350px for images in the body of articles. You can change position from right to left. The 'thumb' allows for a box to add text, which can even hold footnotes to external links. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:06, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Great help. Thanks for already resizing the large one there...[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::I added the new article to Template:Terrorism, which de-orphaned the page and created several [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Human_shields_by_terrorists&limit=500 inbound internal links]. This will help in Google results. I'm looking to create more internal links to Guardian of Walls also. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:21, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Very smart.<br />
BTW.<br />
<br />
The following image, as quoted in this tweet about an Arab nurse (Yusuf Naim) resident of and working in Israel, who put in his Instagram simply "Palestinian nazi"<br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914/photo/1<br />
Main tweet: <br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914<br />
<br />
(Nevermind the irony. As Hitler would exterminate also the Arabs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181121205350/https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/have-no-doubt-hitler-would-have-wiped-out-arabs-after-jews-26277585.html Have no doubt Hitler would have wiped out Arabs after Jews, The Independent, 24 February 2007] eventually as another "inferior race" in his eyes)<br />
<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:This guy's a professional nurse? Those imgs can be uploaded, no problem. And if they get deleted from Twitter, we have a record here, then. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:45, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Arabs? Possibly. Muslims however, did [https://conservapedia.com/Adolf_Hitler#Barbarossa serve in the SS.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Agreed. And an Arab author explained, Hitler's people tried to convince themselves the Mufti [[Haj Amin al-Husseini]] isn't pure Arab in blood... || And the guy, Yusuf Naim is a nurse, he worked as such in the Israeli Hadassah hospital before being suspended over this. || I tried to insert this url of image https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1dG7I-XMAAiEUm.jpg , it didn't work. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Your tax dollars at work. As to the Arabs, the Nazis classified their Japanese allies as "Honorary Aryans" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_Aryan] The same could have been done to Arabs for service to the Reich. But now we're into coulda woulda shoulda historical writing. All we have are facts to deal with. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:52, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Hi Rob. If and when you have a chance for these two images to be uploaded, please. The second is from the BBC a few years back.<br />
<br />
https://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Web_F081218AA01.jpg<br />
<br />
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/76535000/jpg/_76535336_shields.jpg<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:57, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=RobSmith&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= Done.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: Rob the great one... one more here when you can - https://mfa.gov.il/MFA_Graphics/MFA%20Gallery/2011/Turkel/ambulance.jpg <br />
Thanks. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Done. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:38, 20 May 2021 (EDT) [[File:Ambulance.jpg|center|250px|thumb|]]<br />
<br />
___<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Great job. Here are three images. One related to human shields. The other two to genocidal call by Hamas.<br />
<br />
<br />
* http://www.peacewithrealism.org/images/hammad.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://palwatch.org/page/1089][https://youtu.be/RTu-AUE9ycs]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://stream.org/wp-content/uploads/Memri-hamas-1.jpg<br />
<br />
Related to [https://stream.org/hamas-wants-to-kill-all-jews-worldwide/]<br />
<br />
__<br />
<br />
* https://likoed.nl/wp-content/uploads-plikud01/2016/03/By-Allah-we-will-dig-up-your-bones1.jpg <br />
<br />
Related to:<br />
[Https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-cleric-and-tv-host-abu-funun-we-will-not-leave-single-jew-dead-or-alive-our-land]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 23:10, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Done]. These people are sick. I hope you don't use the ceasefire to slowdown reporting, but rather to catch up. There is so much there readers need to see and hear. Even in New York, Los Angelas, and elsewhere. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:40, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You are do right. BTW, efardibg NY/LA... there is a parallel between the recent Islamic "protesters" appearing in one particular area in Manhattan violently and May 1, 2020 some Islamic "activists" taking advantage of BLM protests and carrying out an attack in LA, including graffiti of "palestine" on a synagogue. It was facilitated by a BLM operative Melina Abdullah (mostly raisd by her mother) who is a Farrakhan fan.. Why, if not intolerance was the particular Fairfax area even chosen?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:23, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::If you're too busy with events on the ground there in Israel, I can add content about it here in the U.S. and may elsewhere (London for example). Just create a subheading for it where you think it appropriate and I'll add it daily as news comes in. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:27, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Are you referring to something like a blog/column of updates on the main page? BTW I'm concerned about our country here in the US. But, it's just that it's so sensitive there and threat to survival and demonization are constant, at the same time. (True David VS Goliath, in many aspects) . And both countries are bound in shared values.|| Sorry to bother you with one more:<br />
http://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/israel-pilot.jpg [https://nypost.com/2021/05/18/israeli-video-shows-mission-being-scrubbed-after-kids-were-seen/amp/ source]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::(ec)I mean separating violent protests and incidents outside Israel in the mainspace of the article. Rocket launches from Syria, for example, should probably go under their own subheading. As well as people eating in restaurants in NY and LA getting beat up.<br />
<br />
:::::I do have Main Page access for headlines. This site however, is somewhat anti-[[neocon]] so the headlines can't be made to look like somebody is trying to drag the U.S. into war. OTOH, stories about [[AOC]] and [[The Squad]] trying to sabotage U.S. commitments to allies or being sympathetic to terrorists certainly is newsworthy. When you find a headline like that that appeals to U.S. readers, you can feed it to me and I'll see what I can do with it to link the [[Guardian of Walls]] article from the Main Page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:50, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::::Latest img is uploaded. Bottomline, from my perspective, Israel is at war with Iran right now. Hamas are just the frontline foot soldiers and proxies. And most Americans do not understand this, as Biden and Kerry seek to facilitate an iranian nuclear weapon. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:59, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::Of course the main page should be about US 'direct' news. I actually joined this site when liberals tried to portrayed Ahmad Al Issa as some Trumpist-white-supremacist... BTW I'm for clarity, especially about bias in the media and that other site.. I am not advocating for any wars. For these decisions I leave for experts. . A little secret... I might be able to dig up some AOL email I sent at the time against invading Iraq. There is also a huge difference between an operation or operations and an invasion. And yes, the elephant in the room is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Weak Biden knows more than Sanders, but he is not the de-facto leader of the Dems... Radical leftists have grown stronger there (not that Omar/Tlaib are true progressives like AOC and Sanders, this pair's true agenda isn't entirely as the others in the group. Their joint appearances should not fool anyone.. The squad isn't made all of the same cloth. Though in reality, on the ground, as is, this gang is detrimental to our country for many aspects) though there is an internal struggle there. The 'conflict' in the middle east is about incitement to intolerance. Since the 1920s by the Mufti (who also assassinated the moderates) and still going on today http://palwatch.org school textbooks, plays/shows at a very young age or in mosque, which is why the April spike in attacks on Jews inside Israel who are known not to serve in the Israeli army shows the 'real' problem, beyond "issus". And of course dead kids pics are powerful in the campaign for this purpose. The element of forcefully spreading one particular religion should not be overlooked.. Further on, 'if' any attacks in the US occur they don't have to be related to 'Guardian of Walls'. Another parallel point, the race card being obsessively abused at every corner for political purposes here in God's great country is played so in the Haaretz phenomenon of the last decades (vs what it was historically they even give voice for rewriters of history), the paper's more popular outside Israel very much adopted by radical left internationally but most in Israel regard it as radical, fringe. Most Israelis have faith in God. || Here is a recent image: https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/israel5-1.jpg<br />
[https://hannity.com/media-room/listen-palestinian-tells-israeli-soldier-if-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die/ source] Will embed/link the Hannity source in it|| Thanks and have a great weekend.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Got it with my [https://conservapedia.com/File:Israel5-1.png Snipping tool on Windows 10.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Great! I think you have an excellent understanding of the facts we are dealing with. Me personally, I have a deep abiding mistrust of American mainstream media, and I'm much impressed with the sources you have been using. These are the facts we can bring to readers and the American public. Feel free, please, to update [[The Squad]], AOC, or any other members' articles with their comments and reactions to these gross and vile human rights violations we are witnessing daily, or how it was facilitated by the present regime occupying the White House with cash to terrorist organizations. Or expanding the role the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] is playing in all this. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Summing up your words. True, concise and precise. There are many factors in media bias [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Question. How long is the delay from what is seen (edited matetial) internally by site users and external view - what is seen by all?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:51, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I don't really know. I believe users accessing the site, like yourself or anybody else, see the current version. The question is how long before Google or others Index the site to appear in Search engine results, which I think is about 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::IOWs, when Google scans the site, they are looking at a 72 hour old version, I think. The site owner knows those details and hasn't shared them. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:57, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::Interesting. But in case you haven't noticed it. Try viewing a page you or others just edited. Then sign off and view at it again. Spot the difference.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
::::As I noted earlier, Conservapedia famously has been the target of trolling attacks, so new users have to go through a probationary period to establish ''bona fides''. Apparently the site owner is reviewing your edits, at which point you'll be granted more users rights, etc. (like SkipCaptcha is the bottom rung of the ladder). The problem is, he also has a fulltime job and his time can be limited. Just keep doing what your doing and there shouldn't be a problem (we've discussed the anti-neocon editorial stance already). My guess is that any alleged 'controversial' edits should be cleared in 72 hours. I'll bring this up in discussion with another Admin slated for this weekend. Let me know if something added does not appear in 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:21, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::I see. When you get a chance,, https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield2.jpg<br />
[https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Hamas-again-uses-Gazan-civilians-as-human-shields-July-2014.aspx source] And thanks again for your awesome work.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:25, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield2.jpg Here's the latest]. Thanks for understanding. CP Admins are notorious for garbled communication and things can get fouled up. Everybody is preoccupied with their own pet projects. But I'm your advocate here and the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly sometimes. If it's not inconvenient, you can provide to me diffs that show the lag time on edits appearing (I'm assuming nothing has been censored or removed). The time stamp on the diff could help. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:33, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Thanks so much. And I was curious to ask what's the story with the cat you have in your profile. This one https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield.jpg belongs also to the last source. It's in Arabic <br />
'Announcement from the ("Palestinian") ministry of the interior to the residents of the Gaza Strip, telling them not to pay attention to IDF announcements about vacating their homes'.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:39, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield.jpg Here's the Arabic statement]. As to the cat, it's been an ongoing game of cat n mouse with trolls from Rationalwiki for 15 years. It's just a message that I'm always here, always watching, vetting content, ready to pounce. Some of my fellow Admins think I'm paranoid and nuts, but I know who the trolls are and can identify them easily after 15 years on the job. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::That site... I see. I presume CP had many hackers' attempts too in course of years, no doubts.|| This one is of the recent famous event in May 16. https://www.algemeiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2.jpg [https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/16/idf-releases-video-showing-pilot-aborting-air-strike-after-spotting-children-in-target-area/ source] [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 14:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Command_Control.jpg This img has a better resolution than the one uploaded last night]. We've experienced every kind of Crapflood and DDoS attack imaginable. Most of it can be traced to the RW network and Wikipedia Rogue Admin cabal. I wouldn't be surprised if we've come to the attention of the Chinese 50 cent Army lately. Right now, according to Alexa, visitors are spending one hour Time on Site without the actual number of unique visitors going up, which to me looks like a clickbot attack. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Message ==<br />
I am sorry if I haven't responded. I just don't know that you have sent responses. I am not ignoring them. [[User:ChadUser|ChadUser]] ([[User talk:ChadUser|talk]]) 16:46, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reverts and "Protected" ==<br />
<br />
Hello. So engaging in discussion is "harassing" to you? Isn't that was is recommended and the policy? Communication? And engagement? Even if blunt? You removed my section on Northwest's talk page, and then did what you did. You obviosly have njo credibility...so it's irrelevant at this point. But I'm curious.... (And I know you'll probably just dodge and delete...like a rude juvenile no-answer schmuck...as you've proven what type of person and editor you are already...) But I am curious....<br />
<br />
Why exactly did you revert me before putting that protection on that JW article, when my reverts were the justified ones? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. <br />
<br />
David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. <br />
<br />
An editor on this thing may have hundreds of thousands of edits, hundreds of GAs, FAs, dozens of barnstars and a legion of friends-and-relations; DOESN'T MATTER....because, disruption is disruption, POV is POV, and tendentious malicious mendacious editing is tendentious malicious mendacious editing,no matter how does it. <br />
<br />
David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:08, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:RobSmith&diff=1758263User talk:RobSmith2021-05-22T04:08:21Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Reverts and "Protected" */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Graph (1).png|right|500px|thumb|]]<br />
February 3, 2020 - September 30, 2020 - '''145,228''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 3, 2020 - Election day.<br />
:hypestat: '''33K''' visitors and '''206,000''' page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
November 23, 2020 - DDoS attack<br />
<br />
'''December 29, 2020''' - started keeping records in Slack.<br />
Country Alexa Rank<br />
United States '''#63,303''' <br />
:hypestat: '''27.1K''' visitors and 67,786 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
January 2021 - Similiarweb data [https://www.similarweb.com/website/conservapedia.com/]<br />
United States '''#31,638'''<br />
<br />
'''February 1, 2021''' - throughout Capitol riot and impeachment. <br />
United States '''#33,508'''<br />
<br />
February 3, 2021 - Rob's de-sysoping.<br />
<br />
February 11, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''24.7K''' daily visitors Daily Pageviews 61,624.<br />
<br />
February 13, 2021 - Last Google cache until March 25, 2021<br />
<br />
February 15, 2021<br />
United States #36,617<br />
<br />
February 16, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''23.7K''' visitors and 56,793 page impressions per day.<br />
<br />
February 17, 2021<br />
United States #40,319<br />
<br />
February 19, 2021<br />
United States #45,529<br />
<br />
February 23, 2021<br />
United States #50,091<br />
<br />
February 24, 2021<br />
United States #58,914<br />
<br />
February 28, 2021<br />
United States #61,140<br />
<br />
March 1, 2021<br />
United States #72,355<br />
<br />
March 2, 2021 <br />
United States #81,250<br />
<br />
March 3, 2021<br />
United States #87,177<br />
<br />
March 4, 2021<br />
United States #94,183<br />
:hypestat: '''21.2K''' visitors and 52,997 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 5, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''20.7K''' visitors and 51,764 page impressions per day<br />
<br />
March 6, 2021<br />
United States #99,248<br />
<br />
March 7, 2021<br />
United States #109,993<br />
:'''#158,631''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
<br />
March 8, 2021<br />
United States '''#120,617'''<br />
<br />
March 30, 2021 <br />
:hypestat: 20.7K visitors and '''49,694''' page impressions per day<br />
:2.4 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:27 Daily Time on Site <br />
:Traffic Sources Past 30 Days 24% Search <br />
<br />
April 2, 2021<br />
:2.3 Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:2:24 Daily Time on Site <br />
<br />
April 4, 2021<br />
:2:14 Daily Time on Site<br />
<br />
April 5, 2021 - RobSmith blocked until April 12, 2021<br />
<br />
April 11, 2021<br />
:'''172,231''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2:12''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestat: '''19.2K''' visitors and 44,221 page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
April 12, 2021<br />
:'''173,873''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:'''2.2''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:news lows<br />
<br />
April 13, 2021<br />
:'''175,407''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:hypestat: '''18.7K''' visitors and '''41,214''' page impressions per day<br />
:new lows<br />
<br />
Restored - welcome back.--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:14, 17 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 18 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
April 23, 2021<br />
:'''130,885''' In global internet traffic and engagement over the past 90 days<br />
:United States '''#34,760'''<br />
:'''6.3''' Daily Pageviews per Visitor<br />
:'''7:08''' Daily Time on Site <br />
:hypestate: '''19.7K''' visitors and '''120,290''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Estimated value of Conservapedia.com is $976,213.61<br />
:near term highs<br />
<br />
:Karajou reinstated<br />
<br />
April 24, 2021<br />
United States '''#29,655'''<br />
:new near term high<br />
<br />
May 2, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.7K''' visitors and '''177,477''' page impressions per day.<br />
:Monthly Visits (SEMrush): 169,321<br />
:Monthly Unique Visitors (SEMrush): 124,005<br />
:Monthly Visits (SimilarWeb): 366,059<br />
:Daily Unique Visitors: 17,748<br />
:daily visitors down 2,000<br />
<br />
May 4, 2021<br />
:hypestat: '''17.3K''' visitors and 258,821 page impressions per day.<br />
:loss of another 400 viewers.<br />
:Analysis: the trolls have the Alexa App - which gathers the information Alexa uses - installed on their browsers and leave open pages on their browser 24 hours a day while they do reconnaissance on which pages to target, in addition to their routine trolling. This distorts Time on site and Page views per visitor stats, with a direct impact on Alexa ranking stats.<br />
<br />
{{clear}}<br />
== Hey, Rob. ==<br />
<br />
Where can I find the inactive template? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayoise the editor]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 20:40, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Copy paste it from here. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:RobSmith&action=edit] Incidentally, I reviewed both your stub about the Welsh guy and the WP article, and didn't see any "copying" from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup><br />
:Unless of course you call reporting historical facts "copying". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:03, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Another question. ==<br />
<br />
Have you ever heard of everipedia? --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:11, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Sounds vaguely familiar. What is it? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:13, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:It’s similar to Wikipedia. It basically ported Wikipedia’s articles over. --[[User:Yeschayi|Builder]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 21:14, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Sounds interesting They're ranked 26,000 globally and 8,000 domestically. [https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/everipedia.org] They eventually are concerned about their rank, competitiveness, and readership. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 21:31, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::Does this article look bad for a start? https://conservapedia.com/Battle_of_Stamford_Bridge<br />
::::No. It doesn't look anymore copied from Wikipedia any more than Conservapedia copied the idea of a source of knowledge from Wikipedia. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 22:02, 4 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::::So much for quitting eh Rob?--[[User:Mercian12|Mercian12]] ([[User talk:Mercian12|talk]]) 19:44, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:::::I'm looking for a few doggie biscuits. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:47, 12 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Greetings RobS, how are you doing? ==<br />
<br />
Hello, Rob. I'm back. Hope you've been well. Thanks for all your efforts and hard work in making Conservapedia the great place that it is. I wonder if you've seen the recent Gordon Cromwell Report on the Status of Global Christianity 2021? I'm praying and working for Global Christianity to reach 3 Billion Souls - wow, how pleasing that would be to the Lord Jesus - by 2030. Please work with me and may all Christians unite for Christendom's sake!<br />
<br />
In Our Lord Jesus,<br />
Nishant X. God Bless.<br />
<br />
:Thank you. Good to see you. Hope you've been well. Did you know that 20% of all CP traffic right now is coming from India? Your timing of a comeback couldn't have been better. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:57, 21 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Welcome back NishantXavier! —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Monday, 00:06, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Great to know, Rob! India is going to rise to internet prominence in the next decade, with an estimated 1 billion internet users by 2025! https://www.analyticsinsight.net/india-estimated-to-reach-1-billion-internet-users-by-2025/ Thanks for all your great efforts in promoting Conservapedia! Together, we can reach the world, your country, the great USA, my country, my beloved India, for the Gospel, and the Conservative Cause!<br />
<br />
I pray Our Lord Jesus will richly bless you and reward you for your good efforts in contributing to the Cause, in this life and the next. God Bless.<br />
<br />
Edit: Thanks, LT. You're the reason I returned. Thanks for emailing me to remind me. Thanks for all your great work in promoting Conservapedia too![[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 00:09, 22 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Hi Rob. Please see if you can contribute to this article: https://conservapedia.com/Debate:_Will_Christianity_reach_3_billion_adherents_by_2030 [[User:NishantXavier|NishantXavier]]<sup>[[User talk:NishantXavier|For Christ the King]]</sup> 04:35, 26 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== My update to the civility guideliness ==<br />
<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:33, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:34, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
<br />
(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
<br />
(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
<br />
(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
<br />
(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:48, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Black Lives Matter / Stacey Abrams / Noah Green ==<br />
<br />
What was the idea of undoing [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Black_Lives_Matter&curid=138053&diff=1741707&oldid=1741699 my edits] in the [[Black Lives Matter]] article, which I intended to clean up part of the article (including replacing liberal-preferred terms with more appropriate ones) and add info? Also regarding [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 the edit you pointed out] in the Stacey Abrams article, I didn't miss it because it was accurate and sourced and it didn't need to be dealt with. In the [[Noah Green]] article, I also replaced the New York Times and Mediaite links with one from TGP because [[Conservapedia:Editing article and talk pages#Partisanship of Sources|per CP's guidelines, liberal news sources (such as the NYT and Mediaite) are not trustworthy due to their partisan bias and penchant for blatantly lying to suit the liberal narrative]]. Are you just trying to stir up trouble again because I'm actually trying to get articles cleaned up? [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:10, 3 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:I just reviewed the CP Guidelines page you linked to, and nowhere on that page does the phrase "liberal news sources" appear, let alone your specific parenthetical inclusions. Nice try. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:34, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: Your recent post on my talk page ==<br />
<br />
In case you didn't get the memo, Islam is not a "race", and making such a false accusation (as well as falsely accusing me of "trolling") is not only a case of you doing the trolling yourself (and trying to start yet another fight), but by making it about race when it has nothing to do with such (which [[liberalism and racism|only liberals do]]), you're displaying racism yourself. Tread lightly. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 10:04, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Full disclosure: here is the text of an email I just sent to Andy.<br />
{{quotebox|"I have just cause to be angry about User: Northwest's racist trolling. RobSmith edits under his real life identity. In an effort to find neutral language for the birther movement, I am the Admin who reverted Northwest's racist trolling and put in "said to be born in Honolulu" (as cited by Eugene Robinson of WaPo). I cleaned up Northwest's racist trolling in at least a half dozen articles with neutral compromise language. For those efforts, there now is a webpage on the internet calling me a racist and birther, for which I am neither. And Northwest does not edit under his true life identity.<br />
<br />
Andy can't be involved in all aspects of CP day-to-day, but had I blocked Northwest for 5 years in 2017 for what on its face looks like subversive racist trolling, Conservapedia would still be in the 30,000 today rather than fighting to remain in top 90,000.<br />
<br />
By Andy's actions, trusting and rewarding racists trolls while disciplining good-faith users who risked their own names and reputations, not to mention dedicating their valuable time and lives to the project, makes the notion of CP being a meritocracy a joke. Andy needs to wake up and smell the coffee.}}<br />
I suggest you stop stalking pages I create edit or create, stop harassing other users, and stop making threats and allow Andy to complete his full review. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 10:32, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:So basically, you lied to Andy and you're lying now on your own talk page (while still trying to make trouble, make false accusations, start fights, play the "victim" and project your own racism and trolling while making your imagined issue about race, even though it actually has nothing to do with race). All you're doing is still making yourself look bad in the process. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 11:40, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Why is it you sound more like a program than a thinking human being? Why are all responses programmed ("only liberals call people racists, therefore you are a liberal", "the NYT is liberal, therefore bad, wrong, and evil", etc). If you are not a sockpuppet of Karajou, you likely advanced your CP career by parroting him. Only Karajou is capable of human reason, emotion, and discussion. You are not. You sound like program whose only purpose is to harm the project and sow division. Conservapedia has suffered the likes of your kind in the past. It's nothing new. And don't threaten me. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:49, 4 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== I saw Karajou lost his admin. ==<br />
<br />
Have you seen yet? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 05:14, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Not til now. Looks like a policy shift away from arbitrary blocking and enforcement of site policies. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 05:17, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Is his death date known? ==<br />
<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 12:28, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:According to the German wiki, unknown. [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Schweter] If no body was recovered, he may have disappeared into the Soviet gulag or was executed on the spot after I945. The same fate happened to hundreds of thousands at that time. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:46, 21 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Question. ==<br />
<br />
Who can start Conservapedia projects? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Anybody, I guess. Unless a senior Admin tries to kill it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:51, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::I recently made a proposal for comment at the Community Portal and another Admin hit the SiteAdmin panic button, shut the site down, claimed it was an attempt by Rationalwiki to take over the site, and I got de-sysoped. So honestly, I don't know how to answer your question. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:55, 24 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Hey RobS. ==<br />
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How are you. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 16:21, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I'm breathing and still have a pulse. But the deep state still has its knee on my neck. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:30, 30 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Nice Edit! ==<br />
I saw the edit to my contribution on the article [[Democratic Plantation]] regrading Sen. Tim Scott. I concur... [[User:Let us eat lettuce|Let us eat lettuce]] ([[User talk:Let us eat lettuce|talk]]) 21:17, 3 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Rob. ==<br />
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Are the images on this page able to be used on the person's article (if they have one)? <br />
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https://conservapedia.com/Gallery_of_British_Heroes --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 09:54, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:I don't see why not. We stopped paying rent to them a long time ago. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:34, 8 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Re: Conservapedia Guidelines ==<br />
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Pointing out your abuses of power and your own incivility, false accusations (i.e. "violation of 90/10", which I did ''not'' do if you'd pay attention to my contributions page) and attacks on me is ''not'' "attacking" - and besides, as the guidelines themselves say, my user page, my castle. And incidentally, you yourself are guilty of incivility, bullying, ridiculing and attacking other users here (per your history), so you have no ground to stand on with your argument. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 16:45, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== I need your opinion. ==<br />
<br />
How is this article so far?<br />
<br />
https://conservapedia.com/Joseph_D._Sayers --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 17:49, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:Well, it's interesting how he went from Birth to fighting in Civil War battles. Perhaps you need more subdivisions or retitle "Birth" as "Early life". [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 17:54, 12 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== New Discussion - Friendly Notice ==<br />
<br />
Hey RobSmith. I just wanted to let you know I started a discussion about new content (Maybe a new article for it) about content on Wikipedia. You can see the discussion here: [[Conservapedia:Community Portal#Discussion for a possible new Wikipedia Article]]. I am letting the active editors know about the discussion. Feel free to drop your opinion in it! --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 18:12, 14 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
==Thanks Rob==<br />
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<br />
Hi Rob. Thanks so much.<br />
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Kudos to the great work you do.<br />
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Question. I noticed, sometimes, there is a block from editing any page, there appears only the 'view sources,' page stating, only administrators can edit. <br />
<br />
I see it takes some time from the time I edit a page and seeing the edit while signed on, till it appears to the 'outside world.'<br />
<br />
If/when I do have images, how does one upload it here, or how do I send them to you rather?<br />
<br />
Thinking of a page dedicated to the issue of using civilians by anti-Anerican and anti-Israel forces. There are images from certain domains. Is there a way you can upload them, so that it is saved, conserved-on-conservapedia? <br />
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God bless.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
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:(1) We have a robot Minuteman who does temporary autoblocks when it detects unusual activity, such as adding or removing large blocks of text. It accidentally blocked you for about 5 minutes last night til I caught it. Sorry for the inconvenience. We can work around it.<br />
<br />
:(2) As to images, just place a link here on my talk page and I'll upload it. Please make sure it's not copyright material, like the Associated Press for example.<br />
<br />
:Thanks again, you're doing great work. I'm trying to cover all bases by creating Redirects. So far I have [[2021 Gaza War]] and [[2021 Hamas war]]. We'll probably do a [[2021 Isreali-Palestinian conflict]] eventually as well. But we also need a title to emphasize that attacks are coming from Lebanon and Syria,as well. Any suggestions? [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:10, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:: Sounds great.<br />
Here are links to images re human shields:<br />
The BBC image, its URL source is: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/6166998.stm which contains several.<br />
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https://sderotmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/hamashumanshields.jpg<br />
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http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4422/2704/1600/palestinianuseofhumanshields1.jpg<br />
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http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xlOQjfLk_ks/SWKuHzgvc9I/AAAAAAAAAC4/7MiTOUg3rWc/s1600-h/terrorchildren2.jpg<br />
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https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WPgVvOHdsLQ/maxresdefault.jpg<br />
<br />
https://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/Uploads/pics/%D7%9E%D7%92%D7%9F_%D7%90%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%99.jpg<br />
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https://www.outlookindia.com/public/uploads/gallery/20040512/gaza_palestinian_militants_040512.jpg<br />
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https://avaazdo.s3.amazonaws.com/350db222d9c32f2bca8e1ebea01ae80d.png<br />
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https://static.educalingo.com/img/en/800/human-shield.jpg<br />
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https://www.israelhayom.co.il/sites/default/files/images/articles/2018/04/21/152433084061_b.jpg<br />
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https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg<br />
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https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Children-in-Hamas-Summer-Gamp.jpg<br />
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https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2014/08/fff-e1408151169183.jpg<br />
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https://img.mako.co.il/2011/04/12/166411.jpg<br />
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https://static.timesofisrael.com/www/uploads/2017/12/Using-an-Ambulance-as-a-Shield-2.jpeg<br />
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http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42337000/jpg/_42337228_women_afp.jpg<br />
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https://www.idf.il/media/27099/hamas-children.png<br />
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http://www.thetower.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/FeaturedImage_2018-08-23_155940_YouTube_Hamas_Human_Shields.jpg<br />
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https://blinchiki.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/human-shield-2.jpg<br />
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[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
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:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Heres most of them]. Give me a few minutes, I'm still working on 2 or 3. One is too large to upload, so I'm going to try something another way. If it doesn't work, you may have to look for a smaller version. I'll put the link to the uploads on the talk page, too. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:12, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::Please take your time. No rush. <br />
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:::There all done except the [https://ynet-images1.yit.co.il/PicServer5/2018/04/22/8485009/10030432_10030449_rumble.jpg one that is too large.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
On an unrelated matter, where would the following item go:<br />
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<blockquote>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/05/joe-biden-leaves-god-out-of-the-national-day-of-prayer/amp/ Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer]. National Review. May 10, 2021. Joe Biden Leaves God Out of the National Day of Prayer</blockquote><br />
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Blessings.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:In the Joe Biden article. I'd put it here for now [[Joseph_Biden#Unity]], and depending how much information you have I can work on integrating it into the article later. Great catch, too! [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:20, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:: You're right.<br />
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<br />
BTW the following are related published cartoons. Should they be uploaded?<br />
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http://bbsimg.ngfiles.com/1/15638000/ngbbs47c9c30f04c8f.jpg<br />
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http://markhumphrys.com/Bitmaps/israel.11.jpg<br />
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http://image.cagle.com/152477/500/15247.png<br />
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https://images.hamodia.com/hamod-uploads/2014/07/ed-1024x736.jpg<br />
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https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg<br />
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http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2014-07-16-Smith_C20140715HP.jpg<br />
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http://image.cagle.com/150976/500/150976.png<br />
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[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
:Generally, cartoons are copyright material, so we have to look at the terms of use from the original source. Look for wording such as "permission granted with proper attribution" or some such. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:26, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:[https://www.rightsreporter.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/diritto-bellico-scudi-umani.jpg This one] for example, we may be able to use with attribution to the photographer. if someone complains later, big deal, we'll take it down. We're not using it for commercial exploitation. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:32, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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Yes. It is good that the sources of the files are posted here, in case for any complaints.<br />
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How do I use attributes (sizes) within the wiki page? (Width="" height="")?<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:Here's the basic format: <nowiki>[[File:Paste image here.jpg|right|300px|thumb|add text here]]</nowiki> <br />
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:I typically use 300px to 350px for images in the body of articles. You can change position from right to left. The 'thumb' allows for a box to add text, which can even hold footnotes to external links. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:06, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Great help. Thanks for already resizing the large one there...[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
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:::I added the new article to Template:Terrorism, which de-orphaned the page and created several [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special:WhatLinksHere/Human_shields_by_terrorists&limit=500 inbound internal links]. This will help in Google results. I'm looking to create more internal links to Guardian of Walls also. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:21, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::Very smart.<br />
BTW.<br />
<br />
The following image, as quoted in this tweet about an Arab nurse (Yusuf Naim) resident of and working in Israel, who put in his Instagram simply "Palestinian nazi"<br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914/photo/1<br />
Main tweet: <br />
https://mobile.twitter.com/tzvisuccot/status/1393641393264934914<br />
<br />
(Nevermind the irony. As Hitler would exterminate also the Arabs: [https://web.archive.org/web/20181121205350/https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/have-no-doubt-hitler-would-have-wiped-out-arabs-after-jews-26277585.html Have no doubt Hitler would have wiped out Arabs after Jews, The Independent, 24 February 2007] eventually as another "inferior race" in his eyes)<br />
<br />
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[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
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:This guy's a professional nurse? Those imgs can be uploaded, no problem. And if they get deleted from Twitter, we have a record here, then. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:45, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:Arabs? Possibly. Muslims however, did [https://conservapedia.com/Adolf_Hitler#Barbarossa serve in the SS.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 15:49, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::Agreed. And an Arab author explained, Hitler's people tried to convince themselves the Mufti [[Haj Amin al-Husseini]] isn't pure Arab in blood... || And the guy, Yusuf Naim is a nurse, he worked as such in the Israeli Hadassah hospital before being suspended over this. || I tried to insert this url of image https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E1dG7I-XMAAiEUm.jpg , it didn't work. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
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:::Your tax dollars at work. As to the Arabs, the Nazis classified their Japanese allies as "Honorary Aryans" [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honorary_Aryan] The same could have been done to Arabs for service to the Reich. But now we're into coulda woulda shoulda historical writing. All we have are facts to deal with. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:52, 19 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Hi Rob. If and when you have a chance for these two images to be uploaded, please. The second is from the BBC a few years back.<br />
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https://mida.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Web_F081218AA01.jpg<br />
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https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/media/images/76535000/jpg/_76535336_shields.jpg<br />
<br />
Thanks for everything.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:57, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=upload&user=RobSmith&page=&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= Done.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:36, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:: Rob the great one... one more here when you can - https://mfa.gov.il/MFA_Graphics/MFA%20Gallery/2011/Turkel/ambulance.jpg <br />
Thanks. [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
<br />
:::Done. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 18:38, 20 May 2021 (EDT) [[File:Ambulance.jpg|center|250px|thumb|]]<br />
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___<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Great job. Here are three images. One related to human shields. The other two to genocidal call by Hamas.<br />
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* http://www.peacewithrealism.org/images/hammad.jpg<br />
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Related to [https://palwatch.org/page/1089][https://youtu.be/RTu-AUE9ycs]<br />
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__<br />
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* https://stream.org/wp-content/uploads/Memri-hamas-1.jpg<br />
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Related to [https://stream.org/hamas-wants-to-kill-all-jews-worldwide/]<br />
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__<br />
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* https://likoed.nl/wp-content/uploads-plikud01/2016/03/By-Allah-we-will-dig-up-your-bones1.jpg <br />
<br />
Related to:<br />
[Https://www.memri.org/tv/hamas-cleric-and-tv-host-abu-funun-we-will-not-leave-single-jew-dead-or-alive-our-land]<br />
<br />
[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 23:10, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:[https://conservapedia.com/Special:Log/upload Done]. These people are sick. I hope you don't use the ceasefire to slowdown reporting, but rather to catch up. There is so much there readers need to see and hear. Even in New York, Los Angelas, and elsewhere. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:40, 20 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:: You are do right. BTW, efardibg NY/LA... there is a parallel between the recent Islamic "protesters" appearing in one particular area in Manhattan violently and May 1, 2020 some Islamic "activists" taking advantage of BLM protests and carrying out an attack in LA, including graffiti of "palestine" on a synagogue. It was facilitated by a BLM operative Melina Abdullah (mostly raisd by her mother) who is a Farrakhan fan.. Why, if not intolerance was the particular Fairfax area even chosen?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:23, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::If you're too busy with events on the ground there in Israel, I can add content about it here in the U.S. and may elsewhere (London for example). Just create a subheading for it where you think it appropriate and I'll add it daily as news comes in. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:27, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::Are you referring to something like a blog/column of updates on the main page? BTW I'm concerned about our country here in the US. But, it's just that it's so sensitive there and threat to survival and demonization are constant, at the same time. (True David VS Goliath, in many aspects) . And both countries are bound in shared values.|| Sorry to bother you with one more:<br />
http://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/05/israel-pilot.jpg [https://nypost.com/2021/05/18/israeli-video-shows-mission-being-scrubbed-after-kids-were-seen/amp/ source]<br />
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[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 00:43, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::(ec)I mean separating violent protests and incidents outside Israel in the mainspace of the article. Rocket launches from Syria, for example, should probably go under their own subheading. As well as people eating in restaurants in NY and LA getting beat up.<br />
<br />
:::::I do have Main Page access for headlines. This site however, is somewhat anti-[[neocon]] so the headlines can't be made to look like somebody is trying to drag the U.S. into war. OTOH, stories about [[AOC]] and [[The Squad]] trying to sabotage U.S. commitments to allies or being sympathetic to terrorists certainly is newsworthy. When you find a headline like that that appeals to U.S. readers, you can feed it to me and I'll see what I can do with it to link the [[Guardian of Walls]] article from the Main Page. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:50, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::::Latest img is uploaded. Bottomline, from my perspective, Israel is at war with Iran right now. Hamas are just the frontline foot soldiers and proxies. And most Americans do not understand this, as Biden and Kerry seek to facilitate an iranian nuclear weapon. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 00:59, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::Of course the main page should be about US 'direct' news. I actually joined this site when liberals tried to portrayed Ahmad Al Issa as some Trumpist-white-supremacist... BTW I'm for clarity, especially about bias in the media and that other site.. I am not advocating for any wars. For these decisions I leave for experts. . A little secret... I might be able to dig up some AOL email I sent at the time against invading Iraq. There is also a huge difference between an operation or operations and an invasion. And yes, the elephant in the room is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Weak Biden knows more than Sanders, but he is not the de-facto leader of the Dems... Radical leftists have grown stronger there (not that Omar/Tlaib are true progressives like AOC and Sanders, this pair's true agenda isn't entirely as the others in the group. Their joint appearances should not fool anyone.. The squad isn't made all of the same cloth. Though in reality, on the ground, as is, this gang is detrimental to our country for many aspects) though there is an internal struggle there. The 'conflict' in the middle east is about incitement to intolerance. Since the 1920s by the Mufti (who also assassinated the moderates) and still going on today http://palwatch.org school textbooks, plays/shows at a very young age or in mosque, which is why the April spike in attacks on Jews inside Israel who are known not to serve in the Israeli army shows the 'real' problem, beyond "issus". And of course dead kids pics are powerful in the campaign for this purpose. The element of forcefully spreading one particular religion should not be overlooked.. Further on, 'if' any attacks in the US occur they don't have to be related to 'Guardian of Walls'. Another parallel point, the race card being obsessively abused at every corner for political purposes here in God's great country is played so in the Haaretz phenomenon of the last decades (vs what it was historically they even give voice for rewriters of history), the paper's more popular outside Israel very much adopted by radical left internationally but most in Israel regard it as radical, fringe. Most Israelis have faith in God. || Here is a recent image: https://hannity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/israel5-1.jpg<br />
[https://hannity.com/media-room/listen-palestinian-tells-israeli-soldier-if-children-need-to-die-then-theyll-die/ source] Will embed/link the Hannity source in it|| Thanks and have a great weekend.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 10:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Got it with my [https://conservapedia.com/File:Israel5-1.png Snipping tool on Windows 10.] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Great! I think you have an excellent understanding of the facts we are dealing with. Me personally, I have a deep abiding mistrust of American mainstream media, and I'm much impressed with the sources you have been using. These are the facts we can bring to readers and the American public. Feel free, please, to update [[The Squad]], AOC, or any other members' articles with their comments and reactions to these gross and vile human rights violations we are witnessing daily, or how it was facilitated by the present regime occupying the White House with cash to terrorist organizations. Or expanding the role the [[Islamic Republic of Iran]] is playing in all this. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 11:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::Summing up your words. True, concise and precise. There are many factors in media bias [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:Question. How long is the delay from what is seen (edited matetial) internally by site users and external view - what is seen by all?[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 12:51, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::I don't really know. I believe users accessing the site, like yourself or anybody else, see the current version. The question is how long before Google or others Index the site to appear in Search engine results, which I think is about 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::IOWs, when Google scans the site, they are looking at a 72 hour old version, I think. The site owner knows those details and hasn't shared them. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 12:57, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::Interesting. But in case you haven't noticed it. Try viewing a page you or others just edited. Then sign off and view at it again. Spot the difference.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]])<br />
::::As I noted earlier, Conservapedia famously has been the target of trolling attacks, so new users have to go through a probationary period to establish ''bona fides''. Apparently the site owner is reviewing your edits, at which point you'll be granted more users rights, etc. (like SkipCaptcha is the bottom rung of the ladder). The problem is, he also has a fulltime job and his time can be limited. Just keep doing what your doing and there shouldn't be a problem (we've discussed the anti-neocon editorial stance already). My guess is that any alleged 'controversial' edits should be cleared in 72 hours. I'll bring this up in discussion with another Admin slated for this weekend. Let me know if something added does not appear in 72 hours. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:21, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::I see. When you get a chance,, https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield2.jpg<br />
[https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Pages/Hamas-again-uses-Gazan-civilians-as-human-shields-July-2014.aspx source] And thanks again for your awesome work.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:25, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield2.jpg Here's the latest]. Thanks for understanding. CP Admins are notorious for garbled communication and things can get fouled up. Everybody is preoccupied with their own pet projects. But I'm your advocate here and the wheels of bureaucracy grind slowly sometimes. If it's not inconvenient, you can provide to me diffs that show the lag time on edits appearing (I'm assuming nothing has been censored or removed). The time stamp on the diff could help. Thanks again. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:33, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::Thanks so much. And I was curious to ask what's the story with the cat you have in your profile. This one https://mfa.gov.il/MFA/ForeignPolicy/Terrorism/Photos/itic-humanshield.jpg belongs also to the last source. It's in Arabic <br />
'Announcement from the ("Palestinian") ministry of the interior to the residents of the Gaza Strip, telling them not to pay attention to IDF announcements about vacating their homes'.[[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 13:39, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Itic-humanshield.jpg Here's the Arabic statement]. As to the cat, it's been an ongoing game of cat n mouse with trolls from Rationalwiki for 15 years. It's just a message that I'm always here, always watching, vetting content, ready to pounce. Some of my fellow Admins think I'm paranoid and nuts, but I know who the trolls are and can identify them easily after 15 years on the job. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 13:53, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:::::::::That site... I see. I presume CP had many hackers' attempts too in course of years, no doubts.|| This one is of the recent famous event in May 16. https://www.algemeiner.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/2.jpg [https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/05/16/idf-releases-video-showing-pilot-aborting-air-strike-after-spotting-children-in-target-area/ source] [[User:Telling|Telling]] ([[User talk:Telling|talk]]) 14:05, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
::::::::::[https://conservapedia.com/File:Command_Control.jpg This img has a better resolution than the one uploaded last night]. We've experienced every kind of Crapflood and DDoS attack imaginable. Most of it can be traced to the RW network and Wikipedia Rogue Admin cabal. I wouldn't be surprised if we've come to the attention of the Chinese 50 cent Army lately. Right now, according to Alexa, visitors are spending one hour Time on Site without the actual number of unique visitors going up, which to me looks like a clickbot attack. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Message ==<br />
I am sorry if I haven't responded. I just don't know that you have sent responses. I am not ignoring them. [[User:ChadUser|ChadUser]] ([[User talk:ChadUser|talk]]) 16:46, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Reverts and "Protected" ==<br />
<br />
Hello. Why exactly did you revert me before putting that protection on that JW article, when my reverts were the justified ones? It was obvious POV-PUSHING and opinion and blog bias that was put walls of text by "David" a few months ago. So what was the reason you rudely undid my (necessary) undo, before doing what you did? <br />
<br />
Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, to you, David,...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. <br />
<br />
It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you, or Northwest, or David has made on this site. David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. And you and Northwest wrongly upheld that POV wording, tone, and nonsense. Why exactly? So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 00:08, 22 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=1758240User talk:Northwest2021-05-22T03:15:51Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{welcome}}[[User:Brenden|brenden]] 23:37, 18 September 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== same sex marriage revert? ==<br />
<br />
Greetings, and hope you are well. Just wanted to ask, why the revert of my same-sex marriage page edit?<br />
<br />
[[User:KatieKomori|KatieKomori]] 10:19, 1 December 2012 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Vandal==<br />
A vandal on the loose. [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Benkumar] I have told four other editors. If you are able, please block him[[User:U.U|U.U]] ([[User talk:U.U|talk]]) 02:34, 27 February 2016 (EST)<br />
:Thank you. When I see an edit of minus five digits on a page like Republican Party, it's pretty obvious that a vandal swept by. Well done. --[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 22:18, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Are you sure that was vandalism? It could have been an inadvertent removal of information when he intended on just adding "pro-capitalism" to the article. I have seen numerous times where this has happened, which an editor adding info but for whatever reason accidently removing a whole bunch of information without even knowing it, and in those other times, it was clearly a mistake. I honestly don't see how it was intentional. I request that you review your block. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 23:35, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::It turns out that user was a sock of TAR, and he was blocked by an admin (but for a different reason). Thank you for your work on this site, Northwest. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:43, 20 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Expansion of Greatest Conservative TV Shows and Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies, as well as Star Wars. ==<br />
<br />
Hi.<br />
<br />
I noticed the great job you did in expanding the Worst Liberal TV Shows, and was wondering whether you are planning to do something similar regarding the Greatest Conservative TV Shows and the Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies lists (namely the opening paragraphs).<br />
<br />
Also, since I noticed you're doing a lot of edits regarding Star Wars currently, I was wondering whether you could expand it to include any real life influences on the characters and franchise. I know that the Empire was largely inspired by America during the time of the Vietnam War, and that the Rebel Alliance was based on the Vietcong (in fact, that's actually the reason why I'm, albeit reluctantly, an Empire supporter now, and probably full time as well). I included a bit regarding Palpatine being directly inspired by Richard Nixon, for example. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:53, 3 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
+==<br />
Okay mate, that's enough! If you want to revert my edits then give me reasons that have more veracity than the weasel words you gave in the Summary of one of the pages. <br />
:I have reread the article(s), struggled through TAR's attached blogs, read your [[Northwest]] edit history and have realised you have no real understanding or knowledge of the words involved. Nor do you understand it is not advisable to link to non-existent pages which your reverts always do.<br />
:I am about to revert... again! If you revert me without good reason I will ban you.<br />
:[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] ([[User talk:AlanE|talk]]) 00:59, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: Lenin quote in Bourgeoisie article ==<br />
<br />
re: [[Bourgeoisie]] article<br />
<br />
AlanE is acting in good faith about the Lenin quote: http://www.azcentral.com/story/claythompson/2014/10/13/lenin-ronald-reagan-quotes/17226727/<br />
<br />
If you want to discuss the matter of the historicity of the quote with AlanE on the talk page of the article, here is a useful resource: [http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
Thanks. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 02:31, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: your note to me ==<br />
<br />
I respond to your email from me. <br />
<br />
Second, I will write a note to AlanE.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:04, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Princess and the Frog revert. ==<br />
<br />
Just writing because I'm not sure why you reverted the Princess and the Frog removal from Worst Liberal Movies. The movie promoteshard work and family while condemning hedonism and nihilism and p k it's out the danger of accepting handouts and feeling entitled. This seems to me to be a deeply conservative film. --[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 07:47, 1 June 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Evolution==<br />
A simple question: do you believe in it, Creationism, or otherwise?--[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 03:29, 23 August 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Account promoted==<br />
Your account has just been given a promotion to 24x7 editing and blocking privileges. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:02, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:Congratulations! You do very good work on this wiki, which I appreciate. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:20, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
::Congrats! Keep up the good work! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:55, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:::Congratulations. It is good working with you. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 03:36, 7 March 2017 (EST)<br />
==JohnZ==<br />
Dear Northwest, I changed your two-year block to 1 day for [[User:JohnZ]]. While I do not like profanity, I think that we should show a kind and understanding approach to users who have been around for years. Let's give him a second chance, and if he does it again, then we would be justified in coming down hard. This is a volunteer project, and CP wants to avoid a reputation of long-blocks-at-the-drop-of-a-hat. Thank you for your understanding. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 14:57, 12 March 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I like that==<br />
Replace "religion" with "ideology™. Because of certain legal issues the US will face in the future, I go out of my way never to refer the a certain collective entity as a "faith" or "religion". " Political system" I use a lot, but haven't of thought of "ideology". We should collect a whole basket of different terms that can be used, and always insert them wherever necessary. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''CIA v Trump updated score'':CIA 3, Trump 2]]</sup> 05:10, 2 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== IRC ==<br />
<br />
Hello,<br /><br />
After some discussion (on [[User_talk:DavidB4#Conservapedia_IRC_channel|my talk page]] and [[User_talk:Aschlafly#IRC|Andy's]]) it has been decided that I start an [[Internet Relay Chat]] channel for Conservapedia, since our old one has been dead since 2009. It is now registered and somewhat set up. I don't know if you use IRC or are interested in doing so, but anyone with block privileges on Conservapedia can also get block privileges on the new IRC channel. Unfortunately, IRC accounts are deleted after 30 days of being unused, so unless you plan on using the IRC at least once a month, there is probably not much point in registering. In any case, feel free to try it out--if you account gets deleted, we can always make another one later. If you are interested, please let me know!<br /><br />
The IRC channel is: #conservapedia @irc.accessIRC.net<br /><br />
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else, also! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:36, 11 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Misslizzynj ==<br />
<br />
Please don't block new users due to the name policy unless they have usernames that are obviously offensive or silly. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:58, 11 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Length of blocks ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest, Andy recently messaged me on my talk page and told me to refrain from using blocks longer than around six months because many people's IP addresses change by then. I see you changed the length of a block for an impersonator of you, and I am not going to challenge that, but please refrain from doing long blocks for non-serious vandalism, per what Andy told me. Thanks. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:37, 2 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Trolls ==<br />
<br />
Don't feed them. Block them and move on. I would have emailed this to you, but you don't seem to have email activated. [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 16:04, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
:Just block trolls. Do not communicate with them.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:22, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Whizkid ==<br />
<br />
One comment, as blunt and rude as it may have been, is not enough to block a long-time editor for any amount of time. You should have warned him about making such comments first. Don't ever make such a block again.<br />
<br />
While I'm commenting here, you realize that the links [[Democrat Party]] and [[Democratic Party]] link to two different articles? I see that you're changing every link to "Democrat Party" (which I support, for the most part), but you're having every article link to a different article. Please change the links so they link to the actual article about the party, even if you pipe it so the reader sees "Democrat Party." --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
:It was made clear to me when I was promoted to Assistant SysOp that this role is only for blocking blatant vandals, not working in good faith. While I haven't carefully studied the issue, he was disputing your changes in good faith. As [[Conservapedia:User_rights#Blocking_rights|officially stated]], only full administrators are to resolve disputes. Just because you have the block button doesn't mean you should use it whenever someone disagrees. In your defense, edit warring is discouraged, but it takes two to edit war. If you are the one making a change, then it is reasonable to assume that the original version should take precedence until the dispute can be resolved. Please discuss it with an administrator rather than just blocking someone. Should he have kept reverting your changes? Probably not. Should you have kept forcing your change back in? Probably not. Please take it to an admin next time, rather than just abusing the block button. Thank you. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:28, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
::First of all, I apologize for being rude. It was a fit of pique, brought on by my feeling you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying. Still, it was inappropriate, and I don't believe you're vandalizing the site, or that you're attempting to be deceitful. So I hope that you can forgive me and we can come to the understanding that, even if we disagree on things, we're both working for what we believe to be the good, and we should treat each other with respect and charity. I hope we can agree on that much at least.<br />
<br />
::That being said, I still strongly disagree with your position about this, and don't feel that it's ultimately good for the site, but I have no desire to get into an edit war with you that won't do anything but waste both our time. So maybe we could agree to make our cases before an administrator or someone, for the sake of harmony, and get a decision on this. Let me know what you think.--[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 23:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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== Liberal Denial revert? ==<br />
<br />
Why did you do this? We know that the ultimate goal of liberals is to do more than just censor Christianity in America. A site made for American conservatives should be about politics as much as it is about religion.<br />
<br />
[[User:MacTavish|MacTavish]] ([[User talk:MacTavish|talk]]) 16:44, 29 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please backup your recent edits ==<br />
<br />
Please try to either save a copy of your recent edits, or just refrain from editing for the next 24 hours or so. Conservapedia is changing web servers, and there is a risk that pages might be exported before you make the change, meaning your change will be lost. Thanks for understanding! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 17:56, 12 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Islam ==<br />
<br />
I saw you reverting my edits to the article on [[Islam]]. There is a belief system to Islam, but it's more about worshiping an ''ideology'' than any God or gods. Even so, the source cited says Islam "…is an amalgam of social, political and judicial systems '''as well as''' a belief system. It is neither one thing nor the other – Islam is unique."<br />
<br />
== Marijuana article ==<br />
<br />
Did you see that there was a talk page discussion on the marijuana article about the content in question? I recommend that you explain [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&curid=7524&diff=1412346&oldid=1412214 your reverting] there and reach an agreement with the other editors, and I strongly recommend that you leave an edit summary when you revert. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:35, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
:Same, an edit summary would really be helpful there to clarify your intent. Did you read the Talk page discussion about how those portions of the lede undermine our argument? Please see [[Talk:Marijuana#Objections_to_presentation_of_lead]]. [[User:DavidLReyes|DavidLReyes]] ([[User talk:DavidLReyes|talk]]) 21:27, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
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== Discussing Christian Denominations on This Site ==<br />
<br />
I am someone who believes very staunchly in the five solas. I think that Ephesians 2:8-9 indicates the validity of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, John 14:6 for Solo Christo, and Psalm 115 for Sola Deo Gloria. I am not here to debate religious issues with you, but as you are a high-ranking admin on this site and Catholic, I have to ask you, what would you do if you saw edits to certain articles promoting a Protestant point of view? [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 12:58, 16 December 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== My Ban ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I was banned for making edits that I thought were accurate on the Political Spectrum page under my account Classical Liberal. I didn't know how to contact you, so I created this page instead so I could. I'm really sorry. I'm a new user who just registered within the same hour of getting banned, I am a conservative, but I prefer that we take our title of being the liberals back, I'm not a troll, and I'm a student who's interested in politics and all I'm trying to do is inform people about modern conservatives so women and minorities aren't deceived anymore and will come back home to the Republican Party. I don't see how my edits were lies or revisionist history. I was just trying to inform people who wrongly accuse us of what the Democrats did like the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation because they always claim whenever you tell them that the Democrats were responsible for all of it that that's when the Democrats were the conservative party because they think that the parties switched and since I learned that the word liberal was redefined in the 1930s, I also thought the word conservative was redefined as well and that classical conservatism meant modern liberalism now just like how classical liberalism means modern conservatism now. I thought that I should've informed people that the conservatives of the past who the modern liberals pin the actions of on us modern conservatives were the modern liberals because the word liberal was hijacked from us and redefined and they like to accredit modern liberals for the things we classical liberals and modern conservatives actually did before the word liberalism was redefined. They'll argue with us conservatives and tell us that Lincoln would be a Democrat since he was a liberal because they don't realize that he was a liberal when the definitions of liberal and conservative were reversed. They believe the parties were reversed instead. I thought that since we were called the liberals in the past before they hijacked and redefined the term for themselves, they were called the conservatives because they're trying to pin the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation on modern conservatives and blame us for it and insist that since Democrats are now called the liberals and Republicans are called the conservatives, that the parties switched rather than the definitions of liberal and conservative. I thought this was the correct explanation since liberals of today whenever you point out the Democrats' history say "that's when the Republicans were the liberals and the Democrats were the conservatives and Lincoln would be a Democrat today since the liberal party is the Democratic Party now." They're unaware that when we were the liberal party, that the word liberal did not mean what it does now. I was just trying to clear the confusion that the Democrats created up when they redefined the word liberal and hijacked it from us. I thought that since classical liberalism means what modern conservatism does, classical conservatism must've meant what modern liberalism does now because I thought that since we were called the liberals before the New Deal, that the Democrats must've been called the conservatives then because what else would that have made them if we were called the liberals before the New Deal and conservatives after? If we were called liberals prior to the New Deal, what were they called? Conservatives wanting to keep blacks enslaved and minorities and women oppressed who had a bad reputation and stole our term? And I thought that them stealing the term liberal from us and us having to call ourselves the conservatives instead of liberals which we used to be called was part of their plan to push the party switch myth 30 years later because we have the title of conservative and they have the title of liberal that they stole from us and I thought the Democrats did this to make it look like the parties switched instead of the titles and to make it look like they were the good guys since they're now called "liberals" instead and no longer us which we used to be called until they hijacked the term from us. I thought this was the best way to debunk the claim that modern conservatives of the Republican Party who used to be called liberals prior to the definition switch had anything to do with what the Democrats did in the past. I thought that if being a conservative meant what being a liberal meant before the word was redefined, that being a liberal meant what being a conservative meant because I thought that since the term liberal belonged to us at one time, the term conservative must've belonged to them and that if classical liberalism means modern conservatism, classical conservatism must mean modern liberalism. You see where I'm getting at? I thought that if the word liberal belonged to us at one time, the word conservative belonged to them if we were called the liberals because what is the opposite of liberal? Conservative. And I thought that since the word liberal had a different definition, the word conservative had a different definition too. So I'm sorry if I in your words inserted historical revisionism and lies. That was not my intent. My intent was to clear up confusion, not create it. I want people to stop accrediting modern liberals for what we did and stop claiming that we used to be the Democrats and that the Republicans used to be what Democrats are now which is not true. I'm new to all this and I'm a beginner. I'll probably need some help with editing. I'm still learning my history. History and philosophy and studying the Bible are my favorite things. I'm obsessed with politics. I'm really good at explaining things and I was just trying to help. You could've just let me know where you thought I was wrong instead of slapping a 2-year ban on me. If unbanned, from now on, I will verify with you the things I want to add to pages before I add them so this won't happen again. Please give me another chance. I'm only a guy in his late teens whose been into politics for 7 years now. I share your information with everyone I can and I've convinced many family members to become Republicans while even being disowned by several others which you could just imagine how that makes someone feel. Especially someone my age. {{unsigned|Modern Conservative}}<br />
:I have unblocked the "Classical Liberal" account. I strongly recommend you first go to the article talk pages before making changes like this before unilaterally making them. Then, we can discuss those changes, which will be helpful. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 08:59, 11 February 2019 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Sissy punk site ==<br />
<br />
[[User_talk:DMorris/Archive_1#Sissy_punks|Per Jpatt and the late TK, I would try to avoid mentioning that vandal site at all, fair enough?]] [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 21:10, 24 March 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The atheist page has straw man arguments and generalisations against atheism like that atheism is a worldview. You cannot just delete and ban everybody that doesn't agree with you. The evolution page is full of inconsistencies too.<br />
<br />
== New show ==<br />
<br />
Hey, since you seem to be the most active person on the [[Essay:Greatest_Conservative_TV_Shows|Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] page I figured you might want to add Preacher to the page. It is about a disgraced preacher coming back to church and trying to find God.<br />
<br />
== Please help defend Catholicism from the baiters! ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, if you have the time, can you please look out for the Catholic-baiters on this site (RobSmith, Conservative, VargasMilan, and Shobson20) and rebuke them if need be? They have [[User talk:NishantXavier|harshly attacked NishantXavier on his talk page]], and it's evident that they spread lies, smears, baiting rhetoric, and mischaracterizations to "prove" their points, which are often times fallacious. Thank you! —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 15:03, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Don't listen to him, he has as much of a victim complex as BLM supporters. Actually, the most mature thing you can do is not get involved in this argument like you have all along. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:06, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Wait, I have the victim mentality in the same manner of BLM idiots? Need I remind you, Shobson20, for the gazillionth time that ''you'' were the one whining immediately after NishantXavier was promoted and you weren't yet? —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 16:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Deflection. You've done plenty of whining yourself and STILL doing it. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:33, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::You're the one who's posting on other people's talk pages trying to get them involved, not us. First you tried to get Karajou, now Northwest. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 18:18, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I'm really sorry this guy is trying to drag you into his fight. If you want to, you can contribute [[Debate:Does the Catholic Church have the biblical authority of Christ Himself to preach and to teach the truth forever?| this debate page]]. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:01, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The truth is that a Catholic vs. Protestant argument was getting out of hand, so User:Conservative suggested making that debate page to make the debate more structured and civil. Since then, both sides have been mostly talking there, but Liberaltears just can't let things go. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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== Great to see you around again! ==<br />
<br />
Great to see you back, Northwest! How are you doing? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, 9 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Check this out==<br />
[https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/murder-for-ratings/ Murder for Ratings]. I'm fairly certain I put the assault by Jacob Lebron Kelly at a Sanders rally in the February 2020 list of violence. I'm checking it now. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 20:27, 13 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Here it is https://www.conservapedia.com/Left-wing_violence_in_the_Trump_era_(2020)#cite_note-49 and footnote 50<br />
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== Juvenile Delinquent ==<br />
<br />
What can we do, if the Juvenile Delinquent comes after us? He came after me again. --[[User:United States|United States]] ([[User talk:United States|talk]]) 19:41, 2 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== A note about that troll ==<br />
<br />
Please don't take this the wrong way, but the troll whose socks you were quick to block was probably trying to make a fool out of you and CP in general. Since the imbecile thought that you would immediately block him upon sight, he trolls you with usernames like [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=&user=&page=User%3ALightningBlocks&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= this] to prove he's correct in a sense and make us look paranoid. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 22:50, 31 December 2020 (EST)<br />
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== Please help formulate the Mission Statement ==<br />
<br />
I need input on [[Conservapedia:Mission Statement]]. Please contribute. I want Conservapedia to leave Wikipedia in its dust.--[[User:Amorrow|Amorrow]] ([[User talk:Amorrow|talk]]) 01:22, 21 January 2021 (EST)<br />
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==Chimpout==<br />
Good catch on User:Chimpout. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Chimpout] I never would have caught it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 03:25, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
:Just doing what needs to be done. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Debate ==<br />
<br />
:Hi Northwest. I would like to get your input on a debate page I just created [[Debate:Should the United States attack Pakistan?]]. Thanks.[[User:Bytemsbu|Bytemsbu]] ([[User talk:Bytemsbu|talk]]) 21:37, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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+ <br />
==Proposal==<br />
We would appreciate your input at [[Conservapedia:Community_Portal#Proposal]]. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:59, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:You have no real interest in "civil" discussion, only to be disruptive, to act in an uncivil manner and to hide comments I make specifically calling you out for your behavior here in the past four days because you don't like what I have to say. Karajou's even had to undo what you're trying to do, but your reversals of his undos show that you're just not interested in doing the right thing and would rather seize power here and do exactly what Pokeria1 pointed out you're trying to do - take Conservapedia in a more leftward direction, which is not what this site is about. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 22:12, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
== Thanks ==<br />
Thanks for the tremendous blocking last night on the avalanche of vandal accounts. Today I've written and installed a program to minimize that from occurring again. Really appreciate your blocks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 16:07, 3 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== re: RobS ==<br />
<br />
Later in this week, I will be attempting to mediate the dispute involving RobS as RobS creates a lot of content. <br />
<br />
In the meantime and in the future, please do not provoke RobS. I cannot stress this enough. <br />
<br />
Also, thank you for all your contributions to Conservapedia.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:08, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Who was this topic made by? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 04:31, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Re: your editing warring with RobS about Obama's birthplace ==<br />
<br />
Northwest, you wrote about Obama: "because of him not being a natural-born citizen". <br />
<br />
At Conservapedia, you cannot '''definitively state''' that Obama was not a natural born citizen because there is no definitive/absolute/direct proof to that effect. The best you can do is point out that certain sources/people suspect that Obama was not a natural born citizen for X, Y, Z, etc. reasons. If you are definitively insisting that Obama was not a natural born citizen in articles, please stop. In many cases, historical claims are probabilistic. This is one of those cases.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:34, 10 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Why are you and rob fighting ==<br />
<br />
Why. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 01:03, 20 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== RobS' talk page. It's his castle ==<br />
<br />
Please stop endeavoring to retain your postings on RobS' user talk page. <br />
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As per Mr. Schlafly, "We respect users' control over their own talk pages as much as possible. Wikipedia treats users' own talk pages like government or public property, and it becomes a place for Wikipedia editors to bully users."[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia] Source: [[Conservapedia:How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:25, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Also, "Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users, and their opinions. Users are free to remove comments from their own user talk pages."[https://conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Guidelines] Source: [[Conservapedia:Guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:28, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== There’s no RationalWiki article yet. ==<br />
<br />
Why is that? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 07:42, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Basically denying the site traffic. Probably for the best. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:22, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Multiple admins there are ruining what was already a bad site and made it even worse --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 08:23, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Don't take content disputes to user talk pages. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages ==<br />
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You immediately took a content dispute to a user's personal talk page. <br />
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You shouldn't immediately take content disputes to a user's talk page. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages and endeavor to have a cordial, constructive dialogue with the person to resolve matters. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 04:09, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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=== Re: Don't take content disputes to user talk pages ===<br />
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when RobS chose ''not'' to be cordial or constructive (as per his history) with me or other editors during the kerfuffle back in January that led to his being desysopped and stripped of his admin powers. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 04:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
:For all parties involved, I suggest practicing forgiveness and trying to start things over with a new slate. <br />
<br />
:I have been talking to Andy about this matter and he wants greater civility and constructive dialogue by all parties involved. <br />
<br />
:This coming weekend, I will be talking to Andy about upgrading Conservapedia's civility guidelines.<br />
<br />
:In addition, I will be talking to Andy about Conservapedia articles/content having an more encyclopedic tone. Why? Because Andy raised this issue with me and would like to see Conservapedia have a more encyclopedic tone in all cases where it is important to do so (I will explain this matter). Encyclopedia articles should first and foremost be designed to inform and shouldn't go out of their way to troll. For example, as far as a an article dispute you had with RobS, you insisted that the word "transgender" be struck out and "gender confusion" be used instead because you said that liberals don't like the phrase "gender confusion". But the purpose of articles is not to tick off liberals, but to inform the public. From what I understand, the topic had to do with transgenderism so when you insisted that "gender confusion" be used it unnecessarily clouded the meaning of the article as that is a broader term. Even when I write on provocative topics like [[Gay bowel syndrome]], [[Homosexuality and Parasites|Homosexuality and parasites]], [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Atheism and bestiality]], I make every effort to keep the articles encyclopedic in tone. I am also not a fan of RobS using "Biden junta" for article titles or article content. The term "Biden junta" is fine for essays, but not articles in my estimation. Andy wants main page right content to have a more encyclopedic tone too. I plan on talking to RobS about this matter this coming weekend and to talk to Andy about this matter too. In short, if you want content to have a very provocative tone, that is fine, but do it in essays.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:10, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::I upgraded the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]] as far as the civility portion. I will be talking to Andy this week to get it approved. <br />
<br />
::This is my addition: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unneccesary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:24, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::Well, what I actually stated in my edit summaries was that since this is a conservative wiki, use of liberal-preferred terms should be avoided except in certain contexts (such as in quotes made by public figures, or names of liberal organizations). If liberals don't like their preferred terms not being used, that's their issue, but giving in on that subject is essentially a matter of "give them an inch..." (or to be more specific, give liberals an inch and they'll eventually demand the distance between Earth and Pluto, as they always do). [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:43, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in Google searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 07:04, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::::Really? You're using Google searches for viability? Newsflash, Google manipulates search results. We even have an entire article on the subject on here. Even if we kowtow to Liberal redefining of things, Google STILL will end up manipulating search results to block us out. Better be a pure conservative site than sacrifice even a small amount of conservativism under the belief it would give us more traffic. If anything, you should go by DuckDuckGo or even Bing. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 07:14, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::::You are correct. Here's my revised statement: "The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in <s>Google</s> searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text." I removed the offensive proper noun. That should be helpful now, [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:35, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Re: latest edit war with RobS ==<br />
<br />
As far as your latest edit war with RobS, If you are going to source material, please do better than Quora or sites like it such as Yahoo Answers. Anyone can put material on sites like that. The fourth footnote for the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]] indicates, "Sources should be authoritative works, not merely published opinions by others. No sources advocating or supporting unlawful activity of any kind are allowed."<br />
<br />
Quora is not an authoritative work.<br />
<br />
Under the new civility rules update that Andy approved, it does state you have to properly source material.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:01, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Friendly invite to a new Conservapedia project ==<br />
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Hello Northwest! I hope you are having a good day. I wanted to invite you to [[Conservapedia:Project Current Events]] since it is a new project that I recently started. The goal of the project is to improve Conservapedia within current events, Hopefully you will consider joining. --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 12:36, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
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=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
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*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
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"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
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==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
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Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
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(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
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(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
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(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
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(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
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(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
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(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
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(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
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=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
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*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
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I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:46, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your edit to the European migrant crisis article ==<br />
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Please look at this edit of yours: https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=European_migrant_crisis&diff=prev&oldid=1309224 which you posted in 2017. <br />
<br />
1990sguy and RobS spent countless hours on the article. <br />
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I want to focus on one aspect of your edit to that article. In 2017, after Barack Obama served 8 years as the president of the USA, your edit indicated the following and I will quote it : "When Barack Hussein Obama became "president"". Norwest, when you posted "president", with no explanation, its obvious your intent was to merely "stick it to the libs" and not to educate the public. The purpose of an encylopedia is to inform the public and not merely to upset people who hold to a certain political ideology. <br />
<br />
Now in an article devoted to specific topic of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] one can certainly briefly go over the pro/con arguments of Obama's actual birthplace (like the various arguments of computer experts on Obama's online long form birth certificate giving the pro-con arguments of the various computer experts opinions on its authenticity). In addition, in that main Obama arrticle one can have a link to a longer article specifically geared to the issue of Obama's birthplace controversy. <br />
<br />
But an article which merely refers to "President" Obama for example is potentially confusing to the reader as he/she may not know what it means. For example, a young person in India who reads "President" Obama could easily be confused on why the quotation marks are there. <br />
<br />
One the reasons why I shared Fischer's rules above is to point out that historical investigations/conclusions are often probabilistic. A historian looking into the birthplace of Obama would carefully weigh all the evidence and after doing so would not make dogmatic statements like "Obama was definitely not born in the USA" because he would actually have no absolute certainty. For example, I know that one Republican computer expert said the online rendition of Barack Obama's birth certification document was a bona fide copy of Obama's birth certificate. Some computer experts on the other hand say the online, long form birth certificate was a fraud.<br />
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If you stick the facts in articles and not needlessly inject opinions that claim to be facts, you will have more harmony with other editors.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 23:41, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Re: Trump Reverts==<br />
Thanks for leaving a message. You bring up a very good point about whether Joe Biden should even legally be in power, because of how greatly distrusted last year's election was. But it also raises the question of, if Joe Biden is not the legal president, then who is? It can't be Donald Trump, because he failed to win Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona (which had no voting law changes and the suburbs and working-class voters there were almost certainly going to hand the state to Joe Biden), so massive voter fraud in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which was declined by a leftist agenda of the courts in those locations, would not have been able to change the election. Plus, courts with a political agenda are nothing new either. Bush v. Gore, for example, only favored Bush because of a rightist agenda of the court. So even if there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election like we suspect, don't courts and local election officials serve the bottom line for presidential legitimacy? Not only do I find it very unlikely that Republican officials wish to promote a big-government leftist agenda, but the reason I say all this is because even if Joe Biden didn't receive as many votes as it seemed in 2020, he may still be a legal president. Even if it is the fault of the people who ran the election, the Biden administration may not be the one to blame. - [[User:TrumpLover84|TrumpLover84]]([[User talk:TrumpLover84|talk]])<br />
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==Vandal patrol==<br />
While on vandal patrol, you missed the most obvious. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 This edit] claims Stacey Abrams is a bizarre conspiracy theorist cause she accused brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger of election rigging with voting machines before Sidney Powell or Donald Trump did.<br />
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== Question ==<br />
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Do I use infobox officeholder or dictator bio for this person https://conservapedia.com/Albert_René as he was accused of using torture against people. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 19:28, 25 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==Conservapedia Guidelines==<br />
[[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility]] states:<br />
*''Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However '''you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users''', and their opinions.''<br />
You Userpage mainspace presently has an attack upon another CP editor placed by you. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:Northwest&curid=123230&diff=1753219&oldid=1752798] Please remove the abusive content. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:58, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:If you ask me, the only one actually coming across as a bully is you, Rob. And quite frankly, I have to agree with Northwest, your actions are coming across as unjust, and more likely to aid the liberal agenda as it is. We formed Conservapedia specifically to get AWAY from the liberal bias that is Wikipedia. We cannot allow ourselves to become Wikipedia-lite. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 23:22, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==John Wayne==<br />
Why don't you go fix the [[John Wayne]] article and change it to [[Marion Wayne]]? [https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/John_Wayne] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== POV opinion and conspiracy theories are NOT "facts".... ==<br />
<br />
Hello. Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, no...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you or David has made on this site. David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral material, in those walls of texts there. So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 23:08, 21 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=1758238User talk:Northwest2021-05-22T03:14:56Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{welcome}}[[User:Brenden|brenden]] 23:37, 18 September 2012 (EDT)<br />
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== same sex marriage revert? ==<br />
<br />
Greetings, and hope you are well. Just wanted to ask, why the revert of my same-sex marriage page edit?<br />
<br />
[[User:KatieKomori|KatieKomori]] 10:19, 1 December 2012 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Vandal==<br />
A vandal on the loose. [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Benkumar] I have told four other editors. If you are able, please block him[[User:U.U|U.U]] ([[User talk:U.U|talk]]) 02:34, 27 February 2016 (EST)<br />
:Thank you. When I see an edit of minus five digits on a page like Republican Party, it's pretty obvious that a vandal swept by. Well done. --[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 22:18, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Are you sure that was vandalism? It could have been an inadvertent removal of information when he intended on just adding "pro-capitalism" to the article. I have seen numerous times where this has happened, which an editor adding info but for whatever reason accidently removing a whole bunch of information without even knowing it, and in those other times, it was clearly a mistake. I honestly don't see how it was intentional. I request that you review your block. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 23:35, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::It turns out that user was a sock of TAR, and he was blocked by an admin (but for a different reason). Thank you for your work on this site, Northwest. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:43, 20 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Expansion of Greatest Conservative TV Shows and Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies, as well as Star Wars. ==<br />
<br />
Hi.<br />
<br />
I noticed the great job you did in expanding the Worst Liberal TV Shows, and was wondering whether you are planning to do something similar regarding the Greatest Conservative TV Shows and the Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies lists (namely the opening paragraphs).<br />
<br />
Also, since I noticed you're doing a lot of edits regarding Star Wars currently, I was wondering whether you could expand it to include any real life influences on the characters and franchise. I know that the Empire was largely inspired by America during the time of the Vietnam War, and that the Rebel Alliance was based on the Vietcong (in fact, that's actually the reason why I'm, albeit reluctantly, an Empire supporter now, and probably full time as well). I included a bit regarding Palpatine being directly inspired by Richard Nixon, for example. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:53, 3 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
+==<br />
Okay mate, that's enough! If you want to revert my edits then give me reasons that have more veracity than the weasel words you gave in the Summary of one of the pages. <br />
:I have reread the article(s), struggled through TAR's attached blogs, read your [[Northwest]] edit history and have realised you have no real understanding or knowledge of the words involved. Nor do you understand it is not advisable to link to non-existent pages which your reverts always do.<br />
:I am about to revert... again! If you revert me without good reason I will ban you.<br />
:[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] ([[User talk:AlanE|talk]]) 00:59, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: Lenin quote in Bourgeoisie article ==<br />
<br />
re: [[Bourgeoisie]] article<br />
<br />
AlanE is acting in good faith about the Lenin quote: http://www.azcentral.com/story/claythompson/2014/10/13/lenin-ronald-reagan-quotes/17226727/<br />
<br />
If you want to discuss the matter of the historicity of the quote with AlanE on the talk page of the article, here is a useful resource: [http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
Thanks. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 02:31, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your note to me ==<br />
<br />
I respond to your email from me. <br />
<br />
Second, I will write a note to AlanE.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:04, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== Princess and the Frog revert. ==<br />
<br />
Just writing because I'm not sure why you reverted the Princess and the Frog removal from Worst Liberal Movies. The movie promoteshard work and family while condemning hedonism and nihilism and p k it's out the danger of accepting handouts and feeling entitled. This seems to me to be a deeply conservative film. --[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 07:47, 1 June 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Evolution==<br />
A simple question: do you believe in it, Creationism, or otherwise?--[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 03:29, 23 August 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Account promoted==<br />
Your account has just been given a promotion to 24x7 editing and blocking privileges. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:02, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:Congratulations! You do very good work on this wiki, which I appreciate. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:20, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
::Congrats! Keep up the good work! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:55, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:::Congratulations. It is good working with you. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 03:36, 7 March 2017 (EST)<br />
==JohnZ==<br />
Dear Northwest, I changed your two-year block to 1 day for [[User:JohnZ]]. While I do not like profanity, I think that we should show a kind and understanding approach to users who have been around for years. Let's give him a second chance, and if he does it again, then we would be justified in coming down hard. This is a volunteer project, and CP wants to avoid a reputation of long-blocks-at-the-drop-of-a-hat. Thank you for your understanding. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 14:57, 12 March 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I like that==<br />
Replace "religion" with "ideology™. Because of certain legal issues the US will face in the future, I go out of my way never to refer the a certain collective entity as a "faith" or "religion". " Political system" I use a lot, but haven't of thought of "ideology". We should collect a whole basket of different terms that can be used, and always insert them wherever necessary. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''CIA v Trump updated score'':CIA 3, Trump 2]]</sup> 05:10, 2 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== IRC ==<br />
<br />
Hello,<br /><br />
After some discussion (on [[User_talk:DavidB4#Conservapedia_IRC_channel|my talk page]] and [[User_talk:Aschlafly#IRC|Andy's]]) it has been decided that I start an [[Internet Relay Chat]] channel for Conservapedia, since our old one has been dead since 2009. It is now registered and somewhat set up. I don't know if you use IRC or are interested in doing so, but anyone with block privileges on Conservapedia can also get block privileges on the new IRC channel. Unfortunately, IRC accounts are deleted after 30 days of being unused, so unless you plan on using the IRC at least once a month, there is probably not much point in registering. In any case, feel free to try it out--if you account gets deleted, we can always make another one later. If you are interested, please let me know!<br /><br />
The IRC channel is: #conservapedia @irc.accessIRC.net<br /><br />
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else, also! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:36, 11 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Misslizzynj ==<br />
<br />
Please don't block new users due to the name policy unless they have usernames that are obviously offensive or silly. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:58, 11 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Length of blocks ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest, Andy recently messaged me on my talk page and told me to refrain from using blocks longer than around six months because many people's IP addresses change by then. I see you changed the length of a block for an impersonator of you, and I am not going to challenge that, but please refrain from doing long blocks for non-serious vandalism, per what Andy told me. Thanks. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:37, 2 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Trolls ==<br />
<br />
Don't feed them. Block them and move on. I would have emailed this to you, but you don't seem to have email activated. [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 16:04, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
:Just block trolls. Do not communicate with them.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:22, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Blocking of User:Whizkid ==<br />
<br />
One comment, as blunt and rude as it may have been, is not enough to block a long-time editor for any amount of time. You should have warned him about making such comments first. Don't ever make such a block again.<br />
<br />
While I'm commenting here, you realize that the links [[Democrat Party]] and [[Democratic Party]] link to two different articles? I see that you're changing every link to "Democrat Party" (which I support, for the most part), but you're having every article link to a different article. Please change the links so they link to the actual article about the party, even if you pipe it so the reader sees "Democrat Party." --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
:It was made clear to me when I was promoted to Assistant SysOp that this role is only for blocking blatant vandals, not working in good faith. While I haven't carefully studied the issue, he was disputing your changes in good faith. As [[Conservapedia:User_rights#Blocking_rights|officially stated]], only full administrators are to resolve disputes. Just because you have the block button doesn't mean you should use it whenever someone disagrees. In your defense, edit warring is discouraged, but it takes two to edit war. If you are the one making a change, then it is reasonable to assume that the original version should take precedence until the dispute can be resolved. Please discuss it with an administrator rather than just blocking someone. Should he have kept reverting your changes? Probably not. Should you have kept forcing your change back in? Probably not. Please take it to an admin next time, rather than just abusing the block button. Thank you. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:28, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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::First of all, I apologize for being rude. It was a fit of pique, brought on by my feeling you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying. Still, it was inappropriate, and I don't believe you're vandalizing the site, or that you're attempting to be deceitful. So I hope that you can forgive me and we can come to the understanding that, even if we disagree on things, we're both working for what we believe to be the good, and we should treat each other with respect and charity. I hope we can agree on that much at least.<br />
<br />
::That being said, I still strongly disagree with your position about this, and don't feel that it's ultimately good for the site, but I have no desire to get into an edit war with you that won't do anything but waste both our time. So maybe we could agree to make our cases before an administrator or someone, for the sake of harmony, and get a decision on this. Let me know what you think.--[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 23:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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== Liberal Denial revert? ==<br />
<br />
Why did you do this? We know that the ultimate goal of liberals is to do more than just censor Christianity in America. A site made for American conservatives should be about politics as much as it is about religion.<br />
<br />
[[User:MacTavish|MacTavish]] ([[User talk:MacTavish|talk]]) 16:44, 29 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please backup your recent edits ==<br />
<br />
Please try to either save a copy of your recent edits, or just refrain from editing for the next 24 hours or so. Conservapedia is changing web servers, and there is a risk that pages might be exported before you make the change, meaning your change will be lost. Thanks for understanding! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 17:56, 12 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
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== Islam ==<br />
<br />
I saw you reverting my edits to the article on [[Islam]]. There is a belief system to Islam, but it's more about worshiping an ''ideology'' than any God or gods. Even so, the source cited says Islam "…is an amalgam of social, political and judicial systems '''as well as''' a belief system. It is neither one thing nor the other – Islam is unique."<br />
<br />
== Marijuana article ==<br />
<br />
Did you see that there was a talk page discussion on the marijuana article about the content in question? I recommend that you explain [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&curid=7524&diff=1412346&oldid=1412214 your reverting] there and reach an agreement with the other editors, and I strongly recommend that you leave an edit summary when you revert. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:35, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
:Same, an edit summary would really be helpful there to clarify your intent. Did you read the Talk page discussion about how those portions of the lede undermine our argument? Please see [[Talk:Marijuana#Objections_to_presentation_of_lead]]. [[User:DavidLReyes|DavidLReyes]] ([[User talk:DavidLReyes|talk]]) 21:27, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
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== Discussing Christian Denominations on This Site ==<br />
<br />
I am someone who believes very staunchly in the five solas. I think that Ephesians 2:8-9 indicates the validity of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, John 14:6 for Solo Christo, and Psalm 115 for Sola Deo Gloria. I am not here to debate religious issues with you, but as you are a high-ranking admin on this site and Catholic, I have to ask you, what would you do if you saw edits to certain articles promoting a Protestant point of view? [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 12:58, 16 December 2018 (EST)<br />
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== My Ban ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I was banned for making edits that I thought were accurate on the Political Spectrum page under my account Classical Liberal. I didn't know how to contact you, so I created this page instead so I could. I'm really sorry. I'm a new user who just registered within the same hour of getting banned, I am a conservative, but I prefer that we take our title of being the liberals back, I'm not a troll, and I'm a student who's interested in politics and all I'm trying to do is inform people about modern conservatives so women and minorities aren't deceived anymore and will come back home to the Republican Party. I don't see how my edits were lies or revisionist history. I was just trying to inform people who wrongly accuse us of what the Democrats did like the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation because they always claim whenever you tell them that the Democrats were responsible for all of it that that's when the Democrats were the conservative party because they think that the parties switched and since I learned that the word liberal was redefined in the 1930s, I also thought the word conservative was redefined as well and that classical conservatism meant modern liberalism now just like how classical liberalism means modern conservatism now. I thought that I should've informed people that the conservatives of the past who the modern liberals pin the actions of on us modern conservatives were the modern liberals because the word liberal was hijacked from us and redefined and they like to accredit modern liberals for the things we classical liberals and modern conservatives actually did before the word liberalism was redefined. They'll argue with us conservatives and tell us that Lincoln would be a Democrat since he was a liberal because they don't realize that he was a liberal when the definitions of liberal and conservative were reversed. They believe the parties were reversed instead. I thought that since we were called the liberals in the past before they hijacked and redefined the term for themselves, they were called the conservatives because they're trying to pin the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation on modern conservatives and blame us for it and insist that since Democrats are now called the liberals and Republicans are called the conservatives, that the parties switched rather than the definitions of liberal and conservative. I thought this was the correct explanation since liberals of today whenever you point out the Democrats' history say "that's when the Republicans were the liberals and the Democrats were the conservatives and Lincoln would be a Democrat today since the liberal party is the Democratic Party now." They're unaware that when we were the liberal party, that the word liberal did not mean what it does now. I was just trying to clear the confusion that the Democrats created up when they redefined the word liberal and hijacked it from us. I thought that since classical liberalism means what modern conservatism does, classical conservatism must've meant what modern liberalism does now because I thought that since we were called the liberals before the New Deal, that the Democrats must've been called the conservatives then because what else would that have made them if we were called the liberals before the New Deal and conservatives after? If we were called liberals prior to the New Deal, what were they called? Conservatives wanting to keep blacks enslaved and minorities and women oppressed who had a bad reputation and stole our term? And I thought that them stealing the term liberal from us and us having to call ourselves the conservatives instead of liberals which we used to be called was part of their plan to push the party switch myth 30 years later because we have the title of conservative and they have the title of liberal that they stole from us and I thought the Democrats did this to make it look like the parties switched instead of the titles and to make it look like they were the good guys since they're now called "liberals" instead and no longer us which we used to be called until they hijacked the term from us. I thought this was the best way to debunk the claim that modern conservatives of the Republican Party who used to be called liberals prior to the definition switch had anything to do with what the Democrats did in the past. I thought that if being a conservative meant what being a liberal meant before the word was redefined, that being a liberal meant what being a conservative meant because I thought that since the term liberal belonged to us at one time, the term conservative must've belonged to them and that if classical liberalism means modern conservatism, classical conservatism must mean modern liberalism. You see where I'm getting at? I thought that if the word liberal belonged to us at one time, the word conservative belonged to them if we were called the liberals because what is the opposite of liberal? Conservative. And I thought that since the word liberal had a different definition, the word conservative had a different definition too. So I'm sorry if I in your words inserted historical revisionism and lies. That was not my intent. My intent was to clear up confusion, not create it. I want people to stop accrediting modern liberals for what we did and stop claiming that we used to be the Democrats and that the Republicans used to be what Democrats are now which is not true. I'm new to all this and I'm a beginner. I'll probably need some help with editing. I'm still learning my history. History and philosophy and studying the Bible are my favorite things. I'm obsessed with politics. I'm really good at explaining things and I was just trying to help. You could've just let me know where you thought I was wrong instead of slapping a 2-year ban on me. If unbanned, from now on, I will verify with you the things I want to add to pages before I add them so this won't happen again. Please give me another chance. I'm only a guy in his late teens whose been into politics for 7 years now. I share your information with everyone I can and I've convinced many family members to become Republicans while even being disowned by several others which you could just imagine how that makes someone feel. Especially someone my age. {{unsigned|Modern Conservative}}<br />
:I have unblocked the "Classical Liberal" account. I strongly recommend you first go to the article talk pages before making changes like this before unilaterally making them. Then, we can discuss those changes, which will be helpful. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 08:59, 11 February 2019 (EST)<br />
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== Sissy punk site ==<br />
<br />
[[User_talk:DMorris/Archive_1#Sissy_punks|Per Jpatt and the late TK, I would try to avoid mentioning that vandal site at all, fair enough?]] [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 21:10, 24 March 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The atheist page has straw man arguments and generalisations against atheism like that atheism is a worldview. You cannot just delete and ban everybody that doesn't agree with you. The evolution page is full of inconsistencies too.<br />
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== New show ==<br />
<br />
Hey, since you seem to be the most active person on the [[Essay:Greatest_Conservative_TV_Shows|Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] page I figured you might want to add Preacher to the page. It is about a disgraced preacher coming back to church and trying to find God.<br />
<br />
== Please help defend Catholicism from the baiters! ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, if you have the time, can you please look out for the Catholic-baiters on this site (RobSmith, Conservative, VargasMilan, and Shobson20) and rebuke them if need be? They have [[User talk:NishantXavier|harshly attacked NishantXavier on his talk page]], and it's evident that they spread lies, smears, baiting rhetoric, and mischaracterizations to "prove" their points, which are often times fallacious. Thank you! —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 15:03, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Don't listen to him, he has as much of a victim complex as BLM supporters. Actually, the most mature thing you can do is not get involved in this argument like you have all along. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:06, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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::Wait, I have the victim mentality in the same manner of BLM idiots? Need I remind you, Shobson20, for the gazillionth time that ''you'' were the one whining immediately after NishantXavier was promoted and you weren't yet? —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 16:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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:::Deflection. You've done plenty of whining yourself and STILL doing it. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:33, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::You're the one who's posting on other people's talk pages trying to get them involved, not us. First you tried to get Karajou, now Northwest. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 18:18, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I'm really sorry this guy is trying to drag you into his fight. If you want to, you can contribute [[Debate:Does the Catholic Church have the biblical authority of Christ Himself to preach and to teach the truth forever?| this debate page]]. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:01, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The truth is that a Catholic vs. Protestant argument was getting out of hand, so User:Conservative suggested making that debate page to make the debate more structured and civil. Since then, both sides have been mostly talking there, but Liberaltears just can't let things go. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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== Great to see you around again! ==<br />
<br />
Great to see you back, Northwest! How are you doing? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, 9 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Check this out==<br />
[https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/murder-for-ratings/ Murder for Ratings]. I'm fairly certain I put the assault by Jacob Lebron Kelly at a Sanders rally in the February 2020 list of violence. I'm checking it now. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 20:27, 13 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
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Here it is https://www.conservapedia.com/Left-wing_violence_in_the_Trump_era_(2020)#cite_note-49 and footnote 50<br />
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== Juvenile Delinquent ==<br />
<br />
What can we do, if the Juvenile Delinquent comes after us? He came after me again. --[[User:United States|United States]] ([[User talk:United States|talk]]) 19:41, 2 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== A note about that troll ==<br />
<br />
Please don't take this the wrong way, but the troll whose socks you were quick to block was probably trying to make a fool out of you and CP in general. Since the imbecile thought that you would immediately block him upon sight, he trolls you with usernames like [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=&user=&page=User%3ALightningBlocks&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= this] to prove he's correct in a sense and make us look paranoid. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 22:50, 31 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please help formulate the Mission Statement ==<br />
<br />
I need input on [[Conservapedia:Mission Statement]]. Please contribute. I want Conservapedia to leave Wikipedia in its dust.--[[User:Amorrow|Amorrow]] ([[User talk:Amorrow|talk]]) 01:22, 21 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Chimpout==<br />
Good catch on User:Chimpout. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Chimpout] I never would have caught it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 03:25, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
:Just doing what needs to be done. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Debate ==<br />
<br />
:Hi Northwest. I would like to get your input on a debate page I just created [[Debate:Should the United States attack Pakistan?]]. Thanks.[[User:Bytemsbu|Bytemsbu]] ([[User talk:Bytemsbu|talk]]) 21:37, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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+ <br />
==Proposal==<br />
We would appreciate your input at [[Conservapedia:Community_Portal#Proposal]]. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:59, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:You have no real interest in "civil" discussion, only to be disruptive, to act in an uncivil manner and to hide comments I make specifically calling you out for your behavior here in the past four days because you don't like what I have to say. Karajou's even had to undo what you're trying to do, but your reversals of his undos show that you're just not interested in doing the right thing and would rather seize power here and do exactly what Pokeria1 pointed out you're trying to do - take Conservapedia in a more leftward direction, which is not what this site is about. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 22:12, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
== Thanks ==<br />
Thanks for the tremendous blocking last night on the avalanche of vandal accounts. Today I've written and installed a program to minimize that from occurring again. Really appreciate your blocks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 16:07, 3 February 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== re: RobS ==<br />
<br />
Later in this week, I will be attempting to mediate the dispute involving RobS as RobS creates a lot of content. <br />
<br />
In the meantime and in the future, please do not provoke RobS. I cannot stress this enough. <br />
<br />
Also, thank you for all your contributions to Conservapedia.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:08, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Who was this topic made by? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 04:31, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Re: your editing warring with RobS about Obama's birthplace ==<br />
<br />
Northwest, you wrote about Obama: "because of him not being a natural-born citizen". <br />
<br />
At Conservapedia, you cannot '''definitively state''' that Obama was not a natural born citizen because there is no definitive/absolute/direct proof to that effect. The best you can do is point out that certain sources/people suspect that Obama was not a natural born citizen for X, Y, Z, etc. reasons. If you are definitively insisting that Obama was not a natural born citizen in articles, please stop. In many cases, historical claims are probabilistic. This is one of those cases.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:34, 10 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Why are you and rob fighting ==<br />
<br />
Why. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 01:03, 20 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== RobS' talk page. It's his castle ==<br />
<br />
Please stop endeavoring to retain your postings on RobS' user talk page. <br />
<br />
As per Mr. Schlafly, "We respect users' control over their own talk pages as much as possible. Wikipedia treats users' own talk pages like government or public property, and it becomes a place for Wikipedia editors to bully users."[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia] Source: [[Conservapedia:How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:25, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Also, "Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users, and their opinions. Users are free to remove comments from their own user talk pages."[https://conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Guidelines] Source: [[Conservapedia:Guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:28, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== There’s no RationalWiki article yet. ==<br />
<br />
Why is that? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 07:42, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Basically denying the site traffic. Probably for the best. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:22, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Multiple admins there are ruining what was already a bad site and made it even worse --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 08:23, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Don't take content disputes to user talk pages. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages ==<br />
<br />
You immediately took a content dispute to a user's personal talk page. <br />
<br />
You shouldn't immediately take content disputes to a user's talk page. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages and endeavor to have a cordial, constructive dialogue with the person to resolve matters. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 04:09, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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=== Re: Don't take content disputes to user talk pages ===<br />
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when RobS chose ''not'' to be cordial or constructive (as per his history) with me or other editors during the kerfuffle back in January that led to his being desysopped and stripped of his admin powers. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 04:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
:For all parties involved, I suggest practicing forgiveness and trying to start things over with a new slate. <br />
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:I have been talking to Andy about this matter and he wants greater civility and constructive dialogue by all parties involved. <br />
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:This coming weekend, I will be talking to Andy about upgrading Conservapedia's civility guidelines.<br />
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:In addition, I will be talking to Andy about Conservapedia articles/content having an more encyclopedic tone. Why? Because Andy raised this issue with me and would like to see Conservapedia have a more encyclopedic tone in all cases where it is important to do so (I will explain this matter). Encyclopedia articles should first and foremost be designed to inform and shouldn't go out of their way to troll. For example, as far as a an article dispute you had with RobS, you insisted that the word "transgender" be struck out and "gender confusion" be used instead because you said that liberals don't like the phrase "gender confusion". But the purpose of articles is not to tick off liberals, but to inform the public. From what I understand, the topic had to do with transgenderism so when you insisted that "gender confusion" be used it unnecessarily clouded the meaning of the article as that is a broader term. Even when I write on provocative topics like [[Gay bowel syndrome]], [[Homosexuality and Parasites|Homosexuality and parasites]], [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Atheism and bestiality]], I make every effort to keep the articles encyclopedic in tone. I am also not a fan of RobS using "Biden junta" for article titles or article content. The term "Biden junta" is fine for essays, but not articles in my estimation. Andy wants main page right content to have a more encyclopedic tone too. I plan on talking to RobS about this matter this coming weekend and to talk to Andy about this matter too. In short, if you want content to have a very provocative tone, that is fine, but do it in essays.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:10, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::I upgraded the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]] as far as the civility portion. I will be talking to Andy this week to get it approved. <br />
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::This is my addition: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unneccesary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:24, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::Well, what I actually stated in my edit summaries was that since this is a conservative wiki, use of liberal-preferred terms should be avoided except in certain contexts (such as in quotes made by public figures, or names of liberal organizations). If liberals don't like their preferred terms not being used, that's their issue, but giving in on that subject is essentially a matter of "give them an inch..." (or to be more specific, give liberals an inch and they'll eventually demand the distance between Earth and Pluto, as they always do). [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:43, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::::The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in Google searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 07:04, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::::Really? You're using Google searches for viability? Newsflash, Google manipulates search results. We even have an entire article on the subject on here. Even if we kowtow to Liberal redefining of things, Google STILL will end up manipulating search results to block us out. Better be a pure conservative site than sacrifice even a small amount of conservativism under the belief it would give us more traffic. If anything, you should go by DuckDuckGo or even Bing. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 07:14, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::::::You are correct. Here's my revised statement: "The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in <s>Google</s> searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text." I removed the offensive proper noun. That should be helpful now, [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:35, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Re: latest edit war with RobS ==<br />
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As far as your latest edit war with RobS, If you are going to source material, please do better than Quora or sites like it such as Yahoo Answers. Anyone can put material on sites like that. The fourth footnote for the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]] indicates, "Sources should be authoritative works, not merely published opinions by others. No sources advocating or supporting unlawful activity of any kind are allowed."<br />
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Quora is not an authoritative work.<br />
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Under the new civility rules update that Andy approved, it does state you have to properly source material.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:01, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Friendly invite to a new Conservapedia project ==<br />
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Hello Northwest! I hope you are having a good day. I wanted to invite you to [[Conservapedia:Project Current Events]] since it is a new project that I recently started. The goal of the project is to improve Conservapedia within current events, Hopefully you will consider joining. --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 12:36, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
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I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
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=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
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*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
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*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
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*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
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"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
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==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
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Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
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(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
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(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
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(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
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(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
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(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
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(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
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(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
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Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
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=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
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*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
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I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:46, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your edit to the European migrant crisis article ==<br />
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Please look at this edit of yours: https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=European_migrant_crisis&diff=prev&oldid=1309224 which you posted in 2017. <br />
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1990sguy and RobS spent countless hours on the article. <br />
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I want to focus on one aspect of your edit to that article. In 2017, after Barack Obama served 8 years as the president of the USA, your edit indicated the following and I will quote it : "When Barack Hussein Obama became "president"". Norwest, when you posted "president", with no explanation, its obvious your intent was to merely "stick it to the libs" and not to educate the public. The purpose of an encylopedia is to inform the public and not merely to upset people who hold to a certain political ideology. <br />
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Now in an article devoted to specific topic of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] one can certainly briefly go over the pro/con arguments of Obama's actual birthplace (like the various arguments of computer experts on Obama's online long form birth certificate giving the pro-con arguments of the various computer experts opinions on its authenticity). In addition, in that main Obama arrticle one can have a link to a longer article specifically geared to the issue of Obama's birthplace controversy. <br />
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But an article which merely refers to "President" Obama for example is potentially confusing to the reader as he/she may not know what it means. For example, a young person in India who reads "President" Obama could easily be confused on why the quotation marks are there. <br />
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One the reasons why I shared Fischer's rules above is to point out that historical investigations/conclusions are often probabilistic. A historian looking into the birthplace of Obama would carefully weigh all the evidence and after doing so would not make dogmatic statements like "Obama was definitely not born in the USA" because he would actually have no absolute certainty. For example, I know that one Republican computer expert said the online rendition of Barack Obama's birth certification document was a bona fide copy of Obama's birth certificate. Some computer experts on the other hand say the online, long form birth certificate was a fraud.<br />
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If you stick the facts in articles and not needlessly inject opinions that claim to be facts, you will have more harmony with other editors.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 23:41, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==Re: Trump Reverts==<br />
Thanks for leaving a message. You bring up a very good point about whether Joe Biden should even legally be in power, because of how greatly distrusted last year's election was. But it also raises the question of, if Joe Biden is not the legal president, then who is? It can't be Donald Trump, because he failed to win Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona (which had no voting law changes and the suburbs and working-class voters there were almost certainly going to hand the state to Joe Biden), so massive voter fraud in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which was declined by a leftist agenda of the courts in those locations, would not have been able to change the election. Plus, courts with a political agenda are nothing new either. Bush v. Gore, for example, only favored Bush because of a rightist agenda of the court. So even if there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election like we suspect, don't courts and local election officials serve the bottom line for presidential legitimacy? Not only do I find it very unlikely that Republican officials wish to promote a big-government leftist agenda, but the reason I say all this is because even if Joe Biden didn't receive as many votes as it seemed in 2020, he may still be a legal president. Even if it is the fault of the people who ran the election, the Biden administration may not be the one to blame. - [[User:TrumpLover84|TrumpLover84]]([[User talk:TrumpLover84|talk]])<br />
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==Vandal patrol==<br />
While on vandal patrol, you missed the most obvious. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 This edit] claims Stacey Abrams is a bizarre conspiracy theorist cause she accused brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger of election rigging with voting machines before Sidney Powell or Donald Trump did.<br />
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== Question ==<br />
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Do I use infobox officeholder or dictator bio for this person https://conservapedia.com/Albert_René as he was accused of using torture against people. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 19:28, 25 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==Conservapedia Guidelines==<br />
[[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility]] states:<br />
*''Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However '''you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users''', and their opinions.''<br />
You Userpage mainspace presently has an attack upon another CP editor placed by you. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:Northwest&curid=123230&diff=1753219&oldid=1752798] Please remove the abusive content. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:58, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:If you ask me, the only one actually coming across as a bully is you, Rob. And quite frankly, I have to agree with Northwest, your actions are coming across as unjust, and more likely to aid the liberal agenda as it is. We formed Conservapedia specifically to get AWAY from the liberal bias that is Wikipedia. We cannot allow ourselves to become Wikipedia-lite. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 23:22, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==John Wayne==<br />
Why don't you go fix the [[John Wayne]] article and change it to [[Marion Wayne]]? [https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/John_Wayne] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== POV opinion and conspiracy theories are NOT "facts".... ==<br />
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Hello. Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, no...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS, videos, books, and private websites....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you or David has made on this site. David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral anything, in those walls of texts there. So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 23:08, 21 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=1758237User talk:Northwest2021-05-22T03:12:57Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
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<div>{{welcome}}[[User:Brenden|brenden]] 23:37, 18 September 2012 (EDT)<br />
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== same sex marriage revert? ==<br />
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Greetings, and hope you are well. Just wanted to ask, why the revert of my same-sex marriage page edit?<br />
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[[User:KatieKomori|KatieKomori]] 10:19, 1 December 2012 (EST)<br />
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==Vandal==<br />
A vandal on the loose. [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Benkumar] I have told four other editors. If you are able, please block him[[User:U.U|U.U]] ([[User talk:U.U|talk]]) 02:34, 27 February 2016 (EST)<br />
:Thank you. When I see an edit of minus five digits on a page like Republican Party, it's pretty obvious that a vandal swept by. Well done. --[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 22:18, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Are you sure that was vandalism? It could have been an inadvertent removal of information when he intended on just adding "pro-capitalism" to the article. I have seen numerous times where this has happened, which an editor adding info but for whatever reason accidently removing a whole bunch of information without even knowing it, and in those other times, it was clearly a mistake. I honestly don't see how it was intentional. I request that you review your block. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 23:35, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::It turns out that user was a sock of TAR, and he was blocked by an admin (but for a different reason). Thank you for your work on this site, Northwest. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:43, 20 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Expansion of Greatest Conservative TV Shows and Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies, as well as Star Wars. ==<br />
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Hi.<br />
<br />
I noticed the great job you did in expanding the Worst Liberal TV Shows, and was wondering whether you are planning to do something similar regarding the Greatest Conservative TV Shows and the Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies lists (namely the opening paragraphs).<br />
<br />
Also, since I noticed you're doing a lot of edits regarding Star Wars currently, I was wondering whether you could expand it to include any real life influences on the characters and franchise. I know that the Empire was largely inspired by America during the time of the Vietnam War, and that the Rebel Alliance was based on the Vietcong (in fact, that's actually the reason why I'm, albeit reluctantly, an Empire supporter now, and probably full time as well). I included a bit regarding Palpatine being directly inspired by Richard Nixon, for example. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:53, 3 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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+==<br />
Okay mate, that's enough! If you want to revert my edits then give me reasons that have more veracity than the weasel words you gave in the Summary of one of the pages. <br />
:I have reread the article(s), struggled through TAR's attached blogs, read your [[Northwest]] edit history and have realised you have no real understanding or knowledge of the words involved. Nor do you understand it is not advisable to link to non-existent pages which your reverts always do.<br />
:I am about to revert... again! If you revert me without good reason I will ban you.<br />
:[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] ([[User talk:AlanE|talk]]) 00:59, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== re: Lenin quote in Bourgeoisie article ==<br />
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re: [[Bourgeoisie]] article<br />
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AlanE is acting in good faith about the Lenin quote: http://www.azcentral.com/story/claythompson/2014/10/13/lenin-ronald-reagan-quotes/17226727/<br />
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If you want to discuss the matter of the historicity of the quote with AlanE on the talk page of the article, here is a useful resource: [http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
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Thanks. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 02:31, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your note to me ==<br />
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I respond to your email from me. <br />
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Second, I will write a note to AlanE.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:04, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== Princess and the Frog revert. ==<br />
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Just writing because I'm not sure why you reverted the Princess and the Frog removal from Worst Liberal Movies. The movie promoteshard work and family while condemning hedonism and nihilism and p k it's out the danger of accepting handouts and feeling entitled. This seems to me to be a deeply conservative film. --[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 07:47, 1 June 2016 (EDT)<br />
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==Evolution==<br />
A simple question: do you believe in it, Creationism, or otherwise?--[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 03:29, 23 August 2016 (EDT)<br />
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==Account promoted==<br />
Your account has just been given a promotion to 24x7 editing and blocking privileges. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:02, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:Congratulations! You do very good work on this wiki, which I appreciate. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:20, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
::Congrats! Keep up the good work! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:55, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:::Congratulations. It is good working with you. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 03:36, 7 March 2017 (EST)<br />
==JohnZ==<br />
Dear Northwest, I changed your two-year block to 1 day for [[User:JohnZ]]. While I do not like profanity, I think that we should show a kind and understanding approach to users who have been around for years. Let's give him a second chance, and if he does it again, then we would be justified in coming down hard. This is a volunteer project, and CP wants to avoid a reputation of long-blocks-at-the-drop-of-a-hat. Thank you for your understanding. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 14:57, 12 March 2017 (EDT)<br />
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==I like that==<br />
Replace "religion" with "ideology™. Because of certain legal issues the US will face in the future, I go out of my way never to refer the a certain collective entity as a "faith" or "religion". " Political system" I use a lot, but haven't of thought of "ideology". We should collect a whole basket of different terms that can be used, and always insert them wherever necessary. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''CIA v Trump updated score'':CIA 3, Trump 2]]</sup> 05:10, 2 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== IRC ==<br />
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Hello,<br /><br />
After some discussion (on [[User_talk:DavidB4#Conservapedia_IRC_channel|my talk page]] and [[User_talk:Aschlafly#IRC|Andy's]]) it has been decided that I start an [[Internet Relay Chat]] channel for Conservapedia, since our old one has been dead since 2009. It is now registered and somewhat set up. I don't know if you use IRC or are interested in doing so, but anyone with block privileges on Conservapedia can also get block privileges on the new IRC channel. Unfortunately, IRC accounts are deleted after 30 days of being unused, so unless you plan on using the IRC at least once a month, there is probably not much point in registering. In any case, feel free to try it out--if you account gets deleted, we can always make another one later. If you are interested, please let me know!<br /><br />
The IRC channel is: #conservapedia @irc.accessIRC.net<br /><br />
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else, also! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:36, 11 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Blocking of User:Misslizzynj ==<br />
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Please don't block new users due to the name policy unless they have usernames that are obviously offensive or silly. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:58, 11 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Length of blocks ==<br />
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Hello Northwest, Andy recently messaged me on my talk page and told me to refrain from using blocks longer than around six months because many people's IP addresses change by then. I see you changed the length of a block for an impersonator of you, and I am not going to challenge that, but please refrain from doing long blocks for non-serious vandalism, per what Andy told me. Thanks. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:37, 2 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Trolls ==<br />
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Don't feed them. Block them and move on. I would have emailed this to you, but you don't seem to have email activated. [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 16:04, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
:Just block trolls. Do not communicate with them.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:22, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Blocking of User:Whizkid ==<br />
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One comment, as blunt and rude as it may have been, is not enough to block a long-time editor for any amount of time. You should have warned him about making such comments first. Don't ever make such a block again.<br />
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While I'm commenting here, you realize that the links [[Democrat Party]] and [[Democratic Party]] link to two different articles? I see that you're changing every link to "Democrat Party" (which I support, for the most part), but you're having every article link to a different article. Please change the links so they link to the actual article about the party, even if you pipe it so the reader sees "Democrat Party." --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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:It was made clear to me when I was promoted to Assistant SysOp that this role is only for blocking blatant vandals, not working in good faith. While I haven't carefully studied the issue, he was disputing your changes in good faith. As [[Conservapedia:User_rights#Blocking_rights|officially stated]], only full administrators are to resolve disputes. Just because you have the block button doesn't mean you should use it whenever someone disagrees. In your defense, edit warring is discouraged, but it takes two to edit war. If you are the one making a change, then it is reasonable to assume that the original version should take precedence until the dispute can be resolved. Please discuss it with an administrator rather than just blocking someone. Should he have kept reverting your changes? Probably not. Should you have kept forcing your change back in? Probably not. Please take it to an admin next time, rather than just abusing the block button. Thank you. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:28, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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::First of all, I apologize for being rude. It was a fit of pique, brought on by my feeling you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying. Still, it was inappropriate, and I don't believe you're vandalizing the site, or that you're attempting to be deceitful. So I hope that you can forgive me and we can come to the understanding that, even if we disagree on things, we're both working for what we believe to be the good, and we should treat each other with respect and charity. I hope we can agree on that much at least.<br />
<br />
::That being said, I still strongly disagree with your position about this, and don't feel that it's ultimately good for the site, but I have no desire to get into an edit war with you that won't do anything but waste both our time. So maybe we could agree to make our cases before an administrator or someone, for the sake of harmony, and get a decision on this. Let me know what you think.--[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 23:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Liberal Denial revert? ==<br />
<br />
Why did you do this? We know that the ultimate goal of liberals is to do more than just censor Christianity in America. A site made for American conservatives should be about politics as much as it is about religion.<br />
<br />
[[User:MacTavish|MacTavish]] ([[User talk:MacTavish|talk]]) 16:44, 29 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please backup your recent edits ==<br />
<br />
Please try to either save a copy of your recent edits, or just refrain from editing for the next 24 hours or so. Conservapedia is changing web servers, and there is a risk that pages might be exported before you make the change, meaning your change will be lost. Thanks for understanding! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 17:56, 12 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Islam ==<br />
<br />
I saw you reverting my edits to the article on [[Islam]]. There is a belief system to Islam, but it's more about worshiping an ''ideology'' than any God or gods. Even so, the source cited says Islam "…is an amalgam of social, political and judicial systems '''as well as''' a belief system. It is neither one thing nor the other – Islam is unique."<br />
<br />
== Marijuana article ==<br />
<br />
Did you see that there was a talk page discussion on the marijuana article about the content in question? I recommend that you explain [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&curid=7524&diff=1412346&oldid=1412214 your reverting] there and reach an agreement with the other editors, and I strongly recommend that you leave an edit summary when you revert. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:35, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
:Same, an edit summary would really be helpful there to clarify your intent. Did you read the Talk page discussion about how those portions of the lede undermine our argument? Please see [[Talk:Marijuana#Objections_to_presentation_of_lead]]. [[User:DavidLReyes|DavidLReyes]] ([[User talk:DavidLReyes|talk]]) 21:27, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Discussing Christian Denominations on This Site ==<br />
<br />
I am someone who believes very staunchly in the five solas. I think that Ephesians 2:8-9 indicates the validity of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, John 14:6 for Solo Christo, and Psalm 115 for Sola Deo Gloria. I am not here to debate religious issues with you, but as you are a high-ranking admin on this site and Catholic, I have to ask you, what would you do if you saw edits to certain articles promoting a Protestant point of view? [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 12:58, 16 December 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== My Ban ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I was banned for making edits that I thought were accurate on the Political Spectrum page under my account Classical Liberal. I didn't know how to contact you, so I created this page instead so I could. I'm really sorry. I'm a new user who just registered within the same hour of getting banned, I am a conservative, but I prefer that we take our title of being the liberals back, I'm not a troll, and I'm a student who's interested in politics and all I'm trying to do is inform people about modern conservatives so women and minorities aren't deceived anymore and will come back home to the Republican Party. I don't see how my edits were lies or revisionist history. I was just trying to inform people who wrongly accuse us of what the Democrats did like the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation because they always claim whenever you tell them that the Democrats were responsible for all of it that that's when the Democrats were the conservative party because they think that the parties switched and since I learned that the word liberal was redefined in the 1930s, I also thought the word conservative was redefined as well and that classical conservatism meant modern liberalism now just like how classical liberalism means modern conservatism now. I thought that I should've informed people that the conservatives of the past who the modern liberals pin the actions of on us modern conservatives were the modern liberals because the word liberal was hijacked from us and redefined and they like to accredit modern liberals for the things we classical liberals and modern conservatives actually did before the word liberalism was redefined. They'll argue with us conservatives and tell us that Lincoln would be a Democrat since he was a liberal because they don't realize that he was a liberal when the definitions of liberal and conservative were reversed. They believe the parties were reversed instead. I thought that since we were called the liberals in the past before they hijacked and redefined the term for themselves, they were called the conservatives because they're trying to pin the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation on modern conservatives and blame us for it and insist that since Democrats are now called the liberals and Republicans are called the conservatives, that the parties switched rather than the definitions of liberal and conservative. I thought this was the correct explanation since liberals of today whenever you point out the Democrats' history say "that's when the Republicans were the liberals and the Democrats were the conservatives and Lincoln would be a Democrat today since the liberal party is the Democratic Party now." They're unaware that when we were the liberal party, that the word liberal did not mean what it does now. I was just trying to clear the confusion that the Democrats created up when they redefined the word liberal and hijacked it from us. I thought that since classical liberalism means what modern conservatism does, classical conservatism must've meant what modern liberalism does now because I thought that since we were called the liberals before the New Deal, that the Democrats must've been called the conservatives then because what else would that have made them if we were called the liberals before the New Deal and conservatives after? If we were called liberals prior to the New Deal, what were they called? Conservatives wanting to keep blacks enslaved and minorities and women oppressed who had a bad reputation and stole our term? And I thought that them stealing the term liberal from us and us having to call ourselves the conservatives instead of liberals which we used to be called was part of their plan to push the party switch myth 30 years later because we have the title of conservative and they have the title of liberal that they stole from us and I thought the Democrats did this to make it look like the parties switched instead of the titles and to make it look like they were the good guys since they're now called "liberals" instead and no longer us which we used to be called until they hijacked the term from us. I thought this was the best way to debunk the claim that modern conservatives of the Republican Party who used to be called liberals prior to the definition switch had anything to do with what the Democrats did in the past. I thought that if being a conservative meant what being a liberal meant before the word was redefined, that being a liberal meant what being a conservative meant because I thought that since the term liberal belonged to us at one time, the term conservative must've belonged to them and that if classical liberalism means modern conservatism, classical conservatism must mean modern liberalism. You see where I'm getting at? I thought that if the word liberal belonged to us at one time, the word conservative belonged to them if we were called the liberals because what is the opposite of liberal? Conservative. And I thought that since the word liberal had a different definition, the word conservative had a different definition too. So I'm sorry if I in your words inserted historical revisionism and lies. That was not my intent. My intent was to clear up confusion, not create it. I want people to stop accrediting modern liberals for what we did and stop claiming that we used to be the Democrats and that the Republicans used to be what Democrats are now which is not true. I'm new to all this and I'm a beginner. I'll probably need some help with editing. I'm still learning my history. History and philosophy and studying the Bible are my favorite things. I'm obsessed with politics. I'm really good at explaining things and I was just trying to help. You could've just let me know where you thought I was wrong instead of slapping a 2-year ban on me. If unbanned, from now on, I will verify with you the things I want to add to pages before I add them so this won't happen again. Please give me another chance. I'm only a guy in his late teens whose been into politics for 7 years now. I share your information with everyone I can and I've convinced many family members to become Republicans while even being disowned by several others which you could just imagine how that makes someone feel. Especially someone my age. {{unsigned|Modern Conservative}}<br />
:I have unblocked the "Classical Liberal" account. I strongly recommend you first go to the article talk pages before making changes like this before unilaterally making them. Then, we can discuss those changes, which will be helpful. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 08:59, 11 February 2019 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Sissy punk site ==<br />
<br />
[[User_talk:DMorris/Archive_1#Sissy_punks|Per Jpatt and the late TK, I would try to avoid mentioning that vandal site at all, fair enough?]] [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 21:10, 24 March 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The atheist page has straw man arguments and generalisations against atheism like that atheism is a worldview. You cannot just delete and ban everybody that doesn't agree with you. The evolution page is full of inconsistencies too.<br />
<br />
== New show ==<br />
<br />
Hey, since you seem to be the most active person on the [[Essay:Greatest_Conservative_TV_Shows|Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] page I figured you might want to add Preacher to the page. It is about a disgraced preacher coming back to church and trying to find God.<br />
<br />
== Please help defend Catholicism from the baiters! ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, if you have the time, can you please look out for the Catholic-baiters on this site (RobSmith, Conservative, VargasMilan, and Shobson20) and rebuke them if need be? They have [[User talk:NishantXavier|harshly attacked NishantXavier on his talk page]], and it's evident that they spread lies, smears, baiting rhetoric, and mischaracterizations to "prove" their points, which are often times fallacious. Thank you! —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 15:03, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Don't listen to him, he has as much of a victim complex as BLM supporters. Actually, the most mature thing you can do is not get involved in this argument like you have all along. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:06, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::Wait, I have the victim mentality in the same manner of BLM idiots? Need I remind you, Shobson20, for the gazillionth time that ''you'' were the one whining immediately after NishantXavier was promoted and you weren't yet? —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 16:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Deflection. You've done plenty of whining yourself and STILL doing it. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:33, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::You're the one who's posting on other people's talk pages trying to get them involved, not us. First you tried to get Karajou, now Northwest. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 18:18, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I'm really sorry this guy is trying to drag you into his fight. If you want to, you can contribute [[Debate:Does the Catholic Church have the biblical authority of Christ Himself to preach and to teach the truth forever?| this debate page]]. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:01, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The truth is that a Catholic vs. Protestant argument was getting out of hand, so User:Conservative suggested making that debate page to make the debate more structured and civil. Since then, both sides have been mostly talking there, but Liberaltears just can't let things go. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Great to see you around again! ==<br />
<br />
Great to see you back, Northwest! How are you doing? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, 9 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Check this out==<br />
[https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/murder-for-ratings/ Murder for Ratings]. I'm fairly certain I put the assault by Jacob Lebron Kelly at a Sanders rally in the February 2020 list of violence. I'm checking it now. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 20:27, 13 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
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Here it is https://www.conservapedia.com/Left-wing_violence_in_the_Trump_era_(2020)#cite_note-49 and footnote 50<br />
<br />
== Juvenile Delinquent ==<br />
<br />
What can we do, if the Juvenile Delinquent comes after us? He came after me again. --[[User:United States|United States]] ([[User talk:United States|talk]]) 19:41, 2 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== A note about that troll ==<br />
<br />
Please don't take this the wrong way, but the troll whose socks you were quick to block was probably trying to make a fool out of you and CP in general. Since the imbecile thought that you would immediately block him upon sight, he trolls you with usernames like [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=&user=&page=User%3ALightningBlocks&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= this] to prove he's correct in a sense and make us look paranoid. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 22:50, 31 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please help formulate the Mission Statement ==<br />
<br />
I need input on [[Conservapedia:Mission Statement]]. Please contribute. I want Conservapedia to leave Wikipedia in its dust.--[[User:Amorrow|Amorrow]] ([[User talk:Amorrow|talk]]) 01:22, 21 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Chimpout==<br />
Good catch on User:Chimpout. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Chimpout] I never would have caught it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 03:25, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
:Just doing what needs to be done. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Debate ==<br />
<br />
:Hi Northwest. I would like to get your input on a debate page I just created [[Debate:Should the United States attack Pakistan?]]. Thanks.[[User:Bytemsbu|Bytemsbu]] ([[User talk:Bytemsbu|talk]]) 21:37, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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+ <br />
==Proposal==<br />
We would appreciate your input at [[Conservapedia:Community_Portal#Proposal]]. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:59, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:You have no real interest in "civil" discussion, only to be disruptive, to act in an uncivil manner and to hide comments I make specifically calling you out for your behavior here in the past four days because you don't like what I have to say. Karajou's even had to undo what you're trying to do, but your reversals of his undos show that you're just not interested in doing the right thing and would rather seize power here and do exactly what Pokeria1 pointed out you're trying to do - take Conservapedia in a more leftward direction, which is not what this site is about. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 22:12, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
== Thanks ==<br />
Thanks for the tremendous blocking last night on the avalanche of vandal accounts. Today I've written and installed a program to minimize that from occurring again. Really appreciate your blocks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 16:07, 3 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== re: RobS ==<br />
<br />
Later in this week, I will be attempting to mediate the dispute involving RobS as RobS creates a lot of content. <br />
<br />
In the meantime and in the future, please do not provoke RobS. I cannot stress this enough. <br />
<br />
Also, thank you for all your contributions to Conservapedia.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:08, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Who was this topic made by? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 04:31, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Re: your editing warring with RobS about Obama's birthplace ==<br />
<br />
Northwest, you wrote about Obama: "because of him not being a natural-born citizen". <br />
<br />
At Conservapedia, you cannot '''definitively state''' that Obama was not a natural born citizen because there is no definitive/absolute/direct proof to that effect. The best you can do is point out that certain sources/people suspect that Obama was not a natural born citizen for X, Y, Z, etc. reasons. If you are definitively insisting that Obama was not a natural born citizen in articles, please stop. In many cases, historical claims are probabilistic. This is one of those cases.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:34, 10 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Why are you and rob fighting ==<br />
<br />
Why. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 01:03, 20 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== RobS' talk page. It's his castle ==<br />
<br />
Please stop endeavoring to retain your postings on RobS' user talk page. <br />
<br />
As per Mr. Schlafly, "We respect users' control over their own talk pages as much as possible. Wikipedia treats users' own talk pages like government or public property, and it becomes a place for Wikipedia editors to bully users."[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia] Source: [[Conservapedia:How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:25, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Also, "Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users, and their opinions. Users are free to remove comments from their own user talk pages."[https://conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Guidelines] Source: [[Conservapedia:Guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:28, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== There’s no RationalWiki article yet. ==<br />
<br />
Why is that? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 07:42, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Basically denying the site traffic. Probably for the best. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:22, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Multiple admins there are ruining what was already a bad site and made it even worse --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 08:23, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Don't take content disputes to user talk pages. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages ==<br />
<br />
You immediately took a content dispute to a user's personal talk page. <br />
<br />
You shouldn't immediately take content disputes to a user's talk page. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages and endeavor to have a cordial, constructive dialogue with the person to resolve matters. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 04:09, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
=== Re: Don't take content disputes to user talk pages ===<br />
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when RobS chose ''not'' to be cordial or constructive (as per his history) with me or other editors during the kerfuffle back in January that led to his being desysopped and stripped of his admin powers. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 04:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
:For all parties involved, I suggest practicing forgiveness and trying to start things over with a new slate. <br />
<br />
:I have been talking to Andy about this matter and he wants greater civility and constructive dialogue by all parties involved. <br />
<br />
:This coming weekend, I will be talking to Andy about upgrading Conservapedia's civility guidelines.<br />
<br />
:In addition, I will be talking to Andy about Conservapedia articles/content having an more encyclopedic tone. Why? Because Andy raised this issue with me and would like to see Conservapedia have a more encyclopedic tone in all cases where it is important to do so (I will explain this matter). Encyclopedia articles should first and foremost be designed to inform and shouldn't go out of their way to troll. For example, as far as a an article dispute you had with RobS, you insisted that the word "transgender" be struck out and "gender confusion" be used instead because you said that liberals don't like the phrase "gender confusion". But the purpose of articles is not to tick off liberals, but to inform the public. From what I understand, the topic had to do with transgenderism so when you insisted that "gender confusion" be used it unnecessarily clouded the meaning of the article as that is a broader term. Even when I write on provocative topics like [[Gay bowel syndrome]], [[Homosexuality and Parasites|Homosexuality and parasites]], [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Atheism and bestiality]], I make every effort to keep the articles encyclopedic in tone. I am also not a fan of RobS using "Biden junta" for article titles or article content. The term "Biden junta" is fine for essays, but not articles in my estimation. Andy wants main page right content to have a more encyclopedic tone too. I plan on talking to RobS about this matter this coming weekend and to talk to Andy about this matter too. In short, if you want content to have a very provocative tone, that is fine, but do it in essays.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:10, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::I upgraded the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]] as far as the civility portion. I will be talking to Andy this week to get it approved. <br />
<br />
::This is my addition: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unneccesary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:24, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Well, what I actually stated in my edit summaries was that since this is a conservative wiki, use of liberal-preferred terms should be avoided except in certain contexts (such as in quotes made by public figures, or names of liberal organizations). If liberals don't like their preferred terms not being used, that's their issue, but giving in on that subject is essentially a matter of "give them an inch..." (or to be more specific, give liberals an inch and they'll eventually demand the distance between Earth and Pluto, as they always do). [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:43, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in Google searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 07:04, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::::Really? You're using Google searches for viability? Newsflash, Google manipulates search results. We even have an entire article on the subject on here. Even if we kowtow to Liberal redefining of things, Google STILL will end up manipulating search results to block us out. Better be a pure conservative site than sacrifice even a small amount of conservativism under the belief it would give us more traffic. If anything, you should go by DuckDuckGo or even Bing. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 07:14, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::::::You are correct. Here's my revised statement: "The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in <s>Google</s> searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text." I removed the offensive proper noun. That should be helpful now, [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:35, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Re: latest edit war with RobS ==<br />
<br />
As far as your latest edit war with RobS, If you are going to source material, please do better than Quora or sites like it such as Yahoo Answers. Anyone can put material on sites like that. The fourth footnote for the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]] indicates, "Sources should be authoritative works, not merely published opinions by others. No sources advocating or supporting unlawful activity of any kind are allowed."<br />
<br />
Quora is not an authoritative work.<br />
<br />
Under the new civility rules update that Andy approved, it does state you have to properly source material.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:01, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Friendly invite to a new Conservapedia project ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest! I hope you are having a good day. I wanted to invite you to [[Conservapedia:Project Current Events]] since it is a new project that I recently started. The goal of the project is to improve Conservapedia within current events, Hopefully you will consider joining. --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 12:36, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
<br />
=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
<br />
==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
<br />
Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
<br />
(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
<br />
(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
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(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
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(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
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(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
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(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
<br />
(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
<br />
=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
<br />
*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:46, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: your edit to the European migrant crisis article ==<br />
<br />
Please look at this edit of yours: https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=European_migrant_crisis&diff=prev&oldid=1309224 which you posted in 2017. <br />
<br />
1990sguy and RobS spent countless hours on the article. <br />
<br />
I want to focus on one aspect of your edit to that article. In 2017, after Barack Obama served 8 years as the president of the USA, your edit indicated the following and I will quote it : "When Barack Hussein Obama became "president"". Norwest, when you posted "president", with no explanation, its obvious your intent was to merely "stick it to the libs" and not to educate the public. The purpose of an encylopedia is to inform the public and not merely to upset people who hold to a certain political ideology. <br />
<br />
Now in an article devoted to specific topic of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] one can certainly briefly go over the pro/con arguments of Obama's actual birthplace (like the various arguments of computer experts on Obama's online long form birth certificate giving the pro-con arguments of the various computer experts opinions on its authenticity). In addition, in that main Obama arrticle one can have a link to a longer article specifically geared to the issue of Obama's birthplace controversy. <br />
<br />
But an article which merely refers to "President" Obama for example is potentially confusing to the reader as he/she may not know what it means. For example, a young person in India who reads "President" Obama could easily be confused on why the quotation marks are there. <br />
<br />
One the reasons why I shared Fischer's rules above is to point out that historical investigations/conclusions are often probabilistic. A historian looking into the birthplace of Obama would carefully weigh all the evidence and after doing so would not make dogmatic statements like "Obama was definitely not born in the USA" because he would actually have no absolute certainty. For example, I know that one Republican computer expert said the online rendition of Barack Obama's birth certification document was a bona fide copy of Obama's birth certificate. Some computer experts on the other hand say the online, long form birth certificate was a fraud.<br />
<br />
If you stick the facts in articles and not needlessly inject opinions that claim to be facts, you will have more harmony with other editors.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 23:41, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Re: Trump Reverts==<br />
Thanks for leaving a message. You bring up a very good point about whether Joe Biden should even legally be in power, because of how greatly distrusted last year's election was. But it also raises the question of, if Joe Biden is not the legal president, then who is? It can't be Donald Trump, because he failed to win Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona (which had no voting law changes and the suburbs and working-class voters there were almost certainly going to hand the state to Joe Biden), so massive voter fraud in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which was declined by a leftist agenda of the courts in those locations, would not have been able to change the election. Plus, courts with a political agenda are nothing new either. Bush v. Gore, for example, only favored Bush because of a rightist agenda of the court. So even if there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election like we suspect, don't courts and local election officials serve the bottom line for presidential legitimacy? Not only do I find it very unlikely that Republican officials wish to promote a big-government leftist agenda, but the reason I say all this is because even if Joe Biden didn't receive as many votes as it seemed in 2020, he may still be a legal president. Even if it is the fault of the people who ran the election, the Biden administration may not be the one to blame. - [[User:TrumpLover84|TrumpLover84]]([[User talk:TrumpLover84|talk]])<br />
<br />
==Vandal patrol==<br />
While on vandal patrol, you missed the most obvious. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 This edit] claims Stacey Abrams is a bizarre conspiracy theorist cause she accused brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger of election rigging with voting machines before Sidney Powell or Donald Trump did.<br />
<br />
== Question ==<br />
<br />
Do I use infobox officeholder or dictator bio for this person https://conservapedia.com/Albert_René as he was accused of using torture against people. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 19:28, 25 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Conservapedia Guidelines==<br />
[[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility]] states:<br />
*''Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However '''you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users''', and their opinions.''<br />
You Userpage mainspace presently has an attack upon another CP editor placed by you. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:Northwest&curid=123230&diff=1753219&oldid=1752798] Please remove the abusive content. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:58, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:If you ask me, the only one actually coming across as a bully is you, Rob. And quite frankly, I have to agree with Northwest, your actions are coming across as unjust, and more likely to aid the liberal agenda as it is. We formed Conservapedia specifically to get AWAY from the liberal bias that is Wikipedia. We cannot allow ourselves to become Wikipedia-lite. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 23:22, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==John Wayne==<br />
Why don't you go fix the [[John Wayne]] article and change it to [[Marion Wayne]]? [https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/John_Wayne] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== POV opinion and conspiracy theories are NOT "facts".... ==<br />
<br />
Hello. Conservapedia leans "conservative" or "right-wing", but it's still supposed to be a fairly neutral objective NPOV encyclopedia, and not a POV ''blog'' of hyper-trinitarians, JW-haters, and anti-Witness conspiracy theorists. There are other websites for that nonsense. NOT Conservapedia. So... Yeah, no...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you or David has made on this site. David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral anything, in those walls of texts there. So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 23:08, 21 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=1758234User talk:Northwest2021-05-22T03:08:44Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>{{welcome}}[[User:Brenden|brenden]] 23:37, 18 September 2012 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== same sex marriage revert? ==<br />
<br />
Greetings, and hope you are well. Just wanted to ask, why the revert of my same-sex marriage page edit?<br />
<br />
[[User:KatieKomori|KatieKomori]] 10:19, 1 December 2012 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Vandal==<br />
A vandal on the loose. [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Benkumar] I have told four other editors. If you are able, please block him[[User:U.U|U.U]] ([[User talk:U.U|talk]]) 02:34, 27 February 2016 (EST)<br />
:Thank you. When I see an edit of minus five digits on a page like Republican Party, it's pretty obvious that a vandal swept by. Well done. --[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 22:18, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Are you sure that was vandalism? It could have been an inadvertent removal of information when he intended on just adding "pro-capitalism" to the article. I have seen numerous times where this has happened, which an editor adding info but for whatever reason accidently removing a whole bunch of information without even knowing it, and in those other times, it was clearly a mistake. I honestly don't see how it was intentional. I request that you review your block. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 23:35, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::It turns out that user was a sock of TAR, and he was blocked by an admin (but for a different reason). Thank you for your work on this site, Northwest. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:43, 20 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Expansion of Greatest Conservative TV Shows and Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies, as well as Star Wars. ==<br />
<br />
Hi.<br />
<br />
I noticed the great job you did in expanding the Worst Liberal TV Shows, and was wondering whether you are planning to do something similar regarding the Greatest Conservative TV Shows and the Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies lists (namely the opening paragraphs).<br />
<br />
Also, since I noticed you're doing a lot of edits regarding Star Wars currently, I was wondering whether you could expand it to include any real life influences on the characters and franchise. I know that the Empire was largely inspired by America during the time of the Vietnam War, and that the Rebel Alliance was based on the Vietcong (in fact, that's actually the reason why I'm, albeit reluctantly, an Empire supporter now, and probably full time as well). I included a bit regarding Palpatine being directly inspired by Richard Nixon, for example. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:53, 3 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
+==<br />
Okay mate, that's enough! If you want to revert my edits then give me reasons that have more veracity than the weasel words you gave in the Summary of one of the pages. <br />
:I have reread the article(s), struggled through TAR's attached blogs, read your [[Northwest]] edit history and have realised you have no real understanding or knowledge of the words involved. Nor do you understand it is not advisable to link to non-existent pages which your reverts always do.<br />
:I am about to revert... again! If you revert me without good reason I will ban you.<br />
:[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] ([[User talk:AlanE|talk]]) 00:59, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: Lenin quote in Bourgeoisie article ==<br />
<br />
re: [[Bourgeoisie]] article<br />
<br />
AlanE is acting in good faith about the Lenin quote: http://www.azcentral.com/story/claythompson/2014/10/13/lenin-ronald-reagan-quotes/17226727/<br />
<br />
If you want to discuss the matter of the historicity of the quote with AlanE on the talk page of the article, here is a useful resource: [http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
Thanks. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 02:31, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: your note to me ==<br />
<br />
I respond to your email from me. <br />
<br />
Second, I will write a note to AlanE.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:04, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Princess and the Frog revert. ==<br />
<br />
Just writing because I'm not sure why you reverted the Princess and the Frog removal from Worst Liberal Movies. The movie promoteshard work and family while condemning hedonism and nihilism and p k it's out the danger of accepting handouts and feeling entitled. This seems to me to be a deeply conservative film. --[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 07:47, 1 June 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Evolution==<br />
A simple question: do you believe in it, Creationism, or otherwise?--[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 03:29, 23 August 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Account promoted==<br />
Your account has just been given a promotion to 24x7 editing and blocking privileges. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:02, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:Congratulations! You do very good work on this wiki, which I appreciate. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:20, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
::Congrats! Keep up the good work! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:55, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:::Congratulations. It is good working with you. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 03:36, 7 March 2017 (EST)<br />
==JohnZ==<br />
Dear Northwest, I changed your two-year block to 1 day for [[User:JohnZ]]. While I do not like profanity, I think that we should show a kind and understanding approach to users who have been around for years. Let's give him a second chance, and if he does it again, then we would be justified in coming down hard. This is a volunteer project, and CP wants to avoid a reputation of long-blocks-at-the-drop-of-a-hat. Thank you for your understanding. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 14:57, 12 March 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==I like that==<br />
Replace "religion" with "ideology™. Because of certain legal issues the US will face in the future, I go out of my way never to refer the a certain collective entity as a "faith" or "religion". " Political system" I use a lot, but haven't of thought of "ideology". We should collect a whole basket of different terms that can be used, and always insert them wherever necessary. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''CIA v Trump updated score'':CIA 3, Trump 2]]</sup> 05:10, 2 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== IRC ==<br />
<br />
Hello,<br /><br />
After some discussion (on [[User_talk:DavidB4#Conservapedia_IRC_channel|my talk page]] and [[User_talk:Aschlafly#IRC|Andy's]]) it has been decided that I start an [[Internet Relay Chat]] channel for Conservapedia, since our old one has been dead since 2009. It is now registered and somewhat set up. I don't know if you use IRC or are interested in doing so, but anyone with block privileges on Conservapedia can also get block privileges on the new IRC channel. Unfortunately, IRC accounts are deleted after 30 days of being unused, so unless you plan on using the IRC at least once a month, there is probably not much point in registering. In any case, feel free to try it out--if you account gets deleted, we can always make another one later. If you are interested, please let me know!<br /><br />
The IRC channel is: #conservapedia @irc.accessIRC.net<br /><br />
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else, also! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:36, 11 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Misslizzynj ==<br />
<br />
Please don't block new users due to the name policy unless they have usernames that are obviously offensive or silly. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:58, 11 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Length of blocks ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest, Andy recently messaged me on my talk page and told me to refrain from using blocks longer than around six months because many people's IP addresses change by then. I see you changed the length of a block for an impersonator of you, and I am not going to challenge that, but please refrain from doing long blocks for non-serious vandalism, per what Andy told me. Thanks. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:37, 2 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Trolls ==<br />
<br />
Don't feed them. Block them and move on. I would have emailed this to you, but you don't seem to have email activated. [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 16:04, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
:Just block trolls. Do not communicate with them.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:22, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Blocking of User:Whizkid ==<br />
<br />
One comment, as blunt and rude as it may have been, is not enough to block a long-time editor for any amount of time. You should have warned him about making such comments first. Don't ever make such a block again.<br />
<br />
While I'm commenting here, you realize that the links [[Democrat Party]] and [[Democratic Party]] link to two different articles? I see that you're changing every link to "Democrat Party" (which I support, for the most part), but you're having every article link to a different article. Please change the links so they link to the actual article about the party, even if you pipe it so the reader sees "Democrat Party." --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
:It was made clear to me when I was promoted to Assistant SysOp that this role is only for blocking blatant vandals, not working in good faith. While I haven't carefully studied the issue, he was disputing your changes in good faith. As [[Conservapedia:User_rights#Blocking_rights|officially stated]], only full administrators are to resolve disputes. Just because you have the block button doesn't mean you should use it whenever someone disagrees. In your defense, edit warring is discouraged, but it takes two to edit war. If you are the one making a change, then it is reasonable to assume that the original version should take precedence until the dispute can be resolved. Please discuss it with an administrator rather than just blocking someone. Should he have kept reverting your changes? Probably not. Should you have kept forcing your change back in? Probably not. Please take it to an admin next time, rather than just abusing the block button. Thank you. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:28, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
::First of all, I apologize for being rude. It was a fit of pique, brought on by my feeling you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying. Still, it was inappropriate, and I don't believe you're vandalizing the site, or that you're attempting to be deceitful. So I hope that you can forgive me and we can come to the understanding that, even if we disagree on things, we're both working for what we believe to be the good, and we should treat each other with respect and charity. I hope we can agree on that much at least.<br />
<br />
::That being said, I still strongly disagree with your position about this, and don't feel that it's ultimately good for the site, but I have no desire to get into an edit war with you that won't do anything but waste both our time. So maybe we could agree to make our cases before an administrator or someone, for the sake of harmony, and get a decision on this. Let me know what you think.--[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 23:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Liberal Denial revert? ==<br />
<br />
Why did you do this? We know that the ultimate goal of liberals is to do more than just censor Christianity in America. A site made for American conservatives should be about politics as much as it is about religion.<br />
<br />
[[User:MacTavish|MacTavish]] ([[User talk:MacTavish|talk]]) 16:44, 29 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Please backup your recent edits ==<br />
<br />
Please try to either save a copy of your recent edits, or just refrain from editing for the next 24 hours or so. Conservapedia is changing web servers, and there is a risk that pages might be exported before you make the change, meaning your change will be lost. Thanks for understanding! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 17:56, 12 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Islam ==<br />
<br />
I saw you reverting my edits to the article on [[Islam]]. There is a belief system to Islam, but it's more about worshiping an ''ideology'' than any God or gods. Even so, the source cited says Islam "…is an amalgam of social, political and judicial systems '''as well as''' a belief system. It is neither one thing nor the other – Islam is unique."<br />
<br />
== Marijuana article ==<br />
<br />
Did you see that there was a talk page discussion on the marijuana article about the content in question? I recommend that you explain [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&curid=7524&diff=1412346&oldid=1412214 your reverting] there and reach an agreement with the other editors, and I strongly recommend that you leave an edit summary when you revert. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:35, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
:Same, an edit summary would really be helpful there to clarify your intent. Did you read the Talk page discussion about how those portions of the lede undermine our argument? Please see [[Talk:Marijuana#Objections_to_presentation_of_lead]]. [[User:DavidLReyes|DavidLReyes]] ([[User talk:DavidLReyes|talk]]) 21:27, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== Discussing Christian Denominations on This Site ==<br />
<br />
I am someone who believes very staunchly in the five solas. I think that Ephesians 2:8-9 indicates the validity of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, John 14:6 for Solo Christo, and Psalm 115 for Sola Deo Gloria. I am not here to debate religious issues with you, but as you are a high-ranking admin on this site and Catholic, I have to ask you, what would you do if you saw edits to certain articles promoting a Protestant point of view? [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 12:58, 16 December 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
== My Ban ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I was banned for making edits that I thought were accurate on the Political Spectrum page under my account Classical Liberal. I didn't know how to contact you, so I created this page instead so I could. I'm really sorry. I'm a new user who just registered within the same hour of getting banned, I am a conservative, but I prefer that we take our title of being the liberals back, I'm not a troll, and I'm a student who's interested in politics and all I'm trying to do is inform people about modern conservatives so women and minorities aren't deceived anymore and will come back home to the Republican Party. I don't see how my edits were lies or revisionist history. I was just trying to inform people who wrongly accuse us of what the Democrats did like the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation because they always claim whenever you tell them that the Democrats were responsible for all of it that that's when the Democrats were the conservative party because they think that the parties switched and since I learned that the word liberal was redefined in the 1930s, I also thought the word conservative was redefined as well and that classical conservatism meant modern liberalism now just like how classical liberalism means modern conservatism now. I thought that I should've informed people that the conservatives of the past who the modern liberals pin the actions of on us modern conservatives were the modern liberals because the word liberal was hijacked from us and redefined and they like to accredit modern liberals for the things we classical liberals and modern conservatives actually did before the word liberalism was redefined. They'll argue with us conservatives and tell us that Lincoln would be a Democrat since he was a liberal because they don't realize that he was a liberal when the definitions of liberal and conservative were reversed. They believe the parties were reversed instead. I thought that since we were called the liberals in the past before they hijacked and redefined the term for themselves, they were called the conservatives because they're trying to pin the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation on modern conservatives and blame us for it and insist that since Democrats are now called the liberals and Republicans are called the conservatives, that the parties switched rather than the definitions of liberal and conservative. I thought this was the correct explanation since liberals of today whenever you point out the Democrats' history say "that's when the Republicans were the liberals and the Democrats were the conservatives and Lincoln would be a Democrat today since the liberal party is the Democratic Party now." They're unaware that when we were the liberal party, that the word liberal did not mean what it does now. I was just trying to clear the confusion that the Democrats created up when they redefined the word liberal and hijacked it from us. I thought that since classical liberalism means what modern conservatism does, classical conservatism must've meant what modern liberalism does now because I thought that since we were called the liberals before the New Deal, that the Democrats must've been called the conservatives then because what else would that have made them if we were called the liberals before the New Deal and conservatives after? If we were called liberals prior to the New Deal, what were they called? Conservatives wanting to keep blacks enslaved and minorities and women oppressed who had a bad reputation and stole our term? And I thought that them stealing the term liberal from us and us having to call ourselves the conservatives instead of liberals which we used to be called was part of their plan to push the party switch myth 30 years later because we have the title of conservative and they have the title of liberal that they stole from us and I thought the Democrats did this to make it look like the parties switched instead of the titles and to make it look like they were the good guys since they're now called "liberals" instead and no longer us which we used to be called until they hijacked the term from us. I thought this was the best way to debunk the claim that modern conservatives of the Republican Party who used to be called liberals prior to the definition switch had anything to do with what the Democrats did in the past. I thought that if being a conservative meant what being a liberal meant before the word was redefined, that being a liberal meant what being a conservative meant because I thought that since the term liberal belonged to us at one time, the term conservative must've belonged to them and that if classical liberalism means modern conservatism, classical conservatism must mean modern liberalism. You see where I'm getting at? I thought that if the word liberal belonged to us at one time, the word conservative belonged to them if we were called the liberals because what is the opposite of liberal? Conservative. And I thought that since the word liberal had a different definition, the word conservative had a different definition too. So I'm sorry if I in your words inserted historical revisionism and lies. That was not my intent. My intent was to clear up confusion, not create it. I want people to stop accrediting modern liberals for what we did and stop claiming that we used to be the Democrats and that the Republicans used to be what Democrats are now which is not true. I'm new to all this and I'm a beginner. I'll probably need some help with editing. I'm still learning my history. History and philosophy and studying the Bible are my favorite things. I'm obsessed with politics. I'm really good at explaining things and I was just trying to help. You could've just let me know where you thought I was wrong instead of slapping a 2-year ban on me. If unbanned, from now on, I will verify with you the things I want to add to pages before I add them so this won't happen again. Please give me another chance. I'm only a guy in his late teens whose been into politics for 7 years now. I share your information with everyone I can and I've convinced many family members to become Republicans while even being disowned by several others which you could just imagine how that makes someone feel. Especially someone my age. {{unsigned|Modern Conservative}}<br />
:I have unblocked the "Classical Liberal" account. I strongly recommend you first go to the article talk pages before making changes like this before unilaterally making them. Then, we can discuss those changes, which will be helpful. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 08:59, 11 February 2019 (EST)<br />
<br />
== Sissy punk site ==<br />
<br />
[[User_talk:DMorris/Archive_1#Sissy_punks|Per Jpatt and the late TK, I would try to avoid mentioning that vandal site at all, fair enough?]] [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 21:10, 24 March 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The atheist page has straw man arguments and generalisations against atheism like that atheism is a worldview. You cannot just delete and ban everybody that doesn't agree with you. The evolution page is full of inconsistencies too.<br />
<br />
== New show ==<br />
<br />
Hey, since you seem to be the most active person on the [[Essay:Greatest_Conservative_TV_Shows|Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] page I figured you might want to add Preacher to the page. It is about a disgraced preacher coming back to church and trying to find God.<br />
<br />
== Please help defend Catholicism from the baiters! ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, if you have the time, can you please look out for the Catholic-baiters on this site (RobSmith, Conservative, VargasMilan, and Shobson20) and rebuke them if need be? They have [[User talk:NishantXavier|harshly attacked NishantXavier on his talk page]], and it's evident that they spread lies, smears, baiting rhetoric, and mischaracterizations to "prove" their points, which are often times fallacious. Thank you! —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 15:03, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Don't listen to him, he has as much of a victim complex as BLM supporters. Actually, the most mature thing you can do is not get involved in this argument like you have all along. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:06, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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::Wait, I have the victim mentality in the same manner of BLM idiots? Need I remind you, Shobson20, for the gazillionth time that ''you'' were the one whining immediately after NishantXavier was promoted and you weren't yet? —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 16:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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:::Deflection. You've done plenty of whining yourself and STILL doing it. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:33, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::You're the one who's posting on other people's talk pages trying to get them involved, not us. First you tried to get Karajou, now Northwest. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 18:18, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
I'm really sorry this guy is trying to drag you into his fight. If you want to, you can contribute [[Debate:Does the Catholic Church have the biblical authority of Christ Himself to preach and to teach the truth forever?| this debate page]]. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:01, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The truth is that a Catholic vs. Protestant argument was getting out of hand, so User:Conservative suggested making that debate page to make the debate more structured and civil. Since then, both sides have been mostly talking there, but Liberaltears just can't let things go. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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== Great to see you around again! ==<br />
<br />
Great to see you back, Northwest! How are you doing? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, 9 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Check this out==<br />
[https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/murder-for-ratings/ Murder for Ratings]. I'm fairly certain I put the assault by Jacob Lebron Kelly at a Sanders rally in the February 2020 list of violence. I'm checking it now. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 20:27, 13 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
Here it is https://www.conservapedia.com/Left-wing_violence_in_the_Trump_era_(2020)#cite_note-49 and footnote 50<br />
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== Juvenile Delinquent ==<br />
<br />
What can we do, if the Juvenile Delinquent comes after us? He came after me again. --[[User:United States|United States]] ([[User talk:United States|talk]]) 19:41, 2 December 2020 (EST)<br />
<br />
== A note about that troll ==<br />
<br />
Please don't take this the wrong way, but the troll whose socks you were quick to block was probably trying to make a fool out of you and CP in general. Since the imbecile thought that you would immediately block him upon sight, he trolls you with usernames like [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=&user=&page=User%3ALightningBlocks&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= this] to prove he's correct in a sense and make us look paranoid. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 22:50, 31 December 2020 (EST)<br />
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== Please help formulate the Mission Statement ==<br />
<br />
I need input on [[Conservapedia:Mission Statement]]. Please contribute. I want Conservapedia to leave Wikipedia in its dust.--[[User:Amorrow|Amorrow]] ([[User talk:Amorrow|talk]]) 01:22, 21 January 2021 (EST)<br />
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==Chimpout==<br />
Good catch on User:Chimpout. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Chimpout] I never would have caught it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 03:25, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
:Just doing what needs to be done. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Debate ==<br />
<br />
:Hi Northwest. I would like to get your input on a debate page I just created [[Debate:Should the United States attack Pakistan?]]. Thanks.[[User:Bytemsbu|Bytemsbu]] ([[User talk:Bytemsbu|talk]]) 21:37, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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+ <br />
==Proposal==<br />
We would appreciate your input at [[Conservapedia:Community_Portal#Proposal]]. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:59, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:You have no real interest in "civil" discussion, only to be disruptive, to act in an uncivil manner and to hide comments I make specifically calling you out for your behavior here in the past four days because you don't like what I have to say. Karajou's even had to undo what you're trying to do, but your reversals of his undos show that you're just not interested in doing the right thing and would rather seize power here and do exactly what Pokeria1 pointed out you're trying to do - take Conservapedia in a more leftward direction, which is not what this site is about. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 22:12, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
== Thanks ==<br />
Thanks for the tremendous blocking last night on the avalanche of vandal accounts. Today I've written and installed a program to minimize that from occurring again. Really appreciate your blocks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 16:07, 3 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== re: RobS ==<br />
<br />
Later in this week, I will be attempting to mediate the dispute involving RobS as RobS creates a lot of content. <br />
<br />
In the meantime and in the future, please do not provoke RobS. I cannot stress this enough. <br />
<br />
Also, thank you for all your contributions to Conservapedia.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:08, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Who was this topic made by? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 04:31, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Re: your editing warring with RobS about Obama's birthplace ==<br />
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Northwest, you wrote about Obama: "because of him not being a natural-born citizen". <br />
<br />
At Conservapedia, you cannot '''definitively state''' that Obama was not a natural born citizen because there is no definitive/absolute/direct proof to that effect. The best you can do is point out that certain sources/people suspect that Obama was not a natural born citizen for X, Y, Z, etc. reasons. If you are definitively insisting that Obama was not a natural born citizen in articles, please stop. In many cases, historical claims are probabilistic. This is one of those cases.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:34, 10 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Why are you and rob fighting ==<br />
<br />
Why. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 01:03, 20 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== RobS' talk page. It's his castle ==<br />
<br />
Please stop endeavoring to retain your postings on RobS' user talk page. <br />
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As per Mr. Schlafly, "We respect users' control over their own talk pages as much as possible. Wikipedia treats users' own talk pages like government or public property, and it becomes a place for Wikipedia editors to bully users."[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia] Source: [[Conservapedia:How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:25, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Also, "Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users, and their opinions. Users are free to remove comments from their own user talk pages."[https://conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Guidelines] Source: [[Conservapedia:Guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:28, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== There’s no RationalWiki article yet. ==<br />
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Why is that? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 07:42, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Basically denying the site traffic. Probably for the best. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:22, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Multiple admins there are ruining what was already a bad site and made it even worse --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 08:23, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Don't take content disputes to user talk pages. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages ==<br />
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You immediately took a content dispute to a user's personal talk page. <br />
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You shouldn't immediately take content disputes to a user's talk page. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages and endeavor to have a cordial, constructive dialogue with the person to resolve matters. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 04:09, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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=== Re: Don't take content disputes to user talk pages ===<br />
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when RobS chose ''not'' to be cordial or constructive (as per his history) with me or other editors during the kerfuffle back in January that led to his being desysopped and stripped of his admin powers. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 04:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
:For all parties involved, I suggest practicing forgiveness and trying to start things over with a new slate. <br />
<br />
:I have been talking to Andy about this matter and he wants greater civility and constructive dialogue by all parties involved. <br />
<br />
:This coming weekend, I will be talking to Andy about upgrading Conservapedia's civility guidelines.<br />
<br />
:In addition, I will be talking to Andy about Conservapedia articles/content having an more encyclopedic tone. Why? Because Andy raised this issue with me and would like to see Conservapedia have a more encyclopedic tone in all cases where it is important to do so (I will explain this matter). Encyclopedia articles should first and foremost be designed to inform and shouldn't go out of their way to troll. For example, as far as a an article dispute you had with RobS, you insisted that the word "transgender" be struck out and "gender confusion" be used instead because you said that liberals don't like the phrase "gender confusion". But the purpose of articles is not to tick off liberals, but to inform the public. From what I understand, the topic had to do with transgenderism so when you insisted that "gender confusion" be used it unnecessarily clouded the meaning of the article as that is a broader term. Even when I write on provocative topics like [[Gay bowel syndrome]], [[Homosexuality and Parasites|Homosexuality and parasites]], [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Atheism and bestiality]], I make every effort to keep the articles encyclopedic in tone. I am also not a fan of RobS using "Biden junta" for article titles or article content. The term "Biden junta" is fine for essays, but not articles in my estimation. Andy wants main page right content to have a more encyclopedic tone too. I plan on talking to RobS about this matter this coming weekend and to talk to Andy about this matter too. In short, if you want content to have a very provocative tone, that is fine, but do it in essays.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:10, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::I upgraded the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]] as far as the civility portion. I will be talking to Andy this week to get it approved. <br />
<br />
::This is my addition: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unneccesary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:24, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::Well, what I actually stated in my edit summaries was that since this is a conservative wiki, use of liberal-preferred terms should be avoided except in certain contexts (such as in quotes made by public figures, or names of liberal organizations). If liberals don't like their preferred terms not being used, that's their issue, but giving in on that subject is essentially a matter of "give them an inch..." (or to be more specific, give liberals an inch and they'll eventually demand the distance between Earth and Pluto, as they always do). [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:43, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::::The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in Google searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 07:04, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::::Really? You're using Google searches for viability? Newsflash, Google manipulates search results. We even have an entire article on the subject on here. Even if we kowtow to Liberal redefining of things, Google STILL will end up manipulating search results to block us out. Better be a pure conservative site than sacrifice even a small amount of conservativism under the belief it would give us more traffic. If anything, you should go by DuckDuckGo or even Bing. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 07:14, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::::::You are correct. Here's my revised statement: "The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in <s>Google</s> searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text." I removed the offensive proper noun. That should be helpful now, [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:35, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Re: latest edit war with RobS ==<br />
<br />
As far as your latest edit war with RobS, If you are going to source material, please do better than Quora or sites like it such as Yahoo Answers. Anyone can put material on sites like that. The fourth footnote for the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]] indicates, "Sources should be authoritative works, not merely published opinions by others. No sources advocating or supporting unlawful activity of any kind are allowed."<br />
<br />
Quora is not an authoritative work.<br />
<br />
Under the new civility rules update that Andy approved, it does state you have to properly source material.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:01, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Friendly invite to a new Conservapedia project ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest! I hope you are having a good day. I wanted to invite you to [[Conservapedia:Project Current Events]] since it is a new project that I recently started. The goal of the project is to improve Conservapedia within current events, Hopefully you will consider joining. --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 12:36, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
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=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
<br />
*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
<br />
*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
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*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
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"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
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==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
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Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
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(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
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(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
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(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
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(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
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(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
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(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
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(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
<br />
Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
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=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
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*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
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I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:46, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your edit to the European migrant crisis article ==<br />
<br />
Please look at this edit of yours: https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=European_migrant_crisis&diff=prev&oldid=1309224 which you posted in 2017. <br />
<br />
1990sguy and RobS spent countless hours on the article. <br />
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I want to focus on one aspect of your edit to that article. In 2017, after Barack Obama served 8 years as the president of the USA, your edit indicated the following and I will quote it : "When Barack Hussein Obama became "president"". Norwest, when you posted "president", with no explanation, its obvious your intent was to merely "stick it to the libs" and not to educate the public. The purpose of an encylopedia is to inform the public and not merely to upset people who hold to a certain political ideology. <br />
<br />
Now in an article devoted to specific topic of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] one can certainly briefly go over the pro/con arguments of Obama's actual birthplace (like the various arguments of computer experts on Obama's online long form birth certificate giving the pro-con arguments of the various computer experts opinions on its authenticity). In addition, in that main Obama arrticle one can have a link to a longer article specifically geared to the issue of Obama's birthplace controversy. <br />
<br />
But an article which merely refers to "President" Obama for example is potentially confusing to the reader as he/she may not know what it means. For example, a young person in India who reads "President" Obama could easily be confused on why the quotation marks are there. <br />
<br />
One the reasons why I shared Fischer's rules above is to point out that historical investigations/conclusions are often probabilistic. A historian looking into the birthplace of Obama would carefully weigh all the evidence and after doing so would not make dogmatic statements like "Obama was definitely not born in the USA" because he would actually have no absolute certainty. For example, I know that one Republican computer expert said the online rendition of Barack Obama's birth certification document was a bona fide copy of Obama's birth certificate. Some computer experts on the other hand say the online, long form birth certificate was a fraud.<br />
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If you stick the facts in articles and not needlessly inject opinions that claim to be facts, you will have more harmony with other editors.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 23:41, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Re: Trump Reverts==<br />
Thanks for leaving a message. You bring up a very good point about whether Joe Biden should even legally be in power, because of how greatly distrusted last year's election was. But it also raises the question of, if Joe Biden is not the legal president, then who is? It can't be Donald Trump, because he failed to win Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona (which had no voting law changes and the suburbs and working-class voters there were almost certainly going to hand the state to Joe Biden), so massive voter fraud in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which was declined by a leftist agenda of the courts in those locations, would not have been able to change the election. Plus, courts with a political agenda are nothing new either. Bush v. Gore, for example, only favored Bush because of a rightist agenda of the court. So even if there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election like we suspect, don't courts and local election officials serve the bottom line for presidential legitimacy? Not only do I find it very unlikely that Republican officials wish to promote a big-government leftist agenda, but the reason I say all this is because even if Joe Biden didn't receive as many votes as it seemed in 2020, he may still be a legal president. Even if it is the fault of the people who ran the election, the Biden administration may not be the one to blame. - [[User:TrumpLover84|TrumpLover84]]([[User talk:TrumpLover84|talk]])<br />
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==Vandal patrol==<br />
While on vandal patrol, you missed the most obvious. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 This edit] claims Stacey Abrams is a bizarre conspiracy theorist cause she accused brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger of election rigging with voting machines before Sidney Powell or Donald Trump did.<br />
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== Question ==<br />
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Do I use infobox officeholder or dictator bio for this person https://conservapedia.com/Albert_René as he was accused of using torture against people. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 19:28, 25 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==Conservapedia Guidelines==<br />
[[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility]] states:<br />
*''Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However '''you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users''', and their opinions.''<br />
You Userpage mainspace presently has an attack upon another CP editor placed by you. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:Northwest&curid=123230&diff=1753219&oldid=1752798] Please remove the abusive content. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:58, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:If you ask me, the only one actually coming across as a bully is you, Rob. And quite frankly, I have to agree with Northwest, your actions are coming across as unjust, and more likely to aid the liberal agenda as it is. We formed Conservapedia specifically to get AWAY from the liberal bias that is Wikipedia. We cannot allow ourselves to become Wikipedia-lite. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 23:22, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==John Wayne==<br />
Why don't you go fix the [[John Wayne]] article and change it to [[Marion Wayne]]? [https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/John_Wayne] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== POV opinion and conspiracy theories are NOT "facts".... ==<br />
<br />
Yeah, no...Northwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you or David has made on this site. David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral anything, in those walls of texts there. So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 23:08, 21 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User_talk:Northwest&diff=1758233User talk:Northwest2021-05-22T03:08:15Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* POV opinion and conspiracy theories are NOT "facts".... */ new section</p>
<hr />
<div>{{welcome}}[[User:Brenden|brenden]] 23:37, 18 September 2012 (EDT)<br />
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== same sex marriage revert? ==<br />
<br />
Greetings, and hope you are well. Just wanted to ask, why the revert of my same-sex marriage page edit?<br />
<br />
[[User:KatieKomori|KatieKomori]] 10:19, 1 December 2012 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Vandal==<br />
A vandal on the loose. [http://www.conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Benkumar] I have told four other editors. If you are able, please block him[[User:U.U|U.U]] ([[User talk:U.U|talk]]) 02:34, 27 February 2016 (EST)<br />
:Thank you. When I see an edit of minus five digits on a page like Republican Party, it's pretty obvious that a vandal swept by. Well done. --[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 22:18, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
::Are you sure that was vandalism? It could have been an inadvertent removal of information when he intended on just adding "pro-capitalism" to the article. I have seen numerous times where this has happened, which an editor adding info but for whatever reason accidently removing a whole bunch of information without even knowing it, and in those other times, it was clearly a mistake. I honestly don't see how it was intentional. I request that you review your block. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 23:35, 19 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
:::It turns out that user was a sock of TAR, and he was blocked by an admin (but for a different reason). Thank you for your work on this site, Northwest. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:43, 20 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Expansion of Greatest Conservative TV Shows and Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies, as well as Star Wars. ==<br />
<br />
Hi.<br />
<br />
I noticed the great job you did in expanding the Worst Liberal TV Shows, and was wondering whether you are planning to do something similar regarding the Greatest Conservative TV Shows and the Greatest Conservative Movies/Worst Liberal Movies lists (namely the opening paragraphs).<br />
<br />
Also, since I noticed you're doing a lot of edits regarding Star Wars currently, I was wondering whether you could expand it to include any real life influences on the characters and franchise. I know that the Empire was largely inspired by America during the time of the Vietnam War, and that the Rebel Alliance was based on the Vietcong (in fact, that's actually the reason why I'm, albeit reluctantly, an Empire supporter now, and probably full time as well). I included a bit regarding Palpatine being directly inspired by Richard Nixon, for example. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:53, 3 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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+==<br />
Okay mate, that's enough! If you want to revert my edits then give me reasons that have more veracity than the weasel words you gave in the Summary of one of the pages. <br />
:I have reread the article(s), struggled through TAR's attached blogs, read your [[Northwest]] edit history and have realised you have no real understanding or knowledge of the words involved. Nor do you understand it is not advisable to link to non-existent pages which your reverts always do.<br />
:I am about to revert... again! If you revert me without good reason I will ban you.<br />
:[[User:AlanE|AlanE]] ([[User talk:AlanE|talk]]) 00:59, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
<br />
== re: Lenin quote in Bourgeoisie article ==<br />
<br />
re: [[Bourgeoisie]] article<br />
<br />
AlanE is acting in good faith about the Lenin quote: http://www.azcentral.com/story/claythompson/2014/10/13/lenin-ronald-reagan-quotes/17226727/<br />
<br />
If you want to discuss the matter of the historicity of the quote with AlanE on the talk page of the article, here is a useful resource: [http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
<br />
Thanks. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 02:31, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your note to me ==<br />
<br />
I respond to your email from me. <br />
<br />
Second, I will write a note to AlanE.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 13:04, 13 April 2016 (EDT)<br />
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== Princess and the Frog revert. ==<br />
<br />
Just writing because I'm not sure why you reverted the Princess and the Frog removal from Worst Liberal Movies. The movie promoteshard work and family while condemning hedonism and nihilism and p k it's out the danger of accepting handouts and feeling entitled. This seems to me to be a deeply conservative film. --[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 07:47, 1 June 2016 (EDT)<br />
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==Evolution==<br />
A simple question: do you believe in it, Creationism, or otherwise?--[[User:Pious|Pious]] ([[User talk:Pious|talk]]) 03:29, 23 August 2016 (EDT)<br />
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==Account promoted==<br />
Your account has just been given a promotion to 24x7 editing and blocking privileges. Congratulations!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 22:02, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:Congratulations! You do very good work on this wiki, which I appreciate. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 22:20, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
::Congrats! Keep up the good work! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:55, 6 March 2017 (EST)<br />
:::Congratulations. It is good working with you. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 03:36, 7 March 2017 (EST)<br />
==JohnZ==<br />
Dear Northwest, I changed your two-year block to 1 day for [[User:JohnZ]]. While I do not like profanity, I think that we should show a kind and understanding approach to users who have been around for years. Let's give him a second chance, and if he does it again, then we would be justified in coming down hard. This is a volunteer project, and CP wants to avoid a reputation of long-blocks-at-the-drop-of-a-hat. Thank you for your understanding. [[User:JDano|JDano]] ([[User talk:JDano|talk]]) 14:57, 12 March 2017 (EDT)<br />
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==I like that==<br />
Replace "religion" with "ideology™. Because of certain legal issues the US will face in the future, I go out of my way never to refer the a certain collective entity as a "faith" or "religion". " Political system" I use a lot, but haven't of thought of "ideology". We should collect a whole basket of different terms that can be used, and always insert them wherever necessary. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|''CIA v Trump updated score'':CIA 3, Trump 2]]</sup> 05:10, 2 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== IRC ==<br />
<br />
Hello,<br /><br />
After some discussion (on [[User_talk:DavidB4#Conservapedia_IRC_channel|my talk page]] and [[User_talk:Aschlafly#IRC|Andy's]]) it has been decided that I start an [[Internet Relay Chat]] channel for Conservapedia, since our old one has been dead since 2009. It is now registered and somewhat set up. I don't know if you use IRC or are interested in doing so, but anyone with block privileges on Conservapedia can also get block privileges on the new IRC channel. Unfortunately, IRC accounts are deleted after 30 days of being unused, so unless you plan on using the IRC at least once a month, there is probably not much point in registering. In any case, feel free to try it out--if you account gets deleted, we can always make another one later. If you are interested, please let me know!<br /><br />
The IRC channel is: #conservapedia @irc.accessIRC.net<br /><br />
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything else, also! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 15:36, 11 April 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Blocking of User:Misslizzynj ==<br />
<br />
Please don't block new users due to the name policy unless they have usernames that are obviously offensive or silly. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:58, 11 May 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Length of blocks ==<br />
<br />
Hello Northwest, Andy recently messaged me on my talk page and told me to refrain from using blocks longer than around six months because many people's IP addresses change by then. I see you changed the length of a block for an impersonator of you, and I am not going to challenge that, but please refrain from doing long blocks for non-serious vandalism, per what Andy told me. Thanks. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 16:37, 2 August 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Trolls ==<br />
<br />
Don't feed them. Block them and move on. I would have emailed this to you, but you don't seem to have email activated. [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 16:04, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
:Just block trolls. Do not communicate with them.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:22, 27 October 2017 (EDT)<br />
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== Blocking of User:Whizkid ==<br />
<br />
One comment, as blunt and rude as it may have been, is not enough to block a long-time editor for any amount of time. You should have warned him about making such comments first. Don't ever make such a block again.<br />
<br />
While I'm commenting here, you realize that the links [[Democrat Party]] and [[Democratic Party]] link to two different articles? I see that you're changing every link to "Democrat Party" (which I support, for the most part), but you're having every article link to a different article. Please change the links so they link to the actual article about the party, even if you pipe it so the reader sees "Democrat Party." --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 21:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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:It was made clear to me when I was promoted to Assistant SysOp that this role is only for blocking blatant vandals, not working in good faith. While I haven't carefully studied the issue, he was disputing your changes in good faith. As [[Conservapedia:User_rights#Blocking_rights|officially stated]], only full administrators are to resolve disputes. Just because you have the block button doesn't mean you should use it whenever someone disagrees. In your defense, edit warring is discouraged, but it takes two to edit war. If you are the one making a change, then it is reasonable to assume that the original version should take precedence until the dispute can be resolved. Please discuss it with an administrator rather than just blocking someone. Should he have kept reverting your changes? Probably not. Should you have kept forcing your change back in? Probably not. Please take it to an admin next time, rather than just abusing the block button. Thank you. --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 22:28, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
<br />
::First of all, I apologize for being rude. It was a fit of pique, brought on by my feeling you weren't paying any attention to what I was saying. Still, it was inappropriate, and I don't believe you're vandalizing the site, or that you're attempting to be deceitful. So I hope that you can forgive me and we can come to the understanding that, even if we disagree on things, we're both working for what we believe to be the good, and we should treat each other with respect and charity. I hope we can agree on that much at least.<br />
<br />
::That being said, I still strongly disagree with your position about this, and don't feel that it's ultimately good for the site, but I have no desire to get into an edit war with you that won't do anything but waste both our time. So maybe we could agree to make our cases before an administrator or someone, for the sake of harmony, and get a decision on this. Let me know what you think.--[[User:Whizkid|Whizkid]] ([[User talk:Whizkid|talk]]) 23:32, 8 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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== Liberal Denial revert? ==<br />
<br />
Why did you do this? We know that the ultimate goal of liberals is to do more than just censor Christianity in America. A site made for American conservatives should be about politics as much as it is about religion.<br />
<br />
[[User:MacTavish|MacTavish]] ([[User talk:MacTavish|talk]]) 16:44, 29 January 2018 (EST)<br />
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== Please backup your recent edits ==<br />
<br />
Please try to either save a copy of your recent edits, or just refrain from editing for the next 24 hours or so. Conservapedia is changing web servers, and there is a risk that pages might be exported before you make the change, meaning your change will be lost. Thanks for understanding! --[[User:DavidB4|<font color="ForestGreen">David B</font>]] <sup>([[User talk:DavidB4|TALK]])</sup> 17:56, 12 March 2018 (EDT)<br />
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== Islam ==<br />
<br />
I saw you reverting my edits to the article on [[Islam]]. There is a belief system to Islam, but it's more about worshiping an ''ideology'' than any God or gods. Even so, the source cited says Islam "…is an amalgam of social, political and judicial systems '''as well as''' a belief system. It is neither one thing nor the other – Islam is unique."<br />
<br />
== Marijuana article ==<br />
<br />
Did you see that there was a talk page discussion on the marijuana article about the content in question? I recommend that you explain [http://www.conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Marijuana&curid=7524&diff=1412346&oldid=1412214 your reverting] there and reach an agreement with the other editors, and I strongly recommend that you leave an edit summary when you revert. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 20:35, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
:Same, an edit summary would really be helpful there to clarify your intent. Did you read the Talk page discussion about how those portions of the lede undermine our argument? Please see [[Talk:Marijuana#Objections_to_presentation_of_lead]]. [[User:DavidLReyes|DavidLReyes]] ([[User talk:DavidLReyes|talk]]) 21:27, 4 April 2018 (EDT)<br />
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== Discussing Christian Denominations on This Site ==<br />
<br />
I am someone who believes very staunchly in the five solas. I think that Ephesians 2:8-9 indicates the validity of Sola Gratia and Sola Fide, John 14:6 for Solo Christo, and Psalm 115 for Sola Deo Gloria. I am not here to debate religious issues with you, but as you are a high-ranking admin on this site and Catholic, I have to ask you, what would you do if you saw edits to certain articles promoting a Protestant point of view? [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 12:58, 16 December 2018 (EST)<br />
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== My Ban ==<br />
<br />
Hi, I was banned for making edits that I thought were accurate on the Political Spectrum page under my account Classical Liberal. I didn't know how to contact you, so I created this page instead so I could. I'm really sorry. I'm a new user who just registered within the same hour of getting banned, I am a conservative, but I prefer that we take our title of being the liberals back, I'm not a troll, and I'm a student who's interested in politics and all I'm trying to do is inform people about modern conservatives so women and minorities aren't deceived anymore and will come back home to the Republican Party. I don't see how my edits were lies or revisionist history. I was just trying to inform people who wrongly accuse us of what the Democrats did like the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation because they always claim whenever you tell them that the Democrats were responsible for all of it that that's when the Democrats were the conservative party because they think that the parties switched and since I learned that the word liberal was redefined in the 1930s, I also thought the word conservative was redefined as well and that classical conservatism meant modern liberalism now just like how classical liberalism means modern conservatism now. I thought that I should've informed people that the conservatives of the past who the modern liberals pin the actions of on us modern conservatives were the modern liberals because the word liberal was hijacked from us and redefined and they like to accredit modern liberals for the things we classical liberals and modern conservatives actually did before the word liberalism was redefined. They'll argue with us conservatives and tell us that Lincoln would be a Democrat since he was a liberal because they don't realize that he was a liberal when the definitions of liberal and conservative were reversed. They believe the parties were reversed instead. I thought that since we were called the liberals in the past before they hijacked and redefined the term for themselves, they were called the conservatives because they're trying to pin the Trail of Tears, slavery, secession, and segregation on modern conservatives and blame us for it and insist that since Democrats are now called the liberals and Republicans are called the conservatives, that the parties switched rather than the definitions of liberal and conservative. I thought this was the correct explanation since liberals of today whenever you point out the Democrats' history say "that's when the Republicans were the liberals and the Democrats were the conservatives and Lincoln would be a Democrat today since the liberal party is the Democratic Party now." They're unaware that when we were the liberal party, that the word liberal did not mean what it does now. I was just trying to clear the confusion that the Democrats created up when they redefined the word liberal and hijacked it from us. I thought that since classical liberalism means what modern conservatism does, classical conservatism must've meant what modern liberalism does now because I thought that since we were called the liberals before the New Deal, that the Democrats must've been called the conservatives then because what else would that have made them if we were called the liberals before the New Deal and conservatives after? If we were called liberals prior to the New Deal, what were they called? Conservatives wanting to keep blacks enslaved and minorities and women oppressed who had a bad reputation and stole our term? And I thought that them stealing the term liberal from us and us having to call ourselves the conservatives instead of liberals which we used to be called was part of their plan to push the party switch myth 30 years later because we have the title of conservative and they have the title of liberal that they stole from us and I thought the Democrats did this to make it look like the parties switched instead of the titles and to make it look like they were the good guys since they're now called "liberals" instead and no longer us which we used to be called until they hijacked the term from us. I thought this was the best way to debunk the claim that modern conservatives of the Republican Party who used to be called liberals prior to the definition switch had anything to do with what the Democrats did in the past. I thought that if being a conservative meant what being a liberal meant before the word was redefined, that being a liberal meant what being a conservative meant because I thought that since the term liberal belonged to us at one time, the term conservative must've belonged to them and that if classical liberalism means modern conservatism, classical conservatism must mean modern liberalism. You see where I'm getting at? I thought that if the word liberal belonged to us at one time, the word conservative belonged to them if we were called the liberals because what is the opposite of liberal? Conservative. And I thought that since the word liberal had a different definition, the word conservative had a different definition too. So I'm sorry if I in your words inserted historical revisionism and lies. That was not my intent. My intent was to clear up confusion, not create it. I want people to stop accrediting modern liberals for what we did and stop claiming that we used to be the Democrats and that the Republicans used to be what Democrats are now which is not true. I'm new to all this and I'm a beginner. I'll probably need some help with editing. I'm still learning my history. History and philosophy and studying the Bible are my favorite things. I'm obsessed with politics. I'm really good at explaining things and I was just trying to help. You could've just let me know where you thought I was wrong instead of slapping a 2-year ban on me. If unbanned, from now on, I will verify with you the things I want to add to pages before I add them so this won't happen again. Please give me another chance. I'm only a guy in his late teens whose been into politics for 7 years now. I share your information with everyone I can and I've convinced many family members to become Republicans while even being disowned by several others which you could just imagine how that makes someone feel. Especially someone my age. {{unsigned|Modern Conservative}}<br />
:I have unblocked the "Classical Liberal" account. I strongly recommend you first go to the article talk pages before making changes like this before unilaterally making them. Then, we can discuss those changes, which will be helpful. --[[User:1990&#39;sguy|1990&#39;sguy]] ([[User talk:1990&#39;sguy|talk]]) 08:59, 11 February 2019 (EST)<br />
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== Sissy punk site ==<br />
<br />
[[User_talk:DMorris/Archive_1#Sissy_punks|Per Jpatt and the late TK, I would try to avoid mentioning that vandal site at all, fair enough?]] [[User:DMorris|DMorris]] ([[User talk:DMorris|talk]]) 21:10, 24 March 2019 (EDT)<br />
<br />
The atheist page has straw man arguments and generalisations against atheism like that atheism is a worldview. You cannot just delete and ban everybody that doesn't agree with you. The evolution page is full of inconsistencies too.<br />
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== New show ==<br />
<br />
Hey, since you seem to be the most active person on the [[Essay:Greatest_Conservative_TV_Shows|Greatest Conservative TV Shows]] page I figured you might want to add Preacher to the page. It is about a disgraced preacher coming back to church and trying to find God.<br />
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== Please help defend Catholicism from the baiters! ==<br />
<br />
Hi Northwest, if you have the time, can you please look out for the Catholic-baiters on this site (RobSmith, Conservative, VargasMilan, and Shobson20) and rebuke them if need be? They have [[User talk:NishantXavier|harshly attacked NishantXavier on his talk page]], and it's evident that they spread lies, smears, baiting rhetoric, and mischaracterizations to "prove" their points, which are often times fallacious. Thank you! —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 15:03, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:Don't listen to him, he has as much of a victim complex as BLM supporters. Actually, the most mature thing you can do is not get involved in this argument like you have all along. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:06, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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::Wait, I have the victim mentality in the same manner of BLM idiots? Need I remind you, Shobson20, for the gazillionth time that ''you'' were the one whining immediately after NishantXavier was promoted and you weren't yet? —[[User:Liberaltears|Liberaltears]]<sup>'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|May Dataclarifier be well!]] | [[Special:Contributions/Liberaltears|Don't be an anti-Catholic zealot!]]'''''</sup> Thursday, 16:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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:::Deflection. You've done plenty of whining yourself and STILL doing it. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 16:33, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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:::You're the one who's posting on other people's talk pages trying to get them involved, not us. First you tried to get Karajou, now Northwest. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 18:18, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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I'm really sorry this guy is trying to drag you into his fight. If you want to, you can contribute [[Debate:Does the Catholic Church have the biblical authority of Christ Himself to preach and to teach the truth forever?| this debate page]]. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:01, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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The truth is that a Catholic vs. Protestant argument was getting out of hand, so User:Conservative suggested making that debate page to make the debate more structured and civil. Since then, both sides have been mostly talking there, but Liberaltears just can't let things go. [[User:Shobson20|Shobson20]] ([[User talk:Shobson20|talk]]) 17:10, 23 July 2020 (EDT)<br />
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== Great to see you around again! ==<br />
<br />
Great to see you back, Northwest! How are you doing? —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 00:26, 9 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
<br />
==Check this out==<br />
[https://apelbaum.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/murder-for-ratings/ Murder for Ratings]. I'm fairly certain I put the assault by Jacob Lebron Kelly at a Sanders rally in the February 2020 list of violence. I'm checking it now. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 20:27, 13 October 2020 (EDT)<br />
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Here it is https://www.conservapedia.com/Left-wing_violence_in_the_Trump_era_(2020)#cite_note-49 and footnote 50<br />
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== Juvenile Delinquent ==<br />
<br />
What can we do, if the Juvenile Delinquent comes after us? He came after me again. --[[User:United States|United States]] ([[User talk:United States|talk]]) 19:41, 2 December 2020 (EST)<br />
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== A note about that troll ==<br />
<br />
Please don't take this the wrong way, but the troll whose socks you were quick to block was probably trying to make a fool out of you and CP in general. Since the imbecile thought that you would immediately block him upon sight, he trolls you with usernames like [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Special%3ALog&type=&user=&page=User%3ALightningBlocks&year=&month=-1&tagfilter= this] to prove he's correct in a sense and make us look paranoid. —[[User:Liberaltears|<code><span style="color:black; background:#FFABAB">'''LT'''</span></code>]]'''''[[User:Liberaltears/mail|<sup>May D.C., his mother, and I.S. be all well!</sup>]]''''' Friday, 22:50, 31 December 2020 (EST)<br />
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== Please help formulate the Mission Statement ==<br />
<br />
I need input on [[Conservapedia:Mission Statement]]. Please contribute. I want Conservapedia to leave Wikipedia in its dust.--[[User:Amorrow|Amorrow]] ([[User talk:Amorrow|talk]]) 01:22, 21 January 2021 (EST)<br />
<br />
==Chimpout==<br />
Good catch on User:Chimpout. [https://conservapedia.com/Special:Contributions/Chimpout] I never would have caught it. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 03:25, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
:Just doing what needs to be done. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 03:26, 30 January 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Debate ==<br />
<br />
:Hi Northwest. I would like to get your input on a debate page I just created [[Debate:Should the United States attack Pakistan?]]. Thanks.[[User:Bytemsbu|Bytemsbu]] ([[User talk:Bytemsbu|talk]]) 21:37, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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+ <br />
==Proposal==<br />
We would appreciate your input at [[Conservapedia:Community_Portal#Proposal]]. Thanks. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 19:59, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:You have no real interest in "civil" discussion, only to be disruptive, to act in an uncivil manner and to hide comments I make specifically calling you out for your behavior here in the past four days because you don't like what I have to say. Karajou's even had to undo what you're trying to do, but your reversals of his undos show that you're just not interested in doing the right thing and would rather seize power here and do exactly what Pokeria1 pointed out you're trying to do - take Conservapedia in a more leftward direction, which is not what this site is about. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 22:12, 1 February 2021 (EST)<br />
== Thanks ==<br />
Thanks for the tremendous blocking last night on the avalanche of vandal accounts. Today I've written and installed a program to minimize that from occurring again. Really appreciate your blocks!--[[User:Aschlafly|Andy Schlafly]] ([[User talk:Aschlafly|talk]]) 16:07, 3 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== re: RobS ==<br />
<br />
Later in this week, I will be attempting to mediate the dispute involving RobS as RobS creates a lot of content. <br />
<br />
In the meantime and in the future, please do not provoke RobS. I cannot stress this enough. <br />
<br />
Also, thank you for all your contributions to Conservapedia.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 18:08, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Who was this topic made by? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 04:31, 9 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Re: your editing warring with RobS about Obama's birthplace ==<br />
<br />
Northwest, you wrote about Obama: "because of him not being a natural-born citizen". <br />
<br />
At Conservapedia, you cannot '''definitively state''' that Obama was not a natural born citizen because there is no definitive/absolute/direct proof to that effect. The best you can do is point out that certain sources/people suspect that Obama was not a natural born citizen for X, Y, Z, etc. reasons. If you are definitively insisting that Obama was not a natural born citizen in articles, please stop. In many cases, historical claims are probabilistic. This is one of those cases.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 20:34, 10 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Why are you and rob fighting ==<br />
<br />
Why. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 01:03, 20 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== RobS' talk page. It's his castle ==<br />
<br />
Please stop endeavoring to retain your postings on RobS' user talk page. <br />
<br />
As per Mr. Schlafly, "We respect users' control over their own talk pages as much as possible. Wikipedia treats users' own talk pages like government or public property, and it becomes a place for Wikipedia editors to bully users."[https://www.conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:How_Conservapedia_Differs_from_Wikipedia] Source: [[Conservapedia:How Conservapedia Differs from Wikipedia]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:25, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
:Also, "Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users, and their opinions. Users are free to remove comments from their own user talk pages."[https://conservapedia.com/Conservapedia:Guidelines] Source: [[Conservapedia:Guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 17:28, 21 February 2021 (EST)<br />
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== There’s no RationalWiki article yet. ==<br />
<br />
Why is that? --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 07:42, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
:Basically denying the site traffic. Probably for the best. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 08:22, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
::Multiple admins there are ruining what was already a bad site and made it even worse --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 08:23, 2 March 2021 (EST)<br />
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== Don't take content disputes to user talk pages. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages ==<br />
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You immediately took a content dispute to a user's personal talk page. <br />
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You shouldn't immediately take content disputes to a user's talk page. It unnecessarily inflames matters. Keep things on the article talk pages and endeavor to have a cordial, constructive dialogue with the person to resolve matters. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 04:09, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
=== Re: Don't take content disputes to user talk pages ===<br />
Unfortunately, that was easier said than done when RobS chose ''not'' to be cordial or constructive (as per his history) with me or other editors during the kerfuffle back in January that led to his being desysopped and stripped of his admin powers. [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 04:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
:For all parties involved, I suggest practicing forgiveness and trying to start things over with a new slate. <br />
<br />
:I have been talking to Andy about this matter and he wants greater civility and constructive dialogue by all parties involved. <br />
<br />
:This coming weekend, I will be talking to Andy about upgrading Conservapedia's civility guidelines.<br />
<br />
:In addition, I will be talking to Andy about Conservapedia articles/content having an more encyclopedic tone. Why? Because Andy raised this issue with me and would like to see Conservapedia have a more encyclopedic tone in all cases where it is important to do so (I will explain this matter). Encyclopedia articles should first and foremost be designed to inform and shouldn't go out of their way to troll. For example, as far as a an article dispute you had with RobS, you insisted that the word "transgender" be struck out and "gender confusion" be used instead because you said that liberals don't like the phrase "gender confusion". But the purpose of articles is not to tick off liberals, but to inform the public. From what I understand, the topic had to do with transgenderism so when you insisted that "gender confusion" be used it unnecessarily clouded the meaning of the article as that is a broader term. Even when I write on provocative topics like [[Gay bowel syndrome]], [[Homosexuality and Parasites|Homosexuality and parasites]], [[Atheism, pederasty and NAMBLA]] and [[Atheism and bestiality]], I make every effort to keep the articles encyclopedic in tone. I am also not a fan of RobS using "Biden junta" for article titles or article content. The term "Biden junta" is fine for essays, but not articles in my estimation. Andy wants main page right content to have a more encyclopedic tone too. I plan on talking to RobS about this matter this coming weekend and to talk to Andy about this matter too. In short, if you want content to have a very provocative tone, that is fine, but do it in essays.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:10, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::I upgraded the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]] as far as the civility portion. I will be talking to Andy this week to get it approved. <br />
<br />
::This is my addition: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unneccesary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 05:24, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
:::Well, what I actually stated in my edit summaries was that since this is a conservative wiki, use of liberal-preferred terms should be avoided except in certain contexts (such as in quotes made by public figures, or names of liberal organizations). If liberals don't like their preferred terms not being used, that's their issue, but giving in on that subject is essentially a matter of "give them an inch..." (or to be more specific, give liberals an inch and they'll eventually demand the distance between Earth and Pluto, as they always do). [[User:Northwest|Northwest]] ([[User talk:Northwest|talk]]) 06:43, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
<br />
::::The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in Google searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 07:04, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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:::::Really? You're using Google searches for viability? Newsflash, Google manipulates search results. We even have an entire article on the subject on here. Even if we kowtow to Liberal redefining of things, Google STILL will end up manipulating search results to block us out. Better be a pure conservative site than sacrifice even a small amount of conservativism under the belief it would give us more traffic. If anything, you should go by DuckDuckGo or even Bing. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 07:14, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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::::::You are correct. Here's my revised statement: "The issue has more to do with the selection of popular and trending keywords occurring in <s>Google</s> searches to generate traffic, rankings, and exposure. Any differences in meaning on an ideological plane can be spelled out in text." I removed the offensive proper noun. That should be helpful now, [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 14:17, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
Andy approved my addition to the civility portion of the [[Conservapedia:Guidelines|Conservapedia guidelines]].[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:32, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
::This is the update I created: "For content disputes, be reasonable and make every effort to use an article's talk page to have a cordial and constructive dialogue. Stick to the facts in content disputes and back up your facts with a source or sources. If you are proposing alternative content in a content dispute, it must be sourced. Do not engage in personal attacks. Avoid bringing up irrelevant past disputes with editors and stick to the content dispute at hand. If you have a content dispute with another editor, do not immediately post to the other editor's personal talk page. The article talk pages is where the vast majority of discussion should take place. Avoid unnecessary content disputes by sourcing your article content."[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:35, 29 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Re: latest edit war with RobS ==<br />
<br />
As far as your latest edit war with RobS, If you are going to source material, please do better than Quora or sites like it such as Yahoo Answers. Anyone can put material on sites like that. The fourth footnote for the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]] indicates, "Sources should be authoritative works, not merely published opinions by others. No sources advocating or supporting unlawful activity of any kind are allowed."<br />
<br />
Quora is not an authoritative work.<br />
<br />
Under the new civility rules update that Andy approved, it does state you have to properly source material.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 09:01, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== Friendly invite to a new Conservapedia project ==<br />
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Hello Northwest! I hope you are having a good day. I wanted to invite you to [[Conservapedia:Project Current Events]] since it is a new project that I recently started. The goal of the project is to improve Conservapedia within current events, Hopefully you will consider joining. --[[User:Elijahandskip|Elijahandskip]] ([[User talk:Elijahandskip|talk]]) 12:36, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== RobS and Northwest content disputes involving historical matters ==<br />
<br />
I see a lot of disputes between RobS and NorthWest involving historical disputes. Below I give some great rules of weighing historical evidence. <br />
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=== Recommendations related to historical claims made by this article and information related to historiography ===<br />
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*[http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/historians-view-of-questioning/ Some keen insights from Pulitzer Prize–winner David Hackett Fischer]<br />
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*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2013/09/history-1701-reading-for-week-two.html Introduction to history]<br />
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*[http://historiansgaze.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-habits-of-highly-effective-historians.html 7 habits of highly effective historians]<br />
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"Fischer, David Hackett, Historians’ Fallacies: Toward a Logic of Historical Thought (New York: Harper Collins, 1970). In only approximately 300 pages, Fischer surveys an immense amount of background historical literature to point out a comprehensive variety of analytical errors that many, if not most, historians commit. Fischer points out specific examples of faulty or sloppy reasoning in the work of even the most prominent historians, making it a useful book for beginning students of history. While this book presumably did not make Fischer popular with many of his peers, it should be noted that his contributions as a historian have not been limited simply to criticizing the work of others; since 1976, he has published a number of well-received books on other historical topics."[http://history.nasa.gov/thinking/hist-4.html]<br />
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==== Fischer's 7 habits of sound historiography ====<br />
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Fischer's 7 rules for historians taken from [[Josh McDowell]]'s book The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict: <br />
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(1) The burden of proof for a historical claim is always upon the one making the assertion.<br />
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(2) Historical evidence must be an answer to the question asked and not to any other question. <br />
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(3) "An historian must not merely provide good evidence, but the best evidence. And the best evidence, all other things being equal, is the evidence which is most nearly immediate to the event itself." <br />
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(4) Evidence must always be affirmative. Negative evidence is no evidence at all. In other words, Fischer is saying that an absence of evidence is not necessarily evidence of absence.<br />
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(5) The meaning of any historical evidence is dependent upon the context from which it is obtained from.<br />
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(6) "An empirical statement must not be more precise than its evidence warrants." <br />
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(7) "All inferences from historical evidence are probabilistic."<br />
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Josh McDowell's Evidence that Demands a Verdict, page 674, 1999, Mark MCGarry, Texas Type and Book Works, Dallas, TX, ISBN 0-7852-4219-8)<br />
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=== Fischer's 6 principles of question framing for historical investigations ===<br />
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*[https://sites.google.com/site/historiography101fischer/ Fischer's 6 principles of question framing] [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 11:11, 9 May 2019 (EDT)<br />
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I hope this helps. [[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 12:46, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== re: your edit to the European migrant crisis article ==<br />
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Please look at this edit of yours: https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=European_migrant_crisis&diff=prev&oldid=1309224 which you posted in 2017. <br />
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1990sguy and RobS spent countless hours on the article. <br />
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I want to focus on one aspect of your edit to that article. In 2017, after Barack Obama served 8 years as the president of the USA, your edit indicated the following and I will quote it : "When Barack Hussein Obama became "president"". Norwest, when you posted "president", with no explanation, its obvious your intent was to merely "stick it to the libs" and not to educate the public. The purpose of an encylopedia is to inform the public and not merely to upset people who hold to a certain political ideology. <br />
<br />
Now in an article devoted to specific topic of [[Barack Hussein Obama]] one can certainly briefly go over the pro/con arguments of Obama's actual birthplace (like the various arguments of computer experts on Obama's online long form birth certificate giving the pro-con arguments of the various computer experts opinions on its authenticity). In addition, in that main Obama arrticle one can have a link to a longer article specifically geared to the issue of Obama's birthplace controversy. <br />
<br />
But an article which merely refers to "President" Obama for example is potentially confusing to the reader as he/she may not know what it means. For example, a young person in India who reads "President" Obama could easily be confused on why the quotation marks are there. <br />
<br />
One the reasons why I shared Fischer's rules above is to point out that historical investigations/conclusions are often probabilistic. A historian looking into the birthplace of Obama would carefully weigh all the evidence and after doing so would not make dogmatic statements like "Obama was definitely not born in the USA" because he would actually have no absolute certainty. For example, I know that one Republican computer expert said the online rendition of Barack Obama's birth certification document was a bona fide copy of Obama's birth certificate. Some computer experts on the other hand say the online, long form birth certificate was a fraud.<br />
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If you stick the facts in articles and not needlessly inject opinions that claim to be facts, you will have more harmony with other editors.[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] ([[User talk:Conservative|talk]]) 23:41, 31 March 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==Re: Trump Reverts==<br />
Thanks for leaving a message. You bring up a very good point about whether Joe Biden should even legally be in power, because of how greatly distrusted last year's election was. But it also raises the question of, if Joe Biden is not the legal president, then who is? It can't be Donald Trump, because he failed to win Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona (which had no voting law changes and the suburbs and working-class voters there were almost certainly going to hand the state to Joe Biden), so massive voter fraud in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, which was declined by a leftist agenda of the courts in those locations, would not have been able to change the election. Plus, courts with a political agenda are nothing new either. Bush v. Gore, for example, only favored Bush because of a rightist agenda of the court. So even if there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election like we suspect, don't courts and local election officials serve the bottom line for presidential legitimacy? Not only do I find it very unlikely that Republican officials wish to promote a big-government leftist agenda, but the reason I say all this is because even if Joe Biden didn't receive as many votes as it seemed in 2020, he may still be a legal president. Even if it is the fault of the people who ran the election, the Biden administration may not be the one to blame. - [[User:TrumpLover84|TrumpLover84]]([[User talk:TrumpLover84|talk]])<br />
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==Vandal patrol==<br />
While on vandal patrol, you missed the most obvious. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Stacey_Abrams&curid=152713&diff=1741677&oldid=1717133 This edit] claims Stacey Abrams is a bizarre conspiracy theorist cause she accused brian Kemp and Brad Raffensperger of election rigging with voting machines before Sidney Powell or Donald Trump did.<br />
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== Question ==<br />
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Do I use infobox officeholder or dictator bio for this person https://conservapedia.com/Albert_René as he was accused of using torture against people. --[[User:Yeschayi|Yeschayi ~ Talk!]] ([[User talk:Yeschayi|talk]]) 19:28, 25 April 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==Conservapedia Guidelines==<br />
[[Conservapedia:Guidelines#Civility]] states:<br />
*''Your user page/discussion pages, are indeed your castle, from which you can agree, disagree and discuss issues as you will. However '''you cannot use them to bully, ridicule (make fun of) or attack (denigrate) Conservapedia or other users''', and their opinions.''<br />
You Userpage mainspace presently has an attack upon another CP editor placed by you. [https://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=User:Northwest&curid=123230&diff=1753219&oldid=1752798] Please remove the abusive content. Thank you. [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 16:58, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
:If you ask me, the only one actually coming across as a bully is you, Rob. And quite frankly, I have to agree with Northwest, your actions are coming across as unjust, and more likely to aid the liberal agenda as it is. We formed Conservapedia specifically to get AWAY from the liberal bias that is Wikipedia. We cannot allow ourselves to become Wikipedia-lite. [[User:Pokeria1|Pokeria1]] ([[User talk:Pokeria1|talk]]) 23:22, 10 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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==John Wayne==<br />
Why don't you go fix the [[John Wayne]] article and change it to [[Marion Wayne]]? [https://turtledove.fandom.com/wiki/John_Wayne] [[User:RobSmith|RobS]]<sup>[[User talk:RobSmith|Free Kyle!]]</sup> 23:04, 21 May 2021 (EDT)<br />
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== POV opinion and conspiracy theories are NOT "facts".... ==<br />
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Yeah, no...Nortwest. The stuff that David added was what anti-Witness conspiracy theorists and "mainstream" biased church theologians PUT IN IN ANTI-JW BLOGS....not a supposedly objective encyclopedia article. David's statement of "conflicting with the Bible's teachings" is a PURE POV OPINION, having nothing to do with neutral encyclopedic anything. Because other people have the opposite view of what David put in...in that regard. It doesn't matter how many contributions and edits you or David has made on this site. David put in ANTI-WITNESS hateful neurotic BLOG JUNK, not professional neutral anything, in those walls of texts there. So then fix wording to make it more neutral and not what "conservapedia" itself thinks. Regards... [[User:Summa Verbius|Summa Verbius]] ([[User talk:Summa Verbius|talk]]) 23:08, 21 May 2021 (EDT)</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1758232Jehovah's Witnesses2021-05-22T03:05:43Z<p>Summa Verbius: Undo revision 1758187 by Northwest (talk) no, it states POV garbage and opinion....</p>
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<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
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Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
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* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
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* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
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* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
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* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
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* International Bible Students Association<br />
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* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
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* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
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* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
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* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
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* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
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Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
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The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
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==Theology==<br />
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1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
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2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
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3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
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4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:28, Colossians 1:15, and Psalms 83:18 in their Bible translation where God the Father is spoken of as greater than the Son, and is referred to of as the One God Jehovah Alone.<br />
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5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, resting in the Grave (Hades, Sheol), citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, with no dreaming, and where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell-fire'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''destroyed'' (which is interpreted to be "annihilated") rather than tortured consciously forever. They believe in the existence of Heaven, but believe that only God, Christ, and the Angels, and a select few from earth (144,000) would exist in Heaven.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died on a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). He did so in the town of Columbus, Ohio, in 1931. As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded ''The Herald of the Morning'' (1879), which later became ''The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom'', then was renamed to ''Zion's Watch Tower'', and now simply ''The Watchtower'', and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).<ref name="Kingdom of the Cults">Martin, Walter. Kingdom of the Cults. Bethany House, 1997.</ref><br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Gospel of John|John]] 15:19; [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1758171Jehovah's Witnesses2021-05-21T21:50:01Z<p>Summa Verbius: another main verse</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:28, Colossians 1:15, and Psalms 83:18 in their Bible translation where God the Father is spoken of as greater than the Son, and is referred to of as the One God Jehovah Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, resting in the Grave (Hades, Sheol), citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, with no dreaming, and where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell-fire'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''destroyed'' (which is interpreted to be "annihilated") rather than tortured consciously forever. They believe in the existence of Heaven, but believe that only God, Christ, and the Angels, and a select few from earth (144,000) would exist in Heaven.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died on a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). He did so in the town of Columbus, Ohio, in 1931. As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded ''The Herald of the Morning'' (1879), which later became ''The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom'', then was renamed to ''Zion's Watch Tower'', and now simply ''The Watchtower'', and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).<ref name="Kingdom of the Cults">Martin, Walter. Kingdom of the Cults. Bethany House, 1997.</ref><br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Gospel of John|John]] 15:19; [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1758167Jehovah's Witnesses2021-05-21T21:34:21Z<p>Summa Verbius: Undo revision 1729623 by DavidB4 (talk) removed blatant POV bias</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:28, Colossians 1:15, and Psalms 83:18 in their Bible translation where God the Father is spoken of as greater than the Son, and is referred to of as the One God Jehovah Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, resting in the Grave (Hades, Sheol), citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, with no dreaming, and where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell-fire'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''destroyed'' (which is interpreted to be "annihilated") rather than tortured consciously forever. They believe in the existence of Heaven, but believe that only God, Christ, and the Angels, and a select few from earth (144,000) would exist in Heaven.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died on a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). He did so in the town of Columbus, Ohio, in 1931. As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded ''The Herald of the Morning'' (1879), which later became ''The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom'', then was renamed to ''Zion's Watch Tower'', and now simply ''The Watchtower'', and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society).<ref name="Kingdom of the Cults">Martin, Walter. Kingdom of the Cults. Bethany House, 1997.</ref><br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1699581Jehovah's Witnesses2020-10-27T05:38:12Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Theology */ grammar fix</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:28, Colossians 1:15, and Psalms 83:18 in their Bible translation where God the Father is spoken of as greater than the Son, and is referred to of as the One God Jehovah Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, resting in the Grave (Hades, Sheol), citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, with no dreaming, and where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell-fire'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''destroyed'' (which is interpreted to be "annihilated") rather than tortured consciously forever. They believe in the existence of Heaven, but believe that only God, Christ, and the Angels, and a select few from earth (144,000) would exist in Heaven.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died on a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1699575Jehovah's Witnesses2020-10-27T05:29:29Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Theology */ Witnesses DO believe in Heaven....correction, and mods etc</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
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1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
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2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
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4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:28, Colossians 1:15, and Psalms 83:18 in their Bible translation where God the Father is spoken of as greater than the Son, and is referred to of as the One God Jehovah Alone.<br />
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5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, resting in the Grave (Hades, Sheol), citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, with no dreaming, and where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell-fire'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''destroyed'' (which is interpreted to be "annihilated") rather than tortured consciously forever. They believe in the existence of Heaven, but believe that only God, Christ, and the Angels, and a select few from earth (144,000) would exist in Heaven.<br />
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6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
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7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
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8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
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9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
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10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
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==Morality==<br />
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Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
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The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
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== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
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Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
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===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
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In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
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The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
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===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
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In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
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===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
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== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
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Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
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Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
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Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
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{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
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==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
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In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
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==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1699573Jehovah's Witnesses2020-10-27T05:19:16Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Theology */ elaboration clarity</p>
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<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
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Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
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* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
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* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
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* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
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* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
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* International Bible Students Association<br />
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* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
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* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
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* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
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* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
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* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
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Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as Matthew 4:10, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 14:28, Colossians 1:15, and Psalms 83:18 in their Bible translation where God the Father is spoken of as greater than the Son, and is referred to of as the One God Jehovah Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1699571Jehovah's Witnesses2020-10-27T05:15:43Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Theology */ mods</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 The Bible version they mainly use is the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their modern translation of the Holy Bible. Though they utilized various versions of the Bible, the NWT was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939–50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629729Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:58:53Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Theology */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, the Father, whose name is Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629728Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:57:15Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Theology */ elab</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as in other types of churches, although there are elders, overseers (bishops), and ministerial servants (deacons), and a governing body, in their ecclesiastical structure, and leadership, but all are 'brothers' to each other, and both male and female members are considered to be ordained ministers (authorized by God and Christ to teach and preach the word of God) at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629727Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:51:21Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
10 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629726Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:49:48Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, as a "ransom sacrifice", and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
20 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629725Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:47:42Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Theology */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
<br />
1 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus is the Messiah, and firstborn Son of God, and died for man's sins at Calvary, and is the only hope out of death and the grave, and was made King of God's Kingdom.<br />
<br />
2 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
4 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
6 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
7 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
8 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
9 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
20 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629724Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:44:31Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most other professed Christians disagree, believing that the Christ's resurrection was in his actual same flesh that he died in, and not as a spirit being, and some call the Witness doctrine on this matter a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses generally do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. And that the Greek word "stavros" simply means "stake", regardless of shape. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629723Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:42:03Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised from the dead on the third day as a spirit being, "made alive in the spirit", and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629722Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:39:46Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible versions and translations freely in their literature and sermons, and acknowledge their value, but the Bible version that they mainly and mostly use, read from, and quote is the NWT (in whatever language) that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1629721Jehovah's Witnesses2020-03-18T06:38:07Z<p>Summa Verbius: correction and elaboration</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
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* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They accept, use, quote from, and cite other Bible translations freely, in their literature and sermons, but the Bible version they mainly and mostly use is the NWT that is produced by their organization, The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and specifically the New World Translation Committee.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Guardian_(UK)&diff=1621972Guardian (UK)2020-02-11T04:24:47Z<p>Summa Verbius: minor elab</p>
<hr />
<div>'''''The Guardian''''' (Sunday edition: '''''The Observer''''')<ref>''The Observer'' began as a separate Sunday newspaper in 1791 and predates the ''Manchester Guardian'' by 30 years. Guardian Media Group acquired ''The Observer'' in 1993.</ref> is a [[UK]] national daily [[newspaper]] known for its very [[liberal|left-wing]] stance. Originally known as the ''[[Manchester]] Guardian'', since it was originally published there, it is owned by a charitable organization, the Scott Trust. <br />
<br />
''The Guardian'' is dominated by [[atheist]] and [[homosexual rights]] viewpoints. Regular contributors include atheist Charlie Brooker, LGBT campaigners Peter Tatchell, Rev. Richard Coles, Julie Bindel, [[Owen Jones]], Patrick Strudwick and transgenders Jack Monroe (born a woman), [[Paris Lees]] (born a man) and [[Jane Francesca Fae]] (born a man).<br />
<br />
In 2017 the total circulation of ''The Guardian'' had dropped to 149,000, making it number 19 among British newspapers.<br />
<br />
==Examples of inaccuracy and bias==<br />
In 2016, when the UK magistrate Richard Page was dismissed from his post in the judiciary for merely saying he believed children were better off with a mother and father, ''The Guardian'' reported the case as "Magistrate sacked over religious opposition to same-sex couples adopting". This was not true. Page's opinion was based on the best interests of the children and their welfare, not on a mere religious prohibition. Page's view is supported by the best available scientific evidence i.e. the Regnerus Report. Within a few months of Page's dismissal, in 2017, a pair of lesbians, Deborah and “wife” Jennifer Harrison, were convicted of starving a child and hitting her with a hammer. Very soon afterward, a baby girl named Elsie was murdered by her homosexual adoptive "father" Matthew Scully-Hicks. ''The Guardian'' did not connect the three cases.<ref>theguardian.com, 10 March 2016</ref><ref>https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3660471/mum-lover-jailed-abuse-starving-daughter/</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/06/matthew-scully-hicks-guilty-of-murdering-adopted-daughter</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/07/matthew-scully-hicks-jailed-for-life-daughter-elsie</ref><br />
<br />
In September 2016, ''The Guardian'' reported that there had been a huge "spike" in hate-crimes against Eastern Europeans in Britain since the Brexit vote, and highlighted the death of Arkadiusz Jóźwik, who died in a late-night fight in Harlow, Essex, which they called a "suspected hate-crime".<ref><br />
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/28/hate-crime-horrible-spike-brexit-vote-metropolitan-police</ref> They repeated these allegations in a series of articles.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/13/hate-crimes-eu-referendum-home-office-figures-confirm</ref> <br />
But when the case eventually came to court, the verdict was that Jóźwik's death was the result of a drunken brawl, not a "hate crime attack".<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-41202493</ref> <br />
The source of the figures about a so-called "spike in hate-crime" was just a single police statement taking figures from a website called True Vision where anonymous reports can be made without proof. Many complaints are of a petty nature e.g. verbal disagreement. The police noted that over a four-day period, the previous figure of 54 had risen to 85. So 31 <br />
allegations made without proof were reported as a national "spike" in hate-crime.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/13/hate-crimes-eu-referendum-home-office-figures-confirm</ref><ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3805008/The-great-Brexit-hate-crime-myth-claims-epidemic-race-crimes-referendum-simply-false.html</ref><br />
<br />
On May 6, 2017, ''The Guardian'' published an article taking the side of Spanish Stalinists over Trotskyists and anarcho-syndicalists during that country's three-year civil war, specifically the firefights between the different factions of the Spanish Republicans, documented by George Orwell's autobiographical ''Homage to Catalonia'', which regards his experiences serving in the war as a private of the Trotskyist POUM (Workers' Party of Marxist Unification). The article criticized Orwell's book, with the headline, "George Orwell's Spanish civil war memoir is a classic, but is it bad history?" It accuses Orwell of being too biased and partisan to understand the situation properly enough to obtain a proper judgment. Given that he was merely a private, ''The Guardian'' postulates that he can't have possibly understood the nuances of the situation that led to government-affiliated Stalinists gunning down anarchists and Trotskyists in the streets.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/06/george-orwell-homage-to-catalonia-account-spanish-civil-war-wrong</ref> Ironically, in the appendices of the book, Orwell defends ''The Guardian'' of the time as a fair and non-biased source of information which does great journalistic work.<br />
<br />
On 14 June 2018 ''The Guardian'' published an article by Claude Moraes entitled "The far right is organised and growing. Those Nazi salutes are serious". It referred to a demonstration held on 9 June in London in protest at the imprisonment of campaigner Tommy Robinson. The only evidence the article brings of "Nazi salutes" is a photograph in which one man is holding up both arms with fingers splayed, and another behind him is holding up a placard.<ref><br />
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/14/far-right-nazi-tommy-robinson-racist-movements-donald-trump?CMP=share_btn_tw</ref><br />
The article alleged that the demonstrators had been violent and aggressive and had attacked the police. This was untrue. No arrests were made at the demonstration despite the fact, reported by many who attended and shown on video coverage, that the Metropolitan police went to great lengths to try to provoke a violent incident. <ref><br />
http://www.a1r.tv/videos/view/18414 </ref><br />
<br />
Nowhere does the article admit the real cause for Robinson's arrest and the demonstration, which is the gigantic [[grooming gang]] scandal. For at least twenty years, organized Muslim gangs in England and the Netherlands have exploited very young British girls from vulnerable backgrounds, who have been terrorized, drugged, prostituted and gang-raped. It is reliably estimated that there have been 50,000 victims in 73 towns and the problem still persists. <ref> <br />
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Meat-Britains-Grooming-Scandal/dp/1943003068 </ref> The authorities continue to turn a blind eye or minimize the problem. Robinson and others have been whistle-blowers, and the government was intent on silencing him but the article presents the protesters as merely "racists" who have no genuine grievance, which is a grave misrepresentation.<br />
<br />
In May 2019, the newspaper announced it would use the terms "climate emergency, crisis or breakdown" rather than "climate change,"<ref>Frazin, Rachel (May 17, 2019). [https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/444327-guardian-updates-style-climate-change-now-climate-emergency-crisis Guardian updates style: Climate change now 'climate emergency, crisis or breakdown']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved May 17, 2019.</ref><ref>Chasmar, Jessica (May 18, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/17/guardian-issues-new-style-guidelines-climate-chang/ Guardian issues new style guidelines: 'Climate change' is now 'climate emergency']. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 18, 2019.</ref><ref>Starr, Penny (October 18, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/10/18/uks-guardian-changes-style-rules-to-reflect-crisis-global-heating-climate-emergency/ UK’s Guardian Changes Style Rules to Reflect ‘Crisis’: ‘Global Heating,’ ‘Climate Emergency’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 18, 2019.</ref> and that it would describe "climate skeptics" as "climate deniers."<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (May 20, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2019/05/20/guardian-no-climate-skeptics-only-deniers/ Guardian: No Climate Skeptics, Only ‘Deniers’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 13, 2019.</ref> It has also adopted extreme pro-abortion language, including using the terms "anti-abortion" and "pro-choice" rather than "pro-life" and "pro-abortion," and it has banned the term "[[Heartbeat Bill]]."<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (June 13, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/06/13/the-guardian-to-enforce-pro-abortion-language/ The Guardian to Enforce Pro-Abortion Language]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 13, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Van Maren, Jonathon (June 14, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/mainstream-medias-ban-on-heartbeat-language-to-describe-pro-life-bills-is-simply-unscientific Mainstream media’s ban on ‘heartbeat’ language to describe pro-life bills is simply unscientific]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved June 14, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
==Conspiracy theories About Brexit==<br />
Following the [[Brexit|referendum on European Union membership]], which the Leave faction narrowly won, ''The Guardian'' ran a series of articles attributing the outcome to sinister foreign influences or illegal funding, attempting to prove that the result was invalid. One of these, by Carole Cadwalla, claimed that UK's Information Commissioner's Office had launched legal proceedings against Arron Banks and the LEAVE.EU campaign. This was not true.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/07/the-great-british-brexit-robbery-hijacked-democracy</ref><br />
<br />
==Misleading statistics about transgenderism==<br />
''The Guardian'' regularly publishes articles claiming that half of the children diagnosed as so-called "[[transgender]]" in the UK have attempted suicide. But these figures are dubious as they do not come from an objective source, only from biased LGBT campaigning groups such as Stonewall which use online surveys, very small sample spaces, and have no proof that the answers correspond to fact. These organisations get more and more funding according to the size of the problem they claim exists.<br />
<ref> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/19/young-transgender-suicide-attempts-survey</ref><br />
<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jun/27/half-of-trans-pupils-in-the-uk-tried-to-take-their-own-lives-survey-finds</ref><br />
<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2017/nov/17/trans-people-children-suicide-bullying-rightwing-media</ref><br />
<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/28/trans-young-people-suicide-support-mental-health</ref><br />
When checked objectively by FullFact.com, there was a lot of doubt about the accuracy of the figures.<ref>https://fullfact.org/health/young-trans-people/</ref> There are no statistics that prove transgender people become any less likely to commit suicide in later life if their delusion is affirmed and made official. Moreover, what such alarmist reports do not mention is that the actual number of children classified as "trans" in the UK has rocketed by 2,000% in eight years, in response to LGBT ideas being taught in schools. So if the problem exists at any extent, it is being largely created by the LGBTs, and by left-wing promoters and propagandists.<br />
<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/GenderCritical/comments/7xhanp/schools_resource_pack_transgender_trend/</ref><br />
GID specialists are warning that hasty treatment or premature treatment is not in the interest of the children.<ref>https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/schools-rushing-on-whisper-to-label-pupils-as-transgender-0d8zm53qs</ref><br />
<br />
==Sexist hypocrisy==<br />
''The Guardian'', calling the Republican party sexist, [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/09/white-women-vote-republican-why published a blatantly sexist article] insulting women who support Republicans. The author of the article is a columnist who published other smears, [[Media bullying|such as accusing Donald Trump of being a sexual predator]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/05/e-jean-carroll- E Jean Carroll's lawsuit against Trump is a victory for sexual assault survivors]</ref><br />
<br />
==Notable employees==<br />
[[Paris Lees]] and [[Jane Francesca Fae]], two of ''The Guardian'''s transgender journalists, both have unusual backgrounds. Lees has served prison time for the crime of violent assault, while Fae, whose previous name was John Ozimek, campaigned for ten years for the legalisation of extreme and hard-core pornography. He is currently suspended from the UK [[Labour Party]] for repeatedly inciting violent attacks on women.<ref>https://twitter.com/CorrectMorally/status/1003555983308673024</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/fakerikiw/status/972797636481871872</ref><br />
<br />
==Campaign against UKIP==<br />
''The Guardian'' newspaper conducted a fierce campaign against the UK Independence Party (UKIP) a political party formed in 1992 with the aim of withdrawing the UK from the European Union. ''The Guardian'' branded UKIP a "far-right" and "neo-fascist" party without any evidence either from its manifesto or anywhere else, and printed smear articles about virtually every prominent member of UKIP on a regular basis, claiming they were racist, guilty of financial misconduct etc. An example of how they distorted the facts is a story they printed on 13 June 2017 with the headline "MEP resigns amid investigation into alleged misuse of funds".<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/13/ukip-mep-resigns-amid-investigation-into-alleged-misuse-of-funds</ref> The article reported that Roger Helmer, a UKIP member of the [[European Parliament]], was going to resign while undergoing investigation for alleged misuse of funds. The implication was that his resignation was triggered by the investigation, and was an admission of guilt.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/13/ukip-mep-resigns-amid-investigation-into-alleged-misuse-of-funds</ref> That was highly misleading. In fact, Helmer who was aged 73, had decided to retire because after the Leave vote in the EU Referendum held in May 2016, he regarded his work as done and was looking forward to retirement. Some months previously, EU officials had challenged two of his staff, Nick Tite and Paul Oakden, to prove that they had done the work for which they were claiming payment through EU expenses. That is a routine gambit used by the EU to harass and make life difficult for all MEPs who campaign against their country's membership. All UKIP MEPS are regularly subjected to this sort of inspection, while MEPS of other parties are not. Just before the ''Guardian'' story appeared, Nick Tite had been cleared, and no evidence of misconduct was ever found against the other staffer either. No money ever had to be paid back, and there was no connection between either case and Helmer's retirement.<ref>https://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/the-european-parliament-an-apology/</ref> Nevertheless, despite a refutation by Helmer on his personal blog, ''The Guardian'' never withdrew its slanderous allegations, and still has the story on its website. The story was copied from ''The Guardian'' to other sources where the allegations were made even more explicitly. Free newspaper ''The Metro'' ran a story with the headline "UKIP MEP quits over “misuse of £100,000 of EU money”. False allegations of disgrace were then spread widely, and never retracted. Helmer commented that ''The Guardian'' was motivated by "malice". Their story described him as having "controversial views on homosexuality". What they deemed "controversial views" was his defence of man-woman marriage and objection to threats and menace against those who wished to uphold it.<ref>https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/02/20/ukip-mep-who-said-homophobia-doesnt-exist-complains-about-ukip-phobia/</ref><br />
<br />
==Website==<br />
{{cquote|The [[Richard Dawkins|Dawkins]] inspired "atheist ranters" come out in force on ''Guardian'' pages. They hate organised religion with a zeal, they deride the faithful as mentally retarded, they gibber on about [[Flying Spaghetti Monster|spaghetti monsters]] and sky pixies, as if such talk actually added anything meaningful to the debate. ... It is easy to picture these sycophantic drones smugly typing their intolerant bile, glowing with inner pride at their own rebellious contrariness.|||''Another Angry Voice'', a [[socialist]] internet blogger.<ref>[http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/richard-dawkins-slave-ancestor.html Richard Dawkins and the slave trade], ''Another Angry Voice''.</ref>}}<br />
''The Guardian'' has recently set up versions of its website in Australia and the United States; its website in the [[United Kingdom]] is one of the most popular in the country, and the majority of the site's views come from the [[United States]].<ref>However, despite being a UK-based website, ''guardian.co.uk'' is a more popular in the United States and multiculturalist [[Sweden]] than in the UK.<br>[http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/guardian.co.uk Statistics Summary for guardian.co.uk]</ref> ''The Guardian'' also runs the largest internet forum of any British newspaper in the form of Guardian Unlimited Talk.<br />
<br />
The comments on their internet opinion blog, ''Comment is Free'', are filtered by a moderator.<br />
<br />
==Political stance==<br />
The paper was described in the 1930s as "the Communist paper, The ''Manchester Guardian''" by Lord Beaverbrook,<ref>Crozier, W.P., edited by A.J.P.Taylor, ''Off The Record'', London, 1973, p.259. ISBN 0-09-116250-5 "''I found Beaverbrook with Walter Citrine, General Secretary of the TUC. He presented me to him (Citrine) as 'The Editor of the Communist paper, The ''Manchester Guardian''.<nowiki>'</nowiki>''"</ref> and even earlier in Victorian times by the [[communist]] [[Friedrich Engels]] as "an organ of the middle class",<ref>[[Friedrich Engels|Engels, Friedrich]], ''The Condition of the Working Class in England'', Progress, 1973, p. 109.</ref> and by Ted Scott as "a paper that will remain [[bourgeois]] to the last".<ref>Ayerst, ''The Guardian'', 1971, p. 471.</ref><br />
<br />
Today in 2018, the Guardian is regarded as a far-left [[liberal]] paper, as well as being pro-[[abortion]] on demand, anti-[[Bush]] and anti-[[American]], pro-[[Obama]] and critical of [[Tony Blair]]'s support for the war in [[Iraq]] (and of New Labour in general). The newspaper's reputation as a platform for [[liberal]] and left-wing opinions has led to the use of the epithets "''Guardian'' reader" and "Guardianista" for people holding such views,<ref>{{cite web|author=Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo011119/debtext/11119-08.htm#11119-08_spnew3 |title=Hansard 374:54 19 November 2001 |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk |date=19 November 2001 |accessdate=28 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4348620.stm|title=What the papers say|work=BBC News|date=17 October 2005}}</ref> or as a negative stereotype of such people as middle class, and [[politically correct]].<br />
<br />
===Clark County fiasco===<br />
On October 13, 2004, the Guardian paper attempted to influence the election between [[George W. Bush]] and [[John Kerry]] in one particular Ohio county, Clark County.<ref>[http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=10846 Euro-Socialists Say: Assassinate Bush], Operation Clark County, post-mortem, [[FrontPage Magazine]]</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/13/uselections2004.usa11 My fellow non-Americans ... ]</ref> They called it "''Operation Clark County''",<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/18/uselections2004.usa2 Dear Limey assholes]</ref> and the effort is generally regarded to have been a failure and a fiasco for the paper.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1474828/Guardian-calls-it-quits-in-Clark-County-fiasco.html Guardian calls it quits in Clark County fiasco], [[Daily Telegraph]]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3981823.stm Did Guardian turn Ohio to Bush?], [[BBC]]</ref><ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/lady-antonia-of-clark-county-532409.html Lady Antonia of Clark County], Why 'The Guardian' and its readers are still feeling the wrath of Ohio , [[The Independent]]</ref><ref>[http://mammon.typepad.com/root_of_all_evil/2008/11/us-election-2008-remembering-guardians-operation-clark-county.html US election 2008: remembering Guardian's Operation Clark County]</ref><ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/2004-11-04-brits-letters_x.htm Brits' campaign backfires in Ohio], [[USA Today]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Bloggers===<br />
Its columnists include the irritated [[atheist]] and [[agnostic]] comedians Charlie Brooker<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charliebrooker The Guardian - Charlie Brooker]</ref> and [[David Mitchell]],<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/davidmitchell The Guardian - David Mitchell]</ref><ref>See: [[Atheism and depression]]</ref> as well as Ariane Sherine,<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/arianesherine The Guardian - Ariane Sherine]</ref> who was responsible for setting up the atheist bus campaign, which propagated anti-Christian and pro-atheist slogans on buses in the United Kingdom, on behalf of the so-called British Humanist Association.<br />
<br />
Given its openly left-wing stance, a blogger whose article appeared in ''The Guardian'' stated that the movie ''[[An American Carol]]'' was "propaganda masquerading as entertainment."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/oct/01/1 Does An American Carol signal the rise of the Hollywood right?] Guardian, October 1, 2008</ref><br />
<br />
==Typographical errors==<br />
The paper's nickname '''''The Grauniad''''' (sometimes abbreviated as "Graun") originated with the satirical magazine ''[[Private Eye]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/dec/16/society|title=Surely shome mishtake?|work=The Guardian|date=16 December 2000| location=London|last=Sherrin|first=Ned}}</ref> This [[anagram]] played on ''The Guardian's'' early reputation for frequent typographical errors, including misspelling its own name as ''The Gaurdian''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_oO5fWi6dikC&pg=PA26 |pages=26–27 |title=Porcupine, Picayune, & Post: how newspapers get their names |first=Jim|last=Bernhard|publisher=University of Missouri Press|year=2007|isbn=0-8262-1748-6|accessdate=11 August 2013}}</ref><br />
<br />
== See also ==<br />
*[[Polly Toynbee]]<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:United Kingdom Newspapers]]<br />
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Propaganda]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal News Organizations]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Newspapers]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Media]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Guardian_(UK)&diff=1621971Guardian (UK)2020-02-11T04:22:12Z<p>Summa Verbius: grammar fix...etc</p>
<hr />
<div>'''''The Guardian''''' (Sunday edition: '''''The Observer''''')<ref>''The Observer'' began as a separate Sunday newspaper in 1791 and predates the ''Manchester Guardian'' by 30 years. Guardian Media Group acquired ''The Observer'' in 1993.</ref> is a [[UK]] national daily [[newspaper]] known for its very [[liberal|left-wing]] stance. Originally known as the ''[[Manchester]] Guardian'', since it was originally published there, it is owned by a charitable organization, the Scott Trust. <br />
<br />
''The Guardian'' is dominated by [[atheist]] and [[homosexual rights]] viewpoints. Regular contributors include atheist Charlie Brooker, LGBT campaigners Peter Tatchell, Rev. Richard Coles, Julie Bindel, [[Owen Jones]], Patrick Strudwick and transgenders Jack Monroe (born a woman), [[Paris Lees]] (born a man) and [[Jane Francesca Fae]] (born a man).<br />
<br />
In 2017 the total circulation of ''The Guardian'' had dropped to 149,000, making it number 19 among British newspapers.<br />
<br />
==Examples of inaccuracy and bias==<br />
In 2016, when the UK magistrate Richard Page was dismissed from his post in the judiciary for merely saying he believed children were better off with a mother and father, ''The Guardian'' reported the case as "Magistrate sacked over religious opposition to same-sex couples adopting". This was not true. Page's opinion was based on the best interests of the children and their welfare, not on a mere religious prohibition. Page's view is supported by the best available scientific evidence i.e. the Regnerus Report. Within a few months of Page's dismissal, in 2017, a pair of lesbians, Deborah and “wife” Jennifer Harrison, were convicted of starving a child and hitting her with a hammer. Very soon afterward, a baby girl named Elsie was murdered by her homosexual adoptive "father" Matthew Scully-Hicks. ''The Guardian'' did not connect the three cases.<ref>theguardian.com, 10 March 2016</ref><ref>https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/3660471/mum-lover-jailed-abuse-starving-daughter/</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/06/matthew-scully-hicks-guilty-of-murdering-adopted-daughter</ref><ref>https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/07/matthew-scully-hicks-jailed-for-life-daughter-elsie</ref><br />
<br />
In September 2016, ''The Guardian'' reported that there had been a huge "spike" in hate-crimes against Eastern Europeans in Britain since the Brexit vote, and highlighted the death of Arkadiusz Jóźwik, who died in a late-night fight in Harlow, Essex, which they called a "suspected hate-crime".<ref><br />
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/28/hate-crime-horrible-spike-brexit-vote-metropolitan-police</ref> They repeated these allegations in a series of articles.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/13/hate-crimes-eu-referendum-home-office-figures-confirm</ref> <br />
But when the case eventually came to court, the verdict was that Jóźwik's death was the result of a drunken brawl, not a "hate crime attack".<ref>https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-41202493</ref> <br />
The source of the figures about a so-called "spike in hate-crime" was just a single police statement taking figures from a website called True Vision where anonymous reports can be made without proof. Many complaints are of a petty nature e.g. verbal disagreement. The police noted that over a four-day period, the previous figure of 54 had risen to 85. So 31 <br />
allegations made without proof were reported as a national "spike" in hate-crime.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/13/hate-crimes-eu-referendum-home-office-figures-confirm</ref><ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3805008/The-great-Brexit-hate-crime-myth-claims-epidemic-race-crimes-referendum-simply-false.html</ref><br />
<br />
On May 6, 2017, ''The Guardian'' published an article taking the side of Spanish Stalinists over Trotskyists and anarcho-syndicalists during that country's three-year civil war, specifically the firefights between the different factions of the Spanish Republicans, documented by George Orwell's autobiographical ''Homage to Catalonia'', which regards his experiences serving in the war as a private of the Trotskyist POUM (Workers' Party of Marxist Unification). The article criticized Orwell's book, with the headline, "George Orwell's Spanish civil war memoir is a classic, but is it bad history?" It accuses Orwell of being too biased and partisan to understand the situation properly enough to obtain a proper judgment. Given that he was merely a private, ''The Guardian'' postulates that he can't have possibly understood the nuances of the situation that led to government-affiliated Stalinists gunning down anarchists and Trotskyists in the streets.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/may/06/george-orwell-homage-to-catalonia-account-spanish-civil-war-wrong</ref> Ironically, in the appendices of the book, Orwell defends ''The Guardian'' of the time as a fair and non-biased source of information which does great journalistic work.<br />
<br />
On 14 June 2018 ''The Guardian'' published an article by Claude Moraes entitled "The far right is organised and growing. Those Nazi salutes are serious". It referred to a demonstration held on 9 June in London in protest at the imprisonment of campaigner Tommy Robinson. The only evidence the article brings of "Nazi salutes" is a photograph in which one man is holding up both arms with fingers splayed, and another behind him is holding up a placard.<ref><br />
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jun/14/far-right-nazi-tommy-robinson-racist-movements-donald-trump?CMP=share_btn_tw</ref><br />
The article alleged that the demonstrators had been violent and aggressive and had attacked the police. This was untrue. No arrests were made at the demonstration despite the fact, reported by many who attended and shown on video coverage, that the Metropolitan police went to great lengths to try to provoke a violent incident. <ref><br />
http://www.a1r.tv/videos/view/18414 </ref><br />
<br />
Nowhere does the article admit the real cause for Robinson's arrest and the demonstration, which is the gigantic [[grooming gang]] scandal. For at least twenty years, organized Muslim gangs in England and the Netherlands have exploited very young British girls from vulnerable backgrounds, who have been terrorized, drugged, prostituted and gang-raped. It is reliably estimated that there have been 50,000 victims in 73 towns and the problem still persists. <ref> <br />
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Easy-Meat-Britains-Grooming-Scandal/dp/1943003068 </ref> The authorities continue to turn a blind eye or minimize the problem. Robinson and others have been whistle-blowers, and the government was intent on silencing him but the article presents the protesters as merely "racists" who have no genuine grievance, which is a grave misrepresentation.<br />
<br />
In May 2019, the newspaper announced it would use the terms "climate emergency, crisis or breakdown" rather than "climate change,"<ref>Frazin, Rachel (May 17, 2019). [https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/444327-guardian-updates-style-climate-change-now-climate-emergency-crisis Guardian updates style: Climate change now 'climate emergency, crisis or breakdown']. ''The Hill''. Retrieved May 17, 2019.</ref><ref>Chasmar, Jessica (May 18, 2019). [https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/may/17/guardian-issues-new-style-guidelines-climate-chang/ Guardian issues new style guidelines: 'Climate change' is now 'climate emergency']. ''The Washington Times''. Retrieved May 18, 2019.</ref><ref>Starr, Penny (October 18, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/10/18/uks-guardian-changes-style-rules-to-reflect-crisis-global-heating-climate-emergency/ UK’s Guardian Changes Style Rules to Reflect ‘Crisis’: ‘Global Heating,’ ‘Climate Emergency’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved October 18, 2019.</ref> and that it would describe "climate skeptics" as "climate deniers."<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (May 20, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2019/05/20/guardian-no-climate-skeptics-only-deniers/ Guardian: No Climate Skeptics, Only ‘Deniers’]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 13, 2019.</ref> It has also adopted extreme pro-abortion language, including using the terms "anti-abortion" and "pro-choice" rather than "pro-life" and "pro-abortion," and it has banned the term "[[Heartbeat Bill]]."<ref>Williams, Thomas D. (June 13, 2019). [https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/06/13/the-guardian-to-enforce-pro-abortion-language/ The Guardian to Enforce Pro-Abortion Language]. ''Breitbart News''. Retrieved June 13, 2019.<br>See also:<br />
*Van Maren, Jonathon (June 14, 2019). [https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/mainstream-medias-ban-on-heartbeat-language-to-describe-pro-life-bills-is-simply-unscientific Mainstream media’s ban on ‘heartbeat’ language to describe pro-life bills is simply unscientific]. ''LifeSiteNews''. Retrieved June 14, 2019.</ref><br />
<br />
==Conspiracy theories About Brexit==<br />
Following the [[Brexit|referendum on European Union membership]], which the Leave faction narrowly won, ''The Guardian'' ran a series of articles attributing the outcome to sinister foreign influences or illegal funding, attempting to prove that the result was invalid. One of these, by Carole Cadwalla, claimed that UK's Information Commissioner's Office had launched legal proceedings against Arron Banks and the LEAVE.EU campaign. This was not true.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/may/07/the-great-british-brexit-robbery-hijacked-democracy</ref><br />
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==Misleading statistics about transgenderism==<br />
''The Guardian'' regularly publishes articles claiming that half of the children diagnosed as so-called "[[transgender]]" in the UK have attempted suicide. But these figures are dubious as they do not come from an objective source, only from biased LGBT campaigning groups such as Stonewall which use online surveys, very small sample spaces, and have no proof that the answers correspond to fact. These organisations get more and more funding according to the size of the problem they claim exists.<br />
<ref> https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/nov/19/young-transgender-suicide-attempts-survey</ref><br />
<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/jun/27/half-of-trans-pupils-in-the-uk-tried-to-take-their-own-lives-survey-finds</ref><br />
<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2017/nov/17/trans-people-children-suicide-bullying-rightwing-media</ref><br />
<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/mar/28/trans-young-people-suicide-support-mental-health</ref><br />
When checked objectively by FullFact.com, there was a lot of doubt about the accuracy of the figures.<ref>https://fullfact.org/health/young-trans-people/</ref> There are no statistics that prove transgender people become any less likely to commit suicide in later life if their delusion is affirmed and made official. Moreover, what such alarmist reports do not mention is that the actual number of children classified as "trans" in the UK has rocketed by 2,000% in eight years, in response to LGBT ideas being taught in schools. So if the problem exists it is being created by the LGBTs.<br />
<ref>https://www.reddit.com/r/GenderCritical/comments/7xhanp/schools_resource_pack_transgender_trend/</ref><br />
GID specialists are warning that hasty treatment or premature treatment is not in the interest of the children.<ref>https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/schools-rushing-on-whisper-to-label-pupils-as-transgender-0d8zm53qs</ref><br />
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==Sexist hypocrisy==<br />
''The Guardian'', calling the Republican party sexist, [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/09/white-women-vote-republican-why published a blatantly sexist article] insulting women who support Republicans. The author of the article is a columnist who published other smears, [[Media bullying|such as accusing Donald Trump of being a sexual predator]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/05/e-jean-carroll- E Jean Carroll's lawsuit against Trump is a victory for sexual assault survivors]</ref><br />
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==Notable employees==<br />
[[Paris Lees]] and [[Jane Francesca Fae]], two of ''The Guardian'''s transgender journalists, both have unusual backgrounds. Lees has served prison time for the crime of violent assault, while Fae, whose previous name was John Ozimek, campaigned for ten years for the legalisation of extreme and hard-core pornography. He is currently suspended from the UK [[Labour Party]] for repeatedly inciting violent attacks on women.<ref>https://twitter.com/CorrectMorally/status/1003555983308673024</ref><ref>https://twitter.com/fakerikiw/status/972797636481871872</ref><br />
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==Campaign against UKIP==<br />
''The Guardian'' newspaper conducted a fierce campaign against the UK Independence Party (UKIP) a political party formed in 1992 with the aim of withdrawing the UK from the European Union. ''The Guardian'' branded UKIP a "far-right" and "neo-fascist" party without any evidence either from its manifesto or anywhere else, and printed smear articles about virtually every prominent member of UKIP on a regular basis, claiming they were racist, guilty of financial misconduct etc. An example of how they distorted the facts is a story they printed on 13 June 2017 with the headline "MEP resigns amid investigation into alleged misuse of funds".<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/13/ukip-mep-resigns-amid-investigation-into-alleged-misuse-of-funds</ref> The article reported that Roger Helmer, a UKIP member of the [[European Parliament]], was going to resign while undergoing investigation for alleged misuse of funds. The implication was that his resignation was triggered by the investigation, and was an admission of guilt.<ref>https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/13/ukip-mep-resigns-amid-investigation-into-alleged-misuse-of-funds</ref> That was highly misleading. In fact, Helmer who was aged 73, had decided to retire because after the Leave vote in the EU Referendum held in May 2016, he regarded his work as done and was looking forward to retirement. Some months previously, EU officials had challenged two of his staff, Nick Tite and Paul Oakden, to prove that they had done the work for which they were claiming payment through EU expenses. That is a routine gambit used by the EU to harass and make life difficult for all MEPs who campaign against their country's membership. All UKIP MEPS are regularly subjected to this sort of inspection, while MEPS of other parties are not. Just before the ''Guardian'' story appeared, Nick Tite had been cleared, and no evidence of misconduct was ever found against the other staffer either. No money ever had to be paid back, and there was no connection between either case and Helmer's retirement.<ref>https://rogerhelmermep.wordpress.com/2017/06/25/the-european-parliament-an-apology/</ref> Nevertheless, despite a refutation by Helmer on his personal blog, ''The Guardian'' never withdrew its slanderous allegations, and still has the story on its website. The story was copied from ''The Guardian'' to other sources where the allegations were made even more explicitly. Free newspaper ''The Metro'' ran a story with the headline "UKIP MEP quits over “misuse of £100,000 of EU money”. False allegations of disgrace were then spread widely, and never retracted. Helmer commented that ''The Guardian'' was motivated by "malice". Their story described him as having "controversial views on homosexuality". What they deemed "controversial views" was his defence of man-woman marriage and objection to threats and menace against those who wished to uphold it.<ref>https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2015/02/20/ukip-mep-who-said-homophobia-doesnt-exist-complains-about-ukip-phobia/</ref><br />
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==Website==<br />
{{cquote|The [[Richard Dawkins|Dawkins]] inspired "atheist ranters" come out in force on ''Guardian'' pages. They hate organised religion with a zeal, they deride the faithful as mentally retarded, they gibber on about [[Flying Spaghetti Monster|spaghetti monsters]] and sky pixies, as if such talk actually added anything meaningful to the debate. ... It is easy to picture these sycophantic drones smugly typing their intolerant bile, glowing with inner pride at their own rebellious contrariness.|||''Another Angry Voice'', a [[socialist]] internet blogger.<ref>[http://anotherangryvoice.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/richard-dawkins-slave-ancestor.html Richard Dawkins and the slave trade], ''Another Angry Voice''.</ref>}}<br />
''The Guardian'' has recently set up versions of its website in Australia and the United States; its website in the [[United Kingdom]] is one of the most popular in the country, and the majority of the site's views come from the [[United States]].<ref>However, despite being a UK-based website, ''guardian.co.uk'' is a more popular in the United States and multiculturalist [[Sweden]] than in the UK.<br>[http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/guardian.co.uk Statistics Summary for guardian.co.uk]</ref> ''The Guardian'' also runs the largest internet forum of any British newspaper in the form of Guardian Unlimited Talk.<br />
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The comments on their internet opinion blog, ''Comment is Free'', are filtered by a moderator.<br />
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==Political stance==<br />
The paper was described in the 1930s as "the Communist paper, The ''Manchester Guardian''" by Lord Beaverbrook,<ref>Crozier, W.P., edited by A.J.P.Taylor, ''Off The Record'', London, 1973, p.259. ISBN 0-09-116250-5 "''I found Beaverbrook with Walter Citrine, General Secretary of the TUC. He presented me to him (Citrine) as 'The Editor of the Communist paper, The ''Manchester Guardian''.<nowiki>'</nowiki>''"</ref> and even earlier in Victorian times by the [[communist]] [[Friedrich Engels]] as "an organ of the middle class",<ref>[[Friedrich Engels|Engels, Friedrich]], ''The Condition of the Working Class in England'', Progress, 1973, p. 109.</ref> and by Ted Scott as "a paper that will remain [[bourgeois]] to the last".<ref>Ayerst, ''The Guardian'', 1971, p. 471.</ref><br />
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Today in 2018, the Guardian is regarded as a far-left [[liberal]] paper, as well as being pro-[[abortion]] on demand, anti-[[Bush]] and anti-[[American]], pro-[[Obama]] and critical of [[Tony Blair]]'s support for the war in [[Iraq]] (and of New Labour in general). The newspaper's reputation as a platform for [[liberal]] and left-wing opinions has led to the use of the epithets "''Guardian'' reader" and "Guardianista" for people holding such views,<ref>{{cite web|author=Department of the Official Report (Hansard), House of Commons, Westminster |url=http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200102/cmhansrd/vo011119/debtext/11119-08.htm#11119-08_spnew3 |title=Hansard 374:54 19 November 2001 |publisher=Publications.parliament.uk |date=19 November 2001 |accessdate=28 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4348620.stm|title=What the papers say|work=BBC News|date=17 October 2005}}</ref> or as a negative stereotype of such people as middle class, and [[politically correct]].<br />
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===Clark County fiasco===<br />
On October 13, 2004, the Guardian paper attempted to influence the election between [[George W. Bush]] and [[John Kerry]] in one particular Ohio county, Clark County.<ref>[http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=10846 Euro-Socialists Say: Assassinate Bush], Operation Clark County, post-mortem, [[FrontPage Magazine]]</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/13/uselections2004.usa11 My fellow non-Americans ... ]</ref> They called it "''Operation Clark County''",<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/18/uselections2004.usa2 Dear Limey assholes]</ref> and the effort is generally regarded to have been a failure and a fiasco for the paper.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1474828/Guardian-calls-it-quits-in-Clark-County-fiasco.html Guardian calls it quits in Clark County fiasco], [[Daily Telegraph]]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3981823.stm Did Guardian turn Ohio to Bush?], [[BBC]]</ref><ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/lady-antonia-of-clark-county-532409.html Lady Antonia of Clark County], Why 'The Guardian' and its readers are still feeling the wrath of Ohio , [[The Independent]]</ref><ref>[http://mammon.typepad.com/root_of_all_evil/2008/11/us-election-2008-remembering-guardians-operation-clark-county.html US election 2008: remembering Guardian's Operation Clark County]</ref><ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/vote2004/2004-11-04-brits-letters_x.htm Brits' campaign backfires in Ohio], [[USA Today]]</ref><br />
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===Bloggers===<br />
Its columnists include the irritated [[atheist]] and [[agnostic]] comedians Charlie Brooker<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/charliebrooker The Guardian - Charlie Brooker]</ref> and [[David Mitchell]],<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/davidmitchell The Guardian - David Mitchell]</ref><ref>See: [[Atheism and depression]]</ref> as well as Ariane Sherine,<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/arianesherine The Guardian - Ariane Sherine]</ref> who was responsible for setting up the atheist bus campaign, which propagated anti-Christian and pro-atheist slogans on buses in the United Kingdom, on behalf of the so-called British Humanist Association.<br />
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Given its openly left-wing stance, a blogger whose article appeared in ''The Guardian'' stated that the movie ''[[An American Carol]]'' was "propaganda masquerading as entertainment."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2008/oct/01/1 Does An American Carol signal the rise of the Hollywood right?] Guardian, October 1, 2008</ref><br />
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==Typographical errors==<br />
The paper's nickname '''''The Grauniad''''' (sometimes abbreviated as "Graun") originated with the satirical magazine ''[[Private Eye]]''.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2000/dec/16/society|title=Surely shome mishtake?|work=The Guardian|date=16 December 2000| location=London|last=Sherrin|first=Ned}}</ref> This [[anagram]] played on ''The Guardian's'' early reputation for frequent typographical errors, including misspelling its own name as ''The Gaurdian''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_oO5fWi6dikC&pg=PA26 |pages=26–27 |title=Porcupine, Picayune, & Post: how newspapers get their names |first=Jim|last=Bernhard|publisher=University of Missouri Press|year=2007|isbn=0-8262-1748-6|accessdate=11 August 2013}}</ref><br />
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== See also ==<br />
*[[Polly Toynbee]]<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist|colwidth=35em}}<br />
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[[Category:United Kingdom Newspapers]]<br />
[[Category:Anti Second Amendment]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Propaganda]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal News Organizations]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Newspapers]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Media]]<br />
[[Category:Liberal Bias]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=The_Descent_of_Man&diff=1607680The Descent of Man2019-12-24T00:50:16Z<p>Summa Verbius: clarity wording</p>
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<div>[[Charles Darwin]] wrote '''''The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex''''' in 1871, a work that chronicled his theory of evolution. This work discusses the lineage of man, rather than the empirical decline of man and a fall from grace.<br />
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A quote from the work reads:<br />
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<blockquote style="background: #F9F9F9; border: 1px solid #AAAAAA; padding: .3em;"><br />
"Civilized races of man will almost certainly exterminate the savage races throughout the world ... The break between man and his nearest allies will then be wider, for it will intervene between man in a more civilized state, as we may hope, even than the Caucasian, and some ape as low as a baboon, instead of as now between the negro or Australian and the gorilla."<br />
</blockquote> <br />
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The [[Theory of Evolution|evolutionary ideas]] presented by Darwin have contributed to or justified [[Evolutionary racism|racism]].<ref>http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/racism.asp</ref><ref>https://www.icr.org/index.php?module=articles&action=view&ID=268</ref><br />
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Darwin believed and taught that Caucasians were "higher on the evolutionary scale" than Asians and Africans.<br />
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In ''The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex'', Darwin proposes that his theory of evolution proposed in ''On the Origin of Species'' applies to humans, and considers the implications of this for science and society. He advocates the improvement of the human genetic population by [[eugenics]], particularly the extermination of the 'inferior' races. Darwin did not propose active extermination: He predicted that this would occur given sufficient time with or without deliberate attempt, as a consequence of natural selection. Darwin discussed the notion of an active Eugenics program, but considered it to be counter to the "noble" part of our nature.<br />
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Darwin published his ideas on human evolution in this two-volume book, which applies Darwinian evolutionary theory to human evolution, and details his theory of sexual selection, a form of biological adaptation distinct from, yet interconnected somehow with, natural selection. It discusses many related issues, including evolutionary psychology, evolutionary ethics, differences between human races (Darwin's clear white supremacist racist ideas were peppered there), the differences between sexes, the dominant role of women in mate choice, and the relevance of the evolutionary theory to society.<br />
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Today anthropologists reject any true distinguishing characteristics between different races of humans. It has been noted that many people were racist in Darwin's sociological background, and that was not necessarily a defining feature that was unique to Darwin himself.<br />
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== References ==<br />
<references /><br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Descent of Man, The}}<br />
[[Category:Liberal Books]]<br />
[[Category:Evolution]]<br />
[[Category:Charles Darwin]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607532Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T14:56:46Z<p>Summa Verbius: grammar fix</p>
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<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' are professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
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Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
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* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
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* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
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* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
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* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
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* International Bible Students Association<br />
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* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
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* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
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* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
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* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
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* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
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* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
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Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
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The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
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==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
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2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
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3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
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4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
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5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
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6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
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7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
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8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
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9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
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==Morality==<br />
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Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
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The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
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== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
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Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
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===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607530Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T14:52:38Z<p>Summa Verbius: elab...mod</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, taken from the words of Jesus to the Apostles "do this as a memorial of Me" (Luke 22:19), falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607529Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T14:50:24Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael, but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607527Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T14:49:05Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael but that Michael is God, and co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607526Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T14:47:23Z<p>Summa Verbius: clarity wording</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than Almighty God himself. They teach that the references to Jesus as "God" is in an indefinite sense, as in John 1:1, and that Jesus was made "God" or Divine over the circumstances, by the Father's permission and power. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael but that Michael is God co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607525Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T14:45:30Z<p>Summa Verbius: fixes clean-up elab</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's First-begotten Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three persons or gods or beings in One, but rather One God (who is the infinite Father alone) that created all things, and thus reject the doctrine of a co-equal or co-eternal trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, but rather teach that the soul and the whole person dies awaiting a future resurrection by Christ, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "Sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a Son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael but that Michael is God co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607524Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T14:41:58Z<p>Summa Verbius: elaborations and wordings and clarifications.....</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross-shaped stake, but rather that Jesus most likely died a single-piece upright stake or a big wooden stick, post, or big tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most professed Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the Lord's Supper, the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews, which is in March/April of our calendar.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, the "Angel of the LORD" of Exodus was the pre-existent Christ, and is also identified as the Archangel Michael of Daniel, who leads and protects God's covenant people, and that God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). Some Trinitarians such as Charles Spurgeon also taught that Jesus is Michael but that Michael is God co-equal to the Father. The Witnesses reject a co-equal Trinity, and teach the supremacy of the Father over the Son (or Michael) in all things. This doctrine of Michael is usually carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607481Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:29:51Z<p>Summa Verbius: grammar fix</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood, with the words "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607480Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:28:45Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Blood */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their view on the Bible's prohibition regarding consuming blood "abstain from blood", with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. <br />
<br />
In recent decades, there has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607478Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:27:20Z<p>Summa Verbius: basis wording</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation, basing their position on the prohibition against consuming blood in the Bible, with the commands given under Noah, Moses, and Paul, found in the books of Genesis, Leviticus, and Acts. In recent decades, There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607477Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:25:15Z<p>Summa Verbius: /* Blood */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years, since 2000, it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation. There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607476Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:24:18Z<p>Summa Verbius: clarification, and wording....</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
While not accepting transfusions of whole blood, the faith does give members some latitude regarding blood “products,” like plasma, platelets, and red or white blood cells. Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments, but in recent years it became a conscience matter to receive "blood products". All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, being prohibited by the governing body of the Congregation. There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure in some of these contentious cases is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref><br />
<br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607470Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:17:59Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is professed Christian religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments. All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, packed red blood cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref> <br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607467Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:16:10Z<p>Summa Verbius: elab...fixed wording</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is a religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses believe that Christ was raised as a spirit being, and that the appearances to the Apostles were materializations, and so they deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father raised Christ and gave Him a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians disagree and some call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments. All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, packed red blood cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref> <br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607465Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:14:19Z<p>Summa Verbius: elab</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is a religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses also deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah the Father gave Christ a new body of glorified spirit, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments. All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, packed red blood cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref> <br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607462Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:09:24Z<p>Summa Verbius: </p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is a religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses also deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah gave Christ a new body, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
<br />
==Morality==<br />
<br />
Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
<br />
The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
<br />
== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
<br />
Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
<br />
===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
<br />
In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
<br />
The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
<br />
===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
<br />
In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
<br />
===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
<br />
== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
<br />
Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
<br />
Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
<br />
{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
<br />
==Blood==<br />
Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments. All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, packed red blood cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref> <br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
<br />
*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
<br />
;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbiushttps://conservapedia.com/index.php?title=Jehovah%27s_Witnesses&diff=1607461Jehovah's Witnesses2019-12-23T03:08:40Z<p>Summa Verbius: link....</p>
<hr />
<div>[[File:Jehovah's Witnesses.jpg|thumbnail|right|200px|An adherent of the Jehovah's Witnesses religion. Jehovah's Witnesses are well known for their door-to-door proselytizing.]]<br />
'''Jehovah's Witnesses''' is a religious organization headquartered in the [[United States]]. The organization uses a number of legal corporations worldwide, publishing literature and performing other operational and administrative functions that represent the interests of the religious organization. "The Society" has been used as a collective term for these corporations. The literature of Jehovah's Witnesses has also referred to the religion generally as the "Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses". The oldest and most prominent of their corporation is the 'Watch Tower Society'.<br />
<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses have maintained a distinction between their corporations and their religious organizations including, but not limited to:<br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.<br />
<br />
* Christian Congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses<br />
<br />
* Religious Order of Jehovah's Witnesses, New York<br />
<br />
* Kingdom Support Services, Inc., New York<br />
<br />
* International Bible Students Association<br />
<br />
* Testigos de Jehová de Venezuela, La Victoria, Venezuela <br />
<br />
* Wachtturm-Gesellschaft, Selters/Taunus, Germany <br />
<br />
* Congregazione Cristiana dei Testimoni de Geova, Roma<br />
<br />
* Watchtower Bible & Tract Society Of Australia, Inc., Australia <br />
<br />
* Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Canada<br />
<br />
* Congregación Cristiana de los Testigos de Jehová<br />
<br />
<br />
Headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, the Religion has over 13,000 Kingdom Halls (Houses of Worship and Study) in the U.S. with 1,145,723 million members (As of 2011). Outside the U.S. membership is over 7.2 million in 96,094 local Kingdom Halls. All baptized members are ordained ministers and share in the preaching and teaching work; there are no paid clergy.<br />
<br />
The Jehovah's Witnesses was founded in the United States in the 1870s by Charles Taze Russell of Pittsburgh. A small group of non-conformist Christian Adventists who professed loyalty only to Jehovah, they refused to swear allegiance to any government or to serve in the army of any nation. They believed that after the battle of Armageddon they would be the elect in a thousand-year period of heavenly peace. <br />
They were disliked for their opposition to the First World War, their door-to-door proselytizing, their disdain toward government, their early support of the return of the Jews to the Holy Land, and their loud criticism of other Religions' hypocrisy. Some of these criticisms had to do with mainstream Christendoms involvement in politics and their support of war efforts across the globe making them blood-guilty. They put forth the Bible's teaching that true Christians would not kill their own (Spiritual) brothers, (Such as Christians, of any Denomination killing Christians, of the same or other Denominations) and that such actions showed an absence of true brotherhood on the part of these Religions (Loyalty to nation rather than God).<br />
<br />
==Theology==<br />
1 They primarily use the ''[[New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures]]'', their Modern translation of the Bible. It was produced because in their words: "No translation of the Bible can ever be considered final. Translations must keep pace with the growth in biblical scholarship and the changes in language."<ref>The Watchtower October 15, 1999 p.28</ref> They do not accept any other translation but the one produced by their organization, The Watchtower.<br />
<br />
2 Jehovah's Witnesses believe their faith is 'The' restoration of the early 'Way', or Christian Congregation. This belief is based on their attempts to align their organizational structure and scriptural interpretation as closely as possible to that of the Christian congregation of the first century. There is no clergy-laity distinction as all, male and female members, are considered to be ordained ministers at the time of [[baptism]] (note that Witnesses do not practice [[infant baptism]]).<br />
<br />
3 Jehovah's Witnesses believe that there is only one God, Jehovah, and that Jesus Christ is God's Son rather than God himself. They do not believe that God is three gods in One, but rather One God that created all things, and thus reject the trinity. They support such teachings using scriptures such as (Matthew 4:10), (Deuteronomy 6:4), and (Psalms 83:18) in their Bible translation where God is spoken of as the One God Alone.<br />
<br />
4 Witnesses Reject teaching of the immortal soul, citing such scriptures as (Ezekiel 18:4) and (John 11:11) as proof that the soul can die, and that death can be likened to sleep, where no activity exists. As such, Witnesses believe that a place, like the modern concept of ''Hell'', cannot exist, citing scriptures such as (Matthew 10:28) which also speak of the soul being ''Destroyed'' rather than tortured forever. For the same reasons, they also do not believe in a place called "Heaven" either.<br />
<br />
5 Witnesses do not celebrate secular holidays such as Christmas, Easter, or Birthdays pointing out that no such celebrations were held by God's people in the Bible. They also believe that since these celebrations have their origins in Pagan festivities that dealt with the worship of False gods, that True Christians should have no part in them. <br />
<br />
6 Witnesses also deny the fleshly resurrection of Christ. Witnesses interpret the Bible as saying that Christ's soul was separated from his body, and that Jehovah gave Christ a new body, rather than his old one being resurrected on the Third Day. Most Christians call this a damnable heresy.<br />
<br />
7 Witnesses do not believe that Jesus died on a traditional cross, but rather that Jesus died on a stick or tree limb with both of his hands above his head. This belief is rejected by most Christians.<br />
<br />
8 They do observe an annual observance of the [[Last Supper]], or Lord's Evening Meal (1 Corinthians 11:20 NWT). This event, which they refer to as the Memorial of Christ's Death, falls on the night of Nisan 14 which corresponds with the ancient [[Passover]] celebration observed by Jews.<br />
<br />
9 According to the doctrine of Jehovah's Witnesses, God made the [[Michael (archangel)|Archangel Michael]], one of the "sons of God", his incarnate Son, making him Jesus Christ. Then when his ministry was completed, he returned to heaven and resumed his position as Michael the Archangel, a son of God (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7). This doctrine is carefully withheld by door-to-door missionary-minister Witnesses until the prospective convert is considered to be receptive, and ready to receive it.<ref>See <br />
*[http://standequipped.com/jehovahs-wtinesses-beliefs/jehovahs-witnesses-beliefs-about-jesus/michael-the-archangel.html '''Is Jesus Michael the Archangel?''' - Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs (standequipped.com)]<br />
*[http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-5.htm commentaries on '''Hebrews 1:5'''] [http://biblehub.com/commentaries/hebrews/1-6.htm and '''6''']</ref><br />
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==Morality==<br />
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Their views of morality reflect conservative Christian values. All sexual relations outside of marriage are grounds for expulsion if the individual is not deemed repentant; homosexuality is considered a serious sin likened to bestiality or pedophilia, and that same-sex marriages are forbidden. Abortion is considered murder. Modesty in dress and grooming is frequently emphasized. Gambling, drunkenness, illegal drugs, and tobacco use are forbidden. Drinking of alcoholic beverages is permitted in moderation.<br />
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The family structure is patriarchal. The husband is considered the final authority on family decisions, but is encouraged to solicit his wife's thoughts and feelings, as well as those of his children. Marriages are required to be monogamous. Divorce is discouraged, and remarriage is forbidden unless a divorce is obtained on the grounds of adultery, termed "a scriptural divorce". If a divorce is obtained for any other reason, remarriage is considered adultery while the prior spouse is still alive and has not begun another marriage. Extreme physical abuse, willful non-support of one's family, and what the religion terms "absolute endangerment of spirituality" are considered grounds for legal separation.<br />
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== History ==<br />
The group originated in the 1870s with a movement called the Bible Students, founded by [[Charles Taze Russell]] (1852-1916). As a young man, Russell was critical of some Christian doctrines, and was attracted to the teachings of William Miller and other [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventists]] who speculated upon the return of the Savior. During the repeated crises of the Adventists, when all dates calculated for the second coming proved erroneous, Russel started his own movement in the 1870s. Predictions concerning the second coming of a spiritual Lord and intensive distribution of tract literature and of 'Watchtower' materials characterize the organization of his group. Russell organized a Bible class to study the scriptures from the ground up. The study process involved raising a question, discussing the topic and reviewing all known related scriptures that the participants could find on the point. The results were recorded whether or not they matched long-standing theological viewpoints. His group was known first as Russellites and then as the "International Bible Students." Russell founded Zion's Watch Tower, (now The Watchtower), in 1879, and Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society in 1884 (later renamed Watchtower Bible and Tract Society)<br />
"Judge" Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942), a prolific writer, served as the second president, 1916–42, and renamed the movement "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931. By 1938 there were 115,000 members, and local churches were becoming more directly organized by the Society's headquarters in Brooklyn. <br />
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Witnesses are well known worldwide for their door-to-door preaching which features use of the Bible and distribution of ''[[The Watchtower]]'' and ''[[Awake!]]'' magazine. They do not celebrate holidays that are not discussed in the Bible or that they feel serve to exalt individuals, human organizations or national groups, believing them to be an affront to God. In the 1920s and 1930s Witnesses would enter communities in large numbers, play loud phonograph records, and go door-to-door in search of potential converts, and denouncing organized religion as evil. [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], whose mother was a leader of the Witnesses in Kansas, came under attack for his connection; he defended the group but never affiliated with it. {{citation needed}}<br />
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===Pledge of Allegiance===<br />
Their view of idolatry led to their refusal to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America (or other governments) and participation in military service.<ref>Rutherford: “God, Jehovah, is the only source of life. No one else can give life. The State of Pennsylvania cannot give life. The American Government cannot. God made this law [forbidding the worship of images], as Paul puts it, to safeguard His people from idolatry. That is a small thing, you say. So was the act of Adam in eating of the forbidden fruit. It was not the apple that Adam ate, but it was his act of disobeying God. The question is whether man will obey God or obey some human institution. . . - Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom p.684</ref> Jehovah's Witnesses base this belief on their understanding of [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 13:1,5-7; [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] 12:17; and [[Book of Acts|Acts]] 5:28, 29. <br />
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In 1935, two young Witnesses Lillian Gobitas and her younger brother William refused to salute the American flag in school in Minersville, Pennsylvania; both were expelled from public school. Their father found relief in the 3d Circuit Court of Appeals, but the children were still not accepted back in school. The case went to the Supreme Court, where the court held for the school board in an opinion written by Justice [[Felix Frankfurter]]. The Supreme Court ruled that the flag salute could be made mandatory despite religious convictions. The ruling led to assaults on Jehovah's Witnesses, Three years later the court reversed its ruling against the Witnesses in 'West Virginia State Board of Education' v. 'Barnette' (1943). The Witnesses' trials support the position that American liberty does not emanate so much from localities and states taking their stand against a potentially tyrannical federal government as from an elite legal culture that places the Constitution and individual rights above the passions of communities and crowds.<ref>See Francis (2000)</ref> <br />
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The many legal battles waged by the Jehovah's Witnesses in the Supreme Court during the 1930s-40's were not accidental but rather a result of a strategy employed by leaders of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society to secure the right to proselytization through winning key 1st Amendment cases in the high courts. Judge Joseph Franklin Rutherford envisioned using the law to empower and protect Jehovah's Witnesses against canvassing prohibitions and mob violence, but it was Hayden Covington of the group's legal department who actively steered Witnesses into legal confrontations nationwide. Covington deliberately sent Witnesses into areas where their activity was either prohibited or unpopular.{{citation needed}} Witnesses were aptly prepared for arrest and were given legal guidance about how to get their cases appealed to higher courts. The end result of this strategy was that 19 cases regarding Jehovah's Witnesses reached the Supreme Court during 1939-50.<ref>Jennifer Jacobs Henderson, "Witnesses and their Plan to Expand First Amendment Freedoms," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2004 46(4): 811-832, in [[EBSCO]]</ref><br />
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===Canada===<br />
The Canadian government treated Jehovah's Witnesses harshly during World War II, outlawing their organization from 1940 to 1943. Some Witnesses were denied the opportunity to do alternative service, were drafted into the army, and then imprisoned for pacifism. The Jehovah's Witnesses antagonized the Canadian government and other Christian faiths by claiming that all governments were controlled by Satan, by dismissing any distinctions between clergy and laity, and by refusing to admit that they belonged to a religious group.<ref>Penton (1976)</ref><br />
=== Germany and Japan===<br />
Witnesses were victims of the [[Holocaust]] under [[Nazi Germany]]. Of the approximately 20,000 Witnesses in Germany in 1933, about 6,000 were arrested. Hundreds died of mistreatment in prisons and camps; some were executed.<ref>See Penton (2004)</ref> <br />
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In Japan, all members of the Jehovah's Witnesses were arrested and imprisoned in 1939. The destruction of records by the Japanese at the end of the war make it impossible to determine how many survived. Extant accounts of torture and brutality relate mostly to Japanese converts who refused to serve in the Japanese military because of their religious convictions.<ref>Carolyn R. Wah, "Jehovah's Witnesses and the Empire of the Sun: a Clash of Faith and Religion During World War II," ''Journal of Church & State'' 2002 44(1): 45-72, full text in [[EBSCO]]</ref> <br />
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===Recent persecution===<br />
Successful missionary work has created a presence in many countries, with controversy quick to follow.<br />
Opposition to the Witnesses has been manifested in recent years in such diverse countries as South Korea, Greece, Spain, Chile, and various republics of the former [[Soviet Union]] including Russia, Georgia, [[Ukraine]] and Uzbekistan. There has been persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses in Quebec, Canada due to their refusal to hold loyalty to a government during wartime.<br />
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== Jehovah's Witnesses and Holidays ==<br />
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Jehovah's Witnesses base their refraining from celebrating many popular religious holidays on II Corinthians 6:14, 17 which states: "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? ... Therefore, 'Come out from among them, and be ye separate,' saith the Lord. 'And touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.'" ([[King James Version]]) <ref>The Watchtower, December 15, 1974 (p. 740).</ref> <br />
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Although Jehovah's Witnesses, then known as International Bible Students, celebrated Christmas during the early 1900s, this practice stopped in 1926.<ref>Jehovah's Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom(p. 198)</ref> Since that time they have published information regarding the allegedly "pagan" origins of other holidays such as Easter, New Year's, Halloween and others. Their sources have been varied, drawing upon ''The Encyclopædia Britannica'', ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'', ''The World Book Encyclopedia'', ''The Encyclopedia Americana'', and similar publicly available resources.<br />
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Regarding their position on secular holidays, Jehovah's Witnesses reference Christ's words at [[Gospel of John|John]] 17:16, that his followers would be no part of the world. They also refrain from most celebrations that focus on individuals, such as birthdays, referencing scriptures such as Acts 10:25, 26; 12:21-23; [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]] 19:10.<ref>Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life (p. 214)</ref><br />
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{{See also|Jehovah's Witnesses Beliefs}}<br />
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==Blood==<br />
Since 1945 the Jehovah's Witnesses' governing body has stipulated that accepting whole blood or whole blood cell transfusions is in violation of the Bible's commandments. All adult Jehovah's Witnesses refuse whole blood, packed red blood cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma. There has been ongoing controversy, especially when they prohibit children from receiving life-saving transfusions, which has led many states and countries to override parents' authority in medical matters. The legal procedure is to obtain a court order allowing doctors to transfuse children over their parents’ objections if withholding blood is likely to lead to death or disability.<ref>Susan E. Lederer, ''Flesh and Blood: Organ Transplantation and Blood Transfusion in Twentieth-Century America'' (2008), ch 7.</ref> <br />
==Further reading==<br />
* Bergman, Gerald. "The Influence of Religion on President Eisenhower's Upbringing," ''Journal of American & Comparative Cultures'' 2000 23(4): 89-107, in [[EBSCO]]<br />
* Eddy, G. Norman. " The Jehovah's Witnesses: An Interpretation," ''Journal of Bible and Religion,'' Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr., 1958), pp.&nbsp;115–121 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1459283 in JSTOR]<br />
* Harrison, Barbara Grizzuti. ''Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses'' (1978), popular history<br />
* Horowitz, David. ''Pastor Charles Taze Russell: An Early American Christian Zionist'' (1986). 159 pp.<br />
* Newton, Merlin Owen. ''Armed with the Constitution: Jehovah's Witnesses in Alabama and the U.S. Supreme Court, 1939-1946'' (1995). 221 pp.<br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses and the Third Reich: Sectarian Politics under Persecution'' (2004), 412 pp., <br />
* Penton, M. James. ''Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship'' (1976). 388 pp.<br />
* Peters, Shawn Francis. ''Judging Jehovah's Witnesses: religious persecution and the dawn of the rights revolution'' (2000)<br />
* Poewe, Karla O. "Religion, Matriliny, and Change: Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists in Luapula, Zambia," ''American Ethnologist'', Vol. 5, No. 2 (May, 1978), pp.&nbsp;303–321 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/643293 in JSTOR]<br />
* Wah, Carolyn R. "An Introduction to Research and Analysis of Jehovah's Witnesses: A View from the Watchtower," ''Review of Religious Research,'' Vol. 43, No. 2 (Dec., 2001), pp.&nbsp;161–174 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/3512060 in JSTOR]<br />
== Links ==<br />
Jehovah's Witnesses operate three official websites:<br />
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*[http://www.watchtower.org Watchtower Official Website of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
*[http://www.jw.org Worldwide Association of Jehovah’s Witnesses ]<br />
*[http://www.jw-media.org Office of Public Information of Jehovah's Witnesses]<br />
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;See also<br />
* [http://www.quotedstatements.com/fotm.htm ''Faith on the March''] (by A.H. Macmillan, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1957)<br />
*[http://exjehovahswitnessforum.yuku.com Ex-Jehovah's Witness Forum and Recovery Site]. A resource providing information on opposing views with regards to the Jehovah's Witness Organization. Discussion and Recovery site for former Jehovah's Witnesses; those considering leaving; or simply interested individuals.<br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Christian Denominations]]<br />
[[Category:Religion and Politics]]<br />
[[Category:Fundamentalism]]</div>Summa Verbius