Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Jonah (prophet)

2010-01-07T22:45:02Z

Thedebunkr:

'''Jonah''' is the [[prophet]] in the [[Jonah (Biblical book)|Book of Jonah]] in the [[Old Testament]] of the [[Bible]] who is famous for being swallowed by a great fish. He is also later mentioned in the [[Islamic]] [[Koran]].

== The story of Jonah ==

God orders Jonah to prophesy to the city of [[Nineveh]].<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:2</ref> Jonah despises the [[Assyrians]] and attempts to avoid God's command by going to Joppa and sailing to Tarshish, the opposite direction and as far to the west as he could go.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:3-4</ref> A huge storm arises while Jonah is fleeing.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:4-6</ref> The sailors realize this is no ordinary storm, cast lots, and learn that Jonah is to blame.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:7</ref> Jonah admits he is the cause,<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:9-11</ref> and states that if he is thrown overboard, the storm will cease.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:12</ref> The sailors try to find some other way to escape the storm, but eventually throw Jonah overboard; the seas are calmed,<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:15</ref> the sailors fear God and make sacrifices and vows to him.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:16</ref>

The Lord has a great fish swallow Jonah. While Jonah is inside the fish, he prays to God admitting his sin. After 3 days and nights, God has the fish vomit Jonah out.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:17 - 2:10</ref>

Eventually Jonah arrives at Nineveh and warns them of God's coming wrath. They repent and God has compassion on them. <ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 3</ref> Jonah becomes angry that God would forgive Nineveh and not destroy them. God causes a vine to grow and shield Jonah from the hot sun, then the next day he has the vine perish so the sun beats upon Jonah again. Jonah is angry the vine and its shade are gone and tells God that he wishes to die. God reminds Jonah that he is concerned over a vine that he did not tend or cause to grow, so how much more should God be concerned about 120,000 people who 'do not know their right hand from their left'? <ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 4</ref>

=== Jesus speaking on the story of Jonah ===

In both the Gospels of [[Matthew]] and the [[Gospel of Luke]], [[Jesus]] makes mention of the story of Jonah and applies the miracle of Jonah to his own coming miracle. {{cquote|MT 12:39 <nowiki>[Jesus]</nowiki> answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, MT 12:39-41, see also MT 16:4, LK 11:29-32, </ref>}}

It is a common Christian understanding that the story of Jonah being in the belly of the fish is a prefiguring of the three days between the death and [[resurrection]] of Jesus Christ. <ref> http://www.answers.com/topic/typology-theology</ref> <ref> http://www.ctsfw.edu/library/files/pb/1253 </ref>

Some speculate that even though Jesus uses the story of Jonah to parallel His upcoming resurrection, that He still doesn't mean for the story of Jonah to be taken literally. <ref> http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/J/JONAH,+THE+BOOK+OF/ </ref>

=== Jewish thought on Jonah ===

Jewish thought of course does not tie in the story of Jonah to the life of Jesus, and has come up with other possible meanings. Some believe it is a [[Midrash]] <ref> http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/bible/TO_Prophets_1460/TOLiteraryProphets/MinorProphets/JonahSimon.htm </ref> and some even a [[satire]] <ref> http://seminary.csl.edu/facultypubs/TheologyandPractice/tabid/87/ctl/Details/mid/494/ItemID/40/Default.aspx </ref>.

According to some rabbinical traditions, the great fish that swallowed Jonah had been created in the beginning for the purpose of swallowing Jonah.<ref>{{hnb|Ref=CITEREFHirschBuddeSchechter2002|Hirsch, Budde, and Schechter|2002}}</ref>

=== Other thoughts ===

Some skeptics note that a whale can not swallow a human being, but of course the text never makes reference to the great fish being a whale.<ref>http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/whales/shore_whaling_industry.html</ref> Nevertheless, how Jonah would have survived the normal digestive process as it is understood for most creatures is a mystery. Perhaps it is, as Jesus alluded to, a miracle.

===Modern Usage===

The term 'Jonah' has come to mean an unlucky or jinxed person, especially among sailors.

==References==
<references/>
== Sources ==
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Archer
| Given = G.
| Year = 2006
| Title = Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties
| Publisher = Zondervan Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 978-0310435709
}}
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Barker
| Given1 = Kenneth L.
| Surname2 = Kohlenberger
| Given2 = John R., III
| Year = 1999
| Title = NIV Bible Commentary
| Publisher = Zondervan Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 978-0310578505
}}
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Hirsch
| Given1 = Emil G.
| Surname2 = Budde
| Given2 = Karl
| Surname3 = Schechter
| Given3 = Solomon
| Year = 2002
| Title = Jonah
| Publisher = JewishEncyclopedia.com
| URL = http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=388&letter=J
}} Retrieved on 2007-05-11
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Zondervan
| Year = 2002
| Title = Zondervan NIV Study Bible
| Publisher = Zondervan Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 978-0310929550
}}

[[Category:Biblical Persons]]
[[Category:Jewish People]]

Noah

2010-01-07T22:44:37Z

Thedebunkr:

[[Image:Noah.jpg|thumb|right|Noah]]
'''Noah''', or '''Noach''' ([[Hebrew]] '''נוֹחַ'''), the son of [[Lamech]], was, as related in the Bible, commanded by [[God]] to build an ark in order to save his family and representatives of all the world's land animals while God destroyed the wicked world with a flood<ref>Gen. 6:6</ref>. The story of Noah is found in the book of [[Genesis]] in chapters 6 to 9, and he is described as one of the "Heroes of Faith" in [[Book of Hebrews|Hebrews]] chapter 11.<ref>He is also mentioned in the [[chronogenealogy]] of Genesis 5 and mentioned by Isaiah and Peter.</ref>

==Life==
[[Image:Noah's - Ark.jpg|thumb|Noah's Ark, by Hanna Varghese, [[Malaysia]].]]
God saw that man had become wicked in every inclination, and thought and the earth was filled with violence, but Noah alone was righteous. God commanded Noah to build an [[Noah's Ark|ark]] that would have seven (or seven pairs) of every "clean" ([[kosher]]) animal and two of every unclean animal. Noah did as he was told and spent many years building the ark. When it was completed, God flooded the earth with rain from above and waters from within the earth. Noah was 600 years old when the flood started. After the flood waters had subsided, (which lasted almost a year), Noah came out of the Ark. Noah made sacrifices to God, and God formed a new covenant with Noah where he promised never again to flood the earth. Noah planted a vineyard, and drank of the wine until he fell asleep naked in his tent. [[Ham (son of Noah)|Ham]], the father of [[Canaan]], saw him and told his two brothers, but left his father as he was. The two brothers, upon hearing Ham's pronouncement, took a garment and walked backwards into their father's tent, and covered his nakedness without looking at him. When Noah awoke, he cursed Canaan, his grandson, for he "knew what his younger son had done unto him."<REF>{{bible ref|Genesis|9|24,25|version=KJV}}</REF>. Noah lived 350 more years before dying at the age of 950.<REF>{{Bible ref|Genesis|9|28,29}}</REF>

All people alive today must be descendants of Noah and his family:
{{Bible quote|book=Genesis|chap=7|verses=13,23|version=KJV|In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark. ... And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.}}

==Flood Accounts==
{{main|Great Flood}}

Many cultures have a tradition of a global flood and the biblical account has many commonalities with these accounts.
[[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth creationists]] argue that this supports the claim that the flood was a real event.<ref>Morris, John, [http://www.icr.org/article/570/ Why Does Nearly Every Culture Have a Tradition of a Global Flood?] (ICR)</ref>

== Family of Noah ==
''In Genesis, Chs 5 and 10, we are told:''

The sons of '''Noah''' were [[Shem]], [[Ham (son of Noah)|Ham]] and [[Japheth]]

The children of '''Shem''' were [[Elam]], [[Asshur]], [[Arphaxad]], [[Lud]] and [[Aram]]

The sons of '''Ham''' were [[Cush]], [[Mizraim]], [[Phut]] and [[Canaan]]

The sons of '''Japheth''' were [[Gomer (son of Japheth)|Gomer]], [[Magog]], [[Madai]], [[Javan]], [[Tubal]], [[Meshek]] and [[Tiras]]

==See also==
*[[Noah's Ark]]
*[[Great Flood]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{nb patriarch}}
[[Category:Book of Genesis Persons]]

Conservapedia

2010-01-07T22:44:12Z

Thedebunkr:

{| align=right border=3 cellspacing=0 style="border-width: 5px; border-color: #c0c0c0; background: #e0e0e0; margin: 2em;"
| style="text-align: center; padding: 10px 40px 10px 40px;" | [[Previous_Breaking_News/Conservapedia| Previous Breaking News: Conservapedia]]
|}

'''Conservapedia''', launched on November 21, 2006, is a [[conservative]], [[family-friendly]] [[Wiki]] [[encyclopedia]]. It was founded by [[teacher]] and [[attorney]] [[Andrew Schlafly]] with the help of several students from his fall 2006 World History class. In May 2008, Schlafly and some of his [[homeschooling|homeschooled]] students appeared on the [[CBC]] news program The Hour (see: [[Videos on Conservapedia]] ).

When a student handed in her paper using the date-markers “[[BCE]]” and "CE” from [[Wikipedia]], Schlafly realized that Wikipedia, despite its claim of neutrality, contained bias against the achievements of [[Christianity]] and conservatism. Other occasions of [[liberal bias]], including the reversion of factual edits about the 2005 Kansas Evolution Hearings, led to the creation and launch of Conservapedia.

Though Conservapedia originally contained mostly [[history]] articles, it has grown over two years to be a general reference, with information about history, [[math]], [[science]], [[politics]], [[religion]] and other topics. It also contains [[Conservapedia:Debate Topics|debates]], [[essays]] and [[Conservapedia:Index|educational resources]].

In March 2007 it was picked up by the media, and faced a barrage of [[vandalism]] (See [[Essay:Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"|Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"]]). Ever since then, it has continued to grow, and now has [[Special:Statistics|tens of millions of page views]], and enjoys prominence on search engines.
== Rapid Expansion of Web Traffic Relative to Many Conservative Websites==
[[File:TrafficGraph.png|right|300px]]
Conservapedia was listed in May of 2009 as one of the 50 most popular conservative websites in terms of web traffic by the [[conservative]] blog Right Wing News.<ref name=popular50>[http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2009/03/the_50_most_popular_websites_o.php The 50 Most Popular Conservative Websites], ''Right Wing News'', March 16, 2009.</ref> Considering that Conservapedia was only about 3 years old in May of 2009 and was doing better in web traffic than some veteran conservative websites, the rise in web traffic for Conservapedia during its existence has been quite favorable. In May of 2009, the website Right Wing News determined with the help of [[Alexa]] data that Conservapedia was ranked 37 out of 50 in terms of its website traffic relative to other popular conservative websites.<ref name=popular50/> Conservapedia is looking forward to greatly spreading awareness of Conservapedia via the significant expansion of its [[YouTube]] channel subscriber base at [http://www.youtube.com/user/conservapediavideos Conservapediavideos]. [[Conservapediavideos]] will likely soon feature a multitude of excellent conservative videos.

==Leadership==
Unlike Wikipedia, which bills itself as a [[democratic]] system and ends up functioning as a [[mobocracy]], Conservapedia employs a hierarchy based on a [[Meritocracy|merit system]].

Andrew Schlafly is the chief administrator and is the most prolific editor, followed by bureaucrats, administrators, and regular editors. Editors who contribute substantial content may be promoted to administrator and bureaucrat, or gain extra user rights such as blocking power and uploading images.

==Educational atmosphere==
Due to the existence of essays and debates on Conservapedia, and conventions such as the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|"90/10 rule"]] and the use of real names, Conservapedia successfully fosters an [[education]]al environment. Because liberal bias is not allowed, much information that would be elsewhere censored can be found on Conservapedia; often it is one of the only places to find such information in one place.

==Promoting Original Scholarship ==
Many pages tagged as essays are really more like projects, or are otherwise thought-provoking, giving Conservapedia some characteristics of a [[think tank]]. See [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Best New Conservative Words]], [[Essay:The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America|The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America]], [[Essay:Top Causes of Rejecting Conservativism|Top Causes of Rejecting Conservativism]], [[Mystery:Why Do Non-Conservatives Exist?|Why Do Non-Conservatives Exist?]], [[Disputed Biblical Translations]], and [[Linguistic Analysis of Candidates]].

=== Conservative Bible Project ===
On August 12, 2009, Conservapedia began an enormous scholarly enterprise, the [[Conservative Bible Project]], which endeavors to retranslate scripture into modern English while emphasizing Biblical insights and counteracting liberal bias. As of Oct. 29, 2009, this project has translated about 30% of it, or about 2400 verses.

The project has been the subject of extensive discussion and debate throughout television, radio, and print media, as well as on the internet, and has succeeded in encouraging even its most strident liberal critics to read the bible in their efforts to refute it!

==Differences with Wikipedia==
Conservapedia strives to keep its articles concise, informative, family-friendly, and true to the [[fact]]s, which often back up conservative ideas more than [[liberal]] ones. Rather than claim a neutral point of view and then insert bias, Conservapedia is clear that it seeks to give due credit to conservatism and Christianity. Schlafly said in regard to the point of view issue, "It's impossible for an encyclopedia to be neutral. I mean let's take a point of view, let's disclose that point of view to the reader." <ref>Robert Siegel. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8286084 Conservapedia: Data for Birds of a Political Feather?], npr.org, November 29, 2009.</ref>

Wikipedia articles may contain [[trivia]], [[gossip]], profanity, and even [[Pornography|pornographic]]/sexually explicit images. The latter three are prohibited on Conservapedia and trivia is largely discouraged.

The administrative hierarchy prevents Conservapedia from being hijacked by a faction, and thus preserves it from mobocracy, as discussed above.

==Influential editors and users==
*[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] is the username of the aforementioned founder of Conservapedia, Andrew Schlafly. He has contributed massively to Conservapedia since the beginning, authored many articles including the [[World History Lectures|student lectures]], and is the final authority on article content and user conduct.

*[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]], active at Conservapedia for over a year, and at Wikipedia for seven years, was the first elected bureaucrat at Wikipedia and has been extremely influential at both sites. At Conservapedia, he has primarily aimed at accuracy, rationality, and user cooperation.

*[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] has contributed the majority of content to the extremely popular [[evolution]], [[atheism]], and [[homosexuality]] articles. The first two articles were featured as articles of the year at Conservapedia.

*[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] has contributed a large amount of content about the [[art]]s, such as pages on [[literature]], [[sculpture]], and [[painting]]. He created the [[Painting Masterpieces|galleries of artwork]] which are featured on Conservapedia's [[Main_Page|Main page]] as the "Masterpiece of the Week". His work has helped beautify the encyclopedia.

*[[User:Jpatt | Jpatt]] another hardcore conservative contributor despised by liberals.

*[[User:TK|TK]] has made many substantive contributions since coming to Conservapedia over two years ago, and is known for his vigilance against vandals.

*[[User:DeanS|DeanS]] helped found the Conservapedia news project, and he is its main contributor. He has also worked on articles related to [[Mormonism]].

*[[User:SharonS|SharonS]] has been an editor since the very beginning of Conservapedia, and was interviewed and quoted in a newspaper article to explain and defend the project.

*[[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] works on maintenance, and in addition to neutral contributions has created the popular article [[Essay:Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"|Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"]], as well as the Conservapedia article itself.

*[[User:RobSmith|RobSmith]] Created some of Conservapedia's most acclaimed articles, and was a tireless vandal fighter and researcher on the [[Socialist]] and [[Communist]] agendas.

*[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] has a PhD in American Studies and has been a professor of history and political science at numerous schools. Professor Jensen has made significant contibutions to Conservapedia's historical articles.

==Testimonies and Impact==
Conservapedia has been praised and ridiculed in the [[media]], on [[blog]]s, and on rival sites. Critics claim that it contains fringe viewpoints, and supporters note that it simply provides another viewpoint and an alternative to liberal bias.

*Conservapedia provides information about the [[American]] people that liberal critics would rather hide: for example, nearly 50 percent of Americans reject evolution and embrace [[creationism]], and even more want creationism taught alongside evolution in school. <ref>Bootie Cosgrove-Mather. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution], ''CBS News'', November 22, 2004.</ref> Another example is the fact that atheists- often claiming to be more equipped to help their fellow men than religious people- actually give less to charity than believers, even when church giving is excluded.

*Search results for controversial subjects such as [[atheism]] and [[evolution]] contain Conservapedia links within a few searches and often on the first page.<ref>[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS293US293&q=atheism&btnG=Search atheism - Google Search]</ref><ref>[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS293US293&q=theory+of+evolution&btnG=Search theory of evolution - Google Search]</ref>

*Many biographical articles contain religious references and information about the person’s religion, much more so than Wikipedia. Editor and college student Tasha Jones, ([[User:Taj|Taj]]) said of this aspect, “It gives me a better understanding of how people feel religion relates to our lives.” <ref>Stephanie Simon. [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/19/nation/na-schlafly19 A conservative's answer to Wikipedia], ''Los Angeles Times'', June 19, 2007.</ref>

*Conservapedia is active in political advocacy. For example, it [[charter]]ed a bus for the 2009 [[March for Life]].

*Conservapedia is currently developing a blog for the [[Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation]]. The blog in its prototype form can be found here: http://mindszentyfoundation.blogspot.com/

==References==
<references/>

==See Also==
*[[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]]
*[[Conservapedia:About|About Conservapedia]]
*[[Conservapedia:Articles mentioning Conservapedia]]
*[[Videos on Conservapedia]]
*[[Special:ListUsers/Siteadmin|List of Site Admins]]
*[[Conservative Links]]

{{Conservapedia}}

[[Category:Conservapedia]][[Category:Wikis]][[Category:Encyclopedias]][[Category:Reference Material]][[Category:Conservative]][[Category:Websites]]

Conservapedia

2010-01-07T22:34:06Z

Thedebunkr:

{| align=right border=3 cellspacing=0 style="border-width: 5px; border-color: #c0c0c0; background: #e0e0e0; margin: 2em;"
| style="text-align: center; padding: 10px 40px 10px 40px;" | [[Previous_Breaking_News/Conservapedia| Previous Breaking News: Conservapedia]]
|}

'''Conservapedia''', launched on November 21, 2006, is a [[conservative]], racist, [[family-friendly]] [[Wiki]] [[encyclopedia]]. It was founded by [[teacher]] and [[attorney]] [[Andrew Schlafly]] with the help of several students from his fall 2006 World History class. In May 2008, Schlafly and some of his [[homeschooling|homeschooled]] students appeared on the [[CBC]] news program The Hour (see: [[Videos on Conservapedia]] ).

When a student handed in her paper using the date-markers “[[BCE]]” and "CE” from [[Wikipedia]], Schlafly realized that Wikipedia, despite its claim of neutrality, contained bias against the achievements of [[Christianity]] and conservatism. Other occasions of [[liberal bias]], including the reversion of factual edits about the 2005 Kansas Evolution Hearings, led to the creation and launch of Conservapedia.

Though Conservapedia originally contained mostly [[history]] articles, it has grown over two years to be a general reference, with information about history, [[math]], [[science]], [[politics]], [[religion]] and other topics. It also contains [[Conservapedia:Debate Topics|debates]], [[essays]] and [[Conservapedia:Index|educational resources]].

In March 2007 it was picked up by the media, and faced a barrage of [[vandalism]] (See [[Essay:Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"|Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"]]). Ever since then, it has continued to grow, and now has [[Special:Statistics|tens of millions of page views]], and enjoys prominence on search engines.
== Rapid Expansion of Web Traffic Relative to Many Conservative Websites==
[[File:TrafficGraph.png|right|300px]]
Conservapedia was listed in May of 2009 as one of the 50 most popular conservative websites in terms of web traffic by the [[conservative]] blog Right Wing News.<ref name=popular50>[http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2009/03/the_50_most_popular_websites_o.php The 50 Most Popular Conservative Websites], ''Right Wing News'', March 16, 2009.</ref> Considering that Conservapedia was only about 3 years old in May of 2009 and was doing better in web traffic than some veteran conservative websites, the rise in web traffic for Conservapedia during its existence has been quite favorable. In May of 2009, the website Right Wing News determined with the help of [[Alexa]] data that Conservapedia was ranked 37 out of 50 in terms of its website traffic relative to other popular conservative websites.<ref name=popular50/> Conservapedia is looking forward to greatly spreading awareness of Conservapedia via the significant expansion of its [[YouTube]] channel subscriber base at [http://www.youtube.com/user/conservapediavideos Conservapediavideos]. [[Conservapediavideos]] will likely soon feature a multitude of excellent conservative videos.

==Leadership==
Unlike Wikipedia, which bills itself as a [[democratic]] system and ends up functioning as a [[mobocracy]], Conservapedia employs a hierarchy based on a [[Meritocracy|merit system]].

Andrew Schlafly is the chief administrator and is the most prolific editor, followed by bureaucrats, administrators, and regular editors. Editors who contribute substantial content may be promoted to administrator and bureaucrat, or gain extra user rights such as blocking power and uploading images.

==Educational atmosphere==
Due to the existence of essays and debates on Conservapedia, and conventions such as the [[Conservapedia:Commandments|"90/10 rule"]] and the use of real names, Conservapedia successfully fosters an [[education]]al environment. Because liberal bias is not allowed, much information that would be elsewhere censored can be found on Conservapedia; often it is one of the only places to find such information in one place.

==Promoting Original Scholarship ==
Many pages tagged as essays are really more like projects, or are otherwise thought-provoking, giving Conservapedia some characteristics of a [[think tank]]. See [[Essay:Best New Conservative Words|Best New Conservative Words]], [[Essay:The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America|The Coming Fifth Great Awakening in America]], [[Essay:Top Causes of Rejecting Conservativism|Top Causes of Rejecting Conservativism]], [[Mystery:Why Do Non-Conservatives Exist?|Why Do Non-Conservatives Exist?]], [[Disputed Biblical Translations]], and [[Linguistic Analysis of Candidates]].

=== Conservative Bible Project ===
On August 12, 2009, Conservapedia began an enormous scholarly enterprise, the [[Conservative Bible Project]], which endeavors to retranslate scripture into modern English while emphasizing Biblical insights and counteracting liberal bias. As of Oct. 29, 2009, this project has translated about 30% of it, or about 2400 verses.

The project has been the subject of extensive discussion and debate throughout television, radio, and print media, as well as on the internet, and has succeeded in encouraging even its most strident liberal critics to read the bible in their efforts to refute it!

==Differences with Wikipedia==
Conservapedia strives to keep its articles concise, informative, family-friendly, and true to the [[fact]]s, which often back up conservative ideas more than [[liberal]] ones. Rather than claim a neutral point of view and then insert bias, Conservapedia is clear that it seeks to give due credit to conservatism and Christianity. Schlafly said in regard to the point of view issue, "It's impossible for an encyclopedia to be neutral. I mean let's take a point of view, let's disclose that point of view to the reader." <ref>Robert Siegel. [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=8286084 Conservapedia: Data for Birds of a Political Feather?], npr.org, November 29, 2009.</ref>

Wikipedia articles may contain [[trivia]], [[gossip]], profanity, and even [[Pornography|pornographic]]/sexually explicit images. The latter three are prohibited on Conservapedia and trivia is largely discouraged.

The administrative hierarchy prevents Conservapedia from being hijacked by a faction, and thus preserves it from mobocracy, as discussed above.

==Influential editors and users==
*[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] is the username of the aforementioned founder of Conservapedia, Andrew Schlafly. He has contributed massively to Conservapedia since the beginning, authored many articles including the [[World History Lectures|student lectures]], and is the final authority on article content and user conduct.

*[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]], active at Conservapedia for over a year, and at Wikipedia for seven years, was the first elected bureaucrat at Wikipedia and has been extremely influential at both sites. At Conservapedia, he has primarily aimed at accuracy, rationality, and user cooperation.

*[[User:Conservative|Conservative]] has contributed the majority of content to the extremely popular [[evolution]], [[atheism]], and [[homosexuality]] articles. The first two articles were featured as articles of the year at Conservapedia.

*[[User:Joaquín Martínez|Joaquín Martínez]] has contributed a large amount of content about the [[art]]s, such as pages on [[literature]], [[sculpture]], and [[painting]]. He created the [[Painting Masterpieces|galleries of artwork]] which are featured on Conservapedia's [[Main_Page|Main page]] as the "Masterpiece of the Week". His work has helped beautify the encyclopedia.

*[[User:Jpatt | Jpatt]] another hardcore conservative contributor despised by liberals.

*[[User:TK|TK]] has made many substantive contributions since coming to Conservapedia over two years ago, and is known for his vigilance against vandals.

*[[User:DeanS|DeanS]] helped found the Conservapedia news project, and he is its main contributor. He has also worked on articles related to [[Mormonism]].

*[[User:SharonS|SharonS]] has been an editor since the very beginning of Conservapedia, and was interviewed and quoted in a newspaper article to explain and defend the project.

*[[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] works on maintenance, and in addition to neutral contributions has created the popular article [[Essay:Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"|Examples of Moronic Vandalism by the "tolerant"]], as well as the Conservapedia article itself.

*[[User:RobSmith|RobSmith]] Created some of Conservapedia's most acclaimed articles, and was a tireless vandal fighter and researcher on the [[Socialist]] and [[Communist]] agendas.

*[[User:RJJensen|RJJensen]] has a PhD in American Studies and has been a professor of history and political science at numerous schools. Professor Jensen has made significant contibutions to Conservapedia's historical articles.

==Testimonies and Impact==
Conservapedia has been praised and ridiculed in the [[media]], on [[blog]]s, and on rival sites. Critics claim that it contains fringe viewpoints, and supporters note that it simply provides another viewpoint and an alternative to liberal bias.

*Conservapedia provides information about the [[American]] people that liberal critics would rather hide: for example, nearly 50 percent of Americans reject evolution and embrace [[creationism]], and even more want creationism taught alongside evolution in school. <ref>Bootie Cosgrove-Mather. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml Poll: Creationism Trumps Evolution], ''CBS News'', November 22, 2004.</ref> Another example is the fact that atheists- often claiming to be more equipped to help their fellow men than religious people- actually give less to charity than believers, even when church giving is excluded.

*Search results for controversial subjects such as [[atheism]] and [[evolution]] contain Conservapedia links within a few searches and often on the first page.<ref>[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS293US293&q=atheism&btnG=Search atheism - Google Search]</ref><ref>[http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1B3GGGL_enUS293US293&q=theory+of+evolution&btnG=Search theory of evolution - Google Search]</ref>

*Many biographical articles contain religious references and information about the person’s religion, much more so than Wikipedia. Editor and college student Tasha Jones, ([[User:Taj|Taj]]) said of this aspect, “It gives me a better understanding of how people feel religion relates to our lives.” <ref>Stephanie Simon. [http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/19/nation/na-schlafly19 A conservative's answer to Wikipedia], ''Los Angeles Times'', June 19, 2007.</ref>

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*Conservapedia is currently developing a blog for the [[Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation]]. The blog in its prototype form can be found here: http://mindszentyfoundation.blogspot.com/

==References==
<references/>

==See Also==
*[[Conservapedia:Commandments|Conservapedia Commandments]]
*[[Conservapedia:About|About Conservapedia]]
*[[Conservapedia:Articles mentioning Conservapedia]]
*[[Videos on Conservapedia]]
*[[Special:ListUsers/Siteadmin|List of Site Admins]]
*[[Conservative Links]]

{{Conservapedia}}

[[Category:Conservapedia]][[Category:Wikis]][[Category:Encyclopedias]][[Category:Reference Material]][[Category:Conservative]][[Category:Websites]]

Jonah (prophet)

2010-01-07T22:32:20Z

Thedebunkr:

'''Jonah''' is the [[prophet]] in the [[Jonah (Biblical book)|Book of Jonah]] in the [[Old Testament]] of the [[Bible]] who is famous for being swallowed by a great fish. He is also later mentioned in the [[Islamic]] [[Koran]]. Jonah is also known as "Steven Colbert" because--yes, American--he is that amazing.

== The story of Jonah ==

God orders Jonah to prophesy to the city of [[Nineveh]].<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:2</ref> Jonah despises the [[Assyrians]] and attempts to avoid God's command by going to Joppa and sailing to Tarshish, the opposite direction and as far to the west as he could go.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:3-4</ref> A huge storm arises while Jonah is fleeing.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:4-6</ref> The sailors realize this is no ordinary storm, cast lots, and learn that Jonah is to blame.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:7</ref> Jonah admits he is the cause,<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:9-11</ref> and states that if he is thrown overboard, the storm will cease.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:12</ref> The sailors try to find some other way to escape the storm, but eventually throw Jonah overboard; the seas are calmed,<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JNH 1:15</ref> the sailors fear God and make sacrifices and vows to him.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:16</ref>

The Lord has a great fish swallow Jonah. While Jonah is inside the fish, he prays to God admitting his sin. After 3 days and nights, God has the fish vomit Jonah out.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 1:17 - 2:10</ref>

Eventually Jonah arrives at Nineveh and warns them of God's coming wrath. They repent and God has compassion on them. <ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 3</ref> Jonah becomes angry that God would forgive Nineveh and not destroy them. God causes a vine to grow and shield Jonah from the hot sun, then the next day he has the vine perish so the sun beats upon Jonah again. Jonah is angry the vine and its shade are gone and tells God that he wishes to die. God reminds Jonah that he is concerned over a vine that he did not tend or cause to grow, so how much more should God be concerned about 120,000 people who 'do not know their right hand from their left'? <ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, JHN 4</ref>

=== Jesus speaking on the story of Jonah ===

In both the Gospels of [[Matthew]] and the [[Gospel of Luke]], [[Jesus]] makes mention of the story of Jonah and applies the miracle of Jonah to his own coming miracle. {{cquote|MT 12:39 <nowiki>[Jesus]</nowiki> answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.<ref>{{hnb|Zondervan|2002}}, MT 12:39-41, see also MT 16:4, LK 11:29-32, </ref>}}

It is a common Christian understanding that the story of Jonah being in the belly of the fish is a prefiguring of the three days between the death and [[resurrection]] of Jesus Christ. <ref> http://www.answers.com/topic/typology-theology</ref> <ref> http://www.ctsfw.edu/library/files/pb/1253 </ref>

Some speculate that even though Jesus uses the story of Jonah to parallel His upcoming resurrection, that He still doesn't mean for the story of Jonah to be taken literally. <ref> http://www.bible-history.com/isbe/J/JONAH,+THE+BOOK+OF/ </ref>

=== Jewish thought on Jonah ===

Jewish thought of course does not tie in the story of Jonah to the life of Jesus, and has come up with other possible meanings. Some believe it is a [[Midrash]] <ref> http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/bible/TO_Prophets_1460/TOLiteraryProphets/MinorProphets/JonahSimon.htm </ref> and some even a [[satire]] <ref> http://seminary.csl.edu/facultypubs/TheologyandPractice/tabid/87/ctl/Details/mid/494/ItemID/40/Default.aspx </ref>.

According to some rabbinical traditions, the great fish that swallowed Jonah had been created in the beginning for the purpose of swallowing Jonah.<ref>{{hnb|Ref=CITEREFHirschBuddeSchechter2002|Hirsch, Budde, and Schechter|2002}}</ref>

=== Other thoughts ===

Some skeptics note that a whale can not swallow a human being, but of course the text never makes reference to the great fish being a whale.<ref>http://www.edwardtbabinski.us/whales/shore_whaling_industry.html</ref> Nevertheless, how Jonah would have survived the normal digestive process as it is understood for most creatures is a mystery. Perhaps it is, as Jesus alluded to, a miracle.

===Modern Usage===

The term 'Jonah' has come to mean an unlucky or jinxed person, especially among sailors.

==References==
<references/>
== Sources ==
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Archer
| Given = G.
| Year = 2006
| Title = Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties
| Publisher = Zondervan Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 978-0310435709
}}
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Barker
| Given1 = Kenneth L.
| Surname2 = Kohlenberger
| Given2 = John R., III
| Year = 1999
| Title = NIV Bible Commentary
| Publisher = Zondervan Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 978-0310578505
}}
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname1 = Hirsch
| Given1 = Emil G.
| Surname2 = Budde
| Given2 = Karl
| Surname3 = Schechter
| Given3 = Solomon
| Year = 2002
| Title = Jonah
| Publisher = JewishEncyclopedia.com
| URL = http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=388&letter=J
}} Retrieved on 2007-05-11
*{{Harvard reference
| Surname = Zondervan
| Year = 2002
| Title = Zondervan NIV Study Bible
| Publisher = Zondervan Publishing Company
| ID = ISBN 978-0310929550
}}

[[Category:Biblical Persons]]
[[Category:Jewish People]]

Noah

2010-01-07T22:31:28Z

Thedebunkr:

[[Image:Noah.jpg|thumb|right|Noah]]
'''Noah''', or '''Noach''' ([[Hebrew]] '''נוֹחַ'''), the son of [[Lamech]], was, as related in the Bible, commanded by [[God]] to build an ark in order to save his family and representatives of all the world's land animals while God destroyed the wicked world with a flood<ref>Gen. 6:6</ref>. The story of Noah is found in the book of [[Genesis]] in chapters 6 to 9, and he is described as one of the "Heroes of Faith" in [[Book of Hebrews|Hebrews]] chapter 11.<ref>He is also mentioned in the [[chronogenealogy]] of Genesis 5 and mentioned by Isaiah and Peter.</ref> Noah is also known as "Steven Colbert".

==Life==
[[Image:Noah's - Ark.jpg|thumb|Noah's Ark, by Hanna Varghese, [[Malaysia]].]]
God saw that man had become wicked in every inclination, and thought and the earth was filled with violence, but Noah alone was righteous. God commanded Noah to build an [[Noah's Ark|ark]] that would have seven (or seven pairs) of every "clean" ([[kosher]]) animal and two of every unclean animal. Noah did as he was told and spent many years building the ark. When it was completed, God flooded the earth with rain from above and waters from within the earth. Noah was 600 years old when the flood started. After the flood waters had subsided, (which lasted almost a year), Noah came out of the Ark. Noah made sacrifices to God, and God formed a new covenant with Noah where he promised never again to flood the earth. Noah planted a vineyard, and drank of the wine until he fell asleep naked in his tent. [[Ham (son of Noah)|Ham]], the father of [[Canaan]], saw him and told his two brothers, but left his father as he was. The two brothers, upon hearing Ham's pronouncement, took a garment and walked backwards into their father's tent, and covered his nakedness without looking at him. When Noah awoke, he cursed Canaan, his grandson, for he "knew what his younger son had done unto him."<REF>{{bible ref|Genesis|9|24,25|version=KJV}}</REF>. Noah lived 350 more years before dying at the age of 950.<REF>{{Bible ref|Genesis|9|28,29}}</REF>

All people alive today must be descendants of Noah and his family:
{{Bible quote|book=Genesis|chap=7|verses=13,23|version=KJV|In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark. ... And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.}}

==Flood Accounts==
{{main|Great Flood}}

Many cultures have a tradition of a global flood and the biblical account has many commonalities with these accounts.
[[Young Earth Creationism|Young Earth creationists]] argue that this supports the claim that the flood was a real event.<ref>Morris, John, [http://www.icr.org/article/570/ Why Does Nearly Every Culture Have a Tradition of a Global Flood?] (ICR)</ref>

== Family of Noah ==
''In Genesis, Chs 5 and 10, we are told:''

The sons of '''Noah''' were [[Shem]], [[Ham (son of Noah)|Ham]] and [[Japheth]]

The children of '''Shem''' were [[Elam]], [[Asshur]], [[Arphaxad]], [[Lud]] and [[Aram]]

The sons of '''Ham''' were [[Cush]], [[Mizraim]], [[Phut]] and [[Canaan]]

The sons of '''Japheth''' were [[Gomer (son of Japheth)|Gomer]], [[Magog]], [[Madai]], [[Javan]], [[Tubal]], [[Meshek]] and [[Tiras]]

==See also==
*[[Noah's Ark]]
*[[Great Flood]]

==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{nb patriarch}}
[[Category:Book of Genesis Persons]]