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Jump to navigationJump to searchFor other uses, see A cappella (disambiguation).A cappellaStylistic originsChurch musicGregorian chantingmadrigalsCultural originsJewish and Christian worshipTypical instrumentsVocalsvocal percussionbeatboxingbody percussionlive loopinginstrument mimicrySubgenresBarbershop musiccollegiate a cappellapuirt à beulA cappella (/ˌækəˈpɛlə/ US: /ˌɑːkə-/,Italian:[a kapˈpɛlla]; Italian for "in the manner of the chapel")[1]music is specifically group or solo singing without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It contrasts with cantata, which is usually accompanied singing. The term "a cappella" was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato style. In the 19th century, a renewed interest in Renaissance polyphony coupled with an ignorance of the fact that vocal parts were often doubled by instrumentalists led to the term coming to mean unaccompanied vocal music.[1]The term is also used, albeit rarely, as a synonym for alla breve.[2]Contents1Religious origins1.1Christian1.1.1Byzantine Rite1.1.2Opposition to instruments in worship1.1.3Acceptance of instruments in worship1.2Jewish2In the United States2.1Recording artists2.2Musical theatre2.3Barbershop style2.4Amateur and high school3In other countries3.1Pakistan3.2Sri Lanka3.3Sweden3.4United Kingdom4Collegiate5Emulating instruments6See also7Notes8Footnotes9References10External linksReligious origins[edit]A cappella music was originally used in religious music, especially church music as well as anasheed and zemirot. Gregorian chant is an example of a cappella singing, as is the majority of secular vocal music from the Renaissance. The madrigal, up until its development in the early Baroque into an instrumentally-accompanied form, is also usually in a cappella form. Jewish and Early Christian music was largely a cappella,[3]although as noted by the Psalms some songs were accompanied by string instruments[4][citation needed]and this practice has continued in both of these religions as well as in Islam.Christian[edit]The polyphony of Christian a cappella music began to develop in Europe around the late 15th century AD, with compositions by Josquin des Prez.[5]The early a cappella polyphonies may have had an accompanying instrument, although this instrument would merely double the singers' parts and was not independent. By the 16th century, a cappella polyphony had further developed, but gradually, the cantata began to take the place of a cappella forms.[5]16th century a cappella polyphony, nonetheless, continued to influence church composers throughout this period and to the present day. Recent evidence has shown that some of the early pieces by Palestrina, such as what was written for the Sistine Chapel was intended to be accompanied by an organ "doubling" some or all of the voices.[5]Such is seen in the life of Palestrina becoming a major influence on Bach, most notably in the Mass in B Minor.Other composers that utilized the a cappella style, if only for the occasional piece, were Claudio Monteverdi and his masterpiece, Lagrime d'amante al sepolcro dell'amata (A lover's tears at his beloved's grave), which was composed in 1610,[6]and Andrea Gabrieli when upon his death it was discovered many choral pieces, one of which was in the unaccompanied style.[7]Learning from the preceding two composeres, Heinrich Schütz utilized the a cappella style in numerous pieces, chief among these were the pieces in the oratorio style, which were traditionally performed during the Easter week and dealt with the religious subject matter of that week, such as Christ's suffering and the Passion. Five of Schutz's Historien were Easter pieces, and of these the latter three, which dealt with the passion from three different viewpoints, those of Matthew, Luke and John, were all done a cappella style. This was a near requirement for this type of piece, and the parts of the crowd were sung while the solo parts which were the quoted parts from either Christ or the authors were performed in a plainchant.[8]Byzantine Rite[edit]In the Byzantine Rite of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches, the music performed in the liturgies is exclusively sung without instrumental accompaniment. Bishop Kallistos Ware says, "The service is sung, even though there may be no choir... In the Orthodox Church today, as in the early Church, singing is unaccompanied and instrumental music is not found."[9]This a cappella behavior arises from strict interpretation of Psalms 150, which states, Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.[10]In keeping with this philosophy, early Russian musika which started appearing in the late 17th century, in what was known as khorovïye kontsertï (choral concertos) made a cappella adaptations of Venetian-styled pieces, such as the treatise, Grammatika musikiyskaya (1675), by Nikolai Diletsky.[11]Divine Liturgies and Western Rite masses composed by famous composers such as Peter Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Arkhangelsky, and Mykola Leontovych are fine examples of this.Opposition to instruments in worship[edit]Present-day Christian religious bodies known for conducting their worship services without musical accompaniment include some Presbyterian churches devoted to the regulative principle of worship, Old Regular Baptists, Primitive Baptists, Plymouth Brethren, Churches of Christ, Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma), the Old German Baptist Brethren, Doukhobors the Byzantine Rite and the Amish, Old Order Mennonites and Conservative Mennonites. Certain high church services and other musical events in liturgical churches (such as the Roman Catholic Mass and the Lutheran Divine Service) may be a cappella, a practice remaining from apostolic times. Many Mennonites also conduct some or all of their services without instruments. Sacred Harp, a type of folk music, is an a cappella style of religious singing with shape notes, usually sung at singing conventions.Opponents of musical instruments in the Christian worship believe that such opposition is supported by the Christian scriptures and Church history. The scriptures typically referenced are Matthew 26:30; Acts 16:25; Romans 15:9; 1 Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12, 13:15; James 5:13, which show examples and exhortations for Christians to sing.[12]There is no reference to instrumental music in early church worship in the New Testament, or in the worship of churches for the first six centuries.[13][14]Several reasons have been posited throughout church history for the absence of instrumental music in church worship.[nb 1]Christians who believe in a cappella music today believe that in the Israelite worship assembly during Temple worship only the Priests of Levi sang, played, and offered animal sacrifices, whereas in the church era, all Christians are commanded to sing praises to God. They believe that if God wanted instrumental music in New Testament worship, He would have commanded not just singing, but singing and playing like he did in the Hebrew scriptures.The first recorded example of a musical instrument in Roman Catholic worship was a pipe organ introduced by Pope Vitalian into a cathedral in Rome around 670.[16][nb 2]Instruments have divided Christendom since their introduction into worship. They were considered a Catholic innovation, not widely practiced until the 18th century, and were opposed vigorously in worship by a number of Protestant Reformers, including Martin Luther (1483–1546),[18]Ulrich Zwingli, John Calvin (1509–1564)[19]and John Wesley (1703–1791).[20]Alexander Campbell referred to the use of an instrument in worship as "a cow bell in a concert".[21]In Sir Walter Scott's The Heart of Midlothian, the heroine, Jeanie Deans, a Scottish Presbyterian, writes to her father about the church situation she has found in England (bold added):The folk here are civil, and, like the barbarians unto the holy apostle, have shown me much kindness; and there are a sort of chosen people in the land, for they have some kirks without organs that are like ours, and are called meeting-houses, where the minister preaches without a gown.[22]Acceptance of instruments in worship[edit]Those who do not adhere to the regulative principle of interpreting Christian scripture, believe that limiting praise to the unaccompanied chant of the early church is not commanded in scripture, and that churches in any age are free to offer their songs with or without musical instruments.Those who subscribe to this interpretation believe that since the Christian scriptures never counter instrumental language with any negative judgment on instruments, opposition to instruments instead comes from an interpretation of history. There is no written opposition to musical instruments in any setting in the first century and a half of Christian churches (AD 33 to 180).[23]The use of instruments for Christian worship during this period is also undocumented. Toward the end of the 2nd century, Christians began condemning the instruments themselves.[24]Those who oppose instruments today believe these Church Fathers had a better understanding of God's desire for the church,[citation needed]but there are significant differences between the teachings of these Church Fathers and Christian opposition to instruments today.Modern Christians typically believe it is acceptable to play instruments or to attend weddings, funerals, banquets, etc., where instruments are heard playing religious music. The Church Fathers made no exceptions.[24] Since the New Testament never condemns instruments themselves, much less in any of these settings, it is believed that "the church Fathers go beyond the New Testament in pronouncing a negative judgment on musical instruments."[25]Written opposition to instruments in worship began near the turn of the 5th century.[26] Modern opponents of instruments typically do not make the same assessment of instruments as these writers,[nb 3] who argued that God had allowed David the "evil" of using musical instruments in praise.[29] While the Old Testament teaches that God specifically asked for musical instruments,[30] modern concern is for worship based on the New Testament.Since "a cappella" singing brought a new polyphony (more than one note at a time) with instrumental accompaniment, it is not surprising that Protestant reformers who opposed the instruments (such as Calvin and Zwingli) also opposed the polyphony.[31]While Zwingli was destroying organs in Switzerland – Luther called him a fanatic – the Church of England was burning books of polyphony.[32]Some Holiness Churches such as the Free Methodist Church opposed the use of musical instruments in church worship until the mid-20th century. The Free Methodist Church allowed for local church decision on the use of either an organ or piano in the 1943 Conference before lifting the ban entirely in 1955.Jewish[edit]While worship in the Temple in Jerusalem included musical instruments (2 Chronicles 29:25–29:27), traditional Jewish religious services in the Synagogue, both before and after the last destruction of the Temple, did not include musical instruments[33]given the practice of scriptural cantillation.[34]The use of musical instruments is traditionally forbidden on the Sabbath out of concern that players would be tempted to repair (or tune) their instruments, which is forbidden on those days. (This prohibition has been relaxed in many Reform and some Conservative congregations.) Similarly, when Jewish families and larger groups sing traditional Sabbath songs known as zemirot outside the context of formal religious services, they usually do so a cappella, and Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations on the Sabbath sometimes feature entertainment by a cappella ensembles. During the Three Weeks musical instruments are prohibited. Many Jews consider a portion of the 49-day period of the counting of the omer between Passover and Shavuot to be a time of semi-mourning and instrumental music is not allowed during that time.[35]This has led to a tradition of a cappella singing sometimes known as sefirah music.[36]The popularization of the Jewish chant may be found in the writings of the Jewish philosopher Philo, born 20 BC. Weaving together Jewish and Greek thought, Philo promoted praise without instruments, and taught that "silent singing" (without even vocal chords) was better still.[37]This view parted with the Jewish scriptures, where Israel offered praise with instruments by God's own command (2 Chronicles 29:25). The shofar is the only temple instrument still being used today in the synagogue,[38]and it is only used from Rosh Chodesh Elul through the end of Yom Kippur. The shofar is used by itself, without any vocal accompaniment, and is limited to a very strictly defined set of sounds and specific places in the synagogue service.[39]However, silver trumpets, as described in Numbers 10:1-10, have been made in recent years and used in prayer services at the Western Wall.[40]In the United States[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "A cappella" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2013)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)The Hullabahoos, an a cappella group at the University of Virginia, were featured in the movie Pitch PerfectPeter Christian Lutkin, dean of the Northwestern University School of Music, helped popularize a cappella music in the United States by founding the Northwestern A Cappella Choir in 1906. The A Cappella Choir was "the first permanent organization of its kind in America."[41][42]An a cappella tradition was begun in 1911 by F. Melius Christiansen, a music faculty member at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.[43]The St. Olaf College Choir was established as an outgrowth of the local St. John's Lutheran Church, where Christiansen was organist and the choir was composed, at least partially, of students from the nearby St. Olaf campus. The success of the ensemble was emulated by other regional conductors, and a tradition of a cappella choral music was born in the region at colleges like Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota), Augustana College (Rock Island, Illinois), Wartburg College(Waverly, Iowa), Luther College (Decorah, Iowa), Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, Minnesota), Augustana College (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), and Augsburg University (Minneapolis, Minnesota). The choirs typically range from 40 to 80 singers and are recognized for their efforts to perfect blend, intonation, phrasing and pitch in a large choral setting.[44][45]Movements in modern a cappella over the past century include barbershop and doo wop. The Barbershop Harmony Society, Sweet Adelines International, and Harmony Inc. host educational events including Harmony University, Directors University, and the International Educational Symposium, and international contests and conventions, recognizing international champion choruses and quartets.Many a cappella groups can be found in high schools and colleges. There are amateur Barbershop Harmony Society and professional groups that sing a cappella exclusively. Although a cappella is technically defined as singing without instrumental accompaniment, some groups use their voices to emulate instruments; others are more traditional and focus on harmonizing. A cappella styles range from gospel music to contemporary to barbershop quartets and choruses.The Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) is a membership option for former students, whose funds support hosted competitions and events.[46][47]A cappella music was popularized between the late 2000s and the early to mid-2010s with media hits such as the 2009–2014 TV show The Sing-Off and the musical comedy film series Pitch Perfect.Recording artists[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "A cappella" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2014)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)In July 1943, as a result of the American Federation of Musicians boycott of US recording studios, the a cappella vocal group The Song Spinners had a best-seller with "Comin' In On A Wing And A Prayer". In the 1950s, several recording groups, notably The Hi-Los and the Four Freshmen, introduced complex jazz harmonies to a cappella performances. The King's Singers are credited with promoting interest in small-group a cappella performances in the 1960s. Frank Zappa loves Doo wop and A cappella, so Zappa released The Persuasions' first album from his label in 1970.[48]In 1983, an a cappella group known as The Flying Pickets had a Christmas 'number one' in the UK with a cover of Yazoo's (known in the US as Yaz) "Only You". A cappella music attained renewed prominence from the late 1980s onward, spurred by the success of Top 40 recordings by artists such as The Manhattan Transfer, Bobby McFerrin, Huey Lewis and the News, All-4-One, The Nylons, Backstreet Boys, Boyz II Men, and *NSYNC.[citation needed]Contemporary a cappella includes many vocal groups and bands who add vocal percussion or beatboxing to create a pop/rock/gospel sound, in some cases very similar to bands with instruments. Examples of such professional groups include Straight No Chaser, Pentatonix, The House Jacks, Rockapella, Mosaic, Home Freeand M-pact. There also remains a strong a cappella presence within Christian music, as some denominations purposefully do not use instruments during worship. Examples of such groups are Take 6, Glad and Acappella. Arrangements of popular music for small a cappella ensembles typically include one voice singing the lead melody, one singing a rhythmic bass line, and the remaining voices contributing chordal or polyphonic accompaniment.A cappella can also describe the isolated vocal track(s) from a multitrack recording that originally included instrumentation.[citation needed]These vocal tracks may be remixed or put onto vinyl records for DJs, or released to the public so that fans can remix them. One such example is the a cappella release of Jay-Z's Black Album, which Danger Mouse mixed with The Beatles' White Album to create The Grey Album.On their 1966 album titled Album, Peter, Paul and Mary included the song "Norman Normal." All the sounds on that song, both vocals and instruments, were created by Paul's voice, with no actual instruments used.[49]In 2013, an artist by the name Smooth McGroove rose to prominence with his style of a cappella music.[50]He is best known for his a cappella covers of video gamemusic tracks on YouTube.[51]in 2015, an a cappella version of Jerusalem by multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier was selected for Beats by Dre "The Game Starts Here" for the England Rugby World Cup campaign.[52][53]Musical theatre[edit]A cappella has been used as the sole orchestration for original works of musical theatre that have had commercial runs Off-Broadway (theatres in New York City with 99 to 500 seats) only four times. The first was Avenue X which opened on 28 January 1994 and ran for 77 performances. It was produced by Playwrights Horizons with book by John Jiler, music and lyrics by Ray Leslee. The musical style of the show's score was primarily Doo-Wop as the plot revolved around Doo-Wop group singers of the 1960s.[54][55]In 2001, The Kinsey Sicks, produced and starred in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway hit, "DRAGAPELLA! Starring the Kinsey Sicks" at New York's legendary Studio 54. That production received a nomination for a Lucille Lortel award as Best Musical and a Drama Desk nomination for Best Lyrics. It was directed by Glenn Casale with original music and lyrics by Ben Schatz.[56]The a cappella musical Perfect Harmony, a comedy about two high school a cappella groups vying to win the National championship, made its Off Broadway debut at Theatre Row's Acorn Theatre on 42nd Street in New York City in October, 2010 after a successful out-of-town run at the Stoneham Theatre, in Stoneham, Massachusetts. Perfect Harmony features the hit music of The Jackson 5, Pat Benatar, Billy Idol, Marvin Gaye, Scandal, Tiffany, The Romantics, The Pretenders, The Temptations, The Contours, The Commodores, Tommy James & the Shondells and The Partridge Family, and has been compared to a cross between Altar Boyz and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.[57][58]The fourth a cappella musical to appear Off-Broadway, In Transit, premiered 5 October 2010 and was produced by Primary Stages with book, music, and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russ Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth. Set primarily in the New York City subway system its score features an eclectic mix of musical genres (including jazz, hip hop, Latin, rock, and country). In Transit incorporates vocal beat boxing into its contemporary a cappella arrangements through the use of a subway beat boxer character. Beat boxer and actor Chesney Snow performed this role for the 2010 Primary Stages production.[59]According to the show's website, it is scheduled to reopen for an open-ended commercial run in the Fall of 2011. In 2011, the production received four Lucille Lortel Award nominations including Outstanding Musical, Outer Critics Circle and Drama League nominations, as well as five Drama Desk nominations including Outstanding Musical and won for Outstanding Ensemble Performance.In December 2016, In Transit became the first a cappella musical on Broadway.[60]Barbershop style[edit]Main article: Barbershop musicThis section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "A cappella" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2018)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)Barbershop music is one of several uniquely American art forms. The earliest reports of this style of a cappella music involved African Americans. The earliest documented quartets all began in barber shops. In 1938, the first formal men's barbershop organization was formed, known as the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A), and in 2004 rebranded itself and officially changed its public name to the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS). Today the BHS has about 22,000 members in approximately 800 chapters across the United States and Canada,[61][62]and the barbershop style has spread around the world with organizations in many other countries.[63]The Barbershop Harmony Society provides a highly organized competition structure for a cappella quartets and choruses singing in the barbershop style.In 1945, the first formal women's barbershop organization, Sweet Adelines, was formed. In 1953, Sweet Adelines became an international organization, although it didn't change its name to Sweet Adelines International until 1991. The membership of nearly 25,000 women, all singing in English, includes choruses in most of the fifty United States as well as in Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the organization encompasses more than 1,200 registered quartets and 600 choruses.In 1959, a second women's barbershop organization started as a break off from Sweet Adelines due to ideological differences. Based on democratic principles which continue to this day, Harmony, Inc. is smaller than its counterpart, but has an atmosphere of friendship and competition. With about 2,500 members in the United States and Canada, Harmony, Inc. uses the same rules in contest that the Barbershop Harmony Society uses. Harmony, Inc. is registered in Providence, Rhode Island.Amateur and high school[edit]The popularity of a cappella among high schools and amateurs was revived by television shows and movies such as Glee and Pitch Perfect. High school groups have conductors or student leaders who keep the tempo for the group.In other countries[edit]This section needs expansion.You can help by adding to it.(May 2013)Pakistan[edit]The musical show Strepsils Stereo is credited for introducing the art of a cappella in Pakistan.[64]Sri Lanka[edit]Composer Dinesh Subasinghe became the first Sri Lankan to write a cappella pieces for SATB choirs. He wrote "The Princes of the Lost Tribe" and "Ancient Queen of Somawathee" for Menaka De Shabandu and Bridget Halpe's choirs, respectively, based on historical incidents in ancient Sri Lanka.[65][66][67]Voice Print is also a professional a cappella music group in Sri Lanka.[68]Sweden[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "A cappella" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2014)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)The European a cappella tradition is especially strong in the countries around the Baltic and perhaps most so in Sweden as described by Richard Sparks in his doctoral thesis The Swedish Choral Miracle in 2000.[69]Swedish a cappella choirs have over the last 25 years won around 25% of the annual prestigious European Grand Prix for Choral Singing (EGP) that despite its name is open to choirs from all over the world (see list of laureates in the Wikipedia article on the EGP competition).The reasons for the strong Swedish dominance are as explained by Richard Sparks manifold; suffice to say here that there is a long-standing tradition, an unsusually large proportion of the populations (5% is often cited) regularly sing in choirs, the Swedish choral director Eric Ericson had an enormous impact on a cappella choral development not only in Sweden but around the world, and finally there are a large number of very popular primary and secondary schools ('music schools') with high admission standards based on auditions that combine a rigid academic regimen with high level choral singing on every school day, a system that started with Adolf Fredrik's Music School in Stockholm in 1939 but has spread over the country.United Kingdom[edit]The Oxford Alternotives, the oldest a cappella group at the University of Oxford in the UKThis section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(May 2014)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)The Sweet Nothings are one of the University of Exeter's eight a cappella groups. They are one of the oldest and most successful girl groups in the UKA cappella has gained attention in the UK in recent years, with many groups forming at British universities by students seeking an alternative singing pursuit to traditional choral and chapel singing. This movement has been bolstered by organisations such as The Voice Festival UK.Collegiate[edit]Main articles: Collegiate a cappella, List of collegiate a cappella groups, and List of collegiate a cappella groups in the UKThis section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: "A cappella" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2014)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)It is not clear exactly where collegiate a cappella began. The Rensselyrics of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (formerly known as the RPI Glee Club), established in 1873 is perhaps the oldest known collegiate a cappella group.[70][additional citation(s) needed]However the longest continuously-singing group is probably The Whiffenpoofs of Yale University,[71]which was formed in 1909 and once included Cole Porter as a member.[71]Collegiate a cappella groups grew throughout the 20th century. Some notable historical groups formed along the way include Colgate University's The Colgate 13 (1942), Dartmouth College's Aires (1946), Cornell University's Cayuga's Waiters (1949) and The Hangovers (1968), the University of Maine Maine Steiners (1958), the Columbia University Kingsmen (1949), the Jabberwocks of Brown University (1949), and the University of RochesterYellowJackets (1956).All-women a cappella groups followed shortly, frequently as a parody of the men's groups: the Smiffenpoofs of Smith College(1936), The Shwiffs of Connecticut College (The She-Whiffenpoofs, 1944), and The Chattertocks of Brown University (1951). A cappella groups exploded in popularity beginning in the 1990s, fueled in part by a change in style popularized by the Tufts University Beelzebubs and the Boston University Dear Abbeys. The new style used voices to emulate modern rock instruments, including vocal percussion/"beatboxing". Some larger universities now have multiple groups. Groups often join one another in on-campus concerts, such as the Georgetown Chimes' Cherry Tree Massacre, a 3-weekend a cappella festival held each February since 1975, where over a hundred collegiate groups have appeared, as well as International Quartet Champions The Boston Common and the contemporary commercial a cappella group Rockapella. Co-ed groups have produced many up-and-coming and major artists, including John Legend, an alumnus of the Counterparts at the University of Pennsylvania, and Sara Bareilles, an alumna of Awaken A Cappella at University of California, Los Angeles. Mira Sorvino is an alumna of the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones of Harvard College, where she had the solo on Only You by Yaz.A cappella is gaining popularity among South Asians with the emergence of primarily Hindi-English College groups. The first South Asian a cappella group was Penn Masala, founded in 1996 at the University of Pennsylvania. Co-ed South Asian a cappella groups are also gaining in popularity. The first co-ed south Asian a cappella was Anokha, from the University of Maryland, formed in 2001. Also, Dil se, another co-ed a cappella from UC Berkeley, hosts the "Anahat" competition at the University of California, Berkeley annually. Maize Mirchi, the co-ed a cappella group from the University of Michigan hosts "Sa Re Ga Ma Pella", an annual South Asian a cappella invitational with various groups from the Midwest. Another South Asian group from the Midwest is Chai Town who is based in the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.Jewish-interest groups such as Queens College's Tizmoret, Tufts University's Shir Appeal, University of Chicago's Rhythm and Jews, Binghamton University's Kaskeset, Ohio State University's Meshuganotes, Rutgers University's Kol Halayla, New York University's Ani V'Ata and Yale University's Magevet are also gaining popularity across the U.S.[72][73][74]Increased interest in modern a cappella (particularly collegiate a cappella) can be seen in the growth of awards such as the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (overseen by the Contemporary A Cappella Society) and competitions such as the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella for college groups and the Harmony Sweepstakes for all groups. In December 2009, a new television competition series called The Sing-Off aired on NBC. The show featured eight a cappella groups from the United States and Puerto Rico vying for the prize of $100,000 and a recording contract with Epic Records/Sony Music. The show was judged by Ben Folds, Shawn Stockman, and Nicole Scherzinger and was won by an all-male group from Puerto Rico called Nota. The show returned for a second, third and fourth season, won by Committed, Pentatonix and Home Free respectively.Each year, hundreds of Collegiate a cappella groups submit their strongest songs in a competition to be on The Best of College A Cappella (BOCA), an album compilation of tracks from the best college a cappella groups around the world. The album is produced by Varsity Vocals – which also produces the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella – and Deke Sharon. ). According to ethnomusicologist Joshua S. Dunchan, "BOCA carries considerable cache and respect within the field despite the appearance of other compilations in part, perhaps, because of its longevity and the prestige of the individuals behind it."[75]Collegiate a cappella groups may also submit their tracks to Voices Only, a two-disc series released at the beginning of each school year. A Voices Only album has been released every year since 2005.[76]In addition, all women's a cappella groups can send their strongest song tracks to the Women's A Cappella Association (WACA) for its annual best of women's a cappella album. WACA offers another medium for women's voices to receive recognition and has released an album every year since 2014, featuring women's groups from across the United States.[77]Emulating instruments[edit]This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.(May 2014)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)In addition to singing words, some a cappella singers also emulate instrumentation by reproducing instrumental sounds with their vocal cords and mouth, often pitched using specialised pitch pipes. One of the earliest 20th century practitioners of this method were The Mills Brothers whose early recordings of the 1930s clearly stated on the label that all instrumentation was done vocally. More recently, "Twilight Zone" by 2 Unlimited was sung a cappella to the instrumentation on the comedy television series Tompkins Square. Another famous example of emulating instrumentation instead of singing the words is the theme song for The New Addams Familyseries on Fox Family Channel (now ABC Family). Groups such as Vocal Sampling and Undivided emulate Latin rhythms a cappella. In the 1960s, the Swingle Singers used their voices to emulate musical instruments to Baroque and Classical music. Vocal artist Bobby McFerrin is famous for his instrumental emulation. A cappella group Naturally Seven recreates entire songs using vocal tones for every instrument.The Swingle Singers used nonsense words to sound like instruments, but have been known to produce non-verbal versions of musical instruments. Beatboxing, more accurately known as vocal percussion, is a technique used in a cappella music popularized by the hip-hop community, where rap is often performed a cappella also. The advent of vocal percussion added new dimensions to the a cappella genre and has become very prevalent in modern arrangements.[78]Jazz vocalist Petra Hadenused a four-track recorder to produce an a cappella version of The Who Sell Out including the instruments and fake advertisements on her album Petra Haden Sings: The Who Sell Out in 2005. Haden has also released a cappella versions of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'", The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller".Christian rock group Relient K recorded the song "Plead the Fifth" a cappella on its album Five Score and Seven Years Ago. The group recorded lead singer Matt Thiessen making drum noises and played them with an electronic drum machine to record the song.See also[edit]Look up a cappella in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.Barbershop music – four-part a cappella (in close harmony)Collegiate a cappellaThe Contemporary A Cappella SocietyHarmony Sweepstakes A Cappella FestivalHome Free – quintet, winners of NBC's Sing-Off Season 4List of collegiate a cappella groupsList of professional a cappella groupsList of university a cappella groups in the United KingdomStraight No Chaser – 10 man a cappella ground founded at Indiana UniversitySweet Adelines InternationalNotes[edit]^ The absence of instrumental music is rooted in various hermeneutic principles (ways of interpreting the Bible) which determine what is appropriate for worship. Among such principles are the regulative principle of worship (Ulrich Zwingli), Sola scriptura (Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingli), and the history of hymn in "Christianity". Dispensationalism emphasizes the differences between the old (Law of Moses) and the new (Jesus and the Apostles) covenants, emphasizing that the majority of the practices from the Law of Moses were replaced by the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles. The absence of instrumental music in early church worship is significant given the abundance of Hebrew Bible references and commands to worship God with harp, lyre and cymbal. After several hundred years of Tabernacle worship without references to instrumental music, King David (ca 1500 BC) introduced musical instruments into Temple worship reportedly because of a commandment from God, complete with who was to sing, who was to play, and what instruments were to be used.[15]^ McKinnon maintained that the organ was the first instrument to be introduced into worship and the next was the trumpet. He noted accounts of an organ being sent from Byzantium to Pippin in 757, and another to Charlemagne in 812.[17]^ Rather than calling the use of instruments "evil", modern opposition typically uses terms like "unspiritual"[27] or an Old Testament "shadow".[28]

The debate over whether or not abortion should be a legal option continues to divide Americans long after the US Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision on Roe v. Wade declared the procedure a “fundamental right” on Jan. 22, 1973.Proponents, identifying themselves as pro-choice, contend that choosing abortion is a woman’s right that should not be limited by governmental or religious authority, and which outweighs any right claimed for an embryo or fetus. They say that pregnant women will resort to unsafe illegal abortions if there is no legal option.Opponents, identifying themselves as pro-life, contend that individual human life begins at fertilization, and therefore abortion is the immoral killing of an innocent human being. They say abortion inflicts suffering on the unborn child, and that it is unfair to allow abortion when couples who cannot biologically conceive are waiting to adopt.Pro & Con ArgumentsPro 1The US Supreme Court has declared abortion to be a “fundamental right” guaranteed by the US Constitution.The landmark abortion case Roe v. Wade, decided on Jan. 22, 1973 in favor of abortion rights, remains the law of the land. The 7-2 decision stated that the Constitution gives "a guarantee of certain areas or zones of privacy," and that "This right of privacy... is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy." [49]Pro 2Reproductive choice empowers women by giving them control over their own bodies.The choice over when and whether to have children is central to a woman's independence and ability to determine her future. [134] Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, "The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives." [8] Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissenting opinion in Gonzales v. Carhart (2007) that undue restrictions on abortion infringe upon "a woman's autonomy to determine her life's course, and thus to enjoy equal citizenship stature." [59] CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin, JD, stated that Roe v. Wade was "a landmark of what is, in the truest sense, women's liberation." [113]Pro 3Personhood begins after a fetus becomes “viable” (able to survive outside the womb) or after birth, not at conception.[31] [32] Embryos and fetuses are not independent, self-determining beings, and abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. A person's age is calculated from birth date, not conception, and fetuses are not counted in the US Census. The majority opinion in Roe v. Wade states that "the word 'person,' as used in the Fourteenth Amendment [of the US Constitution], does not include the unborn." [49]Pro 4Fetuses are incapable of feeling pain when most abortions are performed.According to a review by Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, "most neuroscientists believe that the cortex is necessary for pain perception." The cortex does not become functional until at least the 26th week of a fetus' development, long after most abortions are performed. This finding was endorsed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, [1] which stated that that there is "no legitimate scientific information that supports the statement that a fetus experiences pain." [142] A University of California at San Francisco study said fetuses probably can't feel pain until the 29th or 30th week of gestation. [166] Abortions that late into a pregnancy are extremely rare and are often restricted by state laws. [164] According to Stuart W. G. Derbyshire, PhD, Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham (UK), "fetuses cannot be held to experience pain. Not only has the biological development not yet occurred to support pain experience, but the environment after birth, so necessary to the development of pain experience, is also yet to occur." [10] The "flinching" and other reactions seen in fetuses when they detect pain stimuli are mere reflexes, not an indication that the fetus is perceiving or "feeling" anything. [135] [145]Pro 5Access to legal, professionally-performed abortions reduces maternal injury and death caused by unsafe, illegal abortions.According to Daniel R. Mishell, Jr., MD, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, before abortion was legalized women would frequently try to induce abortions by using coat hangers, knitting needles, or radiator flush, or by going to unsafe "back-alley" abortionists. [150] In 1972, there were 39 maternal deaths from illegal abortions. By 1976, after Roe v. Wade had legalized abortion nationwide, this number dropped to two. [7] The World Health Organization estimated that unsafe abortions cause 68,000 maternal deaths worldwide each year, many of those in developing countries where safe and legal abortion services are difficult to access. [11]Pro 6Modern abortion procedures are safe and do not cause lasting health issues such as cancer and infertility.A peer-reviewed study published by Obstetrics & Gynecology reported that less than one quarter of one percent of abortions lead to major health complications. [159] [160] A study in Obstetrics & Gynecology found a woman's risk of dying from having an abortion is 0.6 in 100,000, while the risk of dying from giving birth is around 14 times higher (8.8 in 100,000). The study also found that "pregnancy-related complications were more common with childbirth than with abortion." [3] The American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists stated "Abortion is one of the safest medical procedures performed in the United States." They also said the mortality rate of a colonoscopy is more than 40 times greater than that of an abortion. [122] The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists all refuted the claim that abortion can lead to a higher probability of developing breast cancer. [22] A fertility investigation of 10,767 women by the Joint Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that women who had at least two abortions experienced the same future fertility as those who had at least two natural pregnancies. [14]Pro 7Women who receive abortions are less likely to suffer mental health problems than women denied abortions.A peer-reviewed study comparing the mental health of women who received abortions to women denied abortions found that women who were denied abortions "felt more regret and anger" and "less relief and happiness" than women who had abortions. The same study also found that 95% of women who received abortions "felt it was the right decision" a week after the procedure. [158] Studies by the American Psychological Association (APA), the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC), and researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health all concluded that purported links between abortion and mental health problems are unfounded. [152]Pro 8Abortion gives pregnant women the option to choose not to bring fetuses with profound abnormalities to full term.Some fetuses have such severe disorders that death is guaranteed before or shortly after birth. These include anencephaly, in which the brain is missing, and limb-body wall complex, in which organs develop outside the body cavity. [12] It would be cruel to force women to carry fetuses with fatal congenital defects to term. Even in the case of nonfatal conditions, such as Down syndrome, parents may be unable to care for a severely disabled child. Deborah Anne Driscoll, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Pennsylvania, said "many couples... don't have the resources, don't have the emotional stamina, don't have the family support [to raise a child with Down syndrome]." [9]Pro 9Women who are denied abortions are more likely to become unemployed, to be on public welfare, to be below the poverty line, and to become victims of domestic violence.A University of California at San Francisco study found that women who were turned away from abortion clinics (because they had passed the gestational limit imposed by the clinic) were three times more likely to be below the poverty level two years later than women who were able to obtain abortions. 76% of the "turnaways" ended up on unemployment benefits, compared with 44% of the women who had abortions. The same study found that women unable to obtain abortions were more likely to stay in a relationship with an abusive partner than women who had an abortion, and were more than twice as likely to become victims of domestic violence. [114] [73]Pro 10Reproductive choice protects women from financial disadvantage.Many women who choose abortion don't have the financial resources to support a child. 42% of women having abortions are below the federal poverty level. [13] A survey in the peer-reviewed Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health asking women why they had an abortion found that 73% of respondents said they could not afford to have a baby, and 38% said giving birth would interfere with their education and career goals. [19] A University of Massachusetts at Amherst study published in the peer-reviewed American Sociological Review found that women at all income levels earn less when they have children, with low-wage workers being most affected, suffering a 15% earnings penalty. [136]Pro 11A baby should not come into the world unwanted.Having a child is an important decision that requires consideration, preparation, and planning. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment stated that unintended pregnancies are associated with birth defects, low birth weight, maternal depression, increased risk of child abuse, lower educational attainment, delayed entry into prenatal care, a high risk of physical violence during pregnancy, and reduced rates of breastfeeding. [75] 45% of all pregnancies among American women are unintended. [176]Pro 12Abortion reduces welfare costs to taxpayers.The Congressional Budget Office (CBO), a nonpartisan federal agency, evaluated a proposed anti-abortion bill that would ban all abortions nationwide after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and found that the resulting additional births would increase the federal deficit by $225 million over nine years, due to the increased need for Medicaid coverage. Also, since many women seeking late-term abortions are economically disadvantaged, their children are likely to require welfare assistance. [129] [130]Pro 13Abortion reduces crime.According to a study co-written by Freakonomics co-author Steven D. Levitt, PhD, and published in the peer-reviewed Quarterly Journal of Economics, "legalized abortion has contributed significantly to recent crime reductions." Around 18 years after abortion was legalized, crime rates began to drop abruptly, and crime rates dropped earlier in states that allowed abortion earlier. Because "women who have abortions are those most at risk to give birth to children who would engage in criminal activity," and women who had control over the timing of childbearing were more likely to raise children in optimal environments, crime is reduced when there is access to legal abortion. [20]Pro 14Abortion is justified as a means of population control.Philosopher Peter Singer, MA, Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University, defended abortion as a way to curb overpopulation. [137] The United Nations estimated that the world's population will increase to 9.3 billion by 2050, which would be "the equivalent of adding another India and China to the world," according to the Los Angeles Times. [131] Malnutrition, starvation, poverty, lack of medical and educational services, pollution, underdevelopment, and conflict over resources are all consequences of overpopulation. [21] With 55.9 million abortions performed worldwide each year, [202], the population increase if abortion were unavailable could be substantial. [132]Pro 15Many religious organizations and people of faith support women’s reproductive choice.Although many religious groups oppose abortion, the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations are all officially pro-choice. [139] [140] [141] The Bible, despite interpretations to the contrary, contains no explicit condemnation of abortion, and does not portray the killing of a fetus as equivalent to the killing of a human being. In Exodus 21:22-25, the crime of causing a woman to miscarry is treated as a property crime, whereas killing the woman is considered murder and is punished with the death penalty. [33] While the Catholic and Lutheran churches oppose abortion, more of their members believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases versus illegal in all or most cases (51% vs. 45%, Lutheran; 48% vs. 45%, Catholic). [151] Joe Biden, 47th US Vice President, stated that "I accept my [Catholic] church's position on abortion... But I refuse to impose it on equally devout Christians and Muslims and Jews, and I just refuse to impose that on others... I do not believe that we have a right to tell other people that -- women they can't control their body." [138]Con 1Abortion is murder.The killing of an innocent human being is wrong, even if that human being has yet to be born. Unborn babies are considered human beings by the US government. The federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, which was enacted "to protect unborn children from assault and murder," states that under federal law, anybody intentionally killing or attempting to kill an unborn child should "be punished... for intentionally killing or attempting to kill a human being." The act also states that an unborn child is a "member of the species homo sapiens." [126] At least 38 states have passed similar fetal homicide laws. [127]Con 2Life begins at conception, so unborn babies are human beings with a right to life.Upon fertilization, a human individual is created with a unique genetic identity that remains unchanged throughout his or her life. This individual has a fundamental right to life, which must be protected. Jerome Lejeune, the French geneticist who discovered the chromosome abnormality that causes Down syndrome, stated that "To accept the fact that after fertilization has taken place a new human has come into being is no longer a matter of taste or opinion... The human nature of the human being from conception to old age is not a metaphysical contention, it is plain experimental evidence." [15] [16]Con 3Fetuses feel pain during the abortion procedure.Maureen Condic, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy and Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine, explains that the "most primitive response to pain, the spinal reflex," is developed by eight weeks gestation, and adds that "There is universal agreement that pain is detected by the fetus in the first trimester." [18] According to Kanwaljeet J. S. Anand, MBBS, DPhil, Professor of Pediatrics, Anesthesiology and Neurobiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, "If the fetus is beyond 20 weeks of gestation, I would assume that there will be pain caused to the fetus. And I believe it will be severe and excruciating pain." [24] Bernard N. Nathanson, MD, the late abortion doctor who renounced his earlier work and became a pro-life activist, stated that when an abortion is performed on a 12-week-old fetus, "We see [in an ultrasound image] the child's mouth open in a silent scream... This is the silent scream of a child threatened imminently with extinction." [145]Con 4Abortion is the killing of a human being, which defies the word of God.The Bible does not draw a distinction between fetuses and babies: the Greek word brephos is used in the Bible to refer to both an unborn child and an infant. [30] By the time a baby is conceived, he or she is recognized by God, as demonstrated in Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee." [133] The Sixth Commandment of the Bible's Old Testament, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13), applies to all human beings, including unborn babies. [23] In the Hindu religion, the holy text Kaushitaki Upanishad states that abortion is an equivalent misdeed to killing one's own parents. [148] The BBC states that "Traditional Buddhism rejects abortion because it involves the deliberate destroying of a life." [149]Con 5The decision in Roe v. Wade was wrong and should be overturned.US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia stated that the right to privacy defended in Roe v. Wade is "utterly idiotic" and should not be considered binding precedent: "There is no right to privacy [in the US Constitution]." [153] [154] In his dissenting opinion in Roe v. Wade, Justice William H. Rehnquist stated that an abortion "is not 'private' in the ordinary usage of that word. Nor is the 'privacy' that the Court finds here even a distant relative of the freedom from searches and seizures protected by the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution..." [49] Furthermore, the 14th Amendment bars states from depriving "any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law." [155] The Supreme Court overreached in Roe v. Wade when it excluded unborn children from the class of "persons." [156] [157]Con 6Abortions cause psychological damage.A peer-reviewed study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health found that "Young adult women who undergo... abortion may be at increased risk for subsequent depression." [44] A peer-reviewed study published in BMC Medicine found that women who underwent an abortion had "significantly higher" anxiety scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale up to five years after the pregnancy termination. [69] A peer-reviewed study published by the Southern Medical Journal of more than 173,000 American women found that women who aborted were 154% more likely to commit suicide than women who carried to term. [26] A study published in the British Medical Journal reported that the mean annual suicide rate amongst women who had an abortion was 34.7 per 100,000, compared with a mean rate of 11.3 per 100,000 in the general population of women. [45] A Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology study of men whose partners had abortions found that 51.6% of the men reported regret, 45.2% felt sadness, and 25.8% experienced depression. [27]Con 7Abortions reduce the number of adoptable babies.Instead of having the option to abort, women should give their unwanted babies to people who cannot conceive. The percentage of infants given up for adoption in the United States declined from 9% of those born before 1973 to 0.5% of those born in 2014. [53] [203] As a result of the lack of women putting their children up for adoption, the number of US infant adoptions dropped from about 90,000 in 1971 to 18,329 in 2014. [46] [203] Around 2.6 million Americans are seeking to adopt children. [76]Con 8Selective abortion based on genetic abnormalities (eugenic termination) is overt discrimination.Physical limitations don't make those with disabilities less than human. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 [54] provides civil rights protection to people born with disabilities so they can lead fulfilling lives. The National Down Syndrome Society states that "people with Down syndrome live at home with their families and are active participants in the educational, vocational, social, and recreational activities of the community. People with Down syndrome are valued members of their families and their communities, contributing to society in a variety of ways." [66] The increase in abortions of babies with Down syndrome (over 80% of women choose to abort Down syndrome babies [70]) reduced the Down syndrome population by 15% between 1989 and 2005. [67]Con 9Women should not be able to use abortion as a form of contraception.It is immoral to kill an unborn child for convenience. [116] The Guttmacher Institute reported that 45% of all women having abortions every year have had at least one previous abortion, [190] while 8.6% of abortions reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2014 were undergone by women who had three or more previous abortions. [176] This suggests that many women are using abortion as a contraceptive method. [78] Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt, PhD, wrote that after abortion was legalized, "Conceptions rose by nearly 30 percent, but births actually fell by 6 percent, indicating that many women were using abortion as a method of birth control, a crude and drastic sort of insurance policy." [38]Con 10If women become pregnant, they should accept the responsibility that comes with producing a child.People need to take responsibility for their actions and accept the consequences. Having sexual intercourse, even when contraceptive methods are used, carries with it the risk of a pregnancy. [128] The unborn baby should not be punished for a mistake made by adults. If women are unprepared to care for their children, they should at least put them up for adoption.Con 11The original text of the Hippocratic Oath, traditionally taken by doctors when swearing to practice medicine ethically, forbids abortion.One section of the classical version of the oath reads: "I will not give a woman a pessary [a device inserted into the vagina] to cause an abortion." The modern version of the Hippocratic Oath, written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna, still effectively forbids doctors from performing abortions in the line, "Above all, I must not play at God." [25]Con 12Abortion promotes a culture in which human life is disposable.The legalization of abortion sends a message that human life has little value. [144] Pope Francis condemned "'the throwaway culture'" in Jan. 2014, stating that "what is thrown away is not only food and dispensable objects, but often human beings themselves, who are discarded as 'unnecessary'. For example, it is frightful even to think there are children, victims of abortion, who will never see the light of day." [143] House Representative Randy Hultgren (R-IL) wrote in Jan. 2014 that "When we tell one another that abortion is okay, we reinforce the idea that human lives are disposable, that we can throw away anything or anyone that inconveniences us." [36]Con 13Allowing abortion conflicts with the unalienable right to life recognized by the Founding Fathers of the United States.The Declaration of Independence states that "[A]ll men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." [51] Abortion takes away from the unborn the unalienable right to life that the Founding Fathers intended for all human beings. [115]Con 14Abortion disproportionately affects African American babies.In the United States, black women are 3.3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion, according to the Guttmacher Institute. [68] In New York City in 2015, more black babies were aborted (23,720) than had live births (23,116). [204] [205]Con 15Abortion eliminates the potential societal contributions of a future human being.According to Heisman Trophy-winning football player Tim Tebow, "the reason I'm here" is because his mother ignored the advice of doctors who recommended an abortion. [117] It has also been reported that the mothers of entertainers Celine Dion, Cher, and Justin Bieber were either advised to have abortions or were considering the procedure, but chose to give birth to their babies instead. [118] [120] [119]Con 16Abortion may lead to future medical problems for the mother.A study published by the peer-reviewed International Journal of Epidemiology estimated that about 15% of first-trimester miscarriages are attributed to a prior history of induced abortion, and stated that "Induced abortion by vacuum aspiration is associated with an increased risk of first-trimester miscarriage in the subsequent pregnancy." [34] A Chinese study published in the peer-reviewed Indian Journal of Cancer found an association between breast cancer and a history of abortions [71]. A study published in the peer-reviewed Cancer Causes and Control found that abortion "is significantly associated with an increased risk of breast cancer" and that "the risk of breast cancer increases as the number of [abortions] increases." [72]

Most people don’t believe the world is going to end as it says in the Christian Bible because most people don’t believe in fairy tales.How many times has the “End of the World!!!!” been predicted?66–70 Simon bar Giora, Jewish Essenes. The Jewish Essene sect of ascetics saw the Jewish uprising against the Romans in 66–70 in Judea as the final end-time battle which would bring about the arrival of the Messiah. By the authority of Simon, coins were minted declaring the redemption of Israel.365- Hilary of Poitiers. This early French bishop announced the end of the world would happen during this year.375–400 - Martin of Tours. This French bishop stated that the world would end before 400 AD, writing, "There is no doubt that the Antichrist has already been born. Firmly established already in his early years, he will, after reaching maturity, achieve supreme power."500 - Hippolytus of Rome, Sextus Julius Africanus, Irenaeus. All three predicted Jesus would return in this year, with one of the predictions being based on the dimensions of Noah's Ark.6 Apr 793 - Beatus of Liébana. This Spanish monk prophesied the Second Coming of Christ and the end of the world on that day in front of a large crowd of people.800 - Sextus Julius Africanus. This Christian historian revised his prediction from the year 500 to 800.799–806 - Gregory of Tours. This French bishop calculated the end would occur between 799 and 806.847 - Thiota. This Christian declared in 847 that the world would end that year, though later confessed the prediction was fraudulent and was publicly flogged.992–995 - Various Christians. Good Friday coincided with the Feast of the Annunciation; this had long been believed to be the event that would bring forth the Antichrist, and thus the end-times, within three years.1000 - Pope Sylvester II and others. According to several sources, various Christian clerics predicted this date as the Millennium, including Pope Sylvester II. As a result, riots are said to have occurred in Europe and pilgrims headed east to Jerusalem. Other historians, however, have disputed that any of these events ever took place.1033 -Various Christians. Following the failure of the prediction for 1 January 1000, some theorists proposed that the end would occur 1000 years after Jesus' death, instead of his birth.1200–1260 - Joachim of Fiore. This Italian mystic determined that the Millennium would begin between 1200 and 1260.1284 - Pope Innocent III. Pope Innocent III (died 1216) predicted that the world would end 666 years after the rise of Islam in 618.1290 - Joachimites - After his 1260 prediction failed, the followers of Joachim of Fiore rescheduled the end of the world to 1290 and then again to 1335.1346–1351 - Various Europeans. The Black Death spreading across Europe was interpreted by many as the sign of the end of times.1368–1370 -Jean de Roquetaillade. This French alchemist predicted the Antichrist was to come in 1366 and the Millennium would begin either in 1368 or 1370.1378 - Arnaldus de Villa Nova. This Joachite wrote that the Antichrist was to come during this year.1504 - Sandro Botticelli. This painter believed he was living during the Tribulation, and that the Millennium would begin in three and a half years from 1500. He wrote into his painting The Mystical Nativity that the Devil was loose and would soon be chained.1 Feb 1524 - London astrologers. A group of astrologers in London predicted the world would end by a flood starting in London, based on calculations made the previous June. Twenty thousand Londoners left their homes and headed for higher ground in anticipation.20 Feb 1524 - Johannes Stöffler. A planetary alignment in Pisces was seen by this astrologer as a sign of the Millennium.1524–1526 - Thomas Müntzer. 1525 would mark the beginning of the Millennium, according to this Anabaptist. His followers were killed by cannon fire in an uneven battle with government troops. He died under torture and was beheaded.27 May 1528 - Hans Hut. This German Anabaptist predicted the end would occur on this date.1528 - Johannes Stöffler. A revised date from Stöffler after his 1524 prediction failed to come true.19 Oct 1533 - Michael Stifel. This mathematician calculated that Judgement Day would begin at 8:00 am on this day.1533 - Melchior Hoffman. This Anabaptist prophet predicted Christ's Second Coming to take place this year in Strasbourg. He claimed that 144,000 people would be saved, while the rest of the world would be consumed by fire.5 Apr 1534 - Jan Matthys. During the Münster rebellion, this Anabaptist leader declared that the apocalypse would take place on this day. When the day came he led a failed attack against Franz von Waldeck and was decapitated.1555 - Pierre d'Ailly. Around 1400, this French theologian wrote that 6845 years of human history had already passed, and the end of the world would be in the 7000th year.1585 - Michael Servetus. In his book The Restoration of Christianity, the Spanish born reformer claimed that the Devil's reign in this world had started in 325 AD, at the Council of Nicea, and would last for 1260 years, thus ending in 1585.1588 - Regiomontanus. This mathematician and astronomer predicted the end of the world during this year.1600 - Martin Luther. Luther, a German priest and professor of theology, predicted the end of the world would occur no later than 1600.1 Feb 1624 - London astrologers. The same astrologers who predicted the deluge of 1 February 1524 recalculated the date to 100 years later after their first prophecy failed.1648 - Sabbatai Zevi. Using the kabbalah proclaimed that the Messiah would come during that year. Later claimed to be the Messiah in 1666-71651 - Unknown author from Lübeck, Germany. The apocalypse maps tell of an Antichrist, the rise of Islam and other events following Judgement Day that was predicted to occur in 1651.1654 - Helisaeus Roeslin. This physician made a prediction that the world would end this year based on a nova that occurred in 1572.1656 - Christopher Columbus. In his Book of Prophecies (1501), Columbus predicted that the world would end during this year.1655–1657 - Fifth Monarchists. This group of radical Christians predicted that the final apocalyptic battle and the destruction of the Antichrist were to take place between 1655 and 1657.1658 - Christopher Columbus. Columbus claimed that the world was created in 5343 BCE, and would last 7000 years. Assuming no year zero, that means the end would come in 1658.1660 - Joseph Mede. Mede claimed that the Antichrist had appeared in 456, and the end would come in 1660.1666 - Sabbatai Zevi. Following his failed prediction of 1648, Zevi recalculated the end of the Earth for this year.1673 - William Aspinwall. This Fifth Monarchist claimed the Millennium would begin by this year.1688 - John Napier. This mathematician calculated the end of the world would be this year based on calculations from the Book of Revelation.1689 - Pierre Jurieu. This prophet predicted that Judgement Day would occur this year.1694 - John Mason. This Anglican priest predicted the Millennium would begin by this year.1694 - Johann Heinrich Alsted. This Calvinist minister predicted the Millennium would begin by this year.1694 - Johann Jacob Zimmermann. Believed that Jesus would return and the world would end this year.1697 - Cotton Mather. This Puritan minister predicted the world would end this year. After the prediction failed, he revised the date of the end two more times.1700 - John Napier. Following his 1688 prediction, Napier recalculated his end of the world prediction to 1700 in A Plaine Discovery, a book published in 1593.1700 - Henry Archer. In his 1642 work, The Personall Reigne of Christ Upon Earth, Archer predicted the Second Coming of Jesus would occur in approximately this year.1705–1708 - Camisards. Camisard prophets predicted the end of the world would occur in either 1705, 1706 or 1708.1716 - Cotton Mather, Revised prediction from Mather after his 1697 prediction failed to come true.5 Apr 1719 - Jacob Bernoulli. This mathematician predicted a comet would destroy the Earth on this day.1700–1734 - Nicholas of Cusa. This cardinal predicted the end would occur between 1700 and 1734.16 Oct 1736 - William Whiston. This theologian predicted a comet colliding with the Earth this year.1736 - Cotton Mather. Mather's third and final prediction for the end of the world.1757 - Emanuel Swedenborg. Swedenborg, a former Lutheran, claimed that the Last Judgement occurred in the spiritual world this year.19 May 1780 - Connecticut General Assembly members, New Englanders. The sky turning dark during the day was interpreted as a sign of the end times. The primary cause of the event is believed to have been a combination of smoke from forest fires, a thick fog, and cloud cover.1789 - Pierre d'Ailly. The year 1789 would bring the coming of the Antichrist, according to this 14th-century cardinal.1792 - Shakers. The Shakers, a Christian sect founded in 18th century England, predicted the world would end in 1792 and then in 1794.19 Nov 1795 - Nathaniel Brassey Halhed. While campaigning for Richard Brothers' release, Halhead proclaimed that the world would end on this day.1793–1795 - Richard Brothers. This retired sailor stated the Millennium would begin between 1793 and 1795. He was eventually committed to an insane asylum.1805 - Christopher Love. This Presbyterian minister predicted the destruction of the world by earthquake in 1805, followed by an age of everlasting peace when God would be known by all.1806 - Mary Bateman. In Leeds, England, in 1806 a hen began laying eggs on which the phrase "Christ is coming" was written. Eventually it was discovered to be a hoax. The owner, Mary Bateman, had written on the eggs in a corrosive ink so as to etch the eggs, and reinserted the eggs back into the hen's oviduct.19 Oct 1814 - Joanna Southcott. This 64-year-old self-described prophet claimed she was pregnant with the Christ child, and that he would be born on October 19, 1814. She died later that year having not delivered a child, and an autopsy proved she had not been pregnant.1836 - Johann Albrecht Bengel. In the 1730s this Lutheran clergyman proclaimed that Judgment Day would come in 1836, with the pope as the anti-Christ and the Freemasons representing the "false prophet" of Revelations.1836 - John Wesley. Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, foresaw the Millennium beginning this year. He wrote that Revelation 12:14 referred to 1058 to 1836, "when Christ should come".28 Apr 1843 - Millerites. Although it was not officially endorsed by their leadership, many Millerites expected the Second Coming to occur on April 28 or at the end of 1843.1843- Harriet Livermore. The first of two years this preacher predicted the world would end.21 Mar 1844 - William Miller. Miller, a Baptist preacher, predicted Christ would return on this day.22 Oct 1844 - Millerites. After Christ did not return on 21 March 1844, the Millerites then revised William Miller's prediction to 22 October that year, claiming to have miscalculated Scripture. The realization that the predictions were incorrect resulted in the Great Disappointment.7 Aug 1847 - George Rapp. Rapp, the founder of the Harmony Society, preached that Jesus would return in his lifetime, even as he lay dying on August 7, 1847.1847 - Harriet Livermore. The second prediction of the end of the world from this preacher.1862 - John Cumming. This Scottish clergyman stated it was 6000 years since creation in 1862, and that the world would end.1682 - Joseph Morris. Originally an English convert to Mormonism, Morris had revelations to gather his followers and wait for the Second Coming, through successive prophesied days.1863 - John Wroe. The founder of the Christian Israelite Church calculated that the Millennium would begin this year.1873 - Jonas Wendell. In 1870, Wendell published his views in the booklet entitled The Present Truth, or Meat in Due Season concluding that the Second Advent was sure to occur in 1873.1874 - Charles Taze Russell. This Christian minister predicted the return of Jesus to occur in 1874, and after this date reinterpreted the prediction to say that Jesus had indeed returned in invisible form.1881 - Mother Shipton (attrib.) This 15th-century prophet was quoted as saying "The world to an end shall come, In eighteen hundred and eighty one" in a book published in 1862. In 1873 it was revealed to be a forgery; however, this did not stop some people from expecting the end.1890 - Wovoka. The founder of the Ghost Dance movement predicted in 1889 that the Millennium would occur in 1890.1901 - Catholic Apostolic Church. This church, founded in 1831, claimed that Jesus would return by the time the last of its 12 founding members died. The last member died in 1901.23 Apr 08 - Michael Paget Baxter. The last of numerous apocalyptic predictions by this Anglican evangelist and author; this prediction was published in 1894.1910 - Camille Flammarion. Flammarion predicted that the 1910 appearance of Halley's Comet "would impregnate that atmosphere and possibly snuff out all life on the planet", but not the planet itself. "Comet pills" were sold to protect against toxic gases.1892–1911 - Charles Piazzi Smyth. This pyramidologist concluded from his research on the dimensions of the Great Pyramid of Giza that the Second Coming would occur somewhere between 1892 and 1911.1914 - Charles Taze Russell. Russell said "...the battle of the great day of God Almighty... The date of the close of that 'battle' is definitely marked in Scripture as October 1914. It is already in progress, its beginning dating from October, 1874."1915 - John Chilembwe. This Baptist educator and leader of a rebellion in the British protectorate of Nyasaland predicted the Millennium would begin this year.1918 - International Bible Students Association. "Christendom shall be cut off and glorification of the Little Flock (The Church) in the Spring of 1918 A. D."1920 - International Bible Students Association. In 1918, Christendom would go down as a system to oblivion and be succeeded by revolutionary governments. God would "destroy the churches wholesale and the church members by the millions." Church members would "perish by the sword of war, revolution and anarchy." The dead would lie unburied. In 1920 all earthly governments would disappear, with worldwide anarchy prevailing.13 Feb 25 - Margaret Rowen. According to this Seventh-Day Adventist, the angel Gabriel appeared before her in a vision and told her that the world would end at midnight on this date.1926 - Spencer Perceval. This British MP, who was one of the 12 apostles of the Catholic Apostolic Church, believed that the world was growing nearer to the Apocalypse due to what he viewed as the rampant immorality of the times in Europe.Sep 35 - Wilbur Glenn Voliva. This evangelist announced that "the world is going to go 'puff' and disappear" in September 1935.1936 - Herbert W. Armstrong. The founder of the Worldwide Church of God told members of his church that the Rapture was to take place in 1936, and that only they would be saved. After the prophecy failed, he changed the date three more times.1941 - Jehovah's Witnesses. A prediction of the end from the Jehovah's Witnesses, a group which branched from the Bible Student movement.1943 - Herbert W. Armstrong. The first of three revised dates from Armstrong after his 1936 prediction failed to come true.1947 - John Ballou Newbrough. The author of Oahspe: A New Bible foresaw the destruction of all nations and the beginning of post-apocalyptic anarchy in this year.21 Dec 54 - Dorothy Martin. The world was to be destroyed by terrible flooding on this date, claimed this leader of a UFO cult called Brotherhood of the Seven Rays. The fallout of the group after the prediction failed was the basis for the 1956 book When Prophecy Fails.22 Apr 59 - Florence Houteff. The second prophet of the Branch Davidians predicted the apocalypse foretold in the Book of Revelation would proceed on this date. The failure of the prophecy led to the split of the sect into several subsects, the most prominent led by Benjamin and Lois Roden.04 Feb 62 - Jeane Dixon, various Indian astrologers. Dixon predicted a planetary alignment on this day was to bring destruction to the world. Mass prayer meetings were held in India.20 Aug 67 - George Van Tassel. This day would mark the beginning of the third woe of the Apocalypse, during which the southeastern US would be destroyed by a Soviet nuclear attack, according to this UFO prophet, who claimed to have channeled an alien named Ashtar.1967 - Jim Jones. The founder of the People's Temple stated he had visions that a nuclear holocaust was to take place in 1967.09 Aug 69 - George Williams. The founder of the Church of the Firstborn predicted the Second Coming of Christ would occur on this day.1969 - Charles Manson. Manson predicted that Helter skelter, an apocalyptic race war, would occur in 1969.1972 - Herbert W. Armstrong. The second of three revised dates from Armstrong after his 1936 and 1943 predictions failed to come true.Jan 74 - David Berg. Berg, the leader of Children of God, predicted that there would be a colossal doomsday event heralded by Comet Kohoutek.1975 - Herbert W. Armstrong. Armstrong's fourth and final prediction.1975 - Jehovah's Witnesses. From 1966 on, Jehovah's Witnesses published articles which stated that the fall of 1975 would be 6000 years since man's creation, and suggested that Armageddon could be finished by then.1976 - Brahma Kumaris. The Brahma Kumaris founder, Lekhraj Kirpalani, has made a number of predictions of a global Armageddon which the religion believes it will inspire, internally calling it "Destruction". During Destruction, Brahma Kumari leaders teach the world will be purified, all of the rest of humanity killed by nuclear or civil wars and natural disasters which will include the sinking of all other continents except India.1977 - John Wroe. The founder of the Christian Israelite Church predicted this year for Armageddon to occur.1977 - William M. Branham. This Christian minister predicted the Rapture would occur no later than 1977.17 Feb 79 - Roch Thériault. Thériault, who called himself Moïse (Moses), led a commune in the wilderness of eastern Quebec in the late seventies. Formerly a Seventh-Day Adventist, he told his group they would form the center of a new society during God's 1000 year reign following Armageddon.1980 - Leland Jensen.In 1978 Jensen predicted that there would be a nuclear disaster in 1980, followed by two decades of conflict, culminating in God's Kingdom being established on Earth.1981 - Chuck Smith. The founder of Calvary Chapel predicted the generation of 1948 would be the last generation, and that the world would end by 1981. Smith identified that he "could be wrong" but continued to say in the same sentence that his prediction was "a deep conviction in my heart, and all my plans are predicated upon that belief."Apr–Jun 1982 - Tara Centers. Full-page ads in many newspapers April 24 and 25, 1982, stated that "The Christ is Now Here!" and that he would make himself known "within the next two months".10 Mar 82 - John Gribbin, Stephen Plagemann. Gribbin, an astrophysicist, co-authored the 1974 book The Jupiter Effect which predicted that combined gravitational forces of aligned planets would create a number of catastrophes, including a great earthquake on the San Andreas Fault.21 Jun 82 - Benjamin Creme. Creme took out an ad in the Los Angeles Times stating that the Second Coming would occur in June 1982 with the Maitreya announcing it on worldwide television.1982 - Pat Robertson. In late 1976 on his 700 Club TV programme, Robertson predicted that the end of the world would come in this year.1985 - Lester Sumrall. This minister predicted the end in this year, even writing a book about it entitled I Predict 1985.29 Apr 86 - Leland Jensen. Jensen predicted that Halley's Comet would be pulled into Earth's orbit on this day, causing widespread destruction.17 Aug 87 - José Argüelles. Argüelles claimed that Armageddon would take place unless 144,000 people gathered in certain places across the world in order to "resonate in harmony" on this day.11–13 Sep 1988 - Edgar C. Whisenant. Whisenant predicted in his book 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988 that the Rapture of the Christian Church would occur between September 11 and 13, 1988. After his September predictions failed to come true, Whisenant revised his prediction date to October 3.30 Sep 89 - Edgar C. Whisenant. After all his 1988 predictions failed to come true, Whisenant revised his prediction date to this day.23 Apr 90 - Elizabeth Clare Prophet. Prophet predicted a nuclear war would start on this day, with the world ending 12 years later, leading her followers to stockpile a shelter with supplies and weapons. Later, after Prophet's prediction did not come to pass, she was diagnosed with epilepsy and Alzheimer's disease.09 Sep 91 - Menachem Mendel Schneerson. This Russian-born rabbi called for the Messiah to come by the start of the Jewish New Year.1991 - Louis Farrakhan. The leader of the Nation of Islam declared that the Gulf War would be the "War of Armageddon which is the final war."28 Sep 92 - Rollen Stewart. This born-again Christian predicted the Rapture would take place on this day.28 Oct 92. Lee Jang Rim. Lee, the leader of the Dami Mission church, predicted the rapture would occur on this day.1993 - David Berg. Berg predicted the tribulation would start in 1989 and that the Second Coming would take place in 1993.02 May 94 - Neal Chase. This Bahá'í sect leader predicted that New York City would be destroyed by a nuclear bomb on March 23, 1994, and the Battle of Armageddon would take place 40 days later.06 Sep 94 - Harold Camping. Camping predicted the Rapture would occur on 6 September 1994. When it failed to occur he revised the date to the 29th of September and then to the 2nd October.29 Sep 94 - Camping’s revised figure02 Oct 94 - Camping’s third revised figure31 Mar 95 - Harold Camping. Camping's fourth predicted date for the end. This would be Camping's last prediction until 2011.17 Dec 96 - Sheldan Nidle. Californian psychic Sheldan Nidle predicted that the world would end on this date, with the arrival of 16 million space ships and a host of angels.26 Mar 97 - Marshall Applewhite. Applewhite, leader of the Heaven's Gate cult, claimed that a spacecraft was trailing the Comet Hale-Bopp and argued that suicide was "the only way to evacuate this Earth" so that the cult members' souls could board the supposed craft and be taken to another "level of existence above human". Applewhite and 38 of his followers committed mass suicide.10 Aug 97 - Aggai. The 1st-century bishop of Edessa predicted this date to be the birth date of the Antichrist and the end of the universe.23 Oct 97 - James Ussher. This 17th-century Irish archbishop predicted this date to be 6000 years since creation, and therefore the end of the world.31 Mar 98 - Hon-Ming ChenChen, leader of the Taiwanese cult Chen Tao – "The True Way" – claimed that God would come to Earth in a flying saucer at 10:00 am on this date.Jul 99 - Nostradamus. A quatrain by Nostradamus which stated the "King of Terror" would come from the sky in "1999 and seven months" was frequently interpreted as a prediction of doomsday in July 1999.18 Aug 99 - The Amazing Criswell. The predicted date of the end of the world, according to this psychic well known for predictions.11 Sep 99 - Philip Berg. Berg, dean of the worldwide Kabbalah Centre, stated that on this date "a ball of fire will descend, destroying almost all of mankind, all vegetation, all forms of life."1999 - Charles Berlitz. This linguist predicted the end would occur in this year. He did not predict how it would occur, stating that it might involve nuclear devastation, asteroid impact, pole shift or other Earth changes.1999 - Hon-Ming Chen. The leader of the cult Chen Tao preached that a nuclear holocaust would destroy Europe and Asia in 1999.1999 - James Gordon Lindsay. This preacher predicted the great tribulation would begin before 2000.1999 - Timothy Dwight IV. This 19th century president of Yale University foresaw Christ's Millennium starting by 2000.1999 - Nazim Al-Haqqani. This Sufi Muslim sheikh predicted that the Last Judgment would occur before 2000.01 Jan 00 - Credonia Mwerinde, Joseph Kibweteere. An estimated 778 followers of this Ugandan religious movement perished in a devastating fire and a series of poisonings and killings that were either a group suicide or an orchestrated mass murder by group leaders after their predictions of the apocalypse failed to come about.2000 - Jerry Falwell. Falwell foresaw God pouring out his judgement on the world on this day.2000 - Tim LaHaye, Jerry B. Jenkins. These Christian authors stated that the Y2K bug would trigger global economic chaos, which the Antichrist would use to rise to power. As the date approached, however, they changed their minds.2000 - Various. During and before 1999 there was widespread predictions of a Y2K computer bug that would crash many computers on midnight of January 1, 2000 and cause malfunctions leading to major catastrophes worldwide, and that society would cease to function.06 Apr 00 - James Harmston. The leader of the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days predicted the Second Coming of Christ would occur on this day.05 May 00 - Nuwaubian Nation. This movement claimed that the planetary lineup would cause a "star holocaust", pulling the planets toward the Sun on this day.2000 - Peter Olivi. This 13th-century theologian wrote that the Antichrist would come to power between 1300 and 1340, and the Last Judgement would take place around 2000.2000 - Ruth Montgomery. This self-described Christian psychic predicted the Earth's axis would shift and the Antichrist would reveal himself in this year.2000 - Edgar Cayce. This psychic predicted the Second Coming would occur this year.2000- Sun Myung Moon. The founder of the Unification Church predicted the Kingdom of Heaven would be established in this year.2000 - Ed Dobson. This pastor predicted the end would occur in his book The End: Why Jesus Could Return by A.D. 2000.2000 - Lester Sumrall. This minister predicted the end in his book I Predict 2000.2000 - Jonathan Edwards. This 18th-century preacher predicted that Christ's thousand-year reign would begin in this year.2001 - Tynnetta Muhammad. This columnist for the Nation of Islam predicted the end would occur in this year.27 May 03 - Nancy Lieder. Lieder originally predicted the date for the Nibiru collision as May 2003. According to her website, aliens in the Zeta Reticuli star system told her through messages via a brain implant of a planet which would enter the solar system and cause a pole shift on Earth that would destroy most of humanity.30 Oct–Nov 29 2003 - Aum Shinrikyo. This Japanese cult, which carried out the Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995, predicted the world would be destroyed by a nuclear war between 30 October and 29 November 2003.12 Sep 06 - House of Yahweh. Yisrayl Hawkins, pastor and overseer of The House of Yahweh, predicted in his February 2006 newsletter that a nuclear war would begin on September 12, 2006.29 Apr 07 - Pat Robertson. In his 1990 book The New Millennium, Robertson suggests this date as the day of Earth's destruction.May 08 - Pyotr Kuznetsov. Followers of Kuznetsov, 31 adults and 4 children (one 18 months old), went into a cave in Russia in November 2007 thinking they would be safe from an apocalypse occurring in the spring. Kuzentsov did not join them, was later committed and attempted suicide when some had left the cave in the spring. By the time all the followers had left the cave in the spring, two adults had died.2010 - Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This magical organization, which existed from 1887 to 1903, predicted the world would end during this year.21 May 11 - Harold Camping. Camping predicted that the Rapture and devastating earthquakes would occur on 21 May 2011, with God taking approximately 3% of the world's population into Heaven, and that the end of the world would occur five months later on October 21.29 Sep 11 - Ronald Weinland. Weinland, the founder of the Church of God Preparing for the Kingdom of God, stated Jesus would return on this day. After his prophecy failed to come true he changed the date to 27 May 2012.21 Oct 11 - Harold Camping. When his original prediction failed to come about, Camping revised his prediction and said that on May 21, a "Spiritual Judgment" took place, and that both the physical Rapture and the end of the world would occur on 21 October 2011.Aug–Oct 2011 - Various. There were fears amongst the public that Comet Elenin travelling almost directly between Earth and the Sun would cause disturbances to the Earth's crust, causing massive earthquakes and tidal waves. Others predicted that Elenin would collide with Earth on October 16. Scientists tried to calm fears by stating that none of these events were possible.27 May 12 - Ronald Weinland. Weinland's revised date for the return of Jesus following the failure of his 2011 prediction.30 Jun 12 - José Luis de Jesús. This cult leader predicted that the world's governments and economies would fail on this day, and that he and his followers would undergo a transformation that would allow them to fly and walk through walls.21 Dec 12 - Various. The 2012 phenomenon predicted the world would end at the end of the 13th b'ak'tun. The Earth would be destroyed by an asteroid, Nibiru, or some other interplanetary object; an alien invasion; or a supernova. Mayanist scholars stated that no extant classic Maya accounts forecasted impending doom, and that the idea that the Long Count calendar ends in 2012 misrepresented Maya history and culture. Scientists from NASA, along with expert archaeologists, stated that none of those events was possible.23 Aug 13 - Grigori Rasputin. Rasputin, a Russian mystic who died in 1916, prophesied a storm would take place on this day where fire would destroy most life on land and Jesus would come back to Earth to comfort those in distress.Apr 2014–Sep 2015 - John Hagee, Mark Biltz. The so-called blood moon prophecy, first predicted by Mark Biltz in 2008 and then by John Hagee in 2014. These Christian ministers claim that the tetrad in 2014 and 2015 may represent the beginning of the Messianic end times. Some Mormons in Utah combined the September 2015 blood moon with other signs, causing a large increase in sales of preppers survival supplies.23 Sep–15 Oct 2017 - David Meade. Conspiracy theorist David Meade predicted that Nibiru would become visible in the sky and would "soon" destroy the Earth.23 Apr 18 - David Meade. After his 2017 prediction failed, Meade predicted the rapture would take place and that the world would end on this date.