> Hi, all. I have a project I'd like you to help me with. I need some statistical data, so it would be keen if you'd all take a minute or six to answer the following five questions. Be as terse or an verbose as you wish. And it would help if you didn't read any other responses before responding. Again, thank you for your time.
>
> 1. Who is/was the Ayatollah Khomeini?
>
He was a particularly nasty Irani leader during the 80's, I think. He founded the Islamic Republic of Iran. He was also responsible for that troublesome hostage crisis.

> 2. Is there a difference between the Republic of China and the Peoples' Republic of China? If so, what is it?
>
The People's Republic of China is the communist government of the Chinese mainland. Interestingly, while the "People's" part is a popular communist prefix, the Chinese government often has nothing to do with its people.

The Republic of China is commonly referred to as Taiwan. It was formed when Chiang Kai-Shek and his nationalist party were driven off the mainland by Mao Ze-Dong and the then-rapidly advancing Communist Party. The nationalists moved to Taiwan, a remote Chinese province(I think), declared independence from China and set up their own republic. The PRC regards China as a wayward province and wants it to return to Chinese rule. I have no idea about the United States' policy on China with regards to its postion towards Taiwan.

> 3. Is paganism a religion? If so, why? If not, why not?
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Not being a "pagan," I don't consider myself an expert on this topic, but I think "pagan" is term with awfully negative connotations. Personally, I think paganism is descrbed as any religion not considered "mainstream." The reason I say this is because that Buddhism for example, while not called paganism, doesn't coincide with Judeo-Christian-Islamic beliefs.

> 4. Was the Setpember 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the United States (committed by the Arab terrorist group Al Qaeda) a response to the United States' pro-Israel Middle East policy? If so, why? If not, why not?
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I think Al Qaeda is upset at the US for mucking around in the Middle East in general. The way I see it, Afghans hold a grudge against us for interfering in their war against the Soviets, then stepping out without helping them rebuild their government. Add that to Islamic ill feeling for our occupation of Saudi Arabia, site of many holy Islamic places, and US-Israeli relations just pushes them over the line.

> 5. What is the meaning of life?

The purpose of life is to bring purpose to the lives of others. I believe that by sharing my own beliefs without trying to force them on others, I bring meaning to my own life.