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The Inquisition is nowadays regarded as one of the most oppressive religious movements in history. Even though the Catholic Church of today had a hard time admitting the existence of such a terrifying ecclesiastic tribunal (some Catholic authorities are still denying the Inquisition really existed), many people agree that they their confession provided little information about the religious oppression.

Essentially, the more you read about the practices of the Inquisitors and their fight against heresy throughout Europe, the more questions pop out in your head. Let’s present the top ten recursive legitimate questions to which modern society demands answers regarding the Inquisition.

1. What does the term “Inquisition” refer to?

Even though most people think that the Inquisition referred to a single unitary institution, the truth is that it constituted a gathering of the independent tribunals, mostly local. Most of these tribunals were not conducting trials under the authority of the Papacy until much later on, when the Pope implemented a nominal control service. Nonetheless, the rules governing the local tribunals were always in accordance with the laws, culture and political powers of the region.

2. Why was the Inquisition banning books?

During the Middle Ages, the Inquisition was censoring books and pamphlets, most of which shared divergent opinions from the views of the Catholic Church. The Index of Forbidden Books promulgated by the Vatican engulfed numerous valorous manuscripts and additional books were added to it on a constant basis. Even though it was finally abolished in 1966, it is necessary to mention that the current Pope manifested some concerned regarding the bad teachings and seductions present in popular book series Harry Potter. On a side note this view is shared by the Islamist religious leaders.

3. How long did the Inquisition operate in Europe?

Considering that the official implementation of the Inquisition is recorded in the 11th century and the Spanish Inquisition was abolished around the 19th century, the persecution and enforcement of the Catholic religion lasted for approximately 700 years. However, this is just for the section of the Inquisition dealing with the Judaic religion; the Roman Inquisition, meaning the one fighting against the Reformation, ended in the 20th century.

4. How many people were tortured and executed by the Inquisition?

Numerous atheists, humanist and agnostics today strongly believe that the only one entity capable of revealing the real number of the victims who fell prey to the barbaric practices of the Inquisition is the Catholic Church. In spite of the fact that most inquisitors were excellent record-keepers, it appears that most documentations regarding the trials, condemnations and punishments vanished into thin air. On a side note, the few papers remaining from those ages indicate that most of the executions and tortures were carried out in the first 50 years.

5. Did the Inquisition have anything to do with the late modernization of Spain?

At the point of the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition, the Spanish Empire was just as modern as it French and English counterparts. However, once the Inquisition started expelling Jews (many of them highly trained professionals) from Spain and enforced censorships on intellectual inquiries of all kinds, the Empire’s modernization decelerated considerably.

More questions than answers. The old cliche has never been so widely felt than in the minds of “Prometheus” moviegoers emerging from the darkness of their local theater. In many ways, this was exactly the intent of director Ridley Scott and scriptwriters Damon Lindelof and Jon Spaihts. It’s not simply a postmodern urge to provide randomness; the ambiguity that engages the audience at the deepest level has been a goal of thought-provoking filmmakers throughout movie history (as well as, intentionally or not, some notably bad filmmakers as well).

Still, it can be pretty frustrating when the credits start to roll and you’re thinking “what?” There’s a definite tendency to feel cheated, manipulated, and unsatisfied. Let’s examine some of the bigger questions, both about the narrative itself and about the status of the film. I don’t promise any answers, but hopefully I’ll at least avoid creating more questions.

1. Why “Prometheus?”

Quick mythology lesson: Prometheus was a Titan who stole the fire of the gods to give to humans. The character became a symbol for human potential, especially scientific endeavors, but there was always the sense that such things could go terribly wrong… like when Zeus got mad at Prometheus and chained him to a rock with a bird picking out his guts for all eternity (Zeus really didn’t want us to have fire, I guess). The idea of Prometheus symbolizing science gone too far was cemented by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which was subtitled “The Modern Prometheus.”

2. What’s up with Lawrence of Arabia?

That’s an easy one. David empathizes with Peter O’Toole being the “lone white man among the natives,” apart and yet essential, superior in cultivation but lacking a necessary element that is possessed naturally by everyone around him. If this brings to mind “Blade Runner’s” aesthetically contemplative Roy Batty, it’s no mistake; Fassbender studied Rutger Hauer’s performance to prepare for Prometheus.

3. What’s up with the “black goo”?

Hmm, it’s a substance which possesses some unpredictable combination of poisonous, evolutionary, disintegrating and/or zombifying effects. There are parallels all over movie history, from Magneto’s mutagenic rays in the first installment of the “X-Men” trilogy to the time-traveling zombie juice of John Carpenter’s “Prince of Darkness.” You could even make a case for the alien Macguffins of “Repo Man” and “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.” The chief mystery is why the opening-sequence Engineer drank black goo to disintegrate (no monsterisms!), and who among the characters had secret info and motivations concerning the black goo.

4. What’s up with David’s conversation with the Engineer?

Something that was said got the Engineer all riled up, but nobody really knows what it is… except Ridley Scott, and he refuses to pass along the translation. I think we can rule out “I come in peace” or “yo momma so ugly”, but I’m at a loss to speculate further. Take one inscrutable android and one unknown language, and it could have been just about anything.

5. Why jump in with all guns a ‘blazing?
You just spent how long in stasis, crossing how many light-years of space, on your way to the distant moon of LV-223? Now that you’ve arrived, I’ve got a good idea! How about you land next to the biggest alien artifact you can find and barge in the front door? Who needs caution or restraint in the depths of space? One thing that movie clichés have taught me is this course of action never ends well for the landing party. Perhaps in the year 2093 there are no longer any more horror movies for our protagonists to learn from?

Many parents stumble when asked math and science questions by their children. They are unsure of the answers. This articles looks at 10 questions many parents fear to answer. It also examines how parents can approach to answer the tough questions.

1. Where do babies come from?

This is a question that is consistently asked by curious and inquisitive children. Many parents find very unusual and inaccurate answers. The best way to answer this question is to use resources that are age appropriate.

2. Why is the moon visible during the day?

Many parents do not know the answer to this question when asked by children. Not many of us would know the answer either unless we have researched it. The reason for this is because of the moon’s rotation and the role the sun plays in lifting it.

3. Why is the sky blue?

We may have been asked this question numerous times. We feel stumped on this question with no concrete answer. The true answer is because of the light (of many colors) is divided into particles in the atmosphere. Blue light is sent out more than the other colors.

4. Will aliens be ever discovered?

Children are fascinated by aliens. They believe that aliens exist in this world and can invade earth at any time. This is a question that really cannot be answered. One thing parents could mention is the possibility of life on Mars. They could also add how it is far from earth and not easily accessible.

5. How do airplanes fly?

This is a question that is pretty easy to answer. Airplanes fly because of the upward lift and its curved shape of the wings. The cycle of the air above and below the wings allows a plane to fly.

Sex Ed classes are the most popular classes amongst children in middle school. It is here that many students begin to understand the meaning of sex and conception. Students and adolescents are intuitive. They explore things and desire to know the answers.

Preteens are no different. An 8 year old boy borrows books from the library on conception, how babies are born and other sex ed topics. Once boys hit puberty, they sometimes compare the size of their penises in the change rooms.

For girls, things are different. Issues are more serious surrounding HPV, cervical and ovarian cancers. Sex ed revolves around preventative measures females could take to prevent such occurrences.

However, what are some questions students ask in sex ed classes? Let’s take a look at the top 10 atypical questions in Sex Ed classes.

1. How do Same Sex Families Function?

In 2010, Ontario Sex Ed classrooms were almost expanded to include topics like same sex families and homosexuality. Many students are quite aware of issues surrounding them. In fact, they asked questions relating to same sex families and their statuses.

2. What is Transgendered?

Many adolescents and preteens are aware of transgendered individuals. In fact, many were wondering the status of Lady Gaga’s identity and what XXY Chromosome was. The video telephone introduced this topic before students entered the classroom.

3. Why do big airplanes not have little airplanes?

Many preteens do not understand the whole sexual process. They ask questions which sometimes stun others. My friend told me that when he asked a flight attendant this question, she simply replied that big airplanes know when to pull out in time. This is not a typical question and answer you would see on an airplane.

4. Can you get STD from touching?

Many adolescents and preteens are not quite concerned about STDs. They may have heard about AIDS, but never indulged in learning about other STDS. They sometimes would have questions relating to touching. I think one individual asked whether he could get STD from sitting on a public toilet.

5. How do I masturbate?

I was surprised to be asked this question. In fact, I was blown out of proportion by this question. The student believed that a sexual position was masturbation. I really did not want to know where he learned the sexual position, so I stopped after my brief explanation.

The epilogue to Harry Potter was vague and missed a number of topics many fans still have questions lingering. Here are 10 questions that pop into fans heads after finishing the books. Many interviews were really a lame way for Rowling to stop from admitting her faults.

1. What happened immediately after Voldemort’s fall?

What was the reconstruction like? Hogwarts and the ministry of magic was totally destructed. Who took leadership? The questions should have been answered in book and not in an interview on television.

2. What happened to George after Fred died?

Nothing was ever mentioned about George and how he coped with his twin’s death. Those who are die hard fans of Harry Potter will never know as the epilogue was only a couple of pages long.

3. What happened to the remaining death eaters?

The death eaters committed various crimes including murder. Nothing in the book made mention of their punishments. Justice was never served for those wanting it.

4. What was done to prevent dark magic from reoccurring?

I am sure many wizards and witches learned from the error of the Voldemort period. Many, like myself, wonder what preventative measures were taken to prevent such a catastrophe from occurring.

5. What happened to Teddy?

We briefly see Teddy in the epilogue, already a teenager. How has his orphaned life changed him? Who raised him after his parents were murdered? No mention was made in the book.