Women’s Education Pre and Post Taliban *

Sep 11th, 2007 | Filed by

One of the Taliban’s edicts in 1997 called for a nationwide ban on public education for all women and girls.… Read the rest



Launch of the Committee for Ex-Muslims *

Sep 11th, 2007 | Filed by

Similar organisations have started across Europe; reps from the UK and Germany will join the launch.… Read the rest



Secularist Ignored by Academy Steering Group *

Sep 11th, 2007 | Filed by

Steering group for C of E-sponsored academy refuses to talk to secularist critic.… Read the rest



A C Grayling on Ghettoes of Superstition *

Sep 11th, 2007 | Filed by

Government’s desire for social cohesion will be negated by keeping children in competing ghettoes of superstition. … Read the rest



The Long and Noble Tradition of ‘Faith’ Schools *

Sep 11th, 2007 | Filed by

The noble thing to do would be to stop taking public money for the purpose of indoctrinating children.… Read the rest



Ronald Dworkin on the Jacobin Supreme Court *

Sep 10th, 2007 | Filed by

The revolution is proceeding with breathtaking impatience; it is Jacobin in its disdain for tradition and precedent. … Read the rest



Hussein Ibish on Sense, Nonsense and Strategy *

Sep 10th, 2007 | Filed by

Why do some on the Arab left support the Muslim far right?… Read the rest



Arthur Danto on Richard Rorty *

Sep 10th, 2007 | Filed by

The writing is a kind of performance, the purpose of which is to dramatize philosophy’s impotence. … Read the rest



‘Faith’ Schools Will Improve Cohesion *

Sep 10th, 2007 | Filed by

Or separation. One of those.… Read the rest



What Would Jesus Surf? *

Sep 10th, 2007 | Filed by

Welcome to the Jesus Surf Classic, for those who are into waves, God, baggy shorts, and crucifixes.… Read the rest



On fundamentalism

Sep 10th, 2007 11:18 am | By

Curious about the latest rash of misrepresentations of Dawkins, I’ve been re-reading The God Delusion in order to compare what he says with what people like John Cornwell and Mark Vernon claim he says.

First of all there’s the ‘he ignores sophisticated theology’ complaint, the ‘God is not an old guy in the sky, God is the ground of all fzzzwrkklppp’ complaint. He says right at the outset that he’s not talking about the more rarefied or ‘sophisticated’ ideas of god. Page 20:

My title, The God Delusion, does not refer to the God of Einstein and the other enlightened scientists…In the rest of this book I am talking only about supernatural gods, of which the most familiar to

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Militant tendency

Sep 9th, 2007 4:09 pm | By

Not everyone who reads this page reads comments, so I’ll comment a little on Mark Vernon’s reply to He doubted doubt out here.

Did I ever say that atheists per se can’t do doubt? It’s the militant sort that apparently find uncertainty so offensive in relation to religion – hence, for example, the argument that a liberal faith is a cover for religious terrorism. But since, obviously, you won’t believe me, try Julian Baggini’s Very Short Introduction for a reference on why this matters to the state of atheism, let alone anything else.

I have tried Julian’s book (and have said good things about it here), and I’ve known him to use the modifier ‘militant’ of atheists in other places … Read the rest



Extremes meet – or not

Sep 9th, 2007 12:31 pm | By

As Jean Kazez mentioned in comments, Mark Vernon has an article in TPM about doubt and agnosticism. He does indeed, and I disagree with much of it, in some places quite strongly. I always did, but I kept it to myself.

First he was a priest, then he became an atheist. And then –

I found I was actually becoming an agnostic. Over time, I came to feel that the triumphalism that too often seems to be part and parcel of atheism entails a poverty of spirit that is detrimental to our humanity. It tends to ignore or ridicule the “big” questions of life – those questions of existence that are natural to ask, if never finding conclusive answers –

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Parody Dawkins Review on the Valve *

Sep 9th, 2007 | Filed by

Dawkins cannot afford to entertain the possibility that Fascism fills a deep-seated need in people.… Read the rest



Swedish PM Meets With Muslim Ambassadors *

Sep 9th, 2007 | Filed by

‘Causing offence does not belong to the concept of freedom of speech,’ said Iran’s ambassador.… Read the rest



‘Embrace Islam’ Says Persuasive Mass Murderer *

Sep 9th, 2007 | Filed by

No thanks.… Read the rest



Pope Demands Respect for Sunday *

Sep 9th, 2007 | Filed by

Tuesday and Thursday are offended, Wednesday is an apostate, Monday has become a Mormon.… Read the rest



Stephen Law on Galileo and Bruno *

Sep 9th, 2007 | Filed by

They were hauled before the Inquisition for their scientific views as well as their theological views.… Read the rest



Battle of Ideas: The Resurrection of Religion *

Sep 9th, 2007 | Filed by

Stephen Law, Frank Furedi, Ruth Gledhill. October 27, Upper Gilbenkian Theatre, the RCA, London.… Read the rest



He doubted doubt

Sep 8th, 2007 2:06 pm | By

So, my curiosity renewed about Vernon’s much-recycled trope that only theists doubt while atheists are full of certainty, I amble over to his blog and find an even more ridiculous example. He’s praising John Cornwell’s book on Dawkins:

It is a gently written, precision riposte to The God Delusion. Cornwell used to be an agnostic and so appreciates the place of doubt in life. He also ‘doubted his doubt’ and returned to the Catholic faith…

Ah – so he’s a doubly wonderful fella because he doubted not once but twice, thus returning to ‘the Catholic faith’ which of course as is well known is all about doubt and always has been. That’s what the pope is for, that’s … Read the rest