Academic literary critics now place the firing of neurons rather than signifiers at the heart of lit crit.… Read the rest
Breaking Open the Temple
Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFLDS lawyers said members were praying in front of the temple as officers dragged them out of the way.… Read the rest
Oh That Kind of Temple
Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe kind that provides a bed where men rape underage girls.… Read the rest
What Kind of Extremism Does Blair Have in Mind?
Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonCatholic church’s attitudes to gender equality makes development goals almost impossible. … Read the rest
Underage Girls in Texas Sect Forced Into Sex
Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSeveral of the teenage girls have children. Many could not spell their last names or state their birth date.… Read the rest
Rabbi Flees to Canada, Israel Seeks Extradition
Apr 10th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHas been described as the ‘spiritual mentor’ of a group involved in the systematic abuse of children.… Read the rest
Religious reasons
Apr 10th, 2008 11:29 am | By Ophelia BensonThis is insane. That camp of horrors in Texas –
The sect’s lawyers had sought to limit a search but have agreed temple records can be scrutinised under supervision. A representative of the sect will be appointed to vet documents, computer files and family Bibles for records that should not be used as evidence for legal or religious reasons, the Associated Press reports.
A representative of this pack of male lunatics that imprisons women and children and forces them to act as baby-factories will be appointed to decide what documents and files should not be used as evidence for religious reasons? What ‘religious’ reasons? They have god’s signatures on them? They might include god’s password? ‘Religious’ reasons are the … Read the rest
In action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god
Apr 9th, 2008 5:58 pm | By Ophelia BensonWhy the human brain evolved. So that it could dream up pastimes like this:
… Read the restA radical rabbi once linked to a plot to fire a missile at Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, is hiding in Canada, Israeli police said Monday, announcing that he is wanted for his alleged role in a series of ghastly abuses of his followers’ children…[H]e has been described as the “spiritual mentor” of a group involved in the systematic abuse of children, allegedly using his status as a rabbi to convince a mother of eight that her children’s shortcomings could be beaten and burned out of them…Two of the eight children, aged 4 and 5, were hospitalized in serious condition two weeks ago after Mr. Chen allegedly
On Samantha Power on Sergio Vieira de Mello
Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonMoving from one hellhole to another, he experienced the conflicting claims of power and morality.… Read the rest
Avishai Margalit on Sectarianism
Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe idea of the sacred describes what is indivisible and hence not subject to compromise. … Read the rest
Persecution of Salah Choudhury for ‘Blasphemy’
Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonJournalist faces sedition, treason and blasphemy charges for confronting jihad and religious hatred. … Read the rest
Blair Makes up for Lost Time on the God Front
Apr 9th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘He has converted to Roman Catholicism. This requires much thought and reflection.’ Hmm.… Read the rest
All label and no content
Apr 9th, 2008 11:44 am | By Ophelia BensonIssues of faith have clearly been consuming Mr Blair. Since leaving office, he has converted to Roman Catholicism. This requires much thought and reflection. After confessing serious sins, a convert must make the “Rite of Reception”, including saying that: “I believe and profess all that the Holy Catholic Church believes, teaches and proclaims to be revealed by God.”
And saying that requires thought and reflection? Wouldn’t you think it requires something more like the avoidance of thought, the abdication of thought? To say you believe all that the ‘Holy’ Catholic Church proclaims to be revealed by God is to say you believe something very all-encompassing, very broad, very dogmatic, and very evidence-free. What does that have … Read the rest
Old Tibet Was no Shangri-la
Apr 8th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonOne third of the boys in Tibet were forcibly taken by the monastery. That’s human rights?… Read the rest
Wafa Sultan Forced Into Hiding
Apr 8th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSultan joins a growing list of public critics of radical Islam facing death threats.… Read the rest
Cross-dressing Children Shock-horror
Apr 8th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonChristian radio station rebukes costumes at school; cites ‘traditional family values’ and ‘Biblical values.’… Read the rest
Grayling and Monk Debate Education
Apr 8th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe appetite for finding out, and thinking about what is learned, grows by feeding.… Read the rest
Turkey Considers Tiny Change to Article 301
Apr 8th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonProposed amendment would replace denigrating Turkishness with denigrating the Turkish nation.… Read the rest
Illinois Legislator Tells Atheist ‘Get Out’
Apr 8th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘Get out of that seat. You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying!’… Read the rest
As well as
Apr 8th, 2008 9:10 am | By Ophelia BensonThe BBC reports that what it calls the ‘next UN investigator into Israeli conduct in the occupied territories’ has defended his comparison of Israeli actions in Gaza to those of the Nazis. But a couple of paragraphs down it adds something that should be (but isn’t) decorated with little red warning flags.
Professor Falk is scheduled to take up his post for the UN Human Rights Council later in the year.
Ah – the UN Human Rights Council. How depressing it is that that sounds like a good thing and is in fact a very bad thing. The IHEU explains why.
… Read the restBy 2005, the Commission for Human Rights had become widely discredited…The Commission was abolished by vote of the