Dear God Please Bless My iPhone *

Jan 12th, 2010 | Filed by

Possessed bankers hold their toys aloft for blessing. Seriously.… Read the rest



Jesus and Mo Defend Moral Absolutes *

Jan 12th, 2010 | Filed by

Killing is tricky, of course – but some things are totally absolute!… Read the rest



Violence Against Journalists in Philippines *

Jan 12th, 2010 | Filed by

Nightmare 2009 culminated in massacre of 30 journalists by a militia on Mindanao, and 2010 has started badly.… Read the rest



The Fate of Journalists Imprisoned in Eritrea *

Jan 12th, 2010 | Filed by

‘The conditions in which Eritrean detainees are held are among the most disturbing in the world.’… Read the rest



Dennett on ‘Media Bias Against Christianity’ *

Jan 12th, 2010 | Filed by

There is none.… Read the rest



Religious membership is generally not fully voluntary

Jan 11th, 2010 3:51 pm | By

Taken from the comments, slightly modified to make it general rather than a reply.

The literal meaning of the term “indoctrination” indicates the matter at issue quite clearly. Here’s a very standard definition from Dictionary.com: “to instruct in a doctrine, principle, ideology, etc.” Children are not merely instructed in doctrine, of course, they are also inducted into the ranks of religious organizations in various ways: not just educationally, but socially, ritually, and so on. Moreover, inducting children into the ranks of their chosen religion is the explicit primary purpose of most parents who emphasize their children’s religious education, which is what makes it indoctrination rather than mere education: The word “education,” when unmodified, is generally used to indicate instruction in … Read the rest



Gay Muslims Made Homeless By Family Violence *

Jan 11th, 2010 | Filed by

Forced marriage, ‘honor’ killing, beatings, imprisonment.… Read the rest



More ‘Equality Threates Religious Expression’ *

Jan 11th, 2010 | Filed by

‘As umpteen bishops and other religious leaders have pointed out.’ Oh well say no more.… Read the rest



More ‘Human Sacrifices’ in Uganda *

Jan 11th, 2010 | Filed by

Witch doctors, children chopped up for parts, ritual, get rich quickly.… Read the rest



What is Blasphemy and Should We Care? *

Jan 11th, 2010 | Filed by

My take on Comment is Free Belief question of the week.… Read the rest



Telegraph Says No to Equality *

Jan 10th, 2010 | Filed by

Tolerance means letting other people exclude inferiors from power. Why can’t Labour understand this?… Read the rest



UK: Catholic Church in Panic Over Equality Bill *

Jan 10th, 2010 | Filed by

The church could no longer exclude women from power. This must not be!… Read the rest



Atheism Has Left the Closet *

Jan 10th, 2010 | Filed by

The new atheism is bigger, more organised, and much more assertive than ever before.… Read the rest



Nicholas Kristof on Religion and Women *

Jan 10th, 2010 | Filed by

When religious institutions exclude women from their hierarchies, the implication is that females are inferior.… Read the rest



Gallery Director Pitches Fit at Two Artists *

Jan 10th, 2010 | Filed by

They criticized religion! One religion in particular! Director placed giant ‘Warning!’ sign on stairway.… Read the rest



What ‘toleration’ requires

Jan 10th, 2010 11:06 am | By

The Telegraph speaks up for inequality.

Toleration is one of the most fundamental values of a liberal society. It is also appears to be the one that some Labour ministers find hardest to understand. It requires accepting that other people are entitled to arrange their lives and institutions around their religious beliefs – even when those beliefs appear, to those who do not adhere to the religion in question, to be wrong-headed, or even discriminatory.

Really? Does it? ‘Toleration’ requires accepting that other people are entitled to arrange their institutions around their religious beliefs, no matter how oppressive and powerful and influential those institutions are? Really? So toleration requires accepting that a few other people are entitled to arrange … Read the rest



Poor sad consumerist infidels

Jan 9th, 2010 2:29 pm | By

I have this obstinate cold that is being very slow about going away. While it’s packing its things and checking its passport, it sometimes wakes me up in the night by making me cough so hard that it murders sleep. It did that last night at 2 a.m., so I got up and had some lemon zinger tea and listened to the World Service for an hour and then went back to sleep. This means I had the thrill of hearing a program called ‘Heart and Soul’ which on this occasion was about God and football. It was mind-bogglingly stupid.

There was some vicar doing most of the talking, and he sounded like an adult and everything, but he … Read the rest



Michael Totten Interviews Christopher Hitchens *

Jan 9th, 2010 | Filed by

These two religions make very large claims for themselves, and further say they should be immune from criticism.… Read the rest



Dubai: Woman Reports Rape, is Arrested *

Jan 9th, 2010 | Filed by

British woman reports a waiter raped her, so she and her boyfriend are arrested for ‘adultery.’… Read the rest



God’s Economy *

Jan 9th, 2010 | Filed by

The plea of a backward-looking prophet crying in the midst of a welfare wilderness that only democracy can solve.… Read the rest