All entries by this author

Paper wasps have facial recognition *

Dec 3rd, 2011 | Filed by

This is the first time that scientists have discovered this humanlike ability in an insect.… Read the rest



Kenan Malik on outrage *

Dec 3rd, 2011 | Filed by

Muslims, Christians, atheists, liberals, conservatives –  for every group outrage has become an expression of self-definition.… Read the rest



Saudi academic claims that cars rape women *

Dec 3rd, 2011 | Filed by

A report in Saudi Arabia has warned that if Saudi women were given the right to drive, it would spell the end of virginity in the country.… Read the rest



Gay Marriage and African Politics

Dec 2nd, 2011 | By Leo Igwe

I am writing to condemn in no uncertain terms the recent passage by the Senate of the the anti gay marriage bill. The passage of this bill once again demonstrates how disconnected Nigerian politicians and lawmakers are from the realities of the 21st century. It has confirmed that our lawmakers indeed prefer to fiddle while our social, political and economic house, called Nigeria, burns. Otherwise how does one explain the relevance of this bill at a time when Nigeria has become almost a failed state due to terrorist attacks, sectarian violence, corruption, poverty, diseases, abuse of office, tribalism and nepotism, misguided politics and mistaken sense of statecraft?

The passage of this bill has shown clearly how misplaced our priorities are, … Read the rest



The milk of human kindness

Dec 2nd, 2011 2:52 pm | By

And then there’s Gulnare Freewill Baptist church, which told a parishioner - ever so politely, you understand – that her fiancé couldn’t come to the church again, on account of how he’s not a white person. Perfectly understandable. It’s because they (church members who voted on “the issue”) want to promote greater unity among the church body and the community. Obviously you can’t do that if there’s a not-white person at the church when all the other persons there are white. That would promote lesser unity. Everybody would look around uneasily and kind of split apart.

Melvin Thompson, former pastor of Gulnare Freewill Baptist church, proposed the ban after Stella Harville brought her fiance, Ticha Chikuni, to services in

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Oh yes, go right ahead

Dec 2nd, 2011 11:32 am | By

Memri reports a fatwa that says it’s fine for mujahideen to kidnap “the infidels’ women” and rape them, because once they’ve been kidnapped the infidel men don’t own them any more.

The inquiry in response to which Al-Athari issued the fatwa reads as
follows:[1] “Is it permissible for mujahideen in jihad fronts
to kidnap the infidels’ women and hold them as their captives? What is the
ruling regarding a captive in our times? How should they be divided [among the mujahideen]? Is it permissible to imprison [an infidel woman who has been taken captive] in an infidel land, or must she be brought to Dar Al-Islam[the abode of Islam]? How much time must one wait before having sexual

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Fatwa says mujahideen can kidnap and rape “infidel” women *

Dec 2nd, 2011 | Filed by

It’s perfectly all right, because once they’re kidnapped, the infidel men don’t own them any more.… Read the rest



Headline: “Fish could protect against Alzheimer’s” *

Dec 2nd, 2011 | Filed by

Body: “this research did not account for lifestyle factors such as other foods or exercise which could also have had an effect.”… Read the rest



Robert Talisse talks to Robert Audi *

Dec 2nd, 2011 | Filed by

In Democratic Authority and the Separation of Church and State, Audi proposes a novel and forceful account of the proper role of religious conviction in democratic politics.… Read the rest



NSS to Court: town council prayers are unlawful *

Dec 2nd, 2011 | Filed by

The society is acting on behalf of atheist councillor Clive Bone, who had tried to have the prayers stopped.… Read the rest



There goes the neighborhood

Dec 1st, 2011 4:41 pm | By

I saw Joseph Hoffmann’s post saying how tiny atheism and atheists now are a few days ago, when it was new, and decided to ignore it*, on the grounds that it was little different from its many predecessors and that nobody except one indefatigable fan was paying any attention so why bother. But then I saw that PZ had done a post on it, and then I saw that Eric had, so starving the beast is not an option, therefore I might as well do my share.

What does it say? That atheism is not good enough.

I cannot imagine a time in the history of unbelief when atheism has appeared more hamfisted, puling, ignorant or unappealing.

Is this

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Brazen

Dec 1st, 2011 3:16 pm | By

It’s funny, in a way – Iran’s infamous PressTV is claiming that its embassy in London has been attacked.

Iran’s embassy in London has been attacked by a group of anti-revolutionary elements in an organized campaign after its closure by the British government.

Reports suggest that the residence building of the Iranian ambassador to London has also been targeted.

Uh huh. Sure. Odd that no one else is reporting it though.… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Religious believers distrust rapists and atheists *

Dec 1st, 2011 | Filed by

Even in more secular Canada, distrust of atheists ran high.… Read the rest



And they lived happily ever after

Dec 1st, 2011 10:59 am | By

Oh how sweet, Hamid Karzai has pardoned a woman who was serving a 12 year prison sentence for…arson? Armed robbery? GBH? No; for being raped. That’s what women who are raped get in Afghanistan (and not only there): they get long prison sentences, and that’s if they’re lucky; the less fortunate ones get stoned to death. Here’s why: it’s because a man was able to get access to the aperture between her legs, and allowing a man to get access to that is of course a horrendous crime. It’s no good calling it “rape”; it’s the woman’s job to make the aperture inaccessible, period; it’s not the man’s job to refrain from shoving his penis into it when he gets … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Islamist named Morocco PM *

Dec 1st, 2011 | Filed by

The Justice and Development Party is a “moderate” Islamist party, according to the BBC.… Read the rest



Should religion trump laws mandating humane slaughter? *

Dec 1st, 2011 | Filed by

The Federation of Veterinarians of Europe took the position in 2002 that “the practice of
slaughtering animals without prior stunning is unacceptable under any circumstances.”… Read the rest



Jailed Afghan rape victim “freed” to marry rapist *

Dec 1st, 2011 | Filed by

Gulnaz’s lawyer told the BBC she hoped the government would allow Gulnaz the freedom to choose whom to marry.… Read the rest



Padraig Reidy on instant outrage *

Dec 1st, 2011 | Filed by

The sheer volume of righteousness becomes off-putting.… Read the rest



Squaring the circle

Nov 30th, 2011 3:57 pm | By

Part 2 of Julian’s cunning plan. His suggested stripped-down religion isn’t finding many takers.

But since the main purpose of posting my articles of 21st-century faithwas to find out just how many could support them, the project is not worthless if we find out the answer is hardly anyone at all.

To recap, there’s a lot of complaint that “new atheist” criticisms of the supernatural aspects of religion miss the point. If that’s true, then it should be possible both to set the atheists straight and establish the credibility of religion by clearly stating what faith without silly, primitive beliefs looks like.

Sure! You bet. I’ve always said so (provided we use the word “religion” and don’t use … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



David Colquhoun on the cruelty of the Burzynski Clinic *

Nov 30th, 2011 | Filed by

The offering of quack cancer treatments at an exorbitant price is simple cruelty.… Read the rest