At least 43 journalists were killed around the world in direct relation to their work in 2011, with the seven deaths in Pakistan marking the heaviest losses in a single nation.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Dennett on Hitchens: when rudeness is called for 
Dec 20th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Don’t let anybody play the God card in these discussions as if it were a “Get Out of Jail Free” card that excuses misrepresentation.
One rule for thee and another for me
Dec 20th, 2011 11:49 am | By Ophelia BensonReligious privilege in action.
Some guy from something called The Christian Institute (why do I suspect its membership consists of the guy in question?) is saying he’s going to boycott Tesco, because some other guy who works for Tesco in some capacity said something on Flickr. Yes really. Mind you it’s in the Telegraph, which seems to specialize in this kind of non-story, but it’s still worth a tiny smile of disdain (because after all, how much trouble is a tiny smile of disdain).
… Read the restNick Lansley, Tesco’s head of research and development, said he was actively taking a stand “against evil Christians” who opposed the right of same-sex couples to marry.
In a message on his profile page on
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Judges find minister is not employed by god
Dec 20th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Methodist Church had claimed that ministers were not ordinary employees but “stewards in the house of God” so employee tribunals have no jurisdiction.… Read the rest
“Blasphemous” billboard destroyed
Dec 20th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
100 or so Roman Catholics gathered to pray in front of the ruined billboard, which had shown Mary gasping in shock as she examined a pregnancy testing kit.… Read the rest
Anti-vaxxer Meryl Dorey to speak at folk festival
Dec 20th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Chrys Stevenson explains why this is a terrible idea.… Read the rest
Miscellaneous, or, feel free to be OT, since there is no T
Dec 19th, 2011 5:01 pm | By Ophelia BensonI said maybe I should do one of these, because sometimes people do go OT and that can be tiresome if you want to talk about the T, but it’s fine if there’s no T to begin with. If the particular set of people who bump into each other here want to talk about everything in general, I might as well make that possible.
I have a cold. I asked Facebook to sing “Soft Kitty” for me, and it did.
Newt Gingrich plans, if elected president, to arrest judges who don’t do their judging according to the bible.
Kim Jong-un is not sure he’s crazy enough to run North Korea.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Science blogger 1, SLAPP suit 0
Dec 19th, 2011 4:44 pm | By Ophelia BensonPopehat has a great post on a pro bono victory (his) in a junk science SLAPP suit against a science blogger.
… Read the restThe pro bono client is Michael Hawkins of For the Sake of Science, and the adversary is Dr. Christopher Maloney, a licensed naturopath in Maine.
…
Dr. and Ms. Maloney’s central legal theory was expressed in the cover letter: “As should be clear to you, you can say anything you want against naturopathic doctors, but you cannot attack and bully a single person.” This is not, to put it mildly, a correct statement of law. The First Amendment protects Mr. Hawkins’ right to call naturopaths in general quacks, and to call Dr. Maloney in particular a quack for
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Gingrich promises theocracy
Dec 19th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Told reporters that as president he would abolish courts whose judges make decisions that are out of step with fundamentalist Christian views.… Read the rest
Popehat v a SLAPP suit against a science blogger
Dec 19th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The First Amendment protects Mr. Hawkins’ right to call naturopaths in general quacks, and to call Dr. Maloney in particular a quack for promoting naturopathy.… Read the rest
Not another one
Dec 19th, 2011 12:59 pm | By Ophelia BensonHey guess what the war is over!
This year has marked, I believe, the beginning of the end of the war between science and religion. Creationism cannot last. The New Atheists are now old (or departed). And between these camps the middle ground continues to expand.
Has it all, doesn’t it. The air of easy omniscience, the disdain for atheists, the gloating at the death of one particular atheist, the false dichotomy, the warm uncritical affection for the middle ground, the stupid assumption that it’s “extreme” (not to mention old, or dead) to think science and religion are not in every way compatible.
… Read the restIndeed, many folks have been hard at it, doing a new kind of peace work. Some
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Kim Jong-un not sure he’s crazy enough to run N Korea
Dec 19th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
While emphasizing that he was definitely completely insane, Kim still wondered if he could ever be enough of a lunatic to replace the most unhinged dictator on the planet.… Read the rest
Katha Pollitt on Hitchens
Dec 19th, 2011 12:12 pm | By Ophelia BensonI’ve been hoping Katha would write something, because I knew she would have informed reservations. I remember her exchange with Hitchens when he left The Nation. I’ve been a fan of both of them for a long time, so their differences interest me.
Katha suggests that “he was possibly the least troubled with self-doubt of all the writers on earth” and that he didn’t wonder enough how he got from one position to another, radically different one. I think that’s a fair point, and yet…well I’m ambivalent, as I am about so many things, which is why, unlike Hitchens, I spend so much time staring blankly into space instead of being productive.
… Read the restSo many people have praised Christopher so effusively,
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Redacted section of Cloyne Report published
Dec 19th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Justice Minister said the publication of redacted portions of the reprt detailed the Catholic Church’s failure to comply with its own child abuse guidelines.… Read the rest
Top Ten Peacemakers in the Science-Religion Wars
Dec 19th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“Both the closed-hearted scientism of atheist hardliners and the narrow creationism of religious fundamentalists kill our strange and beautiful world by flattening it.”… Read the rest
Katha Pollitt on Hitchens: complicating the picture
Dec 19th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He was clever, hilarious, generous to his friends, combative, prodigiously energetic and fantastically productive; he could also be a bully.
Pity the poor bishops
Dec 18th, 2011 4:48 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe Catholic bishops haz a sad again. This time it’s the Catholic bishops in the Netherlands. Not the ones in Belgium, nor in Bavaria, nor in Ireland, nor in Alaska, nor in Boston, nor in New York. No. These are the ones in the Netherlands. They haz a sad because
Tens of thousands of children have suffered sexual abuse in Dutch Catholic institutions since 1945, a report says.
Oh dear oh dear, say the Catholic bishops in the Netherlands. That is sad.
The report by an independent commission said Catholic officials had failed to tackle the widespread abuse at schools, seminaries and orphanages.
“This episode fills us with shame and sorrow,” said a bishops’ statement.
Does it? Why? Because … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Daughters!
Dec 18th, 2011 3:02 pm | By Ophelia BensonThis is from 2009, but I hadn’t seen it before.
A new video by Samar Minallah that highlights the importance of education for girls. It is the first pushtu/dari lullaby dedicated to daughters! The video has been shot and conceptualized by Samar. It has been sung by renowned singer Naghma and the poetry is by Watan Dost. It has been filmed in Kabul, Bagram, Khyber and Swat by Samar. It has been produced by WCLRF and Heinrich Boll Foundation Afghanistan.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Religion is behind homophobic persecution in Africa
Dec 18th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Digital Journal talks to Leo Igwe.… Read the rest
Bishop David Oyedepo
Dec 18th, 2011 12:33 pm | By Ophelia BensonDear sweet kind loving god, who deputizes men to hit women in the face.
H/t ‘Yemi Ademowo-Johnson.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
