They have their moral compass in good order.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Telegraph reports its own hatred and parochialism
Jun 7th, 2010 | Filed by Ophelia BensonMedia reporter informs us of fury of Odone at C4 documentary on pope.… Read the rest
Peter Beinart on Zionism and liberalism 
Jun 7th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
In Israel today, humane, universalistic Zionism does not wield power; it is gasping for air. … Read the rest
Reza Aslan on the academy
Jun 7th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
We need scholars who understand that there is no division between the world of academia and the popular world.… Read the rest
Thinking through the freedom flotilla
Jun 7th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If there is to be a future, it means thinking through the problems in ways that get beyond the familiar intransigence.… Read the rest
Nathan Schneider talks to Richard Amesbury
Jun 7th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Atheism has always been “otherized” as the opposite of what America represents. … Read the rest
Jack of Kent on an illiberal judgment
Jun 6th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The CPS position on Section 127 is simply intolerable in a free society.… Read the rest
Iran: 26 people in imminent danger of execution
Jun 6th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Iranian authorities are trying to spread fear to prevent new protests on the anniversary of the elections.… Read the rest
Gita Sahgal talks to Asaba Post
Jun 6th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
When identity claims are smuggled in as part of non-discrimination norms, the goal of equality can easily be derailed.… Read the rest
Update on CFI
Jun 6th, 2010 1:43 pm | By Ophelia BensonThere’s been a lot of unhappy and unfortunate stuff going on at the Center for Inquiry lately. I’m not going to link to any sources because I haven’t been able to find any that seem at all impartial (and also because several of them are at Facebook rather than at more public sites). To summarize briefly – Paul Kurtz was ousted or removed or set aside (see? I can’t even find an impartial verb) as CEO, and Ron Lindsay took over that job. There were changes. There were funding cuts or re-allocations. (See? Depends what you call it.) Senior people left, for various reasons. (See?) Paul Kurtz resigned altogether, and published an open letter about his resignation and the changes … Read the rest
HolfordWatch on fish oil excitement
Jun 6th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The finding is interesting, but it does not show that fish oil pills help with concentration, ADHD or depression.… Read the rest
Ben Goldacre on the return of fish oil
Jun 6th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
More excited reporting of not so exciting research.… Read the rest
Murders of Congolese activists must be investigated
Jun 6th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Chebeya was an outspoken critic of corruption and human rights abuses.… Read the rest
DRC: police chief admits role in murder of Chebeya
Jun 6th, 2010 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFloribert Chebeya, head of the human rights group Voix des Sans Voix, was found dead on Wednesday.… Read the rest
Australia: doctors oppose FGM
Jun 5th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
That includes ‘ritual nicking.’… Read the rest
Always look on the bright side of FGM
Jun 5th, 2010 12:11 pm | By Ophelia BensonNicholas Kristof tells off Ayaan Hirsi Ali because of course he knows far more about Islam than she does.
To those of us who have lived and traveled widely in Africa and Asia, descriptions of Islam often seem true but incomplete.
Including, apparently, descriptions by people who grew up immersed in Islam, genitally mutilated under Islam, beaten up by their teachers of Islam, issued death threats from adherents of Islam. The descriptions are true – but Kristof wants more. He wants to hear about the pretty calligraphy.
… Read the restThe repression of women, the persecution complexes, the lack of democracy, the volatility, the anti-Semitism, the difficulties modernizing, the disproportionate role in terrorism — those are all real. But if those were the
More tinkling cymbal
Jun 5th, 2010 11:42 am | By Ophelia BensonBut that’s not all, of course. Odone has more to say than that. Odone has a lot to say.
First of all she complains that Channel 4 chose, to present a show on paedophile priests, a guy who is “an avowed atheist” and who has “no knowledge of the contemporary Catholic Church,” as if both are obvious disqualifications for presenting a show on paedophile priests. Her thinking seems to be that you have to believe in god and be an expert on the Catholic church in order to present a tv show on a concentration of child rapists in a particular profession. In other words her thinking seems to be that only someone who starts out with some sympathy … Read the rest
A duel at sunrise
Jun 5th, 2010 10:58 am | By Ophelia BensonSeriously. Cristina Odone must feel very sure that Richard Dawkins won’t sue her for libel, or she wouldn’t say “Richard Dawkins is responsible for peddling a lot of lies about faith” in her blog at The Telegraph, and the Telegraph wouldn’t let her, either. She wouldn’t just casually risk a money-devouring and time-devouring lawsuit just for the hell of it, or for the tiny fun of accusing Dawkins of peddling lies in a Telegraph blog. She writes for the national press in the UK, so she can’t possibly be unaware of the UK’s insane libel laws and how they are used. She can’t possibly be unaware of Simon Singh and the BCA and the word “bogus” – so it’s … Read the rest
Cristina Odone demonstrates Catholic liberality
Jun 5th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Says Dawkins “peddles lies.” Clearly she knows he won’t sue for libel, so she feels free to libel him.… Read the rest
Kristof’s strident review
Jun 5th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Hirsi Ali denounces Islam with a ferocity that I find strident, potentially feeding religious bigotry.’… Read the rest
