The political is a place of ‘overlapping consensus.’… Read the rest
Beatification of a Torturer 
Oct 31st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
One of the 498 ‘martyrs’ of the Spanish Civil War is charged with torturing a prisoner in 1896.… Read the rest
Catholic League Pitches Fit Over Philip Pullman
Oct 31st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Militant atheist – aggressive – in-your-face assault – offensive – despicable – pernicious.… Read the rest
Booth QC: Women’s Rights are a Universal Ethic
Oct 31st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Differences of culture or religion cannot be used as a justification for denying equal rights to women.… Read the rest
Cherie Blair on Culture Religion and Women’s Rights
Oct 31st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Said all major world religions share ‘insistence on the dignity of all God’s people.’ Really?… Read the rest
Ann Coulter at USC and on CNBC
Oct 31st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Cites threat of religious fundamentalism, says Jews need to be ‘perfected’ by turning Christian.… Read the rest
On Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week
Oct 31st, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Barbara Ehrenreich interrogates Ann Coulter’s concern for women’s rights.… Read the rest
Sentenced to Death Again
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Soghra, sent to work as a maid at age 9, spent 18 years in prison. Then things got bad.… Read the rest
Sepia Mutiny on News Blackout in Gujarat
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
State government blocked all three news channels that were going to show footage from Tehelka’s report.… Read the rest
Amnesty Int. Annual Report on Saudi Arabia
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Political prisoners, censorship, women’s rights, forced removal, migrant workers, torture, execution.… Read the rest
Howells Cites ‘Shared Values’ With Saudis
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
AI yesterday issued a dossier on executions, detention of critics, discrimination against women.… Read the rest
Fisking King Abdullah
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Kim Howells said we ‘share values’ with the Saudis. And what values precisely would they be?… Read the rest
Material Urging Hatred Found in Mosques
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Researchers uncovered propaganda calling for homosexuals to be murdered and women to be subjugated.… Read the rest
Pope Tells Pharmacists to Refuse
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Says pharmacists have a right to refuse to dispense emergency contraception or euthanasia drugs. … Read the rest
Chilean Pharmacies Warned
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Government tells pharmacies refusing to sell morning-after pill they could face stiff fines or closure. … Read the rest
Malise Ruthven on the Export of Wahhabism
Oct 30th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Wahhabi and Salafist ideas are spread globally through online fatwas, conferences, lectures, cheap booklets.… Read the rest
About Intercessory Prayer
Oct 30th, 2007 | By Gil Gaudia, Ph.D.In 1748 the great Scottish philosopher, David Hume, first published his “lemon test” concerning miracles. It goes like this: “No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle unless the testimony be of such a kind that its falsehood would be even more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish…” Hume concludes his point by saying:
… Read the restWhen anyone tells me, that he saw a dead man restored to life, I immediately consider with myself, whether it be more probable, that this person should either deceive or be deceived, or that the fact, which he relates, should really have happened. I weigh the one miracle against the other; and according to the superiority, which I discover, I pronounce my decision,
I share values, do you share values?
Oct 30th, 2007 11:13 am | By Ophelia BensonOkay what about dear Saudi Arabia with whom we share all these ‘values’? What about all these ‘values’ that we share? Which ones are those then? People are asking.
… Read the restAs Gordon Brown faced mounting criticism yesterday over the state visit of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the Foreign Office minister Kim Howells called for Britain and the Saudi monarchy to work more closely together on a basis of “shared values”…The statement by Mr Howells drew an angry reaction from the Labour backbenches. “I am astounded that a government minister can identify shared values with a regime that is world-renowned for its abuse of human rights and civil liberties,” said John McDonnell, the left-wing MP co-ordinating protests at the Saudi
At the Baltimore Aquarium
Oct 29th, 2007 12:03 pm | By Ophelia BensonFrom Tea, in comments on ‘Contemplative wonder is doomed, doomed, I tell you’.
I went to the Baltimore aquarium last week, and I saw a most amazing species of fish (whose name I unfortunately don’t remember at all). It took me a while to actually see it: the tank looked like it contained nothing but water and some algae-covered rocks. An employee approached me and asked me if I can see the fish. “No”, I replied. “It’s right here”, he said, pointing his finger at a rock. “Where?” “Right here.” I just couldn’t see it – until I noticed that the rock blinked at me slightly with its big black eye. It was truly amazing – I still couldn’t tell … Read the rest
Tehelka Magazine on the Gujarat Riots
Oct 29th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A collection of articles.… Read the rest
