‘NGO is another name for vulgarity and obscenity. They want to take away the veil from our women.’… Read the rest
Mary Honeyball on Blair’s Aggressive Christianity
Mar 29th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFaith is and should remain a personal eccentricity, not something to be forced on others in any way whatsoever.… Read the rest
Atheists Debaptize, Churches Grow Gloomy
Mar 29th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe 26 Lords Spiritual could now have their position undermined as the number of people being debaptised grows.… Read the rest
Archbish of Cant Demands More Xianity on BBC
Mar 29th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘As a public service broadcaster, the BBC has a duty to provide religious programmes.’ Eh?… Read the rest
Reporters Without Borders Outraged About Ban
Mar 29th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘The Council has just dealt a severe blow to the freedom of expression it is supposed to defend.’… Read the rest
US Rep Opposes UN ‘Defamation’ Ban
Mar 29th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonCongressman Trent Franks urged ambassadors to reject the resolution on ‘defamation’ of religion.… Read the rest
The way of saying something is part of what is said
Mar 28th, 2009 5:31 pm | By Ophelia BensonKenan Malik makes a crucial point about this vexed issue of style and tone and manner.
… Read the restAnticipating the arguments of Rushdie’s critics that there is a difference between legitimate criticism and unacceptable abuse, the Law Commission pointed out that ‘one person’s incisive comment (and indeed seemingly innocuous comment) may be another’s “blasphemy” and to forbid the use of the strongest language in relation, for example, to practices which some may rightly regard as not in the best interests of society as a whole would, it seems to us, be altogether unacceptable’. In other words, the way of saying something is part of what is said. To say that you must write differently is in practice to say that you must
Sharia in Swat
Mar 28th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonClerics with no knowledge of how to run a court have taken away what human rights protection the State once offered. … Read the rest
Hitchens on the Surrender of Swat
Mar 28th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWe know what happens to countries where vicious fantasists govern illiterates with the help of only one book.… Read the rest
Texas Freedom Network: Science Takes a Hit
Mar 28th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe word ‘weaknesses’ is out but there are still plenty of potential footholds for creationist attacks.… Read the rest
Killer Text Messages
Mar 28th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonRumours of deadly SMS messages are symptoms of a worrying rise of superstition in Egypt.… Read the rest
Women Told to Commit ‘Honor’ Suicide
Mar 28th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWomen are told they have ‘dishonored’ the family, then locked in a room with rat poison.… Read the rest
Do Religions Have Rights? Further Pages from The Victim’s Handbook
Mar 28th, 2009 | By R. Joseph HoffmannThe passage of the Organization of the Islamic Conference’s “anti-defamation” resolution by the UNHRC is a completely non-momentous event, the kind therefore that will evoke cries of anguish from outraged friends of liberty everywhere. It is another installment in the non-luminous history of an increasingly irrelevant organization that seems only to be in the business of brokering perks, passing unenforceable resolutions, and offering obnoxious pedants a chance to grouse about America and Europe.
Crafted by the Pakistani delegation, the resolution urges states to provide “protection against acts of hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred in general.” Essentially, its force is diminished by the simple fact that the twenty-three nation majority voting … Read the rest
Must We Always Cater to the Faithful?
Mar 27th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe truth is that faith is not compatible with science or reason; why not just say so?… Read the rest
Religion and Science, Again
Mar 27th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonNOMA simply grants religion a privileged place as an equal to science, when it deserves no such prestige.… Read the rest
Texas Board of Ed Rejects Anti-evolution Rule
Mar 27th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBoard narrowly rejected bid to require that ‘weaknesses’ in ToE be taught in Texas science classes.… Read the rest
Russell Blackford on ‘Defamation of Religion’
Mar 27th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe resolution is in broad enough terms to condemn almost any criticism of religious beliefs or activities.… Read the rest
Lancet: the Pope is Distorting Science
Mar 27th, 2009 | Filed by Ophelia BensonPope’s recent comments on condoms were wildly inaccurate and could have devastating consequences.… Read the rest
How thoughtful?
Mar 27th, 2009 10:11 am | By Ophelia BensonNorm commented on Julian’s atheism piece a couple of days ago, and when I read it my attention snagged on another claim in Julian’s article.
For me, atheism’s roots are in a sober and modest assessment of where reason and evidence lead us. That means the real enemy is not religion as such, but any kind of system of belief that does not respect these limits on our thinking. For that reason, I want to engage with thoughtful, intelligent believers…
Hmm. I’m not sure what that means. Are thoughtful, intelligent believers ones who respect the limits on our thinking set by soberly assessing where reason and evidence lead us? But if they are, then are they really believers? If they’re … Read the rest
In return for peace the Taleban can stop girls going to school
Mar 26th, 2009 5:56 pm | By Ophelia BensonNot to worry – sharia is lovely once you get used to it.
“Swat is the start and it is a test of the religion and the system and the law. It is a step forward. Give it time and you will see this is what people want,” Muslim Khan, a charismatic English-speaking Taleban leader tells me.
Will you? How much time? And which people? Does he really mean people? Or just men.
In return for peace the Taleban can administer the region, run Sharia courts, ban women from marketplaces, outlaw music shops and stop girls older than 13 going to school.
And ‘people’ will like that as long as you give it enough time. Let’s say about five … Read the rest