If offence must be taken so seriously, then perhaps we need to start being offended too, at least for the purposes of complaining.… Read the rest
Holy misogyny
Dec 25th, 2011 3:45 pm | By Ophelia BensonMore festive jollity, this time in Jerusalem Israel.
… Read the restResidents of an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in Beit Shemesh called Israel police officers “Nazis” on Sunday, after they removed a sign ordering the separation of men and women in a street in that neighborhood.
In response to the removal of the sign by police officers and city inspectors from Beit Shemesh, a crowd of local ultra-Orthodox residents gathered around them, shouting and cursing at them. One man hurled rocks at the police officers, but managed to flee the scene. No one was hurt and no arrests were made.
Several hours after the police removed the sign, residents of the neighborhood reinstated it.
Earlier on Sunday, a Channel 2 news team was attacked and
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Humility
Dec 25th, 2011 10:46 am | By Ophelia BensonThe pope really makes it too easy. Candy from a baby is arduous in comparison.
In his homily [at Christmas eve mass the pope] said: “Let us ask the Lord to help us see through the superficial glitter of this season and to discover behind it the child in the stable in Bethlehem.”
Oh yes? See through the superficial glitter is it?
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Pope urges us to see through the superficial glitter
Dec 25th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHe says it while wearing a glittery dress and hat and carrying a glittery stick.… Read the rest
Well merry xmas to you too
Dec 25th, 2011 10:08 am | By Ophelia BensonSays Boko Haram, setting off bombs in churches and elsewhere that kill 32 people and injure many more. God is love, Allah is merciful, compassion is at the heart of every great religion, boom boom boom. Screams, agony, blood, death, sorrow, loss. What a nice present.
Businessman Munir Nasidi was in a hotel opposite the church when the blast occurred.
He told the BBC: “When I came out of the hotel, people were running around. Everyone was crying. They were bringing out casualties. Nobody was getting near the building as there was a fire.”
Peace, love, good will.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Nigeria: bombs at churches kill 32
Dec 25th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBoko Haram says Boko Haram did it.… Read the rest
In a spirit of rational inquiry
Dec 24th, 2011 5:52 pm | By Ophelia Benson… Read the restReasonable people can disagree in good faith about the wisdom of writing a book, employing a particular rhetorical style, or articulating a particular speech act. They can do a proper moral calculus, and come to a different conclusion. They can be attentive to the same evidence, worry about the same moral issues, and come to a different determination.
If one accepts this point, how should one react if somebody else suggests that perhaps one ought not to write a book, or that one ought to tone down some rhetoric, or go easy with some criticism?
Well, at least one answer, which in my more pious moments I’m inclined to favour, is that one should ask
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
The only one willing to take on Big Peer Review
Dec 24th, 2011 1:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonKen at Popehat has a Marc Stephens version of the Hitler rant. It’s very funny.
“You think we can get a NORMAL person to pose as a lawyer and threaten 17-year-olds?”
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Barnaby Joyce pitches a fit at atheists
Dec 24th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“This sect’s followers make their way on to your veranda then hold a righteous court of sneering indignation about the crib in the park.” Wot?… Read the rest
Popehat on “the downfall of Marc Stephens”
Dec 24th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“No NORMAL person would do that!”… Read the rest
Jesus or death
Dec 23rd, 2011 5:08 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe Telegraph blurbs Dr Tim Stanley:
Dr Tim Stanley is a historian of the United States. He is working on a biography of Pat Buchanan.
Well, if you say so, but reading his post, I find it hard to believe he’s a Real Historian™.
… Read the restAnti-social displays of bad taste are becoming common in the United States of America. The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue reports the following outrages: “In a South Carolina cancer center, a 67-year-old volunteer Santa was evicted because of the “different cultures and beliefs of the patients we care for” … In an elementary school in Stockton, California, poinsettias were banned but somehow snowmen were permitted; they justified their censorship by saying there was a Sikh temple
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
You did ask
Dec 23rd, 2011 11:32 am | By Ophelia BensonI was asked what I think of the quotes from the NO God Blog and Al Stefanelli quoted in Chris Stedman’s most recent Letter to the Atheists. Ok; what I think.
The first one is from a post titled “A Point was missed” on what appears to be a blog on the website of American Atheists. It’s not signed. It’s short. It’s dated April 29, 2010. It seems about as random, as an “example” of anything, as one could get. The bit quoted is very badly and stupidly worded; no disagreement there; but so what? I don’t even know who wrote it. I certainly don’t take it as representative of anything. It’s nearly two years old. What on earth … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Nick Cohen on censorship
Dec 23rd, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonFrom Rushdie onwards we have seen liberal Westerners condemning or ignoring dissident Muslims and ex-Muslims when theocrats seek to silence them.… Read the rest
Atheist barbarians winning the war on Christmas!!
Dec 23rd, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“Historian” says the US “was founded by Christians along Christian principles with the express intention of building a more Christian commonwealth.”… Read the rest
Irony in the north
Dec 23rd, 2011 10:20 am | By Ophelia BensonMinnesota has more than its share of wits and piss-takers. There’s its whole entire gay community for instance.
… Read the restThe gay and lesbian community of Minnesota has issued a letter of apology to recently resigned Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch for ruining the institution of marriage and causing her to stray from her husband and engage in an “inappropriate relationship.”
“On behalf of all gays and lesbians living in Minnesota, I would like to wholeheartedly apologize for our community’s successful efforts to threaten your traditional marriage,” reads the letter from John Medeiros. “We apologize that our selfish requests to marry those we love has cheapened and degraded traditional marriage so much that we caused you to stray from your own
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
The dancer from the dance
Dec 22nd, 2011 5:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonIt’s accommodationism day in the neighborhood…I guess it’s a Christmas thing. Baby Jesus is born, Tim Minchin got his (requested) song dropped from a tv show, Julian tries to square a circle, and to make it all complete, Chris Stedman writes yet another “mean atheists are doing it wrong and I am doing it right” article for the Huffington Post. I had been ignoring Stedman for months, but he does make it difficult.
…effective criticism of religious dogmatism accounts for the diverse spectrum of religious expression. It is balanced, it is rooted in compassion, and it responds to what people actually believe and practice, not just the most extreme forms of religious thought.
Well some people do actually believe … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Make sure that no one ever sees it
Dec 22nd, 2011 3:29 pm | By Ophelia BensonOmigod omigod omigod Tim Minchin wrote a song about Jesus and it has jokes in it – jokes about Jesus! Would you believe it? He wrote it because some tv people asked him to for their pre-Christmas show.
… Read the restIt was the worst possible time to be writing a new song – I’ve been overworked and ill, was on tour, and was really feeling the stress. But I wasn’t going to say no… it’s Jonathan Ross!
…
It’s certainly not very contentious, but even so, compliance people and producers and lawyers all checked my lyrics long before the cameras rolled. As always with these bespoke writing jobs, I was really stressed for about 3 days, and almost chucked it in the
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Tim Minchin on being dropped at the last minute
Dec 22nd, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHe was asked to write a song; wrote the song while on tour; performed the song with seconds to spare; all wasted effort.… Read the rest
Tim Minchin blogs about dropped song shock-horror
Dec 22nd, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonTim Minchin fumes, BBC reports solemnly, quoting from his blog.… Read the rest
Tim Minchin song mocks Jesus shock-horror
Dec 22nd, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonITV director cut it from Xmas special. Telegraph writes out the lyrics, hoping you will burst with outrage.… Read the rest