After RTÉ broadcast Raftery’s States of Fear in 1999, the Ryan commission of inquiry into child abuse was set up, as was the Residential Institutions Redress Board.… Read the rest
Mary Raftery 1957-2012
Jan 14th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe journalist whose television documentaries exposed decades of abuse of children in church-run industrial schools in Ireland.… Read the rest
5 men accused of stirring up hatred due to sexual orientation
Jan 13th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe leaflet which formed the basis of the charges featured a hanged mannequin and claimed that “Allah permits the destruction” of those who allow homosexuality and those who practise it.… Read the rest
Frolicking in the gentle breeze
Jan 13th, 2012 4:02 pm | By Ophelia BensonNidhi Dutt experienced a little “Eve teasing,” or as you might call it, assault, in Bombay one afternoon.
… Read the restMy colleague and I were piling into a rickshaw, heading back to the bureau. And that’s when it happened. We were suddenly surrounded by a group of boys, barely teenagers.
At first the whole thing seemed harmless, if a little predictable – the cheery interest of a group of bright eyed, smiling boys.
Their approach was not unusual, foreigners and cameras make for an unmissable attraction in India.
But it was only a matter of minutes, possibly seconds, before the smiles turned into a blur of pawing, grabbing hands. Their indecent behaviour was punctuated by cheers, laughter and explicit comments in Hindi.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Christian love
Jan 13th, 2012 11:59 am | By Ophelia BensonWhat Jessica Ahlquist has to put up with.
A small sample (all spellings theirs):
- May that little, evil teenage girl and that judge BURN IN HELL.
- U little brainless idiot, hope u will be punished, u have not win sh..t! Stupid little brainless skunk!
- How does it feel to be the most hated person in RI right now? Your a puke and a disgrace to the human race.
- shes not human shes garbage
- Fuck Jessica alquist I’ll drop anchor on her face
- Jessica Ahlquist may have won her case, but she’s going straight to hell.
- literally that bitch is insane. and the best part is she already transferred schools because she knows someone will jump her
- I hope there’s
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Christian love
Jan 13th, 2012 11:59 am | By Ophelia BensonWhat Jessica Ahlquist has to put up with.
A small sample (all spellings theirs):
- May that little, evil teenage girl and that judge BURN IN HELL.
- U little brainless idiot, hope u will be punished, u have not win sh..t! Stupid little brainless skunk!
- How does it feel to be the most hated person in RI right now? Your a puke and a disgrace to the human race.
- shes not human shes garbage
- Fuck Jessica alquist I’ll drop anchor on her face
- Jessica Ahlquist may have won her case, but she’s going straight to hell.
- literally that bitch is insane. and the best part is she already transferred schools because she knows someone will jump her
- I hope there’s
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Dr Gingrich sneers at the crime of speaking French
Jan 13th, 2012 11:20 am | By Ophelia BensonI hate my country sometimes. Really hate it. Visceral stomach-heaving loathing.
One such time is when candidates for high office tell us that ignorance is good and knowledge is bad. It makes me murderous. Yes, ignorance is good, poverty is good, starvation is good, disease is good, pain is good – and that’s what we have to offer, the candidates imply. Vote for us and pride yourself on not knowing any pesky foreign languages.
… Read the restQuelle horreur! Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney has been skewered in a new political attack ad – for speaking French.
The ad, released by rival Newt Gingrich, seeks to draw unflattering parallels between Mr Romney and another Massachusetts politician, John Kerry.
Entitled The French Connection
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Newt Gingrich ad treats speaking French as a crime
Jan 13th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHow dare a presidential candidate speak a second language! Presidents should be as pig-ignorant as possible!… Read the rest
Nidhi Dutt on being “Eve teased”
Jan 13th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonIt was only a matter of minutes, possibly seconds, before the smiles turned into a blur of pawing, grabbing hands. In broad daylight, on a street in a busy business district.… Read the rest
Jessica Ahlquist targeted by cyber-bullies
Jan 13th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“shes not human shes garbage” “I’ll drop anchor on her face” “i cant wait to hear about you getting curb stomped” “what a little bitch lol I wanna snuff her”
A few minutes of quiet reflection
Jan 13th, 2012 9:54 am | By Ophelia BensonAnother installment of Heathen’s Progress. It starts with prayer and then generalizes to religious ritual compared to secular ritual.
… Read the restI’ve recently started praying. Well, not exactly praying, but doing something that fulfils what I think are its main functions. Prayer provides an opportunity to remind oneself of how one should be living, our responsibilities to others, our own failings, and our relative good fortune, should we have it. This is, I think, a pretty worthwhile practice and it is not something you can only do if you believe you are talking to an unseen creator. Many stoics did something similar and some forms of meditation serve the same kind of purpose. My version is simply a few minutes of
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Julian Baggini in praise of praying
Jan 13th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe religious context transforms religious rituals from something optional and arbitrary into something necessary and grounded.… Read the rest
Clay Shirky on the NY Times and truth
Jan 13th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonReaders do not care about the epistemological differences between lies and weasel words; we want newspapers to limit the ability of politicians to make dubious assertions without penalty.… Read the rest
Prayer is totes secular!!
Jan 12th, 2012 5:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonOhhhhhhh the Daily Mail. It’s a sin to tell whoppers.
Headline on story about Jessica Ahlquist and the judge’s decision:
School ordered to remove ‘religious’ banner which tells pupils to be kind
Scare quotes on “religious” when the banner starts with “HEAVENLY FATHER” – does the Mail think that’s a secular greeting?
A school has been ordered to tear down a banner encouraging its pupils to be kind to one another after a judge decided it violated the First Amendment.
The banner at Cranston High School West in Rhode Island was judged to promote religion because it takes the form of a prayer addressed to ‘Our Heavenly Father’ and concluding ‘Amen’.
Yes…….a prayer that begins with “our heavenly father” … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Timothy Rowe asks: who cares?
Jan 12th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonCompassion holds us open not just to the uncertainties of our own life but that of other people as well, and that can deter us from wanting to feel more of it.… Read the rest
Nirmukta says good-bye to Ajita Kamal
Jan 12th, 2012 12:45 pm | By Ophelia Benson… Read the restAjita was raised in the city of Coimbatore, India. His passion for science and reason went back to early childhood.
…
Ajita was an active participant in freethought throughout his years in America, forming ties with freethinkers who would become part of Nirmukta’s extended family. Employing his versatile talents, his contributions towards the cause of reason were manifold: as a prolific and edifying writer, as an insightful interviewer, as an adept podcast host, as an energetic community organizer both on-ground and online, and as a welcoming mentor to many freethinkers young and old taking their first steps towards embracing freethought.
In 2008, he started what would later become our organisation known as Nirmukta.
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Nirmukta: In memoriam: Ajita Kamal 1978-2011
Jan 12th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHis contributions towards the cause of reason were manifold: as a prolific and edifying writer, as an insightful interviewer, as an adept podcast host, as an energetic community organizer both on-ground and online, and as a welcoming mentor to many freethinkers young and old taking their first steps towards embracing freethought.… Read the rest
Canada: confusion over status of gay marriage
Jan 12th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonNon-Canadian gays can marry in Canada but not divorce if the marriage is valid in Canada but not at home. Maybe. No one seems to know, exactly.… Read the rest
Americans should protest Helen Ukpabio’s visit
Jan 12th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBy instructing gullible Nigerian parents to persecute their own children, Ukpabio continues to enrich herself, through her books and remittances from exorcisms.… Read the rest
Should the NY Times be a “truth vigilante”?
Jan 12th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAsks the public editor of the NY Times. Say what?… Read the rest