The teenager had refused to admit to sorcery and witchcraft and his punishments in a “deliverance” ceremony became more horrendous.… Read the rest
Anoint all the roads with holy oil
Mar 7th, 2012 10:48 am | By Ophelia BensonAlmost time to leave for Manchester (well not really almost – about four hours). Meanwhile, some more detail about Orlando.
One of the first talks was EllenBeth Wachs, who explained what’s been going on in Polk County, Florida. Theocracy, that’s what. The mayor of Lakeland and the Polk County sheriff are involved in something called Polk Under Prayer.
They and others got together and anointed all the roads that border the county, announcing that non-believers should be either arrested or shoved out of the county.
EllenBeth is president of Florida Atheists; she wrote a letter to an official about an illegal transfer of sports equipment from a jail (publicly funded) to a church. She was arrested and handcuffed, and … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Radio stations, advertisers drop Limbaugh
Mar 7th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSo it’s not ok to call a woman a slut and a prostitute just because you disagree with her politics? Whaddya know.… Read the rest
The Hasidic campaign against Deborah Feldman
Mar 7th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia BensonInteresting that they don’t try to defend the sexist practices and dogma.… Read the rest
Atheists v Hasids
Mar 7th, 2012 6:54 am | By Ophelia BensonAmerican Atheists were going to give the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn a very nice atheist billboard. Dave Silverman says they get emails from atheists there who feel very alone; AA wanted to let them know they’re not alone.
… Read the restSilverman was at the site with the advertising company to erect the giant sign atop a residential building.
But landlord Kenny Stier refused to allow workers from the advertising company Clear Channel into the building, said Silverman. He told The Brooklyn Paper that he believes powerful rabbis in the largely ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jewish area persuaded Stier to block the billboard.
“It has been very disconcerting to see that the traditional victims of religious bigotry have become the purveyors of religious bigotry,” said
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Landlord blocks atheist billboard in Hasidic neighborhood
Mar 7th, 2012 | Filed by Ophelia Benson“It has been very disconcerting to see that the traditional victims of religious bigotry have become the purveyors of religious bigotry,” said Dave Silverman.… Read the rest
Man boobz v Reddit
Mar 6th, 2012 2:55 pm | By Ophelia BensonDavid Futrelle has an information-loaded post on MRAs on Reddit explaining that and why “cunt” is not a sexist word via an equally compelling explanation that and why Rebecca Watson is -
you know the rest.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
A deep practice of interiority
Mar 6th, 2012 2:25 pm | By Ophelia BensonA fella called Rev James Willems (is Rev his first name do you suppose? did he perhaps change his name to Rev in order to trick people into thinking he’s a Reverend? or is he actually a Reverend? I do not know the answers to these questions) commented on Be Scofield’s profundity about god’s love for transgender people. His comment is a classic of its kind.
… Read the rest“God” is not an assertion, but, rather, is an experience. I have no problem with people rejecting institutional religion. I have profound problems with people who have not lived a deep practice of interiority reducing spiritual experience to religion. When one begins to prescribes what is acceptable behavior for another person, that person
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
A fatwa crashed down on de Botton’s head
Mar 6th, 2012 10:13 am | By Ophelia BensonMore atheist-bashing, this time from Bryan Appleyard at the New Statesman.
Two atheists – John Gray and Alain de Botton – and two agnostics – Nassim Nicholas Taleb and I – meet for dinner at a Greek restaurant in Bayswater, London. The talk is genial, friendly and then, suddenly, intense when neo-atheism comes up. Three of us, including both atheists, have suffered abuse at the hands of this cult. Only Taleb seems to have escaped unscathed and this, we conclude, must be because he can do maths and people are afraid of maths.
Abuse? What kind of “abuse”? How are we defining “abuse”? How are we defining “cult”? What, exactly, are we talking about? Who is abusing whom?
… Read the restDe
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Human rights and _____ rights
Mar 6th, 2012 9:41 am | By Ophelia BensonRon Lindsay did a post on the Women in Secularism conference last week, reminding anyone who needed reminding that it’s not just for women.
I doubt any of the speakers want a passive audience. They want an audience that will listen attentively, but who will also engage them with questions and challenges. Moreover, there will be ample opportunity for discussion not only with the speakers but also with one’s fellow attendees. This conference will be a great learning experience—for both men and women.
I do! I want a passive audience! I want people who will just sit there and nod agreement the whole time.
Just kidding.
Ben Radford (in a comment) expanded on the idea that women’s rights aren’t just … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
People who know what god likes
Mar 6th, 2012 8:09 am | By Ophelia BensonI have a squillion things to do before I leave again tomorrow (like preparing my talk, for instance…), including offering some more detail on the conference, but I can’t ignore a new bit of point-missing and god-frotting from Be Scofield.
It’s about how Natalie Reed says god doesn’t love transgender people and Be responds (by saying yes they do too so, of course).
Natalie Reed, an atheist who is transgender has a new article called “God Does Not Love Trans People” over at Free Thought Blogs.
I have to interrupt for just a second. I do wish people would learn to use that comma properly. I keep seeing this mistake, and it’s very irritating. If you interrupt … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
My opinion of LA International Airport
Mar 5th, 2012 6:44 pm | By Ophelia BensonLAX SUCKS.
LAX is a fucking pit.
They don’t make information about flights and gates readily available and clearly understandable, they don’t have helpful people readily available, the terminal is dirty and smelly, the facilities suck, the Wifi sucks, all the people who work at LAX suck – everything about it sucks.
The indicator board for flights and gates was far away from the arrival gate. When I found it it said the gate for my flight was “T3″ – which doesn’t even sound like a gate, and there was no indication where it was. The airport cop I spotted didn’t know. All the lines were too long to hang around waiting to ask. (Further annoying details omitted for brevity.) … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Please remove your belt
Mar 5th, 2012 4:54 am | By Ophelia BensonBack at airport. There’s a non-stop to Seattle boarding right now, but it’s not mine…alas.
I take it you’re bored with conference chat. I’ll revert to normal posting for a couple of days – then I’m off to Manchester.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
The conference is over
Mar 4th, 2012 10:35 am | By Ophelia BensonI did my talk this morning, on the panel with PZ, Liz Cornwell, Bill Cooke, Vic Stenger, and Anthony Pinn.
I scored a very excellent souvenir! I noticed a name tag on the speakers’ table in front of me, about where Pat Schroeder was sitting yesterday, so I picked it up all casual-like before anyone could snatch it out of my hands, and covertly turned it over, and sure enough…
I totally have Pat Schroeder’s name tag!
The conference next year is in Seattle, and Tom just invited me. I’m holding him to it.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Still here
Mar 4th, 2012 4:06 am | By Ophelia BensonAwards banquet last night. Stephen Law got one, Jessica Ahlquist got one, Dan Dennett got one.
Everybody stands up when Jessica takes the podium. We can’t help it. I usually don’t like it when people leap to their feet, but I don’t object this time. I bet Jessica finds it cringe-making, but it can’t be helped.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Another quick update
Mar 3rd, 2012 3:48 pm | By Ophelia BensonI have 8 minutes on this computer and anyway it’s time for the banquet…
But it was a fun day. Outreach talk this morning – Jessica rocked the house. A talk-lunch, lunch, at which I talked to Dave Silverman, and Ellenbeth - she and I share an online stalker. Seriously. Russell Blackford on secularism. Pat Schroeder!!! this afternoon. She too rocked the house.
Gotta go.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
News from Orlando
Mar 3rd, 2012 4:44 am | By Ophelia BensonSo I saw Dennett arriving and then I went on into the bar area and plugged in my notebook and posted that I’d just seen Dennett. That took fifteen minutes or so – it’s not my notebook after all, it’s the horrible connection, everyone says it’s horrible. Well that plus reading up on the latest exploits of the Harvard Humanists took about 15 minutes. Then I packed up and was about to go wander around a little to see if PZ had arrived when PZ turned up in front of me, having just arrived. We went over to the bar and joined Tom Flynn and Dennett and Liz Cornwell and Debbie Goddard to schmooze.
Lots of good talks yesterday. Ellenbeth … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Seen
Mar 2nd, 2012 7:14 pm | By Ophelia BensonI was just walking through the lobby and there was Daniel Dennett arriving. No one else around, just Dennett.… Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)