Norwegian flags are already on fire in Pakistan.
Author: Ophelia Benson
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UN Appeals for Donations for Haiti’s Schools
Of some 1,500 schools visited in the worst hit areas of Haiti, only 85 had escaped severe damage.
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Religion and science are like totally the same
Mark Vernon has his own special brand of wool. I do not admire it. It is too unctuous.
Is science closer to religion than is typically assumed? Is religion closer to science? Might rational enquiry, based on evidence, share similarities with faith? These questions were raised by Charles Taylor, the distinguished Canadian philosopher, speaking at a Cambridge University symposium (pdf). He suspects that in the modern world we’ve bought into an illusion, one that posits a radical split between reason and revelation. Today, given the tension and violence that arises from misunderstandings about both, is a good time to examine them again.
It is annoying, and unctuous, that Vernon doesn’t mention that that ‘symposium’ was sponsored by the Templeton Foundation. Allow me to correct his omission: that ‘symposium’ was sponsored by the Templeton Foundation. It was called ‘Faith, Rationality, and the Passions.’ It kicked off with Templeton Prize-winner Charles Taylor. It looks to have been a very templetonian symposium.
Vernon summarizes Taylor explaining that it’s all an illusion, because ‘when you examine the way science actually works you see that there’s a third factor’ which is intuition. You know what’s coming next, of course, even if you haven’t already read Jerry Coyne’s take, or indeed the Vernon article itself – you know that up next is Kuhn and the paradigm shift and normal science, and so they all are. Therefore, Vernon (apparently via Taylor) sums up, religion and science are both faith so ha.
…the neat distinction between science and religion unravels, for religion involves commitments made on faith too. You might protest: revelation purports to come from God and is untestable, two characteristics that the scientist would certainly reject. Except that regardless of its source, a revelation can only make an impact if it makes sense to people, which is to say that they test it against their lives…
Therefore, revelation really is tested, just the way science is, because people ‘test it against their lives,’ whatever the fuck that means, therefore there is no ‘neat’ distinction between science and religion, therefore we can just forget all about all this poxy modernity and reason and science and testing (except for ‘testing it against our lives,’ which is way easy and painless and you can do it while you sleep) and live happily ever after. All shall come first! All shall have prizes! Though probably not Templeton Prizes.
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German Commentators See ‘Islamophobia’
Necla Kelek and Seyran Ates are targets of vitriol for opposing honor killings and forced marriages.
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Ohio: ‘Science Teacher’ Who Taught Unscience
Other teachers kept their own children away from his class, but failed to alert school board or parents.
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Sinister Developments in Haiti Missionaries Case
Maybe the ‘ambitious plans for an orphanage with resort facilities’ should have rung alarm bells.
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Rahila Gupta on Amnesty’s Double Standard
AI has betrayed its own history and all of us who looked to it as a champion of human rights.
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The wisdom of bishops
Nice. ‘Compassionate.’ Thoughtful. Caring.
The president of the US bishops’ conference has issued a reminder that New Ways Ministry, a Maryland-based group that works with homosexuals and lesbians, “has no approval or recognition from the Catholic Church.” Cardinal Francis George of Chicago added that New Ways Ministry fails to provide “an authentic interpretation of Catholic teaching. Like other groups that claim to be Catholic but deny central aspects of church teaching,” the cardinal observed, New Ways Ministry does not speak for the Catholic faithful.
Because, of course, ‘Catholic teaching’ is that ‘homosexuals and lesbians’ are bad, nasty, dirty, ew, put it down, leave it alone, shun it, nasty, bad. Mind you it does of course hide and protect its own employees who stray into same-sex Sin, provided they do it with people who are underage and thus too weak to get the church into trouble – but that is not at all the same thing as treating adults who couple with other adults of the same sex as if they were human beings like any others as opposed to filthy criminals. The church knows what is right and what is not – thanks to its ‘teachings.’
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David Aaronovitch on Amnesty’s Poster Boy
Begg fell for the Taliban that whipped women for ‘improper dress’ and had fired all women in public service.
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Sikh Judge Criticizes Ban on ‘Ceremonial Dagger’
Sikhs should be allowed to wear their ceremonial daggers to school and other public places, he says.
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Hardeep Singh Kohli Not Keen on Daggers in Class
While going to school in Barnet may be challenging, it’s not the Punjab in 1708.
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US Bishops Warn: No Being Friendly to Gays
‘New Ways Ministry does not speak for the Catholic faithful.’ But the bishops do?!
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New Ways Ministry Replies to Bishops
‘New Ways Ministry has never been contacted by US Conference of Catholic Bishops to discuss our work.’
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Solution to Poverty Found in Population Growth
Catholic tool tells UN Commission for Social Development.
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Humanism and the Quest for Justice in Africa
Justice, they say, is the first condition of humanity. That means justice is imperative for human existence and coexistence. Justice is necessary for any society to grow, develop and flourish. Any movement that gives primary consideration to the human being must take the quest for justice- the enthronement of a just society- seriously. Millions of people around the world are living, languishing, suffering and dying under unjust conditions imposed on them by fellow human beings. And this is particularly the case in Africa.
The humanist outlook cannot thrive in a situation of so much injustice and deprivation. Humanism cannot take a firm hold on a society where unjust institutions abound and oppression prevails.
So for humanism to flourish in Africa, humanists must take the quest for justice and human emancipation seriously. In fact humanists must take part, contribute to and advance this important struggle for the realization of human happiness and well being in this world. Part of the reason why Africans are deeply religious, spiritual and supernatural in outlook is because the people have given up hope of achieving justice and happiness in this life and in this world. Humanists must be involved in changing and challenging unjust institutions, customs, and traditions. Humanists must work to dismantle all machineries of oppression, exploitation and dehumanization in Africa.
The humanist movement must lobby the governments or petition them before international bodies so that they would take action against injustice.
Humanists must be involved in marshalling ideas for social change and transformation.
They must champion the cause of addressing and redressing cases and instances of injustice against all persons. Humanists must strive to ensure that justice, equality and human rights are enjoyed by all no matter the age, race, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief. To achieve this, humanists must be ready to speak truth to power and be the agents of the change they desire. Because very often, in Africa, power is used to oppress, exploit and dehumanize the people. Power is employed to victimize poor and defenceless citizens. Power is used against vulnerable groups and minorities.
Justice is light and injustice is darkness. Eradicating injustice is an enlightening and illuminating process. So tackling unjust systems is critical to the growth and development of humanism in Africa. Today Africa is a dark continent not because there is something fundamentally wrong or lacking or extraordinary with the regional geography and weather conditions. Africa is a dark continent because of so many acts of injustice that reign supreme in the region. Africa is mired in darkness because of the reign of anomie, the terror of barbarism, the ubiquity of impunity, criminality and savage acts.
Unfortunately, Africans always point accusing fingers on colonialism and imperialism for injustices on the continent. As if there were no unjust acts or systems in Africa before its contact and ‘corruption’ by the outside world. When it comes to analyzing and addressing Africa’s problems and predicament, colonialism is always a cop-out or an alibi. Imperialism is a reason or an excuse Africans always tender to avoid responsibility- accepting or taking responsibility for their mistakes and failures.
Africans always comfortably prefer blaming the West and the whites for their woes and troubles. Surely, injustices predate and post date colonialism in Africa. Unjust acts have been going on in Africa for ages.
Humanism is a philosophy of hope, reformation and rebirth. Humanism is an outlook of liberation, emancipation, intellectual awakening and enlightenment. So humanists cannot afford to look away or turn a blind eye on the suffering and oppression of the people. They must strive to correct and reform systems and institutions responsible for human suffering and misery in this world. Above all humanists must show compassion, empathy, solidarity and goodwill. For these values encapsulate humanism par excellence.
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Amnesty Shafts What it Purports to Defend
AI suspended Gita Sahgal for suggesting AI should not cozy up to the Taliban.
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Nick Cohen on Amnesty and Gita Sahgal
Given a choice between violent patriachy and women’s rights, like many liberal institutions AI chooses reaction.
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The ‘Islamophobia Watch’ Take on Gita Sahgal
She is ‘a member of a nutty group called Women Against Fundamentalisms.’