The law now allows businesses operating out of Church property such as hotels and restaurants not to pay property tax as long as the building also has a chapel or similar.… Read the rest
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Defiantly wholesome
Feb 24th, 2012 10:21 am | By Ophelia BensonWant to splash around in morbidity for a moment?
There’s always the new season of 19 and Counting.
And Counting – geddit? It’s not really “and Counting” now because Michelle Duggar miscarried #20. The new season is kind of morbid that way.
And not just that way. I find it kind of morbid overall. “Morbid” isn’t really the right word, I suppose – the Atlantic’s “creepy” is better – but it is, in a way – what’s dead is the mind. The whole atmosphere is Stepfordish. Yes they’re all very cheery and smiley and friendly and warm – but so would programmed pod people be.
… Read the restThis is, at least on film, a defiantly wholesome family; these kids aren’t constantly moaning
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Guest post by Musical Atheist on Richard Dawkins
Feb 24th, 2012 9:29 am | By Ophelia BensonAfter the torrent of spiteful dreck we’ve seen directed at Richard Dawkins lately, the comment by Musical Atheist came as a blast of cold fresh air in a stuffy room. Therefore, I’m putting it up on the main page.
Musical Atheist says:
February 24, 2012 at 12:03 am (Edit)I don’t like my own country very much at present. I think our politicians and our press display the lowest sort of sneering childishness, on a regular basis. Playground bullies who grew up to apply their bullying on a wider scale.
For this reason, when I first discovered Dawkins’ writing, I felt that he was one of the few public figures in Britain I could find genuinely inspiring. He’s honest, his … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Telegraph amazed: Dawkins not “certain” God is not 
Feb 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He said that in the book. Whence the surprise?… Read the rest
Gender and risk aversion
Feb 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
After eight weeks, the women in the single-sex classes were no more risk averse than men.… Read the rest
Lancs boy, 16, has jaw broken in homophobic attack
Feb 24th, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He was walking down the street with his sister when three men shouted homophobic abuse at him; then they beat him up.… Read the rest
Shall I compare thee to a spotty adolescent
Feb 23rd, 2012 11:56 am | By Ophelia BensonWell at least Amol Rajan gets it.
Proof, if proof were needed, that “militant secularism” isn’t having such a great time of it in modern Britain has been in plentiful supply over the past week, during which there has been a sustained and vicious assault in our media on one of our most distinguished academics. Professor Richard Dawkins (FRS, FRSL) presumably personifies militant secularism, and has been made to suffer for it.
Or if not suffer, at least be the object of a lot of mud-throwing. (Being the object of something is the core meaning of “suffer,” but that meaning is intransative; you can’t just “suffer” in that sense without a direct object.)
… Read the restIn the Daily Mail last week,
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
However childish
Feb 23rd, 2012 9:57 am | By Ophelia BensonSpeaking of the dopy endlessly-recycled vendetta against gnu atheism, John Gray obliges with another iteration of his version, via a perfunctory review of some book or other which he barely notices.
… Read the restIt is only the illiteracy of the current generation of atheists that leads them to think religious practitioners must be stupid or thoughtless. Were Augustine, Maimonides and al-Ghazali – to mention only religious thinkers in monotheist traditions – lacking in intellectual vitality? The question is absurd but the fact it can be asked at all might be thought to pose a difficulty for de Botton. His spirited and refreshingly humane book aims to show that religion serves needs that an entirely secular life cannot satisfy. He will
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
John Gray reviews Alain de Botton
Feb 23rd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The illiteracy of the current generation of atheists; atheism a militant creed; childish certainties; fulminating about religion; but so has science.… Read the rest
A brutal price still paid for daring to challenge faith
Feb 23rd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The assault on Dawkins illustrates the extent to which defenders of religion still dominate our press and the brutal retaliation exacted on clever opponents of faith.… Read the rest
Narcissus leaves the pool
Feb 22nd, 2012 4:49 pm | By Ophelia BensonSome goon was sniping at FTB on Twitter the other day – stupid snipey generalizations that have nothing to do with reality. Why would anyone even bother sniping at FTB in general? We’re not all the same, so what can one say that will be true? We all post in English, mostly. Anything else? We all sleep with our eyes closed? We all eat food and drink water?
Anyway, the stupidest tweet said “narcissism is near a sine qua non for blogging at FtB.”
Oh yes? Why?
No seriously, why? Why more than any other group of bloggers, or just any other blogger? What’s so narcissistic about everyone at FTB?
(Note: I always spell it FTB, because Thought is a … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Religious groups to candidates: a bit less religion please
Feb 22nd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
You’re doing it too much even for us, say 14 Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh organizations.… Read the rest
Assault is ok if the attacker is “offended”
Feb 22nd, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Muslim guy attacks “zombie Mohammed” in atheist parade, is arrested and tried; judge dismisses case, blames victim for being so offensive.… Read the rest
About us – except for who we are
Feb 22nd, 2012 10:12 am | By Ophelia BensonBen Goldacre wondered aloud on Twitter why it’s impossible to find out who is behind “Coalition for Marriage.” Why is it a secret?
Good question. What’s up with that? If you have a cause, why be secretive about it?
It’s a stupid “cause,” I must say.
The Coalition draws upon a substantial body of evidence showing that marriage – as it has been understood for thousands of years – is beneficial to society, and that changing its definition would undermine that benefit.
Except that marriage hasn’t been “understood” that way (they obviously mean one woman and one man) for thousands of years. The imbeciles are forgetting polygamy.
Well maybe that’s why they don’t want us to know who … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
What we talk about when we talk about blogging
Feb 21st, 2012 5:59 pm | By Ophelia BensonA conversation among FTBers has (by a circuitous route, as is often the case) ended up in a discussion of the weirdness of the interpersonal dynamics of blogging – of the kinds and degrees of intimacy that can be created, and whether they’re an illusion or not.
I think the usual view is a brisk, “healthy,” matter of fact view that any sense of intimacy is an illusion, as is any sense of liking or friendship that may develop over time. That’s not my view. My view is pretty much the opposite, which is that it’s not an illusion at all, and that there are perfectly good reasons for this.
I was prompted to say some of this in the … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
HRW on how al-Shabaab treats children
Feb 21st, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“Al-Shabaab rebels have abducted children from their homes and schools to fight, for rape, and for forced marriage,” said HRW deputy children’s rights director.… Read the rest
Former archbishop (ret’d) in Daily Mail
Feb 21st, 2012 10:08 am | By Ophelia BensonThe former archbishop of Canterbury George Carey said, in an article for the Daily Mail, that the proposal to change the status of marriage ”constitutes one of the greatest political power grabs in history.”
The state does not ‘own’ the institution of marriage. Nor does the church.
The honourable estate of matrimony precedes both the state and the church, and neither of these institutions have [sic] the right to redefine it in such a fundamental way.
So who should? Lexicographers?
Whatever. There’s a poll, and the yes everyone should have the right to get married no matter what their sexuality answer is winning by an avalanche. Maybe that’s who gets to redefine the honourable estate of matrimony: people who … Read the rest
(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)
Former archbish of Canterbury opposes gay marriage
Feb 21st, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Calls the proposal to change the status of marriage ”one of the greatest political power grabs in history.” Rich comeing from a theocrat.… Read the rest
Download the universe
Feb 21st, 2012 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A new website devoted to reviewing ebooks about science, with Carl Zimmer and a team of leading new-media science journalists.… Read the rest
