“Saying prayers for a particular religion before council meetings was not inclusive.”… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Ratzinger “indignant” about Belgian law enforcement 
Jun 25th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“The Vatican has summoned the Belgian ambassador to the Holy See to voice anger over Thursday’s raids.”… Read the rest
Saudis sentenced to lashes, prison for “mingling”
Jun 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
4 women, 11 men got lashes and one to two years in prison for attending a party.… Read the rest
Put your hands out where I can see them
Jun 24th, 2010 5:37 pm | By Ophelia BensonBelgian authorities heightened pressure on the Roman Catholic Church in a sex-abuse scandal on Thursday, raiding the Belgian church headquarters, the home of a former archbishop and the offices of a commission established by the church to handle abuse complaints.
Police arrived at the church headquarters, the palace of the archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, on Thursday morning while the monthly bishops meeting was in progress, a church spokesman said, questioning all of those present, from bishops down to staff members such as cooks and drivers.
Now that’s more like it. That sounds as if someone actually realizes that raping children is a crime, and not a little foible that can be gently discouraged by one’s colleagues without anyone’s hair having to … Read the rest
More on Belgian police raid on bishops
Jun 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Cops arrived at headquarters during the monthly bishops’ meeting and started questioning everyone. Everyone.… Read the rest
Secular Coalition for America Opposes Kagan for Supreme Court
Jun 24th, 2010 | By Secular Coalition of AmericaJustice John Paul Stevens has been a historic champion of our constitutional separation of church and state. He has consistently sought to strike down special privileges for religion and its impositions on the rights of others. President Obama’s choice to replace him, Solicitor General Elena Kagan, does not appear to embrace the fundamental American principle of church-state separation with the vigor and force of Justice John Paul Stevens. This conclusion is based on the evidence that has come to light since her nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
Indeed, in at least one instance, Ms. Kagan appears to directly rebuff the church-state jurisprudence of Justice Stevens.
Thus, Secular Coalition for America opposes Ms. Kagan’s nomination until she makes her … Read the rest
The hermeneutic auction
Jun 24th, 2010 12:18 pm | By Ophelia BensonFirst there’s Daniel Harrell’s essay for BioLogos explaining that Adam and Eve were really truly. The introduction (perhaps written by someone else – it’s not clear) says “science does not rule out the possibility of a historical Adam and Eve.” Wull, yes it does. A historical woman and man who were the only humans on the planet and lived about 4 6 thousand years ago? Yes it does. So does history.
Anyway, Harrell explains that we can decide that Eve and Adam were really truly in a different way from being created all of a sudden by god and then filled up with fake DNA to trick everyone.
… Read the restCan we use “formed” and “breathed” to mean created through the
Dawkins and BioLogos’s Darrel Falk
Jun 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s a misunderstanding. No it isn’t.… Read the rest
Stephen Law on playing the mystery card
Jun 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“We must acknowledge that science and reason have their limits. It is sheer arrogance to suppose they can explain everything.” … Read the rest
Germany: Jewish dance group stoned
Jun 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Police said several Muslim immigrant youths were among the attackers; some shouted “Juden Raus.”… Read the rest
Cops raid headquarters of Belgian Catholic Church
Jun 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The archbishop’s palace has been sealed; a retired archbishop’s computer has been seized.… Read the rest
Jerry Coyne on natural selection in humans
Jun 24th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
There is evidence – not conclusive, but suggestive – that it happens.… Read the rest
The blessing is not that God will actually do anything
Jun 23rd, 2010 5:12 pm | By Ophelia BensonAt the end of his oil spill speech last week, Obama got into some god talk – quite a lot of it, as a matter of fact. He told us about that pretty custom, “The Blessing of the Fleet.” He explained that what’s so pretty about it is not that it works, because it doesn’t, but that we have goddy company while we drown or choke on oil.
For as a priest and former fisherman once said of the tradition, “The blessing is not that God has promised to remove all obstacles and dangers. The blessing is that He is with us always,” a blessing that’s granted “even in the midst of the storm.”
The blessing is that he is … Read the rest
Nothing fails like prayer
Jun 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Obama told us to pray over the oil spill. How’s that working?… Read the rest
Prince William made Fellow of Royal Society?!
Jun 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
His father, the well-known science hater, is also a member of Britain’s national academy of science. … Read the rest
Reasons
Jun 23rd, 2010 11:59 am | By Ophelia BensonAs we’ve seen, Chris Mooney remarked a couple of days ago that “The fact is, journalism (and dialogue) about science and religion are pretty difficult to oppose.”
Actually they’re not. There are reasons for opposing some general enterprise of treating science and religion as necessarily connected, and there are reasons for opposing much of the product of that enterprise, too. There are also reasons for doing the opposite.
One reason for opposing the product, frankly, is that it tends to be a boring vacuous waffly waste of time. Witness the detailed blow-by-blow account by Tom Paine’s Ghost of the World Science Festival session “Faith and Science” for instance.
Check it out. It’s mostly harmless, it’s pleasant enough, but it’s at … Read the rest
Mo believes in women’s rights
Jun 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Their very own special, different, unequal rights.… Read the rest
Jesus and Mo on ‘so did Mohammed’ campaign
Jun 23rd, 2010 | Filed by Ophelia BensonDamn those Islamophobes – always digging around in the past, looking for dirt.… Read the rest
No prayers before Leicester City Council meetings
Jun 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Mayor: “religion, in whatever shape or form, has no role to play at all in the conduct of council business.”… Read the rest
Other hatemongers on list of Toronto conference
Jun 23rd, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Such as Sheikh Hussein Yee, who once said Jews are the “extremists of the world” and will “go to Hell.”… Read the rest
