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You could tell the story in your sleep

Sep 14th, 2011 3:33 pm | By

Another familiar story. Religious men walk out of official ceremony in protest because women ___. Their bosses dismiss them. Clerics say it’s an outrage.

The details barely matter; they’re interchangeable. In this case the men were military cadets in Israel; their bosses are their superior officers; the women were singing; the clerics are rabbis.

At some point during the evening, two female soldiers got up to sing. When one
of them began singing solo, dozens of religious soldiers got up and turned to
leave the auditorium.

Pointedly sending the message that the female soldier was a harlot. That should be good for morale.

H/t Ezra Resnick.… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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Anointing the sick with oil

Sep 14th, 2011 3:14 pm | By

Familiar story. Couple belong to church that “preaches faith-healing and rejects modern medicine in favor of prayer and other spiritual practices such as anointing the sick with oil.” Couple lets infant die instead of getting medical help.

David Hickman, the couple’s infant son, died in 2009 from a bacterial infection in his lungs. Born two months premature, weighing only 3 pounds and 5 ounces, David only lived for an agonizing nine hours. David, slowly succumbing to the infection in the Hickman’s home, was surrounded by female church members who are considered midwives, although there is no evidence these unlicensed, supposed “midwives,” have any medical education.

Couple goes on trial. Defense is expected to argue that the infant’s death was … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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Couple on trial for letting their baby die *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

The Oregon medical examiner’s office estimates that in the past 30 years, more than 20 children of church members have died of preventable or curable conditions.… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Israel: cadets protest women singing at ceremony *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Four of the nine religious cadets who walked out of a military event as a female
soldier began singing solo will be dismissed from their officers’ course.… Read the rest

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Jacques Berlinerblau says how to do secularism *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Do it his way.… Read the rest

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HPV vax will make your daughter a SLUT

Sep 14th, 2011 11:29 am | By

It’s so impressive – not in the least surprising, but so impressive – when candidates for elected office cheerfully put other people’s lives at risk in the hope of gaining an advantage over a rival.

Like Michele Bachmann.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is continuing to attack the 2012 frontrunner for mandating that young girls get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine…

Social conservatives argue that the vaccine, which protects against a sexually-transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer, encourages promiscuity. Perry’s decision has already riled up conservative activists; it might be Bachmann’s best hope to win back those voters.

And that’s reason enough to make irresponsible attacks on a public health measure.

 … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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Why is US TV losing women writers? *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Women who hear that the television industry is not welcoming to them may be less
likely to become part of it in the first place.… Read the rest

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Sexism alive and well in TV land *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Only 15% of the writers of broadcast network, prime-time programs were women in 2010-2011 season, less than half the number in 2006-2007.… Read the rest

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Bachmann’s breathtaking ignorance about HPV vaccine *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

“To have innocent little 12-year old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat-out wrong,” she proclaimed Monday.… Read the rest

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Training dominion-oriented daughters

Sep 13th, 2011 5:29 pm | By

Libby Anne spotted another deeply sinister picture of a female human being on a Vision Forum DVD.

Will you look at that?

It’s all the more sinister because it’s so effective – the colors and patterns are pretty, and they pull us in.

Libby Anne is scathing.

It appears from the cover of this DVD that daughters take dominion by doing laundry. Nice. I mean seriously, thought goes into cover images like these (we hope), and someone really truly honestly decided that the best image to represent dominion-oriented daughters is a little girl doing laundry. Because, you know, that’s how women take dominion. By doing laundry. Interesting.

This made me wonder. What pictures do they put on DVDs on raising

… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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Canada thinks about assisted suicide

Sep 13th, 2011 4:15 pm | By

The Globe and Mail has an editorial saying “Make the right to die legal, with protections.”

Time and again, opinion polls show a large majority of Canadians support the idea that the terminally ill should be able to decide when and how they die. They believe that competent adults in unbearable pain, suffering from an illness that will never improve, have the right to die with dignity.

And yet the Canadian government is no closer to resolving how – or if – to reform the law against euthanasia; no politician is brave enough to champion such a contentious cause, or even to launch a national debate probing public opinion.

But if that’s what the polls show, why does it take … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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Globe and Mail talks to Udo Schuklenk *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

“Often when people talk about end-of-life decision making, the assumption is it’s about pain. But it’s not. The concern is more about losing control over their lives, the quality of their lives.”… Read the rest

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Globe and Mail editorial: make right to die legal *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

“Many people, once they know that if all else fails, this is an option, they won’t make that call. The stress is gone,” says Udo Schuklenk.… Read the rest

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Mark your calendar

Sep 13th, 2011 12:58 pm | By

Speaking of Janet Heimlich – Think Atheist recorded an interview with her recently and will air it next Sunday September 18 at 5PM Pacific/8PM Eastern. You can find all past and future shows here.… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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When they are in PR mode

Sep 13th, 2011 12:37 pm | By

I no sooner say that thing about the pretty picture out front and the kicks and blows behind the curtain when I read another example via Ed Brayton. The Reconstructionists are saying why the Dominionists are so scary while they (the Recons) are thoroughly reassuring.

There is no doubt, however, that the 7MDs do have a goal of top-down control of society. This is explicit in their literature in many places. The exception to this is when they are in PR mode: then they downplay and even completely deny that they believe in dominion….

Riiiiight – as so many control freaks do when they are in PR mode. The pope do, theocracies that sign up to CEDAW do, Michele … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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Do the right thing, Tunisia

Sep 13th, 2011 12:14 pm | By

A bit of good news, potentially (though it could be just window dressing, or good intentions, or doomed): Tunisia “has become the first country in the region to withdraw all its specific reservations regarding Cedaw – the international convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.”

This is an important step, Brian Whitaker continues.

It reverses a long-standing abuse of human rights treaties – especially in the Middle East – where repressive regimes sign up to these treaties for purposes of international respectability but then excuse themselves from some or all of their obligations.

Saudi Arabia, for example, operates the world’s most blatant and institutionalised system of discrimination against women – and yet, along with 17

… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)

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Iran: women’s rights activist badly beaten by cops *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

Her charges were announced as “Insulting the Supreme Leader”, “Propaganda against the Islamic Republic regime”, and “Acting against national security”.… Read the rest

Posted in Latest News


Nothing paranormal about near-death experiences *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

How neuroscience can explain seeing bright lights, meeting the dead, or being convinced you are one of them.… Read the rest

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Near-death experiences found to have naturalistic causes *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

Research is now revealing scientific explanations for virtually all of their common features.… Read the rest

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Abuse survivors will try to take pope to court *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

Rape and other forms of sexual violence are specifically included in the definition of crimes against humanity that are under the jurisdiction of the ICC.… Read the rest

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