A particle physicist turned Anglican priest, who writes consecrated pap for those who think that religion somehow completes or fulfils the scientific project.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Gingrich worked so hard his pants fell off 
Mar 12th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
That is, things happened that were not appropriate. But now he’s converted to Catholicism, so his pants will stay on.… Read the rest
The Religion Communicators Council
Mar 12th, 2011 12:51 pm | By Ophelia BensonWhat is the Religion Communicators Council? I’d never heard of it before yesterday. I’ve heard of it now though, and I’m curious. Is it, like, a household name? Is everybody aware of it off in the background somewhere, taking care of Religious Communication?
I don’t know. I think it sounds pretty horrible though.
The Religion Communicators Council, founded in 1929, is an interfaith association of religion communicators at work in print and electronic communication, advertising and public relations.
It’s a PR-advertising outfit for Religion, all Religion, Religion as such.
So it would be a peculiar kind of laurel for a journalist to get an award from them, wouldn’t it? Journalists don’t really want awards from PR outfits and advertisers, … Read the rest
When interests conflict
Mar 12th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Should big PR firms that represent drug companies also run scientific societies’ media operations?… Read the rest
Ben Goldacre on why cigarette packs matter
Mar 12th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Cigarette packaging has been used for many decades to sell the crucial lie that cigarettes which are “light”, “mild”, “silver”, and the rest, are somehow “safer”.… Read the rest
Tudge reviews Flannery on Darwin
Mar 12th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
And recycles every dreary cliché there is.… Read the rest
His elbow slipped
Mar 11th, 2011 3:43 pm | By Ophelia BensonI was inspired by the new levels of Wallyism we dug up yesterday so I thought I would dig up a little more.
Am I rubbing it in? Yes, I am. But when you look at the newly-dug levels, I think you will see why. I think nose-rubbing is just the right thing to do about this degree of mendacious bullying. I mean, in particular, the place where Wally is caught lying by one “Sean” and uses four sock puppets posting right on top of each other to bully Sean and then congratulate himself on the bullying. What could be more suitable than to make this contemptible behavior public?
It wasn’t about gnu atheists this time, December 2009; it was … Read the rest
HRW report
Mar 11th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
On Islamic dress code for women in Chechnya.… Read the rest
Rosenhouse reviews Collins and Giberson
Mar 11th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Their book is not a good defense of theistic evolution.… Read the rest
A more hopeful view of women and Egypt
Mar 11th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
But she wrote just before going to Tahrir Square for the March 8 Million Woman March…… Read the rest
Why are atheists so angry?
Mar 11th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Because theists keep asking why they’re so angry.… Read the rest
Daily Mail: did “supermoon” cause earthquake?
Mar 11th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ben Goldacre finds this question tasteless. Extremely fucking tasteless, actually.… Read the rest
Chechnya: women bullied into dressing “modestly”
Mar 11th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Chechen authorities are enforcing a compulsory Islamic dress code for women and condoning violent attacks on women deemed to dress immodestly.… Read the rest
Rahila Gupta on feminism and secularism
Mar 10th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Some on the left have developed an anti-racist politics that gives succour to religious extremism rather than challenging it.… Read the rest
A memo from Fred Halliday to LSE
Mar 10th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Halliday wrote this memo to LSE’s governing body in October 2009 to try to convince them not to accept a grant from the Qaddafi Foundation.… Read the rest
The Holy See was tired and emotional
Mar 10th, 2011 3:38 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe “Holy See,” not for the first time, had nothing to say. Not a peep. About?
about reports that the Archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal Justin Rigali, this week suspended 21 priests pending investigation into allegations of child sex abuse.
Oh that. Well…what can it say? “We didn’t tell them to.” “It wasn’t our idea.” “Don’t look at us.” “It’s the parents we blame.” “Philadelphia is a very secular place.”
No doubt it will say all of those in good time, but it doesn’t like to be rushed.
… Read the restThe suspension of the priests on Tuesday follows on from the findings of a Philadelphia grand jury which last month indicted three priests and one lay teacher on charges of rape, assault
Philadelphia: 21 priests suspended
Mar 10th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A grand jury last month indicted three priests and one lay teacher on charges of rape, assault and other felonies related to minors, mainly in the late 1990s.… Read the rest
Newt Gingrich considers secularism “elitist”
Mar 10th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“In America, religious belief is being challenged by a cultural elite trying to create a secularized America, in which God is driven out of public life.”… Read the rest
Governor of Illinois repeals death penalty
Mar 10th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“We cannot have a death penalty system in our state that kills innocent people.”… Read the rest
