Wants to go on promoting anti-science nonsense as king.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Priest Threatens Obama Supporters
Nov 17th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonTax-exempt fanatic says voting for Obama ‘constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil.’… Read the rest
Catholic Bishop Blames Education
Nov 17th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonEducation has ‘a dark side’: people who question church authority.… Read the rest
‘Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered’
Nov 17th, 2008 10:57 am | By Ophelia BensonYou know, human rights are risky. Equality is risky. Freedom is risky. That is to say, movements to gain or restore or promote those things are risky. Tyrants and exploiters and authoritarians don’t just smile politely and go home – they fight back. Being tyrants and exploiters and authoritarians, they fight dirty. That’s why they’re being fought in the first place. So people who are attempting to promote or gain more equality or rights have to consider the fact that they may be putting other people at risk, because they usually are.
The Civil Rights movement (in the US in the 50s and 60s) had that problem. We tend to forget this now, but it was a huge issue at … Read the rest
Trust me, I’m a prince
Nov 17th, 2008 9:57 am | By Ophelia BensonCharles’s vanity and delusion are being taken out for an airing again. He
has told confidants he would like his role to “evolve” so that his knowledge and experience are not wasted once he inherits the crown.
What knowledge and experience? What knowledge and experience does he have that would be ‘wasted’ if he didn’t use his accident of birth to publicize them? His knowledge and experience about GM crops? About alternative medicine? About architecture? What special unique irreplaceable knowledge and experience does he have on those subjects?
None, right? Do correct me if I’m wrong – but as far as I can tell, the answer is none. He has strong opinions on the subjects, but so do lots of … Read the rest
Karen Armstrong squares the circle
Nov 15th, 2008 2:05 pm | By Ophelia BensonIt’s not a newsflash that Karen Armstrong is not one of the clearest thinkers in the world – but nevertheless the opening sentence of her sermon on compassion at Comment is Free set me back a little.
The practice of compassion is central to every one of the major world religions – but sometimes you would never know it.
But sometimes you would never know it – good one. Did she write this while taking a bath and watching Celebrity Big Brother, or what? But more to the point is the fundamental and pathetic incoherence of the basic thought: the practice of compassion is central to every one of the major world religions, and yet oddly enough in real … Read the rest
Mormons Tipped the Scale on Prop 8
Nov 15th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonLeadership issued a decree to be read to congregations: ‘the formation of families is central to the Creator’s plan.’… Read the rest
Karen Armstrong Talks Literal Nonsense
Nov 15th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘The practice of compassion is central to every one of the major world religions – but sometimes you would never know it.’… Read the rest
Paul Krugman: Depression Economics Returns
Nov 15th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe rules of economic policy no longer apply: virtue becomes vice, caution is risky and prudence is folly.… Read the rest
Matthias Rath and Alternative Health Eurosceptics
Nov 15th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe alternative health sector is lobbying the EU parliament against legislative regulation of their products. … Read the rest
Bad Science: ‘I Married a Horse’
Nov 15th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSurely the magazine had a responsibility to verify medical information before publishing such claims?… Read the rest
Any freedom from religion on offer?
Nov 14th, 2008 5:30 pm | By Ophelia BensonSo the whole UN really is infected with this ‘defamation of religion should be banned’ virus.
United Nations General Assembly President Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann said on Tuesday that the world body should ban defamation of all religions and disagreed that such a move would impinge upon freedom of speech. “Yes, I believe that defamation of religion should be banned,” he said in response to a question at a press conference to highlight the interfaith conference at the UN headquarters. No one should try to defame Islam or any other religion, he said, adding: “We should respect all religions.”
Well now how would you go about banning ‘defamation’ of religion without impinging on freedom of speech? How would anyone? You … Read the rest
Bush Says Freedom is God’s Gift
Nov 14th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonDefends ‘religious dissidents and believers’; no mention of atheists.… Read the rest
Wishful Thinking
Nov 14th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSaudi King is ‘articulating the central Muslim value of religious pluralism.’ The wot?… Read the rest
UN: ‘Defamation of Religion’ Should be Banned
Nov 14th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia Benson‘Yes, I believe that defamation of religion should be banned,’ official said in reply to question.… Read the rest
‘Christian Voice’ Gets Book Launch Canceled
Nov 14th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonPatrick Jones said he had not singled out Christianity in his poems, but was questioning beliefs in society.… Read the rest
Support Political Prisoners in Burundi
Nov 14th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSeveral opposition leaders have been arrested including Jean Claude Kavumbagu and Alexis Sinduhije.… Read the rest
Two blogs
Nov 13th, 2008 6:00 pm | By Ophelia BensonAs you may have seen, Edmund Standing has started a blog, amusingly called ‘I kid you not’ as a compliment to Sarah Palin. Okay not a compliment exactly. Palin has been saying things again, as Edmund notes.
… Read the restThen there’s the whole down to earth ‘mom next door’ persona. Palin, it should be remembered, proudly announced herself to the Republican National Convention as ‘just your average hockey mom’…So, we have a woman who calls herself ‘average’, thinks some ‘God’ or other gives her career guidance, is completely ignorant of evolutionary biology and the history of the world, and conducts political interviews while cooking moose for her ‘guy’…And this woman wants to become President of the most powerful nation on
Burundi Opposition Leader Charged
Nov 13th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe news has sparked anguish at Harvard, where specialists on journalism and human rights have followed Sinduhije’s career.… Read the rest
Burundi: Journalist Jailed for ‘Insulting the President’
Nov 13th, 2008 | Filed by Ophelia BensonRichard Wilson on why some thought Nkurunziza was not too bad. Wishful thinking, yes, but more.… Read the rest