All entries by this author

Be careful what you wish for

Jul 11th, 2009 5:00 pm | By

I’m deeply irritated. I’ll tell you why. If Chris Mooney can, I can. If Chris Mooney can single out PZ Myers for a damn good scolding not once but twice in his (and Kirshenbaum’s, but he’s the one with the PZ-vendetta) short book, then I can single out Chris Mooney for another in the privacy of this little place.

I know it’s futile. G ignores him, Josh says he should be ignored, and I’ve been ignoring him ever since he went all Matthew Nisbet on everyone’s ass. No bad things resulted from my ignoring him all this time, as far as I know, and I could have just continued to ignore him. But then he started up with the … Read the rest

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog | 12 comments


PZ Myers on Francis Collins *

Jul 11th, 2009 | Filed by

Head of NIH is a political position; the appointment of a loudly evangelical Christian sends a political message. … Read the rest

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Steven Pinker on Francis Collins *

Jul 11th, 2009 | Filed by

It is not a matter of private belief, but public advocacy. The director of NIH is a public face of science… Read the rest

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Pope Tells Obama What to Do *

Jul 11th, 2009 | Filed by

Why not after all? Obama is an elected head of state, and the pope is…a catholic.… Read the rest

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Oh, Moses – I Thought You Were So Original! *

Jul 11th, 2009 | Filed by

You can’t believe he’s going to say it – but he does.… Read the rest

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The Tyranny of Sharia in the Netherlands *

Jul 11th, 2009 | Filed by

‘Everything in sharia law is discriminatory against women.’… Read the rest

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7 Somalis Beheaded for Abandoning Islam *

Jul 11th, 2009 | Filed by

The mass beheadings follow many individual executions, amputations and stonings.… Read the rest

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Brother Murders Two Sisters for ‘Mingling’ *

Jul 11th, 2009 | Filed by

The brother shot them in front of their father, who quickly forgave the son for defending the family’s honour.… Read the rest

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Unscientific America and the ‘New’ Atheists

Jul 11th, 2009 | By P Z Myers

To return to Unscientific America again, I hardly touched on chapter 8, where they express their dismay at those uppity “New Atheists”. I am not going to address his personal criticisms of me — there’s no point, you obviously know I think he’s completely wrong, and the uncharitable will simply claim my disagreement is the result of a personal animus — so instead I’m only going to address a couple of other general points that Mooney and Kirshenbaum get completely wrong. They plainly do not understand the atheist position, and make claims that demonstrate that either they didn’t read any of the “New Atheist’s” books, or perhaps the simple ideas in them are too far beyond their comprehension.

This is … Read the rest

Posted in Articles


Padraig Reidy on Ireland’s Blasphemy Law *

Jul 10th, 2009 | Filed by

If it causes outrage to enough people, it’s blasphemy. … Read the rest

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Religion, Science and the New Atheists *

Jul 10th, 2009 | Filed by

Conflict is at the heart of intellectual inquiry. When one side must pussyfoot around, inquiry is stymied.… Read the rest

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How Science Journalism Works *

Jul 10th, 2009 | Filed by

Science journalist writes a careful article, editor guts and re-writes it and introduces mistakes.… Read the rest

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Bishops Defend ‘Free Speech’ Right *

Jul 10th, 2009 | Filed by

To criticize ‘homosexual behavior.’ Also female behavior, black behavior, foreigner behavior?… Read the rest

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Violence Against Afghan Women in Public Life *

Jul 10th, 2009 | Filed by

A society where rape is widespread and victims are more likely to receive punishment than perpetrators.… Read the rest

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No Sex? No Food *

Jul 10th, 2009 | Filed by

An Afghan law which legalised rape has a new clause letting husbands starve their wives if they refuse to have sex.… Read the rest

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Science is Also a Performing Art *

Jul 10th, 2009 | Filed by

A sublimely human activity and a central part of every culture that aspires to be more than a collection of subsistence breeders.… Read the rest

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Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury

Jul 10th, 2009 | By Eric S MacDonald

This letter was sent a week ago. The archbishop has had time to receive it and was informed that it will be published here.

Dear Archbishop Williams,

I have been trying for over two years to write this letter, and it never seems to come out right. Your recent
letter to the press, co-signed by Archbishop Nichols of Westminster and the Chief Rabbi of the United
Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth, Jonathan Sacks, spurred me on to bring this process to an
end. You will probably say, and with some justice, that you have more important things to consider, but
since what you said has led me to a settled distrust of all religion, I believe that you should at … Read the rest

Posted in Articles


Inflammation

Jul 10th, 2009 11:43 am | By

Does God hate women? Ooh, who would say such a thing? That’s disrespectful, and inflammatory, and evil, and crude.

An Afghan law which legalised rape has been sent back to parliament with a clause letting husbands starve their wives if they refuse to have sex…The women’s rights activist Wazhma Frough, who was involved in the review, said that conservative religious leaders had pressured the Justice Ministry to keep many of the most controversial clauses…”For example, if the wife doesn’t accept her husband’s sexual requirements then he can deny her food.” According to civil society groups, the law, which regulates the personal affairs of Afghanistan’s minority Shia community, still includes clauses which allow rapists to marry their victims as a way

… Read the rest

Posted in Notes and Comment Blog | 6 comments


Iran Solidarity *

Jul 9th, 2009 | Filed by

In June 2009 millions of people came out on to the streets of Iran for freedom and an end to the Islamic regime. … Read the rest

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Dennett at the Cambridge Darwin-and-faith Bash *

Jul 9th, 2009 | Filed by

‘You keep saying this is an interdisciplinary effort—evolutionary theology—but I am still waiting to be told what theology has to contribute to the effort.’… Read the rest

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