Why not after all? Obama is an elected head of state, and the pope is…a catholic.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Oh, Moses – I Thought You Were So Original! 
Jul 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
You can’t believe he’s going to say it – but he does.… Read the rest
The Tyranny of Sharia in the Netherlands
Jul 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Everything in sharia law is discriminatory against women.’… Read the rest
7 Somalis Beheaded for Abandoning Islam
Jul 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The mass beheadings follow many individual executions, amputations and stonings.… Read the rest
Brother Murders Two Sisters for ‘Mingling’
Jul 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The brother shot them in front of their father, who quickly forgave the son for defending the family’s honour.… Read the rest
Unscientific America and the ‘New’ Atheists
Jul 11th, 2009 | By P Z MyersTo 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
Padraig Reidy on Ireland’s Blasphemy Law
Jul 10th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If it causes outrage to enough people, it’s blasphemy. … Read the rest
Religion, Science and the New Atheists
Jul 10th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Conflict is at the heart of intellectual inquiry. When one side must pussyfoot around, inquiry is stymied.… Read the rest
How Science Journalism Works
Jul 10th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Science journalist writes a careful article, editor guts and re-writes it and introduces mistakes.… Read the rest
Bishops Defend ‘Free Speech’ Right
Jul 10th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
To criticize ‘homosexual behavior.’ Also female behavior, black behavior, foreigner behavior?… Read the rest
Violence Against Afghan Women in Public Life
Jul 10th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A society where rape is widespread and victims are more likely to receive punishment than perpetrators.… Read the rest
No Sex? No Food
Jul 10th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
An Afghan law which legalised rape has a new clause letting husbands starve their wives if they refuse to have sex.… Read the rest
Science is Also a Performing Art
Jul 10th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
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
Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury
Jul 10th, 2009 | By Eric S MacDonaldThis 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
Inflammation
Jul 10th, 2009 11:43 am | By Ophelia BensonDoes God hate women? Ooh, who would say such a thing? That’s disrespectful, and inflammatory, and evil, and crude.
… Read the restAn 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
Iran Solidarity
Jul 9th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
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
Dennett at the Cambridge Darwin-and-faith Bash
Jul 9th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘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
The Myth of a Monolithic China
Jul 9th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Communists incorporated the idea of Han unity into a Marxist ideology of progress.… Read the rest
Criminalizing Criticism of Religion [pdf]
Jul 9th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A growing punitive trend that is introducing new speech bans into national
criminal codes.… Read the rest
Ireland: Blasphemy Law a Backward Step
Jul 9th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The proposed law incentivises outrage and it criminalises free speech.… Read the rest
