‘Freedom of expression should be exercised responsibly and in a way that respects all religious beliefs.’… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Jesus Finds Reformed Epistemology 
Feb 22nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
God has given us a sensus divinitatus: a reliable belief-forming mechanism. Handy!… Read the rest
Cardinal Tells Catholic Hospital What To Do
Feb 22nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Cardinal intervened after quarrels over ethical code banning abortions and contraception.… Read the rest
Nigeria: Sharia Commissioner v HRW
Feb 22nd, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Urges Federal Government: always seek the opinion of leaders of all religions before signing international agreements.… Read the rest
Science can’t
Feb 21st, 2008 5:52 pm | By Ophelia Benson[S]cience tends to look at the world and treat it as an ‘it’, as an object; something you can kick around, pull apart and find out what it’s made of – that’s the experimental method, which is science’s great secret weapon. But we also know there is a whole swath of encounters with reality, where we meet it not as an object, as an ‘it’, but as a person. Above all, we encounter God in that way and when we move to that realm, testing has to give way to trusting. If we set traps to see if you are my friend, I’ll destroy the possibility of friendship between us.
Not so fast. Sometimes, when we meet an … Read the rest
Doing God’s will
Feb 21st, 2008 12:39 pm | By Ophelia BensonThe archbishop lets us know he gets it.
Addressing an audience of more than 1,200 people, he condemned the way Islamic law discriminated against women in some Muslim countries. “In some of the ways it has been codified and practised across the world, it has been appalling. In some of the ways it has been applied to women in places like Saudi Arabia, it is grim.”
Yes. So why put in a good word for it in the first place?
Despite acknowledging the concerns raised over some aspects of sharia law, he repeated his assertion that it was “rooted in the sense of doing God’s will in the ordinary things of life”.
Ah; that’s why. Because something that is … Read the rest
Specialist Refuges for Women Are at Risk
Feb 21st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
One organisation under threat is Southall Black Sisters; Ealing council plans to take away its core funding.… Read the rest
Southall Black Sisters Threatened with Closure
Feb 21st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ealing Council has decided there is no longer a need for specialist services for minority women.… Read the rest
Polkinghorne on Science and Religion
Feb 21st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘One of the most persuasive and liberating understanding is that it is the divine mind that lies behind the world.’… Read the rest
Scientific Study of Religious Belief Launched
Feb 21st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Oxford researchers have received a £1.9 million grant for study of the cognitive science of religion.… Read the rest
Archbish Says Sharia Can be Appalling
Feb 21st, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
But he repeated his assertion that it is ‘rooted in the sense of doing God’s will in the ordinary things of life.’… Read the rest
Save Southall Black Sisters
Feb 21st, 2008 | By SBSMany hundreds of migrant women who have suffered domestic violence and were facing removal from the UK, have benefited from the advice and support provided by SBS. SBS have over the years helped numerous women facing removal from the UK after leaving their violent partners, set up anti-deportation campaigns, all of them successful.
Demonstrate 26th February 2008, 6:00pm to 7:00pm, Ealing Town Hall, Uxbridge Road, Ealing W5 2BY
Southall Black Sisters under threat of closure
We are writing to you to request support for our organisation. We are currently facing threat of closure as a result of our local authority’s (Ealing) decision to withdraw our funding as of April 2008.
Our campaigns in such critical areas of work as forced … Read the rest
Man Shoots His Sister to Death
Feb 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Brother suspected her of ‘illicit relations’ so he killed her. Nice for her six children.… Read the rest
Man Stones 14-Year-Old Daughter to Death
Feb 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A distraught woman, crying uncontrollably, told the authorities in Zahedan her daughter had been murdered.… Read the rest
Calls for Legislative Reform in Kurdistan
Feb 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Every day, more and more women are killed in Kurdistan while the authorities watch and do nothing.’… Read the rest
Tina Beattie on the Archbishop
Feb 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
ABC wants to open up a conversation between the insights of postmodern philosophy and lawyers.… Read the rest
Parvin Ardalan Wins Olof Palme Prize
Feb 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Iranian women’s rights activists in Iran and abroad are celebrating.… Read the rest
Picture Life Without Vaccines
Feb 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘No One Got Sick or Died from a Vaccine-Preventable Disease Today’ is not a very exciting story.… Read the rest
Vaccines and Autism: Myths and Misconceptions
Feb 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The anti-vaccination movement, based on bad science and fear-mongering, is more vocal and hostile. … Read the rest
Susan Jacoby on Anti-intellectualism
Feb 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The problem is not ignorance but being pleased about it.… Read the rest
