To others, ‘To excuse it as a cultural or religious normality is equally indefensible.’… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Church of Fictionology Claims 450 Billion Members
May 11th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWorship of Kool Aid man encouraged, unlike hidebound old Scientology.… Read the rest
Always the Last to Know
May 11th, 2005 2:30 am | By Ophelia BensonDon’t I feel stupid. Sometimes I miss comments here. I don’t have one of them there RSS things, so no little bell goes off, no stoat leaps out of a hole in the corner of the screen, no spark ignites a small charge of powder to explode the ‘k’ key and get my attention. In short, nothing alerts me that a new comment has been posted, and so…if some days have passed…and I’ve forgotten what number they were on…then I overlook them. I feel guilty sometimes, as if I’ve been snubbing people, or ignoring them when they say something interesting. And I miss good stuff, too. I should get one of them there RSS things, I suppose. But I’ve been … Read the rest
Carlin Romano on Pope’s Lack of Indignation
May 10th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonQuickly sealing Ratzinger ‘Hitler Youth’ file with ‘compulsory’ is too simple.… Read the rest
Elaine Showalter on the Academic Novel
May 10th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonSociological interest of pope-crowning-like search for new university president.… Read the rest
Revenge of the Republic of Letters on Sartre
May 10th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHe had lots of disgust and no artistic sense of play.… Read the rest
Vatican Dismisses Editor of Catholic Magazine
May 10th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonScholars fear Vatican intends signal: disagreement with church is forbidden.… Read the rest
Look at This Watch
May 10th, 2005 2:18 am | By Ophelia BensonKansas, eh. I have to tell you, I’m having second thoughts about that move to Topeka.
This time, Darwin’s critics insist they are not religiously motivated creationists, but are scientists who believe that certain things in the universe, including human life, are too complex to be explained by natural causes and must be the product of an intelligent creator. They call this theory ”intelligent design,” and while they resist publicly declaring that a Christian God’s hand is at work, they also suggest that proponents of a key tenet of evolutionary theory — that changes over time can result in new species — are atheists or secular humanists.
Atheists or secular humanists – ew ick. Those nasty proponent people wouldn’t just … Read the rest
Irshad Manji
May 9th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonNo community, no culture, no religion ought to be immune from respecting universality of human rights.… Read the rest
Knowledge in the Dock in Kansas
May 9th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonLike handing control of a blood bank over to a cabal of vampires.… Read the rest
Contradictions in Kansas
May 9th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonID is science not religion, but evolution is for atheists and ‘secular humanists.’… Read the rest
Kansas Heads Backward
May 9th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonWell into 21st century Kansas earnestly discussing whether schools should teach science.… Read the rest
Scientists Boycott Kansas Evolution ‘Hearings’
May 9th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBoycott of ridiculous carnival led by AAAS and Kansas Citizens for Science.… Read the rest
Wisdom
May 8th, 2005 6:45 pm | By Ophelia BensonLet’s pay a nice visit to the pope again. We haven’t dropped in on him in awhile, and he always repays attention. Let’s see what he’s been up to, the dear man. Dylan Evans tells us that religion is beautiful, and a metaphor, so let’s take a look at some beautiful metaphors.
… Read the restA pope “must constantly bind himself and the Church to the obedience of the word of God in the face of all the attempts to adapt it or water it down,” Pope Benedict told a packed congregation. “That’s what Father John Paul II did when faced by all such attempts which were seemingly benevolent towards man. When faced with erroneous interpretations of freedom, he unequivocally underlined the inviolability
Necessary to Overcome Hostility to Science
May 8th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonBecause greater public involvement doesn’t always produce greater public sophistication.… Read the rest
WMD in the Uterus!
May 8th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThe right’s campaign against contraception.… Read the rest
Fairy Tales May Teach Girls to be Submissive
May 8th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonCinderella and Rapunzel may not be best characters to identify with.… Read the rest
Pope Talks Nonsense
May 8th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonAbout ‘natural death.’ Natural death in hospital with feeding tubes, that is.… Read the rest
New Labour, Education, and Educationalists
May 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonOn black under-achievement in school, special needs, the continuing inequities of the state/private divide.… Read the rest
Southall Case and Difficulties With Evidence
May 7th, 2005 | Filed by Ophelia BensonHow does one evaluate evidence, expertise, experience, probability, and the like?… Read the rest