Iranian authorities have signaled that Iranians who seek asylum should be charged for “dissemination of false propaganda against the Islamic Republic.”
Category: Latest News
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
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Paul Sims disagrees with Andrew Brown
This is the government of Italy (a state whose constitution has been secular since 1985) imposing a symbol of Catholicism on every classroom in the country.
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Andrew Brown cheers the crucifix decision
Construes the opposition as “the idea that human rights legislation should be used to prevent children from being exposed to a crucifix.” Wrong.
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New atheism=Tea Party? Oh hell yes.
Jacques Berlinerblau is annoyed that Ruse said it first.
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Greta Christina’s list of atheists of color
Many of our best friends among them. Atheism is global.
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Stephen Budiansky reviews The Moral Lives of Animals
Peterson simply ignores several decades worth of recent studies in cognitive science by researchers, especially on theory of mind.
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Book launch canceled because of gay rights protest
“It’s an attack on free speech. It’s a novel, it’s fiction and it isn’t offensive because a lot of these men have been corrupted and led astray into their lifestyle.”
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BHA survey: 65% say they are not religious
While 61% of the poll’s respondents said they did belong to a religion, 65% of those surveyed answered “no” to the further question: “Are you religious?”
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“Vilifying Gaddafi externalises evil”
The people of Libya will be so relieved to hear it.
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Veena Malik hands a mufti his head
He tries hard to bully and shame her, and she fights back.
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Carla Corsetti of Democrazia Atea on the crucifix
After this ruling no Catholic will be able to calmly assert that the crucifix is a symbol which “unites”, or that is it shared peacefully.
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David Barash on Ruse’s new atheist:Tea Party comparison
The New Atheists do not propose to make the rich richer while withdrawing government assistance from the poor; the Tea Party does.
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Students suspended for wearing pro-choice stickers
Students at a Catholic high school in Thunder Bay were not suspended for wearing anti-choice stickers.
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Forced marriage in Germany
“That’s just the way it is in our world: a family can restore its honor by killing the runaway daughter.”
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RAWA on Malalai Joya
In 2012 Jaya was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in the world and in 2005 at the age of 27 she was elected to Afghanistan’s parliament.
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Malalai Joya denied visa to US
Because she is “unemployed and living underground.” What?!?!
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Johann Hari on the myth of the panicking disaster victim
The evidence gathered over centuries is overwhelming. The vast majority of people, when a disaster hits, behave in the aftermath as altruists.
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Irish bishops promise more support to abuse victims
Last year the pope wrote a letter.
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Secular activists resist ultra-Orthodox takeover
The secular residents say they fear their communities will become overwhelmingly Haredi over the years.