Because fundamentalists simply aren’t going to swallow a metaphorical approach to scripture; they’ll tell you so themselves.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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John Paul 2 is on fast track to sainthood
A second miracle will have to be verified following the beatification, but there is little worry that verification will be witheld.
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All your misogynists are belonging to us
Haha Anglicans we win. Love, the pope.
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CBC Marketplace looks at homeopathy
See the woman who had her child vaccinated for polio with a homeopathic vaccine! See her babble smugly about personal choice!
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The pope’s unholy alliance with the dictator
The Vatican that still claims to be a force for good is staying silent because it is seeking a concordat with Lukashenko.
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Jesper Langballe guilty of “insulting” Muslims
Because the law does not recognize the defense of truth, Langballe pleaded guilty.
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Equality Challenge Unit will survey religion on campus
One question asks students if they agree that “the content of my course is presented in a way which is sensitive to my religion or belief.” Uh oh…
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Paul Sims on Homeopathy and Power Balance bracelets
When there is a complete absence of scientific evidence, anecdotes will do just as well.
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Some FLDS fathers waterboard babies
“They spank the baby and when it cries, they hold the baby face up under the tap with running water.”
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Pakistan: more death threats
Against Bilawal Bhutto Zardari; the PPP cleric who led Taseer’s funeral prayers; Taseer’s daughter Shehrbano; Sherry Rehman.
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Ahmed Rashid on the assassination of Taseer
The killer said he was the slave of Mohammed, and 100 lawyers cheer him on. A mullah issues a death threat on Taseer’s daughter, and is not arrested.
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Leo Igwe brutalized by Akwa Ibom Police Command
Confirming his freedom in a telephone chat with Sahara Reporters, Mr. Igwe described his incarceration as a nasty experience.
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Martin Robbins on Leo Igwe’s dangerous fight
Regular arrests have become a feature of life for Leo and his family for some years; campaigners regard them as a pattern of harassment.
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How about telling men, not women, to stay indoors?
Do Avon and Somerset police seriously expect Bristol’s female population to observe an unofficial 16-hour curfew?
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News on Leo Igwe
Detailed information via Leo’s brother; James Ibor, Executive Secretary, Basic Rights Counsel in Nigeria; Sahara Reporters; and more.
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Katha Pollitt on Naomi Wolf on rape
“Call me cynical, but I don’t think Wolf would be taking this line, either about anonymity or date rape, if the accused were, say, George W. Bush.”
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Nick Cohen on the death of the Lib-Dems
The great recession of 2008 is transforming politics in Britain, squeezing the middle ground on which the Liberals stand.
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No “mixed-sex” handshakes for Somalia
The BBC’s Mohamed Moalimuu in Mogadishu says the penalty would probably be a public flogging.
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Constitutional “originalism” isn’t
Some scholars have concluded that originalism is more of a rhetorical argument than a consistent, principled approach to constitutional interpretation.
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Leo Igwe arrested again – and released
Gary Foxcroft of the charity Stepping Stones Nigeria writes, “I have just spoken with Leo. He has been released without charge. He got a bit of a beating in custody but is in good spirits.”