He put some claims badly and should apologize, but he’s right about many of them, and the discussion is necessary.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
-
Jesus and Mo and Mo say Hawking is wrong
Science can say how but only religion can say why so yaboosucks.
-
Sarah Palin – not as nice as you thought
She manages to be at once a closed book and a constant noisemaker.
-
Nicholas Humphrey replies to Mary Midgley
By pointing out how she distorted what he had said in order to make her point. Bad philosopher, no cookie.
-
God debate via Hawking on God and universe
Hawking says God played no role in creating the Universe. Dawkins, Gledhill and readers discuss.
-
Joan Smith rejoices in Britain’s “culture of death”
As a “senior Catholic” called it, but the real cultures of death are in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Christianity itself.
-
Hitchens on paradoxes of prayer
The god who would reward cowardice and dishonesty and punish irreconcilable doubt is among the many gods in which I do not believe.
-
A nasty rant by Pankaj Mishra
At Ayaan Hirsi Ali for daring to disagree with Tariq Ramadan.
-
Evan Harris on religious instruction and science
“It is no good teaching about evolution in a science lesson at 9am then at 10am, in a religious education lesson, instructing pupils not to believe it.”
-
More reactionary hectoring from “senior Catholic”
“Our laws and lawmakers for over 50 years have been the most permissively anti-life and progressively anti-family and marriage.”
-
Gay Christians criticize “unhelpful” pope protests
Instead, the Christian body has said it will hold a prayer vigil instead of a protest. That’ll show him!
-
Germany: Catholic bishops present new rules
All future allegations of abuse at the hands of church officials are to be reported to state prosecutors. Good idea!
-
Coyne on E O Wilson et al. on kin selection
Dawkins comments; a chance to eavesdrop on biology shop talk.
-
Did freedom evolve?
Jerry Coyne reads Dennett on free will, and is dissatisfied.
-
Pedophilia in Afghanistan
A recent State Department report called “dancing boys” a “widespread, culturally sanctioned form of male rape.”
-
Gaddafi says Europe should convert to Islam
He told an audience of 500 women who were paid to attend that Mo was the last prophet.
-
Qaddafi says give me money to prevent “black Europe”
“We don’t know what will happen, what will be the reaction of the white and Christian Europeans faced with this influx of starving and ignorant Africans.”
-
Ireland: prostitutes are treated like toilets
Does this rise in sexual aggression identify a link between degradation of women and the universal availability of hard pornography?
-
Nick Cohen on Islamism and the left
Why do many “liberals” hate Ayaan Hirsi Ali and dote on Tariq Ramadan?
-
Mary Midgley quote-mined Nicholas Humphrey
Behavior unbecoming a moral philosopher.