Whether a certain view is “true” or “false” seems to take a back seat to whether it is “moderate” or “extreme.”
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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It’s a myth that science and religion are incompatible
Says the CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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Somalia: football fans executed for watching world cup
“Football is an inheritance from the primitive infidels,” said al Shabaab.
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UK: Catholic church launches PR campaign
“It is not easy to convey the richness of the tradition of Catholic thought.” Indeed it is not.
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The Bloody Sunday inquiry
The whole thing.
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Bloody Sunday: the legal arguments
Much will depend on which evidence has survived, and what has perished.
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Bloody Sunday report published
“The conclusions of this report are absolutely clear. There is no doubt. There is nothing equivocal, there are no ambiguities.”
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Murphy O’Connor reflects on child rape problem
“Maybe we have lost part of our moral and spiritual authority”. Ya think?
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Jesus and Mo read their Mary Midgley
The barmaid replies, but they hear not.
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Father, brother plead guilty in Aqsa Parvez murder
They killed her because she didn’t wear the hijab. She was 16.
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Mark Oppenheimer on working for Templeton
Templeton money has done a lot of good, but there is a bias.
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Message from CFI Board of Directors
One account of what’s been happening, and why.
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Karl Giberson says ‘sorry’
Notes general lack of charity in vilification of New Atheists. A handsome apology!
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The noble and ancient tradition of moron-baiting
Ben Goldacre on Martin Gardner and some predecessors.
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Touchdown Jesus struck by lightning
Stumpy Jesus now squats on freeway, saluting a pair of semi-trucks.
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Amanda Marcotte on “feminist” anti-feminists
Sarah Palin is not the first.
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Massimo Pigliucci on Texas education and ideology
The latest disturbing result of a long effort by right wing fundamentalists to undermine public education.
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Hitchens on that speech of Chuck’s
P. Charles surrounds with every moon-faced spoon-bender, shrub-flatterer, and water-diviner within range.
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Widen that division
Oliver Kamm put the matter concisely and well.
Byrnes is not [at] that level*, but his views are reactionary and illiberal. They thereby illustrate a fundamental difference of values within the Left. I’m concerned to widen that division as far as I can.
Same here. I want there to be a vast gulf between the Left that opposes reactionary illiberal views and the “Left” that sucks up to them.
*The level of writing an article titled “Milosevic, prisoner of conscience.”
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It is easy to manipulate memory
It’s important to remember that.