Edited as in leaving out very important bits.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Pope’s Gang Defends Him
In the culture of the church hierarchy, the mere idea of a pope being called to account is incomprehensible.
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A Crisis of Clericalism
A culture which fosters power, privilege and secrecy, in which the priesthood sees itself as a caste set apart.
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Facebook Causes Syphilis?
Ben Goldacre on a wasted opportunity to correct media distortion.
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U of Buckingham Ditches ‘Integrated Medicine’
Normally letters to vice-chancellors about junk degrees go unanswered, but Kealey responded to Colquhoun.
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Constance McMillen Was Sent to a Fake Prom
Parents organized a secret prom while Constance was told about the other one. How sweet.
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Afghan Women Defy Militants to Learn to Read
Ehsanullah Ehsan risks educating girls and women in places where Islamists have murdered teachers.
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Child Abuse Overshadows Abuse of Women
‘The church is so dominated by men that there’s a tendency to portray girls as provoking the crimes.’
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Sexual Abuse of Women in the Church
In 2001 the European parliament passed a motion blaming Vatican for rapes of African nuns in the 1990s.
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Previous Pope Also Ignored Child Rape
An Austrian cardinal, friend of pope, abused many boys over decades but faced no sanction from Rome.
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Humanists Too Shocking for ACLU
Would love to accept their $20,000, but only if it’s given anonymously.
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More Petulant Bullying Confusion from Bunting
New atheists, shoddiness, sheer philosophical illiteracy, sheer aggressive intolerance, violent.
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New Scientist Talks to Francisco Ayala
Religion and science ‘deal with different ways of knowing.’
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Demonizing Atheism is a Bad Way to Defend Faith
‘People who are given to ruthlessness can always find a justification for it,’ notes Sholto Byrnes.
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Saudi Arabia: Lebanese ‘Sorcerer’ Gets Stay
Not this Friday, but perhaps next Friday. Horoscopes are ‘condemned as un-Islamic’; off with his head.
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Vatican Still Complaining of ‘Petty Gossip’
‘Holy Father, the people of God are with you and will not let themselves be influenced by the petty gossip of the moment.’
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Anxiety After Terreblanche Murder
Afrikaner farmers have objected in court to ANC leader singing the old struggle song ‘Kill the Boer’ in public.
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Some Speech Deserves to Be Marginalized
The political freedom to speak your mind does not entail a right to be taken seriously or given deference.
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Atheists Reject Clerical Attack on Non-belief
Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen on Friday described non-belief as an ‘assault on God.’
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Angry Reaction to Cantalamessa’s Remarks
Vatican is saying ‘nothing to do with us’ but the sermon probably circulated for comment at a senior level.