Federal Court ruled unanimously: district may not allow distribution of Bibles to children in elementary school.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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People Praying at Tree Stump Are Like Dawkins
They’re nuts and he’s nuts. No. They’re fanatics and he’s a fanatic. No. He’s a fanatic and they’re not. Yes!
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Jesus and Mo Question the Barmaid
But it’s like talking to a brick wall.
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Paul Vallely on Eagleton and Armstrong
Hard to find words for how stupid this is.
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Science, Science Literacy and Religion
Michael Rosch is not persuaded by Unscientific America.
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Walter Cronkite
So long and thanks for all the news.
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1 in 4 Britons Think Moon Landing Was a Hoax
11 of 1009 think Buzz Lightyear was the first person on the moon.
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Baggini on Belief in Belief
Belief in belief is powerful precisely because it is not usually explicit.
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Dennett on the Folly of Pretence
Today one of the most insistent forces arrayed in opposition to us vocal atheists is the “I’m an atheist but” crowd.
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What Questions Can Science Answer?
Science does not proceed phenomenon by phenomenon.
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Wahhabi Cultural Center Opens in Boston
This sad milestone is praised as a great victory for diversity and a boon to local Muslims.
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Natalia Estemirova
Her killing was probably connected to her investigative work – including the case of seven murdered women.
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India: Women Forced to Take Virginity Test
All the women who took part in a state-run mass wedding last month were forced to take the test.
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Nepal: Widows for Sale
‘Anybody walking on the road could say, look, there’s a widow! I could get 50,000 rupees if I married her.’
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Haredi Riots in Jerusalem
Protesting the arrest of a woman for allegedly starving her three-year-old son over the course of two years.
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Sotomayor Defends Herself
Did anyone mention Dred Scott? Plessy v Ferguson? Bradwell v Illinois?
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New Culture Wars: History Classes in Texas
Reviewers urge emphasizing the Bible, Xianity and the ‘civic virtue’ of religion in the study of US history.
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Iran: 5 Years in Jail for Insulting Sanctities
Singer sentenced for insulting sanctities, ridiculing the Koran, dishonouring the holy book of the Muslims.
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Meet ‘the Family’: Creepy Secret Religious Group
Has a secretive network of fundamentalist Christians had undue influence over American policy?
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Laura Secor: Behind Iran’s Silence
The Iranian authorities had an interest in making this story disappear, and they have done an effective job.