The brother shot them in front of their father, who quickly forgave the son for defending the family’s honour.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Science is Also a Performing Art
A sublimely human activity and a central part of every culture that aspires to be more than a collection of subsistence breeders.
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No Sex? No Food
An Afghan law which legalised rape has a new clause letting husbands starve their wives if they refuse to have sex.
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Violence Against Afghan Women in Public Life
A society where rape is widespread and victims are more likely to receive punishment than perpetrators.
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Bishops Defend ‘Free Speech’ Right
To criticize ‘homosexual behavior.’ Also female behavior, black behavior, foreigner behavior?
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How Science Journalism Works
Science journalist writes a careful article, editor guts and re-writes it and introduces mistakes.
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Religion, Science and the New Atheists
Conflict is at the heart of intellectual inquiry. When one side must pussyfoot around, inquiry is stymied.
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Padraig Reidy on Ireland’s Blasphemy Law
If it causes outrage to enough people, it’s blasphemy.
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Appeals Court Strikes Down ‘Plan B’ Rules
Federal judge overreached in siding with religious-freedom arguments over sale of Plan B.
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Ireland: Blasphemy Law a Backward Step
The proposed law incentivises outrage and it criminalises free speech.
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Criminalizing Criticism of Religion [pdf]
A growing punitive trend that is introducing new speech bans into national
criminal codes. -
The Myth of a Monolithic China
The Communists incorporated the idea of Han unity into a Marxist ideology of progress.
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Dennett at the Cambridge Darwin-and-faith Bash
‘You keep saying this is an interdisciplinary effort—evolutionary theology—but I am still waiting to be told what theology has to contribute to the effort.’
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Iran Solidarity
In June 2009 millions of people came out on to the streets of Iran for freedom and an end to the Islamic regime.
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Pope Warns of Dangers of New Medicines
Also warns of danger that atheism poses to ‘spiritual freedom.’
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The Burka is a Cloth Soaked in Blood
Muslim women in the west who talk about choosing to wear the hijab implicitly dismiss the struggles of their sisters elsewhere.
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Ward Churchill Loses in Reinstatement Bid
Reinstatement would ‘create the perception that the Department of Ethnic Studies tolerates research misconduct.’
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PZ Myers Reviews ‘Unscientific America’
Apparently the job of these science diplomats of the future is to bow to the will of the people.
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Tories to Offer State Education at Steiner Schools
Uh oh – state funding for ‘anthroposophy.’
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Tree Stump Depicts ‘The Blessed Virgin’
‘We do not wish to detract from devotion to Our Lady, but we wish to avoid anything which might lead to superstition.’