Russell Blackford offers a typology: NOMA; natural and supernatural; god of the gaps.
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Woman Enslaved Her Daughters-in-law
‘It’s acceptable to treat women like this in other countries but not in our country, in England no.’
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Judge Refuses to Dismiss Prayer Day Lawsuit
Obama admin and National Day of Prayer Task Force filed motions to dismiss; judge rejected them as premature.
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Last Rites for the Catholic Church in Ireland
The Fianna Fáil Government and the religious orders struck a scandalously rotten deal in 2002.
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You Have Got to Be Kidding
Face of Jesus in lid of Marmite jar. What?! That’s a face?!
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Vatican: Abortion Worse Than Child Torture
‘What happened in some schools cannot be compared with the millions of lives that have been destroyed by abortion.’
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More Smug Banal Tripe From Mark Vernon
Dawkins, theology, respectable, sophisticated, subtle, scientistic, genes, machines, longings.
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Nick Cohen on the Golden Age of Conspiracy
An ecumenical conspiracy theorist would rather believe that 2 + 2 = 5 than ever trust an official report.
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Global Crisis Exacerbating Human Rights Abuses
Amnesty International says the downturn has distracted attention from abuses and created new problems.
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Total Ban on Abortion Violates Human Rights
UN Committee against Torture calls criminalisation of all abortion in Nicaragua a violation of human rights.
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The Religious Orders in Ireland Love Money
They got large sums from the State for the children in their care, and spent some of it on other things.
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Taoiseach Calls on Religious Orders to Pay More
The Ryan commission found much more abuse than was previously known or accepted by the orders.
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Turkish Author Says Novel is not ‘Blasphemous’
The author is on trial in Istanbul for ‘inciting religious hatred.’
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UK Student Atheist Societies Get Threats
Religious groups are increasingly demanding immunity from having their ideas discussed.
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The Quackometer on Libel Law
English libel law can be easily used to silence criticism.
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AC Grayling on Enthusiasm for Science
Talks by Martin Rees and Steve Jones at Hay drew huge audiences and intelligent questions.
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Padraig Ready on Free Speech, Libel, Blogging
It must be bad for democracy when an MP – or anyone else – cannot speculate on the motives of the rich and powerful.
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Religious Orders Defy Call to Pay More
18 congregations defied calls from Cardinal Brady to be more generous with those who suffered abuse.
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Worst Scandal in the History of the Irish Church
Archbishop Martin says that if necessary the congregations should ‘beggar’ themselves.
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Row Over Abuse Fund Gets Worse
‘If the thing is much worse than they admitted to at that stage, then they have to look at the consequences.’