Those of us without religion must defer to those with; antitheists must hush lest we ’cause offence.’
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Inevitably links go out of date.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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Communicating Science in a Religious America
Matthew Nisbet picks another fight with ‘the New Atheists.’ Cites Paul Kurtz as predecessor. Eh?
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PZ on Why ‘Framing’ is a Dud Idea
We can gain some quick policy advantages at the price of privileging flawed thinking.
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Bishop: Muslim ‘Apostates’ Risk Being Killed
A poll found that 36% of Muslims age 16 to 24 believe those who convert should be punished by death.
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Islamist Puts Out Hit on Cartoonist and Editor
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi offered $100 k for murder of Swedish cartoonist and $50 k for editor.
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Women in Saudi Arabia Push Back
Women require a male guardian’s permission to do most things.
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More on Wajeha al-Huwaider
Saudi government harasses and silences women’s rights activist al-Huwaider.
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India’s Culture Minister Offers to Resign
Two directors of the Archaeological Survey of India, which presented report on ‘Ram,’ have been suspended.
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Black Children Left Out of Irish Schools
Church runs 98% of schools; law permits them to require certificate of baptism; the job is done.
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How to Use Religion to Exploit Women
Tell them they ‘forfeit their chance at the afterlife’ if they disobey.
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Padraig Reidy on the True Cost of Libel Law
CUP said it would pulp all unsold copies of the book, and wanted to pulp all library copies.
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A C Grayling Reviews John Gray
Everything is a religion: Torquemada’s Catholicism, empiricism, liberalism, Stalinism.
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Placebo Good, Bad Advice not so Good
Homeopaths would be fine, if they could just shut up about serious stuff, like Aids, malaria, and MMR.
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Ben Goldacre Chats With Homeopath
He hoped for insights into philosophical aspects of the meaning of evidence in homeopathy.
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Sam Harris Responds to Jonathan Haidt
Religion is the only discourse that encourages adults to pretend to know things they do not know.
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More Boilerplate on the ‘New Atheism’
Religion simply isn’t about facts, so shut up.
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Schools Course on ‘Islamophobia’
“‘Islam’ means ‘peace’, and if you read the Qur’an it has a message of peace on almost every page.”
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Evidence-based Report on ‘Ram’ Withdrawn
Government and Archaeological Survey said there was no scientific evidence that Ram was real.
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Hitchens Encounters Tariq Ramadan
He possesses a command of postmodern and sociological jargon, and he has a smooth way with euphemism.
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Woman Sues Judge Over Language Restrictions
Accuser in a sexual assault case is suing a judge because he barred the word ‘rape’ from the trial.