The religious hatred bill shifts the cultural balance away from free speech and towards appeasement. … Read the rest
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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
US States Plan Law to Restrict Anti-gay Demos 
Jan 31st, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Fred Phelps and ‘God hates fags’ gang would be required to stay 300 feet away from funerals.… Read the rest
Jyllands-Posten Gives In to Threats
Jan 31st, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Another victory for religious taboo.… Read the rest
‘Tide of Anger’ Forces Newspaper to Submit
Jan 31st, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Militant groups’ make threats.… Read the rest
ID is Breathtaking Inanity
Jan 30th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Matt Ridley, Steve Jones answer Telegraph editorial (scroll down to end).… Read the rest
Threats of Violence Fail to Disrupt Lahore Marathon
Jan 30th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘You can’t reason with these people,’ notes race co-ordinator. Crowds cheer as women and men run.… Read the rest
Vatican Nervous About Inquisition Publicity
Jan 30th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Campaigns to root out error and unorthodoxy by torturing and killing thousands not so bad.… Read the rest
Iqbal Sacranie Hoist With His Own Petard
Jan 30th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
What was that he said about Kilroy-Silk in 2004? Oh yes…… Read the rest
Changes in Religious Hatred Bill Urged
Jan 30th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Peers voted to restrict to threatening words or behaviour, but ministers want to include insults and abuse.… Read the rest
The Mysterious Death of Samira Munir
Jan 29th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Anti-assimilation sentiment as oppressive pressure on those most easily controlled, girls and women.… Read the rest
Bad Arguments for Theism
Jan 29th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Lots of things are intolerable; that doesn’t make them untrue. You can’t eat a stone by believing it is cheese.… Read the rest
Last-ditch Effort to Bury Religious Hatred Bill
Jan 29th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Labour now plans to make it an offence to incite religious hatred through use of insulting or abusive words.… Read the rest
Pakistani Women Run in Race Despite Pressure
Jan 29th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
MMA opposed the mixing of men and women and had urged protesters to disrupt the race. … Read the rest
Bullying Women in Afghanistan
Jan 29th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Men line up to call woman a prostitute, bitch, un-Islamic whore – for taking a driving test.… Read the rest
Saul Kripke: Not ‘What Am I?’ but ‘What Is I?’
Jan 28th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Naming and Necessity is among the most influential philosophy books of the last 50 years.… Read the rest
Kofi Annan Condemns Holocaust Denial
Jan 28th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
UN Secretary General says world must challenge those who deny the Holocaust happened.… Read the rest
Bastards Burn Down Schools in Afghanistan
Jan 28th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Officials blamed Taleban for burning down newly-built schools which serve 1,000 boys and girls. … Read the rest
Clive James Has not a Blog but a Website
Jan 28th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Books go out of print but websites can be archived. Writers like that.… Read the rest
Undoing Roe v Wade Bit by Bit
Jan 28th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No need to overturn it outright if you can just make it unavailable.… Read the rest
Michael Bérubé on Academic Freedom
Jan 28th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Decisions about academic affairs should be conducted by means of peer review rather than by plebescite.… Read the rest
