Chris Mooney Tells Scientists What They Must Do *

Jan 3rd, 2010 | Filed by

Stop being scientists and talk about religion instead.… Read the rest



Political Art is an Integral Part of Cultural Life *

Jan 2nd, 2010 | Filed by

Freedom to prick pomposity, dogmatism and extremist views makes societies robust and creative.… Read the rest



Panic Room Saved Westergaard from Assassin *

Jan 2nd, 2010 | Filed by

Emissary of religion of peace bashed at door with an axe, then threw the axe at a cop.… Read the rest



al-Shabab Hails Attack on Westergaard *

Jan 2nd, 2010 | Filed by

‘It is a general obligation for all Muslims to defend their religion and the prophet.’ … Read the rest



Is Faith a Virtue? *

Jan 2nd, 2010 | Filed by

Massimo Pigliucci says no, but listens to a talk on the subject anyway; remains unconvinced.… Read the rest



Wendy Kaminer on Index on Censorship *

Jan 2nd, 2010 | Filed by

It has failed to defend free speech when it is most endangered – by fear of reprisals from governments or mobs.… Read the rest



Somali Man Attempts to Kill Kurt Westergaard *

Jan 2nd, 2010 | Filed by

BBC blames Westergaard.… Read the rest



Nick Cohen on UK Libel Law [link fixed] *

Jan 2nd, 2010 | Filed by

The libel laws force us to bite our tongues and avoid essential arguments.… Read the rest



Offensive cartoonist provokes nice guy into attacking him

Jan 2nd, 2010 6:38 am | By

The BBC is disgusting at times. It had to report on this al-Shabab guy trying to kill Kurt Westergaard so therefore it had to make sure you didn’t get the wrong idea and think it, the BBC, didn’t think Kurt Westergaard deserved it, at least a little bit. That would never do. So it includes a sidebar of ‘analysis’ which ends with this even-handed bit of slime:

Moderate Muslims in Denmark have condemned the attack on Kurt Westergaard, but they still believe his drawing was sacrilegious.

Muslim nations are attempting to outlaw what they call the defamation of their religion.

Mr Westergaard came out of hiding last Spring, saying he wanted to defend freedom of expression.

Some independent religious scholars

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Well women are so tiny we just can’t see them

Jan 1st, 2010 3:56 pm | By

Oooh look, I get to be on a list. Usually when there’s a list, I don’t get to be on it, which is probably perfectly sensible because there are better people to be on it, except when one looks closely at the list one notices that everyone on it is of just one gender, and it happens to be not the one that I am of which, and at that point one begins to wonder, is there a secret invisible subliminal hidden sub rosa unconscious criterion for being on the list that the maker of the list would probably not admit to but that nevertheless somehow just made it be that only people of one gender were good … Read the rest



Say anything

Jan 1st, 2010 1:32 pm | By

Mark Vernon is playing the same old hurdy-gurdy.

The Oxford church historian tells of a ‘wise old Dominican friar’ who informed him that God is not the answer. Rather, God is the question…First you’ve got to ask what you mean by the word ‘God’. And there is a quick answer: we don’t know what we mean by the word ‘God’. God is a mystery. ‘The word “God” is a label for something we do not know’…

A mystery is different from a problem; a problem can be solved, science does that, science does it well, but a mystery is different. And God is one of those. Aquinas said God can’t even be said to exist. Talk about mysterious!

That’s

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A Contest! Most Influential Female Atheist 2009 *

Jan 1st, 2010 | Filed by

We get left off all the other dang lists.… Read the rest



The Blasphemous 25 *

Jan 1st, 2010 | Filed by

Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Monty Python, Salman Rushdie, George Carlin, Christopher Hitchens, et al.… Read the rest



Most Important Religion Story of 2009? *

Jan 1st, 2010 | Filed by

Paula Kirby: the Ryan and Murphy reports, which spilled the beans about the Catholic church in Ireland.… Read the rest



Article Suggests Polygamy for Both or Neither *

Jan 1st, 2010 | Filed by

Egyptian MP files suit, clerics say it’s ‘inflammatory and anti-Islamic.’… Read the rest



Internet Imams Recruit for al Qaeda *

Jan 1st, 2010 | Filed by

Because they’re so cool and heroic, and Abdulmutallab is cool and heroic now too.… Read the rest



Atheist Ireland Publishes 25 Blasphemous Quotes *

Jan 1st, 2010 | Filed by

The new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational today, so it’s time to kick it in the slats.… Read the rest