Scialabba has the time, freedom, and passion of the amateur, and the perspicacity of the pro.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Bad Astronomy on Lethal Homeopathy
Jun 6th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Antivaxxers’ work, belief in homeopathy, denying science-based medicine will result in more babies dying. … Read the rest
Homeopathy Killed a Baby
Jun 6th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Her parents treated her eczema with homeopathic ‘remedies’ instead of ‘conventional’ medicine. … Read the rest
Virtual Lecture at Second Life on Saturday
Jun 6th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Stephen Law presenting a lecture and Q&A about The War for Children’s Minds at The Open Habitat Project.… Read the rest
Ontology or epistemology
Jun 5th, 2009 5:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonChris Mooney says why compatibilism matters via a discussion of Robert Pennock’s testimony at the Kitzmiller trial and Judge Jones’s decision.
Jones and Pennock describe science, and its “ground rule” of methodological naturalism, as an inquiry into the workings of the natural world–one assuming the existence of natural laws that we can discern, and naturalistic processes that we can measure and describe. But, they add, there science basically ends. Is there a “supernatural” that is somehow beyond or outside of nature? Science just can’t say.
Why can’t science say? Because a “supernatural” that is somehow beyond or outside of nature is by definition beyond or outside anything we can meaningfully inquire into: ‘meaningfully’ in the sense of being able to … Read the rest
Bad Astronomy on Simon Singh
Jun 5th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If you call someone on the carpet for making fallacious claims, they can basically shut you up by suing you.… Read the rest
Simon Singh Will Appeal the Judgement
Jun 5th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Singh criticised BCA for claiming spinal manipulation can treat children with colic, ear infections, asthma.… Read the rest
Support for Simon Singh is Growing
Jun 5th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
English libel law has no place in disputes about evidence. BCA should discuss evidence outside a courtroom.… Read the rest
Support Simon Singh
Jun 5th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If he loses, it will be serious for freedom of speech, not only in Britain but throughout the world.… Read the rest
Jason Rosenhouse on Accommodationism
Jun 5th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If a review in TNR is too much for liberal Christians, what could Coyne have done to mollify them? … Read the rest
Joe Hoffmann on Paul Kurtz
Jun 5th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The idea that the world was “going” secular had failed to take into account religion’s unique ability to go humanistic.’… Read the rest
Paul Kurtz Ousted as Chairman of CFI
Jun 5th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Like other nonprofits, the Center for Inquiry is ultimately governed by a board of directors.… Read the rest
Simon Singh: the Story so Far
Jun 4th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The article was about an issue of public interest: childhood health and the effectiveness of particular treatments.… Read the rest
Nailing English Libel Law
Jun 4th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Simon Singh’s supporters spoke out against BCA suit against an individual with no financial support.… Read the rest
Chris Mooney on Learning the Lessons of Katrina
Jun 4th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Anything that encourages hurricane complacency—including predictions of mild weather—is itself a danger.… Read the rest
Tariq Ramadan Issues Instructions to Obama
Jun 4th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Must be humble. Islam great civilization. True and deep respect. America should be ready to learn from Islam.… Read the rest
Religion is a very private matter except when it isn’t
Jun 4th, 2009 11:58 am | By Ophelia BensonThe disagreement between incompatibilists and accommodationists goes on. I’m on the incompatibilist side (surprise surprise). One thing in particular that Chris Mooney said stood out for me:
Religion is a very private matter, and given that liberal religionists support church-state separation, we really have no business questioning their personal way of making meaning of the world. After all, they are not trying to force it on anybody else.
But religion is not a very private matter in the sense of being that to the exclusion of being a very public matter. It’s a private matter in the sense of being internal, personal, sometimes bashful, and the like, but that does not mean that it is always and everywhere exclusively private. … Read the rest
Tariq tells Barack what’s what
Jun 4th, 2009 10:58 am | By Ophelia BensonThe arrogance of Tariq Ramadan is truly breathtaking.
What we expect from the new president is effective and necessary action as well as a change in attitude. Humility is a key factor…Islam is a great civilisation and Barack Obama should bring a message of true and deep respect by announcing that we all have to learn from each other and that he will commit himself to spreading knowledge of cultural and religious diversity in the United States itself. Humility means we all have to learn from one another and America should be ready to learn from Islam and Muslims as well as from the Hindus or the Buddhists.
Islam is not a civilization at all, just as Christianity and Hinduism … Read the rest
According to the law of God
Jun 3rd, 2009 5:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonReligion has nothing to offer to morality, because religion as such adds nothing to moral reasoning. Religion as such is an obstacle to moral reasoning, because it injects elements that are irrelevant and false – irrelevant because they are false. Randall Terry on abortion for instance.
George Tiller was a mass-murderer…Abortion is still murder. And we still must call abortion by its proper name: murder. Those men and women who slaughter the unborn are murderers according to the law of God.
Randall Terry has no idea what ‘the law of God’ might be, and neither does anyone else. Billions of people think they do, but in fact no one does. No one has any reliable knowledge of what the … Read the rest
Anthroposophical Doctors and State Funding
Jun 3rd, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
What do Anthroposophical doctors such as Dr Gruenewald do in Anthroposophical schools?… Read the rest