Freshwater was told to stop teaching ID and creationism, but he continued, the report found.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Ohio Teacher Burns Cross Onto Students’ Arms 
Jun 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘With the exception of the cross-burning episode’ he is teaching the values of the parents, says a friend.… Read the rest
Scientists Rally Against Creationist Superstition
Jun 20th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Steve Jones said religious students say he is ‘telling lies and insulting people’s religion’ by teaching evolution.… Read the rest
Journalist Murdered in Mosul
Jun 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Attack bears the hallmarks of a number of armed groups that are the scourge of the press in Iraq.… Read the rest
Iran Blocks More Feminist Websites
Jun 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sites backed campaign to gather a million signatures opposing discriminatory laws against women.… Read the rest
Iran Arrests 9 Women, 5 of Them Journalists
Jun 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Part of government’s continuing persecution of women who use online publications to defend their rights.… Read the rest
Turkish Court Acquits Owner and Editor of Agos
Jun 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Serkis Seropyan and Aris Nalci had published an editorial on journalists’ sentences.… Read the rest
More Opposition Supporters Killed in Zimbabwe
Jun 19th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Civic leaders, rights groups, Western diplomats say the violence is largely the work of ZANU-PF.… Read the rest
Health Report From Zimbabwe
Jun 19th, 2008 | By Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human RightsZADHR is deeply concerned about the continuing violent trauma being inflicted on the Zimbabwean population. The escalation in numbers and severity of cases of systematic violent assault and torture during May was of a scale which threatened to, and for brief periods did, overwhelm the capacity of health workers to respond. Both first line casualty officers and specialists, especially surgeons and anaesthetists, to whom patients were referred had great difficulty in adequately managing the burden of serious physical trauma.
ZADHR commends the efforts of health professionals in Zimbabwe who continue to provide the highest possible quality of health care to victims of violence under extremely difficult circumstances.
In addition to individuals with significant physical injuries, members of ZADHR saw over … Read the rest
How to train girls for the harem
Jun 19th, 2008 11:31 am | By Ophelia BensonWarren Jeffs lectures the girls at ‘Alta Academy’ – Alta Academy being the pseudo-school inside the walls of the FLDS compound. The teachings give an interesting insight into the ‘beliefs’ and practices of Jeffs and his subjects.
… Read the restThe Lord on purpose has sent us into this world to meet the two opposite powers, and we must choose. And I testify to you young ladies the right, the eternal way, is Priesthood. If Priesthood is not involved in something, we should not want it. The holy Priesthood is the eternal power where God himself places his nature into a man. The women do not bear the holy Priesthood, but they have the power of that Priesthood in them through their husbands
Saying is not imposing
Jun 18th, 2008 4:46 pm | By Ophelia BensonWhat is fanatical atheism? Dan Gardner had some thoughts in the Ottawa Citizen last year.
In the past, I’ve tried to avoid talking about religion in such sharp terms. It’s not that I fear giving offence (which would be something of a limitation in my line of work). Rather, I know, as all humans do, that it’s scary knowing you’re going to die. And if belief in angels on high eases the existential fears of some, I won’t begrudge them. Whatever gets you through the night, as a long-haired prophet once said.
Sure. I don’t go to funerals so that I can tell the assembled mourners that there are no angels on high. I don’t force my views on anyone. … Read the rest
Judith Shapiro on Anti-intellectualism
Jun 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Many who advocate teaching creationism do so in the name of providing a ‘balanced’ curriculum. … Read the rest
Steven Pinker Interviwed
Jun 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
What might feel like freewill from the inside is not some mysterious violation of the laws of physics.… Read the rest
Edzard Ernst: Homeopathy Putting Lives at Risk
Jun 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
World’s only professor of complementary med says homoeopathic treatments must be more regulated. … Read the rest
Another Turk on Trial for Saying Something
Jun 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Singer charged with attempting to turn the public against military service, contrary to Article 318.… Read the rest
Thaksin Shinawatra Reassures Thailand
Jun 18th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Mars moving close to Saturn causes the headache. When Mars leaves, the situation will ease.’… Read the rest
Time for a Paradigm Shift in Indian Higher Education
Jun 18th, 2008 | By Rajesh Kumar SharmaEver since the process of economic reforms began in the 1990s, we have been hearing pious noises about the urgent need to reform education also. Obviously, the linkage is pragmatically motivated: economic growth cannot be sustained over a long period without a suitably reformed education system. This is good as far as it goes. If a concern for sustaining economic growth can trigger reforms in education, we should embrace the opportunity.
But it would be disastrous to hang education from the peg of economics, as seems to be happening, without considering the other larger reasons for restructuring it. The need to see the larger picture is urgent also because the dominant vision of economics in the country today is itself … Read the rest
Salvation
Jun 17th, 2008 12:18 pm | By Ophelia BensonGeorge H Smith remarks in his book Why Atheism? that salvation religion includes the belief that “at least some knowledge necessary for salvation requires faith in divine revelation, knowledge that cannot otherwise be justified through reason alone.” [p. 28 n. 1] That’s an interesting idea. It means that salvation religion believes in a god who is a terrible cheat and bully – one who makes “salvation” dependent on voluntary stupidity.
It also requires us (if we want “salvation”) to divide our thinking and functioning in two – because for ordinary purposes, faith is not the right way to go, it’s the wrong way. It’s wrong and we know it’s wrong. We don’t claim to use faith for purposes of ordinary … Read the rest
Zimbabwe: Statement on Violence and Torture
Jun 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights reports dramatic escalation in organised violence and torture. … Read the rest
Health Report from Zimbabwe
Jun 17th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Most of these fractures will have been sustained in attempts to defend the face and upper body from violent blows with a weapon such as a heavy stick or iron bar.… Read the rest
