Complex manner in which he expresses himself does not imply that his thought is itself subtle or complex.… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Hundreds of ‘Bad Hijab’ Women Arrested in Iran
Apr 27th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Thousands cautioned. Shopkeeper told to saw off the breasts of mannequins.… Read the rest
Intercepting curiosity
Apr 27th, 2007 11:13 am | By Ophelia BensonAnd there’s Stanford President Emeritus Donald Kennedy.
Kennedy argued that teaching creationism discourages students from applying the scientific method, which emphasizes conducting experiments with reproducible results and drawing logical conclusions from observable, measurable evidence. “What the creationist alternative does to students is to intercept and deaden curiosity,” he said. “If relationships or correlations can be simply allocated to the cleverness of a designer, there’s very little incentive to think up an experiment or undertake an analysis.”
Exactly. That’s one of the most annoying things about the whole brawl – the way believers claim that there are all these profound mysterious areas in which science has no place but religion does, with the implication (which is often made explicit) that … Read the rest
Another excerpt
Apr 27th, 2007 10:59 am | By Ophelia BensonIslam when examined is not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require. Thus…Islam in its origins is just as shady and approximate as those from which it took its borrowings. It makes immense claims for itself, invokes prostrate submission or “surrender” as a maxim to its adherents, and demands deference and respect from nonbelievers into the bargain. There is nothing – absolutely nothing – in its teachings that can even begin to justify such arrogance and presumption.
In fact it’s a little hard to think of any teachings that would justify such arrogance and presumption.… Read the rest
Public Official Dedicates ‘Reflexology’ Path
Apr 26th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Walking on uneven stones is believed to stimulate acupressure points in the feet.’… Read the rest
Extract from ‘God is not Great’
Apr 26th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The argument with faith is the foundation and origin of all arguments.… Read the rest
Man Signed Pledge not to Harm his Sister
Apr 26th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
So she left police protection; brother ‘shot her in cold blood on their way home.’… Read the rest
Many ‘Honour Killings’ of Kurdish Women
Apr 26th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
UNAMI said Iraq’s three Kurdish provinces have reported dozens of women killed for ‘immoral conduct.’… Read the rest
God is not great
Apr 26th, 2007 11:01 am | By Ophelia BensonHitchens’s new book is out. He’s an eloquent bastard.
… Read the restAnd here is the point, about myself and my co-thinkers. Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith. We do not rely solely upon science and reason, because these are necessary rather than sufficient factors, but we distrust anything that contradicts science or outrages reason. We may differ on many things, but what we respect is free inquiry, openmindedness, and the pursuit of ideas for their own sake. We do not hold our convictions dogmatically: the disagreement between Professor Stephen Jay Gould and Professor Richard Dawkins…is quite wide as well as quite deep, but we shall resolve it by evidence and reasoning and not by mutual
A buffoon
Apr 25th, 2007 2:46 pm | By Ophelia BensonFun and games with the cult studs.
… Read the rest[W]e attended a recent PhD confirmation at the Queensland University of Technology, where we teach. Candidate Michael Noonan’s thesis title was Laughing at the Disabled: Creating comedy that Confronts, Offends and Entertains….Noonan went on to affirm that his thesis was guided by post-structuralist theory…He then showed video clips in which he had set up scenarios placing the intellectually disabled subjects in situations they did not devise and in which they could appear only as inept. Thus, the disabled Craig and William were sent to a pub out west to ask the locals about the mystery of the min-min lights. In the tradition of reality television, the locals were not informed that Craig
Say What? Is This a Hoax?
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A PhD thesis consisting of a reality tv show that mocks two intellectually disabled guys?… Read the rest
George Felis on What Atheism Isn’t
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A religion; a matter of faith.… Read the rest
Jesus Love-Bombs You
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Believers are taught to emphasize personal experience rather than reasoning.… Read the rest
A C Grayling on the Debate Around String Theory
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Lee Smolin enters an eloquent plea on behalf of the original thinkers, the sceptics, the eccentric minds, .… Read the rest
Newspapers are Ditching Book Sections
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Hey, books are expendable.… Read the rest
More Complaint About ‘Strident’ Atheism
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Winston calls Dawkins insulting and patronizing; Grayling calls Winston’s claims tiresome guff.… Read the rest
US House Committee Hears About Wartime Lies
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Egregious examples of officials’ twisting the truth for public relations in wartime.… Read the rest
Roll Back Those Pesky Regulations
Apr 25th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Bush administration puts industry officials in charge of worker safety regulations.… Read the rest
More tiresome guff
Apr 25th, 2007 10:46 am | By Ophelia BensonThis is getting to be an entire cottage industry, or maybe not even so cottage, this enterprise of saying ‘that Richard Dawkins and those other militant fundamentalist atheists are insulting and patronizing and rude and aggressive while the rest of us are tolerant and respectful and kind and good.’ Now it’s Robert Winston’s turn to take the same old guff out for a spin.
… Read the rest“I find the title of ‘The God Delusion’ rather insulting,” said Lord Winston, “I have a huge respect for Richard Dawkins but I think it is very patronising to call a serious book about other peoples’ views of the universe and everything a delusion. I don’t think that is helpful and I think it portrays science
Because they are so clear, they tell you nothing
Apr 24th, 2007 1:48 pm | By Ophelia BensonSomeone made a very funny comment on Stephen Law’s interview with Nigel Warburton on the subject of clarity. It’s hard to be sure whether the hilarity is intentional or accidental – I find myself hoping, perhaps maliciously, that it’s accidental, because if so it does so neatly make Nigel’s points for him. This point especially:
[M]any lightweight thinkers are attracted to Philosophy because it seems to promise them power through looking clever. Hiding behind a veil of obscurity is one way in which such people have traditionally duped their readership.
Now the dupe:
… Read the restalthough you raise some good points about clarity, i think you are only rehearsing the rather tired analytic vs continental divide;clarity is certainly important, especially for