‘If a person’s purpose is to kill a fertilized egg, then I disagree with that.’… Read the rest
All entries by this author
Zoe Williams on the HPV Vaccine
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
As vaccine for cervical cancer becomes available in the UK, conservative opinion mobilises.… Read the rest
Peter Tatchell on Death Threats from Fanatics
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Anti-gay hatred is free speech, but anti-homophobia is hate crime against religion.… Read the rest
Lancashire Hospitals Adopt Green Burqas
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Horrifying naked women finally covered up. Whew.… Read the rest
Boy Born in Japan
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Relief, rejoicing: baby not a worthless female.… Read the rest
Panels Should Have Been Balanced
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It’s reasonable to discuss woolly subjects, but skeptics should be on the panels.… Read the rest
Woolly BA Sessions Criticized
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Robust challenge was lacking. … Read the rest
Rupert Sheldrake Claims Evidence of Telepathy
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The odds against this being a chance effect are 1,000 billion to one,’ he says cautiously.… Read the rest
Aids Experts Condemn SA Health Minister
Sep 6th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Manto Tshabalala-Msimang tells those with HIV to eat garlic and beetroot.… Read the rest
The overwhelming majority
Sep 5th, 2006 10:36 pm | By Ophelia BensonA little more on that BBC article about attitudes to ‘honour’ killing and its evasiveness about who exactly gets killed in such killings.
Sometimes it is men; Dsquared provided the link to this nightmare.
A university student was murdered to “vindicate a family’s honour” after he fell in love with their daughter and made her pregnant, a court was told yesterday.
Student was Iranian, daughter and family were Bangladeshi, father disapproved of student, said there was already a marriage arranged for daughter; she was forbidden to see student, confined to house, phone taken away; they met anyway, she got pregnant, they planned to marry.
… Read the restOn November 20 Mr Ghorbani-Zarin was found dead in his car, a green Renault, in
Resistance is Futile
Sep 5th, 2006 6:09 pm | By Ophelia BensonMore Bruce Hood.
Religion and other forms of magical thinking continue to thrive — despite the lack of evidence and advance of science — because people are naturally biased to accept a role for the irrational, said Bruce Hood…This evolved credulity suggests that it would be impossible to root out belief in ideas such as creationism and paranormal phenomena, even though they have been countered by evidence and are held as a matter of faith alone.
No, it doesn’t suggest that. It may suggest it would be difficult, but it doesn’t suggest it would be impossible. Just for one thing, if it suggested that, then the existence of any skeptics would be ruled out.
… Read the restPeople ultimately believe in
Image of Virgin Mary Appears on Turtle Underside
Sep 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Or not.… Read the rest
Jesus Camp, the Movie
Sep 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Evangelical asks audience to ‘raise hands in prayer’ towards a life-size photo of Bush.… Read the rest
Frederic Jameson on Slavoj Žižek
Sep 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Theory has no vested interests inasmuch as it never lays claim to an absolute system.’… Read the rest
More on Bruce Hood
Sep 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Says difference between valuing sentimental objects and believing in magic is only one of degree.… Read the rest
Newsflash: Fay Weldon is Silly
Sep 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Her new book beats up on nasty materialists and ‘Darwinians’; she has Found God.… Read the rest
Left Should Forget Diversity, Heed Inequality
Sep 5th, 2006 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Critics say left can do both; Walter Benn Michaels says it hasn’t happened.… Read the rest
Some People
Sep 5th, 2006 2:09 am | By Ophelia BensonAbout this survey that says 1 in 10 Asians think ‘honour’ killings can be justified. Did you notice something peculiar? The article left something out. It left a few things out, but there was one huge thing. And it so obviously matters that you’d think it wouldn’t have, but it did.
It just says ‘young Asians’ and ‘the 16 to 34-year-old age group interviewed.’ See it? It doesn’t say what the gender breakdown was! Duh. It doesn’t even say whether or not it was all one gender. Now, you might think that surely the BBC wouldn’t be as silly as that, it wouldn’t say ‘young Muslims’ if the interviewees were absolutely all male. But it would. Just the other … Read the rest
Also
Sep 5th, 2006 1:42 am | By Ophelia BensonAnd besides (she went on), what’s really irrational is to think that sentiment is irrational. It’s irrational because unrealistic, unobservant, extraterrestrial. It’s not irrational to have feelings of attachment or repugnance to things or places or people because of certain associations and memories, even if there is no possibility of material physical benefit or harm. It’s bizarrely literal-minded to think it is. The wedding ring example for instance: if it made any sense to think it’s irrational to want to keep the same one in preference to a duplicate, then nobody would ever want a wedding ring at all; the custom would never have gotten started. If it made sense to think that, then wedding rings wouldn’t mean anything, they’d … Read the rest
Not so fast
Sep 4th, 2006 7:21 pm | By Ophelia BensonWait. Something wrong here
The battle by scientists against “irrational” beliefs such as creationism is ultimately futile, a leading experimental psychologist said today. The work of Bruce Hood, a professor at Bristol University, suggests that magical and supernatural beliefs are hardwired into our brains from birth, and that religions are therefore tapping into a powerful psychological force.
He told a science conference in Norwich that it’s simplistic to divide people into those who believe in the supernatural and those who don’t, and adds “But almost everyone entertains some form of irrational beliefs even if they are not religious.” That seems fair enough. But then he backs up the point in what I think is an odd way: “For example, many … Read the rest