Idea was to find common ground by saying Islam believes in Jesus, but billboard saying “Jesus: a prophet of Islam” has a bishop all upset.… Read the rest
Welcome to our archive of news stories relevant to the project of fighting fashionable nonsense. The stories are drawn from the electronic pages of the world’s media. On this page, you’ll find links to those stories that have been featured on Butterflies and Wheels during the current year. At the bottom of the page, you’ll find links to separate archives of stories from previous years.
We’re always pleased to hear about news stories that you think should be featured on Butterflies and Wheels. Just send an email here, if you want to point one out to us.
A note about links
Inevitably links go out of date. We suggest, therefore, that you make hard-copies of the stories that particularly interest you.
PZ on another outbreak of Gnice atheism 
May 30th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A couple of indignant wanna-be bureaucrats of atheism complaining about those cranky, rough-hewn gnu atheists.… Read the rest
Badminton chiefs delay skirts ruling
May 29th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The BWF now says it will not introduce the new rule, pending a general review.… Read the rest
Lecturers’ union supports “right” to wear burqa
May 29th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
With much talk of freedom.… Read the rest
“Moscow authorities again behaved like cavemen”
May 29th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Last year, the European Court of Human Rights fined Russia for its refusal to allow gay-rights supporters to hold peaceful demonstrations in Moscow.… Read the rest
Moscow police arrest gay rights campaigners
May 29th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A group of ultra-Orthodox Christians attacked the protesters, so the police arrested…the protesters.… Read the rest
“Treating” someone for homosexuality ruled malpractice
May 28th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Patrick Strudwick went undercover, investigating therapists who practise so-called conversion therapy – who try to “pray away the gay”.… Read the rest
Vatican says how great its AIDS “strategy” is
May 28th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“The cardinal did not mention the question of condoms in AIDS prevention.” Scum.… Read the rest
Interventions should be tested via randomized trials
May 28th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If you don’t know which of two reasonable interventions is best, and you want to find out, a trial will tell you.… Read the rest
No anti-homophobia education for Brazil
May 28th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Several evangelical Christian members of Brazil’s chamber of deputies said the sex education packs encouraged homosexual behaviour.… Read the rest
Malta: referendum on divorce causes acrimonious split
May 28th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Malta is the only country – apart from the Philippines and the Vatican City – where divorce cannot be carried out.… Read the rest
Scientists to go on trial for not predicting quake
May 27th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
7 scientists will be tried for manslaughter because they didn’t do the impossible and predict the quake in L’Aquila.… Read the rest
Salem has an overload of psychics
May 27th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Many of them are actually untrained. The horror.… Read the rest
Egypt: girls and women forcibly “converted”
May 27th, 2011 | Filed by Ophelia BensonThere have also been consistent reports of girls being coerced into Islamic conversion and marriage in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.… Read the rest
Violence against women in Turkey
May 27th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
There’s a lot of it. Cops shrug. The AKP embraces religious values, which are all about controlling women.… Read the rest
How dare the media dismiss the bishops’ report?
May 27th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The “Religion and Ethics Editor” for the ABC gives an extended yell of rage at the lack of deference to the Catholic church.… Read the rest
Katha Pollitt to France: we are so over
May 27th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
You should listen to yourself sometime: smug, paunchy, powerful middle-aged men going on about how DSK was just engaging in some typically Gallic flirtation.… Read the rest
Sean Carroll on the physics of the immortal soul
May 27th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
If you claim that some form of soul persists beyond death, what particles is that soul made of? How does it interact with ordinary matter?… Read the rest
A Miracle in Petrignano
May 26th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A luminous figure showed up on a cell phone. It’s Mary! The miracle would be if it were Loki.… Read the rest
Ian McKellen sends message of support to Gay Russia
May 26th, 2011 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
And unsupport to the Mayor of Moscow.… Read the rest
