Much older men force girls to ‘marry’ them; the girls flee, are caught; much older men team up to flog them as hard as they can with a leather strap.… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Mark Vernon reports on Hay Festival 
May 31st, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Specifically a debate on the motion ‘Reason is always right.’… Read the rest
David Sloan Wilson promoting ‘evolutionary religious studies’
May 31st, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He is ‘infuriated’ about ‘the newest crop of angry atheists.’… Read the rest
CJR reviews Hitchens’s memoir
May 30th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
For three decades he’s been showing US journalists how to write.… Read the rest
Paragraph after paragraph of solemn nonsense
May 30th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
All to justify the Catholic church’s dominance over education in Ireland.… Read the rest
Aspies tend not to think teleologically
May 30th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No theory of mind means no attribution of mind to cosmos. [Warning: Templeton pop up ad]… Read the rest
The vulgarity of George Pitcher
May 30th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
There is just no end to it.… Read the rest
Steiner Waldorf School ‘guidelines for child study’
May 30th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Not a parody, not a joke; they mean it.… Read the rest
Nigel Warburton on freedom of ‘offensive’ speech
May 30th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Too often our politicians tell us they believe in free speech, but that with this comes the responsibility not to offend others. This is bunkum.… Read the rest
Ukpabio replies
May 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
“Mark Oppenheimer what about your wife? What is she hunting after? She hunts after monkeys and dogs, no wonder she has only one child.”… Read the rest
Mark Oppenheimer meets Helen Ukpabio
May 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ukpabio sued Igwe, Foxcroft and others, saying state law against accusing children of witchcraft infringes on her religious freedom.… Read the rest
NY Times profiles Helen Ukpabio
May 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The Nigerian Pentecostal minister at the centre of the child-witchcraft hysteria in Akwa Ibom State.… Read the rest
Zimbabwe: gay activists released after alleged torture
May 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
They had a letter in their office from former San Francisco mayor criticising Mugabe’s opposition to homosexuality. … Read the rest
Malawi: Ban Ki-moon urges change to laws
May 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
38 out of 53 African countries criminalise consensual gay sex; in some it’s a capital crime.… Read the rest
Malawi pardons jailed gay couple
May 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Their lawyers say the two men are likely to be freed by Monday.… Read the rest
Archbish of Cant tries to stamp out dissent
May 29th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Dissent continues to ignore archbish.… Read the rest
Violence in Latin America’s cities
May 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Fear of street harassment prevents women from freely moving around and hinders their studies, work or recreation.… Read the rest
Aceh: Islamic cops forcing women to wear long skirts
May 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No jeans allowed; women wearing jeans are arrested, forced to put on long skirt and forfeit their jeans.… Read the rest
Kristof on the excommunicated nun
May 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Priests who rape children are not excommunicated, but a nun who assents to an abortion to save the woman’s life is.… Read the rest
House votes to allow repeal of ‘don’t ask don’t tell’
May 28th, 2010 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The provision would allow military commanders to repeal the ban. … Read the rest
