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Inevitably links go out of date.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.


Vatican Says: Hey, Everybody Molests Children! *

Sep 29th, 2009 | Filed by

They all do it! Protestants do it even more! And it’s only faggots who do it in our church so shut up!… Read the rest



God Save Us From the Pope *

Sep 29th, 2009 | Filed by

In May 2001 Ratzinger ordered Catholic bishops not to notify the police about child abuse allegations.… Read the rest



Freedom of Expression on Trial Again at UN *

Sep 29th, 2009 | Filed by

IHEU called for recognition that it is believers, not beliefs, that are entitled to protection against hatred. … Read the rest



Ariane Sherine on Atheism as Snobbery *

Sep 29th, 2009 | Filed by

Atheists just want to sneer at the working class, said Andrew Brown pleasantly. … Read the rest



All-hijab School Opens in Cambridgeshire *

Sep 29th, 2009 | Filed by

It is being paid for by ‘members of the Asian community.’… Read the rest



Launch of Independent World Report *

Sep 29th, 2009 | Filed by

Reader subscriptions support our effort in highlighting the forgotten and untold stories of the world to an international audience. Subscribe!… Read the rest



Oliver Kamm on Voltaire’s Children *

Sep 28th, 2009 | Filed by

‘For cultures born of the Enlightenment, private religious belief is not so much an enemy as an irrelevance.’… Read the rest



Nick Cohen on the Return of Deference *

Sep 28th, 2009 | Filed by

Class warriors use the law of libel and a privacy law they have virtually invented to protect the wealthy from scrutiny.… Read the rest



Oliver Kamm Rebukes Yale Over the Motoons *

Sep 28th, 2009 | Filed by

‘Yale sententiously describes itself as “an institution deeply committed to free expression”. That is nonsense.’… Read the rest



Berlusconi Insults Both Obamas at G20 *

Sep 28th, 2009 | Filed by

They’re both tanned, hahaha, look at that dress vavavoom, the president can read autocues hahaha.… Read the rest



Pope Orders Europe to ‘Acknowledge’ Xian Heritage *

Sep 28th, 2009 | Filed by

‘History has demonstrated the absurdities to which man descends when he excludes God,’ cleric said.… Read the rest



Seyran Ates: Human Rights Before Religion *

Sep 27th, 2009 | Filed by

In Germany’s recent past, many people have forgotten that human rights must come before religious practices.… Read the rest



Australia: Churches May Discriminate *

Sep 27th, 2009 | Filed by

Victoria’s tweaked equal opportunity laws will still let churches exclude gays and single parents.… Read the rest



Blaming Darwin for Hitler *

Sep 27th, 2009 | Filed by

‘Here is a book that leaves the reader wondering time and time again if the author is serious.’… Read the rest



Steve Fuller Responds *

Sep 27th, 2009 | Filed by

‘Simon Underdown indulges in the pop-science fantasy that a clear line can be drawn between science and politics.’… Read the rest



The Repercussions for Muslim Women *

Sep 26th, 2009 | Filed by

Decisions made by Sharia councils have no room in British law.… Read the rest



World Without Lies is a World Without Religion *

Sep 26th, 2009 | Filed by

Gervais is refreshingly open about his atheism, which can be risky in a country as pious as the US.… Read the rest



Johann Hari on ‘the Queen Mother’ *

Sep 26th, 2009 | Filed by

She would see her children for an hour a day and get them to chant: ‘We are not supposed to be normal.’… Read the rest



Ben Goldacre on How Patents Affect Science *

Sep 26th, 2009 | Filed by

Drug patents are a fascinating trade off between the benefit of incentive and the harm to innovation.… Read the rest



Ben Goldacre Sees an AIDS Denialist Film *

Sep 26th, 2009 | Filed by

Do you give idiots a wider audience when you respond to them? Are they marginal and irrelevant?… Read the rest