Irshad Manji and Salman Rushdie will inaugurate Moral Courage Conversations next Sunday.… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Irshad Manji Recommends Ijtihad for All Parties 
Jan 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Unity equals uniformity; debate equals division; division equals heresy; thus ijtihad must be suppressed.… Read the rest
Christian Voice Gives Religion a Bad Name
Jan 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
And by the way religion-bashing is boring, trite, and self-indulgent. Understand?… Read the rest
Obama Invites Gene Robinson to do the Prayer
Jan 14th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Atheists remain uninvited.… Read the rest
Defender of Vaccinations Gets Death Threats
Jan 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Reporters should treat the antivaccine lobby like Holocaust deniers, AIDS deniers and Moon landing deniers.… Read the rest
Pope Wants to Stamp Out False Miracles
Jan 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Theologians will assess the content of any heavenly messages to see if they contravene Church teachings.… Read the rest
Dutch FM Shouts at Vatican Envoy
Jan 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Envoy has been called to a meeting to answer charges the Church opposes gay rights.… Read the rest
Advertising Standards Authority to Rule on God
Jan 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Imagine the uproar if it became a legal requirement to insert qualifications in religious statements.… Read the rest
Andrew Anthony on The Satanic Verses
Jan 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It dramatises the conviction that there is nothing more sacred than the freedom to question what is sacred. … Read the rest
Ron Aronson on Secularism and Commitment
Jan 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
We don’t have to believe in God to see the world as meaningful and coherent.… Read the rest
Impregnated via Rape, Girl is Killed by Family
Jan 13th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Doctors protected her, father promised not to kill her, she went home, her brother killed her.… Read the rest
Bunting Shouts at Liberal Elitist Atheists
Jan 12th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Says Obama is a ‘passionate’ Christian, says poor people have prayer books, says atheists are horrid.… Read the rest
Forced Abortion With No Anaesthetic
Jan 12th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Afghan rape victim’s brother cut the fetus out with a razor then stitched the wound with heavy string.… Read the rest
BBC Edited Interview With Excessive Zeal
Jan 12th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
BBC edited psychologist’s criticism of religion to say ‘the opposite’ of what she had actually said.… Read the rest
Living Under Duress in Swat
Jan 12th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Taliban have ordered the killing of women seen in market areas; a Bundh Bazaar dancing girl was killed.… Read the rest
UK Libel Laws, Publishing, Scandal, the Web
Jan 12th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Expansive libel laws can silence criticism and block exposure.… Read the rest
A Retrospective on Bush’s Way With Words
Jan 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Ten volumes, suitably bound in faux-leather.… Read the rest
A Study Reports That Ants Attack Cheaters
Jan 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Worker ants in colonies with a queen are physically attacked by their peers if they try to reproduce.… Read the rest
British Chiropractic Association Sues Skeptic
Jan 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
By suing, the BCA is drawing far more attention to the criticisms than Singh’s article would have.… Read the rest
Steve Salerno on What We Don’t Hear About
Jan 11th, 2009 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
We hear about what journalists decide to cover, not necessarily what there is.… Read the rest
