‘There’s one law for everybody and that’s all there is to be said’ stands out like a diamond in a dunghill.… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
The Crux of the Matter: It is Not ‘God’s Law’ 
Feb 13th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
In seeking to incorporate a disputed deity’s authority into the law, ABC launched an attack on secularism.… Read the rest
Ali Eteraz on Why Not Sharia
Feb 12th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Sharia courts are outgrowths of local communities which exert ‘piety-pressure’ upon average believers. … Read the rest
Johann Hari on the Archbishop’s Sharia Problem
Feb 12th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
The claim that women can choose shows a near-total disconnection from the reality of Muslim women’s lives. … Read the rest
Crooked Timber Defends the Archbishop
Feb 12th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
He is merely muddling and tinkering to achieve ‘rough fairness’. Very rough.… Read the rest
Murder Plot Against Danish Cartoonist
Feb 12th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Danish police have arrested several people suspected of conspiring to kill a Danish cartoonist.… Read the rest
How to Be Wise
Feb 12th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Don’t pretend to know what you don’t know. Watch out for the hemlock.… Read the rest
Mo Speaks Up on Kambaksh and Blasphemy
Feb 12th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Nobody has the right to blaspheme Allah; that is why there are Islamic Human Rights.… Read the rest
Archbishop Still Clueless About Secularism
Feb 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Wants ‘Christians and people of other faiths’ to reflect on the putative relationship between law and religion.… Read the rest
No Valentines in Saudi Arabia
Feb 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
No red items allowed, including flowers and wrapping paper. Rutting in the street thus prevented.… Read the rest
UN Calls for Women’s Rights in Saudi
Feb 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A Saudi delegation told the UN committee that human rights in the kingdom were based on Sharia.… Read the rest
Saudis Take Giant Step Toward Women’s Rights
Feb 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
A woman can now stay in a hotel alone as long as she carries identification. Whatever next?!… Read the rest
Manila Women Fight Contraception Ban in Court
Feb 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Petitioners have had many more children than they wanted because they could not afford contraception.… Read the rest
Cardinal Connell Withdraws Legal Challenge
Feb 11th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Withdraws attempt to withold documents from Government inquiry into allegations of sexual abuse. … Read the rest
Matthew Parris Says the Archbish is Dangerous
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Is consent real, unanimous, complete? Is there duress? Is there undue influence?… Read the rest
Ruth Gledhill on What the Archbish Wants
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Be sure to read the para just below the YouTube links. Then tear your hair.… Read the rest
Catherine Bennett on the Archbishop’s Miracle
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
His challenge to equality under the law was so comically extreme that it clarified the issues handily.… Read the rest
Nick Cohen on Silencing With Libel Laws
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Rich organisations and people can use British courts to suppress the freedom democratic societies rely on.… Read the rest
Blogging Darwin
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Every single week, we at Nature publish new research that reinforces and further enlightens the Origin. … Read the rest
The Archbishop Clarifies
Feb 10th, 2008 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Christians cannot claim exceptions from a secular unitary system if they are not willing to accommodate other religious consciences.… Read the rest
