It creates a space the religious fanatics will use to bully their mostly female fellow workers.… 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Inevitably links go out of date.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.
Turkish Hackers Hit Swedish Websites 
Oct 8th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Website of a children’s cartoon was replaced by a message saying Islam’s prophet had been insulted. … Read the rest
‘Militant Atheists are Wrong’
Oct 8th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘You cannot prove the existence of truth, beauty, goodness and decency.’ No, really?!… Read the rest
Girls’ Schools Bombed in Pakistan
Oct 7th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Students are in a state of fear; some parents have stopped sending their daughters to schools.… Read the rest
Another Woman Sentenced to Stoning
Oct 7th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
To death, for extramarital sex.… Read the rest
Who Says Science and Religion Don’t Conflict?
Oct 7th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Only some false ideas are sufficiently coherent and evidence-based to justify their entry into the debate. … Read the rest
Abortion Rights Slide Away
Oct 7th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Gonzales v Carhart is basically saying that a woman’s health is no longer relevant.’… Read the rest
Letter to a non-atheist New Atheist
Oct 7th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
It doesn’t matter that you don’t call yourself an atheist. Sam, they’re going to call you an atheist anyway.… Read the rest
Dentist Misunderstood ‘Islamic Law and Practice’
Oct 6th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘Islam does judge actions. It tells Muslims that homosexuality is wrong’ – but gays are still human. … Read the rest
Halloween ‘Offensive’ to Religious Parents?
Oct 6th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Maybe, maybe not; let’s re-name it Pumpkin Night, just to be safe.… Read the rest
Mo on the Endorphin Rush of Religion
Oct 6th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Like football only without the feelings of metaphysical certainty.… Read the rest
Rizwanur Rehman: Suicide or Murder?
Oct 6th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Rehman was a poor Muslim, Priyanka Todi is a rich Hindu; their marriage was seen as a crime.… Read the rest
Little Recourse for Abused Palestinian Women
Oct 6th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
They face a prevailing attitude that places blame on the victim, women’s rights experts said.… Read the rest
Teaching ‘Respect’ for Creationism
Oct 5th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
‘The days have long gone when science teachers could ignore creationism when teaching about origins.’… Read the rest
Creationism Has No Place in Science Curriculum
Oct 5th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Science teachers should not need to delicately handle controversy between a scientific theory and a belief.… Read the rest
Ben Goldacre on Acupuncture and Back Pain
Oct 5th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
In conditions like back pain or fatigue, information alone can make a difference to the suffering of millions.… Read the rest
The Barmaid Asks a Pointed Question
Oct 5th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
We all agree that believing in things that aren’t true is a very common phenomenon, don’t we?… Read the rest
A Fabulous New Party Game
Oct 5th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Take a Chinese propaganda poster, find a postmodernist aphorism, use the latter as a caption for the former. Fun!… Read the rest
J Carter Wood Recommends Some Reading
Oct 5th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
How about a TV series that puts the stars of Theory on a desert island and gives them survival problems.… Read the rest
Petition Against Lawrence Summers at UC Davis
Oct 5th, 2007 |
Filed by Ophelia Benson
Summers ‘has come to symbolize gender and racial prejudice’ because people keep saying so.… Read the rest
