Promoting Science and Critical Thinking
Henry McDonald, a correspondent for the Observer, has been out on a road trip to meet the Indian rationalist Sanal Edamaruku (pictured) who has been threatened with jail for exposing a Catholic fraud. Being a Belfast based correspondent Mr McDonald did not need to travel too far because Sanal had been invited to Ireland to give some talks. Personally, I’m tickled … Read more
Opposing Views is a US website where “experts” debate topics. In this case there is a reason for the scare quotes, the “expert” in question turns out to be “Answers in Genesis”, a bunch of creationist kooks who hold views that are so weird, that other creationists denounce them as “misguided” and assert that this group “deliberately … Read more
The BBC reports that a page supporting women’s rights has suddenly received a wave of attention because of an image posted there by one of its followers. The picture was of 21-year-old Dana Bakdounis, without the veil she had grown up wearing – and it polarised opinion. Dana Bakdounis has been brought up in conservative Saudi … Read more
Republican candidate Marco Rubio has declared his intent to run for election as US president in 2016. Having learned that touting “stupid” or “religious nut” is not a vote winner from the last election, he will be different, something new and fresh, right? …. actually no, he is more of the same …. sigh! He did … Read more
Why oh why is always the religious who spout complete and utter bollocks on an almost regular basis by manifesting magical thinking. Today we have the Rev Dr Peter Mullen, a priest of the Church of England, writing in the Guardian yesterday about the solar eclipse. There he writes … The sun is huge and … Read more
The Irish Time reports today on the utterly tragic and completely needless death of Savita Halappanavar. At 17 weeks into her pregnancy she was admitted to hospital with chronic pain because she was having a miscarriage. There was no chance that the fetus would survive. In excruciating pain, Savita asked for an abortion. The hospital, University Hospital Galway in Ireland, refused. Why? … Read more