Monthly Archives: March 2010

It must come back into balance…eventually

Posted on March 13, 2010 by David Hume

Conservatives in Texas won a curriculum change battle. But another event also occurred which was of note: The Religious Right suffered a surprise setback in Texas when incumbent Don McLeroy—a creationist and critic of church-state separation—narrowly lost his re-election bid … Continue reading →

Posted in science | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Contingencies on Mitt Romney

Posted on March 11, 2010 by David Hume

A few weeks ago I posted some on Mitt Romney. Since then his book No Apology: The Case for American Greatness has come out. I do not think it bodes well that David Frum, who I suspect is close to … Continue reading →

Posted in politics | Tagged , | 25 Comments

How’s That Whole Enlightenment Thing Going?

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Andrew Stuttaford

Here (via the Daily Telegraph) is some remarkable news: The Devil is lurking in the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican’s chief exorcist claimed on Wednesday. Father Gabriele Amorth said people who are possessed by Satan vomit … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Que Sera, Sera

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Andrew Stuttaford

Fans of grand guignol spiced with a little anticlericalism and a surprising (for its time) suggestion of religious skepticism might enjoy The Duchess of Malfi, an early 17th century play now being staged in NYC for the first time in … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged | 1 Comment

Mystic Pieces

Posted on March 8, 2010 by Andrew Stuttaford

Today’s New York Times op-ed by Ross Douthat begins on a note (sort of) of hope: “Mysticism is dying…Monasteries have dwindled. Contemplative orders have declined. Our religious leaders no longer preach the renunciation of the world; our culture scoffs at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 10 Comments

Hostility to anti-religion by demographic

Posted on March 5, 2010 by David Hume

A question: do you have polling data that examines distrust of atheists in public office according to gender/race/religion (e.g. exploring whether men or women are more likely to trust an atheist president)? I couldn’t find cross-tabs, but pollster.com does have … Continue reading →

Posted in data | Tagged | 14 Comments

Non Angli sed angeli

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Bradlaugh

Andrew: I am willing to extend a modicum of tolerance to angels out of respect for William Blake, who, by his own account, regularly conversed with them. The Angel I dreamt a dream! What can it mean? And that I … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | 1 Comment

Angelic Upstarts

Posted on March 4, 2010 by Andrew Stuttaford

Here’s an entertaining, if in its implications somewhat depressing, article from the London Spectator on the current popularity of angels. This extract gives a flavor: Angels in My Hair is the autobiography of Lorna Byrne, an Irish woman who claims … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Odds & Ends | Tagged | 7 Comments

The different qualities of distaste

Posted on March 4, 2010 by David Hume

A comment below: ” I’m sure many people here have read opinion polls that show Atheists to be public enemy #1 ranking less favorably than Gays, Blacks, and Gay Blacks. Many still can’t understand that someone can believe in morality … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged , | 26 Comments

The most powerful atheist politician in the USA

Posted on March 3, 2010 by David Hume

Pete Stark. One of my “TO-DO” projects is to infer the real proportion of atheists in Congress based on demographic variables.

Posted in culture | Tagged , | 28 Comments