Monthly Archives: August 2012

Witchcraft. London. 2012.

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Via The Daily Telegraph: ‘Political correctness’ is preventing police from stopping child abuse by parents and church leaders who believe in witchcraft, a minister warns. Tim Loughton, the children’s minister, said that a “wall of silence” was obscuring the full … Continue reading →

Posted in culture | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

When Roman Catholic Bishops are Useful (to the New York Times)

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Reason cites a New York Times editorial discussing Paul Ryan’s budget proposals: These cuts are so severe that the nation’s Catholic bishops raised their voices in protest at the shredding of the nation’s moral obligations. Mr. Ryan’s budget “will hurt … Continue reading →

Posted in Church & State | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Free The Pussy Rioters (3)

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Der Spiegel’s new cover uses the plight of Pussy Riot to suggest where Russia is headed: “on the way to a perfect dictatorship”: And the Russian Orthodox Church is playing along. Appalling.

Posted in Church & State | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Yes, It’s A Good Thing

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

That it is still possible to debate the advantages of extensive family planning efforts in the developing world (and, for that matter, here) never fails to astound. The Economist reports here on a paper that only reinforces the case: [W]hen … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Faith | Tagged | 1 Comment

“Sawdust on the Floor”

Posted on August 13, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

From the memoirs of Mark Edward, a prominent former psychic: I’m quite confident that I would know by now if I had a spirit guide or my Aunt Ethel’s watchful ghost alongside me. I have looked and searched, then looked … Continue reading →

Posted in Science & Faith | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Living by the Book

Posted on August 11, 2012 by David Hume

Whether that book is the Koran, the Bible, or Das Kapital, engineering societies based on books of principles can lead to ludicrous ‘solutions.’ Rationalism gone amok can seem hilarious, if not tragic. Saudi Arabia is organized around the theories of … Continue reading →

Posted in philosophy | Tagged | 4 Comments

My article on conservatism in Free Inquiry

Posted on August 11, 2012 by David Hume

I should announce it somewhere on the web, and this is the best place I can think of. In one of the fall issues of Free Inquiry (probably the one right before the election, so October) I will be making the … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Tea Party: “More Paul than Santorum”

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

David Kirby and Emily Ekins write in Politico: The Republican National Convention this week announced speaking slots for libertarian Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and social conservative Rick Santorum. Both claim the “tea party” brand. However the 2012 primary season reveals … Continue reading →

Posted in politics | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

John Fisher: Biter Bit

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Writing in the (British) Catholic Herald, Francis Phillips claims that she “feels a shiver when I see the parallels between our world and that of St John Fisher”. The context, inevitably, is of officialdom’s supposed attack on religious freedom in … Continue reading →

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Old Habits

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

By Wolfgang Horsch, Suddeutsche Zeitung

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