Category Archives: Religion

Will Anything Change?

Cross-posted on the Corner. At the Financial Times, Europe editor Tony Barber’s initial response to the atrocity in Paris included this: Charlie Hebdo has a long record of mocking, baiting and needling French Muslims. If the magazine stops just short … Continue reading

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Charlie Hebdo

Cross-posted on the Corner. The revolting terrorist assault on Charlie Hebdo today is designed to intimidate for the future as much as to ‘punish’ for the past. And I suspect that it has, to some degree, been encouraged by opinion … Continue reading

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On Living in a Theocracy

Gulf News: Manama: Saudi Arabia’s efforts to edge closer to setting a minimum age for marriage have received a blow after the Grand Mufti said there was nothing wrong with girls below 15 getting married. “There is currently no intention … Continue reading

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Coming to a Pulpit Near You?

Cross-posted on the Corner The Guardian, excited: [C]an Francis achieve a feat that has so far eluded secular powers and inspire decisive action on climate change? It looks as if he will give it a go. In 2015, the pope … Continue reading

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Against Sauron, Mini-Skirts and Alien/Devil Confusion

Take some superstition, throw in a hint of xenophobia and add a savvy PR touch… USA Today: MOSCOW — Russian fans of the writer J.R.R. Tolkien were disappointed Wednesday after a local art group abandoned plans to install a flaming … Continue reading

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Feeding the Seven Billion

Late last month there was a conference in Rome organized by the UN food agency (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO). One of the attendees was the pope. The Daily Mail reports: The 77-year old said the world had ‘paid … Continue reading

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The Culture of ‘Offense’ (Halloween Edition)

National Catholic Reporter: BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS Every October, many look forward to Halloween — the trick-or-treating, the parties and especially the costumes. Every Halloween, however, many also mock religious figures with their costume choices. Costumes for badly behaved nuns, rabbis, Muslims, … Continue reading

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Once Planned an ‘Orthodox al-Qaeda’, Moved On…

Cross-posted on the Corner: Russia’s fusion of nationalism, Russian Orthodox Christianity and reverence for (heavily sanitized) aspects of the Soviet past continues to evolve in less than reassuring ways BBC: As voters in most of Ukraine prepare to go to … Continue reading

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No Point and No Point in Worrying Either

Writing in The Week, Damon Linker wades into the controversy over the comment by Sam Harris that Islam is a “motherlode of bad ideas”. In many respects the controversy is more interesting than the insult, but that’s a discussion for … Continue reading

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George F. Will, American atheist

Several years ago George Will declared that he was an agnostic on the Colbert Report. Last week he pulled no punches: RCR: Do you believe in God? GW: No. I’m an atheist. An agnostic is someone who is not sure; … Continue reading

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