Tag Archives: superstition

You Say Tomato

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Via Lebanon News: A Salafist group called the Popular Egyptian Islamic Association has come under fire after sending out a warning on Facebook urging its followers not to eat tomatoes because the vegetable (or fruit) is a Christian food. The … Continue reading →

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Teenage Exorcists!

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

It was Jung who wrote (in his book on UFOs) that the “Middle Ages…live on merrily”. So they do…and so do their business opportunities. Check out this story from ABC.

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Miscellany, April 5

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Walter Olson

More from Bradlaugh on his health issues [NRO, earlier] Saudi Arabia: “Defense Lawyer Objects to Testimony of Genie Expert” [Lowering the Bar] Monkeys taught by scientists to use money; gambling and prostitution soon appear [ZME Science] Adam Smith prefigures Charles … Continue reading →

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London in the 21st Century

Posted on March 3, 2012 by Andrew Stuttaford

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, here’s Damian Thompson with a terrible story about superstition and murder in contemporary London: A 15-year-old boy is tortured to death for witchcraft. In London. In 2010. And the private reaction of police and social … Continue reading →

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Paul Apowida

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Andrew Stuttaford

Cross-Posted on the Corner: As some regular readers may understand, I’m possibly not the best person around here to comment on religion, but, as I’ve mentioned before, the belief by some ecumenical sorts that all expressions of faith are, as … Continue reading →

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Trouble in the Asylum?

Posted on May 7, 2011 by Andrew Stuttaford

Cross-posted on the Corner: Via the Guardian: Close allies of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have been accused of using supernatural powers to further his policies amid an increasingly bitter power struggle between him and the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali … Continue reading →

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Paranormal Activity

Posted on January 8, 2011 by Andrew Stuttaford

Via Entertainment Weekly: Discovery Channel is teaming with the Vatican for an unprecedented new series hunting the deadliest catch of all: Demons. The Exorcist Files will recreate stories of real-life hauntings and demonic possession, based on cases investigated by the … Continue reading →

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Ghosts & Machines

Posted on January 1, 2011 by Andrew Stuttaford

One New York Times journalist seemed surprised by this: Those who might have predicted a few decades ago that the rise of science and technology would eventually blot out Thailand’s longstanding preoccupation with the supernatural can walk into one of … Continue reading →

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The Demons of Bedford

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Andrew Stuttaford

The failure of Britain’s Conservative party to secure a parliamentary majority in the general election is a major disappointment. In a contest where every seat counted,  one must (I suppose) even lament the failure of Tory Philippa Stroud to win election. Philippa … Continue reading →

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Near-Death Experiences

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Andrew Stuttaford

The idea of the supernaturally flavored “near-death experience” (shining lights, angels, cheerily waving, long-dead relatives and so on) is one that seems to have been gaining traction in recent years. And that’s no surprise; they make for a good story … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Science & Faith | Tagged , , | 4 Comments