June 2007
Equal Before the Law →
Getup! Australia has a petition campaign asking the Australian PM to grant same sex couples the same legal rights as de facto heterosexual couples.
“Cross yourself before driving.”
– A driver safety tip issued by the Vatican.
Another tricky Howard ruse? →
There is no doubt a number of Aboriginal communities in Australia are dysfunctional, that Aboriginal health lags that of the rest of Australians and that basic services to Aborigines need improvements. But none of this is new, it’s being known for decades and various governments from both sides of politics have tried to tackle the problem.
Now just months before a Federal election, and...
“Creationism continues to evolve in fascinating ways.”
– Jim Lippard as quoted in NCSE Resource — Answers in Genesis in legal turmoil
Tony Blair takes first step to becoming a Saint. →
Apparently the ex-PM of Britain is going to become a Catholic. Given that he has waged war against the Muslim scourge the Pope should be happy to accept him into the fold.
CNN: Christian News Network? →
CNN has for a long time has had a very poor reputation with regard to journalistic standards But just when you think they have got as low as they can go they manage to under achieve yet again. In this story the CNN team investigate the question “Is the apocalypse at hand and can The Rapture be far behind.”
In Australia there used to be TV show called CNNNN which was a spoof of CNN...
Kids may need the strap! →
Failed Roman Catholic Priest (he couldn’t hack it and quit before he was ordained) and Australian Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott wants to bring back corporal punishment to Australian Schools; of course nothing too brutal.
I wonder if he wants to bring flogging back to the Army, keel hauling back to the Navy and the stocks back to local town centers? Or does he just want to spank...
Paris finds God. →
Paris Hilton’s so far very short stay in jail has changed her life. She claims that God has given her a new chance and she will stop acting dumb and instead put her “influence” to good use. Have you ever heard anything so dumb?
Global warming good for some! →
Study shows that global warming will be good for Canada. Probably why they are so far from meeting their Kyoto targets.
“If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then...”
– Albert Einstein
Shutting down a democracy. →
A recent letter in the Sydney Morning Herald asked the question why so many Australians seemed to really hate the current Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard.
My flippant reply, which didn’t get published, was that we don’t hate him, we just despise him because of what he has done to the Australian psyche. For the way he has divided us and increased the level of hate and fear...
Teachers Refuse to Distribute Camp Quest Flyers. →
Some teachers in Albemarle School District in Virginia, USA, have refused to distribute a leaflet for a summer camp aimed at children of non-religious families. The teachers referred to the flyers as “offensive”, “disgusting” and “outrageous” and claimed their religious beliefs were being violated.
What a lovely religion, not. →
In the UK a man has been found guilty of murdering his daughter. The man claimed that his daughter had brought shame to his family for leaving an abusive relationship and marrying someone he did not approve of. The man arranged for his daughter to be strangled with a shoe lace, put in a suitcase and buried in the garden. In the last decade more than 25 young women have met a similar fate in...
Climate change: A guide for the perplexed. →
The political right is spreading a lot of misinformation about climate change. On top of this some of the science is still at the point at predicting ball park outcomes not definite outcomes; so issues don’t always seem so clear cut as your average non-thinking politician would like.
If your confused by all the claims and counter claims your not alone!
This article from NewScientist.com...
The many faces of multiculturalism. →
Many critics of multiculturalism tend to use religion as a form of group identity and to them multiculturalism is just a religious divide.
Sami Zubaida argues that this is wrong and that Muslims, like Christians, come in many forms and degrees of religiosity. And these false divisions on purely religious grounds may be forcing people to defend and take part in what they would normally find...
The terror factory. →
Tom Allard wonders if politicians and the media are overstating the threat of terrorism. After all we are all more likely to be killed in a car accident than in a terrorist attack; as long as you don’t live in Iraq.
God on the wane? →
According to Linda Morris and Alexandra Smith the recent stem cell debate in New South Wales demonstrates the declining influence of the Church.
God is not responsible. →
But we still need to keep religion, at least according to John Heard.
Ordinary cells into stem cells. →
Recent research in the USA and Japan might put an end to the type of debate we have seen recently in NSW over embryonic stem cell research.
The researchers claim to have found a way to turn ordinary mouse tissue cells into embryonic stem cells. Previously the only way to acheive this had been by a process known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). SCNT has been an emotive issue for some as...
65 to 26. →
NSW politicians voted 65 to 26 to lift a ban on somatic cell nuclear transfer in NSW.
The debate was very emotive and wasn’t helped by recent comments by Cardinal Pell that many Catholic politicians viewed as direct threats. Much of the debate was taken up with politicians voicing their displeasure at the tactics used by Cardinal Pell.
Cardinal Pell the standover man. →
Former Catholic Priest Paul Collins argues that Cardinal Pell’s recent standover tactics are unwarranted and unfit for a pluralist democracy.
Give your kids your love, not your religion. →
Diane Flacks reflects on bringing up children in a multi-cultural household and society, and finds that love is the answer.
New Age "Healer" can't tell difference between... →
A man died of heat-induced dehydration during a “cleansing” ceremony because his fellow campers thought he was “astral traveling” and thought banging a drum would revive him.
NSW MPs give Archbishop Pell the finger. →
A number of high profile NSW Catholic politicians have condemned the attempted political inference of Sydney Archbishop, Cardinal George Pell.
Pell had threatened Catholic politicians with “consequences” should they vote to lift the ban on stem cell research in NSW.
NSW politicians will vote on the legislation today, so time is running out if you haven’t already contacted...
Sydney Archbishop threatens NSW politicians. →
In an attempt to influence the democratic system of government in NSW the Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, George Pell, has said there will be consequences for any Catholic NSW politician that votes to lift the ban on stem cell research in NSW.
If you live in NSW contact your local member and let them know how you feel on the issue. Don’t let superstition and religious ignorance limit...
To submit to the book is to exist in their hell. →
Ayaan Hirsi Ali on how submission to a “Holy Book” can create a living hell.
Is a hajab part of a school uniform? →
One school solved this dilemma by air-brushing out the headscarf of one of its students in the school photo. Not really helpful.
Australia has a thing for school uniforms. I, not being born in Oz, don’t like them but my wife does. However, when it comes to headscarves and school uniforms we also disagree. I figure if there is going to be a school uniform and it doesn’t include a...
Nursing school shut due to blasphemy outbreak. →
A Pakistani nursing school has been shut after Islamist students claimed that blasphemy had been committed at the school.
Churches lobby NSW politicians to retain ban on... →
Anglican and Catholic church leaders are urging NSW politicians to retain the ban on Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer. Legislation is being debated in the NSW parliament to lift the ban.
Don’t just sit there let your NSW representative know what you think.
Donate a kidney for Jesus! →
An Australian documentary claims that a Christian religious cult is requiring its members to donate a kidney as a demonstration of their faith in Jesus.
Surely a better test would be if they donated both kidneys. If they live after that then it truly would be a miracle.
Is tolerance dangerous? →
Frazana Hassan worries that in liberal democratic societies because we are loath to criticize others for their cultural beliefs and practices we may very well be giving tacit approval for the things we abhor.
Australia considers extending censorship laws. →
While Cardinal George Pell plans on censoring teaching staff Australian Attorney-General, Philip Ruddock, wants to censor the rest of us.
In his latest ham fisted attempt at fighting terrorism, he wants to introduce a new law on the censorship of material that advocates terrorism. Thing is our current laws already cover this.
There is also the question does banning these items outright serve any...
"Vow of Fidelity" for teaching staff. →
Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell wants principals and deputy principals of Catholic schools to publicly take a “Vow of Fidelity” The vow will also apply to religious education coordinators.
The vow will commit them to adhering to Catholic church teaching on homosexuality, birth control and women’s ordination.
It should be remembered that these Catholic...
ABC Board in a state of denial. →
According to Juliette Hughes the ABC’s (Australian national broadcaster) board after 10 years of being stacked, by the Howard Government, with pro-business and anti-climate change appointees has become a haven for “right-wing cultural warriors”.
Given that the ABC will be airing a totally discredited anti-climate change documentary Ms. Hughes might just be on to something.
...
Why don't Australians ask the curly questions? →
Australians are very quick to question political or ideological beleifes but when it comes to religion we have a tendency to clam up.
In this article Pamela Bone asks why.
The bastard killed Fred! →
Gun totting obese American child kills family pet.
Gun mad. →
Fewer than half the US states have laws which hold gun holders responsible for preventing children obtaining guns.
Each year in the US 2000 children are expelled from school for brining guns to school.
Firearm deaths of children under 15 in the US is 12 times greater than 25 other OECD countries.
While Australia and the US have, per-capita, similar levels of crime, lethal violence is very...
May 2007
"A hatred of Islam will not aid reform." →
This is response to a previous article on female genital mutilation in the Islamic world that appeared previously in the Melbourne’s The Age newspaper.
The gist of Hanifa Deen’s article is that “certain style of protests alienates the very people it is supposed to represent”. She feels that Hirsi Ali’s (author of the earlier article) continual trashing of Islam...
Why didn't T. rex eat other ark animals? →
Warwick McFadyen wonders if one of the 28 new planets discovered this week has a creation museum too.