Pete Waterman is, of course, a complete idiot. I’m sure everyone reading this is fully aware of that fact. But I wonder if the producers of BBC Breakfast knew just how big an idiot he is when they invited him to be their guest newspaper reviewer this morning. Perhaps they were just desperate to find… Continue reading Pete Waterman and Girl Guides
Category: religion
ECHR and Christianity
Today was the day that the ECHR published its verdicts on the four Christians who had claimed that their human rights had been violated by their employers preventing them from acting in ways conducive to their faith. The four cases were as follows: Nadia Eweida works as a check-in assistant from British Airways. She wanted… Continue reading ECHR and Christianity
What Is Marriage?
There’s another major flaw in Cardinal O’Brien’s arguments against gay marriage. In his article he says “No Government has the moral authority to dismantle the universally understood meaning of marriage.” He seems to believe that there is some immutable definition of marriage that has always been true and that he is bravely defending. Let’s examine… Continue reading What Is Marriage?
Marriage in the UDHR
In his article arguing against gay marriage, Cardinal Keith O’Brien twice referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, saying that article 16 clearly defined marriage as a relationship between a man and woman. In my response to his article I made the assumption that he, at least, knew what he was talking about here… Continue reading Marriage in the UDHR
Telegraph vs Dawkins
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. – Gandi If recent articles in the Telegraph are any indication then Richard Dawkins has just moved from phase two to phase three, which means that his victory must be imminent. Dawkins has, of course, been in the media… Continue reading Telegraph vs Dawkins
10 Reasons Why Religion is Like Masturbation
Most people try it at some point in their life It’s generally harmless in small doses But you would be worried if a friend was constantly doing it Or constantly talking about it Or inviting you to do it with them It can bring on bouts of extreme ecstasy But they never last long No-one… Continue reading 10 Reasons Why Religion is Like Masturbation
The Inescapable Rise of Secularism
I’ve got rather sucked into the comments on Nadine Dorries’ nonsense about the “attacks” on Christianity. Here’s the first comment that I left, which pretty much sums up my feelings. The Christian church’s outcry against Mr Justice Ouseley’s eminently sensible ruling can only be seen as the death cries of increasingly irrelevant group. Spout whatever… Continue reading The Inescapable Rise of Secularism
Atheism, Humanism and Secularism
Yesterday’s news stories about prayer in Bideford council meetings and the Christian guesthouse owners have triggered the expected levels of outrage from the usual suspects. One thing that critics of this ruling often seem to (deliberately?) misunderstand is the differences between atheism, humanism and secularism. I thought it might be useful to post simple definitions… Continue reading Atheism, Humanism and Secularism
Hitchens’ Last Laugh
This morning I woke up to the terrible (although not completely unexpected) news that Christopher Hitchens had died. The rational community has, of course, lost one of its most erudite and interesting members. But it seems that Christopher had one last trick up his sleeve. As with most breaking news these days, I found out… Continue reading Hitchens’ Last Laugh
Ticking Religious Boxes
In a few month’s time, everyone living in the UK will be expected to fill in the census return so that the government can get its once-a-decade look at the population of the country. As was the case in previous census in 2001, one of the questions will be “what is your religion?” It’s really… Continue reading Ticking Religious Boxes