religion

Our Benevolent Seed Overlords ask: What's the most important local political race to you this year (as a citizen, as a scientist)? For me, it's the Massachusetts gubernatorial race. Deval Patrick is poised to become the first African-American governor ever. Also, since Massachusetts has a Democratic legislature, there's the potential of doing some very progressive, far-reaching things. Unlike in the Romney administration, where the primary purpose was to pave the way for Romney's presidential campaign. A close second isn't a race, but a ballot initiative. In South Dakota, voters will…
This won't be news to anyone from Texas, but our governor, Republican Rick Perry, is a walking disaster. From The Dallas Morning News: SAN ANTONIO - Gov. Rick Perry, after a God and country sermon attended by dozens of political candidates Sunday, said that he agreed with the minister that non-Christians will be condemned to hell.... "If you live your life and don't confess your sins to God almighty through the authority of Christ and his blood, I'm going to say this very plainly, you're going straight to hell with a nonstop ticket," Mr. Hagee said during a service interspersed with…
I wasn't planning on writing about Ted Haggard. I mean, what's another fundamentalist preacher falling from grace and admitting that, yes, he did indeed purchase methamphetamine and in essence admitting that he did have sex with themale prostitute "massage therapist" who had accused him of doing so? What's another hypocritical preacher who preaches what he himself does not live up to? We've seen enough of their ilk. Schadenfreude aside, it's not particularly surprising, and it's only interesting because Haggard used to brag about his closeness with President Bush and his weekly phone calls…
While perusing the new Richard Dawkins website a while back, I came across an article that, if you know my interest in World War II, you'd know that I couldn't resist commenting on, and it's been in my "to write about" queue for a few weeks now. In it, Dawkins discusses the aerial bombing campaigns of World War II and contrasts our acceptance of such carnage then with our revulsion at the thought of inflicting so many civilian casualties now. His point is that the moral zeitgeist changes with time, which is something it would not do if religion's claim of unchanging morality were truly at the…
Do remember when all those wackjob militia groups fantasized about UN Mongolian shock troops that would invade the U.S. and establish the One World Order under the control of the Trilateral Commission? (If you don't, you really missed the rightward anchor of the modern conservative movement). Well, the Missouri Baptist Convention has taken this sort of lunacy to a new level. The president of the Convention, Rev. David Clippard, had this to say about the Islamofacist hordes (by way of Glenn Greenwald): "Today, Islam has a strategic plan to defeat and occupy America," he told the 1,200-strong…
The cover of Time magazine highlights the current struggle: it's God vs. Science, or as I'd prefer to put it, fantasy vs. reality. I have mixed feelings about the story; on the one hand, it presents the theological sound in such a godawful stupid way that it gives me some hope, but on the other, stupid seems to win the day far too often. It sure seems to have won over the editors of Time. The lead article covers a debate between the forces of reason and dogma. They picked two debaters and pitted them against each other, and on our side, we have Richard Dawkins. Dawkins talked to us a bit…
The title of this one made me laugh out loud: Fossilized Feces of Jesus Wreaks Havoc, and the article itself doesn't disappoint: The recent discovery of a fossilized lump of human feces believed to have once emerged from the body of Jesus Christ, Son of God, has swept a whirlpool of excitement and controversy throughout the altars of the religious world. The sacred stool was unearthed last month by a construction worker during a hotel excavation project in the vicinity of Nahariya, northern Israel, and shortly thereafter flown to the Holy See where a multi-denominational consortium of…
Saudi court sentences rape victim to 90 lashes A Saudi court has sentenced a gang rape victim to 90 lashes of the whip because she was alone in a car with a man to whom she was not married. The sentence was passed at the end of a trial in which the al- Qateef high criminal court convicted four Saudis convicted of the rape, sentencing them to prison terms and a total of 2,230 lashes. The four, all married, were sentenced respectively to five years and 1,000 lashes, four years and 800 lashes, four years and 350 lashes, and one year and 80 lashes. A fifth, married, man who was stated to have…
Interesting piece in The Guardian about the problems that a Catholic revivalist group is making in the pagan-rich town of Glastonbury via heckling and intimidation. In Korea scholar Frank Tedesco has long chronicled the assault which Buddhism has faced from evangelical Christians. In Brazil the rise of charismatic evangelical Christianity has witnessed violence against followers of Afro-Brazilian cults, as well as symbolic destruction of Roman Catholic statuary. Of course in the first story it seems that the local cleric responded in anger at the actions of vigilantes, but it is important…
Even though Haggard is a flaming hypocrite, the Overseer Board at his church apparently is not. The Rev. Ted Haggard agreed to resign as leader of the New Life Church after its independent investigative board recommended removal, saying he was guilty "of sexually immoral conduct." "We, the Overseer Board of New Life Church, have concluded our deliberations concerning the moral failings of Pastor Ted Haggard," a statement from the church said. "Our investigation and Pastor Haggard's public statements have proven without a doubt that he has committed sexually immoral conduct." A man…
Here's a point I've often seen made before, this time by Mike the Mad Biologist and Shakespeare's Sister: religion provides an important social outlet in small town America. It is the social network, the source of community activities, and an essential part of the people's identities. It's more than just an institution, it's the glue that holds the fabric of these little towns together. It's their scrap of culture. I hope no is too surprised when I say that I agree 100%. Church is a big deal; some of these towns have big signs as you drive in, listing the churches available. Typically, one of…
Islam Online is one of the top 1,000 sites on the net according to Alexa. Every Friday I will offer a "taste" of learned commentary from that website for your edification. Today, apostates, or irtidad. Dr. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi "is a world-renowned scholar and head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research (ECFR) and president of the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS)." He has been involved in the InterFaith Cultural Organization. Dr. Qaradawi says: The greatest kind of danger that faces Muslims is that which threatens their moral aspect of existence, i.e., their belief.…
Well, I'm shocked -- simply shocked, I tell you! After Pastor Ted Haggard publically denied allegations of a homosexual affair, senior church officials admitted that Pastor Ted Haggard has confessed to some of the claims made by a former male escort. Thursday morning, Mike Jones, a former male escort, was a guest on a Denver radio talk show and said Pastor Haggard paid him for sex over the past 3 years. Jones also claims Haggard used drugs with him. Tsk, tsk. Currently, the situation is being investigated by an independent panel of leaders from four outside churches. The leaders are from…
One of the reasons I very rarely dive into the discussions around these parts about religion, atheism, and Richard Dawkins' latest book is because, as a moderately observant Jew, most of what is said is utterly irrelevant to my life as a Jew. To explain further, I want to turn it over Shakes, who discusses the role religion plays for many people, particularly in rural areas (italics mine): ...in large swaths of America, religion is primarily social in nature. Much of the country consists of small towns (like the one in which I live) where there are more churches than movie theaters, bowling…
Ted Haggard is one of those people I genuinely despise. He's a major leader of a conservative evangelical organization, and as you can see in the clip below, he's a genuinely creepy, hypocritical, arrogant little man. He's changed now, though. Here's another clip of Haggard, being evasive and humble and making excuses for himself…and now we learn that he has stepped down from his ministry over accusations that he had a gay affair. I suspect, from his demeanor and responses, that he did have that affair, and that he's now political deadweight, destined to be discarded for at least a good…
Over at my other blog another post on the veil. Also, check out the interview with Ingrid Mattson, head of the Islamic Society of North America. She has some pragmatic things to say about the veil, and the reality of living in a non-Muslim social context where the old rules no longer apply. Mattson is not a "moderate" in my opinion, I recall her being interviewed and stating that she rejected demonization of the Salafi position because she sees it as primal and originalist. Of course, Salafism is more diverse than terrorism, but it gives one a flavor her viewpoint.
Next up is Gregg Easterbrook's review of Dawkins. Overall the review was a pleasant surprise. Given Easterbrook's track record, I would have expected a barely coherent anti-Dawkins tirade. Actually the review is pretty thoughtful, and I agree with some of what he has to say. But I also have a few disagreements. So let's get started: Easterbrook begins with the obligatory description of the book's contents. He then agrees to some of the book's basic premises: There's no doubt that all faiths contain their share of claptrap. There's no doubt religion has done the world considerable…
Looks like creationist paragon of moral fortitude Kent Hovind might be headed to the slammer. Kent Hovind is charged with 58 federal counts, including failure to pay $845,000 in employee-related taxes and withholdings. If found guilty, he faces a maximum of 288 years in prison. His wife, Jo Hovind, faces up to 225 years. Her charges include aiding and abetting her husband with 44 counts of evading bank-reporting requirements. Don't drop the soap, Kent.
Jim Holt wrote the review of The God Delusion for The New York Times. He is described as a regular contributor to the New Yorker and the The New York Times Magazine, and is apparently working on a book on the puzzle of existence. The review has a few good points to make, but mostly misses the boat. Holt begins with this reasonable summary of Dawkins' book: Dawkins's case against religion follows an outline that goes back to Bertrand Russell's classic 1927 essay “Why I Am Not a Christian.” First, discredit the traditional reasons for supposing that God exists. ("God" is here taken to denote…
Yikes! I hope nobody gave you this candy last night! Is that just sand inside? I'd like to see someone do a chemical analysis of "Jesus' Blood" From this child-terrorrizing site, via Mr.Sun.