The View from Number 80

A Victimless Crime - Wednesday September 30th was International Blasphemy Day. It marked the anniversary of the publication of the Danish Motoons and has the aim of dismantling "...the wall between religion and criticism". This was all very laudable but 80 feels that it is a bit like Christmas - why be of good cheer and peaceable only one day a year, why not behave like that all the time? The same goes for blasphemy - it should be for every day of the year. In the UK blasphemy is no longer a crime but in an astonishingly retrograde step the Irish government in July of this year voted for blasphemy to be a crime, punishable by a hefty fine. 80 eagerly awaits the first case in the courts of that modern parliamentary democracy. In the US it is covered by freedom of speech but in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan, our "allies" in the fight against Islamic terrorism, it still attracts the death penalty.

The irony of an all powerful god needing puny humans for protection from insults is not appreciated by religious nutjobs worldwide. This is because of their deeply-held sincere belief that blasphemy is wrong. 80, on the other hand, has an equally deeply-held and sincere belief that their beliefs are a load of bollocks - and the same goes for any tinpot god out of the thousands that human beings have invented. If I don't belong to your club why on earth should I follow the rules? The Blasphemy Challenge site rewards those that blaspheme with a free DVD of the movie The God Who Wasn't There. This bunch want you to make a video of you damning yourself to hell and upload it to YouTube. The only stipulation is that the words "I deny the Holy Spirit." are used at some point. This is because the meek and mild loving and caring Jesus supposedly said "Whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." Apparently "All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men..." including child rape, necrophilia, cannibalism, murder, torture, etc. but blaspheme the Holy Spirit and you are toast. (See for yourself ) In some interpretations of Islam the Holy Spirit is equated with the angel Gabriel although may be just another example of inept plagiarism. So, in the interest of equal opportunity blasphemy, all together now, up yours Holy Spirit/Gabriel! Now see what's in store for you. (MediaWatchWatch has a handy 4-in-one blasphemy image for you to print out and keep)

Check Out - Mitchell and Webb's take on the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Hilarious.

And Now The Happy News - "But while Benedict’s visit has been warmly received by the country’s Catholic community, the pope has been faced with the overwhelming indifference of a nation unmoved by religion after decades of communism. According to the latest census, fewer than three million of the country’s 10.5 million people identify themselves as Roman Catholics." the New York Times reporting on Ratzinger's trip to the Czech Republic in which the little anti-aircraft gunner spent three days "...aimed at fighting secularism...". Not too successfully apparently. But that wasn't the real reason for his visit, "While the pope’s visit was largely pastoral, he had been expected to broach the issue of church property confiscated under communism and given to the state, which church officials value at about $15 billion." That's enough to keep him in fancy hats and Prada shoes for a while. Meanwhile, Tanya Gold reminds us why Ratzinger should not be welcomed to the UK.

Confucian Confusion - Google has been having more fun with its logo. Recently it morphed into various forms in what was finally revealed to be a celebration of H G Wells. The latest one celebrates Confucius' birthday, September 28, 551BC, if you're wondering. Confucius is the one Chinese sage everyone has heard if only in cheesy old jokes. Only it seems that Confucius was not what everyone thinks - in fact he may not have existed at all except as an invention of missionary Jesuits. Whether there was a real man behind the Confucius wisdom sayings is moot. What, you say, is nothing sacred? You'll be saying Jesus never existed next.

Monday Lift - to combat that bleh feeling at the start of another week. An inept, wilfully ignorant Christian apologist has posted a piece called Five things that would make atheists seem nicer. Note that is only "seem" nicer. The clod gets off to a great start with his first suggestion - "Stop being so smug". From there it pretty much goes down hill. This drivel would be hardly worth a mention except that P Z Myers decided to rebut it and does so in a highly entertaining and suitably scathing fashion. On the accusation of smugness for instance, "People who believe they have privileged access to mysterious information direct from the brain of a cosmos-spanning super-intelligence, and who believe everyone else is damned to eternal torment, aren't exactly poster-children for modesty." Read the rest and the comments of the Pharyngula hordes to brighten your Monday.

How to talk to complete idiots - is the latest column by Mark Morford. The idiots he is referring to are types like creationists, birthers and the deranged opponents of healthcare reform (Death panels, anyone?) He tells us "The absolute best way to speak to complete idiots is, of course, not to speak to them at all. That is, you work around them, ignore them completely, disregard the rants and the spittle and the misspelled protest signs and the fervent prayers for apocalypse on Fox News. Complete refusal to take the fringe nutballs even the slightest bit seriously is the only way to make true progress." Or, as he more succinctly puts it, quoting Frank Schaeffer, "You cannot reorganize village life to suit the village idiot."

Holy Crap - Obama seems to have a religious lunatic for a pastor. To be fair, Obama didn't really choose the Rev Carey Cash, he is the pastor assigned to Camp David, the presidential retreat. But he is a lunatic - according to the Washington Post "Carey Cash, a US Navy chaplain who baptised more than 50 men during the Iraq invasion in 2003, is a fervent believer in spreading Christianity within the armed forces and believed a "wall of angels" protected his men as they fought their way from Kuwait to Baghdad." Let's see him do that with just a "wall of angels" - no air support, tanks, cruise missiles and artillery. This "wall of angels" bullshit gives his fellow servicemen and women no credit. Still, like a stopped clock, even a religious nutjob can occasionally be right, as when he refers to "...suicide bombers and crazed gunmen" and claims "They are part of a religious tradition that from its very birth has used the edge of the sword as a means to convert or conquer those with different religious convictions." After the furor over Obama's mentor Reverend Jeremiah Wright, another religious nutjob, you would think the powers that be would have vetted the candidates for the Camp David appointment. Perhaps Obama can lend the Muslim politicians with whom he wants a dialogue a copy of Cash's book, "A Table in the Presence: The Dramatic Account of How a U.S. Marine Battalion Experienced God's Presence Amidst the Chaos of the War in Iraq."  That'd go down well.

The Washington Post points out that "Cash has drawn criticism from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), a watchdog group that monitors Christian proselytizing in the military, for his participation in Campus Crusade for Christ's Military Ministry, a program for evangelical chaplains to "help every troop, every leader, every family member hear and receive the lifesaving message about Jesus." Chris Rodda, a spokesman for the MRFF said "This is an organization that has repeatedly stated its goal of transforming our military into a force of 'government-paid missionaries for Christ'. Any chaplain or commander who would support or condone these tactics or goals is a problem." Cash had suffered from a brain tumor but "...eventually received a medical waiver to enter the Navy Reserves based on a doctor's assurance that his tumor would not grow. After much prayer, Cash writes, his headaches and blurred vision went away, which he attributes to God's direct intervention." There is no mention of whether he was receiving medical treatment for the tumor at the time but it is a fair bet he was. Why credit doctors and drugs when you have god? Sounds like a precursor to his "wall of angels" crap.

Quote - "I tell the girls, 'Don't be afraid of the Taliban. The Taliban are afraid of you because you're opening your mind'." Staff Sergeant Quitze "Kitty" Garcia serving in Afghanistan with the US military talking about the need to educate girls in that country. American servicewomen, "..."we band of sisters", according to Garcia - are firm believers in empowering Afghan women because of the influence they have on their sons."

Wilders Is Coming - oh my god what will happen to community cohesion? Nothing - unless un-elected peer Baron Ahmed starts shit-stirring again. Wilders, a democratically elected politician from a fellow EU country, has won an appeal against banning him from the UK and will travel to London next week. In a tactical masterstroke the Guardian tells us "The politician was represented in the case by a British Muslim barrister, Arfan Khan..."  The UK Home Office has responded thus "The decision to refuse Wilders admission was taken on the basis that his presence could have inflamed tensions between our communities and have led to inter-faith violence. We still maintain this view." Wrong! It is faith that  causes inter-faith violence - and one faith in particular. As 80 has remarked before, the only worrying thing about Wilders is his unsettling resemblance to the alien mastermind Exeter from the classic science fiction movie This Island Earth. Wilders' own film Fitna is nowhere near as much fun. But then it isn't meant to be.

Wilders               Exeter

Movie Non-science - here's one in the Telegraph for the geeks, The 20 worst science and technology errors in films. The article is fun but even more amusing are the responses from those who have had their sci-fi ox gored and feel obliged to offer their own convoluted and strained explanations for the many movie gaffes. Some of these people really need to get out more. 80 took a look at bad science in movies back in 2001 and two web sites stood out then. One was Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy and the other was Insultingly Stupid Movie Physics page. Happily both sites are still around although Plait's site has morphed into an excellent blog (and Plait himself has morphed into President of the James Randi Educational Foundation.) Plait's original movie page is here.

Lord of Death - following a fist fight and subsequent fire at a Tennessee church the shocked pastor said "That's God's house. It's no place to throw fists, or shoot people, or talk about shooting people, it's for blessing the Lord." This would be the same lord as the one in Deuteronomy 2:34 would it? "And the Lord our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain..." Perhaps the Lord was feeling tetchy that day - those "little ones" with their innocence and helplessness can be so annoying.

Is Dalia Mogahed Really That Dumb? - Pres. Obama's adviser on Muslim affairs appears to be a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Firstly she appeared on the Islam Channel with a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a party which rejects democracy and whose goal is to combine all Muslim countries in a unitary Islamic state or caliphate ruled by sharia law. This wouldn't be welcomed by many countries, including those allied to the USA. Secondly she spouted some complete drivel on the subject of sharia, a capricious religious and misogynist mockery of a legal system. The Telegraph reports Mogahed as saying "I think the reason so many women support Sharia is because they have a very different understanding of sharia than the common perception in Western media. The majority of women around the world associate gender justice, or justice for women, with sharia compliance. The portrayal of Sharia has been oversimplified in many cases." How does she know so many women support sharia, a male-dominated system which automatically devalues a woman's right to equal treatment? Perhaps because Mogahed is also "...executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies (GCMS), a project which aims to scientifically sample public opinion in the Muslim world." The GCMS has published a book co-authored by Mogahed with the unbelievably arrogant title Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think. Gosh, did they speak to them all? Including the women who aren't allowed to leave the house or talk to strangers? In the blurb about the book we read "Muslim women want equal rights and (their emphasis) religion in their societies." Sorry, that is just not possible in Islam - they might as well want the moon on a stick. As for Mogahed's referring to the "...majority of women around the world", the majority of women around the world are not Muslim and her equation of a medieval patriarchal legal system with "gender justice" leads one to doubt Mogahed's sanity.  It is time that Obama re-considered her obviously unsuitable  appointment.

Crumb's Genesis - 80 remembers artist and illustrator Robert Crumb's work from his youth, in particular the cartoon philosopher, the often foul-mouthed Mr Natural. Now Crumb's latest work, an illustrated book of Genesis, is causing Christian clerics to complain. We learn "It includes graphic illustrations of Bible characters having sexual intercourse, and other scenes depicting naked men and women as well as "gratuitous" depictions of violence." One pompous-sounding individual, Mike Judge of the Christian Institute, told the Telegraph "It is turning the Bible into titillation. It seems wholly inappropriate for what is essentially God's rescue plan for mankind." Nonsense - the bible is a ragbag collection of real and faked history, legends, poems and endless priestly rules. Some of it is uplifting, much of it is bigoted, disgusting and violent. 80 does not yet have a copy of Crumb's book but it is a fair bet that he hasn't drawn anything that isn't in the text. Judge, meanwhile resorts to what sounds like a veiled threat, "Representing it in your own way is all very well and good but it must be remembered that it is a matter of people's faith, their religion. Faith is such an important part of people's lives that one must remember to tread very carefully." Otherwise what? Is he going to stone Crumb for blasphemy like his magic book stipulates?

Happily there are more enlightened folk around, such as the unnamed spokeswoman of the Bible Society "It may surprise people but the bible does contain nudity, sex and violence. That's because it contains real stories about real people. If by reading the book people are encouraged to re-engage with the Bible then that can only be a good thing." Apart from the "real stories" bit (few of them are) this seems a sensible response. It is amazing how few bible-bashers have actually read the thing. They should try it sometime instead of merely cherrypicking the parts that agree with their own prejudices. The story illustration shown in the Telegraph is the one where a drunken Lot commits incest with his daughters - not as well known a fable as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and Mrs Lot's subsequent salification but equally authentic. Here is the Brick Testament's version of the same tale and here is a possibly copyright-breaching page on Crumb's Genesis - where we note that God seems to inherited Mr Natural's voluminous beard.

And In Pareidolia News - the headline tells us Jesus's face spotted on the toilet door in Ikea Glasgow. That Christian godman always manages to grab the spotlight but when you read the text it becomes clear he is not the only candidate. We are told "Some debate over whether the face truly represents the Son of Man, or whether it is in fact Gandalf out of the Lord of the Rings, or even a member of ABBA." The ABBA suggestion came from an Ikea spokeswoman, who told the Telegraph "Swedishness is engrained in every part of our stores." 80 is not convinced by any of these and would suggest a rather non-supernatural book-matched veneer. Wait a minute - come to think of it the linked example looks like the Holy Trinity....

Simon Singh - writing in the Times says England’s libel laws don’t just gag me, they blindfold you. On free speech, the web and the attempt by quacks alternative medicine practitioners to silence valid criticism by legal means.

Good News For Science - and Simon Singh in his legal hassles with the British Chiroquactic Association. The Times tells us "...science writer Simon Singh has been given leave to appeal a ruling in the libel case brought against him by the British Chiropractic Association. Singh described today's outcome as the "best possible result" but added that he was trying not to get his hopes up." Now of course the BCA should stop the whole silly (and expensive) business by dropping the case and providing proper peer-reviewed evidence of the efficacy of this bone-bending bushwa for a wide range of medical problems. These include childhood ailments such as "...colic, sleeping and feeding problems, frequent ear infections, asthma and prolonged crying...". Of course it can't. Such evidence does not exist. Despite the damaging publicity and accusations of throttling science by means of the absurd British libel laws it will carry on, having painted itself into a corner. It will look bad whatever it does - and deserves to. For the details of the leave to appeal see Jack of Kent's excellent report. The battle goes on but this is surely a step in the right direction. (See here for more on "libel chill") Update - read Ben Goldacre looks at the evidence of efficacy offered by the BCA and finds it wanting. Update - the BCA scores an own goal by defaming Singh - see Jack of Kent.

Meanwhile there is a chiroquactor in Australia who would rather have recourse to law than evidence. One Joseph Ierano has taken exception to the Australian Skeptics' reprinting of Singh's original article. The Skeptics comment "We note that this is at least the second time that a chiropractor prefers to pursue legal avenues to disagree with criticism of the profession over the option of providing supporting evidence. That this should happen in response to the publication of Simon’s article, a step clearly aimed at highlighting the issue of free and open scientific debate, is all the more ironic." If you haven't already seen it 80 recommends Chiropractic's Dirty Secret: Neck Manipulation and Strokes by Dr Stephen Barrett. To learn more about this "alternative" treatment do take a look at Chirobase.

Proving Wilders' Case? - Protesters against Dutch politician Geert Wilders' admission to Britain from the Islamist group Islam4UK held up placards saying ''Sharia is the solution, freedom go to hell'' and ''Geert Wilders deserves Islamic punishment''. Aren't they rather shooting themselves in the foot? More on Islam4UK below. Also see Wilders Is Coming and here is a typically thoughtful piece from the Heresiarch.

Sharia? Shove It - where the sun don't shine. The Islamists at Islam4UK are arranging a demonstration in London on October 31st to demand the implementation of sharia law - something which even superficial scrutiny reveals to be a load of misogynist, patriarchal, medieval drivel masquerading as a legal system. The Telegraph tells us "...The group’s website shows a number of pictures of British landmarks, including Nelson’s Column and the House of Parliament, with minarets and Islamic motifs added." Do these clowns not realize that the average Brit doesn't like foreign religious symbols plastered over the nation's landmarks? Hilariously the whole thing seems to be an exercise in how to alienate even the most placid, easygoing UK citizen - which surely cannot be their intention. Take a look at the Islamic makeover of Nelson's Column - it looks like a child has stuck a glittery toy on top. The Islamists explain "Under the Shari'ah, the construction and elevation of statues or idols is prohibited, and consequently, the statue of Admiral Horatio Nelson would be removed and demolished without hesitation."

This sounds, and is, barking bloody mad but then you notice one of the leading lights of this bunch is Anjem Choudary. This individual was the subject of a video from Pat Condell called Islamist Dickhead. The Wikipedia article on Choudary makes for interesting reading and reveals at one time religious piety did not figure so highly in his priorities. "He enrolled as a medical student at the University of Southampton, although he switched to commercial law after failing his first-year exams. According to media reports published in 2006, student friends say he called himself "Andy", drank alcohol, indulged in casual sex, smoked cannabis and even took LSD." Sex, dope, booze and acid - not very halal. If someone had sat down and decided how he could turn reasonable people against Islam and give moderate Muslims a bad name they couldn't have done a better job than Choudary. Sharia law in Britain? That will happen on the same day as Pope Ratzinger's marriage to Madonna, conducted by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. (That odd couple Jesus and Mo' talk about sharia here.) Update - the Sun tells us that Choudary wants the Queen to become Muslim. He may be too late as rumors say the monarch, who is also head of the Church of England, is looking favorably at Roman Catholicism.

Stunning Study - a short while back in a ramble called Fleshly Thoughts 80 referred to the cruel animal slaughter practices of two religious groups which are normally considered to be opposed to each other. 80 pointed out one thing they share, "They certainly share a requirement that animals slaughtered for food have to be conscious when their throats are cut. In the UK this is forbidden on humane grounds - except for Jews and Muslims whose superstitions are allowed to trump animal welfare." Now an article in New Scientist informs us "Brain signals have shown that calves do appear to feel pain when slaughtered according to Jewish and Muslim religious law, strengthening the case for adapting the practices to make them more humane." A study by Craig Johnson and his colleagues at Massey University in Palmerston North, New Zealand shows that non-stunned animals experience pain, something denied (along with so much else) by religionists. Johnson said "It wasn't a surprise to me, but in terms of the religious community, they are adamant animals don't experience any pain, so the results might be a surprise to them..." Unless they can produce evidence disproving the new findings Jewish and Muslim slaughterhouses should be made to comply with the same animal welfare legislation that applies to everybody else.

Wake up, America - is the impassioned cry of Pat Condell in his latest video. The subject is the support by the US for Islamic countries which want the UN to pass a resolution outlawing the defamation of religion - although of course what they actually mean is criticism of Islam. That the Obama administration in a misguided move to "respect" Islam appears to be going along with this is deeply alarming. Religions have no rights - people have rights, that's why they are called human rights, funnily enough. Also see The Wrong Rights? and Islamic Law vs Human Rights

From The Department Of The Bleeding Obvious - comes a report by Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) on faith/sectarian schools. The Telegraph tells us "More than one in five private schools is failing to teach children about other religions, according to Ofsted. Many complain that it is “inappropriate” for pupils to learn about faiths other than their own, particularly at a young age, it is disclosed. According to Government inspectors, some schools also used teaching materials that displayed a “bias” in favour of certain groups. In one instance, a Muslim school used “inflammatory language” to describe the situation in Palestine and a Jewish school stocked books with “strong language” about the Middle East." One would have thought the example of Northern Ireland would have spelled the end of sectarian schooling. 80 recommends a look at this page detailing the disadvantages of sectarian schooling. You can find the Ofsted report here. Ofsted were prompted to act by a thinktank report in February of this year looking at Muslim schools and their web sites - see Living Among The Enemy. Update - see Church triumphant as its take-over of education continues from the NSS Newsline email newsletter. Update - meanwhile the Labour government funds a group, Hizb ut-Tahrir, dedicated to spreading Islamist poison in schools.

Routed - In July of this year 80 looked forward to a debate on the proposition "The Catholic church is a force for good in the world". I said then, "Defending the proposition are a Nigerian Roman Catholic Archbishop, John Onaiyekan and the British Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe. Widdecombe, converted to Roman Catholicism in 1993 in reaction to the Anglican church's decision to ordain women priests. Opposing the motion are Christopher Hitchens, journalist, writer and one of the so-called "new atheists", a label he attracted after the success of his book God Is Not Great, and Stephen Fry, actor and writer. This may be a case of 80's prejudices showing but the Archbishop and the politician seem seriously outgunned. It is noteworthy but not necessarily indicative of the outcome of the debate itself that an online poll on the proposition is showing 1% for and 98.7% against." The debate took place on October 19th and it was after all a sure bet - as Telegraph blogger Andrew M Brown tells us Intelligence Squared debate: Catholics humiliated by Christopher Hitchens and Stephen Fry. Should you be an aficionado of shooting fish in a barrel Intelligence Squared, the debate's organizers, have a DVD of the proceedings. Here is an interview with Hitchens by Peter Brietbart, who attended the debate, courtesy of The Freethinker. Also see Paul Sims on the New Humanist blog with his report of the proceedings.

Crap Clairvoyant - this BBC news item hardly needs comment. "A landlord has spoken about the devastation she was left with when two of her properties in Kent were turned into cannabis factories. Yvette Tamara was left with clean-up costs and unpaid bills totalling almost £90,000 for the houses in Hollingbourne near Maidstone and New Romney. Ms Tamara, who also works as a clairvoyant, said she could not believe the damage that had been done. She let the houses to people she thought were genuine tenants. But she said she was amazed to later discover she was not insured against criminal damage at her properties." 80 thinks it is reasonable to take this distressing episode as evidence of the true effectiveness of clairvoyance. Perhaps Ms Tamara could use it as a testimonial. (Thanks, Jeremy)

And This Is The Church They Will Join - it seems the Roman Catholic church is prepared to take into its flock those Anglicans, priests and congregations, who turn apoplectic at the ordination of women or gays. Looking at the latest crop of child rape problems across the pond they should think very carefully about the move. We learn from the Washington Post "Delaware's Catholic Diocese of Wilmington filed for federal bankruptcy protection on Sunday night, on the eve of a civil trial in a high-profile sex abuse case against the diocese and a former priest. The bankruptcy filing automatically delays the case in Kent County Superior Court, the first of eight consecutive abuse trials scheduled in Delaware....It is the seventh U.S. diocese to file for bankruptcy since allegations erupting seven years ago against Catholic clergy in Boston." Meanwhile bad news nearer to home, from Ireland "The High Court today ruled most of the report of the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation into the handling by the Catholic Church and State authorities of allegations of suspected child sex abuse by clerics may be published. However, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan excluded from publication, at least until next May, one chapter of the report related to a particular cleric on grounds it may prejudice criminal proceedings against that cleric." Will the renegade C of E priests have to learn a whole new way of handling young members in their flock? In September the Archbishop of Canterbury was said to be "delighted" at Pope Ratzinger's planned visit to the UK - one wonders how he is feeling about it now. Update - do read the wonderfully-titled Bigot-rustling is the Pope’s latest insult to Rowan Williams by Terry Sanderson of the National Secular Society in which he looks at the implications of this bigot-rustling on the established church, such as bishops owing allegiance to a foreign state, the Vatican, but still sitting in the British upper house, the House of Lords.

Not Fit For Purpose - keen-eyed readers will notice the link to Human Rights Watch (HRW) in this page's sidebar, which has been there for years, has now gone. To learn why read this article in the New York Times by Robert L. Bernstein, who was the chairman of HRW from 1978 to 1998.

Quote - "It would be wrong to suggest that faith organisations alone are responsible for defining, shaping and transmitting values. It is not necessary to have faith to be deeply, morally and profoundly altruistic." John Denham, secretary of state for communities and local government, addressing Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, an ecumenical body representing Christian denominations, on the subject of inter-faith relations and government policy.

Creating Ignorance - the Guardian recently published the shocking (and depressing) news that "More than half of British adults think that intelligent design and creationism should be taught alongside evolution in schoolscience (sic) lessons – a proportion higher than in the US." We are told "About 54% of the 973 polled Britons agreed with the view: "Evolutionary theories should be taught in science lessons in schools together with other possible perspectives, such as intelligent design and creationism." (Creationism usually means a literal belief in the two incompatible Genesis myths) There are several observations that can be made here. Firstly, intelligent design (ID) and creationism are the same thing (YouTube). This is something that IDers are keen to deny but the fact is that intelligent design is just creationism wearing a (somewhat tatty) lab coat. Secondly, is whether this was an informed choice, that is, whether those questioned had any knowledge of evolution and the yawning gulf between a scientific theory supported by the evidence and something that is "supported" by faith - that is, blind belief with no evidence. Given the general level of scientific literacy in the UK this is unlikely to have been an informed choice.

Thirdly, there is the survey question itself and the way it was couched. Compared to the fact of evolution and natural selection there are no other "possible perspectives" - certainly none that should be introduced into a science lesson. ID/Creationism can and should be addressed in comparative religion or current affairs classes. Another, even more suitable class, and one that is sorely lacking in most schools is critical thinking in which pupils learn how to evaluate the claims of not only creationists but also alternative therapists, economists, statisticians, advertisers, politicians and many others. Are we ever likely to see such a class widely taught? Don't hold your breath -  too many precious oxen/sacred cows may be gored.

The Guardian, no doubt in pursuit of some kind of spurious "balance", prints a comment from Andrew McIntosh, professor of thermodynamics and combustion theory at Leeds University, who says "There is room for any scientific position which isn't necessarily from an evolutionary base. We need to follow where the evidence leads and we shouldn't presuppose that the evidence will necessary lead to a naturalistic or materialistic explanation. We must be open to the possibility that information can come from a higher intelligence, but we mustn't assume that." This is disingenuous - the evidence leads to evolution by means of natural selection and not to intelligent design/creationism which happens to be McIntosh's hobbyhorse. As for his "higher intelligence" he means god, not some super-advanced alien being - or more particularly his conception of god, the Christian one. As has been said many times before "god did it" is not an explanation, no matter which of the thousands of gods that humankind has created you may have in mind.

Here is part of McIntosh's entry in Wikipedia "McIntosh is a young-earth creationist. He claims that his disagreements with mainstream science are based on empiricism. His pronouncements on the origins of the natural world are generally in strong agreement with the Old Testament. In a debate with Richard Dawkins on BBC Radio Ulster he stated his belief that the world was six thousands years old, that marine trilobites were made extinct by Noah's flood and that the Second Law of Thermodynamics contradicts the Darwinian theory of evolution. He is on the board of directors of Truth in Science an organisation which promotes the teaching of Intelligent Design in British schools. On the 29th of November 2006 the University of Leeds issued a statement distancing itself from creationism. The statement also claimed that Prof McIntosh's directorship of Truth in Science* is unconnected with his teaching or research." As a young earth creationist McIntosh doesn't just have a problem with biology but also physics and astronomy. None of this would you know from the article. It is a pity that the author of this piece, Jessica Shepherd, did not draw attention to McIntosh's agenda. For a journalist writing in a national newspaper this is sloppy work. It is noteworthy that the following now appears below the article "This article was amended on 27 October 2009. The original omitted to make clear that Professor Andy McIntosh of Leeds University was speaking in a personal capacity." (*Truth In Science is an ID site that utilizes the deceitful "teach the controversy" ploy)

Free Speech Wins The Day - there appears to be good news on the Islamic countries' attempts at the UN to pass a resolution prohibiting so-called "defamation of religion" (see Wake Up, America). To quote Hillary Clinton "Some claim that the best way to protect the freedom of religion is to implement so-called anti-defamation policies that would restrict freedom of expression and the freedom of religion, I strongly disagree." She went on to say "The protection of speech about religion is particularly important since persons of different faith will inevitably hold divergent views on religious questions. These differences should be met with tolerance, not with the suppression of discourse." Michael Posner, the assistant U.S. secretary of state for human rights, made this important point "The notion that a religion can be defamed and that any comments that are negative about that religion can constitute a violation of human rights to us violates the core principle of free speech." The occasion for these comments was the release of the State Department's report on international religious freedom - the worst offenders being Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea and Sudan. No surprises there then...

Bigot-Rustling - Richard Dawkins, writing in the Washington Post, offers his thoughts on Pope Ratzinger's ploy to boost the numbers in his zombie death cult. "Turning to the motives of the poachers, here we find cause for real encouragement. The Roman Catholic Church is fast running out of priests. In Ireland in 2007, 160 Catholic priests died, while only nine new recruits were ordained. To say the least, those figures don't point towards sustainability. No wonder that disgusting institution, the Roman Catholic Church, is dragging its flowing skirts in the dirt and touting for business like a common pimp: "Give me your homophobes, misogynists and pederasts. Send me your bigots yearning to be free of the shackles of humanity."  Also see And This Is The Church They Will Join

Scientology Cult Convicted of Fraud - the sinister '50s space opera cult otherwise known as the Church of Scientology has been in the news over the last few days - and not in a good way. Here you can read an ABC Nightline report on allegations of violent behavior by David Miscavige, the leader of the cult. This is actually not news as damning reports about Miscavige's behavior from ex-cultists (and much else the cult would like hushed-up) were published by TampaBay.com this summer. Also in the news is the defection of director Paul Haggis, one of the many celebrities the cult likes to use for promoting itself, who said "...he could not be a member of a body "where gay-bashing was tolerated"" The cult, did I mention it is a cult? Anyway, it also features in a BBC report which tells us "A French court has convicted the Church of Scientology of fraud...." but, malheureusement, "...stopped short of banning the group from operating in France." It seems "The court was unable to impose a ban because of a legal amendment that was passed just before the trial began, preventing the banning of an organisation convicted of fraud." but there is a ray of hope from Georges Fenech, who must have an interesting job as boss of of the Inter-ministerial Unit to Monitor and Fight Cults, said "The system has now been put in place by parliament and it is certain that in the future, if new offences are committed, a ban could eventually be pronounced." Of course the cult will be appealing the verdict even as a spokesperson whined about religious freedom. Religious freedom is not a licence to commit fraud. The best source on Scientology is Operation Clambake. Here you can see the original ABC Nightline show Inside Scientology.

British Muslims for Secular Democracy - 80 wrote recently of the plans for the Islamist loonies of Islam4UK to demonstrate in London on October 31st calling for sharia law (a patriarchal religious system that, among other things, denies women's human rights) - see Sharia? Shove It. The Islam4UK bunch are beyond the pale even for the so-called Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and its spokesperson Inayat Bunglawala, who has called for a counter demonstration. Many people, however, would not wish to join their ranks, however temporarily, as the MCB have their own agenda at times not so different from the Islamists. Happily there seems to be an acceptable alternative in British Muslims for Secular Democracy (BMSD).

The statements on the BMSD web site are quite clear about where it stands, and that is nowhere near Islam4UK or the MCB. For example "bmsd is made up of a group of Muslim democrats of diverse ethnic and social backgrounds, who support a clear separation between religion and the State." and most importantly "bmsd’s mission statement: “To promote civic engagement, social inclusion, responsible citizenship and good governance particularly within constituent Muslim communities of Britain; in order to build an understanding of the shared values between all citizens to enable them to live in an inclusive, pluralist, secular and confident Britain.” These people have the right idea and deserve the support of those concerned by the activities of religious crackpots.

In reference to the Islam4UK sharia demo, the vice chair of BMSD, Dr Shaaz Mahboob, puts the views of his group clearly enough, "We are particularly disturbed by this new group which appears to be nothing short of a new front for the likes of Hizb-ut-Tahrir and Al-Muhajiroon under the leadership of those who benefit from living in a secular democracy, yet oppose the very concept of liberty and freedom of expression. No matter how distasteful their views and arguments may be, we believe that they too retain the right to express their opinion. British Muslims are happy living under the British system of justice and governance. It is their responsibility to tackle them rationally within the norms of democratic decorum and civility." It is just a shame the chair of BMSD, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, sometimes talks bollocks, but then that is freedom of speech - a concept with which she sometimes has a little trouble. (Thanks Nick)

A A Gill Is Despicable - "I know perfectly well there is absolutely no excuse for this. There is no mitigation. Baboon isn't good to eat, unless you're a leopard. The feeble argument of culling and control is much the same as for foxes: a veil for naughty fun. I wanted to get a sense of what it might be like to kill someone, a stranger. You see it in all those films: guns and bodies, barely a close-up of reflection or doubt. What does it really feel like to shoot someone, or someone's close relative?...I took him just below the armpit. He slumped and slid sideways. I'm told they can be tricky to shoot: they run up trees, hang on for grim life. They die hard, baboons. But not this one. A soft-nosed .357 blew his lungs out."  Quoted in the Guardian, the restaurant critic reveals something about himself that would have best stayed hidden. He killed this primate not for food, not to protect his crops, not out of self-preservation, but just to see what it felt like. Despicable.

Quote - "I don't doubt that the BNP crave publicity, but Question Time showed why exposure is their greatest enemy. The portrayal of Nick Griffin as a monster almost does him a favour. What we saw on Thursday night was a nervous, sweaty, shifty, amateurish and confused man, manically grinning when confronted with his back catalogue of repulsive quotes and occasionally venting bursts of incoherent nastiness." Andrew Rawnsley, writing in the Guardian about the TV appearance of the toytown Nazi führer.

Almost There - veteran singer Andy Williams, 81, is quoted in the Telegraph saying "people assume I'm dead". This is obviously not true - but he is dead from the neck up.

Global Warming and Reincarnation - It is my deeply held and sincere belief that the law, as interpreted by some judges, is an ass. The Guardian tells us the story of one Tim Nicholson. Nicholson's firm made him redundant - which has been  interpreted as evidence of "... the contempt with which his boss treated his deep philosophical beliefs about climate change." It seems he had made a habit of reminding his bosses when they fell short of the firm's own standards of sustainable practice. As he was the firm's "...head of sustainability..." this seems not unreasonable.  Following his redundancy he launched a legal action against his firm, citing one boss in particular for contempt of his green views. Astoundingly the judge in the case "...Mr Justice Michael Burton decided that: "A belief in man-made climate change, and the alleged resulting moral imperatives, is capable if genuinely held, of being a philosophical belief for the purpose of the 2003 Religion and Belief Regulations." The article reminds us "Under those regulations it is unlawful to discriminate against a person on the grounds of their religious or philosophical beliefs." This is shocking and could open the door to any number of daft and frivolous cases. We already have enough whining from religionists about how they are being persecuted for their beliefs and now it looks as though almost anybody can play this game, as Judge Burton decided "...Nicholson's views on the environment were so deeply held that they were entitled to the same protection as religious convictions..." One can't help but think that before announcing his decision the judge should have subjected Nicholson to a carbon footprint audit, to see just how his deeply held beliefs are adhered to in everyday life.

Just why is belief accorded such respect? Given the facts now widely available on anthropogenic global warming, a process now denied by few, why should Nicholson's views be treated as a faith position? Faith is a blind belief in the face of no evidence - this is not the case for global climate change. It now seems, that whatever load of old bollocks you are peddling, if you can convince a judge that your belief in said bollocks is a matter of faith, or a deeply held philosophical view, then you win. This is absurd. One legal expert consulted came out with "It's a great decision. Why should it only be religions which are protected?". This is completely arse about face - we should be questioning the right of religion to be protected, not casting the legal net even wider. With religion it is clear in many cases the "persecuted" religionists in question are using their religious beliefs in an attempt to circumvent equality legislation or to be exempted from a employer's or school's dress codes. Judge Burton, in his interpretation of the 2003 Religion and Belief Regulations, has opened the flood gates to all sorts of nonsense being dragged into court. It is interesting to speculate how he would have ruled in a case from Germany, where the Telegraph tells us "A Buddhist bank robber has had his request for his cat to have visiting rights to him in jail turned down by a court – despite his plea that it is the reincarnation of his mother." The robber, Peter Keonig, seems to have a deeply held and sincere belief regarding this cat - is that not worthy of respect? His sad plea should melt the heart of any judge  "I know it is mummy. She looks after me just the way she did. I need to see her like other prisoners see their wives and children." The callous German court refused Keonig, but did say he would be able to write to his mum cat. In Burton's court he may well have won visiting rights.

A most unwelcome piece of fallout from the Nicholson case is the casting of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) as a matter of belief and not evidence. This is handing a propaganda victory to those who deny what a consensus of the world's climatologists have proved is happening. To not want to believe that AGW is occurring is perhaps understandable - the projected changes to our planet and its ecology are alarming and it would be nice to pretend it wasn't really happening. Burton's judgement has just handed ammunition to those who can't or won't accept the facts. Given that "The number of Americans who believe there is solid evidence that the earth is warming is at its lowest point in three years, and the number who see the situation as a serious problem has also declined..." decisions such as Burton's are not only ill-judged but actually undermine the efforts of those pressing for action on climate change - like Tim Nicholson. Perhaps that was Burton's intention - one of the tests he advocates for whether a philosophical belief should come under employment regulations on religious discrimination is "It must be a belief and not an opinion or view based on the present state of information available." It would appear the judge himself is unconvinced by the abundant evidence for AGW - so in vindicating Nicholson he has in fact struck a blow for climate change denial. To be fair Nicholson himself doesn't appear to agree with the judge "I think is that mine is not a faith-based or spiritual-based belief: it is grounded in the overwhelming scientific evidence and it's the combination of that scientific evidence with the moral and ethical imperative to do something about it that is distinct from a religion."  Perhaps it is now dawning upon him that his is a somewhat Pyrrhic victory. (Also see It isn't godly being green by Myles Allen)

P.S. - to the above. Does anyone see a parallel between a firm employing a sustainability head and then making him redundant when he bangs on about sustainability and a government that employs an acknowledged expert on drugs to advise on policy and then sacks him because it doesn't like his conclusions? Just asking....

A Good Day For Democracy - is the title of a piece in the Guardian by Shaaz Mahboob, of British Muslims for Secular Democracy, on the al-Muhajiroun pro-sharia demo that wasn't. Good stuff.

The High Price of Patriotism - Nick Cohen, writing for Standpoint, tells the story of Foreign and Commonwealth Office whistleblower Derek Pasquill and the failure of the so-called liberal Left. "The achievement of political Islam in Britain has been to suborn the liberal Left and cut off the most promising escape route for dissidents in the process. An abused woman, a young man fighting religious authoritarianism, an Iranian exile seeking to gain support for the campaign against the Archbishop of Canterbury's and Lord Chief Justice's endorsement of Sharia law or a British Bangladeshi trying to bring the Islamist criminals who massacred civilians in the war of independence to justice, would once have looked left for succour. If they do so now, they will find that progressives take their cue from the Muslim Brotherhood and Jamaat-e-Islami, rather than the best of the liberal Left's traditions, and dismiss Muslims who fight for values they profess to hold as being at best irrelevances and at worst stool-pigeons for imperialism." Highly recommended
 

Defend Secular Democracy - Saturday Oct 31st 1:00 pm Piccadilly Circus

So concerned for public order are they that the Islam4UK loonies have relocated their rally for sharia to an unknown venue - which rather defeats the object of the exercise, doesn't it?

Also see British Muslims for Secular Democracy

My Enemy's Enemy? - today we learn from the Times that "Worshippers at one of Britain’s biggest mosques reacted to the Fort Hood shooting yesterday by saying Muslims who serve in the Armed Forces are complicit in killing their “brothers and sisters” in Afghanistan." Furthermore "Speaking to The Times after Friday prayers at East London mosque, young Muslim men said the lives of those who follow Islam were of more value than those of non-believers." Perhaps these clods should pay a little more attention to the news where we hear of the frequent, indiscriminate murder of Muslims - by Muslims.

For example, from just the last few weeks "At least 12 people have been killed and about 35 injured in a suicide bomb attack near the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, police say. The blast ripped through a busy cattle market on the outskirts of the city." And "Suicide bombers driving two large vehicle bombs again penetrated the heart of Baghdad today, killing 147 people and wounding more than 700, less than three months before a national poll that will be contested on supposed security gains." And "All schools and universities have been closed across Pakistan a day after suicide bombers attacked an Islamic university in the capital, Islamabad. Four people died and at least 18 were wounded in the twin blasts at the International Islamic University." And "A suicide bomber has attacked a mosque congregation in northern Iraq, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 90 others, Iraqi police say. The attack occurred in Talafar, west of Mosul, near the border with Syria, at a mosque used by Sunni Muslim Arabs. Police say the bomber shot the imam of the mosque and other worshippers and then set off an explosives belt." And "At least 30 people have been killed after a minibus packed with explosives detonated near a well-known market in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar." And "Fighting between rival Islamist factions over control of a key Somali port city killed at least five people on Thursday, residents and medical staff said, in the first concrete sign of a major split in the Islamist alliance threatening the fragile U.N.-backed government." 

Nothing else needs to be said, except for this from Zeeshan Hashmi, a Muslim and British ex-soldier who did two tours of Afghanistan and who lost a brother, Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi fighting the Taliban, “People would ask what I would do if I was asked to fight fellow Muslims, but for me it was all about going there to help create a better understanding between peoples. Jabron and I never had any difficulties squaring our identities as both British soldiers and Muslims.”

Quote - "Wouldn't a "fundamentalist atheist" be someone who thinks God literally doesn't exist, as opposed to all those atheists who think that God doesn't exist in a more figurative sense?" from a comment on P Z Myer's entertaining and informative Pharyngula blog. Thanks to Kevin Anthoney. Pharyngula, by the way, has a permanent link in the sidebar of this page.

It's More Than Due - “The BBC must one day soon loosen the stranglehold of the established religious organisations and more fully embrace the humanist movement.” Ex-BBC boss Lord Birt talking in "...a debate held in the Moses Room at the House of Lords on the eve of the BBC Trust’s deliberations on whether to allow non-religious contributors to the Today programme’s religious slot." He went on to say “The BBC must one day soon loosen the stranglehold of the established religious organisations and more fully embrace the humanist movement.” He described the humanist tradition as “a loose network of individuals broadly exercised by questions of the spirit, concerned to optimise the sum total of human happiness here on earth; individuals naturally respectful of others, wedded to rationalism and to scientific rigour, revering all life, unafraid to proclaim and to celebrate the joy of existence and the richness of human expression.” And yet as church attendance falls in the UK the BBC ramps up its religious content.

For those who cannot stomach the Today show's unbeliever-free Thought For The Day mentioned above, remember there is a translation available at the excellent Platitude For The Day, which has a permanent link in this page's sidebar. According to the National Secular Society "The BBC is spending a minimum of £10 million a year on religious propaganda, it has been revealed, and the department that is spending the money has been accused of undermining the BBC’s obligation to impartiality."

Cameron Does God - Sort Of - "If you are asking, do I drop to my knees and pray for guidance, no. But do I have faith and is it important, yes. My own faith is there, it's not always the rock that perhaps it should be. I suppose I sort of started life believing that one's individual faith was important, but actually the institutions of the church were less important. I do think that organised religion can get things wrong, but the Church of England and the other churches do play a very important role in society. I think that it's perfectly possible to live a good life without having faith, by which I mean a positive and altruistic life, but I think the teachings of Jesus, just as the teachings of other religions, are a good guide to help us through."  Conservative leader David (call me Dave) Cameron quoted in the Telegraph. This is the same Jesus that said "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Luke 12:49-53)  He must have been having an off-day.

Quote - "Their independence must also be protected. Scientific advisers are not there to rubber-stamp policies. Advice should reach ministers before decisions are taken; and when ministers want to reject it, they should discuss it first. Where government does reject scientific evidence, it must explain why openly."  Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society, commenting on the sacking of government drugs adviser Professor David Nutt.

Money Down The Drain - the Times today has the story of how police time and money was wasted following up on information provided by "psychics" about a man's death. These loons told police that an evident suicide was nothing of the sort as they had "...been contacted from beyond the grave. Far from having killed himself, Mr Assaf, a baker from Lampeter, west Wales, informed the mediums that he had been strangled by gangsters who forced him to drink petrol and bleach. In their visions the psychics, who were friends of the dead man’s family, saw a lion, a horse and the name Tony Fox." This is the usual vague crap from these paranormal pillocks but it seems Dyfed-Powys Police were gullible enough to visit "...more than a dozen pubs called Red Lion or Black Horse and tracked down a certain Tony Fox. They conducted a second post-mortem examination and searched an area of Manchester after the mediums said that it could yield clues."  Unsurprisingly they found nothing. One wonders why they didn't check the deceased's lungs for damage before their wild goose chase.

This hasn't stopped Sergeant Mark Webb from defending this idiotic waste of resources “We received communications from friends and family of Mr Assaf involving spiritualist mediums. We interviewed the mediums and, having carried out an investigation, we found the information far from conclusive. We wanted to be absolutely satisfied there was no third party involved.” It sounds like Webb and his colleagues need to do a bit of research - psychics are of no help in police investigations or in anything else. Their so-called powers have never been proven to exist. At least one (anonymous) policeman is not a gullible twit “We are in danger of becoming a laughing stock. We went haring across the country looking for a lion, a horse and someone called Fox based on info from cranks. Not surprisingly it turned out to be a wild goose chase, which cost at least £20,000.” What would be a good use of police time is disciplining whichever idiot  authorised this investigation. The Times does not name the "psychics" involved nor does the Daily Mail. Surely they should, so that these people can be held up to the ridicule they have so richly earned. Also see The Case of the ‘Psychic Detectives’ by Joe Nickell at CSI.

Not All Cultures Are Equally Valid And Commendable - is the name of an excellent piece in the Independent extracted from a speech by human rights activist Peter Tatchell. It begins "A good, beneficial multicultural society is one in which everyone has the freedom to pursue their own different ethics and lifestyles, while in the public sphere all citizens are treated as equals and are bound together by a shared commitment to universal human rights, regardless of the differences in their personal morality and private lives. I do not, for example, insist that people of faith approve of homosexuality, but I do expect them to not discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation.Where some strands of multiculturalism have gone off the rails is in their institutionalisation of difference through initiatives like the state funding of faith schools, which factionalises pupils along religious lines. Another big error by some multiculturalists has been to bow to demands for cultural sensitivity by tacitly accepting that some peoples and communities can be exempt from the norms of universal human rights."  Read the rest here (Thanks Nick)