Pope Francis has reached out to atheists and agnostics, reassuring them that the Christian God will “forgive” them as long as they behave morally and follow their consciences. He did so as part of his recent interview with La Repubblica, commented upon previously on this blog. If one has doubts about the existence of a …
The interview recently given by the Pope is most interesting. Here is the first Jesuit Pope for centuries, a subtle and clever man, who has kept his real feelings hidden well enough to be elected. The Jesuits were known as a the “storm troopers of the Counter-Reformation”, and here they are again, trying to combat …
The greatest threat to the future of the human race is the number of humans. And yet this subject is rarely raised. Businesses want a growing population to swell the growth of demand, and thus profits. But a growing population requires an expanding social and physical infrastructure, such as roads, schools and hospitals. It is …
Rationalist campaigner Narendra Dabholkar, was assassinated recently for exposing the fraudulent practices of “miracle workers” in the state of Maharashtra. He had collected evidence showing how thousands of women are victims of “vicious” magic rituals, often at the behest of male relatives; in remote areas they’re even burnt as sacrifices. And he had shown that …
“When Al Jazeera, the Qatari-owned broadcaster, bought Al Gore’s cable channel for $500m to gain a toe-hold in the US market, executives knew they wouldn’t “get the red-carpet treatment”. But the station’s experience in Britain – where initial scepticism gave way to critical acclaim – might have persuaded them that a similar feat could be …
Continue reading ‘The ignorance and provincialism of the US evangelicals’ »
The British National Health Service, spends vast sums fire-proofing itself against claims. Every patient seems out to sue someone, either for causing their misfortune or treating it wrongly. American defensive medicine has arrived in Britain. NHS trusts let personal injury lawyers advertise their services in hospitals and even set up offices inside them. Ambulance-chasing lawyers …
Continue reading ‘Predatory America-style lawyers now exploiting Britain’ »
Atheists are smarter than those who believe in God. At any rate, a couple of surveys suggest they tend to have higher IQs. But when it comes to who lives a healthier and more fulfilled life the advantages are all on the side of religious folk. in 2006, researchers at the University of Texas found …
On the return flight from his trip to Brazil last month Pope Francis astonished reporters by holding an 80-minute press conference, in the course of which he remarked: “If a person is gay and seeks God, and has goodwill, who am I to judge?” What a change after weary years of moralising on sexual ethics. …
“…. the primary epiphenomena of any religion’s foundation are the production and flourishment of hypocrisy, megelomania and psychopathy, and the first casualties of the religion’s establishment are the intentions of its founder.” (page 157, “Birds without Wings”, by Louis de Bernieres) Epicurus, from his perch in the afterlife would no doubt say, “plus ca change”. …
Will terrorists kill innocent civilians in the years to come? Of course…. But there is no way to completely eliminate terrorism. How we will live with that threat? We have created …. a national psychology of fear that Al Qaeda could never have achieved on its own. More Americans will die in car crashes, of …
“I believe in Spinoza’s god, who reveals himself in the lawful harmony of all that exists, not in a god who concerns himself in the fate and doings of mankind”. Albert Einstein Einstein wondered at the intricate rationality of the universe. It persuaded him that “something” must have laid down the basic structure, physics and …
On May 23rd Pope Francis reached out to atheists with a sentence that concluded, “Just do good, and we’ll find a meeting point.” Atheists, he said, should be seen as good people if they do good, and he urged people of all religions — or no religion — to work together. He told the story …
Religion lays claim to a monopoly of morals, decency, and humane behavior. This claim is based upon dogmatic literature said to be the word of god or a creator, and must therefore be believed and obeyed, or else. Millions have died as a result of taking all this far too seriously. “I am right, get …
Continue reading ‘Can you be a religious non-believer and still be moral?’ »
God promised the Israelites “this land, from the river of Egypt unto the Euphrates”. This today would include bits of Turkey, Syria and Iraq. So why are the Zionists so quiet about this? Surely, if God made this generous promise, then the ultra-nationalists should be proclaiming their rights to this huge geographical area, and should …
The Most Rev. Justin Welby, the new Archbishop of Canterbury, who sits on the parliamentary Banking Standards Commission in Parliament, has criticised “the culture of entitlement” among London bankers, calling for them to pass professional exams, and advocating the break-up of at least one state-backed institution into smaller regional banks. Naturally, the not disinterested financial …
