News Bias – Attacking Atheists

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It is often quite interesting to look at how a specific event is reported, and note the tone of the article. Such a comparison often tells us quite a lot about the bias that is introduced by the article’s author and perhaps also reveals a hidden agenda. Here now is an interesting example of this:

First … the event. A Metal beam, in the shape of a cross (pictured here) was found at 9/11 ground zero, it was subsequently blessed by a priest and erected as a memorial. What has now happened is that a US atheist group filed a lawsuit asking a judge to order the removal of the cross-shaped steel beam or request that other religions and nonreligious views be equally represented. My thoughts? Well, it sounds fair to me, we live in a pluralistic society, all they are asking for is an even playing field.

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Christopher Langan … the smartest man?

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There is a claim that Christopher Langan is the smartest man in the US. However, he also claims that intelligent design and evolution are compatible … really!! … in that case, I can only suggest that he is perhaps not as smart as some consider him to be. OK, to be fair let’s clarify something – Intelligence … Read more

The space shuttle programme has been a multi-billion-dollar failure – Lawrence M. Krauss

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The famous theoretical physicist, Lawrence Krauss, writes in the UK Guardian today that space shuttles have been a colossal waste of American resources, time and creative energy. When I  listened to him debate last week at TAM with Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson, he took the same line … and you know what … I tend to agree with him, I believe he is right.

Now please do not misunderstand me here, this stance does not in any way short change the courage and drive displayed by those brave individuals who have climbed on board and gone up. In fact when you consider the fact that these complex machines are constructed by assembling 2.5 million parts, each of which has been outsourced to the cheapest government contractor, then you would be utterly insane not to be highly nervous, and so yes, I applaud their courage.

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Its the Catholics again … avoiding responsibility

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I often wonder if I’ve heard every possible excuse to justify not accepting responsibility for child abuse. However, just when I think I have, along comes somebody to prove me completely wrong.

There is currently a case taking place in the UK that involves a girl known as “JGE”, who was sexually abused while a six-year-old resident at The Firs, a children’s home in Portsmouth run by an order of nuns, the English Province of Our Lady of Charity. JGE was sexually abused by Father Wilfred Baldwin, a priest of the Roman Catholic diocese of Portsmouth and its “vocations director”, who regularly visited The Firs during the 70s. Her legal team claim the nuns were negligent and in breach of duty, and that the diocese was liable for Baldwin’s alleged abuse as he was a Catholic priest engaged within the work of the diocese.

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Irish “Home Rule” is no longer “Rome Rule”

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Honestly, I’m quite happy for folks to believe whatever they wish, and as long as they behave in a decent manner, I’ll not show too much interest … which perhaps explains why I, and many others, are constantly banging away at both Islam, extreme evangelical kooks,  and also Catholicism. For not only are their beliefs truly bizarre and utterly insane, but the manner in which they treat others is quite frankly appalling.

Today, on-side, joining us in valid criticism of the Catholic cult of insanity is the president of the Irish Republic, Enda Kenny. What is most surprising and completely “unprecedented” about his verbal attack upon the Vatican is that it comes from a Fine Gael taoiseach, whose political base lies in the conservative west of Ireland, who has led from the front. It should of course not be a surprise, for quite some time now case after case of abuse and cover-up has come to the surface. In the latest report, we find that the Vatican are still obstructing the civil power, ie the Garda Síochána, in their inquiries into allegations against priests in the County Cork diocese. Here is the Video of his speech …

You can read an interesting article in the Guardian about all this here.

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#TAM9 – Some Images

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I’ve plucked out a few of my favorite pictures that I captured while at TAM and added a few thoughts. Oh, and least you wonder, yes you can indeed click on any of the pictures to see a larger copy.

I’ve also been advised that all the talks will be made available for free, so as they become available, I’ll post the links.

Where is Randi?

You know the game “Where is Waldo?”, well here is the TAM equivalent called “Where is Randi?”. OK, its a bit of fun, but a serious point can still be drawn from this.

James Randi has an international reputation as a magician and escape artist, but today he is best known as the world’s most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims. In this role over many years he has had a profound influence on countless lives.

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