Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Do physicists believe in God?
From Derren Brown Blog:
Nottingham isn’t just a great town – it’s university is excellent and has a rather fantastic site about the symbols of physics and astronomy called Sixty Symbols. In this episode they ask questions about God and astronomical features, but they have a huge array of others covering short videos showing polarisation to explanations about Schrodinger’s cat (from a scientist with a truly awe inspiring haircut).
Be sure to check out more of the videos on you tube and their excellent little website here. Highly recommended.
BBC Panorama - The Secrets of Scientology
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Aired September 28, 2010 on BBC One
Reporter John Sweeney's last investigation into the Church of Scientology resulted in an explosive confrontation with church officials. This time, in a Panorama Special, one of those officials has turned whistleblower to help him reveal the dark secrets of the church, which boasts Hollywood A-listers Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its devotees.(Thanks to TreVelocita)
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Atheists Excel in Religious Knowledge
September 28, 2010 on CNN
From New York Times:
Americans are by all measures a deeply religious people, but they are also deeply ignorant about religion.
How much do you know about religion? Try answering a sampling of questions asked in a phone survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
Researchers from the independent Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life phoned more than 3,400 Americans and asked them 32 questions about the Bible, Christianity and other world religions, famous religious figures and the constitutional principles governing religion in public life.
On average, people who took the survey answered half the questions incorrectly, and many flubbed even questions about their own faith.
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Derren Brown - Intelligent Design
Psychological illusionist Derren Brown talks to the OU's Nigel Warburton about how personal experiences can be misleading and how people attribute design to objects in the natural world(via RichardDawkins.net)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Christine O'Donnell: Evolution is a Myth
September 24, 2010 on Real Time with Bill Maher
O'DONNELL: You know what, evolution is a myth. And even Darwin himself -(Thanks Eric)
MAHER: Evolution is a myth? Have you ever looked at a monkey?
O'DONNELL: Well then, why they -- why aren't monkeys still evolving into humans
Friday, September 24, 2010
Sex Abuse Victim Reads Letter That Kept His Abusive Priest in Church
September 24, 2010 on CNN - Screenshot of the Letter
Sex Abuse Victim Suing Pope
September 23, 2010 on CNN:
CNN Editor’s note: A one-hour CNN special, “What the Pope Knew,” will air Sept. 25 and Sept. 26, 8pm and 11pm ET. This story is drawn from that exclusive report.(via RichardDawkins.net)
MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – Terry Kohut has kept a dark secret for nearly 50 years. Now he is breaking his silence, becoming a key figure in the sex-abuse crisis in the Catholic Church and the growing controversy over what Pope Benedict XVI did about it.
When Kohut was barely a teen, and for years afterward, he says, he was sexually molested and assaulted by the headmaster and priest of the school where he lived, St. John’s School for the Deaf, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. What occurred there is one of the most notorious cases of sex abuse in the Catholic Church.
Kohut was not alone. From 1950 to 1974 the headmaster of St. Johns, Father Lawrence C. Murphy, raped and molested as many as 200 deaf boys, according to court and church documents.
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Bishop Eddie Long Cancels Media Appearances After Third Lawsuit
September 23, 2010 on CNN:
A third lawsuit has been filed against Atlanta-based megachurch pastor Eddie Long, alleging coercion, deception and manipulation that involved a sexual relationship with a young male, CNN has learned.
Through a spokesman earlier on Tuesday, Long denied similar allegations in two other lawsuits filed over the past two days.
"We categorically deny the allegations," he said. "It is very unfortunate that someone has taken this course of action. Our law firm will be able to respond once attorneys have had an opportunity to review the lawsuit."
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Vatican - The Hidden World - BBC HD
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Aired September 15, 2010 on BBC HD
To mark the Papal visit to the UK, a camera crew have spent a year filming a world that few have ever seen. With unprecedented access to the Vatican and the people who live and work there, this is a unique profile of the heart of the Catholic Church and the world's smallest Sovereign State.
Archivists reveal the Vatican's secrets, including the signed testimony of Galileo recorded by the Inquisition. A Cardinal journeys deep below St Peter's Basilica to inspect the site claimed to be tomb of the Saint himself, and curators share a private viewing of Michelangelo's extraordinary decoration of the Sistine Chapel.
An intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the workings of one of the world's most powerful and mysterious institutions.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Sex Abuse Charges for Baptist Megachurch Pastor Eddie Long
September 22, 2010 on CNN:
Two Georgia men have filed a lawsuit claiming that prominent Atlanta, Georgia, pastor Eddie Long coerced them into sex.See also: Accused pastor crusaded against homosexuals
The suits, filed Tuesday in DeKalb County, Georgia, allege that Long used his position as a spiritual authority and bishop to coerce young male members and employees of his New Birth Missionary Baptist Church into sex.
A spokesman for Long told CNN on Wednesday that the allegations are "a case of retaliation and a shakedown for money by men with some serious credibility issues."
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Tuesday, September 21, 2010
The End of God? - A Horizon Guide to Science and Religion
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Aired September 21, 2010 on BBC Four
As the Pope ends his visit to Britain, historian Dr Thomas Dixon delves into the BBC's archive to explore the troubled relationship between religion and science. From the creationists of America to the physicists of the Large Hadron Collider, he traces the expansion of scientific knowledge and asks whether there is still room for God in the modern world.(Thanks to TreVelocita)
The relationship between science and religion has been long and troubled: from the condemnation of Galileo by the Catholic Church in 17th century Italy, through the clashes between creationism and evolution in 20th century America, right up to recent claims that the universe does not need God.
Delving through the rich archive of programmes from Horizon and BBC Science, Thomas Dixon looks at what lies behind this difficult relationship. Using original footage from 1925, he tells the story of John Scopes, a Tennessee teacher who was tried for teaching evolution. He sees the connections between religion and American politics in the story of a more recent court case -- the trial of Intelligent Design. He looks at what happens when new scientific discoveries start to explain events that were once seen as the workings of God, and explains how some of our most famous scientists have seen God in the grandest laws of the universe. Finally, he finds intriguing evidence from brain science which hints that belief in God is here to stay.
Vatican Bank Under Investigation For Money Laundering
September 21, 2010 on ITN News
From Reuters:
The Vatican bank’s top two officials are under investigation for suspected money laundering and police have frozen 23 million euros ($30.21 million) of its funds, Italian judicial sources said on Tuesday.
They said President Ettore Gotti Tedeschi and director-general Paolo Cipriani were being investigated by Rome magistrates Nello Rossi and Stefano Fava in a case involving alleged violations of European Union money-laundering rules.
The Vatican confirmed the Rome magistrates’ action in a statement that expressed "perplexity and amazement" at the move and “utmost faith” in the two men who head the bank, officially known as Institute for Religious Works (IOR). It said the bank had committed no wrongdoing because it was transferring its own money between its own accounts.
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SBS Insight - Burqa Ban Debate
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September 21, 2010 on SBS Insight (Australia) - Transcript
(Thanks D.S.)The French Senate has voted to ban the burqa in public places. Similar laws are being considered in Belgium, Spain and Italy.
President Sarkozy said in Parliament "We cannot accept that in our country some women will be imprisoned behind a fence cut off from all social life, deprived of identity. This is not a principle that the French republic has about women's dignity."
In Australia, a recent decision by a judge to have a witness remove her face veil has sparked controversy and recent polls show that the majority of Australians support a ban.
Christopher Hitchens Skipping Prayer Day in His Honor
September 20, 2010 on AP:
Stricken with cancer and fragile from chemotherapy, author and outspoken atheist Christopher Hitchens sits in an armchair before an audience and waits for the only question that can come first at such a time.(via Daily Hitchens)
"How's your health?" asks Larry Taunton, a friend who heads an Alabama-based group dedicated to defending Christianity.
"Well, I'm dying, since you asked, but so are you. I'm only doing it more rapidly," replies Hitchens, his grin faint and his voice weak and raspy. Only wisps of his dark hair remain; clothes hang on his frame.
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Indonesia Police Block Church Service
September 19, 2010 on Al-Jazeera English
Dozens of Christians have defied police and threats of attack from Muslim groups to hold prayers inside their boarded-up church near the Indonesian capital.
The group held their Sunday service surrounded by hundreds of police and security guards, saying they had as much right as any Indonesian to worship in the Muslim-majority country.
Local officials had put the ban in place after two church leaders were attacked and seriously wounded by suspected Muslim hardliners last week.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Benedict - Trials of a Pope - Mark Dowd - BBC
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Aired September 15, 2010 on BBC Two
Award-winning film-maker Mark Dowd looks at the life of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI. The journey takes Mark from Bavaria to the heart of the Vatican itself.
Christopher Hitchens vs. David Berlinski - Does Atheism Poison Everything?
Watch on Book TV
September 7, 2010 by Fixed Point Foundation
A debate on atheism with Christopher Hitchens, author of "God Is Not Great(Thanks mlon)," and David Berlinski, author of "The Devil's Delusion
." This event was hosted by the Fixed Point Foundation in Birmingham, Alabama.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Inside Story - The Pope's Mission
September 17, 2010 on Al-Jazeera English
Can Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the UK help create a more credible church in an increasingly secular society like the UK? And what is the need for this visit, costing British tax payers $18mn?(via RichardDawkins.net)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Publicly Funded Christian Aid Group Fires Non-Christians
September 14, 2010 on Fox News
Critics point out World Vision receives $300-million dollars a year from the federal government, so, in essence, taxpayers are supporting discrimination.(Thanks Steve)
"If World Vision wants to discriminate in hiring and firing based on religion, then it should not be receiving federal dollars. 25-percent of its income is from the federal government, from the public,” said Annie Laurie Gaylor with the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
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Pope Arrives in Britain Warning of 'Aggressive Secularism' - Links Nazi Tyranny to Atheism
From Pope's Holyroodhouse Speech Transcript:
Even in our own lifetime, we can recall how Britain and her leaders stood against a Nazi tyranny that wished to eradicate God from society and denied our common humanity to many, especially the Jews, who were thought unfit to live. I also recall the regime’s attitude to Christian pastors and religious who spoke the truth in love, opposed the Nazis and paid for that opposition with their lives. As we reflect on the sobering lessons of the atheist extremism of the twentieth century, let us never forget how the exclusion of God, religion and virtue from public life leads ultimately to a truncated vision of man and of society and thus to a “reductive vision of the person and his destiny”See also: Richard Dawkins' Response
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Stephen Fry: Pope Should Not Have a 'State' Visit
From BBC News:
More than 50 public figures have added their names to a letter in the Guardian newspaper saying the Pope should not be given the "honour" of a UK state visit.(Thanks to TreVelocita)
Authors Terry Pratchett and Philip Pullman and actor Stephen Fry are among those critical of the Vatican record on birth control, gay rights and abortion.
...
Other signatories to the letter in the Guardian include: Professor Richard Dawkins, Ken Follett, AC Grayling, Stewart Lee, Claire Rayner, Lord Foulkes, Lord Hughes, Professor Steve Jones, Sir Jonathan Miller, Lord Taverne, Peter Tatchell and Baroness Turner.
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Magic or Medicine - Homeopathy and the NHS - BBC
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Aired September 13, 2010 on BBC One
Samantha Poling investigates how homeopathy has penetrated the heart of the NHS and asks whether prescribing homeopathic preparations for serious conditions could be dangerous for patients.
The investigation looks at the history and preparation of homeopathic remedies and the extent of their use in Scotland and England. Advocates of homeopathy, including patients and a former GP who overcame her scepticism and became an enthusiastic practitioner, report stories of dramatic recovery in some cases.
Glasgow still has a fully fledged homeopathic hospital while in English towns and cities, with the exception of London, such hospitals have been downgraded or closed. Powerful voices, including the British Medical Association, question the level of funding within the NHS for homeopathy and call for more evidence based research to back up the claims of homeopathic practitioners.
BBC Panorama - What the Pope Knew
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Aired September 13, 2010 on BBC One
On the eve of the first Papal visit to Britain in 28 years, Fergal Keane investigates the Pope's personal track record of dealing with paedophile priests while an archbishop and top Vatican official. As the child sex abuse scandal continues to engulf the Catholic Church worldwide, he meets victims who want an apology for the Pope's personal handling of some notorious cases.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Violent Quran Burning Protests Leave 11 Injured in Afghanistan
Seprember 11, 2010 on RT
At least 11 people were injured in Afghanistan as thousands protested plans by a tiny Florida church to burn the Muslim holy book. 4 protesters and 5 police were injured in clashes after several hundred demonstrators ran toward a NATO compound in the northern province of Badakhshan. In western Farah province, police said two people were injured in another protest. The Reverend Terry Jones from the Dove Outreach Center in Florida triggered outrage when he promised to burn the Quran on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. He later said the plans had been put on hold.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
The Case for God?
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Aired September 6, 2010 on BBC One
To mark Rosh Hashanah, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks interviews four distinguished and engaging atheists in The Case For God?.
By having his own faith challenged by some of today's finest atheist minds, Lord Sacks attempts to get closer to what faith means. He interviews writer Howard Jacobson, who feels that religion is too bogged down by rules and regulations, while philosopher Alain de Botton does not believe any one religion can be the true faith". Scientist Colin Blakemore insists that science makes religion redundant, and professor Lisa Jardine maintains that human suffering undermines faith in God.
Will the Chief Rabbi find areas of common ground with these atheists and their issues with faith, and will it make him rethink his own beliefs?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
After Rome - Holy War and Conquest
Monday, September 6, 2010
The BBC Interviews Two Stoning Apologists, Silences Maryam Namazie
September 5, 2010 on BBC Sunday Live
From Butterflies & Wheels:
The BBC has outdone itself this time. BBC1′s Sunday Live did a programme on whether it is right to condemn the Iranian regime for the stoning of Ashtiani. Maryam Namazie was supposed to take part (and it is not difficult to guess what she would have said, and how firmly she would have said it), but somehow the programme never got around to her. It did get around to two people who said the other thing, but it did not get around to Maryam. Yes that’s right. It found the time to talk to two apologists for the fascist reactionary mullahs’ regime in Iran but it could not find the time to talk to a secular feminist who thinks women shouldn’t be buried up to their necks and stoned to death for anything and especially not for “adultery.”(From RichardDawkins.net)
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Saturday, September 4, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
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