Monthly Archives: March 2011

More fun with comments

Posted on March 30, 2011 by

The following brief exchange is from the comments section to my recent post. I’d mentioned that Martin Yanosek – a commenter from Stanley Fish’s original NYT piece – wasn’t being clear. Did he agree with Fish, or did he agree … Continue reading →

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A letter from John Updike

Posted on March 30, 2011 by

I found this among my papers. Have a giggle.

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Fun with comments

Posted on March 29, 2011 by

Stanley Fish has a great Opinionator piece on the Lautsi vs. Italy ruling in the NYT. Read the whole thing; if I were so erudite, it’s what I’d have written in my post. Granted, mine was a sudden burst of … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, Italy, Separation of church and state | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Come out, come out wherever you are!

Posted on March 28, 2011 by

Hemant Mehta has an interesting post on a study suggesting that the greater the presence of atheists – or even the perceived presence – the less prejudice there is in their regard. It’s counterintuitive, which is cool; apparently it goes … Continue reading →

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Roberto De Mattei responds to his critics

Posted on March 27, 2011 by

From today’s Corriere della Sera: The attacks on me are a typical example of the relativistic dictatorship denounced by Benedict XVI. I’ve done nothing other than reaffirm the traditional Catholic doctrine of providence. First of all, I wasn’t speaking as … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, Religious idiocy | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Two rabbis walk into a dialogue

Posted on March 26, 2011 by

I’m delighted to see that two rabbis have entered into a dialogue on religion. One is Jeffrey Falick, the Atheist Rabbi, whose blog is hosting the debate; the other is Frederick Klein, an Orthodox rabbi who took up Falick’s challenge. Lately … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Humanism & Freethought, Jewishness, Religious Faith | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Robert Ingersoll on theocracy

Posted on March 25, 2011 by

Robert Ingersoll was one of the most eloquent voices for reason the English language has ever known. His words ring as true as ever today: The government of God has been tried. It was tried in Palestine several thousand years … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Humanism & Freethought, Separation of church and state | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

It gets worse

Posted on March 24, 2011 by

It gets worse. In 2006 De Mattei said the following in an interview with Zenit, a Catholic news agency. “Italian identity isn’t just generically Catholic, but is defined by the function of the papacy. Italy’s vocation isn’t simply to host … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, Religious idiocy, Separation of church and state | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Creationists say the darndest things

Posted on March 23, 2011 by

Roberto De Mattei is back. He’s a crackpot creationist who also happens to be the Vice President of the National Research Council (CNR). From an American perspective, he might be comparable to Francis Collins. Both are outspoken Christians, though they … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Humanism & Freethought, Religious idiocy | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

The crucifix post-Strasbourg

Posted on March 21, 2011 by

Carla Corsetti, the Secretary of Democrazia Atea –  Italy’s only explicitly atheist political party - has penned a response to the Strasbourg ruling that religious symbols in public schools are not in violation of human rights. Corsetti is a lawyer who … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Humanism & Freethought, Europe, Italy, Separation of church and state | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments