Monthly Archives: July 2011

All are not equal before the law

Posted on July 28, 2011 by

The Italian Chamber of Deputies decided it didn’t want to dignify homosexuality by approving a law that would make hate crimes against gays punishable. On. Fabrizio Cicchitto of the PDL explains: We’re not homophobic. Our position is basically this: we … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Italy | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

How do you say “facepalm” in Hebrew?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

Yaakov Swisa, founder of FaceGlat – an ultra-orthodox Jewish version of Facebook – has this to say: “People who are God-fearing and care about their children’s education – cannot tolerate the ads and pictures one sees on the regular Facebook. … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel and the Middle East, Judaism, Religious idiocy | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Kill the men, rape the women

Posted on July 24, 2011 by

It doesn’t look too good for Rabbi Shapira’s plan to beat the swords of modern combat into the ploughshares of Yahweh-inspired warfare. Yesterday I wrote about his proposal for Torah-based practical combat; today I want to follow it up with … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel and the Middle East, Judaism, Religious idiocy | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Torah-based practical combat

Posted on July 23, 2011 by

Sound like a guide to warfare based on the laws promulgated in the Torah? Well, that’s what it is. Rabbi Shapira explains: “I think that people who read the plan will realize that what the Torah says is much more … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel and the Middle East, Judaism, Religious idiocy | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Postcard from Ectoville

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

In June we made our first trip to the United States with our baby daughter. After a trying week at the beach, we settled into a rented cottage immersed in the lush green of Hanover County, Virginia. Cows grazed next … Continue reading →

Posted in America, Man About Rome, Skepticism | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cruel and unusual: Deuteronomy 13

Posted on July 18, 2011 by

Sometimes it’s good to go back to the Bible itself in order to refresh your memory of just what it says. You can read the whole thing – more than once, even – and still not recall passages like this … Continue reading →

Posted in Religious Faith | Tagged | 2 Comments

Spousal advice

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

My wife ripped this off and handed it to me. “You’ll appreciate it,” she said. I think she meant I might learn something from it.

Posted in Humor | Tagged , | 5 Comments

The Italian Parliament is not secular

Posted on July 16, 2011 by

Italy’s Northern League wants a crucifix in Montecitorio, the Italian Parliament. They’re taking the Lautsi vs. Italy decision as carte blanche to impose their religious views in every angle of Italian life. The problem is, according to Cronache Laiche, they’re right: … Continue reading →

Posted in Italy, Religious idiocy | Tagged , | 2 Comments

A poison apple

Posted on July 15, 2011 by

Today my wife is attending a funeral for a young man – twenty five! – who recently died of a brain tumor. He was diagnosed only a month before. My aunt died of cancer a few years ago, after a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Humanism & Freethought, Religious idiocy | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Israelis are not Nazis. Duh.

Posted on July 13, 2011 by

I try to be very patient with people I disagree with. This hasn’t always been the case, but I’ve learned that there is much to be learned from trying to engage people who see things differently – sometimes very differently … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel and the Middle East | Tagged , | Leave a comment