“They burned the children alive,” – a witness to yesterday’s horrifying Islamist attack on a Nigerian school, killing up to 30 students, because Western education is “sacrilegious”. But to talk of Islamist terrorism is apparently Islamophobic. Yes, this group is extreme, even by Islamist standards. But its motivation is clear: to do God’s will, by … Continue reading Hitch-Bait
One argument that many people of faith cling to these days is that not all religion is inherently violent or intolerant; non-fundamentalist religion can coexist with modernity, because it can acknowledge the role of doubt and conscience in any religious calling. And yet, religion only fitfully takes this form, and seems inherently prone to controlling … Continue reading Hitch-Bait
Self-explanatory:
Graeme Wood's dispatch on Africa's witch trials: By some estimates, about 40 percent of the cases in the Central African court system are witchcraft prosecutions. (Drug offenses in the U.S., by contrast, account for just 12 percent of arrests.) In Mbaiki—where Pygmies, who are known for bewitching each other, make up about a tenth of … Continue reading Hitch-Bait In Africa
The ancient religion of Mexico's drug cartels.
From Failblog.
Ed Yong looks at Jeremy Ginges’s research and the connection between religion and violence: Together, these four studies…contradict the idea that religious belief and devotion in themselves are the driving force behind the suicide bombing mindset. Nor is this mindset exclusive to Islam… Ginges studied a wide variety of religious people from various cultures and … Continue reading Hitchens Bait
Britain comes up with a plan to save its economy: For exactly two minutes on March 6th at 11.00am our consortium of psychics and healers will act as a channel for the positive thoughts of the entire country… With over 80 million people concentrating their mental energies at the same time on the same day, … Continue reading Hitchens Bait
Not even an apology if people perceived it to be anti-gay, the usual formula for an embarrassed pol. Put this together with the gay groups’ insouciance, and you’ve just given Republicans carte blanche to gay-bait opponents at any opportunity. Still not a peep from the far-left National Gay Lesbian Task Force or from GLAAD, the … Continue reading BAUCUS DEFENDS GAY-BAITING AD
A reader writes: I’m a former Muslim who grew up in Saudi Arabia as the daughter of Pakistani expatriates. I left everything to come to the US and created a wonderful life that has involved practicing as an attorney. Several years ago, I worked out my Islamic demons via a blog focusing on my apostasy … Continue reading Slaughtered For Satire, Ctd
The Dish 