Monthly Archives: October 2012

Pic of the day: David Byrne’s photograph of upturned boats on the coast of Lindisfarne, Northumberland, England

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Image | Posted on 31/10/2012 by

Oh dear, yet another disappointing reversal for Richard Dawkins — can he get anything right?

Posted on 30/10/2012 by

Seems Dawkins not only gets Christianity and religion badly wrong, but evolution too: Far from random, evolution follows a predictable genetic pattern, Princeton researchers find Evolution, often perceived as a series of random changes, might in fact be driven by … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Sciences | Tagged , , ,

Christians are being persecuted throughout the world

Posted on 29/10/2012 by

Christians persecuted throughout the world The deeper truth masked by all the ranting — and, it should be added, by the blinkers of many Western secularists — is that Christians are targeted in greater numbers than any other faith group … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Churches, Politics, World Events, Secularism | Tagged ,

Richard Dawkins’ favourite poster

Posted on 29/10/2012 by

Soviet poster from 1965.

Posted in Atheism, History, Secularism | Tagged , , ,

Pic of the day: Lightning strikes over a pier during a storm in Atlit, near the northern Israeli city of Haifa

Posted on 28/10/2012 by

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Posted in Visual Arts | Tagged , ,

Quote of the day: Peter Hitchens on World War I

Posted on 27/10/2012 by

‘I treasure the fantasy that at Christmas 1914, the truce in the trenches had spread and spread, across time and distance, until the soldiers of both armies, recognising the whole thing was futile and wrong, piled up their weapons, shook … Continue reading →

Posted in Peter Hitchens, Quote of the Day | Tagged , ,

Pic of the day: Jesus wants you to think for yourself (and that’s in the Bible)

Image | Posted on 25/10/2012 by | Tagged ,

Photograph of the day: Dying star

Posted on 24/10/2012 by

Click on the image to enlarge it. A dying star is throwing a cosmic tantrum in this combined image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and the Galaxy Evolution Explorer.  In death, the star’s dusty outer layers are unravelling into space, … Continue reading →

Posted in Sciences, Visual Arts | Tagged ,

Being grumpy can be good for you

Posted on 23/10/2012 by

It’s not all bad news for grumpy people like me: You make fewer mistakes and are better at communicating: Why being a grump can be GOOD for you Optimism is not always as healthy as it might sound.  Rather, being … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular Culture, Society, Sciences | Tagged , , ,

Pic of the day: Syoma the Siberian cat who chases away foxes but is (fairly) friendly to humans

Posted on 22/10/2012 by

Read about Syoma here.

Posted in Visual Arts | Tagged , , , ,

Writers’ quote of the day: crime novelist Martin Edwards on improving a manuscript by revision

Posted on 21/10/2012 by

‘Revision is, for me, a crucial part of the process.  Although, to an extent, I try to improve what I write as I go along, the reality (for me, anyway) is that until I’ve finished the book, it isn’t possible … Continue reading →

Posted in Authors, Quote of the Day, Writing | Tagged , , , , , ,

Josh Horn: One of many Atheist converts to Christianity (and the persecution that inevitably followed)

Posted on 20/10/2012 by

From Atheism to Catechism by Leah LeMoine Averroes Paracha, another former president of the Secular Free Thought Society and a close friend of Horn’s during his atheist days, recalls the group’s collective shock when they heard the news. “There were a … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism | Tagged , , , , , ,

Pic of the day: The world’s smallest dictionary

Posted on 19/10/2012 by

The smallest English dictionary in the world has been discovered by West Country book shop owner Graham York.  Although only 1×3/4 inch the tiny book’s 384 pages contain thousands of words, and even comes with a lens in its case … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Visual Arts | Tagged , , ,

UK human rights watch: Christian in Britain demoted in job for having an unacceptable opinion

Posted on 18/10/2012 by

Christian demoted for posting opposition to gay marriage on Facebook as ‘an equality too far’ takes employer to court A man who was demoted for attacking gay marriages as ‘an equality too far’ in Church has taken his former employers … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular Culture, Society, Secularism | Tagged , , , ,

Pic of the day: My kind of room

Image | Posted on 18/10/2012 by | Tagged , , , ,

‘Genesis Through Ancient Eyes’ by John Walton, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Illinois, U.S.A.

Posted on 18/10/2012 by

Genesis Through Ancient Eyes, Part 1 Genesis Through Ancient Eyes, Part 2 Genesis Through Ancient Eyes, Part 3 Genesis Through Ancient Eyes, Part 4

Posted in Biblical Studies | Tagged , , , ,

My definition of ‘literary novel’

Posted on 17/10/2012 by

Literary novel: a book which 200 (sometimes 2 dozen) people read and end up not liking, and which is forever after worthless on the secondhand market. [Exceptions to this rule constitute approximately 0.00001% of literary novels.]

Posted in Book Reviews, Writing | Tagged , , , , ,

Quote of the day: Donald DeMarco on tolerance

Posted on 16/10/2012 by

‘Tolerance can never advance a situation to its natural point of completion.  An artist should not “tolerate” an incomplete work of art, for example, but complete it.  Tolerance is not progressive.  It is the acceptance of the status quo until a better … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular Culture, Society, Quote of the Day, Theology | Tagged , ,

A long essay worth reading: Michael Ruse on the intolerance, hero-worship, and self-righteousness of New Atheists

Posted on 15/10/2012 by

Curb your enthusiasm: High priests, holy writ and excommunications — how did Humanism end up acting like a religion? The New Atheists believe that science replaces the claims about the world that religion makes — and therefore makes religion redundant. … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Popular Culture, Society, Secularism | Tagged , , , , ,

Quote of the day: Pope Benedict XVI on politics

Posted on 14/10/2012 by

‘Wherever politics tries to be redemptive, it is promising too much.  Where it wishes to do the work of God, it becomes, not divine, but demonic.’ ~ Joseph, Cardinal Ratzinger; now Pope Benedict XVI

Posted in Christian Churches, History, Politics, World Events, Quote of the Day, Secularism, Theology | Tagged

Franklin Graham puts more (politically partisan) words into his aged father Billy’s mouth

Posted on 13/10/2012 by

Did Billy Graham Really Tell Romney He’d ‘Help’? See also: Fundamentalist Franklin Graham: Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated highest levels of government Franklin Graham, son of Billy, loses all credibility as a Christian leader Fundamentalist political hack Franklin Graham is embarrassing his father Billy, says Stephen Prothero … Continue reading →

Posted in Fundamentalism | Tagged , ,

Canada human rights watch: Ottawa Archbishop Terrence Prendergast on Canadian ‘human rights tribunals’

Posted on 13/10/2012 by

‘You are summoned to a tribunal where you cannot have a defense lawyer and you cannot record the proceedings nor have a witness present.  The people judging and prosecuting you have no legal qualifications.  The accusation is ambiguous, having to … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, World Events, Popular Culture, Society, Quote of the Day, Secularism | Tagged , ,

Quote of the day: Pope Benedict XVI says ‘Being tepid is the greatest danger for Christians’

Posted on 12/10/2012 by

‘Being tepid is the greatest danger for Christians.  We pray that faith becomes like a fire in us and that it will set alight others.’ ~ Pope Benedict XVI

Posted in Christian Churches, Quote of the Day, Theology | Tagged

Yet another convert from atheism to Christianity

Posted on 12/10/2012 by

Atheism may satisfy teenagers and people stuck in immature rebelliousness such as Dawkins & Co., but eventually, by the grace of God, many find their way home: Former Atheist and His Conversion

Posted in Atheism | Tagged , , ,

Quote of the day: Peter Hitchens on Stephen Fry

Posted on 11/10/2012 by

‘Stephen Fry . . . has the voice, education and mannerisms of an English gentleman — but the opinions of a Trotskyite lunatic.’ ~ Peter Hitchens

Posted in Atheism, Peter Hitchens, Popular Culture, Society, Quote of the Day | Tagged