THE authorities in South Africa have been trying for some time to crack down on unscrupulous ministers and churches who prey on the gullible by providing ‘miracles’ for cash. But according to Pierre De Vos, above, who teaches Constitutional law at the University of Cape Town Law: The harm inflicted by some churches and other religious institutions against women and gays and lesbians is seldom mentioned when the possibility of regulating such institutions is raised. But this could now change,… Read more
March 24, 2019
S African court rules against church’s reversion to homophobia
March 24, 2019 By Barry Duke
0 Comments
March 23, 2019
Faith-based adoption agencies in Michigan suffer a major set-back
March 23, 2019 By Barry Duke
5 Comments
THERE is much discontent among Catholics in Michigan as a result of a successful bid by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to prevent faith-based adoption agencies that benefit from taxpayer funding from turning away same-sex couple or gay individuals. According to this report, a lawsuit filed by the ACLU was settled yesterday (Friday) by Attorney General Dana Nessel, above, who accepted that such agencies will no longer be allowed to discriminate. She conceded that a 2015 law that permitted… Read more
March 23, 2019
Ex-Muslim’s scheduled talk cancelled by Canadian university
March 23, 2019 By Barry Duke
5 Comments
On March 1 we reported that Oxford University’s student newspaper, Cherwell, published an interview with Armin Navabi, above, founder of Atheist Republic – but refused to allow the interview to be reproduced online because it might be regarded as ‘offensive’. This led to the immediate resignation of the paper’s profile editor, Freddy Howard. This week Navabi became embroiled in another controversy over free speech when Mount Royal University in Calgary suddenly cancelled a talk he was scheduled to give on Thursday because… Read more
March 22, 2019
Priest accused of groping ill woman while giving her last rites
March 22, 2019 By Barry Duke
6 Comments
THE Catholic Church is not – I repeat NOT – crammed to the rafters with pervy priests, but some days one cannot help but to think that it has more sexual predators than any other institution on the planet. Today is one. I give you the Rev Gerold Langsch, 75, above, who has been arrested for allegedly groping a seriously ill woman while he was administering her last rites. Langsch, of Austin, Texas, was charged last week with assault by… Read more
March 22, 2019
‘Sign anti-LGBT petition or go to hell’: Birmingham protests escalate
March 22, 2019 By Barry Duke
16 Comments
BIRMINGHAM’S ‘ignorance is bliss’ brigade, made up almost entirely of Muslims, stands accused of threatening parents with hell unless they sign a petition calling for a halt to inclusive sex education lessons at several of the city’s schools. Local councillor Kerry Jenkins said in a tweet this week: I have learnt tonight about ‘intimidating protests’ held today outside Anderton Park School with parents being harassed and told they will go to hell if they do not sign a petition …… Read more
March 21, 2019
Captain Marvel upsets Christian writer because she’s no helpless princess
March 21, 2019 By Barry Duke
25 Comments
RAILING against a new blockbuster – Captain Marvel, played by Brie Larson, above – Greg Morse, a staff writer for the Desiring God website, warns that this ‘feminist’ movie sends out the dangerous message that women can be equal to men. As I consider Disney’s new depiction of femininity in Captain Marvel, I cannot help but mourn. How far we’ve come since the days when we sought to protect and cherish our women. The great drumroll of the previous Avenger movies led… Read more
March 21, 2019
Biblical savagery used to deny asylum to a convert to Christianity
March 21, 2019 By Barry Duke
12 Comments
Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of the National Secular Society, above, has blasted the UK’s Home Office for refusing an asylum’s seeker’s application on theological grounds. The Iranian was reportedly refused asylum when he claimed to have converted to Christianity because he’d discovered it was a “peaceful” faith. In response, the Home Office quoted Bible passages that refuted his claim, made in a 2016 application. A refusal letter the man received from the Home Office made clear that the book of… Read more
March 20, 2019
Catholic diocese violated consumer laws, according to a new lawsuit
March 20, 2019 By Barry Duke
7 Comments
THE Wheeling-Charleston diocese in West Virginia and its former bishop Michael J Bransfield, above, have been hit with a lawsuit that alleges violations of the state’s consumer protection laws. Launched yesterday (Tuesday) by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey the suit accuses the diocese of fraudulently advertising safe environments for children while at the same time choosing ‘to cover up and conceal arguably criminal behavior of child sexual abuse’. Some legal experts said the move by Morrisey is precedent-setting, both… Read more
March 19, 2019
Scientist blasts ‘new atheists’ saying ‘atheism is a belief in non-belief’
March 19, 2019 By Barry Duke
53 Comments
Marcelo Gleiser, above, a US-based physics and astronomy professor, today (Tuesday) became this year’s winner of the $1.5 million Templeton Prize, which recognises outstanding contributions to ‘affirming life’s spiritual dimension’ – and he is quoted as saying: Atheism is inconsistent with the scientific method. Atheism is a belief in non-belief. So you categorically deny something you have no evidence against. Utter tosh! I’ve always understood that atheism means nothing more or less than an absence in the belief in gods,… Read more
March 19, 2019
Angry gays may have sparked trial of ‘scapegoat’ Cardinal Pell
March 19, 2019 By Barry Duke
42 Comments
AN acquaintance of convicted sexual predator George Pell, above, has claimed that not only Pell but the Catholic Church itself – its hierarchy as well as lay Catholics – had been put on trial in Australia, and that the years of ‘hatred’ directed at the cardinal may have been sparked by angry homosexuals. Furthermore, the former altar server at Melbourne’s Roman Catholic cathedral – John Macaulay – alleged that trial was a travesty, and that Pell could not have committed… Read more
get the latest from
The Freethinker
Sign up for our newsletter
POPULAR AT PATHEOS Nonreligious
Browse Our Archives
TRENDING AT PATHEOS Nonreligious
