The Pope

Indigenous leaders in Brazil are angry at Pope Benedict's comments on their predecessors' conversion to Christianity.

BBC News Player

The delusion confusion

Richard Dawkins insists we rid ourselves of superstitious notions to fulfil our human potential - but he fails to make an important distinction.

Interesting comment by Pete Tobias

War on Science

The theory of evolution is under attack from a controversial new idea called intelligent design. But is it science?

War on Science

(50 min. video)

Science, Religion - and Global Warming

In the wake of the most significant scientific report to date on the potentially dire consequences of global warming, a ray of hope has emerged. Ironically, it emanates from the convergence of forces that have often been at odds. One force, the world of science, has long been on the forefront of the issue of climate change. Another equally powerful force, religion, has often remained on the sidelines -- until recently.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a body of more than 2,000 of the world's top scientists from more than 100 nations, stated in a Feb. 2 report that global warming is "unequivocal," that it is rapidly changing the nature of our planet and its ecosystems, and that it is "very likely" being caused by human activities such as the burning of fossil fuels.

In the course of the last decade, a significant movement within the faith community has been mobilizing around the call to care for God's creation, the web of life that sustains us all. This calling is the essence of religious life, and people of faith are beginning to hear it, even as scientists sound the alarm that we may be nearing a climactic tipping point.

We view science and religion as powerful potential partners. The hope is that the clarity of the science will inspire a concerted effort by the leaders in both communities and thus avoid the most catastrophic consequences of the climate crisis.

more: San Francisco Cronicle

Magic?

Psychologists and anthropologists have typically turned to faith healers, tribal cultures or New Age spiritualists to study the underpinnings of belief in superstition or magical powers. Yet they could just as well have examined their own neighbors, lab assistants or even some fellow scientists. New research demonstrates that habits of so-called magical thinking — the belief, for instance, that wishing harm on a loathed colleague or relative might make him sick — are far more common than people acknowledge.

These habits have little to do with religious faith, which is much more complex because it involves large questions of morality, community and history. But magical thinking underlies a vast, often unseen universe of small rituals that accompany people through every waking hour of a day.

more: The New York Times

The Nature of Science

In the debate between religion and science a common argument is that the theory of evolution, or the Big Bang theory, or some other scientific theory is "just a theory". "It hasn't been proved!", they argue. "That means my theory is just as valid."

more: Newsvine

Muslims

Ask any foreign-policy expert how the West will know it is winning the war on terror, and the likely response will be, “When the Islamic world rejects radicalism.” But just who are Muslim radicals, and what fuels their fury? Every politician has a theory: Radicals are religious fundamentalists. They are poor. They are full of hopelessness and hate. But those theories are wrong.

more: Foreign Policy

Meaning and Miracle

Today I heard about a Danish girl, who was out collecting money for poor children in Africa. She did that, in spite of the fact, that it was her 14-years birthday today.

more: Essays & Articles

Where do I come from?

We have all been asking ourselves important questions like: "What is the meaning of life?" and "Where do I come from?"

Some people don't believe that the scientific Theory of Evolution is correct - they prefer to believe that God created man directly (from clay or some other sticky stuff).

Some religious people believe in the Creation as described in the Holy Bible ("Creationism").

Other religious people tend to believe in so-called "Intelligent Design" (ID) - which is essentially a modern version of Creationism.

The Pope in Rome believes that God created the Big Bang - which then evolved in accordance with the laws of nature. This is not to be confused with ID, but should rather be called "Theism".

Personally, I have always believed, that the Theory of Evolution is correct, no matter what else I believe in (I am a Christian).

Up till now, that is!

After finding some bad news about my own ancestors on internet, I am no longer so sure about "Evolution".

I think I hate Darwin!

MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism

After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.

We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all.

The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.

more: Essays & Articles

Muhammad Drawings

Statement by the Danish Foreign Minister
Per Stig Møller:

Website about the Drawings

Kofi Annan quote

"... No religion or ethical system should ever be condemned because of the moral lapses of some of its adherents. If I, as a Christian, for instance, would not wish my faith to be judged by the actions of the Crusaders or the Inquisition, I should be very careful to judge anyone else's faith by the actions that a few terrorists may commit in its name."

Kofi Annan

Danes and the Qur'an

So, do the Danes burn the Qur'an in the streets?

No, they absolutely do not - they are doing the exact opposite!

I just heard in the Danish "radioavisen" (radio news) that you cannot buy the Qur'an at the Danish book stores - because they are all sold out. Because people want to read it, that is. The publishing houses have to print more of them in a hurry.

I suppose you cannot find it in our free and public libraries too, for the same reason. I myself read some books about Islam when I was young - many years ago.

Maybe it is time for me to refresh my memory?

Daniel Fried

The riots in connection with the Danish Muhammed Drawings might be a US provocation, with the intent of making the europeans accept a US attack on Iran.

According to "DR Nyheder" a certain Daniel Fried from the US government (State Department?) has just visited Denmark, in order to explain to us Danes, that it is no longer a question of Denmark and the drawings, but about "democracy" versus dictatorship in the islamic world. He specifically mentioned Syria and Iran as clear examples.

As you might know the Bush regime want a regime change in Syria and Iran!

Denmark is one of the very few countries who still have soldiers in Irak, so if this is really true, many Danes would probably like the US president and some other people in the US administration get slowly FRIED

Hamlet

Personally I think "freedom of speech" doesn't mean, that you are not allowed to use your brains, before you say something. If you use humour or satire, it is a good idea to focus a little. On this blog I make fun of many things, but mostly politicians that I don't agree with. There would hardly be any freedom of speech if you are not allowed to ridicule the authorities.

But it is not fair to insult nearly all muslims in the world the way the Danish paper Jyllands Komposten did.


Buy Danish!

Two beers or not two beers...

Muhammad Drawings

For those who might be interested, here is a link to a file from "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark":

Drawings in a Danish newspaper: Questions and Answers

there is a link to an Arabic version too (pdf).

Something rotten...

Yes, something IS rotten in Denmark. But the impression, that ALL danes are racist is very far from the truth. Believe me.

Links:

When words are not enough

Hamlet

The Poisoning of the Well

Of Paradoxes and Manna from Heaven

By Manuel Valenzuela

01/19/06 "ICH" -- The rise of Christian fundamentalism in the United States is a profound paradox, a reality that in the natural evolution of human endeavor should not exist, an anathema to the inevitable progression of humanity and civilization, a manifestation that is at odds with what we would expect to exist in the wealthiest, most open and some would say the most learned nation the world has ever seen. Yet, not only does this variant of extremist religion exist in the land of plenty, it thrives, becoming a growing threat to the continued vitality of the nation.

Indeed, a movement already clandestinely growing and attracting more souls before 9/11 was given a gift from the heavens, quite literally, on that fateful day, creating images and emotions that transformed the way millions of Americans saw the world. Suddenly, and unexpectedly, terror fell from the sky like the vengeance-filled thunderbolts of Zeus, spawning a fear and insecurity never before seen inside a nation that had never been attacked on its continental soil. The world was transformed, along with the psyches of millions of people whose beliefs ratified in their minds that the destruction of the World Trade Center was a religious manifestation conjured up by God himself. Paranoid, afraid, uncertain and insecure, thinking themselves living in a troubled world on the verge of its last throes, millions traumatized by the events of 9/11 turned to fundamentalist religion for the salvation reserved for the end of days, answers to most troubling questions and the false comfort that religion offers in times of cataclysm and need.

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more: Essays & Articles

The Origin of Intelligent Design

Why do the idea of "Intelligent Design" come from America?

You can read the full and complete answer to this question here: Essays & Articles

...well, eh, nearly full and complete.

Science Victory in Pennsylvania

One of the many important issues on ballots around the nation yesterday, was the election of school board members in Dover, Pennsylvania.

read more here: Cosmic Variance