Hot Topics, Cool Heads B

Girls — maybe you should just stay at home . . .

Creepy Christian Patriarchy Movement Shackles Daughters to Their Fathers and Homes By Gina McGalliard, Bitch Magazine Posted on November 29, 2010, Printed on November 30, 2010 http://www.alternet.org/story/149022/   “Daughters aren’t to be independent. They’re not to act outside the scope of their father. As long as they’re under the authority of their fathers, fathers have the ability to nullify or not the oaths and the vows. Daughters can’t just go out independently and say, ‘I’m going to marry whoever I want.’ No. The father has the ability to say, ‘No, I’m sorry, that has to be approved by me.’” . There’s a lot of talk in American mainstream media lately about the diminishing role of men -- fathers, in particular. Have feminism and reproductive technology made them obsolete? Are breadwinning wives and career-oriented mothers emasculating them?

Don't Ask???

DADT Study: Pentagon Report Says Gays Could Serve In Military With No Harm

ANNE FLAHERTY | 11/30/10 06:22 AM | 

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon study that argues that gay troops could serve openly without hurting the military's ability to fight is expected to re-ignite debate this month on Capitol Hill over repealing the 17-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Officials familiar with the 10-month study's results have said a clear majority of respondents don't care if gays serve openly, with 70 percent predicting that lifting the ban would have positive, mixed or no results. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings hadn't been released.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, who have both said they support repealing the law, were scheduled to discuss the findings with Congress Tuesday morning and with reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Miracle?

Turn your critical eye to this story. What do you think? 

Controversial Mary Statue Weeps Because We're Killing This World

by Joseph Laylock

Joseph Laycock is a doctoral candidate studying religion and society at Boston University. He is also the author of Vampires Today: The Truth About Modern Vampires.

For three months, the city of Windsor, Ontario was abuzz with the story of a Virgin Mary statue that wept tears of oil. Ensconced in a small shrine built on Fadia Ibrahim’s front lawn, the statue attracted hundreds of pilgrims, though it caused havoc for neighbors, city officials, and church authorities.

Miraculous images of the Virgin Mary, part of a tradition commonly known as “folk piety,” exist independently of any religious authority and the fervor generated is sometimes too much for the church—or anyone—to control. In this most recent case the attention eventually overwhelmed the statue’s owner, such that, on November 5th, in order to protect the privacy of her family, she had the statue relocated to St. Charbel Maronite Catholic Church. In fact, the Virgin told her she would prefer pilgrims visit her in church rather than on Ibrahim’s front lawn.

No Critical Thinking Here . . . In the USA, That Is

16 of the Dumbest Things Americans Believe -- And the Right-Wing Lies Behind Them

By Sarah Seltzer, AlterNet
Posted on November 13, 2010, Printed on November 13, 2010
http://www.alternet.org/story/148826/

Americans are often misinformed, occasionally downright dumb, and easily is led by juicy-sounding rumors. But while the right wing is taking full advantage of this reality, the left worries that calling out lies is "rude."

Remember when Congressman Joe Wilson stood up during Obama’s State of the Union address to falsely shout “you lie?” He was chastised soundly by the pundit class. But mostly he drew heat for being impolite, and was compared to Kanye West and other famous “interrupters.”

Religiocentricism?

We all know about political correctness. Is there such a thing as theological correctness? 

Michael Zimmerman, Ph.D.

Founder, The Clergy Letter Project

Posted: November 10, 2010 02:47 PM

In the Creationist Universe, Religious Dogma Trumps Scientific Inquiry

While the results of the midterm elections provided some evidence on the state of the economy, there's a far clearer indicator of just how bad things are. William Dembski, one of the main proponents of intelligent design, has recanted his scientific views in an attempt to keep his job. As philosopher Michael Ruse has said, explaining but not condoning Dembski's actions, "here he is with a wife and kids to support and the threat of the sack."

The issue is as clear as any could be and demonstrates the kind of litmus test that proponents of religious fundamentalism impose on their adherents -- even on their stars. And make no mistake about it, William Dembski is a first order star in the intelligent design firmament. He is a prolific author who has earned both a Ph.D. in mathematics as well as a Masters of Divinity degree. He is a fellow of the Discovery Institute and a professor of philosophy at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Indeed, you can't read anything about intelligent design without encountering Dembski's arguments in support of this version of creationism.

Critical Thinking about Climate Change

link to original story 

Everybody has a right to his own opinion . . . unless, of course, the opinion endangers the rest of us. The dangers of religiocentricism: it excludes critical thinking. 

Global Warming

TUESDAY, NOV 9, 2010 18:10 ET

And God said to Noah: Don't fret about global warming

A Republican seeking to chair the House Energy committee explains why devastating climate is impossible VIDEO

BY ANDREW LEONARD

Back in March 2009, when Nancy Pelosi ruled the House of Representatives with an iron fist, one could chuckle at Republicans who came to committee hearings quoting scripture as the rationale for their positions on energy policy.

Water Squeeze

http://247wallst.com/2010/10/29/the-ten-great-american-cities-that-are-dying-of-thirst/

The Ten Biggest American Cities That Are Running Out Of Water

Posted: October 29, 2010 at 3:29 pm

Some parts of the United States have begun to run low on water. That is probably not much of a surprise to people who live in the arid parts of America that have had water shortages for decades or even centuries. No one who has been to the Badlands in South Dakota would expect to be able to grow crops there.

The water problem is worse than most people realize, particularly in several lar cities which are occasionally low on water now and almost certainly face shortfalls in a few years. This is particularly true if the change in global weathe patterns substantially alters rainfall amounts in some areas of the US.

24/7 Wall St. looked at an October, 2010 report on water risk by environmental research and sustainability group, Ceres. We also considered a comprehensive July, 2010 report from the National Resources Defense Council which mapped areas at high risk of water shortage conflict. 24/7 Wall St. also did its own analysis of water supply and consumption in America’s largest cities, and focused on the thirty largest metropolitan areas. One goal was to identify potential conflicts in regions which might have disputed rights over large supplies of water and the battle that could arise from these disputes. And, 24/7 Wall St.  examined geographic areas which have already been plagued by drought and water shortages off and on.

Fair and Balanced (1)

 

A Local Fox Station Asks For Your Say . . .

 

 

Anti-Science Tea?

http://www.religiondispatches.org/dispatches/laurilebo/3679/prepare_for_attack_on_science_by_newly-elected_republicans/

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Prepare for Attack on Science by Newly-Elected Republicans

by Lauri Lebo @ Religion Dispatches

.

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.

In addition to the drubbing Democrats took last night, it looks like science and reason got brutalized too. 

Last night’s Republican victories swept in a cadre of anti-science senators - Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Pat Toomey (R-PA).

Most of the anti-science candidates are targeting climate change as their attack issue du jour, and will likely join forces with the new congressional Republican leadership, which has vowed to lead witch hunts in the form of congressional hearings into the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulatory policies. And even more frightening, to use the high-profile events to go after climate scientists.