Around FtB


I’ve been sluggishly recovering, so let’s see what other people are doing around here, OK?

  • Deacon Duncan examines the Christian persecution complex.

  • Stephanie Zvan reveals that her harasser, Sara Mayhew, traces. Oooh, burn.

  • Avicenna points out that there other ways of doing great harm to people than shooting them.

  • Aron Ra has been engaging in interfaith dialogue.

  • Ashley Miller…WHAT? I don’t even…seriously, people are that racist? Some rocks cover some really ugly slimy stuff, but you’ve got to flip them over anyway.

  • The Atheist Experience explains that miracles aren’t.

  • Brianne Bilyeu is raising money for a pro-choice cause.

  • Sikivu Hutchinson is supporting a pastor — one who is facing a tribunal for being an advocate for the LGBTQ community.

  • Miri, Professional Fun-Ruiner gingerly deals with the fraught situation of having friends with different political views. Are you a bad person if some of your friends are assholes?

  • Ophelia Benson is also mystified by American Atheists’ recent tactics.

  • Richard Carrier dismantles a defense of the historicity of Jesus.

  • The Digital Cuttlefish thinks poorly of an educator who wants to bring in more religion to cover his shortcomings.

  • Dana Hunter talks about how gender stereotypes harm boys, too. Be sure to watch the excellent video at the end!

  • Alex Gabriel grows and shrinks.

  • Greta Christina is bustin’ out all over.

  • Kate Donovan talks about adoption. It’s complicated!

  • Ally Fogg looks at the people behind legislation to regulate sex work. “a bunch of homophobic bigots” is perhaps the kindest phrase used.

  • Tauriq Moosa is quite right that if we’re going to support marriage equality, we have to recognize that even Scientologists can get married as they choose.

  • Jason Thibeault gets an email explaining why we keep fighting for equality.

  • Kaveh Mousavi talks about a minority so tiny I didn’t know anything about them. Do you think they’re tolerated, since they stress tolerance? Hah.

  • Maryam Namazie has been protesting in Paris

  • Nirmukta talks about the movement to equate Indian nationalism with Hinduism. From my perspective as a citizen of a country that considers patriotism and Christianity synonymous, I can concur — it’s always a bad idea.

  • Comrade Physioproffe is having dinner. I’ve seen the guy, he’s not fat at all, and I don’t know how he does it.

  • Mano Singham highlights the peculiarity of all these “first” women in various positions. Isn’t announcing a “first” woman mean you’ve been a sexist douche for many years?

  • Taslima Nasrin thinks Women’s Day ought to be superfluous.

  • Yemisi Ilesanmi celebrates International Women’s Day.

  • Stephen ‘Darksyde’ Andrew has been reading anti-vaccination crankery.

  • Heather McNamara addresses the “don’t tell Grandpa” trope that LGBTQ people often encounter.

Comments

  1. says

    Are you a bad person if some of your friends are assholes?

    That’s not at all what I discuss in that post; it’s about whether or not anyone has an obligation to be friends with people they disagree with politically. But anyway, go read it! :P

  2. says


    Kent Hovind to PZ Myers

    https://www.facebook.com/geena.ambrosia/posts/10153923465905383

    From: Kent Hovind
    Via: “Gea Ambrosia”
    Date: Monday, March 10, 2014
    Time Posted: About 1:00 AM MT

    (excerpts)

    Open Letter to self proclaimed “atheist” PZ Myers of U of Minnesota – Morris,

    Dear PZ,

    1. Someone sent me the post you have about me concerning my new lawsuit against “Rational” Wiki Foundation.

    2. In your post you made several errors and false accusations so I thought I’d set the record straight. I am NOT looking for a fight but you wrote first and started this.

    3. If you are going to write things about me please add me to your mailing list so I can refute things that are in error (or just dumb).

    TO ALL- In the likely case he does not add me – would one of you reading this blog send me anything he says or writes about me please?

    PZ qualifies for the Titus 1:11 prize!

    5. The lawsuit against “Rational”* Wiki is NOT “planned.” The filing fee was paid last week and two of the authors have been located.

    *It is NOT “rational” to believe you came from a rock 4.6 billion years ago! It’s STUPID!

    6. I don’t “plan” to sue anyone now or when I get out unless they break the law. I didn’t start ANY of these fights including the one that put me here. Anyone who obeys the law will have no trouble from me. Accusing someone of a crime (like “Rational” Wiki did) IS a crime of libel unless they can prove their accusations. The courts will handle that now. If you accuse me of a crime that you cannot prove (libel) I will use the law (I Tim. 1:8) to correct the record and protect myself.

    7. I am NOT in prison for “tax fraud.” I did NOT break any laws but the government probably did. Please show me from the 3 charges in my case where I was charged with “fraud” as you allege or apologize for lying about me.

    8. I do not lie to children or anyone else as you falsely allege but you do. In your classes at the U of Minnesota you use “evidences” for evolution that have long been proven to be lies. See my DVD #4 “Lies in the Textbooks” for a few examples. Also please show me ONE specific case where you can prove I lied to children.

    11. CHALLENGE- PZ, When I get out and can travel I will come to your university at my expense and debate you on the evolution topic.

    12. I will also pay only you $150/hr up to a max of 3 hrs actual debate time.

    13. I will also pay all expenses to have the debate professionally video taped and give you a master copy.

    15. You cannot fire me, fail me, intimidate me or bamboozle me.

    16. If you DO NOT contact her within a reasonable time of say-30 days (April 9) – to tell her you are willing to debate (once a time can be worked out) I will presume (as will any REAL “rational” people) that you are a coward and do not intend to take me up on my offer.

    Kent Hovind
    3-9-14

    ——————————–

  3. Wylann says

    Miri’s post is rather ironic, considering how quick she is to ban people simply for disagreeing with her.

    #2: Hovind claims PZ is WRONG!! Then proceeds to prove him right. Well dome, as usual.

  4. joeschoeler says

    3. If you are going to write things about me please add me to your mailing list so I can refute things that are in error (or just dumb).

    TO ALL- In the likely case he does not add me – would one of you reading this blog send me anything he says or writes about me please?

    In other words, Kent Hovind doesn’t know how to use RSS or Google alerts, and wants you do to his work for him.

  5. says

    Miri’s post is rather ironic, considering how quick she is to ban people simply for disagreeing with her.

    LOLOLOL

    I have never banned anyone for “simply disagreeing.” I HAVE banned people for disagreeing and also being obnoxious, rude, threatening, or just totally useless.

    And that’s not ironic at all. My whole point in that post is that I don’t fucking have to associate with people who treat me like crap and make me feel bad. I don’t have to do that IRL and I sure as hell don’t have to do it on my blog.

  6. says

    That’s a common defense, and I get it all the time: “you can’t possibly be banning me for acting like an asshole, so you must simply be silencing your critics!” I’ve also never banned anyone for disagreeing with me (witness all these commenters who chew me out every day), but there are a lot of unpleasant characters who get the banhammer for their behavior.

  7. says

    Wylann:

    Miri’s post is rather ironic, considering how quick she is to ban people simply for disagreeing with her.

    Y’know, over my years in the blogosphere, I’ve generally found that people who think this ^ sort of thing are pretty much always unwilling to look at the obnoxious, useless, pointless flaming doucheweaselry of those who end up banned. It’s never for simply disagreeing.

    Some people don’t wish to be surrounded by assholes, whether ak or afk, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

  8. says

    @ joeschoeler

    Kent is not supposed to have Internet access.

    He does what he does via his CorrLinks email account which allows him 30 contacts which must be approved before he can communicate via email.

    Kent had me on his list of contacts for awhile as we attempted to discuss his criminal and tax matters. He decided to cut and run and removed me from his list of approved contacts.

    Kent also makes regular phone calls, limited to 15 minutes, and “Evangelist Gea”, referenced in my earlier posting here, has been recording those and making YouTube presentations of what Kent has to say about things.

  9. says

    Miri’s post is rather ironic, considering how quick she is to ban people simply for disagreeing with her.

    Were I inclined to fault Miri’s curating of her blog comments in any way, if anything, I would say that she wields the banhammer too seldom and with too much delay. Not that I have any such inclination, it’s her space to manage as she sees fit. Regardless, she has a track record of allowing even known Slymepit trolls to comment far longer than other bloggers would. Try again.

  10. Wylann says

    Considering how long I’ve been around FtB and posting on several other blogs, I’d say hers is the anomoly, and the quickness with which it happened, go do a search and see for yourselves. Hey, it’s Miri’s blog, and she can run it how she feels.

  11. Nick Gotts says

    Hey, it’s Miri’s blog, and she can run it how she feels.

    So why are you whining about it?

  12. Wylann says

    Nick, since when is pointing out perceived hypocrisy whining? I found that post by her rather amusing, and commented on it. Oh noes….

  13. inquisitiveraven says

    PZ: I just wanted to give you a heads up that the Stephanie Zvan link goes to the front page of her blog, in contrast to all the other links which go to the specific article mentioned.