Yesterday on Today FM’s The Last Word with Matt Cooper, I and Ali Selim discussed the recent controversy in an Irish school where a pupil brought in a copy of the Charlie Hebdo magazine for discussion in a class about France. We also discussed the depiction of Mohammad and Jesus in Islam. At the end, […]
Yesterday on Radio Kerry I discussed how the Irish State discriminates against atheists, both at national level and in County Kerry where the County Council has erected a Christian crucifix in its Council Chamber.
Atheist Ireland met yesterday with officials from the Department of Justice to discuss the Irish blasphemy law. Our delegation included Chairperson Michael Nugent, Human Rights Officer Jane Donnelly, blasphemy campaign coordinator John Hamill, and independent blasphemy expert Professor David Nash of Oxford Brookes University. Following this meeting, we are more optimistic about the eventual removal […]
I took part in two radio debates today on BBC Radio Ulster, responding to Stephen Fry’s description of the Christian God as evil on the RTE Programme The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne. The first was a short five-minute exchange with Presbyterian Minister Rev David McIlveen on Good Morning Ulster. The second was a […]
After considerable work behind the scenes in recent weeks, a new International Coalition Against Blasphemy Laws is launched today. Our website is at http://end-blasphemy-laws.org. It includes the most comprehensive available country data and profiles adapted from the most recent IHEU Freedom of Thought Report. You can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook. The […]
This week PZ Myers seemed to finally be acting responsibly, announcing that FreeThought Blogs was setting up a new complaints department, with a dedicated customer service email address. He then revealed that this post was a joke, intended to mock the idea that FreeThought Blogs would do such a thing. He added that there is […]
Should we welcome the end of organised religion? I debated this at Trinity College Dublin Metaphysical and Theological Societies on Monday. The full debate will be online later.
In 2006 Ed Brayton, who is now manager at FreeThought Blogs, complained about the same pattern of behaviour by PZ Myers as PZ has been using to smear me and others eight years later. Thanks to Jan Steen for bringing this to my attention. Ed said then that PZ had lied about him several times, […]
I have today sent this third email to FreeThoughtBlogs. To Ed Brayton, Manager, Freethought Blogs Network Dear Ed, This my third email to you asking about the procedures for bringing details of a complaint about the behaviour of one of your bloggers to the attention of your Executive Committee. My previous emails were three weeks […]
Today I discovered a relatively obscure false memory that persists even though I know it never happened.