Sunday, November 16, 2008

Lotta Links

These are a few of the stories that got us talking this week:

1. Antonin Scalia sounded like a complete ass on Monday as the Supreme Court heard arguments on a federal gun ban that bars those convicted of domestic violence from owning guns.

2. What should Obama do about sex ed?

3. A Texas pastor attempts to 'take back sex for married couples' by challenging the legally wed members of his congregation "...to have sex for seven straight days." I think this means he want them to have sex once a day, not keep it going 24/7 - still, its going to be an awkward week for a lot of the church's kids with parents who decide to give it a shot. "I heard zoo noises." Me, I'm all for it - if these people have their own business to manage, maybe they'll be less inclined to meddle in other people's affairs.

4. The American Humanist Association will be putting out bunches of pro-atheist ads this holiday season. What do you think- is this a good idea, or akin to throwing rocks at a hornet's nest?

5. Debate about fake dongs leads to a big question: Who decides whose sexuality should be treated as a medical issue?

6. This irked me: "The nation's Roman Catholic bishops vowed Tuesday to forcefully confront the Obama administration over its support for abortion rights, saying the church and religious freedom could be under attack in the new presidential administration." No outcry about the Bush administration's policies on torture and rendition or the wars, but the admission that keeping abortion a safe and legal choice might reduce the number of abortions and does save lives - that's a threat to religious freedom. I don't get it.

7. High school students are staying silent on sexual assaults.

8. The SFGate looks at Prop H8 and the pre-election polls that made many of us think it would fail.

9. Yahoo! has a new 'for the ladies' site - and it's mainly about fashion, attracting the men-folk, and the color pink. Sigh.

10. What's the Global Gender Gap Report really saying?

11. New Hampshire's state senate is the first to have a female majority.

12. An amazing woman has passed away.

13. What will Michelle Obama do for working women when she arrives at the White House?

14. A baby girl has been born to the recipient of the world's first ovary transplant.

15. Ever wonder how birds know what notes to sing? We have...

Thought? Stories we might have missed?

4 comments:

Ajijaak said...

A good list of links, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Regarding #4: the Humanists are throwing rocks. I find it amusing that the humanists are doing similar add campaigns as Christians. Why do humanists need to proselytize?

I think their funds would be better spent if they set up an aid station in a poor nation that said, "this clean water and medical supplies brought to you by the American Humanist society". Then maybe, the differently religious would be embarrassed and set up their own tent. And maybe, we could start having contests on who gives more, and the organization that is more charitable, would get...I dunno, maybe a bowl. Wouldn't that be super?

Regarding #6, I do believe Pope John Paul was not only against abortion, but also against the death penalty, and also a strong opponent of the Iraq war. But I do agree with you Habladora, I don't get it when some religious folk pick and choose what they are offended at.

Samuel Tinianow said...

#4 gives me the same feeling I get when confronted by any other religious missionary: "What did I ever do to you? Leave me the fuck alone."

I love the description of new atheism as "more in-your-face." So, basically, new atheism is a lot like old Catholicism. If you want to create "a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity" then how about a little bit of pure goodwill with no strings attached? Why is it necessary that nobody believes in God, as long as they don't get obnoxious... er, I mean "in-your-face" about it?

Eh, I'd better stop. Just fed up with being harassed by every undergrad student who's read a certain highly inflammatory book with a shallow, adolescent view of religion written by someone with no scholarly background in that field.

Anonymous said...

I know that there was no explicit commentary attached to the link, but remember that some states may have a greater proportion of women in state government because the wage for a state politician is very low in that state. I believe this is the the case in Connecticut.