UK To Block "Esoteric" Sites

Ultraculture | Tools for a Better Future: he censoring of “esoteric material,” in particular, has pagan groups up in arms. (Presumably Ultraculture will be blocked from warping impressionable young British minds into lives stained with pernicious sins like thinking for themselves, questioning mainstream values and caring about the environment?) Pagan community discussions are being conducted at Wild Hunt and LAShTAL. Meanwhile, a new service called Immunicity has appeared which circumvents the firewall—better get hold of it before Cameron starts blocking access to ways to get around the firewall. Nikki Wyrd has another good examination of the issue at the UK-based chaos magick site Blog of Baphomet.

Fox Reporter Lauren Green's Double Standard On Reza Aslan And Islam | Blog | Media Matters for America

Here's the background on Lauren Green, who interviewed Reza Aslan on Fox Faux news recently. That interview has been all over the internet, with right wing Christians defending Green, and attacking liberals on one side, the "left" (who are also godless and non-Christian, according to the right wing) on Aslan's side.

Obviously, we're right, and Fox news is wrong. Anyway, here's some interesting background on Green, who is the "religious reporter" for Fox news, and a Christian.Fox Reporter Lauren Green's Double Standard On Reza Aslan And Islam | Blog | Media Matters for America. For example, Green has said, of Islam, various biased comments about Islam, according to the article:

"There are conflicting interpretations of the Koran, but without a clear narrative, with one consensus of purpose, followers who do violence in the name of Islam can legitimately claim they are acting within the parameters of their faith."

True, of any religion. How many Christians have ... oh, you know. Point is, Green has conducted several interviews and reported on several stories dealing with Islam. So the question is, Ms. Green, as a Christian, why are you discussing Islam?

Huff Post/Fox Faux Mash-up of Reza Aslan Interviews

'Reza Aslan Misrepresents His Scholarly Credentials' via First Thoughts

Well, no he doesn't, as this blogger accuses Aslan of doing. Some of the comments left at the blog point this out.

Also, disagree with his take on the following exchange (see my previous post below) :

Reza Aslan Misrepresents His Scholarly Credentials First Thoughts | A First Things Blog: Later he complains that they are “debating the right of the scholar to write” the book rather than discussing the book. But the conversation took that turn thanks to Aslan, not Green!

Utterly disagree with that one as well. Green came at him like an attack dog, and Aslan's "complaint" was perfectly spot on as well as legitimate.

'5 Reasons There Aren’t More Women in Atheism' via Alternet

Not surprising, Englehardt makes good points. Sexism exists in the uber-skeptical movement; hell, who are kidding, sexism and misogyny exists everywhere.

5 Reasons There Aren’t More Women in Atheism | Alternet: n a Salon piece last week called, “ Where are the women of new atheism?”, Katie Englehardt described what looks like diminishing participation of women in atheist life. She also encouraged atheist women to more openly embrace their beliefs.

But atheist women are very active. These women aren’t visible — and there aren’t more like them — for at least five reasons.

'Watch This Religious Scholar Own Bigoted Fox Host in First 2 Minutes of Interview' via Americans Against the Tea Party

This woman is a moron, but then again, it is Fox News. She is constantly asking Dr. Reza Aslan, author of Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, why he wrote the book since he's a Muslim. Aslan certainly holds his own, very politely and articulately, but Lauren Green, anchor, either will not, does not, or can not, get it.

"Watch This Religious Scholar Own Bigoted Fox Host in First 2 Minutes of Interview - Americans Against the Tea Party: At the onset of the interview Fox host Lauren Green asked incredulously, “You’re a Muslim, so why did you write a book about the founder of Christianity?”

The Anomalist Comments on Conjuring Review

Haven't seen the movie The Conjuring, so can't comment myself on the film. Yesterday I posted a link -- found on that great Fortean news feed o' links, The Anomalist --  to a Salon article that called the movie, among other things, "misogynistic." The Anomalist commented on that review:

(We are trying really hard not to get completely sidetracked here, but we just have to mention writer's rant about poetic license after somehow having deputized himself as the Literature Police. Basically, he thinks poetic license is perfectly alright unless it offends him. This sort o social justice warrior whining is now creeping into our Fortean world and we don't like it. Is there an exorcist for THAT? )

“The Conjuring”: Right-wing, woman-hating and really scary - Salon.com

“The Conjuring”: Right-wing, woman-hating and really scary - Salon.com: “The Conjuring” is one of the cleverest and most effective right-wing Christian films of recent years. It’s a movie about America’s obsession with evil, and how easily that gets pointed in the wrong directions. It’s a movie based on the reassuring premise that when something is wrong in your family, your community or your country, you don’t have to worry about the priests, the cops, the dads or the other male authority figures. They’re the good guys. Blame the women."

Haven't seen the movie, will probably wait for it to come to cable. 

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Pope Criminalizes the Reporting of Sex Crimes - Newslo

Pope Criminalizes the Reporting of Sex Crimes - Newslo: VATICAN CITY — Few eyebrows were raised last week when Pope Francis brought the Vatican’s legal system up to date by criminalizing leaks of official information and formalizing laws against sex crimes. But now that the laws have been made public, a closer look revealed that the pope has made it illegal to report sex crimes against children.

According to the new laws, revealing or receiving confidential Vatican information is now punishable by up to two years in prison, while newly defined sex crimes against children carry a sentence of up to twelve years. Because all sex crimes are kept confidential, there is no longer a legal way for Vatican officials to report sex crimes.

One hell of a deal: Pope Francis offers reduced time in Purgatory for Catholics that follow him on Twitter - Europe - World - The Independent

"One hell of a deal: Pope Francis offers reduced time in Purgatory for Catholics that follow him on Twitter - Europe - World - The Independent: Salvation – or at least a shorter stay in Purgatory – might now be only a tweet away with news that Pope Francis is to offer “indulgences” – remissions for temporary punishment – to the faithful who follow him on the social media site."

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Demons & Exorcisms - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

Demons and Exorcisms - Shows - Coast to Coast AM

Student ordered to remove cross necklace at Sonoma State University - Yahoo! News

I'm sure this is unconstitutional. Here's an example of someone getting it all mixed up. So what if someone might be "offended" by the student's cross? Can't we think for ourselves? The obvious question: who, what, is next? Judaism? Buddhist symbols? We all know pagan, wiccan and other non-mainstream religions won't have a chance of being protected. So, while I don't support this student's belief system and I think a 2 inch cross is a bit much, that's not the point. Student has the right to wear the thing.

Student ordered to remove cross necklace at Sonoma State University - Yahoo! News: An official at Sonoma State University ordered a student working at a freshman orientation fair to remove or hide a cross necklace on two separate occasions. The unnamed official feared that other students could be offended by the two-inch-long symbol of Christianity.

Fortunately, the law is on the student's side, and the University is falling all over itself apologizing for its lone official who went over the edge with the sensitive authority thing.