http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/ Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal en Copyright 2010 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:00:06 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.32-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss scienceblogs/pharyngulahttp://feedburner.google.com <p class="lead">It's another CFI conference, titled <a href="http://www.centerforinquiry.net/chicago/events/dangerous_nonsense_2010">Dangerous Nonsense - Exploring the Gulf between Science and its Impostors</a>, which is being held in Chicago on 24 April. I just got the notice today, though, and noticed that the cutoff date for discounted early registration is 7 April, right now! If you're interested, work fast, save yourself a few dollars.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/quick_register_now_chicagoans.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/dUDSSxHKOMk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/dUDSSxHKOMk/quick_register_now_chicagoans.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/quick_register_now_chicagoans.php Skepticism Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:00:06 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/quick_register_now_chicagoans.php <p class="lead">On that crazy story about the <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/but_youd_think_theyd_be_proud.php">Catholics suing Baltimore</a>, I overlooked a poll. It needs fixin'.</p> <blockquote><p>Pregnancy counseling center lawsuit</p> <p><a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-md.ci.pregnancy30mar30,0,4172720.story">Do you agree with the archdiocese that Baltimore's law requiring pregnancy centers to post signs stating that they do not provide abortions or birth control referrals is a violation of freedom of speech and religion?</a></p> <p>Yes 54% </p><p> No 44% </p><p> Not sure 2%</p></blockquote> <p>Just to clarify the clumsily worded question, right now 54% of the respondents think the Catholic Church is being oppressed by being asked to be truthful about the services their pregnancy centers provide.</p> <p>I guess it is terribly cruel of us to tell a church they shouldn't lie or hide the facts.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/hey_i_missed_a_poll.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/kgB4O1YkcH4" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/kgB4O1YkcH4/hey_i_missed_a_poll.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/hey_i_missed_a_poll.php Pointless polls Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:19:47 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/hey_i_missed_a_poll.php <p class="lead">Thanks to Pamela Turner for sending me a box of <a href="http://www.tcho.com/store/">TCHO chocolates</a> &mdash; they're fabulous. My one concern is that I'm about to leave town for a day, and this box of temptations is sitting out on the dining room table where the Trophy Wife&trade; and the Trophy Daughter&trade; and even one of the Trophy Sons&trade; (who is visiting us for a few weeks) can find it. I'm going to come home from Syracuse on Friday to find them all gone, aren't I?</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/nice_gift.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/EQNwlFCknEU" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/EQNwlFCknEU/nice_gift.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/nice_gift.php Personal Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:07:26 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/nice_gift.php <p class="lead">Baltimore has a very sensible ordinance that requires pregnancy counseling centers to plainly state what services they provide.</p> <blockquote><p>The ordinance requires that a "limited-service pregnancy center" post an easily readable sign, written in English and Spanish, stating that the center does not provide or make referrals for abortion or birth-control services. A center failing to comply within 10 days of being cited could be fined up to $150 a day.</p></blockquote> <p>That's perfectly reasonable, even if the center is directly opposed to abortion &mdash; they could cheerfully put up a sign <i>bragging</i> that they do not abort adorable little babies, and take some pride in their position. But no, that's not what they want to do. We've got a 'counseling center' here in Morris, for instance, that provides no real help at all. They've got little signs around that say something like, <span class="creationist">"Pregnant? We can help!"</span> with a phone number, and when some frightened teenaged girl calls, their sole purpose is to make sure she does not get an abortion. Stating their position up front and diminishing confusion is exactly what they don't want &mdash; they want their clients confused and worried, susceptible to the lies they'll tell them.</p> <p>So perhaps you will be as unsurprised as I am to learn that the <a href="http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bal-md.ci.pregnancy30mar30,0,4172720.story">Catholic Diocese of Baltimore is suing the city</a>, claiming oppression because they are asked to be clear in the range of services they will offer.</p> <blockquote><p> Thomas J. Schetelich, chairman of the board for the Center for Pregnancy Concerns, said that the ordinance singles out the Catholic Church for its anti-abortion stance. The nonprofit, anti-abortion organization receives donations from religious groups supporting women who plan to take their pregnancies to term and operates three of the four local centers. </p><p> <span class="creationist">"Frankly, we would expect our city government to be supporting our sacrificial efforts rather than trying to hinder,"</span> Schetelich said. <span class="creationist">"We're disappointed that our stand for life draws opposition."</span></p></blockquote> <p>Please note: they are talking about <i>four</i> referral centers. They have hired a battery of lawyers to oppose the posting of <i>four</i> signs that state exactly what they regard as a positive, noble, tenet of their faith, that they do not condone abortions. What's the gripe? If they think it's an unfair burden to have to pay for four signs, I suspect that if they asked Planned Parenthood or other such organizations, or even asked the community at large, people would chip in to send them a few hundred dollars or a few thousand dollars, even, to make their own damned signs.</p> <p>This is simply the Catholic Church suing for the right to keep people in the dark, as they have for so many centuries.</p> <p>They have no grounds for complaint. As a NARAL director explains,</p> <blockquote><p>"This law empowers women by giving them full information up front about what to expect from a limited-service pregnancy center," said Jennifer Blasdell, the organization's executive director. "This provision does not ask a facility to provide or counsel for any services they find objectionable, but only asks them to tell the truth about the nature of their services." </p></blockquote> <hr /> <p>By the way, our local example of anti-abortion ignorance is called the <a href="http://morrispregnancycenter.com/">Morris Life Care Pregnancy Center</a>, and it is somehow affiliated with the <a href="http://www.mefc.net/">Morris Evangelical Free Church</a>, our local festering canker of wingnut inanity. They don't seem to provide any material services at all, other than advice, AKA browbeating and misleading. I am amused to see that they are hosting a <a href="http://morrispregnancycenter.com/Page_2.html">father-daughter chastity ball</a> (although they don't call them that anymore), which is rather creepy.</p> <p>However, I do commend them on one thing. Right there at the bottom of their web page, they clearly and honestly state this:</p> <blockquote><p>"This center does not offer abortion services or abortion referrals. This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical advice."</p></blockquote> <p>I can't complain too much about them, then &mdash; I disagree vehemently with their opinions, but as long as they're not pretending to be offering real medical advice and don't pretend to offer services that they're actually going to be telling their clients to avoid, they have every right to express their beliefs.</p> <p>I hate to say this, but the Baltimore Diocese could learn something about honesty from a loony rural Protestant church that teaches that the world is only 6000 years old.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/but_youd_think_theyd_be_proud.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/HtXpXKty4TI" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/HtXpXKty4TI/but_youd_think_theyd_be_proud.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/but_youd_think_theyd_be_proud.php Politics Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:42:14 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/but_youd_think_theyd_be_proud.php <p class="lead">It's true &mdash; here in Minnesota, we're always talking about them dingbats next door in Wisconsin, and they are &mdash; we live in a place where all our children are above average, dontchaknow, and the only way that is statistically possible is if some place nearby is all below average. So we love to rag on them. Until they mention Michele Bachmann and then we have to hang our head in shame and slink away.</p> <p>Anyway, the latest news from our neighbor to the east is that some cheesehead named Scott Southworth is trying to strongarm teachers into not following the sex education guidelines, <a href="http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/90020507.html">threatening them with jail time if they say anything about condoms</a>.</p> <blockquote class="creationist"><p>Forcing our schools to instruct children on how to utilize contraceptives encourages our children to engage in sexual behavior, whether as a victim or an offender. It is akin to teaching children about alcohol use, then instructing them on how to make mixed alcoholic drinks.</p></blockquote> <p>OK, but mixed alcoholic drinks are legal, and lots of people consume them&hellip;and so will many of those kids, hopefully once they're of legal age but not before (although we know many of them will jump the gun &mdash; and think of all the awful pina coladas and over-strong rum &amp; cokes they'll slosh down if not properly trained. Think of the children!) There's nothing wrong with urging responsible restraint in both alcohol consumption and sexual behavior, while also explaining what they actually, honestly are.</p> <p>Unless, of course, you're a conservative kook who thinks the solution to every peril is to keep everyone in a state of maximal ignorance. Case in point: when this bill to teach medically accurate information about contraceptives in sex ed classes was introduced, <i>every single Republican</i> voted in lockstep against it.</p> <p>This is more like telling kids who are too young to drive about using seatbelts. It's not telling them to get in an accident, it's telling them to take precautions in case something happens. And in the case of sex, we know a collision is pretty much inevitable at some point, so we <i>should</i> be offering information and sensible safety in those years when they are at greatest risk.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/theyre_crazy_over_there_in_wis.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/QNHkuYFHi4o" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/QNHkuYFHi4o/theyre_crazy_over_there_in_wis.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/theyre_crazy_over_there_in_wis.php Reproduction Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:15:35 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/theyre_crazy_over_there_in_wis.php <p class="lead">Californians, if you're living anywhere near Berkeley, you might want to go to this: the <a href="http://www.skepticalcon.org/">Skeptical Conference</a> on 24 April. They've got some good speakers, and it should be a fun meeting.</p> <p>Just don't believe <i>anything</i> they tell you unless they provide lots of evidence to back it up.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/skeptical_2010.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/Tu-ki95sNGc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/Tu-ki95sNGc/skeptical_2010.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/skeptical_2010.php Skepticism Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:00:18 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/skeptical_2010.php <p class="lead">The <a href="http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_14332.shtml">Bishop of Tenerife has voiced the latest excuse in the Catholic pedophilia scandals</a>, and it is a predictable one. Women have heard this claim about rape over and over again: the victim was asking for it.</p> <blockquote><p>His comments were that there are youngsters who want to be abused, and he compared that abuse to homosexuality, describing them both as prejudicial to society. He said that on occasions the abuse happened because the there are children who consent to it. </p><p><span class="creationist">"There are 13 year old adolescents who are under age and who are perfectly in agreement with, and what's more wanting it, and if you are careless they will even provoke you",</span> he said.</p></blockquote> <p>Oh, it is so hard to be a noble heterosexual man in this society, with every woman, every gay man, every child, every moist orifice, every knothole, every small animal burrow on the ground, every lemon meringue pie, every velvety wrinkle in the Pope's cassock, all just taunting and teasing and tantalizing you, begging you to stick your penis in them. And then when you finally give in and let them have what they want, despite all your insistence that you're doing it for their benefit, not yours, what do they do? They cry rape, or lock you up for child abuse, or the Vatican dry cleaning service sends you an extravagant bill.</p> <p>It's just so unfair!</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/its_all_their_fault.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/69lLT00GZ_g" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/69lLT00GZ_g/its_all_their_fault.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/its_all_their_fault.php Religion Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:42:56 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/its_all_their_fault.php <div class="captionedfigure"><a href="http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1781301"><img src="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/upload/2010/04/bot/pterocarya.jpeg" width="435" height="640" alt="pterocarya.jpeg"/><br /><i>Pterocarya fraxinifolia</i></a></div> <p>The common name of this tree is the Caucasian Wingnut.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/botanical_wednesday_its_all_in.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/TShWBnG6jnA" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/TShWBnG6jnA/botanical_wednesday_its_all_in.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/botanical_wednesday_its_all_in.php Organisms Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:31:19 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/botanical_wednesday_its_all_in.php <p class="lead">It's Paul Nelson Day, the yearly event in which we make ludicrous pseudo-scientific claims and promise to back them up <i>tomorrow</i>, as <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/04/its_been_five_years_paul_nelso.php">celebrated last year</a>.</p> <p>Nelson, some of you may recall, is a creationist who made up this wacky claim of <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/04/ontogenetic_depth.php">"Ontogenetic Depth"</a>, saying he had a way of objectively measuring the complexity of the developmental process in organisms with a number that described the distance from egg to adult. Unfortunately, he forgot to tell us how one calculated this number, or how it actually accounted for the complexity of a network, or even how we'd get a number that was different for a sponge and a cat. But he did say he'd get back to us with the details <i>tomorrow</i>&hellip;six years ago.</p> <p>We'll keep waiting. We'll also keep making accurate predictions. Last year I <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/04/its_been_five_years_paul_nelso.php">predicted</a> that we'd still be waiting in 2010, and look! We are!</p> <p>I've put on a turban, closed my eyes, and am waving my hands over a crystal ball, and predict&hellip;we'll still be waiting in 2011. Check back next year and let's see if I'm right!</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/happy_monkey_paul_nelson_its_b.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/MWa2LvOkqbg" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/MWa2LvOkqbg/happy_monkey_paul_nelson_its_b.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/happy_monkey_paul_nelson_its_b.php Creationism Wed, 07 Apr 2010 07:38:47 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/happy_monkey_paul_nelson_its_b.php <p class="lead">I thought the town was bad before, when they <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/03/small_town_america_and_institu.php">cancelled the high school prom because a young woman was going to bring a <i>female</i> date to it</a>. But then there was a ray of hope: the school administrators changed their minds. There would be a prom after all, and Constance McMillen could bring her date! Wow! A progressive, reasonable attitude was prevailing!</p> <p>Except not.</p> <p><a href="http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/constance-mcmillen-american-hero-not-he">They had organized a new prom, all right&hellip;a prom just for Constance McMillen</a>. The principal and teachers showed up to chaperone Constance, her date, and all of <i>five</i> other students who showed up, including two kids with learning disabilities. They basically quarantined off seven outcasts.</p> <p>What about all the other kids at the high school? They got to go to a prom, too, a special one organized by the parents for just the True American&trade; kids. Constance wasn't told about it, which is the amazing thing: all the kids who showed up at the alternate prom knew about it and kept it secret. That's impressive. I remember my high school, and news like that would be all over the place.</p> <p>The other kids at Itawamba Agricultural High School are really special. Special scumbags. Bigots and haters and cowards. I hope they remember that for many years afterwards, that what their school is internationally known for is that it is populated with weasely little homophobes. What a disgrace.</p> <hr /> <p>Hang on &mdash; it's even worse than I thought. <a href="http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/2010/04/we-dont-need-you-comin-round-here-with.html">Jesus' General has the scoop</a>: the kids at that high school created a Facebook group, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Constance-quit-yer-cryin/367776042862?v=wall&ref=sgm">"Constance quit yer cryin"</a>. Unbelievable. Here are samples of what they wrote there (they're buried now; decent human beings discovered the page and have flooded it with comments supporting McMillen and berating the cowards who played this game^*):</p> <blockquote class="creationist"><p><b>Mitchell Henderson</b>: lulz rug munchers are hilarious. Come join me in hell, there's ipods all around for dance parties. As long as you bring someone to scissor with. </p><p> <b>Melody Carol</b>: JAlthough, she asked and they said no, she should have just stfu and dealt with it. The school did not need to cancel the prom to shift attention from here. That's just gay. </p><p> <b>Brittany Kay Brown</b>: jeremy, that's your fault for not coming out of the closet. IAHS is not a bigoted school. This whole town is based on Christianity. </p><p> <b>Caleb Waddle</b>: i just wish she would shut up and quit makeing the freakin county stupid you say well its there fault but since when did the public do anything to you just shut the freak up already. </p><p> <b>Traci Taylor</b>: Carnathan who wants to c 2 girls makn out...especially one of them thats parents are totally against it.</p></blockquote> <p>I hope employers and college admissions committees find the hateful association between their names and what they say. Not that it's much of a worry for these losers; Jiffy Lube probably doesn't care much about their network trail, and Liberty University would probably consider bigotry an asset.</p> <hr /> <p class="ref">^*Oops. Some of the people writing in opposition to that page are rather hateful, themselves. </p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/fulton_mississippi_skeeviest_t.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/EpegtHT9Gco" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/EpegtHT9Gco/fulton_mississippi_skeeviest_t.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/fulton_mississippi_skeeviest_t.php Equality Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:44:32 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/fulton_mississippi_skeeviest_t.php <p class="lead">Some of our stats have been released to the press today.</p> <blockquote><p>ScienceBlogs.com, the leading social media site in the science category, today released traffic figures for 2009 and the first quarter of 2010 (Source: Google Analytics).</p><ul> <li><p>Visits for the quarter ending March 31 grew by 41% year-over-year to approximately 13 million, and page views topped 25 million. Monthly unique visitors grew to 2.4 million worldwide and in the US surpassed 2 million for the first time this March.</p></li> <li><p>Total visits for 2009 grew by 55% year-over-year to 45 million and average monthly unique visitors climbed 49% to 1.9 million.</p></li> <li><p>ScienceBlogs.com has achieved high double-digit traffic growth (at least 50%) every year since its launch in 2006.</p></li></ul></blockquote> <p>You will be assimilated.</p> <p>I also notice that the number of comments on Pharyngula alone is around 954,000, and we'll probably hit a million sometime early this summer.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/pr_from_the_mothership.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/MluV_up5IPc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/MluV_up5IPc/pr_from_the_mothership.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/pr_from_the_mothership.php Administrative Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:18:35 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/pr_from_the_mothership.php <p class="lead">I've just <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2010/04/fafarman_likes_me_he_really_li.php">won an award</a>. I hope there's cash, or at least a gaudy trophy, to go with it.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/do_i_get_1000000_with_that.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/bNBF4m7Aj4M" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/bNBF4m7Aj4M/do_i_get_1000000_with_that.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/do_i_get_1000000_with_that.php Kooks Tue, 06 Apr 2010 14:14:32 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/do_i_get_1000000_with_that.php <p class="lead">Sorry, I'm going to have to ruin your breakfast again. <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-pedophiles-paradise/Content?oid=1065017">The Stranger has a revealing article on pedophile priests</a> &mdash; in particular, it focuses on the native populations of Alaska and Canada, which were used as a nice, obscure dumping ground for the very worst sexual predators the Catholic Church could provide. Small children were raped, entire villages are decimated by mental health trauma and suicides brought on by these monsters, and in one particularly appalling instance, a priest was caught raping a dying woman he was supposed to give the last rites. There's also an interview with a former priest who was a "cleaner" (yes, he actually calls himself that), brought in to tidy up the messes these evil men brought into a community&hellip;before they got shipped off to another community.</p> <blockquote><p>The sheer concentration of known sex offenders in these isolated communities begins to look less like an accident than a plan. Their institutional protection looks less like an embarrassed cover-up than aiding and abetting. And the way the church has settled case after case across the country, refusing to let most of them go to trial for a public airing, is starting to look like an admission of guilt.</p></blockquote> <p>Here's the reason why the church covers up for rapist priests.</p> <blockquote><p>Why does the church keep sending these priests, who have come to be such a major liability, back into ministry? "It's all about keeping the stores open, keeping the revenue rolling," Wall says. The Alaskan provinces in particular, Wall says, were a source of revenue--not from the Native population living there, but from parishioners in the lower 48 who were encouraged to donate for the Native ministry up north. "You could raise thousands to fund a mission that cost very little to run," Wall says. "The profit margin is huge."</p></blockquote> <p>The story makes 1950s Ireland look like a paradise of blissful religious sanctity. It is not for the squeamish.</p> <p>If you'd rather read something a little more encouraging, read <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-0405-pollitt-20100405,0,6555871.story">Katha Politt on priestly pedophilia</a>. She nails the priesthood on their sanctimony and hypocrisy, and their pretense to a moral superiority that is so patently betrayed. She also mentions this surprising story:</p> <blockquote><p>In February, Bishop Margot Kaessmann, the first woman to head the German Protestant Church and a much-admired public figure, was caught running a red light while intoxicated. There was a lot of sympathy for her, even in the conservative media, which disagreed with her liberal and anti-war views, and she received the support of the church's governing body. Nonetheless, within four days Kaessmann resigned, saying her moral authority had been so compromised she could no longer do right by her high office. Maybe Pope Benedict and his bishops could learn something from her example.</p></blockquote> <p>What? A Protestant bishop <i>resigns</i> for the crime of running a red light under the influence? She got a <i>traffic ticket</i> and felt her moral authority was compromised? I mean, that's a bit excessive, but OK, at least she's taking religion's claims of morality extremely seriously.</p> <p>Meanwhile, the Pope heads a Catholic office that was sheltering child-rapers, and the entire Catholic hierarchy is busily claiming the martyrdom of Christ for itself because people have started to complain about their intrusive little penises. They aren't even trying for the moral flood plain, let alone the moral high ground. It's more like they're taking a dive in the Marianas Trench of turpitude while pretending to climb the Everest of propriety.</p> <p>While we can't expect the church to expire in shame, at least we should start regarding Catholicism as a Mafia-like criminal organization&hellip;and maybe our governments should stop treating with them.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/how_bad_can_a_catholic_priest.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/_RgGfcHGaB8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/_RgGfcHGaB8/how_bad_can_a_catholic_priest.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/how_bad_can_a_catholic_priest.php Religion Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:07:13 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/how_bad_can_a_catholic_priest.php <div class="center"><object width="425" height="258"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lAl28d6tbko&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lAl28d6tbko&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="248"></embed></object></div> <p>Does anybody else think he ought to be wearing a filter mask? That stuff has got to be incredibly toxic.</p> <p>(via <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2010/04/on_sunday_i_indicated_id.php">Effect Measure</a>)</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/for_the_apple_haters.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/BVJHGYKfKfM" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/BVJHGYKfKfM/for_the_apple_haters.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/for_the_apple_haters.php Weirdness Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:57:54 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/for_the_apple_haters.php <p class="lead">For those of you in the Washington DC area, the Center for Inquiry has some events coming up. <a href="http://action.centerforinquiry.net/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100170">Jamie Kilstein will be performing on 21 April</a>, and you should go &mdash; if you don't mind rude, loud atheists. He's also one of the heads of the <a href="http://churchofthesmilingvagina.com/">Church of the Smiling Vagina</a> (although <a href="http://trueslant.com/allisonkilkenny/">Allison Kilkenny</a> ought to be the Pope of the CSV, since she, like, has one).</p> <p>Also coming up on the CFI slate for June 13th is <a href="http://action.centerforinquiry.net/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=100241">Christopher Hitchens</a>. I know I don't need to explain who he is.</p> <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/dc_gets_some_cool_talks.php#commentsArea">Read the comments on this post...</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~4/5KVkG0UT6fc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/scienceblogs/pharyngula/~3/5KVkG0UT6fc/dc_gets_some_cool_talks.php http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/dc_gets_some_cool_talks.php Godlessness Tue, 06 Apr 2010 09:27:01 -0500 http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/04/dc_gets_some_cool_talks.php