Good news – no dosh for tosh

FUNDING is to be withdrawn from any free school in the UK that teaches “evidence-based views or theories” that run “contrary to established scientific and/or historical evidence and explanations”.

According to this report – following a campaign by the British Humanist Association –  the Department for Education has revised its model funding agreement, allowing the Education Secretary to withdraw cash from schools that fail to meet strict criteria relating to what they teach.

The BHA described the move as “highly significant” and predicted that it would have implications for other faith groups looking to run schools.

Leading scientists and naturalists, including Professor Richard Dawkins and Sir David Attenborough, have welcomed the move.

Dawkins, one of the leading lights in the campaign, applauded confirmation that creationists would not receive funding to run free schools if they sought to portray their views as science.

I welcome all moves to ensure that creationism is not taught as fact in schools. Government rules on this are extremely welcome, but they need to be properly enforced.

Free schools, which are state-funded and run by local people or organisations, do not need to follow the national curriculum. Scientific groups have expressed concerns that their spread will see a reduction in the teaching of evolution in the classroom.

Several creationist groups have expressed an interest in opening schools in towns and cities across England, including Bedford, Barnsley, Sheffield and Nottingham. Critics say they seek to promote creationism, or the doctrine of “intelligent design”, as a scientific theory rather than as a myth or metaphor.

One creationist organisation, Truth in Science, which encourages teachers to incorporate intelligent design into their science teaching, has sent free resources to all secondary schools and sixth-form colleges. The hilariously-named TIS says on its website:

We consider that it is time for students to be permitted to adopt a more critical approach to Darwinism in science lessons. They should be exposed to the fact that there is a modern controversy over Darwin’s theory of evolution and the neo-Darwinian synthesis, and that this has considerable social, spiritual, moral and ethical implications.

The BHA campaign, Teach evolution, not creationism, saw 30 leading scientists and educators call on the government to introduce statutory guidance against the teaching of creationism.

Last week the Department for Education confirmed it had amended the agreement, although a spokesman denied it was the result of pressure from scientists. He said the revision made good on a pledge regarding the teaching of creationism given when the education secretary, Michael Gove, was in opposition. The spokesman said:

We will not accept any academy or free school proposal which plans to teach creationism in the science curriculum or as an alternative to accepted scientific theories … all free school proposals will be subject to due diligence checks by the department’s specialist team.

The revised funding agreement has been seized upon by anti-creationists who are pressing for wider concessions from the government. Said Dawkins:

It is clear that some faith schools are ignoring the regulations and are continuing to teach myth as though it were science. Evolution is fact, supported by evidence from a host of scientific disciplines, and we do a great disservice to our young people if we fail to teach it properly.

A spokeswoman for the BHA said:

The government’s new wording is quite wide and in practice could prevent those who promote extreme religious or particular spiritual or pseudoscientific approaches from including them as part of the school curriculum as science or as evidence-based.

 Hat tip: Agent Cormac

AMTECHNICA Ltd is a small UK business based in Crawley. It builds campervans, and does plumbing and heating and stuff. And it’s on the look-out here for a PA/Marketing administrator – a Christian PA/Marketing administrator!

 We are a Christian business, and meet on Mondays to pray for the company and for each other. The successful candidate would be involved in this aspect too.

Graham Martin-Royle, who brought this to my attention, said:

I thought this shit only happened in the US. Have they never heard of the Equality Act 2010?

Update: Thanks to Christine Beckett, who posted a comment linking the boss of this outfit – a certain Daniel Lopez-Ferreiro – to a bunch of loopy, gay-loathing organisations in the UK, including Christian Concern for Our Nation, established to:

Inform and empower Christians to speak against ungodly and unjust laws, and to speak up for righteousness and justice.

This rancid organisation has launched a petition, calling on the Prime Minister to:

Respect Christian conscience and take urgent action to address the problems created by equalities legislation.

So we can assume that Lopez-Ferreiro won’t be hiring any gays either.

I think the Crawley Observer should be publicising this story, don’t you?

FROM his roost in Cloud Cuckoo Land, Britain’s funniest fundie is crowing over supermarket Tesco’s Christmas slump, attributing it to the power of prayer.

Christian Voice's Stephen Green, still one step ahead of the men in white coats

According to Stephen “Birdshit” Green’s hysterical blog:

We … prayed for confusion in the Tesco boardroom.  As the ‘Big Price Drop’ was launched in September, it seems that Almighty God, who operates outside space and time, was well ahead of us, anticipating our prayers, and seeing by our actions that our prayers were serious.  Significantly, we prayed for a drop in their share price, which, with £3b erased from the value of Tesco, has been answered on what you could describe as a Biblical scale.

Why was Green and his dingbat cohorts praying for a Tesco slump? Because Tesco announced a £30,000 donation to:

The Divisive, depraved London ‘Gay Pride’ … with all its anti-Christian aggression, indecency, immorality and separatism.

The goofy Green insists that Tesco’s poor performance was the result of his call to boycott the chain:

As a result, thousands of Christians and other decent people boycotted the store at what should have been its busiest time of the year. I now call on Tesco to see sense before their company is ruined.  Don’t display the arrogance of Pharoah.  Withdraw the grant to Gay Pride … blah, blah, blah …

Hat tip: Robert Stovold & Remigius

AS prayer signs go, the one hanging for over 50 years in the auditorium of Cranston High School West in Cranston, Rhode Island, was not as cheesy as most. But its presence was in clear violation of church-state separation – and, thanks to the action of a brave humanist student, the school authorities were ordered by a judge this week to remove it.

'Despicable little monster' Jessica Ahlquist and the prayer mural she made vanish

Jessica Ahlquist’s dad Mark filed a lawsuit on her behalf, which resulted in a ruling by US District Court Judge Ronald R Lagueux that it should be removed immediately.

American Humanist Association leaders, according to this report, applauded the ruling. AHA’s Executive Director Roy Speckhardt said:

We are so proud of Jessica for fighting to protect church-state separation. She recognised injustice, stood up for what is right, and persevered in the face of harassment. She fought for the rights of non-believers and religious minorities and is an example for everyone.

The AHA ran a full-page newspaper advertisement in Cranston during the recent holiday season that stated Bias Against Atheists is Naughty, Not Nice, because of the harassment Ahlquist experienced at the hands of some  fellow students and community members during the lawsuit.

Details of her harassment are contained in this report, which reveals that:

The Internet, which in recent years has become a popular outlet for teenage bullying, has once again provided a forum for particularly discriminatory comments. One specific commenter exclaimed: It was by the grace of God that this despicable little monster of a girl has the freedom to express her anti-beliefs and nationally broadcast her extreme tolerance: the atheist way. I try really hard to be a good Christian, but this is just too much. This is what happens when kids don’t get discipline, and when parents are deadbeats. Boo these people, I hope they lose their homes.

Ahlquist, not letting comments like these bring her down, responded:

This one actually made me giggle.

Noted Monica Miller in Humanist Network News:

It is Ahlquist’s grace in the face of this type of public intolerance that has made her such a hero in the eyes of other humanists.

Judge Lagueux stated in the ruling that the “guiding principle” of the First Amendment to the US Constitution is “government neutrality” and that:

No amount of debate can make the School Prayer anything other than a prayer, and a Christian one at that.

The judge also noted that the open meeting conducted to get public input about Ahlquist’s request to remove the banner “at times resembled a religious revival.” In addition, Lagueux didn’t give weight to the claim that the mural should stay for traditional reasons – having been erected in 1959 – stating that:

No amount of history and tradition can cure a constitutional infraction.

And he said of Jessica:

Plaintiff is clearly an articulate and courageous young woman, who took a brave stand, particularly in light of the hostile response she has received from her community.

Bill Burgess, attorney and legal coordinator of the AHA’s  legal arm, the Appignani Humanist Legal Center, added:

The ruling by the District Court again confirms something that by now should be crystal clear to government officials: school-sponsored prayer has no place on the walls of a public school. The court clearly noted that the prayer mural’s long-standing nature, considered a school tradition by some, did not overcome its unconstitutional nature and justify its continued presence.

The AHA said it was proud to play a role in Ahlquist’s future by working with Hemant Mehta, blogger for the popular website The Friendly Atheist, to manage an education trust fund to help pay the cost of her future education. The Scholarship for Jessica Ahlquist account has already raised over $3,000 from more than 100 contributors.

Hat tip: Adam Tjaavk

QUEEN Beatrix of the Netherlands has been accused of making “a sad spectacle” of herself by visiting two mosques looking for all the world like a pantomime dame.

The queen, according to the BBC, donned some ridiculous headgear and a cut-off burqa “out of respect for Islamic tradition”.

The “sad spectacle” comment was made by the PVV, an anti-Islam party that props up the Dutch minority government without being part of the coalition.

Queen Beatrix wore a gown and headscarf first on Sunday at a mosque in Abu Dhabi and again on Thursday in Oman.

During Thursday’s visit to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the Omani capital, Muscat, the queen wore a red shawl over her hat while Princess Maxima who was accompanying her also had her head covered.

In a written parliamentary answer, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that:

When Her Majesty visits a house of worship, the dress requirements are respected.

THE University College London Union Jesus & Mo controversy rumbles on. Latest to join the fray is S M Tahir Nasser, Treasurer of UCLU Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association (AMSA), who declared:

It is not for Atheists to decide what will or will not offend believers of different religions.

Responding to a petition deploring UCLU’s attempt to have a cartoon removed from the Facebook page of UCLU’s Atheist, Secularist & Humanist Society, Nasser said on AMSA’s Facebook page:

Numerous Muslims wrote in their individual capacities to the UCL Union, complaining of this depiction of Mohammed, citing grounds of religious offense.

The latest J&M cartoon (click on image to see the whole collection)

The petition now has over 3,000 signatures.

Nasser went on to complain that the “debacle” had unleashed a great many Jesus & Mo cartoon strips on Facebook and on other sites. These show J & M in scenarios:

Such as comparing Twitter followers, playing music at an ‘open mic night’ and [shock, horror] sleeping in the same bed together.

Nasser pointed out that Richard Dawkins had praised the cartoon strip, saying:

Jesus and Mo cartoons are wonderfully funny and true. They could offend only those actively seeking to be offended – which says it all.

Nasser commented:

It is not for Mr. Dawkins or anyone else to decide what views are and are not to be found offensive to others. Once a particular act is deemed to be offensive to another, it is only good manners to refrain from, at the very least, repeating that act.

In this particular case, when at first the cartoon was uploaded, it could have been mistaken as unintentional offense. When certain Muslims voiced their offense over the issue, for any civil, well-mannered individual or group of individuals, it should then be a question as to the feelings of others and the cartoons should then have been removed …

Freedom to insult is the very worst aspect of freedom of expression. It may be argued that such cartoons are in the manner of satire and that satire is a key element in freedom of expression. When examined however, it is clear that these cartoons are not satirical in the least. Satire is characterised by the bringing to light of vices for the purpose of initiating reform within the individual or group of individuals who are satirised.

Was this the purpose of cartoons with Jesus and Mohammed (peace be upon them both) lying in bed together, or comparing the number of Twitter followers they have? It is clear that the purpose of the cartoon panels is not to initiate serious discussion regarding the holy founders of either religion. The cartoons only have one purpose – to mock and deride and poke fun. If Christians or Muslims take offense at this, it is not for atheists to rejoinder with ‘they could offend only those actively seeking to be offended.

It is not for Atheists to decide what will or will not offend believers of different religions.

UPDATE: The Guardian reports today that Professor Dawkins has thrown his support behind the atheist students, and the paper managed to contact J&M’s creator:

An individual who responded to an email address on the strip’s website confirmed he was a 47-year-old UK-based male, not a professional cartoonist, and the sole author of Jesus and Mo [who said]:

The student atheist society at UCL have my complete support. I am full of admiration for the firm and principled stance they are taking against religious censorship. My primary reason for drawing the cartoons is to make atheists laugh.