A correspondent in Norway, Ragnar Borsheim, has excellent news for us. He writes:

I am happy to inform you that the suggested new blasphemy law is not going to happen in Norway. The person behind the new law, the leader of the smallest coalition party the Senterpartiet has withdrawn the whole law and realized that it was all a huge mistake.

Norway has a three party coalition government, one big party (Labourparty) and two small ones. (The Senterpartiet have a following of just 3% of the voters.) The resistance in the population and even from the Church was massive. So I guess Norway is back on track and the old blasphemy law is also being removed soon.

About time.

Agreed.  Now, if only someone will shake up the Health Ministry about the ancient "healer" they seem to endorse, things will improve even more. The JREF million-dollar prize is available to this man, but I still don't see him showing any interest in it. As always, we will agree to send the prize to any charitable cause he chooses to name - as soon as he wins it. These folks don't seem to care about feeding hungry kids, or helping a hospital get a new cancer researcher...

And I think that's strange...