Loving your neighbors (When you’re religious)
By all appearances, being religious isn’t always about being especially kind. Religious people can be really gosh-darn mean, and so religiousness is commonly associated with […]
The personality types of Christians and atheists
Ask any parent: some people are just born a certain way. From their first few months and especially in their teenage years, people’s personalities have […]
Animals may have religion
The word “religion” usually brings to mind complicated belief systems, rituals, and symbolic engagements with a higher reality – all of which seem well beyond […]
The evolution of egalitarianism
Survival of the fittest. Extinction of the weak. And yet, egalitarianism. Evolution, which seems driven by forces that only make the strong stronger, has selected […]
Religion boosts self-control
In the never-ending quest of figuring out why religion evolved, many have proposed that religion enhances group fitness. If correct, then researchers should be able […]
The rise of “new age” spirituality in secular society
Sweden is one of the most secular societies in the world (at least in terms of participation in church activities), yet, despite its strong secularism, […]
Challenging the idea of “spiritual but not religious”
Many people assume a sharp contrast between spirituality and religion. Spirituality involves strange experiences and feelings of ecstacy, whereas religion means boring sermons and social […]
A look at libertarian morality
You know your libertarian friend? The one who votes Republican but scoffs at “family values,” who posts Ron Paul quotes on Facebook and thinks taxes […]
Thinking about physics suppresses our social minds
Last year, a scientific study out of UBC-Vancouver made a splash by claiming that analytical thinking decreased people’s belief in God. Of course, this wasn’t […]
Five ways religion can influence political beliefs
Typically, when people think of “religion and politics,” they think of social issues such as abortion, contraceptives, and gay marriage. While that’s not a bad […]