Science News

The commonalities between fundamentalist Islam and fundamentalist Judaism are striking: both want to treat women like prisoners, relegated to perpetual childbearing and restricted from participating in intellectual or public life. And it's not just these two faiths, but virtually every religion, for which this pattern holds true (this is something I've speculated on the reasons for). Contrary to the belief that religion is the source of all morality, it's a safe bet that, the more respect someone claims to have for God, the less they're likely to have for women.

Traditional shamanism is neither exclusive nor inclusive. Such limits do not need to be placed. Drawing on the same neurological processes, both accomplish healing outcomes different ways.

It’s the latest edition of the military’s eternal quest for “A Thingamajig that Solves All Terrorism.” This time, the Army wants a portable gadget that can detect American foes, liars and other delinquent characters with near-perfect accuracy, and do it without ever making physical contact. Yeah, good luck with that, boys.

Fern Elsdon-Baker: Sadly, we've reached a point where I have to declare my atheism and some scientists are scared to 'come out' as Christian...

In both Jewish and Christian traditions, Moses is considered the author of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Scholars have furnished evidence that multiple writers had a hand in composing the text of the Torah.

The case for reconciling the scientific with the divine -- and against the anti-religion of Richard Dawkins...

Ancient structures uncovered in Turkey and thought to be the world's oldest temples may not have been strictly religious buildings after all, according to a new article.

Research from the University of Warwick suggests the 19th Century 'protestant work ethic' could have given the economies of northern Europe a head start on their southern neighbours, and is still shaping popular northern European feeling that...

Quite often, what makes us happy and what is actually good for us are directly at odds with each other. What worked for us evolutionarily over the millenia frequently becomes counter-productive in ...

Being reminded of the concept of God can decrease people's motivation to pursue personal goals but can help them resist temptation, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

Aside from the "they are evil" hyperbole, which suggests that New Atheists know they are talking to themselves alone, I also think their project has a more fundamental flaw: Their attack on religion is based on the premise that scientific accounts of reality are the only reliable source of truth about the world. But, as Scott Atran has pointed out, the whole point of religious faith is that it is contrary to what we know by material means—that is why it's faith. In other words, it is because it's impossible for the sun to stand still that people value their belief that God made the sun stand still for Joshua.

Maybe there are no atheists in foxholes, as the William T. Cummings famously said. But who the hell wants to live in a foxhole? Most of us would prefer a better crib. So if religion comforts the oppressed and miserable, it should follow that a lessening of human misery should lead to a drop-off in religious belief. That is, in any event, the conclusion of this paper, published recently in The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. It analyzed self-reports from hundreds of thousands of people worldwide and found that there is indeed a connection between religious faith and happiness—but only in troubled societies.

The debate between science and spirituality is framed as a knock down fight for truth with winner take all. But does it have to be that way?

Religious rites like baptism make psychological sense, the article suggests. Says Lee: "Cleansing is about the removal of residues." By washing the hands, taking a shower, or even thinking of doing so, "people can rid themselves of a sense of immorality, lucky or unlucky feelings, or doubt about a decision. The bodily experience of removing physical residues can provide the basis of removing more abstract mental residues."

Throughout history, science and religion have appeared as being in perpetual conflict, but a new study by Rice University suggests that only a minority of scientists at major research universities see religion and science as requiring distinct...