Religion News

August 20, 2016

Cave Drawings: When Europeans and Natives Met

Beliefs About All-Knowing Gods and Co-Operation

Religious Upbringing Linked to Less Altruism

Undervaccination Leaves Millions of Kids at Risk

Latest Headlines

updated 12:02pm EDT

Americans Worried About Using Gene Editing, Brain Chip Implants and Synthetic Blood

July 26, 2016 — Many in the general public think scientific and technological innovations bring helpful change to society, but they are more concerned than excited ... read more

Despite Increasing Global Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide, Use Remains Rare

July 5, 2016 — Despite increasing legalization of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) worldwide, the practice remains relatively rare and, when carried ... read more

Veils, Headscarves May Improve Observers' Ability to Judge Truthfulness

June 28, 2016 — Contrary to the opinions of some courts, it is easier to determine the truthfulness of a woman wearing a headscarf or even a veil that leaves only her eyes exposed than a woman wearing no head ... read more

Americans Accept and Engage in Same-Sex Experiences More Than Ever, Study Finds

June 1, 2016 — A new study shows a fundamental shift in Americans' attitudes about same-sex behavior. Since the 1990s, the percentage of adults who accept same-sex ... read more

Family Size, Education Levels: The Right Support Could Reverse Long-Held Theory

May 25, 2016 — More kids in your family, less education. This pattern isn't new, but a team of researchers has studied why that educational dip occurs and found ... read more

Frequent Religious Service Attendance Linked With Decreased Mortality Risk Among Women

May 16, 2016 — Women who attended religious services more than once per week were more than 30 percent less likely to die during a ... read more

Brain Images Reveal First Physical Evidence That AA Prayers Reduce Cravings

May 12, 2016 — Members Alcoholics Anonymous who recited AA prayers after viewing drinking-related images reported less craving for alcohol after praying, according to a new ... read more

Children of Gay Fathers Are Well Adjusted

Apr. 30, 2016 — Compared to a national sample of heterosexual parents, gay fathers report similar parenting behavior and measures of wellbeing in their children, according to new ... read more

Influence of Religion and Predestination on Evolution and Scientific Thinking

Apr. 28, 2016 — Seen as antithetical to one another, evolution and religion can hardly fit in a scientific discourse simultaneously. One ... read more

Have Trouble Media Multitasking? Mindfulness Intervention Helps Sharpen Focus, Study Shows

Apr. 19, 2016 — People who often mix their media consumption -- texting while watching TV, or listening to music while reading -- are not ... read more

Bodies Of 40 Frozen Tiger Cubs Found At Thailand's 'Tiger Temple'

Dead Tiger Cubs Found in Thai Temple

Thailand's 'Tiger Temple' Could Soon Be Tigerless

Tug-of-War Resumes Over Thai Temple Tigers

Providers Face Cultural Challenges When Evaluating Refugee Children

Aug. 15, 2016 — Numerous challenges face providers who are administering developmental screenings for refugee children, including differences in cultural and religious beliefs, language barriers, and disparate ... read more

Religiosity Diminishes Conservative Opposition to Eco-Friendly Buying

July 12, 2016 — Evidence has been found that religious identification and belief in a god dampen the otherwise strong negative effect that political conservatism typically has on whether people make purchasing ... read more

Rediscovery of Early Twentieth-Century Ecotheology

July 5, 2016 — The vast majority of us subscribe to the idea that human activity dramatically changes the natural environment, altering many biological processes. But addressing the global nature of human impact ... read more

Courts of Old Istanbul Yield Insights on Modern Poverty

June 22, 2016 — Few might seek insights on Middle Eastern conflict or modern poverty in records of the Ottoman empire. Yet when an economist combed through centuries-old court documents, he made a surprising ... read more

Lawmakers Might Introduce 'Anti-Evolution' Legislation to Appease Religious Constituents

June 20, 2016 — 'Anti-evolution' education legislation continues to be introduced because lawmakers want to appease religious constituents, not because they expect the bills to be made into laws, new ... read more

Support Across Ethnicities for Physician-Assisted Death

June 9, 2016 — Physician-assisted death was supported by a majority of California and Hawaii residents, regardless of their ethnicity, who responded to an online survey, according to a new ... read more

Evolution and Religion: New Insight Into Instructor Attitudes in Arizona

May 19, 2016 — In a first-of-its kind study, scientists have found that a majority of professors teaching biology in Arizona universities do not believe that helping students accept the theory of evolution is an ... read more

Religious Rhetoric Not Helpful in Anti-Alcohol Messages

Apr. 19, 2016 — Does including a religious message in a public service announcement warning of the dangers of alcohol use make a difference to the viewer, especially if that person lives in a Middle Eastern country ... read more

Pros and Cons of Mandatory GMO Labeling

Apr. 1, 2016 — Researchers have concluded that mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods is justified, based on an extensive review of international scientific and legal frameworks related to genetically ... read more

What Are the Risks of Growing Up in Places of High Religious Segregation?

Mar. 25, 2016 — A new report sheds light on the risks encountered by young people and children growing up in places of high religious segregation. The report focuses on interface communities -- areas in Northern ... read more

Meditation and Ballet Associated With Wisdom, Study Says

Mar. 7, 2016 — A new study confirms the age-old conception that meditation is associated with wisdom. Surprisingly, it also concludes that somatic (physical) practices such as classical ballet might lead to ... read more

A Uniter and a Divider: Purity Keeps Us Together -- And Apart

Feb. 2, 2016 — A study of moral values reveals issues related to purity can determine how close -- or how far -- we want to be with someone in social and political ... read more

Coexisting With Dangerous Carnivores

Jan. 22, 2016 — A new study measures the psychological predictors of tolerance for tigers in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, where the large carnivores have a rocky and sometimes violent relationship with local ... read more

Preventing Violent Extremism Requires New Police Programs, Report Finds

Jan. 14, 2016 — The U.S. strategy to prevent homegrown violent extremism through community policing holds promise, but faces significant challenges and needs reforms, according to a new report. Community policing ... read more

Cultural Look at Moral Purity: Wiping the Face Clean

Jan. 12, 2016 — Moral purity is both universal and culturally variable. Its existence is found East and West. But the specific form of purification may differ from one culture to another. Whether people should wipe ... read more

Religious Beliefs Don't Always Lead to Violence

Jan. 7, 2016 — From the Christian Crusades to the Paris attacks, countless conflicts and acts of violence have been claimed to be the result of differing religious beliefs. These faith-based opinions are thought to ... read more

We Trust in Those Who Believe in God, Study Finds

Jan. 5, 2016 — It's political season and there's one thing you're sure to hear a lot about from candidates vying for support -- religion. Talking directly or subtly about religion has become part of ... read more

Religion and Politics Led to Social Tension and Conflict, Then and Now

Dec. 21, 2015 — Humans haven't learned much in more than 2,000 years when it comes to religion and politics. Religion has led to social tension and conflict, not just in today's society, but dating back to ... read more

Compassionate Approach Leads to More Help and Less Punishment

Dec. 19, 2015 — Compassion -- and intentionally cultivating it through training -- may lead us to do more to help the wronged than to punish the wrongdoer, new research suggests. Understanding what motivates people ... read more

New Study Finds Nearly Half of American Muslim Doctors Feel Scrutinized on the Job

Dec. 11, 2015 — In a U.S. national survey of 255 Muslim American physicians, researchers found that nearly half of respondents felt greater scrutiny at work compared to their peers. Nearly one in four said workplace ... read more

Monday, August 15, 2016

Providers face cultural challenges when evaluating refugee children

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Religiosity diminishes conservative opposition to eco-friendly buying

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Rediscovery of early twentieth-century ecotheology

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Courts of old Istanbul yield insights on modern poverty

Monday, June 20, 2016

Lawmakers might introduce 'anti-evolution' legislation to appease religious constituents

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Support across ethnicities for physician-assisted death

Thursday, May 19, 2016

Evolution and religion: New insight into instructor attitudes in Arizona

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Religious rhetoric not helpful in anti-alcohol messages

Friday, April 1, 2016

Pros and cons of mandatory GMO labeling

Friday, March 25, 2016

What are the risks of growing up in places of high religious segregation?

Monday, March 7, 2016

Meditation and ballet associated with wisdom, study says

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

A uniter and a divider: Purity keeps us together -- and apart

Friday, January 22, 2016

Coexisting with dangerous carnivores

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Preventing violent extremism requires new police programs, report finds

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Cultural look at moral purity: Wiping the face clean

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Religious beliefs don't always lead to violence

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

We trust in those who believe in God, study finds

Monday, December 21, 2015

Religion and politics led to social tension and conflict, then and now

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Compassionate approach leads to more help and less punishment

Friday, December 11, 2015

New study finds nearly half of American Muslim doctors feel scrutinized on the job

Monday, December 7, 2015

Study of environmental attitudes finds nine distinct segments of American population

Thursday, December 3, 2015

First worldwide survey of religion and science: No, not all scientists are atheists

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Christmas period may reduce quality of life for many Europeans

Friday, November 20, 2015

Sunday the day of rest for fires, study suggests

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Smoking hits all-time low, but not for these three groups

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

How to forge a place in the 'Wealthy West': Challenges for second-generation immigrants

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Middle schoolers may benefit academically from extracurricular activities

Monday, October 5, 2015

Unconscious bias among physicians results in low quality care for LGBT, disabled patients

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Negative spiritual beliefs associated with more pain and worse physical, mental health

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

New survey on Americans' views on papal encyclical on climate change

Sunday, August 23, 2015

People's spiritual awareness varies throughout the day

Thursday, August 13, 2015

High participation in small church groups has its downside, research shows

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Aggressive vaccination prevented Amish measles contagion from spreading broadly

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

The public's political views are strongly linked to attitudes on environmental issues

Monday, June 29, 2015

Huge congregations view racial inequality differently than others do, study shows

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

How 'science popularizers' influence public opinion on religion

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Millennials: The least religious generation

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Those who believe in pure evil support more harsh criminal punishments, study finds

Friday, May 8, 2015

Researchers unearthing slave artifacts in South Carolina

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Perception of US care for the dying worsens

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Zombie family values: The Walking Dead TV program analyzed

Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Healthcare professionals must recognize importance of human rights to improve healthcare for women, experts say

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Heating can damage the artistic heritage of churches

Monday, April 6, 2015

Stop complaining about the moral decline of western society, expert says

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Study underscores complexity of geopolitics in the age of the Aztec empire

Monday, March 16, 2015

Die-hard college sports fans defy expectations

Friday, March 13, 2015

Nearly 70 percent of evangelicals do not view religion, science as being in conflict

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Religion, support for birth control health coverage can mix

Thursday, February 26, 2015

Thinking of God makes people bigger risk-takers, study suggests

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Biology teachers: Understanding faith, teaching evolution not mutually exclusive

Monday, February 2, 2015

Keep your enemies close? Study finds greater proximity to opponents leads to more polarization

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Many religious people view science favorably, but reject certain scientific theories

Friday, January 23, 2015

Thursday, January 22, 2015

American liberals and conservatives think as if from different cultures

Monday, January 12, 2015

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Spanish TV during Franco educated children to be good citizens

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Employees who are open about religion are happier, study suggests

Monday, December 15, 2014

Virtual bodyswapping diminishes people's negative biases about others

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Affluence, not political complexity, explains rise of moralizing world religions

Monday, November 24, 2014

Breaking with tradition: 'Personal touch' is key to cultural preservation

Monday, November 17, 2014

Friday, November 14, 2014

Theologian examines implications of 13th century manuscripts of Saint Francis of Assisi

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Monday, November 10, 2014

Of gods and men: Societies living in harsh environments are more likely to believe in moralizing gods

Monday, November 3, 2014

Thursday, October 30, 2014

'Himalayan Viagra' fuels caterpillar fungus gold rush

Monday, October 27, 2014

Suicide resilience, vulnerability among African-American adults focus of new research

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Reminding people of their religious belief system reduces hostility, study shows

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Thursday, October 2, 2014

To life! Practicing Judaism could protect against suicide, study finds

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Indian scientists significantly more religious than UK scientists

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Rooting out horse-meat fraud in the wake of a recent food scandal

Monday, September 15, 2014

Researchers urge psychologists to see institutional betrayal

Monday, September 8, 2014

Religious youths are less likely to experiment with drugs and alcohol, study finds

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Mandatory policy boosts flu vaccination rates among health care workers

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Muslim headscarf may buffer against negative body image among women

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Women will benefit from the Affordable Care Act's contraceptive coverage

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Virginity pledges for men can lead to sexual confusion, even after the wedding day

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

The spiritual person: Alcohol releases the 'beast within'

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Anxiety and amen: Prayer doesn't ease symptoms of anxiety-related disorders for everyone

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Companies' religious affiliation can buffer negative reactions

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Community religious beliefs influence whether wives work outside home, study finds

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

A campaign involving Muslim clerics has increased uptake of polio vaccination in Nigeria

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Pervasive implicit hierarchies for race, religion, age revealed by study

Monday, July 7, 2014

Moral beliefs a barrier to HPV vaccine, researchers find