religion

New research nixes idea that religious people are ‘born believers.’

India is a vast land, rich in history, beauty, and great ideas. Here, we want to introduce you to ten great minds in Indian thought. These ten thinkers span thousands of years, include several religions, and more than a few fields of expertise.

From an evolutionary perspective, religious practices and rituals are a form of play.

The US is arguably the most scientifically and technologically advanced society in the world, and yet at the same time the most religious of Western societies.    

Philosopher Tim Crane believes religion can be a rational, “intelligible human reaction to the mystery of the world.”

The U.S. has been steadily losing its religion for decades — but that trend might ramp up significantly in the years to come.

Pew Research also reports that 10 nations are outright hostile to religion.

In an age of bountiful data, there’s dark potential for how corporations and judicial systems could use private details to discriminate against innocent people.

Einstein believed in the unseen—like gravitational waves, ripples in space and time. Now, we can see this, as shown by the 2017 Nobel Prize physics winners.

Is atheism on the rise, or is religion? At times we hear polls claiming both, but new research shows it’s not that simple. 

Don’t settle for comfortable and familiar thoughts, reach for what you don’t know, says Harvard professor Stephen Greenblatt.

Rabbi Darren Levine explains how the psychology of happiness intersects with religious practice.

In 1936, a school girl named Phyllis wrote a letter to Albert Einstein to ask whether a person could believe in both science and religion. He was quick to reply.

Richard Dawkins responds to the Alt-Right, Trump’s policies, and discusses the evil potential of ideology.

Where are the four “horsewomen” of new atheism? Well, here are two of them, secular scholars Rebecca Goldstein and Susan Jacoby. 

A recent study reported that middle-aged adults who attended religious services were half as likely to die prematurely. Is religion truly a miracle drug?

Fr. Thomas Joseph White on the source of our religious inclinations.

Humans are a programmable species, and we live inside the most ancient operating system of all — ideology.

New research claims religious terrorism is on the rise, and it appears that it’s going to get worse before we see a decline in such horrendous acts. 

You have to be a little envious of those who have faith—they have a motivational force behind them that is near impossible to beat. What if there was a secular equivalent, wonders philosophy professor Sam Newlands.

Two sociologists examine how religious practice impacts African American and Latino marriages.

What does Robert Sapolsky—an “utter, complete, atheist”—think about the persistence of magical thinking in our modern world?

Physics finds no trace of God so far—but does it matter?

Research suggests that a religious edict from the Catholic Church shaped the evolution of the modern chicken.

Jesus was a revered figure and prophet in the Quran. But what exactly do Muslims believe about him?

A new study finds a connection between brain lesions and the ability of a person to consider other beliefs.

Many people will try to give you hope or sell it to you, says Richard M. Cohen, who was diagnosed with MS at 25, and has battled two bouts of cancer, but hope is an internal discovery.

Faith is absurd — let’s embrace the comedy in that.

A religious person without a sense of humor? That’s a dangerous combination.

It’s illegal, yet usually a subconscious act. So how can we scrub bias from the hiring process?