Articles & Videos
- Culotta, E. (2009). On the origin of religion. Science, 325(5954), pp. 784-787"...offers an overview of the consensus among scientists regarding how religion arose, such as the benefits of cooperative behavior that religion effects in a society, when religious beliefs began, and the psychology of religion including an emerging cognitive model of religion." (From article abstract).
- Teeter, E. & Brewer, D.J. (2002). Religion in the lives of the ancient Egyptians."Because the role of religion in Euro-American culture differs so greatly from that in ancient Egypt, it is difficult to fully appreciate its significance in everyday Egyptian life. In Egypt, religion and life were so interwoven that it would have been impossible to be agnostic. Astronomy, medicine, geography, agriculture, art, and civil law--virtually every aspect of Egyptian culture and civilization--were manifestations of religious beliefs" (From the first paragraph).
- National academy of sciences. The intersection of science and religion. Evolution resources.A look at evolution and biology. Examines peoples' ongoing questioning of evolution as it conflicts with their religious beliefs. Makes the case for no teaching of creationism in biology or science classes.
- Seljak, D. (2012). Protecting religious freedom in a multicultural Canada. Canadian diversity / Canadian diversité, 9(3), 8-11.This paper seeks to provide a social and historical context for the efforts of the Ontario Human Rights Commissions attempt to re-evaluate its policy on addressing discrimination based on "creed" and protecting religious freedom. ...Most Canadians assume that because Canada is a secular, multicultural society, the problems of religious intolerance and discrimination have disappeared. Consequently, they are confused by public conflicts such as the "reasonable accommodation" debate in Quebec and the "sharia courts" controversy in Ontario. " (From the author's abstract)
- Fasulo, D. F. (2011). Medieval western Europe: Overview of Norse mythology, 1."Norse mythology includes the stories, ideas, and beliefs that helped the ancient and medieval Scandinavians explain their world. Much of what is known about this mythology comes from poems preserved through the Scandinavian oral tradition and later written down. They tell of a world of supernatural beings often locked in combat, and express the fears, hopes and values of the people who imagined that world." (From article summary).
- Bates, C. (October 31, 2012). Is this the world's happiest man? Brain scans reveal French monk has 'abnormally large capacity' for joy - thanks to meditation. Mail Online."A French genetic scientist may seem like an unusual person to hold the title - but Matthieu Ricard is the world's happiest man, according to researchers." (From the beginning of the article).
- Essentials of Faith: Hinduism (Video duration 24 minutes)
"It is not a religion in itself—rather, Hinduism is more of a family of faiths that focus on God in different ways. Nevertheless, the majority of Hindu traditions share the same colorful festivals, reverence for sacred animals, and scriptural use of Sanskrit." (From the film summary). - Essentials of Faith: Islam (Video duration 24 minutes)"The Five Pillars of Islam—belief in one God, praying five times a day, fasting, giving to charity, and going on pilgrimage—guide all Muslims. But cultural and political influences have shaped the observance of the faith in various ways from country to country." (From the film summary).
- Essentials of Faith: Judaism (Video duration 24 minutes)"A shared heritage, a spiritual belief system, a set of rules for living—these are all aspects of Judaism, but the order in which they are emphasized varies greatly within the faith." (From the film summary)
- We'd be better off without religion: A debate (Video duration 1 hour and 57 minutes)"It has been called a gateway to eternal salvation and an incitement to holy war. It has unified peoples yet divided nations. Speakers for the motion underscore that rampant interfaith and intrafaith violence vastly outweighs any social benefits of religion and that key virtues of religion, such as inspiration and consolation, can readily be found in other aspects of life. Those against suggest that religion is inescapable in that faith is an integral part of human nature and that religious moderates—the majority of the planet’s faithful—cumulatively do great good in the world."