Science on Religion

Religion helps cooperation be a winning strategy

Human life depends absolutely on cooperation. Unlike other animals, we don’t have big fangs, sharp claws, or leather-thick hides. Instead, we have our ability to work efficiently with each other. In modern industrial civilization, we take this flair for cooperation to the next level, depending each day on thousands of strangers to bring food to our cities, keep the roads clean, and mine coal to power our homes. And it just might be religion that makes this all possible.

Animals and empathy

You come home from a long day, tired and worn out. The boss chewed you out, so you’re also anxious and blue. You flop down in your recliner, reach for the remote – and feel the familiar, loving nuzzle of your faithful dog. It’s a heartwarming image, but does your dog’s concerned-sounding whining and extra attentiveness really mean he feels empathy for you? New research – and one local news story – hint that the answer may be yes, raising questions about the origins of empathy, altruism, and other traits often associated both with humanity and with religion.

Loss, adjustment, and anger toward God

Ever been angry with God? Was it after a loss or due to sickness? If so you are not alone, a recent article suggests that anger towards God is common, shows particular patterns, and these patterns of anger towards God are correlated with life adjustment to illness or loss. In short, people tended to be angrier toward God when they saw him as responsible and attributed these events to cruel intentions.

Atheists distrusted, part I

Unfortunately for American atheists, the majority of their country dislikes them. A 2007 poll indicates that, unlike any other minority group, most Americans would not vote for an atheist presidential candidate, regardless of credentials. Research from 2006 suggests that Americans would more disapprove of their children marrying an atheist than other minority. Wanting to get to the bottom of this prejudice against atheists, psychologists Will Gervais, Ara Norenzayan (both University of British Columbia), and Azim Shariff (University of Oregon) found that prejudice against atheists stems from distrust.

Are atheists being ignored in religiosity and well-being studies?

Are studies that show a relationship between religion and health flawed? Is there any direct connection between religiosity, spirituality, and well-being? Karen Hwang, Joseph Hammer, and Ryan Cragun (Center for Atheist Research) argue that most studies in the area of religion and health have serious flaws. Specifically, according to these authors, the studies show flaws in construct validity, sampling difficulty, problematic analyses, and lack of atheist control samples.

Are atheists and Muslims disgusting?

What do you do when you meet people who hold views that are outside of your belief system? What is your physical response? Psychologists studying this question suggest that when we entertain the ideas of an outgroup (people who have a fundamentally different view of the world than those of our social and intellectual circles), we have a physical disgust reaction.

Sick? Your religion may matter.

In 2006, scientists who worked on the John Templeton Foundation study of anonymous, intercessory prayer released their conclusion that such prayer does not aid in recovering from illness. However, religion may still play an important role in recuperating from disease. Religion can contribute to combating diseases in other ways than asking for supernatural intercession. Evolutionary biologist David Hughes (Pennsylvania State University, University Park) argues that religious social structures and how a group handles epidemics mutually shape each other.

Consciousness streamlines decision-making

According to Darwinian theory, the point of life is simple: produce more life. But this vast agenda doesn’t always seem to motivate our countless humdrum, daily decisions. Instead, James A. Morris (Royal Lancaster Infirmary, UK) argues that we’re motivated by a single, simple choice in all our decisions: pleasure and pain. Importantly, consciousness is vital for this mechanism to work, since only conscious beings can actually experience good or unpleasant feelings. And religion may be one of the tools our societies use to tell us what to feel good, or bad, about.

Religious terrorism: an evolutionary explanation

Interest in the scientific study of religion has surged over the past decade. While this development is positive in many ways, it comes largely for an unfortunate reason – global terrorism, exemplified most clearly by the September 11th attacks of ten years ago. Since many terrorist attacks since then have been committed by hardline Muslim believers, researchers have put extensive effort into elucidating the complex relationship between religion and violent acts. Now, a team of investigators is applying the principles of evolutionary psychology to help explain why the two are so often entwined.

Takes one to know one: religious ties that bind

Some religions seem so exclusive that their adherents tend to ignore anyone who does not share their faith. Perhaps if they followed another religion, they would socialize with those of different beliefs. In short, does one’s religion matter when it comes to having interreligious relationships (i.e., relationships with someone from another religion)? Sociologists Christopher Scheitle (Pennsylvania State University) and Buster Smith (Catawba College), found that conservative and black Protestants form the fewest interreligious connections, and that even the non-religious prefer their own, non-religious company.