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Life is like a game of Jenga… you never know when it’s all going to come crashing down.

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Beyond Allport’s Paradox: The Religion and Prejudice Equation: Part Three
The following is adapted from an essay submitted to the Department of Psychology, University of Carleton, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the B.A. with Honours degree. Read Part One here, and Part Two here. Religiousness vs. Spirituality Clearly, social scientists face many challenges when applying religion as a variable to other factors such…
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Beyond Allport’s Paradox: The Religion and Prejudice Equation: Part Two
In the second installment of my blog series entitled, Beyond Allport’s Paradox, I review some studies on religious prejudice and follow-up with a brief analysis and critique . Read Part One here. Literature Review and Meta-Analyses Summary: Allport and Ross (1967) In Allport and Ross’s 1967 study, they examined religiosity as a factor in prejudice…
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Beyond Allport’s Paradox: The Religion and Prejudice Equation: Part One
The following is adapted from an essay submitted to the Department of Psychology, Carleton University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the B.A. with Honours degree. Abstract Psychologist Gordon Allport posited that religion was paradoxically linked with prejudice. It has the ability to produce or protect from prejudice. Ironically, social scientific investigations of…
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The Five Aggregates: Buddhism and the Human Personality
The Five Aggregates (khandhas) According to Buddhist thought, in particular the Theravāda tradition, the human personality is composed of five aggregates (khandhas). These constituents are often referred to as, ‘The five aggregates of clinging’. The five aggregates, in addition to the chain of dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda), are believed to play an integral role in the…
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Why Does Jesus Appear in Cheese? [VIDEO]
Cheesus. You may have heard of him. It’s the ‘cheesy’ name given for savior sightings à la fromage. It’s not just cheese that Jesus is appearing in either. He’s making the rounds in baked goods, crumpled clothing, rocks, trees, and even ultrasounds. The video compilation below shows just how much he gets around. Sure, some of…
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Illusion in the Freudian Theory of Religion: Part Two
ILLUSION IN THE FREUDIAN THEORY OF RELIGION con’t… Read Part One here. Freud put forth some intriguing ideas about the origin, motivation and tenacity of religion. He has, however, been harshly criticized for his lack of validity, and some have suggested that he, himself, engaged in mythologizing and counter-narration of already established myths. A brief…
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Illusion in the Freudian Theory of Religion: Part One
Adapted from an essay submitted March 2012 to the the Department of Religion, Carleton University ILLUSION IN THE FREUDIAN THEORY OF RELIGION Sigmund Freud’s theory of religion, as outlined in his seminal works, Totem and Taboo, Moses and Monotheism,and The Future of an Illusion, undoubtedly contributed to numerous classical and contemporary scholars pointedly labelling…
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What is the Psychology of Religion?
What is the Psychology of Religion? Let’s begin by looking at definitions of both psychology and religion. Examining their historical and contemporary contexts can allow us to better understand how psychology and religion have developed to form a symbiotic relationship (even though some may contest otherwise, but that’s another post for another day). Psychology Humans have been…
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Nature-Connectedness: The Greening of Behaviour, Well-Being and Christian Imperatives: Part 3