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[VIDEO] Learn About World Religions Via Free Screencasts
I was delighted to come across philosophy and religious studies professor, Dale Tuggy’s Youtube account. As a religion blogger and scholar, I often find it difficult to locate quality and informative videos that are free from theological/philosophical biases to share with my flock. It’s a somewhat arduous task, but thankfully Dr. Tuggy has just made…
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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 National Church of Bey: Official Commercial and Indiegogo Campaign
A few weeks ago I posted about an Atlanta area church purportedly worshipping music superstar Beyonce Knowles. Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction, and this appears to be one of those times. Or is it? This morning I followed up with the Church’s activities on social media feeds and was delighted to find some…
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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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The 32 Marks of the Buddha
Have you ever noticed the many variations of Buddhas depicted in different pieces of artwork? Some of these differences can be attributed to tradition or cultural influences, while others are simply artistic liberty. Many artistic renditions incorporate primary ‘Buddha’ traits described in the Pali Canon. Some Buddhist streams of thought believe another 80 secondary characteristics…
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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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Pro Sports and Religion
I admit to being rather ignorant when it comes to the world of professional sports. Unlike the millions of die-hard fans out there, any kind of engagement in professional sports for me is little more than a novelty. So, it’s little wonder that I have minimal knowledge about the ways in which professional sports franchises…
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The National Church of Bey (That’s Beyonce, For the Unindoctrinated)
Whether serious or satire, this is certainly a curious piece of news circulating the religion feeds. It also highlights the complexities of defining religion (and perhaps, how not-for-profit religious organizations are granted such status). Sometime last year, a group of about a dozen Beyonce Knowles fans in Atlanta (GA) formed a church dedicated to Her…