Religion

Live Science keeps you up to date on the discoveries and insights around religion, from how religious beliefs impact a person's health, to the reasons some people believe and others are atheists, to the history of religion.

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Exorcisms Enter 21st Century with Cellphone-Enabled Demon Busting

April 20, 2018 | Article

Catholic priests have flocked to Rome for this year's exorcism training. Here's what that entails.
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Why Is Easter Called 'Easter'?

March 25, 2018 | Article

Everyone knows that chocolate eggs don't date from the roots of Christianity, but neither does the name (which the Venerable Bede says came from a pagan goddess).
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An Icelandic Epic Predicted a Fiery End for Pagan Gods, and Then This Volcano Erupted

March 20, 2018 | Article

A series of Earth-shattering volcanic eruptions in Iceland during the Middle Ages may have spurred the people living there to turn away from their pagan gods and convert to Christianity.
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Bizarre Origins of 4th-Century 'Santa Claus Bone' Revealed

December 08, 2017 | Article

Is the saint's bone real?
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Why One Woman Mysteriously Started Hearing 'Divine' Voices

December 08, 2017 | Article

A 48-year-old woman in Switzerland stabbed herself several times in the chest, claiming she heard divine voices that instructed her to commit the act as a religious sacrifice, a recent report of the woman's case reveals.
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Cremated Remains of the 'Buddha' Discovered in Chinese Village

November 14, 2017 | Article

The cremated remains of what could be the Buddha have been found in China, along with 260 buddhist statues.
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What Drives Religious Belief? It's Not Intuition

November 11, 2017 | Article

Is religious belief driven by the heart or the head — that is, is it intuition or reason that explains why people believe in god or gods? The answer may be neither: A new study finds that cultural upbringing may explain religious creed.
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The Maya: History, Culture & Religion

August 22, 2017 | Reference

The Maya civilization stretched throughout Central America and reached its peak during the first millennium A.D.
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Ancient Earthquake Turned Mosaic Workshop into Time Capsule

August 15, 2017 | Article

An earthquake-toppled house in the ancient city of Jerash is providing archaeologists with clues on how artisans constructed mosaics during the eighth century.
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Even Atheists Judge Atheists

August 08, 2017 | Article

People believe that those who commit immoral acts are likely to be atheists.
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