Archive for the ‘violence’ Category
Dec 28 2010  |
Amid widespread international disregard for religious freedom, one group of countries stands out: Muslim-majority nations. “Religious persecution is not only more prevalent among Muslim-majority countries, but it also generally occurs at more severe levels,” Brian Grim of the Pew Research Center and Roger Finke of Pennsylvania State University report in a new book, “The Price of Freedom Denied: Religious Persecution and Conflict in the Twenty-First Century.”
[Read Full Column...]Dec 4 2010 |
Having it all – measured in terms of money, sex and public adoration – is no guarantee of happiness. Just ask Tiger Woods. Or listen to the stories of more than 100 current and former NFL players sociologist Eric M. Carter of Georgetown College was able to interview in a groundbreaking study of a world closed to outsiders. The public may idolize them, but elite athletes report high levels of both unhappiness and deviant behavior, Carter discovered. What does have a positive effect, the study found, is faith in God and access to a religious support system.
[Read Full Column...]Sep 23 2010 |
Religious freedoms are more often promised than delivered. Majority religions are tempted to limit competition and strengthen themselves by seeking favored status. Governments contemplate the strife committed in the name of religion, and see restrictions as a way to protect the public good. Yet it is the act of restricting religion, not the presence of diverse groups of faiths, that most likely leads to religious persecution and violence, Brian Grim of the Pew Research Center and Roger Finke of Pennsylvania State University point out in a new book examining “The Price of Freedom Denied.”
[Read Full Column...]Aug 21 2010 |
Too often, religious leaders have perpetuated violence by encouraging abused spouses to give their husbands another chance. Yet it does not have to be that way if faith communities put the safety of women first and challenge rather than enable violent men, Barbara Fisher-Townsend and Nancy Nason-Clark of the University of New Brunswick reported in a recent presentation at the annual meeting of the Association for the Sociology of Religion in Atlanta. Their study of 1,200 abusive men who sought treatment in two faith-based programs in the northwestern United States found that religious intervention helped men confront the behaviors and attitudes that lead to violence.
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