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Articles on Religion

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Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus on 25 December? Adoration of the shepherds (1622) by Gerard van Honthorst/WIkimedia Commons

How did we come to celebrate Christmas?

Before Christmas became child-centred, Father Christmas was the personification of a mid-winter feast of merrymaking for adults – and he brought no presents.
A woman waits behind a Cuban flag for the arrival of Fidel Castro’s funeral procession in Esperanza, Cuba. AP Photos/Natacha Pisarenko

Religion shapes Cuba despite Castro’s influence

Under Fidel Castro, Cuba declared itself as an atheist state. Castro’s relationship with religion, however, was far more complex. It left a deep impact on the religious identity of Cuba.
What do you believe in? shutterstock.com

Anthill 7: On belief

The Antill 7: On belief The Conversation, CC BY-ND46.9 MB (download)
Four stories on belief: from the allure of cults and conspiracy theories, to the effect of trauma on faith, to the way dogma has influenced science – and if technology can actually shift our beliefs.
Jennie A. Brownscombe’s ‘The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth’ (1914). Wikimedia Commons

The two men who almost derailed New England’s first colonies

The Pilgrims were thankful for finally being able to vanquish Thomas Morton and Ferdinando Gorges, who spent years trying to undermine the legal basis for settlements in Massachusetts and beyond.
Protestants hold a Sunday service in the open air in Jakarta. Their efforts to erect their own church buildings have been blocked by hardline Muslim groups. Cherian George

The curious power of hate propaganda in open societies

Truth’s victory over hate propaganda is neither automatic nor preordained. It requires a commitment to equal rights and norms of tolerance.
A voter at a polling station during the New York primary elections in the Manhattan borough of New York City. Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Religious feelings could sway the vote in 2016 election

How white Republicans and white Democrats feel about Muslims is influencing their candidate choice as well as willingness to vote in the 2016 election.
Sports can push people to come to terms with suffering as well as success. Reuters/China Daily

Why sport is a spiritual experience – and failure can help

‘Sport is my religion’ isn’t just a cute bumper sticker. Athletes create rituals, endure suffering and face their own mortality. Under the right circumstances, sport can be a powerful – and secular – spiritual practice.

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