Brain changes linked to spirituality
By studying patients before and after surgery to remove a brain tumor, a team of Italian researchers has identified anatomical changes in the brain that may be linked to shifts in spiritual and religious attitudes.
 

Is there life after death?
Is there life after death? Theologians can debate all they want, but radiation oncologist Dr. Jeffrey Long says if you look at the scientific evidence, the answer is unequivocally yes. Drawing on a decade’s worth of research on near-death experiences — work that includes cataloguing the stories of some 1,600 people [...]

This is the season for traditions: chestnuts roasting on an open fire, carolers on the doorstep, and the endless argument about the secularization of Christmas. This isn’t the usual complaining about the toy and greeting card companies commercializing the holidays, but a much broader trend involving the secularization of religion around the country.
 

Religion repressed in a third of all countries
In Indonesia, Muslim groups burn down a mosque belonging to the minority Ahmadiyya. In Singapore, the government refuses to recognize Jehovah’s Witnesses. In Belgium, 68 religion-based hate crimes are reported in 2007 alone. People living in a third of all countries are restricted from practicing religion freely, either [...]

The world is indeed changing with the acceptance of married priests
The Vatican said Saturday that married Anglican priests will be admitted to the Catholic priesthood on a case-by-case basis as Rome makes it easier for disillusioned conservative Anglicans to convert.
A surprise Vatican decision, announced 10 days earlier to make it easier for Anglicans to become [...]

The magnetic equivalent of electricity in a ‘spin ice’ material
A magnetic charge can behave and interact just like an electric charge in some materials, according to new research led by the London Centre for Nanotechnology.   The findings could lead to a reassessment of current magnetism theories, as well as significant technological advances.
 

All Dogs Go To Heaven
 There is a serious side to religion, but there is also a humorous side to religion.  Here we have a good spirited rivalry between the Catholics and Presbyterians on whether All Dogs Go To Heaven.  So, please enjoy this spirited debate after the jump…

 
In a macabre discovery fit for Indiana Jones,
archaeologists in Spain unearthed a 14th century brick oven with a unique role — to bake bones. Scientists report that the animal bones were burnt in the oven and mixed with other materials to produce a protective coating to strengthen the grand medieval walls of what is today [...]

“A friend or an enemy? A drug” Or a resource?”
The pain-relieving effects of nitrous oxide – laughing gas – may be enhanced by suggestion or hypnosis, according to a new study by UCL (University College London). The study’s findings – that people are more suggestible under the gas – mean that dental patients may benefit [...]

 
Here is a list of the top fifty countries containing the highest percentage of people who identify themselves as atheist, agnostic, or non-believers in God.