Exaggeration of Religious Behavior on Surveys
I heard a great story on NPR this morning about how people over report their religious behavior when they respond to surveys. Over reporting a behavior means a person says they do something more than they really do it. This is not unusual when the behavior being asked about is something viewed positively by society...
A Heathen to Wicca Holiday Crosswalk
I try to be a good Heathen, but as a Wiccan convert I am sometimes confused about when I should observe my faith according to Heathen holy days (henceforth “holidaysâ€). When I first chose Heathenry over Wicca, just because it is a better fit for me, I figured the Wheel of the Year was a...
Texas “Merry Christmas” Law: Let’s Hope It Spreads Cheer, Not Fear
I first heard about the Texas “Merry Christmas†law when it was a bill last summer. My knee-jerk reaction was to roll my eyes. “What a waste of legislative time and effort,†I thought. But in the interest of keeping an open mind, I tried to step back and think about what the law was...
Walls, Corners, and Floor Space: Finding the Right Spot for My Ancestor Altar
Jax has written about ancestor worship and her ancestor altar. I talk to my ancestors often, especially this year, but I have yet to set up an altar. I’m in a nice big house now, which I have all to myself, and I have the “real estate†to dedicate space for my altar in a way...
Confessions of a Pagan Fashionista
I still meet people who are surprised I am Pagan. Not necessarily because it is unusual to encounter a Pagan given our small numbers (even though our ranks are growing), but because I don’t present myself as a stereotypical Pagan. Though I find the concept of a stereotypical Pagan funny because few Pagan resemble it...
The Princess and the “Book of Mormon”
♛ Spoiler Alert: I’ve tried to avoid spoilers here, but it’s not easy. Read at your own risk! ♛ I saw the musical the “Book of Mormon†last weekend. Prior to being offered a ticket, I was lukewarm about seeing this show even though it’s won lots of awards. I am a fan of “South Park†and...
Full of Sound and Fury and Signifying Everything: How Music Influenced My Faith
A few weeks ago, I talked about how much fun I had going to the Rock of Ages concert. All of that  rockin’ and reminiscin’ took me waaayyy back (again) to one of my first critical conversations about faith. I was in my early 20s (which is why it was waaayyy back), working full-time and...
Keeping It Real, Mythologically Speaking
I believe in Odin. Like, for real. I just had to get that off my chest. To be honest, that’s pretty difficult for me to say out loud, (write out loud?) and I find myself regularly avoiding that very statement (or anything similar, such as “I believe in Thor†or “I believe in Freyjaâ€) when...
Is Faith a Function of Brain Architecture?
(or “Are the gods just in my head?”)
Last week, I shared what I learned about a scientific field called the evolutionary psychology of religion. I wanted to write about it because I felt torn when I first started delving into the topic. I’m a pagan and my beliefs are dear to me, as is the company I keep when I practice my...
An Introduction to Evolutionary Psychology of Religion
I am a scientist at heart and by training. Much of my work day is prescribed by the scientific method. And I love it. So when I came across an article in the Los Angeles Times about the scientific inquiry into religious belief as an evolutionary trait, I was intrigued — even though the article...
