Garth Kroeker

Nationalism—loyalty and commitment to serve one’s country—is, in many ways, a secular cousin of religion. Patriotism—the warmer, more emotio...

In conclusion, religious beliefs—and organized group religion in particular—have been part of human civilization for thousands of years. Cul...

Imagine a crowded church service at the moment the congregation rises. Each person hears the same words, sees the same gestures, and sees ev...

There are many unanswered questions about how the universe works. Part of the wonder of science is appreciating that for every advance in u...

The combination of religion with narcissistic style is not hard to find, but the issue is more specific than religiosity alone. Some forms o...

Some religions feature unusual behaviours that are accepted as manifestations of divinity. One example is glossolalia (“speaking in tongues”...

In some cases, religious groups prescribe particular foods, styles of dress, grooming habits, and behavioural expectations that are only loo...

Many religions have teachings about the “last things”—what happens after death, and, in some traditions, how history itself will end. This b...

Many religions have concepts of Heaven and Hell: Heaven an eternal state of perfect happiness, and Hell an eternal state of punishment. Reli...

Humans have engaged in all manner of atrocities, and despite the horrors of the past century, we see repeatedly—across earlier centuries as ...

Abuse is unfortunately common. It affects every type of community and family. I have seen numerous cases in which religious texts or element...

Humans have a far more richly developed capacity for imagination than other animals. We can carry internalized representations of important ...

Prayer may mean different things to different people. For many, it is a meditative act: a type of philosophical reflection with existential ...

A related religious metaphor is shepherding. Jesus is called the “Good Shepherd,” and there are many other biblical passages that liken God ...

Most religions have some form of sacrifice alluded to in their theology. Sometimes this involves literal offerings—killing and burning anima...