Assorted links on religion – behavioral edition

1. While fervent believers benefit from their involvement, those with weaker beliefs are actually less happy than those who do not ascribe to any religion. These results may help explain why an increasing number of people are abandoning their faith.

see more below:

2. A theory of liberal churches — liberal in the sense of requiring moderate views and sacrifice.

3. This paper tries to explain the Catholic dogma of papal infallibility as a rational choice that virtually forecloses future doctrinal change and thereby triggers the adoption of more loyal behavior by church members.

4. Does higher income make you more altruistic? Evidence from the Holocaust. (But is it enough for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle?)

5. There is a tradeoff between the 10th commandment and the 7th.

6. The Bible for Straight Men