STUDY: Buddhism Reduces Prejudice

Secular Talk

According to rawstory.com, Belgian and Taiwanese researchers found that being exposed to Buddhist concepts can lead to decreased prejudice toward others.

rawstory.com:

“Buddhism contains a variety of teachings and practices – such as meditation – intended to help individuals develop a more open-minded and compassionate personality. Unlike the three dominant monotheistic religions, it does not draw a sharp line between believers and unbelievers.

“In three separate experiments of 355 individuals, the researchers found that being exposed to words related to Buddhism could “automatically activate prosociality and tolerance, in particular among people with socio-cognitive open-mindedness.”

More:

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/study-unconscious-reminders-of-buddhism-reduce-prejudice-even-among-christians/

http://psp.sagepub.com/content/41/4/513.abstract

(Updated post)

Non-Religious Anti-Discrimination Ordinance Passes In Madison, Wisconsin

Secular Talk

Do non-religious, secular people, and atheists have legal protections?

“On Tuesday, the city of Madison, Wisconsin announced that it is now against the law to discriminate against atheists, making it the first city in the country to grant explicit legal protection to people who do not believe in a God,” according to the publication Think Progress.

Think Progress:

“According to Hemant Mehta of the Friendly Atheist blog, last night the Madison city council voted unanimously to add atheists to a list of protected groups in the city’s equal opportunity ordinance, an anti-discrimination law. The move, which inserts the phrase ‘religion or nonreligion’ into the legal code, prevents atheists from being denied equal opportunity in employment, housing, and public accommodations.”

Secular Talk looks at the ordinance passed in Madison, Wisconsin that protects atheists and secular people.

(Updated post)

Gunmen Kidnap 30 Men In Afghanistan

Gunmen in southern Afghanistan kidnapped 30 men from the Hazara ethnic community, authorities said Tuesday, in what appeared to be the latest in a series of attacks on Shiites in the predominantly Sunni country.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack Monday afternoon, police and officials said, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The gunmen kidnapped the 30 people, all men, from two buses on a major road in Zabul province, provincial Gov. Mohammad Ashraf said. He said all women, children and non-Hazaras were left behind.

Abdul Khaliq Ayubi, a local government official, said the gunmen all wore black clothing and black masks.  Others claimed they had “military clothes.”

“Their faces were covered and they were wearing military clothes,” said a witness, according to the BBC.

The Interior Ministry said the buses were driving from the southern city of Kandahar to Kabul when the kidnapping was done by “unknown armed individuals.”

Authorities were searching for the people who were kidnapped.  It is unknown whether they are still alive. Some of whom may be government officials, Ashraf said.