[Science] Scriptural Violence Can Foster Aggression, Especially in Believers

"Psychologists studying religion have tended, until recently, to focus on its role in psychological healing. But no longer: now they are beginning to investigate some of its less benign aspects.
A study published in this month's Psychological Science looks at the relation between aggression and recent exposure to accounts of Biblical violence.
[...]
Higher levels of aggression were measured in two groups of students: in those who were told that the passage was from the Bible and in those who had read that the violence was sanctioned by God."

Humaniststudies.org, Mar. 14, 2007

[Science] Power of prayer flunks an unusual test

"In the largest study of its kind, researchers found that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications."

msnbc.msn.com, March 30, 2006

A year old, but worth to read and to keep. When I read the headline, I tend to read it as "Power of prayer flunks as usual".