Faithful Reflections

Humans are programmed to believe in God because it gives them a better chance of survival, researchers claim. A study into the way children's brains develop suggests that during the process of evolution those with religious tendencies began to benefit from their beliefs - possibly by working in groups to ensure the future of their community. The findings of Bruce Hood , professor of developmental psychology at Bristol University, suggest that magical and supernatural beliefs are hardwired into our brains from birth, and that religions are therefore tapping into a powerful psychological force. His work is supported by other researchers who have found evidence linking religious feelings and experience to particular regions of the brain. They suggest people are programmed to receive a feeling of spirituality from electrical activity in these areas. The findings challenge atheists such as Richard Dawkins , the author of The God Delusion , who has long argued that religious beliefs...

The narrative circulating about Professor Maurice Bucaille's alleged conversion to Islam, purportedly triggered by his research on the mummy of Pharaoh and a specific Quranic verse, is a popular story within certain Islamic circles. However, a closer examination reveals significant discrepancies and unsubstantiated claims that warrant refutation. The story typically begins with the French government, under President François Mitterrand in 1981 , requesting the transfer of Pharaoh Merneptah's mummy from Egypt to France for scientific examination. The article provided states, "Upon arrival, a very royal attendants were there including the French president himself and all ministers who bowed in honor for the mummy." This depiction of President Mitterrand and his ministers "bowing in honor for the mummy" is highly improbable and lacks any credible historical evidence. French official protocol, and indeed general Western diplomatic customs, do not involve bowin...