More Bias Against Islam Than Other Faiths in the United States
Americans are more than twice as likely to express prejudice against Muslims than they are against Christians, Jews, or Buddhists, a new survey found. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say they have little or no knowledge of Islam. Still, a majority dislike the faith. (Rachel Zoll, Associated Press)

Finding Meaning in Suffering and Tragedy
The simpler “you sinned” narratives of religion ignore the fact that earthquakes happen simply and only because pressure is released along geologic fault lines joining tectonic plates. But the scientific vision that “it’s all random and meaningless” also fails because it can not embrace the most elemental nature of these events. These tragedies, these “acts of God” are, first and foremost about meaning. (Adam Frank, 13.7: Cosmos and Culture, NPR)

Charity and Generosity Help Ourselves
Professor Jonathan Haidt notes that one thing that can make a lasting difference to your contentment is to work with others on a cause larger than yourself. (Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times)

Loving TV’s Anti-Heroes
Stephen Garrett: How many of us want to be James Gandolfini’s murderous racketeer in The Sopranos, Michael Chiklis’ bent detective in The Shield, Glenn Close’s ruthless lawyer in Damages, or Philip Glenister’s homophobic and misogynist Gene Hunt in Life on Mars? Can they even properly be described as heroes at all? And whatever they are, why do we love them so? (The Times)

“Religious Expression in American Public Life”
Drafted by a diverse group of religious-liberty advocates, educators, and scholars, the document represents the first-ever consensus on how the law addresses the role of religion in the public square in the United States. (Charles Haynes, Hernando Today)

Catholic-Jewish Commission Issues a Statement on Environmentalism
The commission said there is a tension between “secular environmentalist movements and religious perspectives” on ecology because Christians and Jews follow biblical teaching that gives human beings a special place and a special responsibility for the rest of creation. They said the Bible “views nature as being endowed with sanctity that flows from the Creator,” but it also asserts that God made human beings “the summit of his inherently good creation” and gave them stewardship over the earth. (Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service)