Tag Archives: Religion

America’s Religious Revenge: Or, What We’re Doing Wrong

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Rayan Zehn

I’ve been arguing for years that as the US shifts more towards secular policies, displacing historically sacred values, and as the religious population in the US slowly dwindles, a religious (namely, Christian) reaction will most likely occur. Well, we’ve entered … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Secular Health in US Probably on the Rise, Despite Evangelical Revival

Posted on January 7, 2018 by Rayan Zehn

When we examine the US’s sociopolitical climate it is very tempting to believe reactionary evangelicalism is a growing trend. Once thought critically endangered, evangelical politics appears to be gaining support. More importantly, it appears to be a driving force. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Causes of Radical Jihadist Terrorism

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Rayan Zehn

In international relations the concept of terrorism usually always boils down to Islamic radical terror. Few other categories of terrorists operate internationally; therefore, most of the literature centers on violent Islamic Jihad. So what are the causes? How can we … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Expanded Probability of Falling Victim to Jihadist Terror in the US

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Rayan Zehn

My last post laid out data collection and methodology to determine the probability that an American will be injured or killed by an Islamic terrorist. The answer was, based on the most previous seven years of data, you would have … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Probability of Falling Victim to Jihadist Terror in the US: A Correction and Update

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Rayan Zehn

The other day I made a blog post pointing out the extraordinary unlikelihood of a person becoming victim to a Jihadist terrorist attack in the United States. I regret to write that I got the math wrong somewhat. The intuition was … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Turned My University into a Liar and a Criminal Organization

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Rayan Zehn

Trump’s executive order last week temporarily restricting refugees and travelers from certain Muslim-majority countries has turned my university into a liar and a criminal organization—if you take it literally. My university has a statement on the Office of Institutional Equity … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Shocking Consciences: Things Aren’t as Bad as They Appear

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Rayan Zehn

For the last couple days—well, since Friday, anyway—my social circle, which is comprised mostly of college students, military members, and academics, has been shocked by the direction this country is going. When I say shocked, I mean their consciences have … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Simple Logic for Religion and Politics

Posted on January 5, 2017 by Rayan Zehn

Syllogisms are not what many people think they are, and the American political landscape is a testament to this fact. Too often I hear people construct logical arguments with sound sounding propositions but, taken together, are deeply flawed. Take this … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A New Religion That’ll Bring You to Your Knees: My Father’s God Has Orange Hair

Posted on December 24, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

Being a political scientist is not what many think. We are not politicians drafting legislation. We are not activists trying to make the world a better place, according to our own preferences. And we certainly aren’t trying to get people … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheism, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Security and Religiosity: The Jacksonian Values that Wed American Society to Faith

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Rayan Zehn

There is a set of academic literature that suggests there is a negative relationship between existential security and religiosity. As security increases, we become less religious as a society. This is demonstrated across societies. More secure societies in Europe are distinctly less religious … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment