The Paradox of Religions and the Cycle of Religions

The "Paradox of Religions" and the "Cycle of Religions" are two terms suggested by German Psychologist Victoria Rationi in her new book "Das Religionsparadox" (=The Paradox of Religions):

Once again (like in "Religiophobia") she argues that a high religiosity does obviously (looking at the Global Peace Index) not lead to more peaceful societies than secular societies.

She then explains her theory of the "Cycle of Religions", which presumes that religiosity prevails in societies with absent or distant fathers (and some other factors) whereas religiosity declines in societies where "caring masculinities" are on the rise.

Religion and the Science of Happiness

The World Happiness Report 2019 seems to show that most of the happiest countries in the world tend to be the least religious (according to the Gallup polls on religiosity):

The World Happiness Report 2019 and Religion

The World Happiness Report 2019 shows once again, that apparently countries with a high level of religiosity are among the unhappiest countries in the world:

The Authoritarian Personality and Religion

Is there a connection between the Authoritarian Personality and Religion? Research should start, if the following criteria of can be found in a religious community:

• Conventionalism: Adherence to conventional values.
• Authoritarian Submission: Towards ingroup authority figures.
• Authoritarian Aggression: Against people who violate conventional values.
• Anti-Intraception: Opposition to subjectivity and imagination.
• Superstition and Stereotypy: Belief in individual fate; thinking in rigid categories.
• Power and Toughness: Concerned with submission and domination; assertion of strength.
• Destructiveness and Cynicism: hostility against human nature.
• Projectivity: Perception of the world as dangerous; tendency to project unconscious impulses.
• Sex: Overly concerned with modern sexual practices.

( Source: this Wikipedia Article )

Cultural Violence and Religion

Can Religion be a cause for Cultural Violence? Johan Galtung wrote:

"Cultural violence" refers to aspects of a culture that can be used to justify or legitimize direct or structural violence, and may be exemplified by religion and ideology, language and art, empirical science and formal science"

(Galtung, Johan. "Cultural Violence," Journal of Peace Research, Vol. 27, No. 3 (Aug., 1990), pp. 291–305)