Islam spread through the Christian world via the bedroom

Unions between Muslims and non-Muslims played a huge part in the expansion of Islam.

There are few transformations in world history more profound than the conversion of the peoples of the Middle East to Islam. Starting in the early Middle Ages, the process stretched across centuries and was influenced by factors as varied as conquest, diplomacy, conviction, self-interest and coercion. There is one factor, however, that is largely forgotten but which played a fundamental role in the emergence of a distinctively Islamic society: mixed unions between Muslims and non-Muslims.

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Decades ago, ecstasy — yes, MDMA — was used in marriage counseling

A revival is occurring, and we sure can use it.

  • For the first decade after it was synthesized, MDMA was used in individual and couples therapy.
  • Many therapists spoke against the criminalization of MDMA in 1985 due to the drug's therapeutic potential.
  • A revival has occurred in recent years, with the government allowing clinical trials to move forward.
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14 movies for your next pagan holiday

In your Ostara bonnet…

  • 14 pagan-flavored movies to consider for your next holiday get-together.
  • Filmmakers just can't stay way from the pagan love of nature and magic.
  • Pagan-themed movies can be excellent training for wee environmentalists.
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Should men tell women to wear makeup at work?

Seemingly small moments of discrimination often pass unnoticed.

Photo credit: Keystone / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Culture & Religion
  • While the #metoo movement has focused on sexual misconduct, there are many ways discrimination pervades society.
  • Wearing makeup should be a choice, not a male-directed demand, many women stated in an informal survey.
  • Since going makeup free in 2016, Alicia Keys says it has been empowering.
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Gossip was a powerful tool for the powerless in Ancient Greece

Through calculated use of gossip, women, non-citizens, or slaves wielded a potent weapon against those who wronged them.

Photo credit: Nicholas Tsikourias / Keystone / Hulton Archive / Getty Images
Culture & Religion

At the heart of the greatest works of Ancient Greek literature are mighty acts of revenge. Revengers overcome their enemies through superior physical prowess, as when Achilles kills Hector in a single combat to avenge the death of his comrade Patroclus; or through their employment of trickery and deceit, as when Medea slays Creon and his daughter by using poisoned clothing in revenge against Jason, her unfaithful husband. But how could a person lacking in physical strength, magical abilities or supportive friends take revenge?

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Ha Jin on the wild and tragic life of China's greatest poet, Li Bai

The 8th century AD was a tough time to be a genius from a poor family in China. Poet and novelist Ha Jin on the tortured life of the legendary drunken poet Li Bai. Also: panpsychism, the value of idleness, and humanities education in America today.

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  • "I knew in the case of Li Bai, I should follow the poems. Every masterpiece by him would be kind of a small crisis…a center for drama in his life."
  • "There are people who want a different kind of fulfillment. Society should be open to that. In the long run, you don't know—maybe those idlers can produce more for the society."
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