Alexandra Sifferlin
Time
Can’t get enough of yourself? Narcissism can certainly be a social turn-off, and a new study from Baylor University shows that its least appealing features may have the strongest effect on those least likely to be so self-focused: the religiously devout.
Researchers at Baylor University surveyed a group of 385 undergraduate students who answered questions about how acceptable they found certain ethically sketchy behaviors, such as an underpaid company executive padding his expense account by $3000 a year, to assess their moral judgment. The students also answered questions about how religious they were, how often they went to church and how important religion was in their lives. Overall, those who were classified as nominal or devout Christians were more likely to show better ethical judgment than skeptics (those who were not very religious).
Cartoon by Bob Moran