Clean and Wicked

Is there a link between cleanliness and wickedness? Well, a new study by Simone Schnall of the University of Plymouth suggests “washing with soap and water makes people view unethical activities as more acceptable and reasonable than they would if they had not washed themselves”. From The Economist:

Physical purification … produces a more relaxed attitude to morality. Perhaps it is no coincidence that Pontius Pilate is portrayed in the Bible as washing his hands of the decision to crucify Jesus. Something to think about for those who feel that purification rituals bring them closer to God.

(Via the blog of the clean-scrubbed Niclas Berggren.)