Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Publications


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    Being Good for Goodness’ Sake?

    This holiday season, the American Humanist Association has launched a campaign featuring ads on Washington, D.C., buses that proclaim, “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.” But a 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project found that a majority of Americans say it is necessary to believe in […]

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    The Importance of Pilgrimage to Muslim Americans

    The Hajj, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, takes place in early December this year. Every able-bodied Muslim is expected to make the pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime, and the Hajj attracts millions of believers every year. The Pew Research Center’s 2007 Muslim American survey found […]

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    States With Voter-Approved Constitutional Bans on Same-Sex Marriage, 1998-2008

    On Nov. 18, 2003, Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage following a ruling by the state’s highest court. In the five years since the Massachusetts decision, 26 states have amended their constitutions to ban gay marriage. Before the Massachusetts ruling, only three states had passed constitutional amendments prohibiting the practice – Alaska […]

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    Conference Calls: Analyzing the 2008 Election

    The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life hosted three press conference calls for journalists starting at midnight on election night and continuing through Wednesday, Nov. 5. Pew Forum experts analyzed religion’s role in the election, examined how the religious public voted and more. Senior Fellow John Green answered questions from members of the media […]

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    Video: Targeting the Faithful

    Senior Fellow John Green spoke with former advisers to Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney about outreach to religious voters in the 2008 primaries. They also discussed the role faith outreach may play in the general election. Read the full transcript >>

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    Gay Marriage Timeline

    Timeline provided by Stateline.org « Return to the gay marriage issue page  A history of same-sex marriage laws Important events are listed in red  1993 Hawaii Supreme Court rules the state must show a compelling reason to ban same-sex marriage and orders a lower court to hear a case seeking the right of same-sex couples […]

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    Video: The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey Overview

    Based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans ages 18 and older, this extensive new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American public. Pew Forum Director Luis Lugo gives an overview of the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey and talks about some of its key findings. […]

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    Video: Is the ‘God Gap’ Closing?

    In new books, Amy Sullivan of Time magazine and E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post contend the “God gap” between Democratic and Republican Voters is closing, with implications for the 2008 election. They discussed their books with journalists at a recent Pew Forum event. Read the full transcript >>