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Eastern and Western Europeans Differ on Importance of Religion, Views of Minorities, and Key Social Issues
Central and Eastern Europeans more likely than those in West to say birth, ancestry important to national identity
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- Eastern and Western Europeans Differ on Importance of Religion, Views of Minorities, and Key Social Issues
- Vast differences across Europe in public attitudes toward Muslims
- Western Europeans more likely than Central and Eastern Europeans to say they would accept Jews, Muslims into their family
- Fewer people in Western European countries see religion as a key component of national identity
- Eastern Europeans are more likely to regard their culture as superior to others
- Most Central and Eastern Europeans oppose same-sex marriage, while most Western Europeans favor it
- Western Europe unified in support for legal abortion, Central and Eastern Europe more evenly divided
- Young adults in Central and Eastern Europe largely oppose gay marriage
- Even among young adults, relatively few in Central and Eastern Europe willing to accept Muslims in family
- Europe’s Christians split among Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants
- Large drops in Christian affiliation in Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden
- Overall, Central and Eastern Europeans are more religious than Western Europeans
- Belief in God more widespread in Central and Eastern Europe
- Central and Eastern Europeans more likely than Western Europeans to believe in fate
- Western Europe more united in support of church-state separation
- Central and Eastern Europeans more likely than those in West to say birth, ancestry important to national identity
- In Western Europe, young adults less likely than elders to link ancestry with national identity; not so in East
- Majorities across Europe say national language, laws key to identity
- Large drops in Christian affiliation in Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden