Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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Religion

  • short reads

    Gay rights in Russia and the former Soviet republics

    The upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Sochi have cast a spotlight on a recently-enacted Russian law banning the distribution of gay “propaganda” to minors. However, among the 15 countries that used to comprise the Soviet Union, Russia is not the only state to restrict LGBT rights.

  • feature

    Laws aimed at LGBT community in the former Soviet Union

    The sortable table below shows major laws aimed at the LGBT community in the 15 countries that once made up Soviet Union. The five categories are not intended to be comprehensive. Click on the column headers to sort the table.

  • report

    Russians Return to Religion, But Not to Church

    Between 1991 and 2008, the share of Russian adults identifying as Orthodox Christian rose from 31% to 72%, according to data from the International Social Survey Programme. During the same period, the share of Russia’s population that does not identify with any religion dropped from 61% to 18%.

  • short reads

    Sochi Olympics shine spotlight on Russia’s Muslim population

    Security has been among the main storylines leading up to the Winter Olympics, set to begin in Sochi, Russia. Sochi is not far from the city of Volgograd, the target of several recent suicide bombings, and according to The Associated Press, up to 100,000 security personnel have been deployed to guard against potential terrorist acts. […]

  • short reads

    Coke, “America the Beautiful,” and the language of diversity

    Coca-Cola’s “It’s Beautiful” ad, that aired during Sunday night’s Super Bowl, sought to portray ethnic diversity in the U.S. by featuring “America the Beautiful” sung in several languages. But not everyone was happy with Coke’s celebration of diversity in the country.

  • short reads

    Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham: Are evolution and religion at odds?

    Religion and evolution will take center stage Tuesday evening in Petersburg, Ky., home of the Creation Museum and the site of a debate between Ken Ham, the museum’s founder, and Bill Nye. The topic: “Is creation a viable model of origins in today’s modern scientific era?”

  • short reads

    Pope Francis moves beyond Europe with first class of cardinals

    Pope Francis named his first group of new cardinals,  often called “princes of the church,” last week. The 19 men will be formally appointed next month. Media reports have observed that Francis, the first pope from outside Europe in modern times, chose several cardinals from the developing world. Francis’ immediate predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, selected […]