Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Read our research on:

Religion

  • report

    New Pew Forum Study Measures Government Restrictions, Social Hostilities Related to Religion in 198 Countries

    Two-Thirds of World Population Lives Under High Levels of Constraints Washington, D.C.—In a new report measuringinfringements on religious beliefs and practices around the world, thePew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life finds thattwo-in-three people in the world today live in countries with highlevels of restrictions on religion. The report gauges the level ofrestrictions […]

  • report

    Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths

    The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit neatly into conventional categories. A new poll by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life finds that large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions. Many say they attend worship services of more than one faith […]

  • report

    Many Americans Mix Religious Beliefs and Practices

    Pew Forum Poll Finds Eastern, New Age Beliefs Widespread Washington, D.C.—The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit neatly into conventional categories. According to a new report based on a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life, large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, […]

  • fact sheet

    Sikh-Americans and Religious Liberty

    With their distinctive appearance and religious practices, Sikh-Americans often find themselves at the center of workplace discrimination cases and other controversies involving their religious rights. And while Sikh groups have worked to carve out legal protections for the community’s religious practices, their efforts have not always met with success. In California, for example, Gov. Arnold […]

  • report

    GOP Seen as Friendlier To Religion Than Democrats

    More Americans continue to view the Republican Party as friendly toward religion (48%) than rate the Democratic Party that way (29%). President Barack Obama’s administration, however, is seen as friendly toward religion by more people (37%) than the Democratic Party as a whole. And all three get higher ratings for friendliness toward religion than the […]

  • report

    Abortion Plays Small Role in Health Reform Opposition

    While most Americans oppose government funding of abortion, a new Pew Research Center survey finds that concern about abortion funding plays only a small role in driving opposition to the health care reform legislation under consideration by Congress. When health care opponents are asked in an open-ended question to describe their main reason for opposing […]

  • report

    Modest Rise in Concern About Islamic Extremism

    The public continues to express concern about the rise of Islamic extremism in the United States and abroad, but a survey taken shortly after the deadly Nov. 5 shootings at the Fort Hood Army base shows only a modest increase in these concerns since 2007. Just more than half (52%) of Americans say they are […]

  • report

    Faith-Based Programs Still Popular, Less Visible

    More than eight years after former President George W. Bush unveiled his faith-based initiative to make it easier for religious groups to receive government funding to provide social services, the policy continues to draw broad public support. But as was the case when Bush first announced the initiative, many Americans express concerns about blurring the […]

  • report

    Pew Research Poll: Faith-Based Programs Still Popular, Less Visible

    Church-State Concerns Persist Washington, D.C.—A new report based on a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press finds that more than eight years after former President George W. Bush unveiled his faith-based initiative, the policy continues to […]

  • report

    A Conversation with Pastor Rick Warren

    The author of The Purpose Driven Life describes the worldwide spread of evangelicalism and the particular agenda driving his church’s role in that movement.