Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Religion

  • fact sheet

    In Brief: Salazar v. Buono

    On Oct. 7, 2009, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Salazar v. Buono, a case involving a constitutional challenge to the presence of an eight-foot-tall Christian cross in the Mojave National Preserve in San Bernardino County, Calif. The case arose when Frank Buono, a former assistant superintendent of the preserve, filed a […]

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    Muslims Widely Seen As Facing Discrimination

    Eight years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Americans see Muslims as facing more discrimination inside the U.S. than other major religious groups. Nearly six-in-ten adults (58%) say that Muslims are subject to a lot of discrimination, far more than say the same about Jews, evangelical Christians, atheists or Mormons. In fact, of all the […]

  • report

    Among U.S. Religious Groups, Muslims Seen as Facing More Discrimination

    Views of Religious Similarities and Differences Washington, D.C.—Eight years after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Americans see Muslims as facing more discrimination inside the U.S. than other major religious groups. Nearly six-in-ten adults say that Muslims are subject to a lot of discrimination, far more than say the same about Jews, evangelical Christians, atheists or […]

  • transcript

    Faith Healing and the Law

    Two of government’s obligations – enforcing child welfare laws and protecting the constitutional right to freedom of religious expression and practice – can clash when a parent chooses to rely on prayer and other spiritual healing practices instead of standard medical care to treat a child’s illness. When such a decision results in harm to […]

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    President Obama’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

    Updated Sept. 9, 2009 On Feb. 5, 2009, two weeks after taking office, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The new office retains the basic administrative structure of President George W. Bush’s White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The central White House […]

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    Media Coverage of the Faith-Based Initiative in the First Six Months of 2001 and 2009

    Navigate this Report: Accounting for Differences in Coverage Scope and Timing of the Coverage Response to the Initiative Becomes the Narrative Faith Traditions Highlighted in 2001 and 2009 An Inside-the-Beltway Story Methodology When he took over the White House in January 2009, President Barack Obama quickly adopted much of the “faith-based initiative” put into place […]

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    A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S.

    In Utah, July 24 is Pioneer Day, a state holiday commemorating the day in 1847 when the first Mormon settlers, led by Brigham Young, entered the Salt Lake Valley. Today, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Mormon groups make up 58% of Utah’s population and 1.7% of the total […]

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    A Contentious Debate: Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S.

    Public Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage Slideshow: Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage Overview of Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S. Gay Marriage and the Law Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Gay Marriage Gay Marriage Around the World Graphic: State Policies on Same-Sex Marriage Q&A: Gay Marriage and the Free Exercise of Religion   In recent years, the […]

  • fact sheet

    The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate

    In this research package Public Opinion on Same-Sex Marriage Slideshow: Changing Attitudes on Gay Marriage Overview of Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S. Gay Marriage and the Law Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Gay Marriage Gay Marriage Around the World Graphic: State Policies on Same-Sex Marriage Q&A: Gay Marriage and the Free Exercise of Religion On […]

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    Public Opinion on Gay Marriage: Opponents Consistently Outnumber Supporters

    Navigate this Report: Public Opinion on Gay Marriage Differences by Political Affiliation Differences by Age Differences by Religious Characteristics Public Opinion on Same-Sex Civil Unions Public Opinion on Adoption by Same-Sex Couples Public Opinion on Gay Marriage RELATED CONTENT For more recent public opinion data on same-sex marriage, strategies to legalize it, civil unions and […]