Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Religion

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    An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate

    Updated Nov. 21, 2008 In this article: The Debate Begins The Goodridge Case and Its Aftermath The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ignited a nationwide debate in late 2003 when it ruled that the state must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Almost overnight, same-sex marriage became a major national issue, pitting religious and social […]

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    The Pope Comes to America

    Washington, D.C. Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to the U.S. as pontiff comes amid a turbulent election year. He has planned stops at the White House, the U.N. and the Sept. 11 “Ground Zero” site. How should we assess the first three years of Pope Benedict’s papacy? How has the global role and influence of […]

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    A Portrait of American Catholics on the Eve of Pope Benedict’s Visit to the U.S.

    When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States on April 15, he will find a Catholic Church that is undergoing rapid ethnic and demographic changes, and whose flock is quite diverse both in their religious practices and levels of commitment, as well as in their social and political views. And, as this portrait of […]

  • fact sheet

    Politics and the Pulpit 2008

    During every election cycle, many religious congregations find themselves wondering what role, if any, they can play in the political process. Can a minister, rabbi, imam or other member of the clergy endorse a candidate from the pulpit or speak on political issues of interest to voters? Is a church or other house of worship […]

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    Religion and the Remaining Primaries

    While Sen. John McCain clinched the GOP nomination with recent victories in the March 4 primaries, the Democratic contest between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama remains deadlocked. Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green discusses how the candidates fared among religious voters on March 4, the role that religious and unaffiliated voters could play […]

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    Between Relativism and Fundamentalism: Is There a Middle Ground?

    Washington, D.C. Peter Berger, an eminent sociologist of religion and a lifelong Lutheran, asked himself several years ago: “Would my moral convictions change if I woke up tomorrow as an atheist?” For Berger, this perplexing question led to a research project involving fellow Judeo-Christian religious thinkers, which will culminate in the publication of two books, […]

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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 >>