There have long been religious divides over the theory of evolution through natural selection.[3. numoffset=”3″ See Pew Research Center’s 2009 report, “Darwin and His Theory of Evolution.”] The Pew Research Center survey shows wide differences among religious groups when it comes to beliefs about evolution, consistent with past surveys on this topic. Overall, 65% of U.S. […]
Many Catholics say the church should change its stance on key issues. In particular, they would like to see it expand eligibility for the priesthood, relax restrictions on the reception of Holy Communion and drop its ban on artificial birth control for family-planning purposes. There is less consensus on whether these changes will happen within […]
Roughly nine-in-ten U.S. Catholics say they believe in the concept of sin – that there are actions or deeds that can be offensive to God. But there is less unanimity among Catholics about which specific actions or behaviors constitute a sin. For example, while most Catholics say abortion is sinful, they are divided as to […]
Pope Francis’ upcoming visit to the United States will include his participation in the triennial World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. This year’s meeting is expected to generate discussion on how the Catholic Church responds to new trends in marriage and family arrangements. Previous polling and analysis on the composition and structure of families has […]
There has been a modest drop in overall rates of belief in God and participation in religious practices. But religiously affiliated Americans are as observant as before.