Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Expansion and Contraction of Free Exercise Rights Early in the tenure of Chief Justice Warren Burger, who was appointed to lead the Supreme Court in 1969, the court issued a decision that dramatically reinforced the principles laid down in Sherbert. The case, Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), involved a challenge by members of the Old Order […]
Reynolds v. United States (1879) Upheld the successful criminal prosecution of a prominent Mormon for practicing bigamy in Utah. Cantwell v. Connecticut (1940) In overturning a conviction for disturbing the peace, held that the Free Exercise Clause applies to state as well as federal actions. Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940) Ruled that the Free […]
Overall, a slim majority of the public (53%) expresses a favorable view of Mormons, while 27% view Mormons unfavorably. Among religious groups, solid majorities of white mainline Protestants (62%) and white non-Hispanic Catholics (59%) express favorable opinions of Mormons. But among white evangelical Protestants, just 46% have a positive impression of Mormons, while 39% have […]
That’s the percentage of Muslim Americans who are Democrats (37%) or say they lean toward the Democratic Party (26%).
In the years following Smith, the fear that the decision would significantly curtail religious liberty prompted state courts and legislatures, as well as the U.S. Congress, to act. Prior to this ruling, many state courts had followed the Supreme Court’s more expansive view of religious liberty in interpreting their own constitutions’ religion clauses. After Smith, […]
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees that the federal government will respect the “free exercise” of religion. But the precise meaning of “free exercise” and exactly what constitutes an infringement of this right are not clear-cut. At the heart of the debate is one basic question: Do individuals or groups professing sincerely held […]
That’s the percentage of Muslim Americans who say they see no conflict between being a devout Muslim and living in a modern society, 32% say there is a conflict.
The Pew Global Attitudes Project finds that most key democratic values are broadly supported throughout the 35 developing nations surveyed. In nearly all of these countries, majorities say it is important to live in a country where the six democratic principles included on the survey are respected. And in most countries majorities say these features […]