Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Abortion Barack Obama Obama supports abortion rights. On Jan. 23, during his first week as president, Obamasigned an executive order restoring federal funding for international organizations that perform or promote abortions in foreign countries. During the October 15, 2008 presidentialdebate, Obama expressed a willingness to support a ban on late-term abortions “as long as there’s an […]
School children utter the phrase “one nation under God” as part of the Pledge of Allegiance. The national motto, “In God We Trust,” appears on U.S. currency. Congress and many state legislatures start their sessions with prayers, and the U.S. Supreme Court opens oral arguments with the invocation “God save the United States and this […]
Conservatives’ views now more in line with the views of moderates and liberals on this issue Washington, D.C.—Some Americans are having a change of heart about mixing religion and politics. A new national survey finds a narrow majority of the public saying that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters […]
Background Hometown Honolulu, Hawaii Age 48 Religion United Church of Christ Education Harvard Law School, J.D., 1991 Columbia University, B.A., 1983 Candidate Website www.barackobama.com Candidacy Status Formally declared candidacy Feb. 10, 2007. Elected president Nov. 4, 2008 Political Experience U.S. Senator from Illinois, 2005-present Illinois State Senator, 1997-2004 Professional Experience Lecturer, University of Chicago Law […]
Religion played a much more significant role in the media coverage of President-elect Barack Obama than it did in the press treatment of Republican nominee John McCain during the 2008 presidential campaign, but much of the coverage related to false yet persistent rumors that Obama is a Muslim. Meanwhile, there was little attempt by the […]
Part II of U.S. Religious Landscape Survey details Americans’ religious beliefs and behaviors as well as their social and political attitudes Washington, D.C.—The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life today released its second report on the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, which finds that while many Americans are highly religious, most are not dogmatic in […]
Washington, D.C.—Religion & Politics ’08 named one of five finalists for Best Politics Website of 2008 and honored in the Religion and Spirituality category. The Webby Awards have named the Pew Forum’s Religion & Politics ’08 one of five finalists for Best Politics Website of 2008. Religion & Politics ’08 was also named an official […]
Following his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the world’s Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI is viewed more favorably than he was a few weeks before his trip. Currently, 61% of Americans say they have a favorable impression of the pope, up from 52% in late March. The latest national survey by […]
May 6, 2008 Before the pope’s plane – dubbed “Shepherd One” – touched down at Andrews Air Force Base on April 15, the news media portrayed Pope Benedict XVI as a largely unknown religious figure about to introduce himself to American Catholics still recovering from the clergy sex abuse scandal. By the time he left, […]
Navigate this report: John Paul II Better Known, Better Liked Interfaith Relationships Partisans Differ in Views of the Pope About the Survey Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is […]