Why Do Some Americans Leave Their Religion While Others Stay?
Many U.S. adults (35%) have moved on from the religion of their youth. Yet most Americans have not, including a majority – 56% – who still identify with their childhood religion.
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About a quarter of religiously affiliated teens in U.S. public schools say they pray before lunch
About a quarter of teens who identify with a religion and attend public school say they regularly pray before eating lunch at school.
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For a Lot of American Teens, Religion Is a Regular Part of the Public School Day
Religion in public schools has long been a controversial issue. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that teachers and administrators cannot lead prayers in public schools, and a decision in 2000 barred school districts from sponsoring student-led prayers at football games. At the same time, the court has held that students retain a First […]
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Religion in the Public Schools
More than 55 years after the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling striking down school-sponsored prayer, Americans continue to fight over the place of religion in public schools. Questions about religion in the classroom no longer make quite as many headlines as they once did, but the issue remains an important battleground in the broader […]
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Americans’ perceptions about unethical behavior shape how they think about people in powerful roles
The more confident people are that members of powerful groups behave unethically, the less likely they are to have confidence in that group’s performance.
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Among religious ‘nones,’ atheists and agnostics know the most about religion
Atheists and agnostics know more about religion than most other religious groups, while those with no particular religion are among the least knowledgeable.
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Just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ
Just 31% of U.S. Catholics believe that the bread and wine used in Communion become the body and blood of Christ. Nearly seven-in-ten say the Eucharist is symbolic.
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U.S. Jews know a lot about religion – but other Americans know little about Judaism
U.S. Jews have relatively high levels of religious knowledge. But other Americans are unable to answer some basic questions about Jewish practices.
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6 facts about what Americans know about religion
Many Americans say that religion is very important in their lives. But how much do people in the U.S. actually know about their faith tradition – or about religions besides their own? A new report from Pew Research Center tries to answer this question by asking U.S. adults 32 fact-based questions about a variety of […]
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U.S. Religious Knowledge Quiz
How much do you know about religion? And how do you compare with the average American? Here’s your chance to find out.
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What Americans Know About Religion
Before you read the report Test your religious knowledge by taking an interactive quiz. The short quiz includes some questions recently asked in the nationally representative survey that forms the basis of this report. After completing the quiz, you can see how you did in comparison with the general public and with people like yourself. […]
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Signature Reports
Many Religious ‘Nones’ Around the World Hold Spiritual Beliefs
Many religious “nones,” which include atheists and agnostics, in 22 countries hold religious or spiritual beliefs, such as in an afterlife or something beyond the natural world.
47% of U.S. Adults Have a Personal or Family Connection to Catholicism
Nearly half of U.S. adults are connected to Catholicism. Read about going to Mass, Communion, confession and more.
Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off
After years of decline, the U.S. Christian share now shows signs of leveling off. The new Religious Landscape Study explores trends in identity, beliefs and practices.
Key Findings From the Global Religious Futures Project
The Global Religious Futures (GRF) project is jointly funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and The John Templeton Foundation. Here are some big-picture findings from the GRF, together with context from other Pew Research Center studies.
