Buddhism’s Recent Decline in East Asia
Buddhism is the only major religion in the world with a falling number of adherents. The decline is especially pronounced in East Asia, including China, South Korea and Japan.
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Capital Punishment’s Constant Constituency: An American Majority
(For more recent public opinion data on the death penalty, see a 2011 analysis.) by Robert Ruby, Senior Editor, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life In the last 35 years, beginning with its temporary moratorium on the death penalty, the Supreme Court has changed its view of capital punishment and done so more than […]
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From the Ten Commandments to Christmas Trees: Public Religious Displays and the Courts
For most of the nation’s history, public religious displays were not controversial. But in recent decades, a growing number of citizens and civil liberties groups have sued towns, cities and states over religious symbols in the public square, arguing that these displays should be removed because they violate the First Amendment’s prohibition on government establishment […]
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Religious Displays and the Courts
In a new series of occasional reports, “Religion and the Courts: The Pillars of Church-State Law,” the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life explores the complex, fluid relationship between government and religion. Among the issues to be examined are religion in public schools, displays of religious symbols on public property, conflicts concerning the free […]
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Religious Republicans: Hanging Tough with Bush
by John C. Green The role of religious voters in the Republican Party has been highlighted by the sharp criticism of the Republican presidential front-runners – Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Mitt Romney – by conservative religious leaders. Are religious Republicans abandoning President Bush and perhaps the GOP as well? The latest national survey by […]
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Potential Support for Presidential Candidates among Religious Groups
Analysis of a June survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reveals how potential support for the presidential candidates varies among some religious groups. Hillary Clinton currently generates the most enthusiasm among Democrats in both religious groups for which sufficient data was available. Among Republicans, Rudy Giuliani garners the most […]
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The Darwin Debate
Twenty years after a landmark Supreme Court decision, Americans are still fighting over the teaching of creationism and other alternatives to evolution in the nation’s schools.
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Signature Reports
Religion Holds Steady in America
Analysis of our polls and other data shows no clear evidence of a religious revival among young adults. Read more about religiousness by age and gender.
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.
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.
