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.
Religion
Sign up for our Religion newsletter
Sent weekly on Wednesday
All
Religion
Publications
-
The Future of Evangelicals: A Conversation with Pastor Rick Warren
The evangelical Christian movement historically has been defined by its members’ distinctive doctrinal standards and practices. Yet in recent years many Americans have come to understand evangelicals more by their political, rather than religious, identity. The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life invited Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, […]
-
Americans and Western Europeans Agree on Afghanistan-Pakistan Extremist Threat
Americans and Western Europeans agree on the extremist threat from Afghanistan and Pakistan, but divisions remain over the Afghan war
-
Religious Groups’ Official Positions on Capital Punishment
American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. Since 1982, the American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A. has opposed capital punishment in the United States. American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., Resolution on Capital Punishment In this research package An Impassioned Debate An overview of the death penalty in America. The Death Penalty and the Supreme Court […]
-
Public Opinion Two Decades After the Fall of the Berlin Wall
-
End of Communism Cheered but Now with More Reservations
Publics of former Iron Curtain countries generally look back approvingly at the collapse of communism. Majorities in most former Soviet republics and Eastern European countries endorse the emergence of democracy and capitalism. However, the initial enthusiasm about these changes has dimmed in most of the countries surveyed.
-
The “Zeal of the Convert”: Is It the Real Deal?
A common perception about individuals who switch religions is that they are very fervent about their new faith. A new analysis by the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life provides quantitative support for this piece of conventional wisdom often referred to as the “zeal of the convert.” The analysis finds that people […]
-
Mapping the Global Muslim Population – Map: Distribution of Muslim Population in Sub-Saharan Africa
Roll over a country bubble to see its estimated 2009 Muslim population, the percentage of its population that is Muslim and the percentage of the world Muslim population it represents. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/uploadedFiles/Topics/Religious_Affiliation/Muslim/I_africa_map.swf * Indicates the use of a source with a small enough sample size to make these estimates somewhat less reliable. Due to this greater […]
-
Majority Continues To Support Civil Unions
A clear majority of Americans (57%) favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to enter into legal agreements with each other that would give them many of the same rights as married couples, a status commonly known as civil unions. This finding marks a slight uptick in support for civil unions and appears to continue a […]
REfine Your Selection
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.
