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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Religious Beliefs Underpin Opposition to Homosexuality
Introduction and Summary Opposition to gay marriage has increased since the summer and a narrow majority of Americans also oppose allowing gays and lesbians to enter legal agreements that fall short of marriage. Moreover, despite the overall rise in tolerance toward gays since the 1980s, many Americans remain highly critical of homosexuals and religious […]
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Lifting Up the Poor: A Dialogue on Religion, Poverty, and Welfare Reform
Mary Jo Bane and Lawrence M. Mead Pew Forum Dialogues on Religion & Public Life E.J. Dionne Jr., Jean Bethke Elshtain, Kayla Drogosz, Series Editors People who participate in debates about poverty – and its causes and cures – often speak from religious conviction. But those underlying commitments are rarely made explicit or debated on […]
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Muslim Politics and U.S. Policies: Prospects for Pluralism and Democracy in the Muslim World
9:00 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Washington, D.C. Welcome & Project Overview Scaling Up Pluralism and Democracy Download transcript Political Transitions and Contests Download transcript Bahman Baktiari, University of Maine Democratization and Repression in post-Khomeini Iran Jenny B. White, Boston University The End of Islamism? Turkey’s New Muslim Politics Augustus Richard Norton, Boston University Egypt: Democratic Capital Lost […]
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Religion and Politics: Contention and Consensus
Introduction and Summary Religion is a critical factor these days in the public’s thinking about contentious policy issues and political matters. An increasing number of Americans have come to view Islam as a religion that encourages violence while a declining number say Islam has a lot in common with their own religion. The public remains […]
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God and Foreign Policy: The Religious Divide Between the U.S. and Europe
10:00-11:30 a.m. Washington, D.C. Featured Speaker: Andrew Kohut, Director, the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press Respondents: Craig Kennedy, President, German Marshall Fund Justin Vaisse, Visiting Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, Center on the U.S. and France, the Brookings Institution Moderator: E.J. Dionne Jr., Co-Chair, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life; […]
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God and the Inner City: A One-Hour Documentary
6:00 p.m., Reception 6:30 p.m., Screening followed by discussion National Press Club Washington, D.C. Comments by: Michael Pack, Producer and Director of God and the Inner City Featured Speakers: Rev. Dr. Wilson Goode, Sr., Senior Advisor, Faith-Based Initiatives at Public/Private Ventures and former Mayor of Philadelphia Richard Nathan, Director, The Roundtable on Religion and Social […]
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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.
