Rift over gay rights comes as United Methodists in U.S. have become more accepting of homosexuality
The church is one of the few major mainline Protestant denominations in the country that currently does not sanction same-sex marriage.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Religions
All
Religions
Publications
-
-
Black Muslims account for a fifth of all U.S. Muslims, and about half are converts to Islam
About half of black Muslims are converts to Islam, a relatively high conversion level. Black Muslims, like black Americans overall, have high levels of religious commitment.
-
After recent revelations, U.S. Catholics give Francis low marks on handling of sex abuse scandal
Just three-in-ten American Catholics now say the pontiff is doing a good or excellent job of addressing the sex abuse scandal.
-
Confidence in Pope Francis Down Sharply in U.S.
Just three-in-ten Catholic adults say Francis is doing an excellent or good job addressing the sex abuse scandal, down 14 points from this January and 24 points since 2015.
-
‘New Age’ beliefs common among both religious and nonreligious Americans
Many U.S. Christians – as well as the religiously unaffiliated – hold “New Age” beliefs, which include belief in reincarnation and astrology.
-
Black men are less religious than black women, but more religious than white women and men
Research has shown that men in the United States are generally less religious than women. And while this pattern holds true among black Americans, black men are still a highly religious group.
-
From the Solidly Secular to Sunday Stalwarts, a look at our new religious typology
Most American adults identify with a religion, describing themselves as Protestants, Catholics or Jews, to name just a few examples. But a new Pew Research Center analysis looks at beliefs and behaviors that cut across many religious identities, producing a new and revealing classification, or typology, of religion in America that sorts U.S. adults into seven cohesive groups.
-
The world’s most committed Christians live in Africa, Latin America – and the U.S.
Christians in Africa and Latin America tend to pray more frequently, attend religious services more regularly and consider religion more important in their lives than Christians elsewhere in the world, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. At the same time, Christians in the United States also have comparatively high levels of commitment to their faith.
-
Why America’s ‘nones’ don’t identify with a religion
Six-in-ten religious “nones” in the U.S. say the questioning of religious teachings is a very important reason for their lack of affiliation. The second-most-common reason is opposition to the positions taken by churches on social and political issues.
-
Why Americans Go (and Don’t Go) to Religious Services
In recent years, the percentage of U.S. adults who say they regularly attend religious services has been declining, while the share of Americans who attend only a few times a year, seldom or never has been growing. A new Pew Research Center survey finds that the main reason people regularly go to church, synagogue, mosque […]
