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Religion

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    Growing Number of Americans Say Obama is a Muslim

    A substantial and growing number of Americans say that Barack Obama is a Muslim, while the proportion saying he is a Christian has declined. More than a year and a half into his presidency, a plurality of the public says they do not know what religion Obama follows. A new national survey by the Pew […]

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    Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life Debuts New Web Feature Providing Midterm Election Resources

    For Immediate Release Washington, D.C. — With the midterm elections coming up in the fall, thePew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life has released anew Web feature, “Religion & Politics 2010,” which provides avariety of election resources for reporters, including: CONTACT Mary SchultzCommunications Manager202.419.4556mschultz@pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/religion Poll analyses and survey reports on topics related to […]

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    Much Hope, Modest Change for Democrats

    The Democratic Party made a concerted effort to court religious voters in the 2008 presidential election that pitted Democrat Barack Obama against Republican John McCain.1 Led by Obama himself and aided by progressive religious activists, the Democrats reached out to numerous religious groups in hopes of narrowing the “God gap,” a media catchphrase for a […]

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    Federal Court Strikes Down California Same-Sex Marriage Ban

    A federal district court judge struck down California’s ban on gay marriage, ruling that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution. The decision, which is expected to be appealed, represents the first time a federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry.

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    Federal Court Strikes Down Calif. Same-Sex Marriage Ban

    A federal district court judge today struck down California’s ban on gay marriage, ruling that the prohibition violates the U.S. Constitution. The decision, which is expected to be appealed, represents the first time a federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry. In his ruling, District Court […]

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    God & Guns

    God and guns seem to be popular themes in 2010 campaign ads, sometimes popping up in close proximity. Before losing in the Republican runoff in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district, candidate Rick Barber garnered national attention for this campaign video featuring a portrayal of George Washington rapping his fingers next to a Bible and what appears […]

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    Candidates View the Separation of Church and State from Different Angles

    Two Republican candidates in key U.S. Senate races have stirred controversy by questioning whether there ought to be separation between church and state in America. Nevada Republican candidate Sharron Angle declared in 1995, according tominutes from a meeting of the Nevada Assembly Committee on Education, that “the separation of church and state is an unconstitutional […]

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    A Mosque in the Middle

    The proposed construction of a mosque in the middle of Tennessee has produced a sharp exchange of words between candidates for an open congressional seat. In May, the Rutherford County Regional Planning Commission approved the construction of a 52,000-square-foot facility to house a mosque and Islamic center in Murfreesboro. More than 600 residents turned out […]

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    Alabama Recap: Byrne’d for His Beliefs?

    Updated July 14, 2010 In the Alabama Republican gubernatorial primary, one candidate’s religious beliefs – especially on creationism and whether the Bible is to be taken literally – took center stage. Questions about Bradley Byrne’s beliefs arose after the Press-Register, a local paper, quoted him in November 2009 as saying, “I think there are parts […]