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Religion

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    Pope Benedict’s Papacy Still Coming Into Focus for Americans

    As Pope Benedict XVI prepares to introduce himself to the U.S., a new Pew Forum survey shows that many Americans know very little about him. Pew Forum Director Luis Lugo and Associate Director Mark O’Keefe discuss the survey results in the context of previous findings and compare the favorability ratings of Pope Benedict XVI with […]

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    Courting Catholics in 2008

    The presidential candidates have recently intensified their efforts to woo Catholic voters, underscoring the election-year significance of this key swing constituency. Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green discusses Catholic voting trends in past elections, the challenges facing the campaigns as they reach out to Catholics and how the church’s growing Hispanic population may impact future […]

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    On Eve of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans

    Navigate this report: John Paul II Better Known, Better Liked Interfaith Relationships Partisans Differ in Views of the Pope About the Survey Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is […]

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    The Pope Comes to America

    Washington, D.C. Pope Benedict XVI’s first visit to the U.S. as pontiff comes amid a turbulent election year. He has planned stops at the White House, the U.N. and the Sept. 11 “Ground Zero” site. How should we assess the first three years of Pope Benedict’s papacy? How has the global role and influence of […]

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    An Overview of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate

    Updated Nov. 21, 2008 In this article: The Debate Begins The Goodridge Case and Its Aftermath The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ignited a nationwide debate in late 2003 when it ruled that the state must allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. Almost overnight, same-sex marriage became a major national issue, pitting religious and social […]

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    The Constitutional Dimensions of the Same-Sex Marriage Debate: 2008

    Updated Nov. 21, 2008 In this article: The Right to Privacy The Road to Lawrence The Lawrence Case The Goodridge Case Same-Sex Marriage in the States Looking Ahead On Nov. 4, 2008, California voters passed Proposition 8, amending the state’s constitution to prohibit same-sex marriage. The vote, which was significant enough to make national headlines […]

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    Gay Marriage Timeline

    Timeline provided by Stateline.org « Return to the gay marriage issue page  A history of same-sex marriage laws Important events are listed in red  1993 Hawaii Supreme Court rules the state must show a compelling reason to ban same-sex marriage and orders a lower court to hear a case seeking the right of same-sex couples […]

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    A Portrait of American Catholics on the Eve of Pope Benedict’s Visit to the U.S.

    When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States on April 15, he will find a Catholic Church that is undergoing rapid ethnic and demographic changes, and whose flock is quite diverse both in their religious practices and levels of commitment, as well as in their social and political views. And, as this portrait of […]

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    Religion and the Remaining Primaries

    While Sen. John McCain clinched the GOP nomination with recent victories in the March 4 primaries, the Democratic contest between Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama remains deadlocked. Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green discusses how the candidates fared among religious voters on March 4, the role that religious and unaffiliated voters could play […]