Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

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Religion

  • transcript

    An Argument For Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Jonathan Rauch

    The debate over same-sex marriage in the United States is a contentious one, and advocates on both sides continue to work hard to make their voices heard. To explore the case for gay marriage, the Pew Forum has turned to Jonathan Rauch, a columnist at The National Journal and guest scholar at The Brookings Institution. […]

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    Courts Not Silent on Moments of Silence

    In October 2007, the state of Illinois passed a law requiring its public schools to lead students each morning in a moment of silence for “reflection and student prayer.” Illinois already had a law on the books permitting schools to lead such moments of silence. But the Illinois General Assembly, overriding Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s veto, […]

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    An Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage: An Interview with Rick Santorum

    The debate over same-sex marriage in the United States is a contentious one, and advocates on both sides continue to work hard to make their voices heard. To explore the case against gay marriage, the Pew Forum has turned to Rick Santorum, a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and now a senior fellow at the […]

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    Two Perspectives on Gay Marriage

    To explore arguments for and against gay marriage, Senior Research Fellow David Masci interviewed Jonathan Rauch of The National Journal and Rick Santorum of the Ethics and Public Policy Center. The Q&A’s were done as part of the Pew Forum’s special report on gay marriage. Jonathan Rauch: The Case For Same-Sex Marriage “America’s problem is […]

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    The ’Evidence for Belief’: An Interview with Francis Collins

    For some, there is an inherent conflict between science and religious belief. Indeed, some scientists, including famed evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, argue that an understanding of the natural world logically leads to atheism. But for Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project and an evangelical Christian, scientific knowledge complements rather than contradicts belief in […]

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    Religious Voters in the Pennsylvania Primary

    The Pennsylvania primary looms large in the tight contest for the Democratic nomination. In an interview with Pew Forum Associate Director Mark O’Keefe, Senior Fellow John Green explains why the connections that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama make – or fail to make – with the state’s religious voters could have major consequences on April […]

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    Pew Forum’s Religion & Politics ’08 Earns Two Webby Nods

    Washington, D.C.—Religion & Politics ’08 named one of five finalists for Best Politics Website of 2008 and honored in the Religion and Spirituality category. The Webby Awards have named the Pew Forum’s Religion & Politics ’08 one of five finalists for Best Politics Website of 2008. Religion & Politics ’08 was also named an official […]

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    The Supreme Court Considers New Case on Capital Punishment

    On April 16, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case challenging the constitutionality of a Louisiana statute that allows for the death penalty in cases involving child rape. More specifically, the court will determine whether the law violates the U.S Constitution’s Eighth Amendment, which prohibits “cruel and unusual punishments.” The case, […]

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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 […]