Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Religion

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    Washington State High Court Upholds Gay Marriage Ban

    Washington, D.C. The Washington State Supreme Court today ruled, 5-4, that the state constitution does not guarantee a right to same-sex marriage. The decision came after 19 gay and lesbian couples sued to overturn Washington’s Defense of Marriage Act, a 1998 law limiting marriage to heterosexual couples. The Pew Forum provides answers to the following […]

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    Public Opinion Trends on Gay Marriage

    A Pew Forum Fact Sheet The Pew Research Center has tracked public opinion on gay marriage as it has fluctuated over the past several years. Following is an excerpt from a June 2006 survey analysis by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, followed by links to earlier surveys that include analyses […]

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    The Revival of Shia Islam

    Washington, D.C. Recent violence between Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim guerrilla group, and Israel; sectarian conflict in Iraq and escalating tensions around Iran’s nuclear ambitions have drawn urgent attention to the resurgence and politicization of Shiite Islam and its relationship to Sunni Islam. The Pew Forum and the Council on Foreign Relations invited Vali Nasr, author […]

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    The Death Penalty Today: Defend It, Mend It or End It?

    National Press Club Washington, D.C. Since the Supreme Court lifted its moratorium on the death penalty 30 years ago, 38 states and the federal government have reinstated capital punishment. In recent years, there has been a nationwide debate over the proper application, morality and constitutionality of the death penalty. Some argue that there are systemic […]

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    John Green Addresses Religious Dynamic in Stem Cell Politics

    Washington, D.C. Values and morality, often grounded in religious belief, have shaped the political contours of the stem cell research debate. As Congress and President Bush take up the issue, the Pew Forum provides answers to the following questions. Featuring: John Green, Senior Fellow in Religion and American Politics, Pew Forum on Religion & Public […]

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    Timothy Samuel Shah Explains ’Why God is Winning’

    Washington, D.C. For much of the 20th century, social scientists and policymakers argued that democratization and modernity would render religion insignificant and irrelevant. They were wrong, says Timothy Shah, senior Pew Forum fellow in religion and world affairs, who contends religion is booming in many countries and democracy has given religious leaders a growing political […]

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    Religion and Stem Cell Research

    A Pew Forum Fact Sheet In August 2005, the Pew Forum released poll data indicating a steady increase in support for stem cell research since 2002. The report showed increases among evangelical Protestants, mainline Protestants and Catholics. Roughly half (52%) of opponents of stem cell research said their religious beliefs were the biggest influence on […]

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    Resources on the Federal Marriage Amendment

    The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has assembled a variety of resources on the Federal Marriage Amendment, including reports, event transcripts, polling data and news clips. Pew Forum and Pew Research Center Resources | Recent News | Other Resources Pew Forum and Pew Research Center Resources Poll Report: Less Opposition to Gay Marriage, […]

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    Islam and the West: How Great a Divide?

    Washington, D.C. On July 7, 2006, the Pew Global Attitudes Project released an international survey focusing on Muslim and Western perceptions of each other and on the Muslim experience in Europe. The poll surveyed more than 14,000 people in 13 nations: India, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, the United States, Britain, France, Germany […]

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    Courts Rule Against Gay Marriage in Two States

    Washington, D.C. The gay marriage movement today suffered back-to-back defeats in two top state courts. The more important decision occurred in New York, where the state’s highest judicial body, the Court of Appeals, ruled that the state constitution does not guarantee the right of gay people to marry. Meanwhile, Georgia’s Supreme Court overturned a lower […]