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Explore Pew Forum publications—including public opinion polls, demographic reports, research studies, event transcripts and interviews—that focus on religion and public life in the Americas.

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The Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project

The Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures project analyzes religious change and its impact on societies around the world.

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ANALYSIS June 4, 2013
Cuomo’s Proposal Aims to Protect Late-Term Abortion Access in N.Y.
After months of anticipation, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has introduced a proposal that seeks to protect access to abortion in the third-largest U.S. state. A new Pew Research Center analysis explores the details of Cuomo’s bill, which aims to codify Roe v. Wade in state law.
ANALYSIS May 22, 2013
Federal Appeals Case Brings Contraception Coverage Mandate Back Into Spotlight
Some for-profit businesses are joining religiously affiliated nonprofits in challenging the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate, claiming it violates their religious liberty rights. A Pew Research Center analysis reviews the situation before a significant case is heard by the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.
ANALYSIS May 17, 2013
The Religious Affiliation of U.S. Immigrants: Majority Christian, Rising Share of Other Faiths
A Pew Research Center report looks at how the religious makeup of legal immigrants to the U.S. has changed over the past 20 years. While Christians continue to make up a majority of new legal permanent residents, a growing share belong to other faiths.   
ANALYSIS April 25, 2013
Rhode Island on Verge of Becoming 10th State to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
On April 24, Rhode Island took a step toward becoming the 10th U.S. state to legalize same-sex marriage when its Senate approved a measure that would grant gays and lesbians the right to wed. Our analysis also discusses four other states that are considering proposals related to same-sex marriage.
ANALYSIS April 8, 2013
Applying God’s Law: Religious Courts and Mediation in the U.S.
Across the U.S., religious courts operate on a routine, everyday basis. How do some of the country's major Christian traditions and other religions - including Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and Hinduism - decide internal matters and apply their religious laws?
ANALYSIS April 5, 2013
New York, Washington State Consider Bucking Trend on Abortion Laws
North Dakota and Arkansas are among the states that recently have passed legislation restricting access to abortion. Meanwhile, Washington state and New York are getting attention for possible action that could expand access to the procedure.
ANALYSIS March 18, 2013
Latin America’s Catholics in the Spotlight as Pope Francis is Installed
Latin America's share of the global Catholic population has increased over the past century, according to Pew Research Center estimates, but the portion of the region’s population that is Catholic has declined.
ANALYSIS March 13, 2013
Resources on Catholicism and the Pope
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has a variety of resources on Catholicism and Pope Benedict XVI, including public opinion polls, research studies, event transcripts and interviews. 
ANALYSIS March 13, 2013
‘Strong’ Catholic Identity at a Four-Decade Low in U.S.
The percentage of U.S. Catholics with a strong identification with the Catholic Church was as low in 2012 as it has ever been in General Social Surveys. During the same period, the percentage of Protestants who consider themselves strong members of their faith has been rising.
ANALYSIS February 22, 2013
Obama Administration Weighs In on Gay Marriage Case
The Obama administration has submitted a “friend-of-the-court” brief on the legal challenge to California’s gay marriage ban, which will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on March 26.
ANALYSIS February 14, 2013
Illinois Senate Approves Same-Sex Marriage Bill
On Feb. 14, the Illinois Senate passed a measure that would legalize same-sex marriage in the state. Nine states and the District of Columbia already allow gays and lesbians to marry. And the U.S. public's support for same-sex marriage has been on the rise.
ANALYSIS February 13, 2013
The Global Catholic Population
Over the past century, the number of Catholics worldwide has more than tripled. But the world’s overall population also has risen rapidly from 1910 to 2010. As a result, Catholics have made up a remarkably stable share of all people on Earth, though their geographic distribution has changed substantially.
ANALYSIS February 8, 2013
Gay Marriage Around the World
Updated May 20, 2013. A fact sheet provides an overview of the situation in the nations where same-sex marriage is legal nationwide as well as countries that allow it in certain jurisdictions.
ANALYSIS January 16, 2013
A History of Key Abortion Rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court
During the past 35 years, federal courts, particularly the U.S. Supreme Court, have superseded states as the driving force in crafting abortion policy.
ANALYSIS January 16, 2013
Religious Groups' Official Positions on Abortion
A breakdown of 17 major religious groups' views on the issue of abortion.  
ANALYSIS December 18, 2012
The Global Religious Landscape
A country-by-country analysis of data from more than 2,500 censuses, surveys and population registers finds that 84% of adults and children around the globe are religiously affiliated. The study also finds that the median age of two major groups – Muslims (23 years) and Hindus (26) – is younger than the world’s overall population (28), while Jews have the highest median age (36).
ANALYSIS December 7, 2012
Religious Groups' Official Positions on Same-Sex Marriage
In recent years, same-sex marriage has been a contentious subject within many religious groups in the U.S. Here is an overview of where 16 religious groups stand on this issue.  
ANALYSIS December 7, 2012
Overview of Same-Sex Marriage in the United States
Across the U.S., a fierce debate is taking place between those who hope all gays and lesbians will soon have the right to marry and those who believe that same-sex marriage is helping to undermine heterosexual marriage. Read about the history and current status of the same-sex marriage debate.
ANALYSIS December 7, 2012
Election 2012 Post Mortem: White Evangelicals and Support for Romney
Leading up to the election, there was speculation about how strongly white evangelical Protestants would support a Mormon candidate. According to a new Pew Research Center analysis of exit poll data, white evangelicals voted for Mitt Romney with as much enthusiasm as his other supporters did.
ANALYSIS November 21, 2012
Laws Penalizing Blasphemy, Apostasy and Defamation of Religion are Widespread
On Nov. 20, a Pakistani court ordered blasphemy charges dropped against a Christian teenager who had been accused of burning pages from the Quran. A new Pew Forum analysis finds that as of 2011 nearly half the countries and territories in the world have laws against blasphemy, apostasy or defamation. 
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