pewforum.org Topics Beliefs & Practices

Other Beliefs & Practices

Religion informs a wide variety of beliefs, ranging from views on morality to ideas about life after death to faith in miracles and the supernatural. Religious practices such as speaking in tongues or reading Scripture also can be important components of religious experience.

 

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ANALYSIS February 14, 2012
Public Divided Over Birth Control Insurance Mandate
Americans who have heard about the federal rule that would require employers to provide birth control as part of their health care benefits are closely divided over whether religiously affiliated institutions should be given an exemption. Sharp divisions of opinion exist on the issue by religious affiliation, party and ideology.
POLL September 28, 2010
U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey
The Pew Forum’s religious knowledge survey included 32 questions about various aspects of religion: the Bible, Christianity, Judaism, Mormonism, world religions, religion in public life, and atheism and agnosticism. The average respondent answered 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions correctly.
LEGAL REPORT April 6, 2010
In Brief: Christian Legal Society v. Martinez
On April 19, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, a case that will determine whether a public institution can refuse to officially recognize a religiously based organization that prevents those who do not share its religious and moral values from becoming voting members.
POLL February 17, 2010
Religion Among the Millennials
By some key measures, Americans ages 18 to 29 are considerably less religious than older Americans. Yet in other ways, Millennials remain fairly traditional in their religious beliefs and practices.
ANALYSIS December 17, 2009
Little Support for Terrorism Among Muslim Americans
Recent events such as the Fort Hood shootings and the arrest of five Muslim American students in Pakistan have raised questions about the threat of homegrown terrorism in the U.S.  
ANALYSIS December 9, 2009
Many Americans Mix Multiple Faiths
The religious beliefs and practices of Americans do not fit neatly into conventional categories. A new poll by the Pew Forum finds that large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of diverse traditions.
INTERVIEW December 3, 2009
Sikh-Americans and Religious Liberty
With their distinctive appearance and religious practices, Sikh-Americans often find themselves at the center of workplace discrimination cases and other controversies involving their religious rights. To better understand religious liberty and accommodation issues involving Sikh-Americans, the Pew Forum turns to church-state scholar Robert W. Tuttle.
ANALYSIS October 28, 2009
The "Zeal of the Convert": Is It the Real Deal?
A recent Pew Forum analysis finds that people who have switched faiths (or joined a faith after being raised unaffiliated with a religion) are indeed slightly more religious than those who have remained in their childhood faith.
INTERVIEW August 31, 2009
Faith Healing and the Law
To explore the legal issues that courts must consider in cases involving parents' use of faith healing, the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life turns to church-state scholar Robert W. Tuttle.
POLL July 24, 2009
A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S.
This report, based on data from the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, explores Mormons' unique place in the American religious landscape and is divided into three parts: demographic characteristics, religious beliefs and practices, and social and political views.
ANALYSIS January 30, 2009
A Religious Portrait of African-Americans
While the U.S. is generally considered a highly religious nation, African-Americans are markedly more religious on a variety of measures than the U.S. population as a whole, including level of affiliation with a religion, attendance at religious services, frequency of prayer and religion's importance in life.
GRAPHIC January 30, 2009
African-Americans and Religion
A new analysis by the Pew Forum finds that African-Americans are markedly more religious on a variety of measures than the U.S. population as a whole.
ANALYSIS December 18, 2008
Many Americans Say Other Faiths Can Lead to Eternal Life
A majority of all American Christians (52%) think that at least some non-Christian faiths can lead to eternal life. Indeed, among Christians who believe many religions can lead to eternal life, 80% name at least one non-Christian faith that can do so.
ANALYSIS December 11, 2008
Being Good for Goodness' Sake?
A 2007 survey by the Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project found that a majority of Americans say it is necessary to believe in God in order to be moral and have good values.
ANALYSIS December 4, 2008
The Importance of Pilgrimage to Muslim Americans
The Pew Research Center's 2007 Muslim American survey found that nearly two-thirds of U.S. Muslims say that taking a pilgrimage to Mecca is very important to them.
POLL August 24, 2006
Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics
69% Say Liberals Too Secular, 49% Say Conservatives Too Assertive August 24, 2006 Download the complete report Navigate this Report Introduction and Summary Section I - Religion and Public Life Section II - Religion and Politics Section III - Reli...
INTERVIEW July 18, 2006
John Green Addresses Religious Dynamic in Stem Cell Politics
John Green discusses how values and morality, grounded in religious belief, have shaped the politics of the stem cell research debate.
POLL July 18, 2006
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. Rough...
INTERVIEW May 26, 2006
Federal Court Sends Back Georgia Evolution Sticker Case
The Pew Forum's legal expert David Masci explains the impact of the latest legal ruling in the battle over teaching evolution in American public schools.
ANALYSIS April 6, 2006
The Supreme Court's Decision in Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita
Unanimous Court Upholds Group's Right to Use Illegal Drug in Worship Services Download the Decision Analysis Download the Legal Backgrounder On Feb. 29, 2006, the Supreme Court ruled that the adherents of a small religious group can continue, for ...
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