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Science & Bioethics

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Religion and Science

Explore the relationship between religion and science in the U.S., polling on the issue, and scientists’ religious beliefs.

 

Stem Cell Research Package

Explore the debate over embryonic stem cell research, public opinion on the issue, religious groups' views and the status of stem cell research in other countries.

 
The Case Against Embryonic Stem Cell Research: An Interview with Yuval Levin
Yuval Levin, author of Tyranny of Reason and Hertog Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, discusses the ethical and moral grounds for opposing embryonic stem cell research.
How Our Brains are Wired for Belief
Recent advances in neuroscience and brain-imaging technology have offered researchers a look into the physiology of religious experiences.
The 'Evidence for Belief': An Interview with Francis Collins
for Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project and an evangelical Christian, scientific knowledge complements rather than contradicts belief in God.
Science in America: Religious Belief and Public Attitudes
The combination of widespread religious commitment and leadership in science and technology greatly enlarges the potential for conflict between faith and science in the United States.
A Portrait of Republican Social-Issue Voters
With no clear heir apparent to President Bush, and a nominating contest that remains very much in flux, many 2008 Republican presidential candidates are vying for the support of an influential segment of the primary electorate - social-issue voters.
Oregon's 'Death with Dignity' Law: 10 Years Later
Ten years have passed since Oregon became the first state in the nation to authorize doctors to assist terminally ill patients in voluntarily ending their lives.
The Right-to-Die Debate and the Tenth Anniversary of Oregon's Death with Dignity Act
Ten years ago this month, Oregon enacted a law permitting physicians to prescribe a lethal dose of drugs to certain terminally ill patients, a practice often called physician-assisted suicide. The Death with Dignity Act, which took effect on Oct. 27, 1997, is the only law of its kind in the United States.
A Progressive Argument Against the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide
The debate over physician-assisted suicide is often portrayed as a battle between social or religious conservatives who oppose the practice and liberals or progressives who support it. But not everyone fits neatly into this paradigm.
How the Public Resolves Conflicts Between Faith and Science
Science and religion have traditionally, and often incorrectly, been viewed as enemies. This perception has been fueled in part by a number of famous episodes in history that have pitted scientists, like Galileo and Darwin, against the prevailing religious establishments of their time.
Twenty Years After a Landmark Supreme Court Decision, Americans Are Still Fighting About Evolution
Twenty years ago, on June 19, 1987, the Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling that dramatically reshaped the debate over teaching evolution in public schools.
An Evolving Debate about Evolution
The evolution controversy, traditionally a state and local issue, has vaulted into the national political arena, making a surprise appearance at the first Republican presidential candidate debate on May 3 and garnering a large amount of press attention in the days following the event.
The Culture War and the Coming Election
At the moment no hot-button issue looms but events could change that quickly April 11, 2007 by David Masci, Senior Research Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life The 2008 presidential election is still more than a year-and-a-half away, b...
Split State Decisions on "Culture War" Issues
by Robert Ruby, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life November 8, 2006 Voters in South Dakota on Tuesday rejected what would have been the nation's most restrictive law against abortion, and Arizona became the first state to defeat a ballot init...
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...
Pragmatic Americans Liberal and Conservative on Social Issues
Most Want Middle Ground on Abortion August 3, 2006 Download the complete report Navigate this Report Summary of Findings Abortion Opinions Stable Most Don't Doubt Their Opinion on Abortion Majorities Continue to Support Stem Cell Research Continue...
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.
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...
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.
Biology Wars
The Religion, Science and Education Controversy Download the Discussion Read the original Transcript The current legal and political battles surrounding the teaching of evolution in American schools are part of an 80-year-old debate stretching bac...
Supreme Court's Decision in Gonzales v. Oregon : High Court Rejects Federal Regulation of Physician-Assisted Suicide
Download the Decision Analysis Download the Legal Backgrounder On January 17, 2006, the Supreme Court ruled that the 1970 Controlled Substances Act (CSA) does not give the U.S. attorney general the authority to prohibit Oregon doctors from prescri...
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