Who Are the Iraqi Kurds?
Kurds are playing a major role in the current conflict in Iraq, and are often mentioned alongside Iraq’s Sunni and Shia Muslim populations. But Kurds are an ethnic group, not a distinct religious sect within Islam; nearly all Iraqi Kurds consider themselves Sunni Muslims.
6 Facts About South Korea’s Growing Christian Population
Pope Francis traveled to South Korea in August for Asian Youth Day, making his third international trip as pontiff. He visited a country that has experienced considerable religious change in recent decades. Here are six facts about Christianity in South Korea.
How Americans Feel About Religious Groups
When asked to rate religious groups on a “feeling thermometer” ranging from 0 to 100, Americans rate Jews, Catholics and evangelical Christians warmly and atheists and Muslims more coldly.
Iraq’s Unique Place in the Sunni-Shia Divide
An ongoing and intensifying conflict has fallen along sectarian lines in Iraq, one of only a handful of countries that has more Shia Muslims than Sunnis. A Fact Tank post analyzes the divide between the two sects.
The Shifting Religious Identity of Latinos in the United States
A new survey finds that nearly one-in-four Hispanic adults are now former Catholics, while rising numbers are Protestant or unaffiliated with any religion.
Global Religious Diversity
A new report measures religious diversity by the percentage of each country’s population in eight categories — Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, the unaffiliated, folk religionists and members of other religions.
Shrinking Majority of Americans Support Death Penalty
According to a 2013 Pew Research Center survey, 55% of U.S. adults say they favor the death penalty for persons convicted of murder. A significant minority (37%) oppose the practice.
Health Care Law’s ‘Contraception Mandate’ Reaches the Supreme Court
On March 25, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in two cases challenging regulations arising from the Affordable Care Act. Both cases involve for-profit businesses whose owners object – for religious reasons – to free coverage of contraceptive services in their employees’ health insurance plans.
How U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis: In Their Own Words
U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis as a Change for the Better
One year into his pontificate, Pope Francis remains immensely popular among American Catholics and is widely seen as a force for positive change within the Roman Catholic Church. More than 80% of U.S. Catholics say they have a favorable view of the pontiff.
