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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.

 
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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.

 

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ANALYSIS December 1, 2009
GOP Seen as Friendlier To Religion Than Democrats
The number of Americans describing the Democratic Party as friendly toward religion returned to levels similar to those seen in 2005 through 2007, according to a recent survey report. The Obama administration, however, is seen as friendly toward religion by more people (37%) than the Democratic Party as a whole (29%).
ANALYSIS November 5, 2009
An Overview of Religion and Science in the United States
Surveys repeatedly show that most Americans respect science and the benefits it brings to society, such as new technologies and medical treatments. Nevertheless, strong religious convictions can affect some Americans' willingness to accept certain scientific theories and discoveries.
ANALYSIS April 16, 2009
Religious Groups' Views on Global Warming
An analysis by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life of a 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press examines views on global warming among major religious traditions in the U.S. 
ANALYSIS February 4, 2009
Overview: The Conflict Between Religion and Evolution
Almost 150 years after Charles Darwin published his groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Americans are still fighting over evolution.
ANALYSIS February 4, 2009
The Social and Legal Dimensions of the Evolution Debate in the U.S.
As with many social and political controversies in the United States, the battle over evolution has been largely fought in courtrooms.
ANALYSIS February 4, 2009
Darwin and His Theory of Evolution
At first glance, Charles Darwin seems an unlikely revolutionary. Growing up a shy and unassuming member of a wealthy British family, he appeared, at least to his father, to be idle and directionless. But even as a child, Darwin expressed an interest in nature.
ANALYSIS February 4, 2009
Religious Groups' Views on Evolution
A breakdown of 13 major religious groups' views on the issue. 
ANALYSIS February 4, 2009
Evolution: A Timeline
This timeline highlights key events in the debate surrounding evolution. 
ANALYSIS February 4, 2009
Religious Differences on the Question of Evolution
The Pew Forum's U.S. Religious Landscape Survey found that views on evolution differ widely across religious groups.
ANALYSIS February 4, 2009
Fighting Over Darwin, State by State
In recent years, voters, educators and policymakers in a number of states have become involved in the debate over whether - or how - public school students should learn about evolution and the origins of life.
ANALYSIS July 17, 2008
Stem Cell Research at the Crossroads of Religion and Politics
Embryonic stem cell research, which uses special cells found in three- to five-day-old human embryos to seek cures for a host of chronic diseases, has sparked a major moral and political debate in the United States.
ANALYSIS July 17, 2008
The Science Behind Stem Cell Research
For decades, stem cells have attracted the attention of medical researchers and others because they have the capacity to develop into specialized cells that make up a variety of organ and other tissues.
ANALYSIS July 17, 2008
Declining Majority of Americans Favor Embryonic Stem Cell Research
While a majority of the American public still favors embryonic stem cell research, surveys by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press show that the size of this majority has declined somewhat in recent years.
ANALYSIS July 17, 2008
Stem Cell Research Around the World
The United States is only one of many countries playing an important role in stem cell research. In the last decade, several European and Asian countries have become leading centers for the study of stem cells and their possible therapeutic uses.
ANALYSIS July 17, 2008
Religious Groups' Official Positions on Stem Cell Research
Where 17 religious groups stand on the issue of stem cell research.
ANALYSIS July 17, 2008
Quotes on Stem Cell Research
Quotes on stem cell research from political, religious and other prominent figures.
ANALYSIS October 15, 2007
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.
ANALYSIS October 9, 2007
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.
ANALYSIS August 27, 2007
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.
ANALYSIS June 13, 2007
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.
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