National Congregations Study finds more church acceptance of gays and lesbians
A new survey of American religious congregations finds that in recent years, more churches have become welcoming to openly gay and lesbian couples.
Is religion’s declining influence good or bad? Those without religious affiliation are divided
Atheists, agnostics and people who have no religion in particular may be growing in number in the United States, but they are not uniformly against religion having a role in society.
Growing Public Concern about Rise of Islamic Extremism
62% of Americans are very concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism around the world, the largest share dating back to 2007. And 53% are very concerned about such a rise in the U.S., equal to a record high.
Indians among most likely in the world to see extremist groups as ‘major threat’
A 2013 poll we conducted showed that globally Indians are among the most likely to say that Islamic extremist groups pose a “major threat” to their country.
Many religions heavily concentrated in one or two countries
Half of the world’s population lives in just six countries. But in many cases, the world’s major religious groups are even more concentrated.
Who are the Iraqi Kurds?
While the Kurds are a crucial part of Iraq’s political makeup, they are an ethnic group, not a distinct religious sect within Islam.
Iraqi Yazidis: Hazy population numbers and a history of persecution
The Yazidis who have been fleeing the advance of the Sunni militant group ISIS in Iraq are a religious group of uncertain numbers and a long history of persecution.
6 facts about South Korea’s growing Christian population
Pope Francis will travel to South Korea next week for Asian Youth Day, making his third international trip as pontiff. Here are six facts about Christianity in South Korea.
U.S. nuns face shrinking numbers and tensions with the Vatican
The total number of nuns, also called religious sisters, in the United States has fallen from roughly 180,000 in 1965 to about 50,000 in 2014 – a 72% drop over those 50 years.
Turks Divided on Erdogan and the Country’s Direction
Turks are almost evenly split between those who are happy with Prime Minister Erdogan’s leadership and the state of the nation, and those who believe his government is leading the country down the wrong path.