What Does God Look Like?
Nearly 90 percent of Americans say they believe in God, and a new study reveals just what those Americans think God would look like. Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill surveyed 511 American Christians to find out how they view God by showing them hundreds of pairs of faces and asking […]
How Many Americans Believe in Ghosts?
As Americans head out for trick or treating on Halloween night, almost one in five believe it is possible they will see a real ghost. A 2009 Pew Research Center survey shows that 18 percent of American adults say they have seen or “been in the presence” of a ghost. Almost one in three […]
‘God’ Mentioned Often in State Constitutions
The United States has among the highest percentage of people who believe in God, and that shows in a new study about how often “God” is mentioned in state constitutions. In total, God is mentioned 116 times in state constitutions. According to the Pew Research Center, all but four states, Colorado, Iowa, Hawaii and Washington, […]
Americans No Longer One Nation Under God?
American students begin their day with a patriotic pledge vowing allegiance to “one nation, under God”, while U.S. presidents and politicians regularly end speeches with the words, “May God bless America”. Indeed, since our nation’s founding by pilgrims escaping religious persecution, and seeking the freedom to freely practice their religion, faith has played an integral […]
Vast Majority of US Non-Christians Celebrate Christmas
Christmas is, by definition, a Christian holiday, but it turns out that a vast majority of non-Christians in the United States — 81 percent — also celebrate the Dec. 25 holiday, which commemorates the birth of Jesus. Muslim American Zina Alathari, a Virginia dentist and mother of three girls, is one of them. “We celebrate […]
Most Americans Think Science, Religion Conflict
A majority of Americans, 59 percent, believe science often conflicts with religion, while 38 percent say the two areas are mostly compatible The most religious Americans are less likely to believe that religion and science conflict with each other, a new Pew Research poll finds. People with no particular religious affiliation, or who are not religiously […]
What It Takes to be a ‘Real’ American
More than anything, an overwhelming majority of Americans — 89 percent — think speaking English is critical to being “truly” American. “I think it comes down to perceived cultural threat that immigrants present to changing American culture,” said Dan Cox, research director at the Public Religion Research Institute, which conducted a survey on the subject. […]
Americans Think God Made Us Great
Last year at the U.S. Military Academy, President Barack Obama said, “I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being.” A majority of Americans seem to share that belief. Six in 10 agree with the notion that God has granted America a special role in human history. “Fundamentally, if there is one thing […]
By 2050, Muslims Could Be 2nd-Largest US Religious Group
If the current demographic trends hold, Muslims could become the second-largest religious group in the United States by 2050, surpassing Jews, who currently hold the number two spot, according to the Pew Research Center. U.S. Muslims have the highest fertility rate and the youngest median age of any major religious group in the country, according […]
This Is How Americans Stand Out from Rest of World
Americans still think hard work will take them places. That sense of can-do optimism sets people of the U.S.A. apart from the rest of the world. In a Pew Research Center survey of people in 44 countries, 57 percent of Americans disagreed with the statement, “Success in life is pretty much determined by forces outside […]