Religion News Service Stories
RNS Story | Poll: Catholics don’t see contraception mandate as threat to religious freedom
[03.15.2012]Lauren Markoe | Mar 15, 2012 WASHINGTON (RNS) A vocal contingent of Republican presidential candidates and church leaders are railing against the Obama administration’s “war on religion,” but most Americans can’t seem to find the fight. A majority (56 percent) of Americans say religious liberty is not threatened in the U.S., according to a new poll released Thursday (March 15) by the Public Religion Research Institute, which conducted the… more
RNS Story | Less than half of Americans know Romney’s a Mormon
[10.27.2011]Adelle M. Bank | Oct 27, 2011 (RNS) Less than half of Americans know that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a Mormon, despite recent media attention focused on his faith, a new survey shows. Just four in 10 Americans — 42 percent — identified the former Massachusetts governor as a Mormon, according to the Washington-based Public Religion Research Institute. That figure remains unchanged from July 2011, despite a… more
RNS Story | Poll finds evangelicals stand apart on evolution, climate change
[09.22.2011]Lauren Markoe | Sep 22, 2011 Show Caption Details WASHINGTON (RNS) White evangelicals and Tea Party members are less likely to believe in evolution and climate change than most Americans, a finding that could pose a particular problem for Republican presidential hopefuls. A new poll released Thursday (Sept. 22) also showed that a majority of Americans (57 percent) believes in evolution, and an even larger majority (69 percent) believes in… more
RNS Story | Americans distinguish between politicians’ financial, sexual failings
[06.22.2011]Lauren Markoe | Jun 22, 2011 Show Caption Details WASHINGTON (RNS) Americans are tougher on politicians for their financial misdeeds than their sexual ones, but men are more willing than women to tolerate sexual misbehavior in their elected officials. The findings, released Wednesday (June 22) in a detailed survey by the Public Religion Research Institute, show that Americans across religious groups consider it worse for a politician to cheat… more
RNS Story | Two-thirds of Americans say bin Laden’s in hell
[05.11.2011]Nicole Neroulias | May 11, 2011 (RNS) While Americans have debated whether Osama bin Laden’s body belongs at the bottom of the Arabian Sea, most agree on the final destination of his soul: in hell. A new poll released Wednesday (May 11) reports that most Americans (82 percent) believe bin Laden distorted the teachings of Islam to suit his own purposes, and nearly two-thirds (65 percent) agree he will… more
RNS Story | Poll: Americans see clash between values of Christianity, capitalism
[04.20.2011]Nicole Neroulias | Apr 20, 2011 Show Caption Details (RNS) Are Christianity and capitalism a marriage made in heaven, as some conservatives believe, or more of a strained relationship in need of some serious couples’ counseling? A new poll released Thursday (April 21) found that more Americans (44 percent) see the free market system at odds with Christian values than those who don’t (36 percent), whether they are white… more
RNS Story | Poll: Most Americans don’t blame God for natural disasters
[03.24.2011]Nicole Neroulias | Mar 24, 2011 (RNS) We may never know why bad things happen to good people, but most Americans — except evangelicals — reject the idea that natural disasters are divine punishment, a test of faith or some other sign from God, according to a new poll. The poll released Thursday (March 24), by Public Religion Research Institute in partnership with Religion News Service, was conducted a… more
RNS Story |Most Americans support congressional probe on Muslims
[02.16.2011]Nicole Neroulias | Feb 16, 2011 Show Caption Details (RNS) Americans haven’t heard much about upcoming congressional hearings on the radicalization of U.S. Muslims, yet more than half think it’s a good idea, and nearly as many believe Muslims here haven’t done enough to fight extremists in their midst, according to a new poll. At the same time, 62 percent say American Muslims are an important part of the… more