Religious Pluralism
Controversy Over Reality TV Show Stirs Debate Over Americans’ Views of Muslims
[12.19.2011]Earlier this week, rumors began to leak out that a number of advertisers, under pressure from a Christian group called the Florida Family Association (FFA), had pulled their advertising from TLC’s new reality show, “All-American Muslim.” The FFA had been urging companies to remove their ads from the show, claiming that it is “propaganda clearly designed to counter legitimate and present-day concerns about many Muslims who are advancing Islamic fundamentalism… more
Younger White Evangelicals Express Comfort With Muslim Religion, Culture
[10.04.2011]Late last week, the lower house of the Swiss Parliament passed a piece of legislation that would bar Muslim women from wearing face-covering veils, including the burqa, a body-covering, full-veil robe worn by Muslim women, in public places. If the law passes in the upper house, Switzerland will join a significant handful of European countries – France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Spain – that have considered or implemented similar bans. French women… more
The Morning Buzz | September 27, 2011
[09.27.2011]Welcome to the Morning Buzz, PRRI’s morning dose of religion-related news with a shot of data – because what doesn’t liven up a morning round-up like some public opinion numbers? And, because I’m feeling a little cranky this morning, some words of advice to the gentleman I saw this morning riding a Bikeshare bike, wearing no helmet and listening to his iPod: do not do that. Take a peek at… more
Happy Constitution Day: What Do Americans Think About Separation of Church and State?
[09.16.2011]Although it’s technically tomorrow (September 17), today people around the United States will observe Constitution Day, a federal holiday created in 2004 to commemorate the adoption of the U.S. Constitution and those who have, by birth or naturalization, become United States citizens. The day provides a good opportunity to reflect on how Americans think about what it means to be a U.S. citizen, and how Constitutional values inform our political… more
New Report Sheds Light on Perceived Relationship Between U.S. and Muslim World
[09.08.2011]The lead-up to the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks (which, if you have somehow managed to evade the news coverage, is on Sunday) has inspired an impressive array of attempts to gauge public opinion on issues relating to national security and religious tolerance. From our vantage point at the intersection of religion and politics, the most notable findings deal with the general population’s attitudes toward Muslim Americans, which… more
What Does it Mean to Be American?
[09.06.2011]There’s no question: Americans are committed, at least in theory, to principles of religious freedom, religious tolerance, and separation of church and state. But putting those ideals into practice is a tricky enterprise, especially as more Americans are required to wrestle with the realities of living and working alongside people with a wide range of religious, ethnic and political backgrounds. A new report, written jointly by the Public Religion Research… more
Watch the Panel Discussion on PRRI’s New Report at C-SPAN
[09.06.2011]If you didn’t get a chance to tune in on C-SPAN for this morning’s panel discussion, launching the Public Religion Research Institute’s new survey and report, “What it Means to Be American: Attitudes in an Increasingly Diverse America Ten Years After 9/11,” then this is your lucky day. A video of the event is available on C-SPAN’s website for you to watch at your leisure. The report is, naturally, available… more
“Fear, Fairness, & Fox News” at Duke
[04.22.2011]Here’s a new video from a March lecture that I gave at Duke University about our findings American attitudes towards Muslims and Islam. Many thanks to Duke Student Affairs and particularly to Imam Abdullah Antepli, who was such a wonderful host. Look at my PowerPoint presentation from Duke here: Fear, Fairness, and Fox News: Forces shaping how the public thinks about Islam and American Muslims View more presentations from Public Religion… more