Key takeaways about how Americans view the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church
A majority of U.S. adults say recent reports of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church reflect problems that are still happening.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Claire Gecewicz is a research associate at Pew Research Center, where she contributes to the Center’s domestic religion polls. Gecewicz holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied sociology. She is a contributing author of many Pew Research Center reports, including “America’s Changing Religious Landscape,” “Americans See Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse as an Ongoing Problem,” “In America, Does More Education Equal Less Religion?” and “Why Americans Don’t Fully Trust Many Who Hold Positions of Power and Responsibility.”
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‘New Age’ beliefs common among both religious and nonreligious Americans
Many U.S. Christians – as well as the religiously unaffiliated – hold “New Age” beliefs, which include belief in reincarnation and astrology.
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Share of married adults varies widely across U.S. religious groups
In the United States, 48% of American adults say they are married. A higher-than-average share of adults are married in certain religious groups.
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5 facts about Muslim Millennials in the U.S.
While Millennials make up 32% of all U.S. adults, they account for roughly half of American Muslim adults. Read five facts about Muslim Millennials.
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American-born Muslims more likely than Muslim immigrants to see negatives in U.S. society
While Muslims born in the United States and their immigrant counterparts share a pride in being American, U.S.-born Muslims are less likely than immigrants to feel comfortable with their place in broader American society.
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More Americans now say they’re spiritual but not religious
About a quarter of U.S. adults now say they think of themselves as spiritual but not religious, up 8 percentage points in five years.
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In many ways, Muslim men and women see life in America differently
While many Muslims express wariness and anxiety about aspects of their lives in the United States, Muslim women tend to be more pessimistic about their place in U.S. society than Muslim men.
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U.S. Catholics, non-Catholics continue to view Pope Francis favorably
In the U.S., Pope Francis remains as popular as ever, with seven-in-ten Americans saying their opinion of the pontiff is “very” or “mostly” favorable.
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Most U.S. Catholics rely heavily on their own conscience for moral guidance
Despite Pope Francis’ overwhelming popularity, few U.S. Catholics say they turn to the pope “a great deal” for guidance on difficult moral questions.
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For most Americans, Thanksgiving isn’t the only time for thankfulness
A large majority of Americans (78%) feel a strong sense of gratitude or thankfulness on a weekly basis, while only 6% of Americans say they seldom or never experience these feelings.
