Fred Thompson            Chris Dodd

Religion & Politics '08 has unveiled two new profiles: Democrat Chris Dodd, who has officially announced his presidential candidacy, and Republican Fred Thompson, who is expected to announce soon.

The profiles include religious biographies, quotes, must-read articles and candidate positions on a dozen values-laden issues, such as abortion, gay marriage and the Iraq war. A unique feature allows users to compare candidates on these issues in a concise format. Six Democratic and six Republican candidates have been profiled so far with more to come.

Read the Dodd profile
Read the Thompson profile

Survey Shows Evangelicals More Likely to Emphasize Marriage

A new Pew Research Center survey about sex, marriage and parenthood shows that white evangelical Protestants believe in the importance of marriage and have strong moral prescriptions against premarital sex and childbearing outside of marriage.

They are more likely than other religious groups to:

• consider the rise in unmarried childbearing and cohabitation bad for society;
• agree that a child needs both a mother and father to be happy;
• say that divorce should be avoided except in extreme circumstances.

Read a summary of the report
Download the complete report

FAQs - and Answers - about Pew's Muslim American Survey

A recent Pew survey, "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," attracted a great deal of attention and also raised a number of questions about the research. The Pew Research Center has compiled answers to some of the most controversial questions, including:

• How did you determine who is a Muslim?
  
• Many estimates of the size of the Muslim population are much higher than Pew's. Why should we trust the Pew estimate?
  
• Wouldn't many Muslim Americans be afraid to be honest about their views on many sensitive questions, especially where the U.S. government and foreign policy are concerned?

Read the FAQs

Ruling on Faith-Based Initiative Analyzed

A splintered U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that taxpayers cannot sue the federal government over events that reach out to religious organizations on grounds that these events violate the separation of church and state. The Roundtable on Religion and Social Welfare Policy, a Pew-funded project, has released an in-depth analysis of Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, a case that challenged President Bush's faith-based initiative.

Read the analysis

June 29 - The Washington Post
Op-Ed: The Gospel of Obama
Pew Forum Senior Fellow John Green says surveys suggest that young evangelicals are more concerned about the environment and international issues than were previous generations. Columnist Michael Gerson argues that this shift could provide an opening for Democratic candidates like Barack Obama.

July 2 - USA Today
Darwin Supported Missionaries
The 19th century English biologist famous for his theory of evolution supported Christian missionary work for his entire adult life, historians have found.

July 2 - Orlando Sentinel
The New Breed on the Right
The Rev. Joel Hunter is part of a new generation of Christian conservatives who are expanding their agendas beyond traditional opposition to abortion, gay marriage and stem-cell research.

July 1 - The New York Times
Pope Urges Reconciliation for China's Catholics
In an open letter to Chinese Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI said it is time for the underground and state-sponsored Catholic churches in China to reconcile.

July 1 - Associated Press
British Muslims Worried of Backlash After Failed Terrorist Attacks
After three failed bomb attacks in London and Glasgow, British Muslims are bracing for a backlash.

June 30 - The Washington Post
Proposal for an Islamic Envoy Brings Cautious Hope
Muslims applauded President Bush's proposal to send an envoy to the Islamic world but warned that improving relations will take time.

June 30 - Associated Press
Romney Tells Religious Conservatives 'Jesus Christ is My Savior'
When questioned by Iowa conservatives about his Mormon faith, Mitt Romney answered that "The Bible for me is the word of God," and "I also believe that Jesus Christ is my savior."

June 30 - Los Angeles Times
Leaders of Five Faiths Decry Violence in Name of Religion
Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus and Jews met in Indonesia where they urged others around the world to practice tolerance.

June 30 - The Washington Post
Civil Union Laws Don't Ensure Benefits
Four months after New Jersey's civil union law went into effect, many same-sex couples are severely disillusioned with their prospects for legal equality.

June 29 - ABC News
Debate Over Same-Sex Benefits Heats Up
The 2008 presidential contenders are at odds over federal benefits for same-sex partners.

June 28 - Religion News Service
On Balance, Religious Conservatives Fared Well Under Roberts
Conservative religious advocacy organizations praised the Supreme Court term that ended last week.