In a well-researched and provocative National Journal column, journalist Peter Beinart seeks to jujitsu conservatives’ charges that President Obama has undermined “American exceptionalism.” … I offer some reservations. Beinart exaggerates the convergence of Americans with other western peoples. What is really striking is how long-lasting aspects of American exceptionalism have […] Read more »
Pope Francis faces church divided over doctrine, global poll of Catholics finds
Most Catholics worldwide disagree with church teachings on divorce, abortion and contraception and are split on whether women and married men should become priests, according to a large new poll released Sunday and commissioned by the U.S. Spanish-language network Univision. On the topic of gay marriage, two-thirds of Catholics polled […] Read more »
The End of American Exceptionalism
From the moment Barack Obama appeared on the national stage, conservatives have been searching for the best way to describe the danger he poses to America’s traditional way of life. Secularism? Check. Socialism? Sure. A tendency to apologize for America’s greatness overseas? That, too. But how to tie them all […] Read more »
Mississippi Most Religious State, Vermont Least Religious
Religiousness across the U.S. in 2013 remained similar to previous years. With 61% of its residents classified as very religious, Mississippi held on to its position as the most religious state, while Vermont, with 22% very religious residents, remained the least religious. The most religious states were in the South, […] Read more »
Is religion losing ground to sports?
… According to a 2012 survey by researchers at the University of California at Berkeley and Duke University, 20 percent of Americans “claimed they had no religious preference,” compared with an unaffiliated population of 8 percent in 1990. Roughly two out of three Americans, a 2012 Pew report noted, are […] Read more »
How race and religion have polarized American voters
The rise of polarized politics in Washington is a direct result of profound changes that have taken place in American society and culture over several decades. … Contrary to the views of those who see polarization as almost entirely an elite phenomenon, the deep divide between the parties in Washington […] Read more »