The old joke about the Baptists trying to beat the Methodists to the cafeteria for Sunday lunch seems stale these days. You might more easily find a remaining cafeteria in some towns than a plurality of people who actually attend…
Most states face a shortage of foster parents, yet the community most open to help fears discrimination
As a majority of states in America continue to face a foster care crisis, one of the most interested groups in helping displaced children often fails to volunteer out of fear of rejection. That’s the finding of new research by…
The terrible, horrible, no good, very bad season
If you have been following along recently and are a clergyperson, or someone interested in the goings on of church life, you may be feeling like this has been a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad … season.” Several research…
Why it’s so hard to roll back the most severe abortion bans
Some Republican legislators who have pushed hardline bans on abortion now believe they went too far, but unraveling laws already passed is harder than passing them in the first place. One such legislator is Tennessee state Sen. Richard Briggs. In…
Americans deeply divided over U.S. involvement in Middle East, Gallup poll shows
Americans are torn in three directions over the United States’ role in resolving the Israel-Hamas conflict that has rocked the Middle East, according to a Gallup poll. Asked their assessment of the situation, 41% of American adults said the United…
Here’s why Americans are so obsessed with getting ‘tough on crime’
Americans have consistently lacked confidence in the United States criminal justice system and, once again, a majority views it as not tough enough. A national debate, ongoing for at least a century, attempts to solve the problem of crime. Ironically, we…
Global survey finds surprisingly high levels of well-being
A significant majority of the world’s population regularly experiences feelings of contentment, community and other component parts of well-being, according to a new study. The 2022 global survey of 142 countries by Gallup and the Wellbeing for Planet Earth Foundation…
Hispanic students report highest levels of discrimination in some educational institutions
In post-pandemic America, in a world dominated by anti-immigrant rhetoric, Hispanic students report higher levels of discrimination than any other ethnic group, according to new data from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation. Among students enrolled in post-high school education in…
Are Americans ‘spiritual’ or ‘religious’ or both or neither?
Only 2% of Americans describe themselves as both “religious” and “spiritual,” while most others claim to be one or the other, according to a new study that examines how U.S. adults envision their faith identities. “Nearly half of Americans (47%)…