American Culture

“ ‘Is it a sin?’ in the minds of most needs to be followed up with a verse that says in so many words Thou shalt not write anything permanent upon thy body. Barring the existence of that verse, going under the needle is allowed by Jesus, right?” - Kevin Schaal

“Few believe that people who commit suicide are selfish (38%) or are automatically going to hell (23%). Those numbers have remained relatively steady since 2014” - Lifeway

“Tolkien knew that the alternative, the grasp for ultimate power, meant that the contest between good and evil would be transformed into a contest between evils. The raw quest for power will corrupt all it touches.” - David French

“American Muslims scored 26 on the Islamophobia Index, which measures a group’s endorsement of anti-Muslim stereotypes” - RNS

“The share of young adults in the United States who are living with a parent has grown considerably in recent decades, a trend that many Americans see as bad for society” - Pew

“One of the most defining attributes of U.S. adults’ giving, it seems, is that it is local—indeed, nearly half (48%) say this true, while just 17 percent share that their giving is global. They lean toward describing their giving as proactive (47%) and private (42%), but are largely neutral (45%) on whether their giving could be called sacrificial or convenient. ” - Barna

“In both parties, majorities of those who have experienced one of the forms of extreme weather asked about in the survey say climate change contributed to the event. But Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say climate change contributed a lot.” - Pew

“As late as 1970, only about 5% of Americans chose to be cremated. In 2020, more than 56% Americans opted for it.” - RNS

On Religion Is Dying? Don’t Believe It by Byron R. Johnson and Jeff Levin: “The two authors, along with Matt Bradshaw and Rodney Stark, provide some fascinating, if not convincing, research that suggests religious institutions, particularly inclusive of Christian congregations, are thriving.” - Church Answers

“The EPPC Family Almanac offers 83 little glimpses into what American families look like, and the circumstances they face. As more and more red-blooded populists and well-credentialed eggheads start developing ideas for family policy, these facts and figures are ready to help make sure the discussion is grounded in reality.” - IFS