Religion

Public support for the separation of church and state is widespread in Western Europe, even in countries that have a government-mandated church tax to fund religious institutions, according to a new analysis of a recent Pew Research Center study.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual adults are substantially less likely than straight adults to affiliate with a religious group or to attend religious services weekly.

Most American adults (82%) say Muslims are subject to at least some discrimination in the U.S. today, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in March – including a majority (56%) who say Muslims are discriminated against a lot.

In general, Western European countries that have a mandatory church tax aren’t any less religious than those that don’t have such a tax.

While U.S. Jews have a strong attachment to Israel, they are divided in their assessment of Trump’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

When compared with other wealthy nations, the U.S. is unique in that a large share of its population prays every day.

Sizable majorities of adults in six European countries with a mandatory tax say they pay it and few say they are likely to opt out.

Giving a share of one’s income to the church has been a part of European tradition for centuries. Today, several countries continue to collect a “church tax” on behalf of officially recognized religious organizations, in some cases levying the tax on all registered members.

People see diversity and gender equality increasing in their countries but say family ties have weakened. Views on the importance of religion vary widely.

Buddhists made up roughly 7% of the world’s population in 2015. Half of the world’s Buddhists live in China.