Today, about half of Americans (49%) say the Bible should have at least “some” influence on U.S. laws, including nearly a quarter (23%) who say it should have “a great deal” of influence, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Among U.S. Christians, two-thirds (68%) want the Bible to influence U.S. laws at least some, and among white evangelical Protestants, this figure rises to about nine-in-ten (89%).

At the other end of the spectrum, there’s broad opposition to biblical influence on U.S. laws among religiously unaffiliated Americans, also known as religious “nones,” who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular.” Roughly three-quarters in this group (78%) say the Bible should hold little to no sway, including 86% of self-described atheists who say the Bible should not influence U.S. legislation at all. Two-thirds of U.S. Jews, as well, think the Bible should have not much or should have no influence on laws.

There also are differences on this question by age and political party. Older Americans are much more likely than younger adults to want biblical influence on U.S. laws, while Republicans – by a two-to-one margin – are more likely than Democrats to do so.

Source: Pew Research Center

Muslim American women are particularly worried about global extremism in the name of Islam. Nearly nine-in-ten U.S. Muslim women (89%) say they are at least somewhat concerned about it, up 16 points since 2011. A smaller share of U.S. Muslim men (75%) say they feel this way.

While U.S. Muslims are slightly less worried about Islamic extremism in the United States than around the world, their concern about domestic extremism is still high. About seven-in-ten American Muslims (71%) say they are at least somewhat concerned about extremism in the name of Islam occurring in the U.S. As with global extremism, the level of concern among Muslim Americans about extremism in the U.S. is very similar to the general public’s (70%).

Despite their concerns about Islamic extremism, only 17% of Muslim Americans say there is a great deal (6%) or fair amount (11%) of support for extremism among U.S. Muslims. Most say there is not much support for extremism (30%) or none at all (43%) among the U.S. Muslim community. This contrasts with the views of Americans in general. Compared with Muslims, twice as many people in the general public (35%) say there is at least “a fair amount” of support for extremism among Muslims who live in the U.S.

Muslim Americans also differ from the general public in their views on undercover sting operations and other police efforts to disrupt terrorist plots. Four-in-ten U.S. Muslims (39%) say that when law enforcement officers have arrested Muslims on suspicion of plotting terrorist acts, they have mostly arrested “violent people who posed a real threat.” But 30% say such arrests have mostly involved “people who were tricked by law enforcement and did not pose a real threat,” while an additional 30% say they are not sure or express no opinion.

Continue reading at: Pew Research Center

“Thus, we want to offer our fellow Americans an opportunity to learn the true teachings of Islam from its main source, the Qur’an. “Previous educational campaigns of GainPeace have generated numerous calls of support and building of alliances with interfaith groups, minority groups, and neighbors.”

The billboard followed a controversial billboard which popped up last June in Indianapolis on I-465 near the Washington Street exit. Featuring the words “The Perfect Man”, apparently in reference to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the billboard followed by a list of attributes including “rapist” and “slave owner”.

The billboard gives no indication who paid for it, save for the word “Truthophobes” – an Australian group dedicated to publishing anti-Islamic materials.

Indiana representative Andre Carson said he believes the billboard is untrue and that the billboard’s author takes Islamic text and history out of context “just like Al-Qaeda, ISIS and the Klan do to religious texts to justify their bigotry.” GainPeace said the billboard, which will be up until July 30, is one part of a six-week campaign designed to educate people about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh & hp).

Other portions of the campaign, titled “The truth about Muhammad: Peace be upon him,” include mailing out 15,000 postcards about Muhammad and creating a 30-second video to be shared on social media sites.

Source: AboutIslam.net

The religious groups that ranked highest, as they did three years ago, were Jews (67 percent) and Catholics (66 percent). Mainline Protestants, including Methodists, Presbyterians and Episcopalians, who were measured for the first time, came in at 65 percent. Buddhists rose on the scale to 60 percent from 53, Hindus to 58 from 50, and Mormons to 54 from 48. Evangelical Christians were the only group that did not improve their standing from three years ago, plateauing at 61 percent.

The survey of 4,248 adults, conducted by the Pew Research Center, did not ask why people hold the attitudes they do. (The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.) The poll was conducted from Jan. 9 to 23 of this year, a period just before and during the inauguration of President Trump. Many blamed Mr. Trump for exacerbating religious prejudice with his campaign promise to protect Americans from terrorism by banning Muslims from entering the United States.

During and after the presidential campaign, Muslims reported a wave of harassment on the streets and attacks on their mosques and community centers. Jewish institutions have also reported a spike in vandalism and threats. So a survey showing a spike in warm feelings among people of different religions came as something of a surprise, said Jessica Hamar Martínez, a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center…

The responses varied depending on who was asked. Younger Americans, aged 18 to 29, rated Muslims and atheists more warmly, and Jews far more coolly, than Americans 50 and older. Black Americans felt more warmly than white or Hispanic Americans toward Muslims. But in every case, people felt more warmly toward religious groups when they personally knew someone in that group. Compared with 2014, the percentage of Americans who said they personally knew a Muslim had increased to 45 from 38, the highest increase in personal contact for any religious group.

Source: New York Times