While statistics show that people are not as religious across the United States as they once were, current numbers still report that roughly 75% of American citizens claim that religion plays a big part in their daily routines. Studies conducted by the Pew Research Center over recent years have pointed out a few interesting facts about how the lives of Americans are influenced by religious beliefs on both conscious and subconscious levels. Check out these highlights to learn more about what these studies have uncovered. 

Domestic Activities Are Still Divided by Gender

In recent decades, heterosexual American couples have shifted away from old paradigms surrounding domestic roles for men and women. For example, a majority of women have been working full-time jobs alongside their husbands for at least the last 50 years. Unfortunately, reports state that women still do a majority of domestic tasks at home. Of all the religious families polled by Pew, men do far more housework than previous generations. However, they still only do roughly half of the domestic work their wives do. 

It is interesting to note that this seems to be the case across all religions. Whether Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, it seems that women tend to take on more of the work around the house and with the children. 

Civil Rights Matter

Since 2001, almost all research conducted by Pew Research Center pointed out that Americans who identified as Christian felt the fight against terrorism was more vital than most civil liberties. This trend continued through the “War on Terror” of the 00s and only shifted in 2013, when Americans started to care more about social and civil issues. According to the most recent studies, Americans of all religious backgrounds believe that handling inequalities at home is more important than fighting alleged threats abroad. 

Money Matters More With Politics

The media often portrays Americans as obsessed with creating laws that conflict with its core tenet of “separating church from state.” However, this does not properly reflect the beliefs of the average citizen. According to Pew Research Center studies, religion is not important when it comes to what Americans look for in political conversations. In fact, the majority of individuals polled stated that they were more concerned with financial stability than anything that has to do with their religious beliefs. 

It is also important to mention that many religious Americans think the media focuses on the wrong topics. This is true of all political affiliations, too. When polled, religious Democrats and religious Republicans said the news often veered away from important issues and instead created drama and discord. 

More People Accept Marijuana

Religious groups often have restrictions when it comes to illicit substances. For example, many people of all religions abstain from drinking. However, there has been a change of heart in how many religious people view substances like marijuana. Though not legal in all of the United States, public view on the legalization of marijuana has been growing in popularity for the last few decades. According to the most recent polls, more than 50% of religious citizens of the United States agree with the legalization of marijuana on a federal level. 

Though the public opinion has changed dramatically when it comes to marijuana, many of those polled stated that they would not partake in marijuana consumption themselves. However, they overwhelmingly agreed that marijuana was not harmful in the way it had been portrayed and should no longer be a reason other citizens are arrested, detained, or fined. 

Changing Times

Though religious individuals in America often get a bad rap in the media, looking at studies can reveal some fascinating truths. As the times continue to change, it makes sense that the beliefs of religious groups also shift in order to meet the new paradigms of society.