Facts

For a country with no official religion, we're pretty preoccupied with God in our policy - whether it be teaching evolution in the classroom or displaying the Ten Commandments in a courthouse. A less sexy, but no less contentious issue, is President Bush's faith-based initiative, which some say violates the notion of ‘separation of church and state.'

Americans and religion

How religious Americans say they are (2001) (CUNY - pdf):

The Skinny

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What's Up

In November 2003, a Massachusetts’ Supreme Court decision legitimizing gay marriages sparked a nationwide debate that had same-sex couples running to the altar and state governments scrambling to define who could and who could not get hitched. President Bush brought the debate to DC by endorsing a change to the Constitution that would outlaw same-sex marriages. So far there’s been more bark than bite to the debates, with the status of gay marriages little altered since '03 and there being a small likelihood Congress will pass a constitutional amendment anytime soon. (Attempts in the Senate got nowhere in '04, '05 or '06.) But the pandora’s box of same-sex marriages has been flung open and no doubt the debate will simmer for years.

The Skinny

see also background & facts, pro & con, links