As Spirituality Rises, Many Young People Are Redefining and Rethinking Religion

Liz Bucar at Teen Vogue reports on the growing popularity of spiritual practices among young people and how young people distinguish spirituality from religion. Bucar interviewed 17 young people about their experiences with spirituality, including one who said that spirituality offers a “language for experiencing this life.” According to PRRI’s latest survey, around four in ten unaffiliated Americans describe themselves as spiritual and 18% of Americans under 30 attend church weekly, compared with 33% of Americans 65 or older. PRRI CEO Melissa Deckman, Ph.D., also recently participated in a conversation on the 538 Podcastabout the effect of increasing religious disaffiliation on Americans’ social connections.

Arizona Supreme Court Rules a Near-Total Abortion Ban From 1864 Is Enforceable

Adam Edelman and Alex Tabet at NBC News report that on Tuesday, Arizona’s Supreme Court reinstated an 1864 law that effectively bans abortion, except to save the life of the mother. The Civil War-era law also makes abortion a felony punishable by two to five years in prison for anyone who performs one or helps another person obtain one. As a battleground state, Arizona voters’ attitudes on abortion rights could factor heavily into the outcome of the presidential election and help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate and the Arizona state house next year. PRRI researchfinds that 72% of Americans oppose laws that do not allow abortion in any case except to save the life of the mother.

Here’s Where Women Voters Stand in the Biden-Trump Rematch

Julia Manchester and Julia Mueller of The Hill write that women voters will be critical in the upcoming general election, with the future of reproductive rights hanging in the balance. Women of color, Gen Z women, and suburban women all share concerns around reproductive rights as a priority issue, but notable partisan divides emerge between non-college-educated and college-educated women. PRRI’s CEO Melissa Deckman, Ph.D., told The Hill that young women have become notably more progressive and liberal than older women. According to PRRI data, young women are more likely than other groups to say they will “only vote for a candidate who supports their position on abortion.”

‘If You Can Keep It:’ Donald Trump, White Evangelicals, and the 2024 Election

On a recent episode of 1A, NPR’s Jenn White discussed white evangelical Christians’ theological beliefs and political behavior with NPR reporter Sarah McCammon and Lutheran pastor and writer Angela Denker. Ahead of the 2024 election, white evangelicals hold outsized influence in both the Republican party and national politics. Despite the group’s political power, however,PRRI data finds that white evangelical Christians have experienced a significant decline in membership in the past decade, dropping from 17% in 2013 to 14% in 2023.