The study comes at a time when the future of the American melting pot is the focus of intense political debate, from immigration to race-based admissions to schools, and it poses challenges to advocates on all sides of the issues. The study is already being cited by some conservatives as proof of the harm large-scale immigration causes to the nation's social fabric.

Let's look at that, it says that 'Stephen and Irene Bennett...say they will never endorse same-sex marriage for religious reasons.'

Now they went on to say, they included a sound bite with you saying that you could not...you said that homosexuality was wrong, but that's all that they said. Why do you say that that was the wrong way to identify you.

Jackson, pastor of the Hope Christian Church in Lanham, MD, heads the group. "Your characterization of the legislation was grossly inaccurate and highly prejudicial," Clyburn wrote. "Our own history and experiences make clear that the effects of hate crimes extend beyond the particular victim and reflect more pervasive patterns of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability.

With the rise of modern science around the 17th century "agnosticism" has evolved. Agnosticism means that people are not sure about the existence of God; it is a route for side-stepping issues relating to religion; Agnostics (be they scientists or lay people) claim that they cannot comment one way or the other on the existence of God.