Really, Pew Research? Bad Chart Saturday

The above chart was put out by Pew Research, which actually rather surprised me. It’s a bad chart! Can you spot the problem with it?

The chart claims to be looking at the position of “major religions” even as most of the items it includes are not “major religions” but rather Christian denominations. But while the chart breaks both Christianity and Judaism down by denomination or sect, it fails to do the same for Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism.

Let me ask you this. Where does Christianity stand on same-sex marriage? If I asked you that question, you’d have to say “no clear position,” wouldn’t you? How about Judaism? Where does it stand on same-sex marriage? Again, “no clear position.” Both Buddhism and Hinduism are placed in the “no clear position” box because these traditions are divided and currently in a position of flux on the issue. But then, so is Christianity.

Do you see the problem here? It does not work to create a chart like this where you break Christianity and Judaism down into their denominations/sects to get at nuance within these religious traditions while treating Buddhism and Hinduism as monolithic.

And what about Islam? Let me ask you this: What council or religious leader speaks for all Muslims? Oh that’s right, there isn’t one. The Vatican may speak for Catholics and the presbyterian policy may speak for the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A., but there isn’t an equivalent that sets doctrine for all Muslims. This alone makes me uncomfortable with the inclusion of Islam in this chart.

If the chart broke Islam down into its various traditions, Shia, Sunni, Sufi—they could even thrown in Wahhabism—they could then indicate what position each tradition takes. Perhaps you are wondering why this matters—wouldn’t each sect go in the “prohibits” category anyway? Why, then, worry about whether they are listed individually?  Well first of all, Sufism has often been more open on this issue, and might be properly put in the “no clear position” category. But secondly, listing them separately might help us cut down on our tendency to see Islam in a monolithic way.

And that’s the real problem with this chart, isn’t it? Christianity and Judaism operate a privileged position where understanding the nuances between denominations and sects matters. Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism are, in contrast, treated as monoliths, nuance and difference erased completely. This isn’t just factually incorrect, it also contributes to problematic stereotyping that accentuates difference rather than promoting understanding.

You know what’s weird, though? The Pew Research article that includes the chart above does not actually mention Islam, Buddhism, or Hinduism. Instead, it’s all about internal fights within Christian denominations. Why were these religions included in the image at all, then? I suspect that they were included in an effort to make the chart look less U.S.-centered and more in tune with an increasingly global world. But if that is what we want to do—and this is a good ambition!—we need to do it correctly. Including other world religions in a simplistic way that lacks nuance smacks of Orientalism.