In a telephone survey of 1,200 American college students, 7 out of 10 said religion was somewhat or very important in their lives, and 1 in 4 said they'd become more spiritual since entering college.

Fifty-four percent said they were concerned about the moral direction of the country.

Students who were surveyed said abortion policy, stem cell research and gay marriage provoked questions of morality. In a finding that surprised the institute, 50 percent said the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina raised questions of morality.

Only o­ne of the 1,000 adults polled in the telephone survey could name all five freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment. Yet more than o­ne in five (22 percent) could identify all five major characters in Matt Groening's cartoon family.

Similarly, o­nly 8 people in 100 could name at least three First Amendment freedoms. Four in 10 surveyed (40 percent) could name two of the three judges o­n the star-making show American Idol, and o­ne in four (25 percent) could name all three.