According to the Public Religion Research Institute, America is evenly divided on the issue of gay marriage: 47 percent favor its legalization while another 47 percent oppose it. . . . But strong preferences manifest themselves among religious groups. Unsurprisingly, about seven in 10 of those who aren't affiliated with any religion or who are affiliated with one other than Christianity support same-sex marriage. What is surprising is that a slim majority of Catholics and a similar-size majority of white mainline Protestants support gay marriage too. In contrast, 60 percent of black Protestants and 76 percent of white evangelicals are against its legalization.
The explanations for these cleavages can likely be found in nonreligious factors. Catholics in the U.S., for example, are more likely to live in urbanized states than evangelicals, predisposing them to adopting more socially liberal ideologies. The support gap between black and white mainline Protestants might be attributed in part to differing cultural pressures within those racial communities. What's nevertheless strange is that these Christian groups, with a few exceptions, mostly take a hardline stance against gay marriage, yet followers adhere to those stances at vastly different rates. But these religious differences may not matter so much in several generations: the main theme of the study was that younger people are supporting gay rights at much higher rates than their elders. It found "at least a 20-point generation gap" between 18 to 29 year olds and adults over 65 on every public policy issue concerning gay rights. And seven in 10 people in that younger age bracket say that religious groups that come out against homosexuality are alienating them.
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Steve Chapman: Time is On the Side of Gay Marriage
Catholic Attitudes on Gay and Lesbian Issues: An Overview
A Catholic Statement of Support for Same-Sex Marriage
Tips on Speaking as a Catholic in Support of Marriage Equality
Jonathan Capehart: Catholics Lead the Way on Same-Sex Marriage
Responding to Bishop Tobin's Remarks on Gay Marriage
The Bishops' Reaction to Marriage Equality: "Wrong-Headed and Counterproductive"
Catholic Author Richard Rodriguez on Why Churches Fear Gay Marriage
Quote of the Day – August 31, 2011
Quote of the Day – April 21, 2011
Recommended Off-site Links:
Most U.S. Catholics Back Civil Marriage for Gays – Lou Chibbaro Jr. (The Washington Blade, March 31, 2011).
Catholics More Supportive of Gay Rights Than General Public, Other Christians – Michael Sean Winters (National Catholic Reporter, March 22, 2011 – via The Progressive Catholic Voice).
U.S. Catholics Break with Church Hierarchy on Gay Relationships – Cathy Lynn Grossman (USA Today, March 23, 2011).
Census Reveals Gay People are Shockingly . . . Normal – Candace Chellew-Hodge (Religion Dispatches, September 4, 2011).
It is good that a majority of Catholics appear to be in favor, especially young Catholics. I think the Catholic Church needs to be concerned about keeping young Catholics in the faith. We need to be a welcoming Church.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see the results for actual Mass-going Catholics.
ReplyDeleteOf course Church teaching is not determined by polls, something for which you should be glad, Michael. For if you polled the whole Church (on Earth, in Purgatory, in Heaven, or a combination of them), your position would lose.
Andrew, this isn't about church teaching on homosexuality but about civil marriage rights for same-sex couples in our pluralistic U.S. society.
ReplyDeletePeace,
Michael