Gay Marriage And Religion Go Hand-In-Hand Among Many Young Americans: Survey

Conventional wisdom may suggest that religious groups generally oppose same-sex marriage and legal rights for gay Americans, but a new survey released Monday afternoon suggests there are major religious groups on both sides of the debate. According to the survey, young people are driving public opinion to the tipping point on both gay marriage and theological acceptance of gay people.

The poll, conducted by the Washington, D.C.-based Public Religion Research Institute, surveyed 3,000 adults in the United States and analyzed results according to age, religion, and ethnicity or race. It's findings show that far more members of the "millennial" generation, which includes adults ages 18 to 29, strongly supports same-sex marriage and believes homosexuality is moral and compatible with religion than do members of older generations.

"What's striking is that there's a generation gap that persists all the way down, even among more conservative groups," said Robert Jones, lead researcher and CEO of PRRI.

Among the survey's findings:

• More than six in 10 millennials favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry, 69 percent support gay adoption, 71 percent support civil unions and 79 percent support employment discrimination protections. Among senior citizens, one in three support gay marriage, while 51 percent support civil unions and 58 percent support employment discrimination protections. The survey counts senior citizens as people who are 65 or older.

• Among millennials who are white evangelical Christians, 44 percent support legalization of same-sex marriage, compared to 12 percent of evangelical senior citizens and 19-percent of evangelicals overall.

• Almost 7 in 10 millennials (69 percent) believe religious groups are alienating young people by being too judgemental about gay and lesbian issues. Only 37 percent of senior citizens share the same view.

• Disregarding religion, nearly half (49 percent) of Republican millennials support gay marriage, compared to 19 percent of Republican senior citizens and 31 percent of Republicans overall.

Jones said that younger people may be more supportive of legal protections and recognition for gay people because they are more likely to know them or have gay friends.

"One of the things we know about the millennial generation is that they are one of the most diverse in American history. They have a much more diverse set of social networks and much more diverse family settings than those who have come before them," he said. "That's one of the strongest predictors of one's views on a whole range of policies around gay and lesbian rights."

Besides the findings on generational differences, the survey also found breakdowns among religious denominations on gay issues.

• Majorities of non-Christian religious Americans (67 percent), Catholics (52 percent) and white mainline Protestants (51 percent) favor legalizing same-sex marriage. Six in 10 black Protestants are against gay marriage, while that number jumps to 76 percent among white evangelical Protestants. The survey does not break down results by individual non-Christian religions

• Slightly more Catholics believe their church's view on homosexuality is too conservative (43 percent) than those who believe is it right (43 percent). Just six percent think the church's positions are too liberal. Among Catholics who attend Mass at least weekly, 37 percent say the church is too conservative on gay issues.

• More than six in 10 Americans say that "negative messages" from places of worship contribute either "a lot" or "a little" to higher rates of suicide among gay and lesbian youth.

More generally, the survey also asked about Americans' views of gay people, such as how difficult it is to live as a gay person and if gay people should come out of the closet. A majority (51 percent) said that it is "very" or "somewhat difficult" to be openly gay, while 45 percent said it is "not too" difficult or "not at all" difficult." More than one-third (34 percent) said coming out is a good thing for society, while 18 percent said it is bad for society.

The full report can be found on Public Religion Research Institute's website.

Comments

[Syllogizer]

11:40 PM on 09/05/2011

But what IS the point? All this survey really proves is what many of us knew all along: the vast majority of 'Christians' in the US have a "supermarket approach" to religion. They believe the purpose of the various different churches and other religious groups is to cater to a 'market' of believers, and they get to pick and choose what they want. They have completely forgotten what it means to be grafted onto Christ.

[FrenchKissed]

06:00 AM on 10/13/2011

The Bible is full of concepts rejected by virtually all Christians. Here are but a few:

Suppose a man comes across a virgin who is not engaged and overpowers and r apes her and they are discovered. The man who has r aped her must pay her father fifty shekels of silver and she must become his wife because he has violated her; he may never divorce her as long as he lives.
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You must not sow your field with two different kinds of seed, and you must not wear a garment made of two different kinds of fabric.
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When a woman has a discharge and her discharge is blood from her body, she is to be in her menstruation seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean. Then on the eighth day she must take for herself two young pigeons and she must make one a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.
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Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence..

[American in Taipei]

12:44 AM on 09/04/2011

"A majority (51 percent) said that it is "very" or "somewhat difficult" to be openly gay, while 45 percent said it is "not too" difficult or "not at all" difficult.""

Wow, I sure am glad that 45% of Americans know that living as a gay person isn't difficult. Being called names, disowned by families, and having to hide relationships out of fear of violence or ostracism is easy!

[BeninOakland]

03:33 PM on 09/01/2011

Gracealone-- Theology IS a popularitycontest. What in the history of, say, Christianity, would lead you to suspect otherwise? In this case, it's about the Coolest Kid Ever, i.e., who is it that is going to be God's Best Buddy.

Why else would Christianity be splintered into hundreds/thousands of denominations, each basing its certainty that it has the Real Truth o' God by reading tealeaves in an ancient book so vague that each denomination cites it with AUTHORITY?

What were the religious wars of the past centuries, but ultimately lethal popularity contests?

You speak glibly of biblical illiteracy, as if most people who happily point their bibles at othera were not biblically, historically, religiously illiterate. A guy on ThisVeryWebsite is happy to tell you that Christians are supposed to judge others, because they are forgiven and they are not going to be judged, because Jesus died for their (ultimately VERY petty) sins.

Of course texts change, all the time. There are so many versions of the bible, appearing in languages Biblicals didn't even know existed. Homosexual, a favorite word of the homosexually obssessed, didn't appear in a bible until 1948.

And of course, there is that silly thing called scholarship, which will show you how texts have changed.
It is just amazing to me that the one eternal god has a hard time making up his mind. As the two versions of Genesis shjow, he has a hard time keeping his story straight.

[talkstocoyotes]

09:20 AM on 09/02/2011

Right. Evangelism is essentially sales, to use another metaphor.

[kokonutgurl]

06:11 AM on 09/03/2011

Sorry man has a hard time keeping it "Straight".

[talkstocoyotes]

09:39 AM on 09/01/2011

***Among senior citizens, one in three support gay marriage, while 51 percent support civil unions and 58 percent support employment discrimination protections. The survey counts senior citizens as people who are 65 or older.***

That means The Husband and I missed being counted among these homophobic seniors by four years. What a relief !

And what a disgrace that a group of people facing so much employment discrimination should support that for another group.

[Masih Ad-Dajjal]

02:22 AM on 09/01/2011

The truth is young people are better educated and live in a modern framework of reality.

It is all about choice or nature. In order for all this vitriol from the religious to stand up they have to definitively show that people are actually choosing to be gay.

The idea that people just choose to have romantic feelings for the same gender at some point of their life really makes no sense. Because the idea that people chose to have romantic feelings for people of the opposite gender at some point in their life makes no sense either.

The other big hypocrisy is that somehow a gay relationship is immoral and bad for society as a whole. This has never been shown and never will be because it is ridiculous, as gays become more prominent in society and people actually get to know them these archaic ideas will slowly melt away as is proved by the poll.

Ridiculous assertions and hypocritical ideologies will never stand up to the test of time and the humans innate ability to sniff out bu!!sh!^.

[Erik Kurtz]

07:34 PM on 08/31/2011

This just proves that Jesus was gay.

[gracealone]

05:29 AM on 09/01/2011

Well with that kind of Biblical illiteracy it's no wonder there is so much confusion on this subject.

[StevenM]

07:18 AM on 09/01/2011

Actually, biblical scholarship has often wondered if at some time before Jesus began his ministry if he had been married. The scenario often considered is that Jesus married and his wife died before his ministry started. There is no evidence for this, but it is not completely outside the realm of the possible. The Gospels never state explicitly that Jesus never married. Later Christian theology claimed that Jesus never sinned, but that is an issue of faith, there is no way one could prove such a statement.

Jesus appears to have had a very close relationship with a "disciple he loved." Many have taken this to refer to a homosexual relationship. Again, it is not something one can prove one way or the other.

On the other hand, I once had a very close relationship with a young man (when I was a young man), while we lived together. I was shocked to learn that many people simply assumed that we were lovers. And after I was married, I had a close friend who was gay. Often while we were traveling together with two others, in order to save money, we would share the same bed together. It is my personal experience that close personal relationships do not always include sex.

[David Weidner]

05:57 PM on 08/31/2011

Yeah right. The gay kids just love the christian "acceptance" they get at every turn. Give me a break.

[talkstocoyotes]

04:35 PM on 09/03/2011

I believe the most popular justification is that they're trying to save gay people in general, and vulnerable youth in particular, from 'sin' and if that involves treating someone like dirt, well then so be it.

[Bob Kellerman]

05:41 PM on 08/31/2011

THE GOOD NEWS
Is that the propaganda machines in the churches are alienating the young members, who will eventually be the elders of the churches, if they are not so turned off they leave.

BUT WHY DOES THE ARTICLE NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTION THE MORMON MACHINE?
The powerhouse behind stopping Gay marriange is in Salt Lake -- they brought the catholics, evans, and Black churches cleverly into the Prop 8 to spread their dirty lies.

WOULDN'T AN ANONYMOUS SURVEY OF MORMONS BE MORE INTERESTING than the above, which is nice to read, but already well known?

Some readers do not realize that the mormons' change would require the octegenarian "prophet" to receive a "revelation from God" that He really means for them to stop the persecution and political meddling.
At present, mormons believe it is THEIR DUTY TO CHANGE YOUR MORALS AND BEHAVIOR, because God annoints them to do it.

[Balancement]

05:56 PM on 08/31/2011

Not to mention the fact that the LDS Church is one of the primary funders of NOM.

[gregory57]

06:26 PM on 08/31/2011

The Mormons got their heavenly memo on the race issue. It wouldn't surprise me if they got a similar email from God in the next ten or twenty years regarding gay marriage.

[Bob Kellerman]

08:08 PM on 08/31/2011

ONLY SHAME WORKS TO CHANGE THE MORHOLE CHURCH

They now have a masterful PR regime in place to deflect all blows and pretend that most of their effort goes to legimate charitable causes. (which is actually much truer for the members than for the organization)

TELL ALL MORMONS YOU MEET THAT THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED
UNTIL THERE IS ATONEMENT FOR PROP 8
-- just be prepared to be blasted by their reply, once they see that they cannot fool you.

[talkstocoyotes]

09:22 AM on 09/02/2011

If you want to learn about the LDS church's unholy involvement in the Prop8 campaign, "The Mormon Proposition" is available at Netflix. It also looks at suicide rates among gay and lesbian youth in general, and in Utah in particular.

[thegodlessgeneration]

05:08 PM on 08/31/2011

As long as churches continue the message of, "Being gay is OK and Jesus loves everyone and accepts everyone. But homosexuality is a sin", they're fighting a losing battle with younger generations. They have no idea who they're dealing with.

[HarleyOpenRoad]

06:36 PM on 08/31/2011

So Christians should change their beliefs in order to win some sort of a popularity contest?

[CrazyThisIs]

08:33 PM on 08/31/2011

No, not at all. They can decide to continue as they are and lose membership or see the light and put bums in the pews (money in the collection plate/tithing).

I've already put my money on the direction I think it will go in the next 5-10 years. Of course it was only a $1 and the bet was with my brother.

[thegodlessgeneration]

11:31 PM on 08/31/2011

No. The statement I shared is not reflective of unconditional love; it's very conditional. It's not welcoming. I'm not asking for Christians to change their beliefs, I'm asking Christians to question their beliefs before committing their lives to Jesus/God.

[gracealone]

07:58 PM on 08/31/2011

Populrity does not determine theology. Scripture is clear that the road is narrow. There is wide myriad of sins...homosexuality is just one of them. A homosexual is welcome in the church. All repentant sinners are.

[CrazyThisIs]

08:37 PM on 08/31/2011

I disagree with you completely, even in a strictly theological sense. Theologians and heads-of-church have often changed their viewpoints on scripture interpretation over the centuries.

It has always been slow-going, I'll give you that, but understanding in the interpretation of the verses themselves have changed over time. Any cursory look at historical (recent and ancient) religious texts will show that, unequivocally.

[Eric N Davis]

05:18 AM on 09/01/2011

Eating shrimp, lobster, and pork, and working on Saturday, are also sins according to your "scripture". Have you repented of that ham sandwich you ate last week, and mowing the lawn on the weekend, yet?

Popularity may not determine theology, and apparently neither does rational thought determine religious belief.

[PATOISJAM]

04:54 PM on 08/31/2011

If every type of behavior was acceptable to God, there would have been no need for the Mosaic Law or any other law for that matter.

Today, those who want to follow God are bound by the Law of the Christ as found at Galatians 6:2. Although Jesus did not personaly put down a law in writing, He talked and put his law into the minds and hearts of his disciples. Neither did his disciples set down laws in the form of a code for Christians. Nonetheless, the Christian Greek scriptures are full of laws, commands, principles and decrees that the Christian is bound to observe. For example:

John 13:34 & 35
Matthew 5: 27 & 28
1 Cor. 6: 9-10
1 Thessalonian 4:3
1 Corinthians 10:8

The youth of today are mostly godless. They have no idea who God is and what he requires of them.

This young lady I am acquainted with that goes to church every week and is on the choir, was unable to tell me about Lot or Noah - two wellknown accounts in the bible. All she does is sing at church.

Church is just a social club and not a place for learning about God. What many fail to realize is that if you want God to know you then you must know about him first. We owe it to God for his saving acts toward us.

[StevenM]

05:23 PM on 08/31/2011

Actually, the majority of Christians in the last two thousand years were illiterate. There is no biblical literacy test in order to become a Christian. Someone who just sings at church and exhibits the fruit of God's Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) might be closer to God than someone spouting off bible verses in support of bigotry.

[gracealone]

07:51 PM on 08/31/2011

This is a rather simplistic speculation. Who determines what bigotry is?...I don't think many people understand this issue. If a sin is pointed out why is it considered bigotry....we all are sinners! Couldn't an atheist exhibit some of the fruits of the spirit. Could they be closer to God? Isn't there another essential piece that they must have?

[PATOISJAM]

09:22 PM on 08/31/2011

I beg to differ. John 17:3 - This means everlasting life their taking in knowledge of you the only true God and the one whom you sent forth Jesus Christ.

[Balancement]

05:24 PM on 08/31/2011

Yes, and they should know *everything* Christ had to say about gay people: " ."

[PATOISJAM]

09:23 PM on 08/31/2011

Well, if you don't know it already, accountability can be a tough pill to swallow.

[invisbl]

04:46 PM on 08/31/2011

The broader acceptance of gays comes from heightened awareness of their existence, and that comes from the people who were *truly* brave enough to be open and out of the closet when it was still dangerous to do so. The more we know, the more we know.

And it's certainly heartening that even through such deeply-held religious beliefs, at least a little understanding is possible.

So thanks; you have made society better, including for people like me (straight, but not narrow!).

[nutsak]

04:43 PM on 08/31/2011

Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant!

Qur'an 27:55

[CrazyThisIs]

05:47 PM on 08/31/2011

Let me guess... you are not a member of the "millennial" generation.

[cwebster]

12:21 AM on 09/01/2011

Interesting user name...

[nutsak]

04:41 PM on 08/31/2011

How to the wonderful compassionate members of the Muslim faith feel about gays and gay marriage? What does their holy book say? Are they understanding and embrace all of God's children equally and without judgement?

[Balancement]

05:01 PM on 08/31/2011

How sad for you. Everywhere you go, there you are.

[Since59]

05:26 PM on 08/31/2011

ROFL!

[HarleyOpenRoad]

06:41 PM on 08/31/2011

That's the best you could come up with?

How sad for you.

[phal4875]

06:21 PM on 08/31/2011

You certainly live up to your name.

[califson]

04:41 PM on 08/31/2011

Mosaics and busters have a very different view of God's word than their parents and grandparents. Unbelieves 18-40 see Christians, as judemental, homophobic, and hyprocritical. Young Christians in that age group tend to be very liberal in their thinking due to secular humanist public school teaching over the past 30-40 years, and a failure of we who know better to pass on God's word as the gospel. You will see post here about what does religion have to do with marriage, religion nothing, but God everything. Marriage is a holy union between a man and a woman, as God intended from creation. Those who undertand that survive the life issues within marriage. Personally I have been married to the same lady for 47 years, My parents almost 60 years when they passed, and her parrents the same. Homosexuals have every right to civil union if they wish, and they are welcome in God's house, but sin is sin no matter what a generation or two says. We are all either saints who sin, or sinners unforgiven.

[cwebster]

04:54 PM on 08/31/2011

Depends on your church, sunshine. My church ordains gay ministers and performs legal same sex marriage. We do not think of sexual orientation as a sin. We DO think adultery is a sin, lust is a sin, drunkeness is a sin, etc. You know, things that you actually CHOOSE to do.

[califson]

06:03 PM on 08/31/2011

Then cwebster we are brothers (or sister) in Christ, but we are very much in disagreement as to what God's word says about sin. As Jesus said, Neither do I condem you, go and sin no more. The bible is quite clear on the subject. Sunshine? have not heard that one in a long time...lol

[gracealone]

05:48 AM on 09/01/2011

I agree that sexual orientation is not a sin. There are ministers who struggle with same sex desires, and do not commit sin in this area. We are all to submit in a life long process of sanctification. We all need to carry our cross....some people have heavier burdens to bear. It might be hard for us to submit to God's Word....but our God is worth every struggle we endure. This world is but a blink of an eye.

[thegodlessgeneration]

05:00 PM on 08/31/2011

As a Gen Y/Gen X'er, more of us are questioning faith. Rather than taking our parents word for it and not asking any questions, we're asking questions and challenging what we've been brought up to believe. You're free to believe that homosexuality is a sin but the church has been forced to adapt over the years because their method of thinking has been proven wrong by science. Christians claim to follow on of the most radical and forward thinkers of his time, yet they live their lives in the exact opposite way. Baffling.

[Since59]

05:28 PM on 08/31/2011

God loves critical thinkers! Religion...not so much.

[califson]

06:13 PM on 08/31/2011

I will say this again and I know HPers get tired of seeing it. Christianity is not Christians, Christianity is Christ! Science has done nothing to disprove and has substantiated the bible over and over again. Science is theory and many questions still remain in the minds of men. Faith does not need science, and as you say your generation questions are due to what you have been taught by secular humanist logic. God is beyond science, man's feeble logic or understanding. We have His word and accept it by faith by what we see around us and know in our hearts. Sin is sin, my friend. We are either saints who sin, or we are sinners who are yet to repent.

[22Keys]

04:31 PM on 08/31/2011

I believe supression of human sexuality is most corrosive problem the church faces today. Even more than other issues like: abortion, creationism, etc. The church has a simple choice. Either cultivate a realistic perspective on human sexuality, or disappear before seeing the 22nd century.

R.I.P
The Church 33 A.D - 20?? A.D

[BOBinPS]

05:56 PM on 08/31/2011

"I believe supression of human sexuality is most corrosive problem the church faces today."

Today?

Didn't the RCC commit suicide in England under Henry VIII for the same reason?

Christianity has many major problems. Its view of sexuality, and its repression is the cause of much of the child molestation problem it now suffers. Gays flocked to the priesthood to avoid social conflicts from not wanting to marry women, but still enjoy social status. That did not eliminate their drive for sex with men. It was easier to have sex with youth who could be intimidated to keep quiet than with adult men. Now that gays are more accepted, applicants to the priesthood fall from western countries that don't terrorize gays continue to fall. The new priests are largely from cultures that have been reliably anti-gay.

The decline of the RCC continues. RIP

[Dragosurfer]

12:06 PM on 09/01/2011

I would love to see organize religion go the way of the Dodo bird; and the sooner the better. They have some great properity that I would love to buy at a discount.