Gay Marriage Divides Evangelicals Along Generation Gap

By Bruce Nolan
c. 2011 Religion News Service

(RNS) It's not news that young people are more liberal on issues like same-sex marriage, but a new poll charts just how deeply that split has been carved into the white evangelical community, one of the most socially conservative groups on the American religious landscape.

The poll, released in late August by the Washington-based Public Religion Research Institute, found that nearly half (44 percent) of young evangelicals between the ages of 18 to 29 favor allowing gays and lesbians to marry.

By contrast, the white evangelical community as a whole (even counting those relatively liberal young adults) is solidly opposed to same-sex marriage, by slightly more than 80 percent.

More broadly, the poll found "at least a 20-point generation gap between millennials (age 18-29) and seniors (65 and over) on every public policy measure in the survey concerning rights for gay and lesbian people."

The poll also found that a slight majority of all Catholics (52 percent) favor same-sex marriage, despite the energetic teaching of
their church to the contrary.

The PRRI poll confirmed findings from other polls over the last five years that Americans have come to a tipping point on the issue of same-sex marriage: either equally divided (47 percent, according to the PRRI poll) or slightly in favor.

"This is the first year that support for allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry is not a minority position," said Robert P. Jones, CEO of Public Religion Research Institute.

The survey of 3,000 U.S. adults has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points; the margin for young adult responses is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

(Bruce Nolan writes for The Times-Picayune in New Orleans.)

Comments

[averagezoe]

06:42 PM on 09/21/2011

Holy sh...! I've learned more bible verses on just this one page of comments than I ever cared to know. But I digress. What does all this constitution and bible quoting have to do with the issue at hand? The way I interpreted the article was that young religious fanatics are more likely to accept same sex marriages than the old fogies. Just what is so amazing about those statistics? The younger generations have always been more tolerant than the previous ones, that's just a fact of nature. BTW, thanks to the person who posted the bible verses, I nearly doubled over laughing. "It is the will of God, your sanctification, that is, that you abstain from all sexual immorality" - although I have no idea what that could possibly mean, I find it seriously funny. Oh ye all you preachers who frequent bordellos, does this by any chance pertain to you too?

[truth be told again]

10:58 AM on 09/21/2011

Evangelical "Christians" SHOULD be divided. (I'll wait a moment untiil the irony of that sinks in.)

Jesus Himself prommised they would be.

[iknowscottyknows]

10:28 PM on 09/16/2011

Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won't be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Ephesians 4:14

[truth be told again]

10:56 AM on 09/21/2011

???

What relevance is a pull-quote from the Buybull? What "lies" are you talking about?

[Intelligenti Pauca]

10:50 PM on 09/14/2011

I still see people trying to justify their "right" to discrimina­­­te based on their religion. In this case, Christiani­­­ty. You seem to have forgotten something.

America wasn't founded on Christiani­­­­­­­­ty.

Don't agree? Tell me then, do we have an "approved"­­­­­­­­, "acknowled­­­­­­­­ged­" National Religion? No, indeed we do not. If we did, and Christiani­­­­­­­­ty were it, then we'd all be expected to go to a Christian church on Sundays. In fact, the Founding Fathers wanted to make sure that we had the freedom to choose what religion we wanted to follow, or not to have a religion at all.

"All, too, will bear in mind this sacred principle, that though the will of the majority is in all cases to prevail, that will, to be rightful, must be reasonable­­­; that the minority possess their equal rights, which equal laws must protect, and to violate which would be oppression­­­." - Thomas Jefferson

Your religion has as much "right" to legislate other people's lives, or dictate policy to the government­­­­­­, as Islam, Wicca, Mormonism or Judaism. Namely, none.

Being a Christian doesn't confer any special "rights" or "abilities­­­­­­­­" on you. It doesn't make you any more competent to judge who is & who isn't deserving of rights in this country.

You can go on & keep trying to justify your bigoted, hateful discrimina­­­­­­­­tio­n with your religion all you want. Just don't be surprised when not everyone buys your self-right­­­­­­­­eou­s­, sanctimoni­­­­­­­­ous hyperbole.

[kokonutgurl]

07:15 AM on 09/15/2011

Following is an original document in our possession, signed by Thomas Jefferson on September 24, 1807. This document is permission for a ship called the Herschel to proceed on its journey to the port of London. The interesting characteristic of this document is the use of the phrase "in the year of our Lord Christ." Many official documents say "in the year of our Lord," but we have found very few that include the word "Christ." However, this is the explicitly Christian language that President Thomas Jefferson chose to use in official public presidential documents

[kokonutgurl]

07:20 AM on 09/15/2011

For example, two days after Jefferson wrote his separation letter, he attended worship services in the U. S. Capitol where he heard the Rev. John Leland preach a sermon. (As President of the Senate, Jefferson had personally approved the use of the Capitol Building for Sunday worship services.) The many diaries of Members of Congress during that time confirm that during Jefferson's eight years, he faithfully attended church services in the Capitol. In fact, he even ordered the Marine Band to play the worship services there. Jefferson also authorized weekly worship services at the War Department and the Treasury Building.

And on December 23, 1803, Jefferson's administration negotiated - and the Senate ratified - a treaty with the Kaskaskia Indians that stated “the United States will give annually for seven years one hundred dollars for the support of a priest” to minister to the Indians (i.e., federal funds for Christian evangelism!) Jefferson also signed presidential documents, closing them with the appellation, “In the Year of our Lord Christ.” There are many similar surprising facts about Jefferson that are fully documented historically, but that have been ignored for the past 50 years.

[oldsftshoes]

09:31 AM on 09/14/2011

1Th 4:1 “finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

1Th 4:2 for you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

1Th 4:3 for this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;

1Th 4:4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

1Th 4:5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

1Th 4:6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you.

1Th 4:7 For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification.”

[erehwon man]

02:58 PM on 09/14/2011

Maybe all those true believers should make their lives easier and have those organs that cause so much distress surgically removed. That way they can maintain their
"purity", keep to themselves and stop trying to shove their antiquated morality down the rest of our throats.

[kokonutgurl]

07:11 AM on 09/15/2011

****stop trying to shove their antiquated morality down the rest of our throats.****
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wow..
God's Word Hit A Nerve There..

Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

[TXanimal]

02:54 PM on 09/15/2011

Good point. Once again, the issue is boiled down to sex by those who think it's "ucky", when it's much more complicated than that. I'd venture to guess any one of these folks would scream at the top of their lungs if you tried to define them solely by what they do with their sexual organs in their own bedrooms.

[Intelligenti Pauca]

02:41 PM on 09/17/2011

"And God Bless America...­...

I know, I know you heard this from every American President and congressma­n after they address America. I admit I did not make this one up. Sorry!"

The majority of Americans consider themselves to be Christians of one stripe or another, as statistics show. Politicians, whether they be Reps, Dems, Independents or Tea Party, understand this and act accordingly. We've already seen the righteous indignation by Americans when they thought Obama didn't recite the Pledge of Allegiance or when they thought he didn't put his hand over his heart during the singing of the National Anthem. Can you imagine the uproar if a politician DIDN'T say "God Bless America"?

Trying to prove that America was founded on Christianity by saying that all politicians say "God Bless America", pointing to the words "One Nation Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, or "In God We Trust" on currency in NO WAY actually proves anything. All three instances that I just quoted are political decisions made for political reasons. Trying to imply that it's anything else is nothing but ignorant folly.

Like I told your friend kokonutgurl, any further debate with you is pointless, as you're incapable of removing your Christian blinders for even a minute in order to think for yourself.

End of conversati­on.

[kokonutgurl]

08:02 PM on 09/19/2011

And You are Un- Able to Accept The Fact That Deist ***Believe**** IN God..

God Bless You!
And God Bless America!
Home Of The Free And The Braves!

[oldsftshoes]

09:30 AM on 09/14/2011

“The epistle (letter) above was written to the newly converted CHRISTIANS in Thessalonica. Paul is giving further instruction.
Obviously there must have been some "Sexual Immorality" going on with new converts thinking that what they were doing sexually was OK... If this were not true, why would Paul address the subject of sexual immorality? I do not pretend to know what kinds of Sexual immorality were going on in Thessalonica, the Bible does not tell us. But the Bible does teach us what Sexually Immorality is to God, both homosexually and heterosexually. There are other secular books that explain the gentile sexual acts that were going on in Thessalonica “AKA” the Gentile” world”. You can research both Bible and other secular writings to confirm.
Fast forward to today. There are Christians that believe that “sexual immorality in a Biblical sense is acceptable. Is the Word of God (this epistle) still current and applicable to this generation of Christians as Paul thought it was to the newly converted Thessalonians of two thousand years ago? I will leave this up to you to decide!

[kokonutgurl]

06:57 AM on 09/15/2011

Is the Word of God (this epistle) still current and applicable to this generation of Christians as Paul thought it was to the newly converted Thessaloni­ans of two thousand years ago?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My Answer IS YES!

[Inannawhimsey]

08:35 AM on 09/15/2011

But the Thessalonians don't exist anymore...

[mollymac]

01:59 PM on 09/12/2011

I grew up in the church. I sang in the choir, went to S. School, went to services and generally felt like it was who I was. Well, those days are long gone. Long about 11 years old, hearing the women of the church decimating a woman who was divorced like she was so much manure, began to illumine me as to the hypocrisy that is religion. The evangelicals have a very narrow window of tolerance; very narrow! If one falls outside that window, the tolerance begins to turn to intolerance, then bigotry then hate. It's an easy path for religious people to travel because they support one another in their blind arrogance.

[alterego55]

02:30 PM on 09/12/2011

Its a closed mutual admiration society.

[FrancisKing]

03:38 PM on 09/12/2011

" the hypocrisy that is religion"

Some religious people are hypocrites, but not all - and indeed, not even the majority.

[Sammie55]

09:40 PM on 09/12/2011

I truly hope not. but unless the "real" ones speak up, loudly and often, the world won't be able to tell the difference.

[Demarcus Jackson]

01:17 PM on 09/12/2011

I hope younger generations of so-called Evangelicals fight and advocate for Marriage Equality more. In general, it is time that young people of all strips wake up and realize that they have a stake in this society too and that they must fight for their voices to be heard and their issues recognized.

[indecisiveh]

10:59 AM on 09/12/2011

Fifty percent say they should be punished, while the other half are just fine with a simple shunning.

[alterego55]

02:31 PM on 09/12/2011

There are those who believe gays should be put to death.

[FrancisKing]

03:43 PM on 09/12/2011

Because they don't know any scripture. Bless.

Over the years, people have donated their bodies to medical research. We know that men have a men nodule in their brain, and women have a women nodule in their brain. The nodule causes men to be attracted to women, and vice versa. They are born that way.

Sometimes people are born the other way around. That is why they are homosexual.

They are made that way by God.

"God made man in his own image - God looked at what he had done, and was pleased" - Genesis 1.

I don't know what 'religion' they think they are doing - but any that offends God in such a way is a big mistake.

[bzimmerman]

10:40 AM on 09/12/2011

Jesus spent his adult life with 12 men and a prostitute. He never married, and as far as I know neither did his 12 apostles.

[FrancisKing]

03:46 PM on 09/12/2011

Mary Magdalene was not a prostitute, as far as anyone can tell, despite later church propaganda. 'Magdalene' merely indicates where she was from.

[ZenGardner]

09:47 AM on 09/13/2011

What lunacy. You talk like you knew her.

[Michael73501]

03:55 PM on 09/12/2011

A rather uninformed remark....

[ZenGardner]

09:47 AM on 09/13/2011

But really funny.

[rhuffie]

01:13 AM on 09/12/2011

I've said it before and will repeat it endlessly: if you're a Christian who supports homosexual marriage, renounce, no make that rejoice, you have managed to break through the hate and ignorance that constrains your Christian brethren. Congratulations!
Yes, the real message from the almighty is that it is not our job to determine who among us is sinful, wrong or which should be cast away, this is above our pay grade. Instead, to make God happy, make him/her proud by showing true love for others- raise above the intolerance of ways that seem strange to you, know that there is a path for everyone, and more than likely it will not be the path you have taken. Develop a sense of joy and wonder in the variety of ways the people of the world through the different faiths come to the same place, the pin points of truth, not constrained in one person, faith or place, but everywhere, all the time, swirling about the cosmos, just open your heart and you can feel it.

[koj2hp]

05:58 AM on 09/12/2011

well said

[Lucy0808]

10:56 AM on 09/12/2011

Thank you.

[iknowscottyknows]

10:43 PM on 09/11/2011

I've said it before and will repeat it endlessly: if you're a Christian who supports homosexual marriage, renounce what little faith you have and join the world.

"I know your deeds, and you are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm. I wish you were one or the other. But since you are lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth." Revelation 3:15

[Lucy0808]

12:48 AM on 09/12/2011

Let's see, for those that throw stones that do not know their bible.

I'm sure you are not without sin of lying every day.
I'm sure that there are many sins described but the Christians forget them out of conveniance. There are long lists of sins that Christians just keep their favorite and let the other ones drop on by.

There are those things that are acceptable in the bible that are considered a sin and against the law today. Slavery. Treated women without equal rights and with without rights of property, and wihtout rights to education. To not stone people to death for fornication, lies, adultory, blasphemy, stealing, etc.

Life has changed quite a bit.

[FrancisKing]

03:50 PM on 09/12/2011

"Let's see, for those that throw stones that do not know their bible...but the Christians forget them out of convenience".

No - the prophet Jesus forbade many practices - throwing stones, in particular.

[ThinkCreeps]

04:54 AM on 09/12/2011

It doesn't get any smarter with repetition does it?

If you're a christian - period - renounce wasting your time on iron-age myth and join the world.

[FrancisKing]

03:52 PM on 09/12/2011

"iron-age myth"

No, still evergreen truth.

"and join the world."

"I send you out like sheep amongst wolves" - Christianity is definitely of this world.

[presenseOfcolor]

09:47 PM on 09/11/2011

44% agree with something other than GOD, the hope is that 56% seem to have an agreement with GOD.
If that's an issue, I just agree with GOD, go yell at HIM..........

[rhuffie]

01:19 AM on 09/12/2011

This is what is so scary about you guys, you actually think you know what God wants, and in this case God wants us to be bigots. You avoid taking responsibilty for the intolerance you project by claiming that it is what God wants, and somehow you have nothing to do with it. You have made the choice to subscribe to a belief system that promotes this belief, nobody forced you to join the gay haters club, you knew what you were getting into. If you really though this whole "gayness is a mortal sin and these people who are gay are..." was wrong, you would have chosen a different ideology.
Don't be shy. Proclaim it to the world:
"I HATE GAYS BECAUSE I BELONG TO A CLUB WHOSE RULES TELLS ME TO"

[JDuck]

09:37 AM on 09/13/2011

Which god?

The megalomanical one in the OT that killed millions?

No thanks. I have no need to worship any deity that reduces humanity down to cattle.

[trekie70]

09:35 PM on 09/11/2011

Those who oppose marriage equality will continue to become irrelevant as time goes on. The younger generation is realizing that despite what they hear from evangelical zealots, allowing same-sex marriage causes no tangible, measurable harm and that these same zealots need to get their own houses in order before throwing stones thru their glass walls.

[iknowscottyknows]

11:03 PM on 09/11/2011

Yet 30 out of 30 states who were allowed to vote on the issue did so, with a resounding No!

I sense a trend.

[Challlie]

02:54 AM on 09/12/2011

what? new york just voted and it's legal. i will be proudly attending an over-do lesbian wedding soon precisely because of that vote.

[Bob Wood]

10:39 AM on 09/12/2011

People have been wrong in massive numbers before. They're still wrong in spite of the numbers. So 30 states out of 30 are still wrong. All opposition to marriage equality is purely emotional and not based in fact. It's difficult to over come emotion with fact...but little by little it can be done. Your opposition to marriage equality is wrong...when you finally look at it in the cold light of reason...you will agree with me. Anything....that benefits millions and harms none...is always right...(sigh)

[BOBinPS]

07:59 PM on 09/11/2011

It is the result that matters; not the why.