A recent survey by the Pew Research Center shows that opposition toward same-sex marriage continues to be opposed by the majority of evangelicals. 85% of (white) evangelicals who attend church at least once a week are against the legalization of same-sex marriage. The figure for non-religious Americans is much lower standing at 53%.
Support for same-sex civil unions, however, is on the increase, even among religious opponents. Only 57% of observant evangelicals oppose same-sex unions, a nearly 20% difference of perspective compared to same-sex marriage.
Confused? Read all the stats from the Pew Research Center's study HERE.
According to the research, three quarters of white evangelicals believe homosexuality is morally wrong.
But delegates of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted in August to give pastors permission to bless same-sex unions. The mainline denomination, who has been inclusive of gay pastors but only if they are celibate, also affirmed that its churches are now free to hire gay pastors who are in a relationship.
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There has also been shifting within the evangelical world. Richard Cizik, the former vice-president of the National Evangelical Association, was forced out of the NEA last year after making a public remark about his views toward same-sex unions. "I'm shifting, I have to admit. In other words, I would willingly say I believe in civil unions. I don't officially support redefining marriage
from its traditional definition, I think," he said in a radio broadcast with National Public Radio (NPR).
California recently announced Harvey Milk Day, a statewide initiative honoring the first openly homosexual politician and pro-gay rights activist. Harvey Milk served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He was killed in 1978 by a former colleague. President Obama posthumously awarded Milk the
Presidential Medal of Freedom last month. Religious conservatives, according to the group California Family Council, have been opposed to honoring Milk as well as other recent same-sex legislation. Ron Prentice, the CEO of the council, said in an article at the group's website, “Commemorating Harvey Milk in public schools, primarily because of his sexual orientation, goes against the values and expectations of the vast majority of California’s parents.”
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Comments
I can't say where I sit on this. I'm not an institutional follower of Jesus (I call myself an "Apostle's Creed Orthodox"), so whether or not institutions recognize homosexual unions feels pretty irrelevant to me, as I feel the institution ought to be...period.
I have friends who are people to me before all else, but are lesbians. They aren't Christ followers, but I don't know that I'd have an opinion on their lifestyle or sexual identity if they did choose to follow Him. I'm still doing a lot of processing as I'm breaking away from all the programming of my growing up years in a mainline evangelical church. Besides, sexual identity is intensely intimate. I think we have to trust our loving Father to speak to people on that.
Thanks Jared for sharing your viewpoint. I am pretty much on the same page as you when it comes to sexual identity. I read somewhere today that there is apparently a forecast that all states will eventually recognize same-sex unions by 2010. I have no idea what the studies or data is to support this, but it is interesting to consider what culture, government and religion will shift on as more public debate and dialog continues.
All this says to me is that we are nearing the end times. Critical thinking has gone out the window and people are going by feelings. If people they like are into it then hey, it's okay!!! No biggie to God.
We've lost the ability in this country to say to someone that they are respected as a person but not agreed with on some major point. If one finds someone to be likable, they don't even bother to filter where that person is coming from a lot of the time.
Thanks for adding your comment here, Annie. Do you think same sex attraction is a new thing to humankind? If gay rights continue to flourish does this signal a spiritual crisis to you? The end of the age? I don't remember the bible teaching that homosexuality would end the world as we know it, but perhaps I overlooked it.
It's in there about how deceived people would be. No sin is a "new thing". It's all in how people deal with it. You can either deal with your sin or deny it's a sin at all. Denying it's a sin at all seems to be the way the gay rights movement is going. And from the looks of what you are saying, it looks like they've managed to persuade a lot of people to believe their distorted view of reality. People can change. Sin is sin. There is nothing new under the sun. Homosexuality per se is not a sign of the end times but ever increasing deception about biblical truth sure is.
Thank you for clarifying your viewpoint, Anna. I was just loaned a copy of a book called "Love is an Orientation," by Andrew Marin. I am excited to read it. Here's a link to the website which I've only just peeked at. It gives some great info on who the author is and the context of how and why he wrote this book. I hope you'll check it out...www.loveisanorientation.com/
Thanks again for sharing your perspective!
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