A new survey shows that more religious Americans support marriage equality than oppose it.
The poll, called The American Values Atlas and released last month, found that 47 percent of religious Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, while 45 percent remain opposed.
Writing at The Atlantic, Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), the group behind the survey, notes that support has increased dramatically over the past dozen years.
"Many religious conservatives continue to insist that the same-sex marriage debate pits religious Americans against non-religious Americans," Jones wrote. "That was largely true even as recently as 2003, when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage."
"Over the last decade, though, the debate has shifted from one between religious and non-religious Americans to one that primarily pits older, conservative Christians against moderate, progressive, or younger Christians, Jews and the religiously unaffiliated."
According to the survey – based on 40,000 interviews – sixty percent of Catholics support marriage equality, up 25 percentage points since 2003. Support is even greater among white mainline Protestants at 62 percent.
"Even white evangelical Protestants, who remain one of the groups most strongly opposed to same-sex marriage, have more than doubled their support (from 12 percent to 28 percent) over the last decade. And among younger white evangelical Protestants between the ages of 18 and 29, support sits at 45 percent," Jones added.
The poll, called The American Values Atlas and released last month, found that 47 percent of religious Americans favor legalizing same-sex marriage, while 45 percent remain opposed.
Writing at The Atlantic, Robert P. Jones, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), the group behind the survey, notes that support has increased dramatically over the past dozen years.
"Many religious conservatives continue to insist that the same-sex marriage debate pits religious Americans against non-religious Americans," Jones wrote. "That was largely true even as recently as 2003, when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize gay marriage."
"Over the last decade, though, the debate has shifted from one between religious and non-religious Americans to one that primarily pits older, conservative Christians against moderate, progressive, or younger Christians, Jews and the religiously unaffiliated."
According to the survey – based on 40,000 interviews – sixty percent of Catholics support marriage equality, up 25 percentage points since 2003. Support is even greater among white mainline Protestants at 62 percent.
"Even white evangelical Protestants, who remain one of the groups most strongly opposed to same-sex marriage, have more than doubled their support (from 12 percent to 28 percent) over the last decade. And among younger white evangelical Protestants between the ages of 18 and 29, support sits at 45 percent," Jones added.
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine
