{"id":49403,"date":"2013-06-06T10:54:32","date_gmt":"2013-06-06T15:54:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2013\/06\/06\/section-3-religious-belief-and-views-of-homosexuality\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T03:48:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T08:48:02","slug":"section-3-religious-belief-and-views-of-homosexuality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/politics\/2013\/06\/06\/section-3-religious-belief-and-views-of-homosexuality\/","title":{"rendered":"Section 3: Religious Belief and Views of Homosexuality"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"6-6-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Religious belief continues to be an important factor in opposition to societal acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage.<\/p>\n\n

Overall, the share of Americans who say that homosexuality should be accepted by society has increased from 47% to 60% over the past decade, while the percentage saying it should be discouraged has fallen from 45% to 31%.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>Yet among those who attend religious services weekly or more, there continues to be slightly more opposition than support for societal acceptance of homosexuality. And when the nearly one-third of Americans who say homosexuality should be discouraged are asked in <\/p>\n\n

\"6-6-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

an open-ended question why they feel this way, by far the most common reason \u2013given by 52% \u2013 is that homosexuality conflicts with their religious or moral beliefs.<\/p>\n\n

A 62-year-old man said: \u201cMy religious background taught me that this was something that was taboo and not accepted<\/em>.\u201d A 32-year-old woman described her reasons for why homosexuality should be discouraged this way: \u201cIt clearly states in the Bible that it goes against God\u2019s teachings.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Much smaller percentages cite other reasons, such as concerns that homosexuality is bad for the family or bad for children (mentioned by 13%), that a man and woman are needed to create life, that it\u2019s not natural, or \u201cjust wrong\u201d (10% each).<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>Across most demographic subgroups, including most religious groups, the percentage saying homosexuality should be accepted has increased over the past decade. Nonetheless, about half (48%) of those who attend religious services weekly or more <\/p>\n\n

\"6-6-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

often say homosexuality should be discouraged. Among less frequent attenders, 71% favor societal acceptance of homosexuality.<\/p>\n\n

White evangelical Protestants, by about two-to-one (59% to 30%), think that homosexuality should be discouraged. Among black Protestants, as well, more say homosexuality should be discouraged (51%) than accepted (39%).<\/p>\n\n

By contrast, wide majorities of Catholics (71%) and white mainline Protestants (65%) say homosexuality should be accepted by society. And those without religious affiliation favor societal acceptance of homosexuality by roughly five-to-one (79% to 16%).<\/p>\n\n

Conflict Between Religious Beliefs and Homosexuality<\/h3>\n\n

About half of Americans (48%) say there is a conflict between their religious beliefs and homosexuality, with 35% saying there is a lot of conflict. Another 48% see no conflict between <\/p>\n\n

\"6-6-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

their religious beliefs and homosexuality.<\/p>\n\n

Among those who attend religious services weekly or more, 66% say homosexuality conflicts with their religious beliefs, with 50% saying there is a great deal of conflict. Most people (59%) who attend religious services less than once a week see no conflict between their beliefs and homosexuality.<\/p>\n\n

Fully 74% of white evangelical Protestants say there is a conflict between homosexuality and their religious beliefs, as do majorities of white Catholics (62%) and black Protestants (58%).<\/p>\n\n

Among white mainline Protestants, however, 41% say there is a conflict between their religious beliefs and homosexuality, while 55% see <\/p>\n\n

\"Replacement<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

no conflict.<\/p>\n\n

The tension between religious beliefs and homosexuality is closely associated with views about societal acceptance of homosexuality. Among those who see a lot of conflict between their own religious beliefs and homosexuality, a majority (53%) opposes societal acceptance. Those who see a little conflict between religion and homosexuality favor societal acceptance by 57% to 32%. And 80% of those who say there is no conflict between their religious beliefs and homosexuality support societal acceptance.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>Fewer See Homosexual Behavior as a Sin<\/h3>\n\n

The public is divided over whether engaging in homosexual behavior is a sin: 45% say it <\/p>\n\n

\"6-6-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

is a sin while an identical percentage says it is not. In 2003, a majority (55%) viewed homosexual behavior as was sinful, while 33% disagreed.<\/p>\n\n

Among several religious groups, there has been relatively little change in these opinions over the past decade. Fully 78% of white evangelical Protestants view homosexual behavior as a sin; 82% said this in 2003. About as many black Protestants view homosexuality as a sin today (79%) as did so ten years ago (74%).<\/p>\n\n

However, opinions among Catholics have changed substantially. In 2003, more Catholics said homosexual behavior was a sin than said it was not (49% vs. 37%). Today, a third of Catholics (33%) say it is sin, while 53% disagree.<\/p>\n\n

People who attend religious services weekly or more continue to view homosexual behavior as a sin by a wide margin (67% to 24%). Nearly six-in-ten (57%) of those who attend less often think such behavior is not a sin, while 34% say it is; 10 years ago, opinion was divided (44% sin, 45% not a sin).<\/p>\n\n

\"6-6-13<\/a><\/figure>\n\n

Opinions about whether homosexuality is sinful \u2013 as well as views about the conflict between religious beliefs and homosexuality \u2013 are highly associated with attitudes toward gay marriage.<\/p>\n\n

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of those who say engaging in homosexual behavior is a sin oppose same-sex marriage. An even larger percentage (84%) of those who say it is not sinful favor gay marriage.<\/p>\n\n

The gap in opinions about gay marriage is nearly as wide between those who say there is a lot of conflict between homosexuality and their religious beliefs (67% oppose gay marriage) and those who see no conflict (71% favor gay marriage).<\/p>\n\n

Similarly, those who say religion is very important in their lives are only half as likely to support gay marriage as those who place less importance on religion (36% favor vs. 72% favor).<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Religious belief continues to be an important factor in opposition to societal acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Overall, the share of Americans who say that homosexuality should be accepted by society has increased from 47% to 60% over the past decade, while the percentage saying it should be discouraged has fallen from 45% to 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