At Religion Dispatches, Peter Montgomery comments on a new Public Religion Research Institute study which shows rapidly accelerating support for gay rights in the millennial generation (with black Protestants and white evangelicals lagging far behind other religious groups in supporting gay rights). Montgomery's conclusion cites PRRI research director Dan Cox as follows:
According to Cox, among the five strongest predictors of whether a person opposes same-sex marriage, four are predictors of opposition, while one predicts support for marriage equality:
1. Having a literal view of the Bible
2. Attending religious services at least once a week
3. Being conservative
4. Having a close friend/family member who is gay or lesbian
5. Being an evangelical Christian
Though, as some groups working to foster dialogue between communities of faith and the gay community note, homophobia may not specifically arise from religious belief, it is certainly powerfully affected--for weal or woe--by religious beliefs and religious practices. And in that sense, churches and other faith groups bear a serious responsibility to address prejudice and discrimination against those who are gay and lesbian. If, that is, they care about opposing prejudice and discrimination at all, on grounds of faith . . . .
Are you listening, Sojourners?
Are you listening, Sojourners?
No comments:
Post a Comment