A poll released last month by the Public Religion Research Institute sheds light on the impact of religion and the 2008 vote to abolish same-sex marriage rights in California. The poll finds that today, a slim majority of Roman Catholics, 51%, support same-sex marriage (interestingly, that number jumps to 57% when asking only Latino Catholics).

The poll also finds that:

  • A majority of Catholics believe that parents of gay and lesbian children are better sources of information about homosexuality than clergy; the opposite is true for most Protestants (in this poll, a grouping that includes Evangelical Christians)
  • Catholics are much less likely than all Protestants to hear about homosexuality from their clergy, though the message will likely be negative, as opposed to mainline Protestants, who are more likely to hear a positive message
  • A majority of Catholics and white mainline Protestants say that clergy should not speak out on the issue of homosexuality; the opposite is true for white evangelicals, black Protestants, and Latino protestants And in Sunday’s New York Times, an article that explores the slow march toward acceptance of same-sex marriage rights across the country.

Michael O’Loughlin

 

Michael J. O’Loughlin is national correspondent at America and author of Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear.