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Tuesday March 24, 2009 ~ 9 Comments
As you know, I often try to highlight religious research data. There has been much data on mainline denominational leadership as of late. Last week, it was the Mainline Protestant Clergy Survey. Now, it is the Pew Forum. The Pew Forum is sharing some research that shows most mainline Protestants say society should accept homosexuality. Perhaps this is not "new news," but the strength of opinion is surprising, at least to me. Members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, two mainline Protestant denominations, are considering whether to allow the ordination of non-celibate gays and lesbians as members of their clergy. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, conducted by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, finds that majorities of both denominations say that homosexuality is a way of life that should be accepted by society. Among mainline Protestants overall, 56% say homosexuality should be accepted, compared with only about one-in-four evangelical Protestants and four-in-ten members of historically black Protestant churches.
The same research also showed that 64% of "Evangelicals" think homosexuality should be discouraged by society. Check out the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey. The interactive sections make looking through the data easy. Posted on March 24, 2009 at 7:20 AM ~ 9 Comments Tagged with: church, culture, homosexuality, society Subscribe via RSS or Follow us on Twitter
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Ed,
Thanks for passing along this data. Maybe this is a dumb question, but what does this survey mean by "Anglican Church"?
Thanks,
Mark
Hi again Ed,
Apologies for the double post, but I was able to locate the information on the Pew Forum web site. They are referring to Church of England Anglicans in North America. This must be a tiny bunch of folks, because neither Wikipedia nor the CofE web site mention anything about an Anglican Church abroad in North America.
As one who is headed towards Anglican ministry of the 39 Articles variety, I was surprised that "Anglican Church" was represented so prominently in this survey.
Blessings,
Mark
This study really concerns me. But the Bible does say that in the end times, men will not put up with sound doctrine. I am trying to be positive....but with the constant attack on Christian values and those of us who are supposed to have Biblical worldview tolerating homosexuality..I am pretty discouraged.
It's tough to understand what this means since the phrase 'accept homosexuality' is so vague.
If it means that we need to accept the fact that there are some people who are in fact gay, then these numbers are far too low.
If it means that we need to accept that same-sex eroticism is not a sin, then these numbers are for too high.
I wish this finding was a surprise but at least to me it isn't. Doesn't this and other recent report findings on worldview help confirm and reveal the various mainline Protestant groups' general stance on biblical authority and inerrancy (or lack thereof)? Perhaps they just scratch out the particularly distasteful verses like 1 Tim 1:10 & 1st Cor 6:9.
This is what happens when you deny the authority of scripture. It's really not too surprising.
As a mainliner, I think these numbers are actually about right. what you all need to realize, as historic evangelicals, is that you are about 20 yeras behind us.
"This is what happens when you deny the authority of scripture."
Please.
I have yet to hear an evangelical give a rational argument to support their bigotry against homosexuals. It always comes back to thumping Leviticus and Romans 1. Slender reeds on which to hang your prejudices, my friends.
Guess what: Try growing up gay in an evangelical home, and you'll have a different perspective on how holy these "scriptures" really are.
Then, go investigate the scattershot way they were put together.
Pretty soon you will realize that most people's reverence of the "Bible" as the "Word of God" is pretty much just another form of idolatry.
Times are changing. Your Bible-thumping views are on their way out.
Drew
To call something sin that the Bible calls sin is not bigotry. The Bible sits in judgement of the sins of all men including those who have sex with members of their own gender, thieves, murderers, and the like. Your refusal to accept the authority of scripture does nothing to diminish its authority.