Christian Groups Are More Accepting of Homosexuality

lgbt-2741358_1280

Acceptance of homosexuality is rising in the Christian Community.

Reports published by the Pew Research Center has stated that more U.S. Christians now support homosexuality compared to the past. The reports say that this support is spread among all the important Christian groups. These include churches which have previously opposed any homosexual relationship in the past.

Christian Groups Are More Accepting of Homosexuality[/tweetthis]

The findings are a revelation in a fast varying landscape which has witnessed a sharp fall of Americans identifying themselves as Christian. A large proportion of U.S. Christians– comprising 54 percent of those surveyed- hold the opinion that there should be acceptance of homosexuality. Even as this is much lower than the percentage of people identifying themselves as religiously unaffiliated (83 percent) and also people comprising members of the non-Christian faiths (76 percent) who holds identical views. The percentage of Christians has risen by 10 percentage points from a similar study conducted in 2007. It mirrors an increasing acceptance of homosexuality within the American population (from about 50 percent to about 62 percent) during the identical period.

The trend within the U.S. Christian community is pushed in part by the younger church members. They accept homosexuality more compared to the elder population. To give an example, about 51 percent of the total Evangelical Protestants surveyed among the millennial generation are of the opinion that society must accept homosexuals. The acceptance percentage decreases by a third when Evangelical Baby Boomers are taken into account. The acceptance figure plummets to about a fifth in Silent generation. There are also generational differences among mainline Protestants, Catholics and even the historically black Protestant churches.

Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center

According to The Pew Research Center, this trend of increasing acceptance is seen among a number of particular Protestant denominations. These denominations had vociferously opposed same sex marriages in the past. The center then cites an example of the Lutheran Church of Missouri Synod, where the percentage of its members saying that homosexuality could be accepted from 44 percent to 56 percent in the years from 2007 to 2014. It mentioned that even though Pentecostals identifying themselves with Assemblies of God continue to remain predominantly opposed to the issue of homosexuality. About 26 percent of the members now say that it must be accepted by the society. This acceptance figure was previously 16 percent in 2007.

Among Mormons, a 12 point rise is observed when it comes to accepting homosexuality, from about 26 percent to about 36 percent. Staunch opposition is observed the most from Jehovah's Witnesses, where only 16 percent of its members gave a nod towards homosexuality.

Resources

Follow the Conversation on Twitter