American Do Not Swallow Religion Dictating Abortion, Gay rights

by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
When it comes to abortion and homosexuality, the majority of Americans believe that it is alright to disagree with their religion’s teachings on the subject and still remain in good standing with their faith. The findings released by Public Religion Research Institute found that this was true for major religious groups, and that includes Catholics and white evangelical Protestants. The survey also found that 60% of Americans do not like religious leaders telling politicians what to do with regards to abortion.

This data creates both an opportunity and a problem for LGBT rights and women’s rights groups. If they can get people motivated to vote against the politicians who are in the pocket of the anti-LGBT and anti-women religious leaders, then they could be a massive force. Unfortunately, this also means having to work with groups which deal with labor rights, immigration rights, and minority rights, and getting them to unify too since most of the anti-LGBT groups are also against women, minorities, immigration and disabled rights..

What the survey found was that 72% of Americans say that it is alright to disagree with their church’s teaching on abortion, and 63% say that with regards to homosexuality. Catholics are about the same as all Americans when it comes to abortion, but are apparently far more progressive than the majority of Americans. Evangelicals are less likely to say that they should disregard the teaching of their church on abortion (67%) and homosexuality (47%).

The views of those 18-29 mirrored their parents on abortion, but most of them- 68%- think that “at least some health care professionals in their community should provide legal abortions.” Robert P. Jones, CEO of the research firm, stated “Millennials are actually more likely to say that abortion should be available in their local community than say it should be legal.”

The Huffington Post reported:

Abortion services by local health care professionals is also supported by majorities of white mainline Protestants (72 percent), the religiously unaffiliated (71 percent), white Catholics (58 percent), and black Protestants (56 percent). Minorities of Latino Catholics (38 percent) and white evangelicals (37 percent) supported such availability.

The report also found a religious divide on the sinfulness of having an abortion, with more than 60 percent of white evangelicals, black Protestants and Latino Catholics seeing it as sinful. White Catholics, meanwhile, were evenly divided (46 percent each), and white mainline Protestants were the sole major religious group where a majority (55 percent) did not believe it is sinful.

Researchers found a link between biblical interpretation and opposition to abortion: almost six in 10 Americans who say the Bible is the literal word of God believe abortion should be illegal in all or most cases.

More than 80 percent of people who don’t see the Bible as the word of God but rather a book written by men think abortion should be legal in all or most circumstances.

As well:
Significant majorities of mainline Protestants (85 percent), Catholics (78 percent), black Protestants (74 percent) and evangelicals (62 percent) support public schools teaching comprehensive sex education.

With the exception of white evangelicals, majorities of major religious groups say “pro-life” and “pro-choice” are both labels that describe them at least somewhat well.

Majorities of Americans who attend church at least once or twice a week hear clergy talk about abortion and homosexuality, with most hearing those issues are morally wrong and few hearing they are morally acceptable.

What makes this important is that many religious leaders are out of touch with the views of their flocks, and this may be why the religious community is beginning to have severe problem retaining people within their congregations. There have been several high profile scandals with a variety of individuals over the years as well, especially within the Roman Catholic Church, but also with evangelicals such as Bishop Eddie Long.

Religious leaders may want to also keep an eye on these numbers given that they are starting to lose out on too many people going to their congregations.

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