In Theory: Survey finds that fewer Americans believe homosexuality is a sin

Jan. 25, 2013 12 AM PT

A survey has found that fewer Americans believe homosexuality is a sin. The LifeWay Research poll discovered that 37% “affirm a belief that homosexual behavior is a sin,” down from 44% in 2011. The percentage of “unknowns” has risen to 17%, up from 13% over 2011.

LifeWay president Ed Stetzer said of the results, “The culture is clearly shifting on homosexuality, and this creates a whole new issue: How will America deal with a minority view, strongly held by evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons, Muslims and so many others?” Stetzer also believes that President Obama’s change of stance on gay marriage “probably impacted” the change in cultural values.

According to the study, those most likely to say “yes” to the question, “Do you believe homosexual behavior is a sin?” are those who describe themselves as born-again or evangelical Christian; those most likely to say “no” are those who almost never attend religious services.

Q: Do you think the survey’s results show a permanent shift in attitudes toward homosexuality?

I believe we are seeing a steady, and probably permanent, trend toward greater acceptance of homosexuality. This is evident not only in President Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage, but also in voters’ legalization of same-sex weddings in Maryland, Maine and Washington in November.

The background material raises the question of how America will deal with a minority view still held by some, including evangelicals, Catholics, Muslims and Mormons. Actually, how America deals with us is less important than how we deal with pressure to conform to the new majority. Religious truth is not defined by popular opinion, or for that matter, by judicial rulings. People of faith often have had to stand apart from the mainstream. This has been true since the days of Noah and Abraham. It was true for the Savior and his followers and may prove true for us as well.

The church is making a concerted effort to reach out to homosexuals, to let them know they are loved and welcome. We assure them that may serve actively and hold positions of leadership. Mormons do not believe that same-sex attraction is in itself a sin any more than heterosexual attraction is sinful. We do believe, however, members who have sexual relations outside of marriage transgress the laws of God. Those who err in this way, whether homosexual or heterosexual, are encouraged to repent.

There is no question that the requirement of chastity presents a far greater challenge for gays in a church that defines marriage as the union of a man and woman. The church teaches, and scriptures affirm, that the rest of us have a clear responsibility to respect those who carry these burdens and do all we can to help them live within the standards the Lord has set.

Michael White
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
La Crescenta

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Martin Luther King Jr. said that “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” and I think that is happening with gay rights. Let’s also remember the obvious — that religious attitudes about sin or not sin have no bearing on a group’s full exercise of their civil rights in our system.

I think that the 45% of Americans who do not think homosexuality is a sin must include quite a few evangelicals, Catholics, Mormons and Muslims, given statistics on religious identity and basic arithmetic. I know individuals in these groups who do not think that. I’ll bet you know some too.

Take for starters my large family. Most of them are active members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and none of them think that. (They also don’t like the constant misuse of the first word of their denomination name to mean politically reactionary fundamentalism. Please stop.)

Gussie Moran, tennis star in the mid-20th century who died last week, dared to wear a skirt shorter than her knees to run, reach and jump around the court, with 2 inches of lace on her underwear. For this she was said to have brought “sin into tennis.” Fashion and ideas of sin change, and I don’t think these are changing back.

Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose

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Yes, I do think it’s a permanent shift, and I certainly hope it is. I’m also a church-going Christian who thinks that homosexuality is not a sin. I know there are those of you who will point to various scripture passages that say that homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord. But while you’re at it, look for those passages that accepted slavery when the Bible was written. Does anybody now? Of course not. Also, look for those passages that say that anyone who works on the Sabbath should be killed. Do you believe that? I’ll bet not.

One of my favorite scripture passages involves Jesus saying that we must love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul and strength (Matthew 22:37). He said “mind.” Put that great mind that God gave you to work. One of the difficult things about being a believer in modern times is to mix both the tradition of our faith and what mankind has learned since the industrial revolution. In Jesus’ time and before, the thinking was that the moon and sun revolved around the Earth. We now know that isn’t so. Back then it was thought that mentally ill people had a demon; these days we don’t believe that. There are other examples, too.

Do you really believe that people choose to be gay? I do not. Somehow they are “wired” to prefer the same sex and not the opposite sex. And use that mind again: Do people choose to be born black or male or female or white or blond or brunet? I think not.

I’ll borrow one final thought from the late Johnny Cash. He said that God must love poor people because he certainly made a lot of them. And I’ll venture to say that God must love gay people for the same reason! Love your neighbor, regardless of what he/she looks like or how he/she makes love.

The Rev. Skip Lindeman
La Cañada Congregational Church
La Cañada Flintridge

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Although the question for this week is whether survey results showing a decrease in the percentage of people who believe that homosexuality is a sin indicates a permanent shift, I don’t know how important it is for us to predict a statistical trend. I believe a more telling question is whether we believe that such a variation in attitudes is congruent with our own moral values as people from various faith traditions.

As a Unitarian Universalist minister who is a straight, married woman, I am pleased to see such a positive shift in beliefs about homosexuality. Our heritage is one of honoring people as inherently valuable and worthy of respect. And we have supported gay rights as a denomination since the early 1970s. One of our major programs today is called: “Standing on the Side of Love,” affirming the dignity of all people and their right to marry whomever they love.

Both the disciplines of medical science and psychology have shown that homosexuality is physically and psychologically determined and has virtually nothing to do with immorality or sin. So it seems that people’s attitudes are just catching up with the facts. I also believe that the change in opinions has to do with the reality that many people have gotten to know gay men and women and discovered that they are human beings with strengths and weaknesses, just like the rest of us.

So my hope is that the trend toward greater acceptance of homosexuals will continue, even though some people will never agree. One of our Unitarian theologians has been quoted as saying, “we do not have to think alike to love alike.” And I can only say, Amen.

The Rev. Dr. Betty Stapleford
Unitarian Universalist Church of the Verdugo Hills
La Crescenta

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There has always been and always will be resistance to social change from some members of society. Attitudes toward homosexuality have changed a great deal in the United States over the past 20 years.

Fewer people believe homosexuality is wrong than ever before. It seems that society is changing, and in the future people of differing sexual orientations will be accepted and entitled to equality before the law.

There will always be some people who do not want to change their attitude or beliefs. Fortunately in the United States those people are free to hold any beliefs they want, as long as they do not force their beliefs on other people. We are fortunate to live in a country that grants equal rights to all, whether they hold minority opinions or majority opinions.

Steven Gibson
South Pasadena
Atheist Meetup

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Research data in the hands of the unsophisticated is frequently open to misinterpretation. The LifeWay research cited does indicate a significant drop, from 44% to 37%, in respondents who affirm belief that homosexual behavior is sin. However, concluding that this drop indicates a significant change in cultural values is an inferential leap for at least two reasons.

The same research indicates that respondents who believe homosexual behavior is not a sin has not changed significantly (43% to 45%). It would appear that the reduction in respondents viewing homosexuality as a sin was due mainly to an increase in respondents who “do not know” if homosexuality is a sin or not. Also, the margin of error for the study is 2.9%, which could mean that the changes are not as significant as they might appear. Only time will reveal if these results are indicative of a shift in cultural values.

As of one year ago, only five countries worldwide recognized gay marriage. Surprisingly, while in the United States around 42% of the population views homosexuality positively or neutrally, only 32% of the population in Europe shares this view. Even in a liberal, very secular society like France, 50% of the population is against same-sex marriage.

Personally, I don’t believe that this represents a permanent shift in our cultural values. Throughout church history, there has always been a cycle of revival, then the watering down of biblical values, repentance and revival again. I see no reason why this pattern will not be repeated.

Pastor Ché Ahn
HRock Church
Pasadena

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One commentator, reviewing President Obama’s second inaugural address, said: “The president’s speech may not be a great speech for the ages, but it’s a great speech for today.” Perhaps what the commentator’s hurried dismissive analysis missed is how quickly attitudes toward many issues today are changing.

Attitudes are rapidly changing as television programs, news media, Facebook, Twitter and pop culture in general allow more voices to be heard all the time, at the same time. Countless people telling their stories about their diverse sexual orientation are hard to ignore. More and more people have the courage to come out to loving families that are not willing to break the fabric of the family in order to cast a brave and loving member out simply for being different.

On the other hand, faith communities in general have been slow to welcome the diversity to be gleaned from people of different sexual orientation. Still thinking of God as an essentially right-handed white patriarch, we forget the gains that people who are left-handed, women and people of color have had to struggle for mightily — sometimes with great loss of life — in order to obtain.

But we must remember that those who are oppressed read the same faith texts that the oppressors read. Jesus said absolutely nothing about people of different sexual orientation. Nothing. But he said plenty about making the stranger, the poor and the oppressed welcome. Plenty.

Attitudes toward homosexuality are rapidly and permanently changing for the better and more inclusive, I hope. May it, like left-handedness, soon become a non-issue. Christian theology has the opportunity, thanks to a redeemer who made a place for us all, to just as rapidly catch up.

The Rev. Dr. William Thomas Jr.
Little White Chapel
Burbank

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Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose

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I am pleased to share that our church has become part of that permanent shift in attitudes toward homosexuality. Last week, we voted to adopt a welcoming statement: “We affirm Jesus’ example of love without exclusion. We welcome into the life and ministry ... all persons of every race, ethnicity, age, faith history, sexual orientation, gender identity, economic status, marital status, family configuration, and physical and mental ability. We believe that a diverse community makes our faith stronger, our spirituality deeper, and our service more helpful.”

All around us are individuals and families seeking a safe place to worship, a place where they can authentically be themselves.

Like the polled 7% who changed their minds in 2012, and the 17% who aren’t sure, we have heard the painful stories, courageously told, of gay and lesbian friends who have been kicked out of families and churches.

Over time, religious people have changed their minds, because we can see the “fruits” (outcomes) of our various teachings (Matthew 7:16-17).

Full inclusion of LGBT persons produces new disciples who serve with gladness. Full inclusion grows churches in neighborhoods starving for healthy, mission-oriented faith communities. Full inclusion provides places of sanctuary and healing for the wounded, the lost, the self-medicating and the suicidal. Good fruit.

In contrast, the fruit of religious exclusion has been loneliness and despair, separation from family and perceived separation from God.

A study published in the American Journal of Pediatrics revealed that LGBT young people who had been “highly rejected” by their families were eight times more likely to have committed suicide, six times more likely to report high levels of depression, and three times as likely to use illegal drugs. Bad fruit.

In 2012, the president of Exodus International announced that there is no cure for homosexuality, and that the “reparative therapy” provided by the religiously funded Exodus for more than 37 years offered false hopes to gays and could even be harmful.

Professional medical, psychiatric and psychological societies have officially denounced reparative therapy, saying that it is based on faulty science and is potentially harmful. Bad fruit.

Faithful Christians disagree on how to interpret the scripture, but they do not disagree that God is love, nor that God commands that we love our neighbor as ourselves. Attitudes change as we grow in that love.

The Rev. Paige Eaves
Crescenta Valley United
Methodist Church

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“If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable” (Lev 20:13 NIV). “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion” (Rom 1:26-27 NIV). “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men” (1Co 6:9-10 NIV).

Above are several scriptures that provide us with a clue as to what our opinion ought to be regarding homosexuality. Why?

Because they are God’s mind on the matter. His opinion should be ours. He knows that homosexuality is an incorrect lifestyle, it’s a perversion, it’s harmful to mankind, and it is as we all can readily observe, unnatural. Humans who differ and endorse homosexuality do not truly love their fellow man.

Instead, they jeopardize their eternal destiny. So when Americans shift their attitudes in the name of “progressiveness,” they simply choose to deny the deadly truth.

Prostitution and pedophilia may some day shift from wrongs to rights in public opinion, but since when does opinion determine righteousness? Public opinion is what necessitated Christ’s first coming, and public opinion crucified him.

We’d like to think America is “land of the free and home of the brave,” but it seems that we’ve redefined the meaning of “free” to “license,” and people who would bravely stand up for the truth are marginalized, pesky religious-service attendees that we are. Permanent state of affairs? It’s up to you, America.

The Rev. Bryan Griem
Montrose Community Church
Montrose

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I must say, I’m shocked by these numbers. That 37% of Americans would believe that homosexuality is a sin — that more than a third of the people in this country could still be clinging to such a narrow, condemning view — that’s shocking.

Say it’s not for you; say you can’t get your mind around it; say you live on an ice floe and haven’t met a real-live gay person yet, in order to see they’re full human beings just like you — say you find it personally repugnant, even. Say whatever your reason is for not being totally fine with it. But say it gently, and speak for yourself. To say that it’s a sin, to put it on them instead of claiming your repugnance as your own, to judge and condemn a whole segment of humanity as morally wrong, just because they love differently than you love … I guess I’ll just never get done being shocked at how small people can be.

Let’s hope this survey does signal a significant, and long overdue, shift in attitudes. And as for those for whom homophobia is built into their religion or culture, I guess the only way for America to deal with that is a “when in Rome” approach.

Gays won’t do lavish PDAs in the middle of your temple or mosque; and likewise, if you go to WeHo to shop (or see a performing art, ever, or watch a women’s softball game), accept the culture of the place you’re in, and keep your moral indignation to yourself.

And if you’re Christian: For God’s sake, read the other parts of the Bible as well as the ones you like to quote. This part, for instance: “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God; for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

The Rev. Amy Pringle
St. George’s Episcopal Church La Cañada Flintridge
Montrose