As Public Opinion Approves Gay Marriage, Evangelicals Less Certain

An ABC News/Washington Post poll that sampled 1,002 random adults found that the majority of the American public approve of gay marriage, but evangelical Christian support is not as strong as the rest of the population.

Specific statistics found in the study are as follows:

• 59 percent of responders approve of gay marriage

• 75 percent of responders under the age of 30 approve of gay marriage

• 33 percent of evangelical Christians approve of gay marriage

• 43 percent of evangelical Christians under 30 approve of gay marriage

According to the survey, Americans under the age of 30 were more likely to approve of gay marriage, whether or not they identified as an evangelical Christian.

Cokie Roberts, of ABC News said, “The reason the numbers have changed so fast and so dramatically on this question of gay marriage is because everybody in America now has experience with someone who is gay. People have come out of the closet and said, ‘I am your brother. I am your sister. I am your cousin. I am your friend.’ And then they have seen these families raising children and see these loving families.”

Still, many evangelical leaders oppose gay marriage on a religious basis. Rev. Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham said, “...I’m no better than a gay person. I’m a sinner. But I’ve been forgiven, and I’ve turned away from my sins. For any person that’s willing to repent in turn, God will forgive.”

The full study can be viewed as a PDF here.

Publication date: April 21, 2014