Poll links religion to gay enmity, suicides
Most Americans believe that messages about homosexuality coming from
religious institutions contribute to negative views of gays and
lesbians as well as to higher rates of suicide among gay youths, a new
poll reports.
While divided on whether same-sex relations are
sinful, Americans are more than twice as likely to give houses of
worship low marks on handling the issue of homosexuality, according to
the PRRI/
RNS Religion News poll released October 21. A plurality
(45 percent) of Americans, however, gave their own congregation an A
or B grade on how it handles homosexuality.
In the wake of a
recent spate of teen suicides prompted by antigay harassment and
bullying, the poll indicates a strong concern among U.S. adults about
how religious messages are impacting public discussions of
homosexuality.
