Posted on 10/08/2010 7:08:12 AM PDT by Alex Murphy
Catholics form a relatively low percentage of participants the Tea Party movement, have similar views to most Americans on abortion, and overwhelmingly support the legal recognition of homosexual unions, according to a survey published by the Public Religion Research Institute.
The survey found that 14% of Tea Party participants are white Catholics, and another 4% are Latino Catholics-- a lower percentage total than the 22% of Americans who are Catholic.
The survey also found that 26% of white Catholics, and 18% of Latino Catholics, say they are more likely to vote for a candidate who supports abortion, while 38% of white Catholics, and 26% of Latino Catholics, are less likely to vote for a pro-abortion candidate. Overall, 30% of Americans are more likely, and 35% are less likely, to vote for a pro-abortion candidate.
In addition, the survey found that Catholics overwhelmingly support legal recognition of homosexual unions. 41% of white Catholics, and 46% of Latino Catholics, support same-sex marriage, while an additional 36% of white Catholics, and 22% of Latino Catholics, support same-sex civil unions. Only 19% of white Catholics, and 30% of Latino Catholics, are faithful to Catholic teaching, which opposes the legal recognition of homosexual unions. Overall, 37% of Americans support same-sex marriage, 27% support civil unions, and 33% oppose the legal recognition of homosexual unions. In 2006, only 26% of Americans supported same-sex marriage.
....In addition, the survey found that Catholics overwhelmingly support legal recognition of homosexual unions. 41% of white Catholics, and 46% of Latino Catholics, support same-sex marriage, while an additional 36% of white Catholics, and 22% of Latino Catholics, support same-sex civil unions. Only 19% of white Catholics, and 30% of Latino Catholics, are faithful to Catholic teaching, which opposes the legal recognition of homosexual unions.
Since the Church is not a democracy, even if this poll is close to accurate, it doesn’t reflect what the Church believes or teaches.
Your thoughts?
Bishops have been asleep at the switch. Perhaps the should stick to Catholic teachings instead of making up “social justice” non-sense.
I want to thank all my Catholic FRiends here for defying this stereotype. You're all much better at being Christians than many of your US-based Church leaders.
A more relevant poll would be polling CINO's and practicing Catholics separately.
It also doesn't make sense that Latino Catholics would support same-sex marriages in numbers higher than white Catholics. Didn't actual voting data in California's measure two years ago produce exactly the opposite results?
Another question which ought to be asked and isn't-- How many support gay marriage only because they are tired of the constant whining from the homo lobby and think this will shut them up?
I always wonder how they define Catholic. I wonder how many of the people regularlly attend mass?
Many people say they are Catholic because their parents were married in a Catholic church.
Homosexual priests of the past did their job well... endlessly preaching ‘forgiveness’ without tying it to a person expressing regret.
Homosexual priests of the past did their job well... endlessly preaching ‘forgiveness’ without repentance.
You would find ZERO support among pre-Vatican II, Traditional Mass clingers-on like myself and others here. (Actually, even most contemporary Catholics in a conservative area such as where I live hold correct Catholic views).
For what it’s worth, the study was not done about Catholics, other than the apparently very few who self-identify as TEA (the survey keeps typing Tea) Party adherents. So, I’m not sure where or to what extent Catholic information has been made part of the study.
Ah ha. Found the data on page 18. The statement must arise from a table showing that 26% of “white” Catholics would be more likely to vote for a candidate who supports abortion rights. Thing is, 38% would be less likely, which means that Church teaching, while not as effective as one would prefer, appears to be having a good impact. The swing, should both ends of the spectrum be equally likely to vote, would be 12% in favor of anti-abortion/pro-life candidates. That would be a landslide in districts where Catholics are a majority of the voters. Not sure how that supports the blog comment, especially as hispanic Catholics are even more unlikely to support pro-abortion candidates. Anywhere the Church is highly present will be poor territory for pro-abortion types to get elected.
That said, I found this statement to be typical of the attitude of the study authors:
“Nearly half the voters think the economy has gotten worse over the last two years; three-in-ten say it is about the same, and 1-in-5 say it has gotten better. However, perceptions of the economy are conditioned by political affiliation.”
The text then goes on to align opinions with parties, suggesting that it is the fact of being a Republican that leads to thinking the ecomony has gotten worse. Perhaps some people said this, but the fact is, it could even more easily be the other way around. A person looks up, sees trouble and then looks for people who agree with that opinion, in order to affect policy. If Democrats are in charge and really like how the economy is going (because they are being enriched by the proceeds of what they are doing), then people who are being expropriated for their benefit will not align themselves with them, but with those who oppose such expropriation. Thus, party affiliation will be a RESULT of opinion, not a CAUSE.
The whole study is tainted by this bias in analysis. For instance, after the abortion analysis the study moves to party affiliation compared to TEA Party support. In what should be unsurprising to anyone who knows what party now controls Congress, the TEA Party is far and away more popular among Republicans than with Democrats. But then, the TEA Party was founded to protest the direction Democrats were taking the country. Who else is going to protest than the opposition party? So, once again, affiliation is a function of opinion, not the way the study insists.
For me that impeaches the entire poll. It false on the face of it. This is another liberal propaganda activity and the polltakers are apparatchiks.
I agree. Of course, it is not just Catholics. Many people raised in a denomination will consider themselves to be of that denomination, whether they really believe in the doctrines of their church, attend mass or worship services with any devotion, etc. I believe God refers to them as “lukewarm,” and said He would spit them out of His mouth.
The New Jersey town I live in has a large Catholic population and the streets were lined with hundreds of people protesting for the right to Life and against abortion this past Sunday. The line of people went on for miles. I tend not to believe that this poll is accurate.
Catholics who have not been catechized.....thus the Pope’s call to evangelize our own Church!!!
Practicing Catholics who are spiritually grounded and know their faith NEED to answer the call.
Define Catholic!
it is a bs poll. for all we know they used a catholic kook fringe group.
Your thoughts?
My thoughts? Too dang many cafeteria Catholics in the US. But I do think the tide is turning and we will see more Catholics living the real faith as time goes by.
Another thought is that a lot of these "Catholics" still call themselves such even after leaving the Church.... "I'm Catholic, but I don't attend the Catholic Church anymore."
Some folks are “Catholic” in the way Pelosi is “Catholic” or “Methodist” in the way Hillary is “Methodist”....meaning they were born/raised in a particular church setting but don’t really care a hill of beans about what the church really teaches...
Catholics who support homosexual unions are not Christians period.
Maybe they polled only Catholics in public office . . .
God Bless All who seek His Truth!
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