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Survey: Less Americans Believe Homosexuality Is a Sin; Nation's View 'Evolving' With Obama's
Christian Post ^ | 01/13/2013 | By Alex Murashko

Posted on 01/13/2013 6:07:43 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Less Americans believe homosexuality is a sin than a little more than a year ago, according to a survey completed by a faith-based research group just 14 months after a similar study. Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, said the reason for the substantial shift is most likely the result of President Barack Obama's "evolved" view of gay marriage.

Stetzer points out that halfway between the two polls Obama changed his pre-election (prior to first term) position concerning gay marriage.

"There is little doubt that the President's evolution on homosexuality probably impacted the evolution of cultural values," Stetzer states in his recent blog about the survey's release on Thursday. "This is a real and substantive shift, surprisingly large for a one-year time frame – though this was hardly a normal year on this issue."

A November 2012 survey of adults in the United States found 37 percent affirm a belief that homosexual behavior is a sin – a statistically significant change from a September 2011 LifeWay Research survey asking the same question. At that time, 44 percent answered, "Yes."

In contrast, the percentage of Americans who do not believe homosexuality is a sin remains nearly the same between the two surveys – 43 percent in September 2011 and 45 percent in November 2012 indicate this belief, with an increase in the percentage of those unsure of what they believe. Seventeen percent in the November 2012 survey said, "I don't know," an increase of 4 percent over the September 2011 survey.

These findings from LifeWay Research come as Pastor Louie Giglio withdrew on Thursday from giving the benediction at Obama's upcoming inauguration program in the face of criticism over a 15-year-old sermon referencing homosexuality as a sin. Stetzer noted the connection, saying, "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?"

The November 2012 survey also reveals Americans in the South (40 percent) are the most likely to select "Yes" to the question "Do you believe homosexual behavior is a sin?" as are Americans who attend religious services at least about once a week (61 percent), and those calling themselves "born-again, evangelical, or fundamentalist Christian" (73 percent).

Americans who never attend religious services are the most likely to say they do not believe homosexual behavior is a sin (71 percent).

"The issue at hand is an important one for many reasons," Stetzer said. "First, as I mentioned in my last post, there is a sizable minority in the United States holding to traditional religious beliefs. As I stated earlier today, this is also an important moment as Americans consider a simple question: are people of faith no longer welcome as they continue to hold the beliefs they have always held?"

Stetzer said he believes the trajectory toward greater acceptance of homosexuality will continue. However, he said, "There will always be a sizable minority of people, often people of faith, who hold minority views. Increasingly, Americans will have to wrestle with how to be tolerant in more than one direction.

The Inaugural Committee's decision to side with gay activists who are intolerant of Giglio's position referenced in his sermon 15 years ago may have emboldened others to push the Bible even farther out of the ceremony.

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell told his viewing audience on Friday that he is urging the president to not include the Bible in his inauguration on Jan. 21, The Blaze reported on its faith blog.

"After discussing Pastor Louie Giglio's recent decision to remove himself from Obama's choice of benediction speakers, O'Donnell launched into a tirade against the Bible and its presence at the historical event," Blaze editor Billy Hallowell reported. "In addition to defending the gay rights movement against Giglio's nearly-20-year-old sermon, the MSNBC host dismissed the Bible as an antiquated book that virtually nobody can agree with in its entirety."

LifeWay Research – Methodology: The survey, conducted Nov. 14-16, 2012, sampled an online panel representing the adult population of the United States. Responses were weighted by region, age, ethnicity, gender, and education to reflect the population. The completed sample of 1,191 surveys provides a 95 percent confidence that the sampling error does not exceed +2.9 percent. Margins of error are higher in subgroups.


TOPICS: Current Events; Moral Issues; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: gay; gaymarriage; giglio; homosexualagenda; homosexuality; redemption; sin; trends
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To: SeekAndFind

That was an affirmation that homosexual relations are a sin, and the decreasing belief in that is a result of America casting off the moral laws of God.

“Israel hath cast off the thing that is good: the enemy shall pursue him. They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. “ (Hosea 8:3-4)

“I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. “ (Hosea 8:12)


41 posted on 01/13/2013 12:28:30 PM PST by daniel1212 (Come to the Lord Jesus as a contrite damned+destitute sinner, trust Him to save you, then live 4 Him)
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To: CottShop

Information is power.


42 posted on 01/13/2013 2:13:29 PM PST by Track9 (hey Kalid.. kalid.. bang you're dead)
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To: Track9

not when it comes to ‘debating the left’- truth, information, laws, the constitution, none of that matters to the left- they simpyl have no shame whatsoever- and htink that whatever they claim is truth and anyone dissagreeign with htem are just haters-

normally information would be power- but when debatign thsoe on the kleft who can never be wrong, and never admit beign wrong, knowledge and facts are useless- when htey get caught red handed i na lie, they act like they did nothign wrong and simpyl move right along to another talking point-

I used to debate the left on FR abotu creation- and no matter how many times you went htrough the trouble of findign facts to refute their claims, they simply ignored it, or changed the subject and kept creatign new andm ore rediculous accusatiosn to slam the right with- it never ends with them- gthey are truly shameless


43 posted on 01/13/2013 3:02:09 PM PST by CottShop (Scientific belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge)
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To: SeekAndFind

The bully pulpit hsa become the Bully’s Pulpit.


44 posted on 01/13/2013 3:03:25 PM PST by miserare
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To: CottShop

So true. I take one of two tact’s.. either I laugh and ridicule the person.. or I look at them with death.. and I mean it.. make them understand, their life is in danger.


45 posted on 01/13/2013 3:27:47 PM PST by Track9 (hey Kalid.. kalid.. bang you're dead)
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To: reagan_fanatic

“In fact, several of them had voted for McCain the last time around, and told me that the reason they changed parties this time was the Republican’s continuing stand against gay rights.”

Be sure to remind them of that as our economy disintegrates and ask them if their votes for Obama were worth it.

Does a nation that rejects God’s standards for marriage and family truly deserve prosperity?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%208:36&version=KNOX

“How is a man the better for it, if he gains the whole world at the expense of losing his own soul?”


46 posted on 01/13/2013 5:01:10 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s not so that America’s concept of perversion is evolving.


47 posted on 01/13/2013 5:10:41 PM PST by maxwellsmart_agent
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To: SeekAndFind

“There is little doubt that the President’s evolution on homosexuality probably impacted the evolution of cultural values,”

When King Obamagabe came out of the closet on queer “marriage”, the only morons that would agree with him are mindless leftist democrats. Name me one person who votes republican who agrees with queer “marriage”?? They don’t exist. Any poll that shows more people favoring queer “marriage” than REAL MARRIAGE is not to be believed. Like I said name me one republican voter who agrees with this garbage? They dont exist. Only in the immagination of the Godless liberal media. The mullato-in-chief has nothing at all to do with culural values, anymore than that fatass, horse-faced looking wife of his has anything to with being a “women’s fashion” setter.


48 posted on 01/13/2013 5:35:21 PM PST by NKP_Vet
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To: Louis Foxwell

Would love to see a reporter ask Jay Carney why Obamagabe refuses to acknowledge he knows a man by the name of Larry Sinclair. The reporter could follow up the question by saying that Sinclair has taken a lie detector test and passed it, and the test was to determine if he was telling the truth about his homosexual affair with Obamagabe and the two of them snorting crack together.


49 posted on 01/13/2013 5:39:27 PM PST by NKP_Vet
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To: NKP_Vet

“There is little doubt that the President’s evolution on homosexuality probably impacted the evolution of cultural values,”

There was no “evolution” by BHO on this topic. When he said he supported natural marriage between a man and a woman earlier, he was lying and his hyperleft supporters knew it. His “evolution” came about in order to get more financial support from the homonazi crowd.


50 posted on 01/13/2013 5:58:27 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: ReformationFan
Be sure to remind them of that as our economy disintegrates and ask them if their votes for Obama were worth it.

I'm not sure how effective that would be, since many people (including a great number of their peers) who voted for Obama the first time around voted for him a second time as well, even after four years of his disastrous policies left many of them out of work.


51 posted on 01/13/2013 8:13:36 PM PST by reagan_fanatic (You are not now, and will never be my President, Mr. Obama.)
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To: reagan_fanatic

What can one say? They’ve been brainwashed very well. Ultimately homosexualism and socialism go together and are inextricably linked:

http://www.uhuh.com/nwo/communism/comgoals.htm

Check out these 3 goals-

‘25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, healthy.”

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.”’


52 posted on 01/13/2013 9:12:56 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: reagan_fanatic

As a P.S. to my last post, the following is a great quote from savagesusie in another thread concerning the Pope and human rights. I’m posting it because I think it shows how so many of today’s young voters just don’t get it when it comes to things such as true human rights-

‘It comes from Catholic Theology, true, but this fundamental Christian idea is also embedded in the US Constitution—that our Natural Rights come from God.

‘All “Rights” that don’t originate with God — (Natural Law Theory) are not
rights understood by our Constitution. IOW, there is no “right” to kill another human being (abortion) nor is their a “right” to sodomize another person). Both are unnatural and an assault on Virtue—that which is necessary for Justice.

‘The US government is required to promote Justice-—as it’s chief meaning for existence. Without Justice, it is unconstitutional and We the People have a “Right” to dissolve it.

‘Much of the new pseudo “Rights” come from Marxist ideology (Feminism/Homosexualism/progressivism)-—radical egalitarianism which dehumanizes man—removes the male and female nature from human beings. Marxism/Socialism removes Natural Laws and reinserts irrational “rights” so they can remove Natural Rights from God, which promoting homosexual rights does for babies when they deny children’s their biological parent or when they deny children “life”.

‘This removal of Truth—about Human Nature (Marxism is the Big Lie)-—results in irrational “thinking” (all assumptions are based on Lies) which claim “Rights” for behaviors that deny Virtue which is the fundamental reason for any government-—to promote Justice—that Queen of Virtues (Anselm).’


53 posted on 01/13/2013 9:23:59 PM PST by ReformationFan
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To: SeekAndFind

If more and more folks thought jumping off 80 foot cliffs wouldn’t kill you, they would still go “splat” when they hit the rocks down below.


54 posted on 01/13/2013 9:29:04 PM PST by EternalVigilance (It's amazing how expensive "free" can be.)
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To: EternalVigilance

Indeed. “But Washington, Hollywood and my public school teacher told me to jump off 80 foot cliffs. Therefore, I should do so.” would be their reasoning.


55 posted on 01/14/2013 5:28:46 AM PST by ReformationFan
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To: SeekAndFind; Reaganite Republican; Clintons Are White Trash; HerrBlucher; mgist; raptor22; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

56 posted on 01/14/2013 5:30:57 AM PST by narses
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To: Common Sense 101
Uh huh, right... I remember countless polls and surveys suggesting Romney would defeat the jug-eared a$$clown

Not legitimate ones.

That was the story of the 2012 election; we didn't believe the polls saying Obama was going to cruise back to the White House, so a whole cottage industry sprung up "un-skewing" the polls to give us the result we wanted. Then Election Day comes and bang, we find out that the polls were right all along.

Not saying that the people are right, but it's important that we not deny reality. And the trends are pretty clear on this issue.
57 posted on 01/14/2013 12:42:13 PM PST by highball ("I never should have switched from scotch to martinis." -- the last words of Humphrey Bogart)
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To: SeekAndFind
You'd think a poll of this sort would have the decency to say "Fewer" instead of "Less"

When so many are bombarded with day in, day out homos on the TV (one per sitcom, or more, and an obligatory GiBLeT on virtually every other program, right down to house hunters on HGTV, waaaay out of proportion to the incidence in the population, well, the result is that people are going to think deviant behaviour is more "normal" than it actually is--and more widespread.

If the food channels showed at least one dish prepared with human as the entree, chances are cannibalism would appear more "normal", too, and gain greater acceptance.

It is all part of the desensitization process, and the tremendous number of vampire/flesh eating zombie/werewolf shows out may be part of getting the public used to (less horrified by) someone drinking human blood or chowing down on the neighbors.

Some entertainment.

58 posted on 01/14/2013 10:44:28 PM PST by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)
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To: SeekAndFind
I would like to see a more accurate survey that by design would evidence the reality regarding opinions on the question of homosexuality and the morality of the participants in general.

The survey would ask at least four questions:

1. Is 'being' a homosexual; one that feels predisposed to engage in homosexual sex; a sin?

2. Is choosing to engage in homosexual sex a sin?

3. Is 'being' an adulterer; one that feels predisposed to engage in adulterous sex; a sin?

4. Is adultery a sin?

59 posted on 01/15/2013 10:04:37 PM PST by DBeers (†)
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To: SeekAndFind

“Less Americans”? Uh, huh. I used to know a feller named Les. He was American.


60 posted on 01/15/2013 10:10:53 PM PST by Revolting cat! (Bad things are wrong! Ice cream is delicious!)
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