Same-Sex Marriage Divides Millennials

Special Report - September 7, 2010
As part of a study for an upcoming book on America’s Millennial generation, LifeWay Research found that a majority of Americans born between 1980 and 1991 have no objection to same-sex “marriage.” The August 2009 study found that 40 percent of Millennials strongly agree with the statement, “I see nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married,” compared to 24 percent disagreeing strongly. However, just over one-fifth of Millennials only somewhat agree, and only 15 percent somewhat disagree.

Positions on same-sex “marriage” are widely divergent based on gender, race, region, and religious viewpoint, though. According to a LifeWay press release, “men, African-Americans and Southerners are least comfortable among their peers with same-sex marriage, and for the most part Christian Millennials oppose it.” While 55 percent of men, and 56 percent of Southerners do not object to same-sex “marriage,” 53 percent of blacks do find it objectionable. Women are the most comfortable, with 68 percent agreeing that same-sex “marriage” is acceptable, followed by 66 percent of Hispanics and Americans from Western portions of the country. Fully “two-thirds of those with no religious preference agree strongly” with the acceptability of same-sex “marriage,” while religious Millennial acceptance varies between 14 percent and 50 percent, depending on religious practices and beliefs. “Only 1 in 7 of those who say they trust Christ as Savior agree strongly” that there is “nothing wrong with” same-sex “marriage.”

Thom Ranier, president of LifeWay Christian Resources, is highlighting the survey’s findings in his upcoming book, “The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation.” According to Ranier, “the significant difference in the attitudes on same-sex marriage between born-again Christians and the rest of culture was not necessarily surprising.” He challenges churches that will soon be led by Millennials “to establish their biblical positions on the issue of same-sex relationships” and “be willing to deal directly with the issue of same-sex attraction and relationships” in order to “find relevance with Millenials, 65 percent of whom ‘call themselves Christian.’” Ranier adds, “The church must voice a clear, biblical ethic of sexuality.”

Related article:
Three–Fourths Support NC Marriage Amendment - February 25, 2009

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