What do supporters of same-sex marriage believe and why?
Andrew Goddard offers his analysis of the recent survey:
Despite all our Shared Conversations, it remains largely a mystery as to what people in the Church building of England really believe almost same-sex wedlock. Jayne Ozanne has just published a survey which claims to shed new light on this by identifying Anglicans in England and finding more of them believe same-sex marriage is right than believe information technology is wrong.
Information technology is of course important that any such findings are simply descriptive not prescriptive. Christians do non believe the voice of the people, fifty-fifty church people, is the voice of God. Scripture is full of examples where God was at work through his apostles and prophets and indeed his Messiah to right the majority viewpoint among his people. But adept description is too immensely valuable in Christian discernment.
The principal claiming here is identifying "Anglicans in England" and the survey offers two answers – a larger 1 and a subset of that. There are major questions nearly each group.
In relation to the larger group on which almost all the published data focuses, there are questions about inclusion and exclusion. Although we are not told the exact question asked, past Yous Gov polling suggests it was something similar – "Practice you lot regard yourself as belonging to any particular faith, and if so, to which of these do you belong?". In answering this people either distance themselves totally – "No, I do not regard myself every bit belonging to any particular religion" – or (unless they "adopt non to say") need to marshal with ane in a list (or opt for "other"). The group whose views Jayne Ozanne's survey reports corporeality to 29.ii% of English adults saying "Yes, I regard myself as religious and as belonging to CofE/Anglican/Episcopal". Given that less than two% attend a CofE church most weeks and just over iv% at Christmas this is a very high figure. Information technology is worth thinking how big a fringe would need to be included in your local parish church for information technology to comprehend nearly thirty% of the parish population.
Despite this emphasis on inclusion there is besides an interesting exclusion. Equally far as I can see almost all past You Gov surveys have a maximum of viii Christian denominations and v other religions people tin identify with. This survey adds 3 more Christian sub-categories: Orthodox Christian, Pentecostal and Evangelical. This, also constitute in a Dec 2022 survey for Lancaster University, further complicates matters. While the other options are merely denominations, all 3 of these – particularly "Orthodox Christian" and "Evangelical" – are too common non-denominational labels. Someone calling themselves a "Baptist Methodist" is slightly odd whereas "Evangelical Anglican" is a mutual designation. Faced with the usual listing I could only be "Anglican" but if I could cull "Orthodox Christian" or "Evangelical" might well opt for ane of those. If I did then I – an ordained Anglican – would not exist in this sample.
If this new survey asked wider questions nigh belief or behaviour they have non been published. However, previous YouGov polls in 2013 identified a similar proportion of self-identified Anglicans and so this group is likely to be similar in outlook. When asked what they rely on most for guidance in life these Anglicans are little different from those who say they take no organized religion. For instance, the 2013 survey Jayne Ozanne highlights shows
- Over one-half rely nearly on their own reason, intuition or feelings.
- Only iv% chose "God or 'higher power", 3% said "The tradition and teachings of my religion" and only 1% said "A Scripture or holy book eg Bible" every bit what they most relied on for guidance.
Information technology is therefore perhaps not surprising that among this body of Anglicans another 2013 survey found
- a tertiary were not at all guilty virtually using pornography
- two-thirds not at all guilty about sex before marriage or civil partnership and
- a quarter not at all guilty (rising to over ane/3 when including those "not very guilty") if they had sex outside marriage or civil partnership ie committed adultery.
In the calorie-free of these wider features of cocky-identified Anglicans, it is less shocking that the bishops are out of footstep with this constituency on same-sex wedlock and perhaps the biggest surprise is having over a 3rd (37%) in the new survey believe same-sex marriage is wrong and less than one-half (only 45%) thinking it right.
Turning to where these Anglicans belong, nosotros are able to identify the survey's second narrower grouping of Anglicans whose view it reports as as well (fifty-fifty more marginally) in favour of aforementioned-sex union. A third of this original group of Anglicans say they are not involved with any religious grouping or gathering. Virtually 5% are affiliated with other Christian groups and about 2.v% really belong to non-Christian faiths. Thus the original group of Anglicans has been reduced by almost xl%. No objective measure is offered of what counts as being involved and then it is not a surprise that this is still a loftier figure – about 18% of English adults.
It is as well important to recognise that this remains a sub-group of the larger group and so excludes all those who had other original identifications but then said that "Anglican/CofE" best described the group they were involved with or whose services they attended. All those (many of them committed) CofE worshippers who say "But I'm really Catholic/Baptist/Evangelical" are therefore not included. In short, even this smaller grouping includes an overwhelming majority (roughly 3:i) whose commitment does not extend to attention a CofE service every Christmas while excluding a number (peradventure a significant number) of people who are actively involved and regularly attend services in their CofE parish but do not identify every bit Anglican.
So what can we acquire from the survey? It is articulate that great caution is needed but, set alongside other surveys, the post-obit announced to exist truthful:
- Over 50% of British society probably approve of same-sex marriage and this is specially strong amid those who decline whatsoever identification with religion.
- In dissimilarity, at that place is not an absolute majority in favour of same-sexual activity marriage amid those who identify, even very loosely, every bit Christians (in near every denomination) or with well-nigh other major faiths.
- Even in this survey with the very large group being identified as Anglican (on either method), more "CofE" believe same-sex spousal relationship is wrong or don't know than believe information technology is right. The reported atomic number 82 of "pro-same-sexual activity marriage" over "same-sexual practice marriage is wrong" although new compared to like past studies is still small.
- Every Christian denomination has a meaning grouping, oftentimes a simple majority, of those who identify with it in some sense and who believe same-sex marriage is right.
- Information technology would appear that over the concluding two-3 years the general movement in religious groups, as among non-believers, is towards more than of those identifying with them believing that same-sex matrimony is right.
- In wider society, and probably in most faith groups, support for same-sex marriage is higher among women and amid younger people.
- The claim that bishops take a different view could therefore be due, equally Jayne Ozanne claims, to the fact they tend to be men over 55. However, given similarly self-identified Anglicans await to their own reason, intuition and feelings rather than to God, Scripture or tradition in making decisions it is not unreasonable that bishops should be dissimilar in methodology and perhaps therefore reach unlike conclusions on justifiable grounds.
- While there remains a lack of clarity about the 3 new categories included in this survey (Orthodox Christian, Pentecostal, Evangelical) the results are particularly stark in relation to same-sexual activity wedlock with much smaller numbers thinking aforementioned-sex union is right and over three times more than "evangelicals" believing it is wrong than believing it is right. This raises interesting questions for those such as Accepting Evangelicals who argue for aforementioned-sexual activity marriage to be accepted as an orthodox, evangelical conventionalities.
The poll, despite its limits and weaknesses, was lapped up by the media who as well told the narrative attached to information technology by Jayne Ozanne. As on other occasions recently, no bishops were heard offering an alternative perspective. And yet the poll shows many Christians – even with very weak allegiance – believe aforementioned-sexual practice wedlock is wrong or are unsure. The question is whether Christian leaders will – in their churches and in the public square – take this real opportunity to explicate why Christians and virtually human being cultures down through the ages accept been right to identify and privilege every bit unique the style of life which unites a man and a woman in an sectional sexual union intended to be lifelong. If they do they will assistance those whose instincts remain cautious near this new definition of marriage to understand and remain committed to a Christian vision. They may likewise persuade those who accept changed their views that there remain skillful reasons which should be respected to believe aforementioned-sex spousal relationship is wrong. If they don't it is possible that the electric current support for union will exist eroded and those who hold it ridiculed and treated as discriminatory or even extremist by club equally a whole.
A more detailed analysis of the poll can be plant with a copy of this commodity on the Fulcrum website. Information technology is worth noting that American social scientist Mark Regnerus found an most identical correlation among US supporters of SSM.
There is some irony that today sees the launch of LGBTI Mission in part on the back of this survey. They are pressing for unilateral changes to the Church's education and exercise, disregarding all the electric current processes of word and consultation, and without any reference to theological concerns. An early comment on the press release noted:
Critics of the poll argue that it does non qualify affiliation, for example, by asking how oft respondents attend church. The 2013 polling explored this terminal question and found that support [for same-sex activity marriage] was everyman among those who attended most ofttimes.
And then it appears that they are pressing the Church building to adopt a position that represents the view of those who don't nourish—and no evidence has been offered to contradict this assessment.
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