A majority of Americans who believe
homosexuality should be discouraged say it goes against their
religious beliefs.
According to a Pew
Research Center poll of 1,505 adults released last week, 60
percent said homosexuality should be accept by society, an increase
of 13 percent over the past decade.
Thirty-one percent said it should be
discouraged, a decrease of 14 percent over the same time period.
Of those opposed, a majority (52%) say
it's a sin or that it conflicts with their religious or moral
beliefs.
“My religious background taught me
that this was something that was taboo and not accepted,” a
62-year-old man was quoted by Pew researchers as saying.
“It clearly states in the Bible that
it goes against God's teachings,” a 32-year-old woman said.
Other reasons cited include concerns
that homosexuality is bad for the family or bad for children (13%),
that a man and a woman are needed to procreate (10%), that being gay
is not a choice (10%), that it's just wrong (10%), and that gay
propaganda is being “shoved in my face” (6%).