On February 7, 2012, the 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that California’s 2008 Proposition 8—a referendum banning same-sex marriage—violated the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law and was therefore unconstitutional. In light of these events, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released data from surveys conducted in 2010 and 2011 on the changing attitudes of Christian religious groups towards same-sex marriage. The surveys show a divided landscape not only by religious affiliation (Protestant or Catholic) but also along ethnic lines:

Among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants express the greatest opposition to same-sex marriage, with 74% saying they oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry legally. A large majority of black Protestants also oppose same-sex marriage (62%). The views of these groups have not changed since 2010. Compared with evangelicals and black Protestants, white mainline Protestants are more supportive of same-sex marriage, with 54% saying they favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to get married.

Read the full text of the article here.

Tags: gay marriage, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Prop 8

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