WASHINGTON – More than half of Americans back equal treatment for gays, according to a recent poll.
In a Harris Interactive study of straight Americans, 56 percent said people should be more supportive of gay equality. Young Americans, ages 18 to 44, expressed more support with 60 percent backing equal treatment for the homosexual community.
"People's attitudes are changing, particularly the younger generation, and people who don't have a direct connection to a gay person are speaking up and they think it's right to speak up," said Jean-Marie Navetta, spokeswoman for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National, which commission the poll.
According to the poll’s findings, a majority of Americans (71 percent) said they have spoken out against anti-gay comments, saying they felt it was "the right thing to do." And about 18 percent cited religious or moral grounds for doing so. At the same time, about 20 percent also cited the same reasons for not speaking out in defense of gays.
The poll was released Thursday in conjunction with the launch of PFLAG's Straight for Equality campaign in Washington. The campaign aims to teach Americans to speak up against verbal attacks on gays and lesbians and to "curb homophobia in their daily lives."
And kicking off the PFLAG National Convention is "Dear Abby" columnist Jeanne Phillips, who will be recognized with the first-ever Straight for Equality award for her longtime support of PFLAG and her sending a message of inclusion to her readers.
"In my column and in my daily life, I have always promoted fairness for all people, and I admire the work that PFLAG does for the friends and families of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals," said Phillips in a statement.
Christians also express support for treating homosexuals with love, responded one conservative ex-gay. But Phillips, he said, goes too far.
"Homosexual family members need to be loved and be treated with respect, yet going as far out on a limb as Phillips did, is showing false love and is actually harmful," said Stephen Bennett, founder of www.TheParentsGroup.com, a worldwide support group for parents, family members and friends who have loved ones who are homosexual.
"We encourage families to love their 'gay' identified loved ones unconditionally, yet without ever condoning or accepting the behavior," he added.
Most Christians say homosexuality is a sin based on Scripture.
According to the Harris poll, almost 70 percent of Americans believe others don't speak up on behalf of gays and lesbians based on their religious and moral grounds. Another recent poll, released by the Barna Group, also found many young Christians to be critical of churches for showing excessive contempt toward the gay and lesbian community and making homosexuality a "bigger sin" than anything else. They also say the church has not helped them apply the biblical teaching on homosexuality to their friendships with gays and lesbians.
More churches now, however, have invited speakers such as Bennett, along with other ex-gays and Christian groups, to teach the congregation about how to deal with loved ones who are homosexual. Bennett speaks around the country preaching a message of love and compassion when reaching out to homosexual individuals while affirming the biblical stand against the promotion and acceptance of homosexuality.
TheParentsGroup.com provides a confidential, Christian, online support community for those who have friends or family members who are homosexual.
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Mburkel:
The initials "JC" are really my initials, nothing more. I guess I could have added my middle initial, but I really didn't think about it.
The translation I choose to read is NASB. This is not a translation of KJV, but a modern day translation of Tyndale. Tyndale (finished in 1525 A.D.) is a translation from a much older manuscript produced by John Wycliffe (finished in the 1300's A.D.). William Tyndale was burned at the stake by Catholic authorities for the crime of translating the Bible.
The manuscript used by King James (1611 A.D.) was from "The Bishop's Bible" (1568 A.D.). This was done by King James I to, supposedly, get the same verson of Bibles into people's hands as he thought there were too many. In all actuality, the Catholic Church didn't like people translating the Bible in any way other than their translation, otherwise they would lose power, as they are increasingly doing today.
And, yes, I believe this version has issues. It was a very political time for King James when this was written. He was balancing between the throne of England, and the Catholic church, which was very powerful.
Coincidentally, the Pilgrims to the "New World", called America, didn't use the KJV version either, they used the Geneva Bible (1560 A.D.). This would give the impression that they were possibly fleeing more than just life under the British throne.
John5796, tell me just where Jesus hated anything: "What is hated here is the filthy, disgusting lifestyle..." Judge not least thee be judged?
JC (guess you speak for Christ?), do you have any knowledge of how the King James version of the Bible came to be? I have a friend who has studied it for years and tells me of all the comments made in the margins for translations that were not certain (but where not fixed). Your interpretation of the exact meaning of Bible verses is flawed from the start (unless your going from the orginal ancient Hebrew?).
People had the same fears when it was suggested that the earth was not the center of the universe, which caused good Christians to condemn them to death for such heresy. Please look at history so that it does not have the sad opportunity to repeat itself.
Christie14,
Dear one, please be careful. You are now violating the 1st Commandment. Put no other gods before me. While you say that you are not, you are. You do this by changing the scripture to read something it does not. In other words, you are saying "To me, God is like....". You can't do this and remain true to God, as His Word will not return to him void.
Dear one, is it not written in 1st Corinthians 9, starting at verse 9, the following:
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,
10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
Dear one, is it not written in the Book of Revalation in Chapter 13, verse 13:
13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
You cannot reject The Word of God and keep Jesus' - They are one in the same.
If you say Jesus is love, you must also say he is just. If you say Jesus would never condemn this type of behavior, you must only look to him to see otherwise.
Dear one, please, look at His Word, Jesus. There, you will find much illumination. You will find many answers to your many question, but more importantly, you will find Him.
I am not shocked that you do not understand. What is hated here is the filthy, disgusting lifestyle that apparently you support. Why is it that the proponents of sin always quote the same bible verses, but never mention the ones that refer to this filth as an abomination? The answer is crystal clear.
I am shocked by the hatred of these "Christians" below. You are not Jesus. You are a human, a child of God, regardless if you wear the robes or not. Stop your anger, be a true Christian. Let us love one another while holding our own beliefs at the same time. Be strong enough to hold your faith even with others do not. What is this "war" you talk about? The war against people who run from your hate talk? The love and morality you uphold is what gathers people to you, like sheep to the shepherd. Love is the way of Christ, not hate.
A reprobate mind cannot define the Christian Faith! " But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are follishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." 1 Corinthians 14 - (the "Special rights for Sodomites" Agenda advocates really aren't concerned with the God's Truth, they are motivated by one defined as a Liar and Murderer in John 8. Let them read this glorious revelation in God's inerrant Word, and respond. Keep the Faith! Fight the good Fight! Run your Race! Finish your Course! BECAUSE OF JESUS.period. Psalm40:1-4KJVPreacher
Very good points squeakywheel. One of things the homosexuals still like to keep in the closet is NAMBLA, which promotes sex with children. I can see a day when that will be called 'another' lifestyle, and I'm sure there will be another "poll" (probably taken in a seedy bath house in San Fransisco) declaring there is support for it.
Stupid article, indeed. The poll is commissioned by a homosexual group, meaning that it's biased to say the least. And polls in general are a fraud on issues like this. Polls also show that a solid majority are against gay marriage (which is why Governor Schwarzenegger just vetoed it in California) and also that most Americans regard homosexuality as morally wrong. To me, this is just another liberal media-inspired attempt to 'normalize' sodomy. Doesn't work with me or my family.
What was the question asked? What was the sample size? Does this matter, and what does it mean? Sodom is in Nevada right?
Nevada property is going down man. So are these fake polls.
So-called "marriage equality" is another equivalent of the redefinition of marriage. Once the definition for marriage has been redefined to allow for same-sex couples, then anything is possible. If it's not possible, someone will, somewhere, somehow, file suit in court until it is possible. Think of all the possible combinations imaginable...one male and one male; one female and one female; two males and one female; two females and one male; two males and two females; 3 males; 3 females; one adult and one very young underaged minor child, one human and an animal; two humans and an animal; one human and a toaster, etc. The sky is the limit as to the possible ways to get married once it has been redefined. The human heart is depraved enough for more unimaginable possibilities, once thought unheard of, to eventually become the normative.
If you believe this, I have some oceanfront property in Nebraska for sale.