Protestants in the U.S. may agree on many core theological beliefs but data collected over the past nearly two decades suggests their views on moral issues differ sharply from one denomination to another.
When it comes to abortion, gay and lesbian relations and premarital sex, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans — often referred to as “mainline” denominations — are “distinctly more liberal” than their Baptist, Pentecostal and nondenominational counterparts, according to an analysis of data collected for Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs surveys, an annual survey conducted each May since 2001.
Largest category
Protestants make up the largest category of religious identification in the U.S. today, about twice the size of those identifying as Catholics, the second-largest religious group. Mainline Protestants make up about 11 percent of the U.S. adult population.
Between 60 and 71 percent of those who identity as members of one of these denominations say premarital sex is morally acceptable. Less than half of those in other denominations agree. A little more than half (56 percent) of those in mainline denominations say gay or lesbian relations are okay, while only a third (36 percent) share that view.
Among Baptist denominations, those identifying as Southern Baptists (about 3 percent of the overall population) tend to be more conservative than the 9 percent of American adults who identified as Baptist but not Southern Baptist.
Only 17 percent of Southern Baptists surveyed said abortion was “morally acceptable,” whereas 27 percent of “other” Baptists said so. On the issue of gay and lesbian relations, 24 percent of Southern Baptists said they were morally acceptable, while among other Baptists, 34 percent agreed.
Of the eight denominational categories, only those identifying as Pentecostal held more conservative positions regarding abortion, premarital sex and homosexuality than Southern Baptists.
Regarding the death penalty, Pentecostals were the least likely of all the denominations to agree that capital punishment was morally acceptable. Those identifying as “nondenominational” were most likely to agree, followed closely by Southern Baptists, Presbyterians and Lutherans.
Frank Newport, editor-in-chief of Gallup, acknowledged that current opinions among U.S. Protestants on these issues may be different due to the long time span of the data collection.
Growing acceptance
“Americans as a whole, and Protestants as a group, have become more accepting of gay and lesbian relations and of sex outside of marriage since 2001,” he wrote.
However, Newport noted that denominational opinions generally hold steady over time, even as attitudes on moral issues shift. He added that the analysis confirms major differences within the broad group of U.S. Protestant denominations, who are often lumped together in surveys and polls.
As religion continues to play a role in the nation’s political scene, Newport said differences in opinion on moral issues suggest a “need for caution among those attempting to characterize Americans by their religion.” (TAB)
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