The number of lesbian, gay and bisexual people who identify as Christian is at an all-time high: 48% of LGB people say they’re Christian, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center.
More than 35,000 people were interviewed for the survey, with 1,600 identifying as LGB. The new stat is especially interesting compared with Pew’s general findings on the decline of Christianity in America. Two years ago, 78.4% of all Americans identified as Christians. Today, that number is 70.6%.
“Among respondents who identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, fully 41% are religiously unaffiliated, and fewer than half (48%) describe themselves as Christians,” the study finds. “Non-Christian faiths also are represented in the gay community at higher rates than among the general public, with 11% of gay, lesbian and bisexual respondents identifying with faiths other than Christianity.”
“The ‘Christians vs. LGBT people’ narrative that we hear so often is part of the story, but as the Pew poll shows, it’s not all of it,” says Matthew Vines, author of God and the Gay Christian. “In fact, it’s the 48 percent of LGBT Americans who are Christians who are best positioned to change both religious attitudes about same-sex marriage and secular attitudes about religion. As LGBT Christians continue to find their voice, they’ll be changing both their churches and the LGBT community for the better.”
I am so surprised by this, but not at all in a bad way. Thoughts?
Ooh positive direction! :D