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A majority of Christians support marriage equality

Home » A majority of Christians support marriage equality

53% of Australian Christians support same-sex marriage.

This is the finding of a Galaxy Research poll which asked 1060 Australians whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

The survey also asked about religious affiliation. It found that support for same-sex marriage is:

  • 53% among Christians (with 41% opposed)
  • 62% among members of other religions (with 30% opposed), and
  • 67% among people with no religion (with 24% opposed).

The survey found overall support for allowing same-sex marriages remains steady at 60%, which is statistically identical to the figure found by a Galaxy poll in October last year (taking into account the ±2% margin of error).

However, the poll shows a marked shift in how strongly views on the issue are held. Since October last year, 5% of supporters of equality have shifted from agree to strongly agree, with a similar shift among opponents of reform from strongly disagree to disagree.

For the full poll results, click here.

Christians 4 Equality

In response to majority support from Australia’s Christians, Australian Marriage Equality has launched a new webform which allows Christians who support equality to write to the local federal representatives.

Clearly, those Christian lobby groups which claim that their anti-equality stance is representative of all Australian Christians are mistaken. They only represent a minority of Christians.

This makes it vital that the Government hears from the majority of Australian Christians who support marriage equality.

Christians 4 Equality has been endorsed by a wide range of clergy and lay people from Anglican, Uniting Church, Catholic and Baptist backgrounds. Their statements can be found on the Christians 4 Equality website. A selection of these are posted below.

Christians speak out: “Why we support equality”

A number of Christian leaders have explained why they, as Christians, support marriage equality.

“Today in Australia we all live in a secular non discriminatory society. Churches and other spiritual institutions exist within this society. It seems to me that in a secular and non discriminatory society gay couples should be as free to marry as any other human couple. If people wish to be married within a religious or spiritual institution’s framework then they should accept the rites and rules of that institution. However it is the state that legitimises all marriages.”
Rev Bill Crews (Uniting Church Minister, Sydney)

“How can I, a heterosexual who’s been very happily married for 50 years, tell anyone else they don’t have the right to form a loving, committed, lifelong union and enjoy the fruits of marriage as I have done? Marriage is not a club to be restricted to some. Like the Gospel, it is a blessing to be shared.”
Rev Dr Rowland Croucher (John Mark Ministries, Victoria)

“When a couple want to be part of the institution of marriage, when they fully accept the same rights and responsibilities of marriage and treat marriage with the respect it deserves, why should they NOT get married? As a Christian minister, I believe that marriage is under threat from many angles, but also believe that recognizing same-sex unions will help return marriage to its rightful place in society.”
Rev Matt Glover (Baptist Minister, Melbourne)

“From a Christian point of view, marriage is an institution designed to serve two social needs:
1. contribute broadly to social stability
2. provide a stable environment for the nurturing of children.
If this is the case then the only questions Christians need to concern themselves with when it comes to the issue of gay marriage are these two:
1. Would gay marriage lead to greater social stability?
2. Would a married gay partnership be likely to provide a more secure environment for the nurturing of the children of a gay couple than an unmarried one?
I think the answer to both these questions has to be ‘yes’”
Fr Dave Smith, (Anglican parish priest, Sydney)

Further resources

To read AME’s fact sheet, Marriage equality and religion, click here.

For a fact sheet summarising the results of a Galaxy poll from earlier this year, click here. For the full results of the 2010 Galaxy poll, click here. For all information of all Galaxy poll results, click here.