Newsletter December 1, 2022

Aging Churches and the Enduring Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage

Daniel A. Cox

As religious congregations age, are they being left behind?

After the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015 I think a lot of people (myself included) thought the issue was settled. Public support has never been higher. More than seven in ten (71 percent) Americans favor allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry according to Gallup’s most recent polling. And most Americans see this as a sign of progress. Six in ten (61 percent) Americans say the legalization of same-sex marriage has been good for society. Young adults are even more supportive. Three-quarters of young adults say this has been a positive development for American society, including more than half who say it has been “very good.”

Yet, despite its popularity, there remains a strong undercurrent of organized opposition to same-sex marriage in American churches. Only 40 percent of Americans who attend religious services at least once a week favor it. Most of those regular worshippers do not.

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