Poll: Calif. gay marriage ban driven by religion

[Mark E. Smith]

Source: Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - Voter's economic status and religious convictions
played a greater role than race and age in determining whether they
supported the Nov. 4 ballot measure outlawing same-sex marriage
in California, a new poll shows.

The ban drew its strongest support from both evangelical Christians
and voters who didn't attend college, according to results released
Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California.

Age and race. meanwhile, were not as strong factors as assumed.
According to the poll, 56 percent of voters over age 55 and 57
percent of nonwhite voters cast a yes ballot for the gay marriage ban.

People who identified themselves as practicing Christians were highly
likely to support the constitutional amendment, with 85 percent
of evangelical Christians, 66 percent of Protestants and 60 percent of
Roman Catholics favoring it.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081204/ap_on_re_us/gay_marriage_poll

[BOSSHOG]

1. Poorly educated christians using the law as a weapon

against people they hate in the name of Jesus Christ in the Land of the Free.

Conservative values are a cancer.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[struggle4progress]

10. 85% of McCain voters voted for Prop 8; this is exactly the same as the percentage

of "evangelical/born-again" voters who supported it -- but of the 52% who supported, only 16% cited religion as a reason in the survey; 77% of Republicans voted for Prop 8; 62% without a college degree voted for Prop 8. The poll also shows "the measure’s supporters are far more likely than those who voted no to view the outcome as very important"

A natural interpretation might be: the campaign run by McCain-Palin energized enough of the Publican wingnut base in California to carry the day on Prop 8: McCain-Palin voters were motivated to turn out and considered Prop 8 important, whereas opponents did not consider the measure nearly so important and were not as motivated to turn out

[HillWilliam]

2. Quelle surprise

I never could understand what sort of agonizing mental contortions one must perform in order to insist that "god is love" and then continuously perform hateful, hurtful acts without the slightest twinge of conscience.

They just don't get it. If they empower the state to take any civil right away from any group, that power can and will be used against them. It is only a matter of time. Thousands of years of history shows an endless repetition of the same. And when it happens, they will deserve the punishment they so gleefully meted out.

[postman07]

3. If they won't let people marry they can't have their guns

Its seems simple to me that any argument that you make about the right to bare arms should be thrown out the window if the rights for gay couples is taken away. If you are going to start stripping away at the constitution why not start there.

[HillWilliam]

5. There are a lot of

GLBT people who have guns and will probably go toe-to-toe with you on that one. It would be seen as yet another assault, also aimed at GLBT people.

I'm a gun owner and a gay man. My partner is another. There are several LGBTQ RKBA organizations. Let's not eat our own.

Incidentally and no offense, it's "bear" arms. "Bare" arms is what ya do at the beach to get a tan (or at least I do when I can :) )

Let's not strip the Constitution any more that Dumbya already has. Emulating him is just not a way to go. We have to be better and smarter. We can beat the haters without attacking the Bill of Rights.

[Ian David]

11. What about if we start selling only gay guns? n/t

[Irishonly]

4. Facts don't matter to them

It's sad to say but many of them seem to have lost the ability to comprehend anything their pastors don't say. Like:

No clue as to why the ballot should have never been on the ballot in the first place.
No respect for the state supreme court although the SCOTUS that put the village idiot in the WH is wonderful.
They vote the way the Bible (ministers) tell them to and don't have a clue as to what the proposition says.
Are shocked about the protests because after all they voted. They are also proud of being a Bible voter. If you really want to see them fall off their chair tell them as a Christian you are standing and fighting with your gay brothers and sisters and tell them the founding fathers didn't want a theocracy. Lastly, tell them you don't appreciate bigots in your home.

[msongs]

8. like Obama believes, it's in the bible, and the bible trumps your civil rights nt

[struggle4progress]

7. PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government

... The reason that voters most frequently cite in voting for Proposition 8 is that marriage between only a man and a woman should be recognized (63%); 16 percent cite religious objections. Most Californians who voted no (70%) say they did so because same-sex couples should be given the freedoms and rights guaranteed to everyone ...

In a separate question, voters were asked whether they favor or oppose allowing gay and lesbian couples
to be legally married. Voters are divided, with 47 percent of voters in favor, 48 percent opposed, and 5
percent unsure, mirroring the results among likely voters in our October pre-election survey. Among those
voting no on Proposition 8 in the November election, only 8 percent are opposed to same-sex marriage—
an 11-point decline from our October pre-election survey ...

http://www.ppic.org/main/publication.asp?i=860
<link at yahoo omits the "equals">

The second paragraph above might suggest that turnout governed the outcome, since voters are approximately split on the underlying issue and since not all opponents of marriage supported a constitutional amendment

[sarcasmo]

9. How much easier would life be if we were al non believers?

[bowens43]

12. well.....duh. Of course it's driven by religion.

most of the evils in the world are driven by religion.

[HopeHoops]

13. Wow. I am just shocked. Who would have thunk a thunk?

[hunter]

14. No, it's driven by economics.

The Mormon faith and some of the big box churches are partly religion, partly economic associations.

The rest of the anti gay marriage religions are simply preying upon the economically disadvantaged. Life sucks here, but there is hope. It's much the same as lottery tickets. A disproportionate number of economically disadvantaged people buy them. A wealthy guy isn't going to be as exited by a ten dollar scratch-off winner as someone who doesn't know how they are going to pay for tonight's dinner, or someone who is really really desperate for a case of cheap beer.

[Strathos]

15. Wasn't religious control geared at those low income, non-thinking types to being with?

Religion and god was simply an easy way to control the less educated, the less intelligent, lower income "worker bees" in the beginning anyway. Hell, our Founding Fathers were mostly agnostic and atheists, yet they knew the power of putting the world "god" into certain issues to get a reaction.

I'm afraid it's now a virus out of control and the only way to stop it is to dismantle Christianity completely.

[MountainLaurel]

16. Sing all together now: Jesus hates the gay children

All the gay children of the world . . .