New Pew survey: Americans divided on cake maker being required to make same-sex cake
A new Pew Research poll reveals Americans are split on business owners being required to provide services to homosexual couples.
49 percent of the respondents believe business owners like caterers or wedding cake makers should be required to provide services, according to new data from the popular polling firm. Men appear to be leaning in favor of the business owners with 52 percent of the male respondents saying the business owners had no obligation to provide services.
“There is also a large generation gap on this issue. Most Americans ages 65 and older (60%) say that wedding-related businesses should be able to decline to provide services for same-sex weddings, while most adults under the age of 30 (62%) take the opposite view, saying that businesses should be required to provide services for same-sex weddings. Those between the ages of 30 and 64 are evenly divided on this question.”
The poll also finds the role and influence of religion waning in daily living.
“Nearly three-quarters of the public (72%) now think [s] religion is losing influence in American life,” Pew Research reports. “And most people who say religion’s influence is waning see this as a bad thing.”
Researchers behind the poll speculate a “waning” religious cultural influence could be what drives the faithful to support religion in politics.
“Analysis also shows that growing support for religion in politics is concentrated among those who think religion has a positive impact on society,” according to Pew Research. “And the desire for religion in public life is much more evident among Republicans and those who lean toward the GOP than among Democrats and Democratic leaners.”
82 percent of white evangelical Protestants consider homosexuality a sin while 56 percent of Hispanic Catholics do not believe that homosexuality is sinful.