Poll Shows Support for Same-Sex Marriage Dropping in Arkansas?

Marriage,

The 2014 Arkansas Poll was released yesterday with some interesting statistics. While many are focusing on the poll’s findings concerning candidates and political leaders, the poll’s survey questions regarding same-sex marriage are striking.

Comparing this year’s Arkansas Poll with last year’s, support for same-sex marriage in Arkansas appears to have dropped by 2%.

In 2013:

  • 23% of respondents said same-sex marriage ought to be legal.
  • 21% said gay couples should be able to form civil unions, but not marry.
  • 46% said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship.
  • 9% said they do not know or otherwise refused to answer the question.

This year:

  • 21% of respondents said same-sex marriage ought to be legal (a 2% decrease over 2013).
  • 21% said gay couples should be able to form civil unions, but not marry (no change over 2013).
  • 48% said there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship (a 2% increase over 2013).
  • 10% said they do not know or otherwise refused to answer the question(a 1% increase over 2013).

Now, before we say public opinion clearly is shifting against same-sex marriage in Arkansas, it’s important to note that the change is within the poll’s margin of error (3.6%). Statistically speaking, this demonstrates that attitudes on marriage in Arkansas remain where they were a year ago: The vast majority of Arkansans still oppose same-sex marriage. Nevertheless, it’s worth pointing out this is the first time the Arkansas Poll has recorded a decrease in support for same-sex marriage since 2005.

What is also interesting to note is how support for same-sex civil unions in Arkansas has dropped over the years. In 2007, 27% of Arkansans favored civil unions. Today only about 21% support them.

It’s also worth pointing out the Human Rights Campaign is spending, on average, about $1 million annually in Arkansas this year and over the next 2-3 years in an effort to change Arkansans’ opinions on homosexuality and same-sex marriage. So far, however, opinions appear unmoved–if not sliding in favor of traditional marriage.

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Classic Chuck Colson Commentary as Relevant Today as Ever

Homosexuality, ,

The Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview has re-released one of Chuck’s classic Breakpoint commentaries. Chuck’s words are as relevant today as ever.

In his commentary Chuck describes how, if we look at history, ancient, pagan sexual practices degraded and endangered women and children. He notes how Judaism’s (and Christianity’s) practice of confining sexual activity to between a married husband and wife was revolutionary at the time, and how it advanced the rights of women and children.

Chuck writes,

“Before the Jews were placed in the Ancient Near East, the pagan world was already a sexual free-for-all that debased women, boys, and religion itself in the service of male lust. Every aspect of life was sexualized. The pagan gods engaged in no-holds-barred sex, and so did the people. Homosexuality had almost unquestioned acceptance in the ancient world. …

“Not surprisingly, then, women were relegated to the sidelines, important for giving birth and running the home, but not important as real and equal partners to men, who had other sexual options — with boys and other men.

“That’s why Judaism’s claim that God created sex only for a man and a woman in marriage was so revolutionary — and despised by ancient pagans and modern pagans I might add as well.”

You can read Chuck’s entire commentary here or listen to it below.

[audio:http://bit.ly/1vbbguI|titles=Chuck Colson – Judaism’s Sexual Revolution]

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Why is the U.S. Supreme Court Jilting States on Marriage?

2 CommentsMarriage, ,

Earlier this week we learned the U.S. Supreme Court will not hear several appeals over lower court rulings that struck state laws defining marriage as the union of one man to one woman.

This was a surprising move by the court. And while it is not the “victory” many on the Left claim it is–there are still other appeals pending, so our justices will not be able to dodge the issue forever–it does raise the question exactly why the U.S. Supreme Court is running away from the marriage debate at the moment.

In order for an appeal to brought up before the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four of the court’s nine justices must vote to hear it. The fact that these appeals concerning marriage will not be heard means that no more than three justices wanted to hear the cases–and it’s possible that the court decided unanimously to ignore the appeals. Depending on who you ask, many people agree there are three or four “conservative” justices on the court: Associate Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Alito and Chief Justice Roberts. Since it only takes four votes to bring an appeal before the court, presumably at least one (maybe more) of these four justices did not want the marriage issue brought up. Why would they do that?

It’s just speculation on my part, but the answer may lie in Associate Justice Scalia’s dissenting opinion from the 2013 United States v. Windsor ruling that struck part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. In his dissent, Justice Scalia wrote, (more…)

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