Christian Poll Shows Less Americans Think Being Gay Is A Sin

Very few of you will be shocked to hear that polling companies are, in many cases, partisan. That's why it's not surprising when a right-leaning operation like Rasmussen Reports claims someone like Mitt Romney will trounce Barack Obama, or when a "centrist" third way group like the Democratic Leadership Council finds that Bill Clinton is more popular than George W. Bush. Alright, maybe that latter one is a weak example, but you get the idea. You know how such polls are: often worthless.

But these these policy-aligned results come not only from a potential agenda, but from the people they poll. The voters in their database are often already on the side with the polling place in question. But that's not to say partisan polls can't serve a purpose.

They become useful, and even welcome, when their results go against their ideological grain, such as the latest findings from the Christian polling group Lifeway Research. They're showing that only 37% of their survey participants believe that homosexuality is a sin. That is down seven points from their last report, released only a few months ago, in September.

These numbers reflect other polls, such as Gallup's very promising finding this year that 54% of Americans, the highest ever, believe same-sex love is morally acceptable. Gallup's conclusion: LGBT acceptance is "the new normal".

While religious conservatives claim these numbers, and other matters also fought over in the culture wars, like birth rate declines or the fact that straight women are waiting longer to get married, point to some moral failure. But this Lifeway Research shows that those people are increasingly in the minority.

While the people most likely to call homosexuality a sin attend church once a week or define themselves as "Evangelical," it's clear that even religious Americans are joining Newt Gingrich and facing reality. Perhaps the most virulent on right will one day realize that this attitudinal shift isn't a decline in morals; rather, it's proof that Western society, for over a century lied to and taught that sex is bad and something that should exist only within specific parameters, is finally an overcoming sexual oppressive culture and realizing that all consenting adults have the right to live and love as they please, outside judgement like projected sins be damned.

[Image via San Francisco Citizen.]

Towleroad Talking Points: Beckham's Crotch, Snakes and Oscars

BY SAM GREISMAN

A look back at today's top stories

GAY ISSUES

Last night Newt Gingrich appeared on Fox News and displayed a tactical bit of enlightenment when he spoke about how he hopes that Republicans will come to see the "human" side of same-sex marriage. Cory Booker has long been a leading gay rights champion, but it turns out that (like many others) a meeting with a gay person early in his life is what set him on that course. 

Good news continues in Illinois where apparently marriage equality is on a fast-track. Also check out this Canadian PSA meant to fight the prevalence of the word faggot. 

**

ENTERTAINMENT

Oscar nominations were announced bright and early this morning and Lincoln leads the pack with 12 nominations. A special congrats to my mother, Sally Field, on her nod.

The Daily Mail is raising questions about a potential David Beckham crotch stuffing scandal that is sure to rock your world. And how pumped is everyone about Justin Timberlake's upcoming single release?

**

WINGNUTTERY

After a public outcry, the anti-gay pastor who was set to preside over President Obama's second inauguration has decided to step down. Giglio cites people with some kind of murky agenda as the reason. Also the interim Log Cabin Republican's leader explains why they will continue to blindly oppose Chuck Hagel's nomination. 

**

VIDEOS OF THE DAY

Dan Savage really wants to be able to get stoned legally and there were muthaf*cking snakes on a muthaf*cking plane in Australia! 

Pastor Louie Giglio Calls Homosexuality 'One of the Most Difficult [Issues] Our Nation Will Navigate'

Pastor Tony Giglio, who removed himself from Obama's inaugural line-up earlier today after a sermon surfaced in which he said, among other things, that gays will go to Hell, posted a message to his church elaborating on an earlier statement.

Says Giglio in part:

The issue of homosexuality (which a particular message of mine some 20 years ago addressed) is one of the most difficult our nation will navigate. However, individuals’ rights of freedom, and the collective right to hold differing views on any subject is a critical balance we, as a people, must recover and preserve.

As a pastor, my mission is to love people, and lead them well, while lifting up the name of Jesus above anything else. I’m confident that anyone who knows me or has listened to the multitude of messages I have given in the last decade would most likely conclude that I am not easily characterized as being opposed to people—any people. Rather, I am constantly seeking to understand where all people are coming from and how to best serve them as I point them to Jesus.

In all things, the most helpful thing I can do is to invite each of us to wrestle with scripture and its implications for our lives. God’s words trump all opinions, including mine, and in the end, I believe God’s words lead to life.

Meanwhile, the religious right-wing has gone predictably nuts over the Giglio withdrawal. A bevy of reactions here.

Wrote FRC's Tony Perkins:

“This is another example of intolerance from the Obama administration toward those who hold to biblical views on sexuality. Why is the president surprised that an evangelical pastor would teach from Scripture on homosexuality? One would be hard pressed to find an Evangelical pastor who hasn’t preached on what the Bible teaches about human sexuality.

“Catholic, Evangelical Protestant, and Orthodox churches all actively proclaim that sexual intimacy within the marriage of one man and one woman is the only biblically-sanctioned human sexual behavior. Are the scores of millions of Americans who affirm these teachings no longer welcome at the inauguration of our president?

Added Perkins in an email:

"What a difference four years makes! In 2009, when the Left was in an uproar about Pastor Rick Warren's prayer, the President was quick to come to his defense. 'We have to disagree without being disagreeable and then focus on those things we hold in common as Americans.' Now, having revealed his true position on same-sex 'marriage,' the President seems determined to create even more division. If anything, this pulls back the curtain on the Left's real agenda. And it's not about tolerance. It's about forced acceptance. Americans need to wake up and realize that the homosexual movement cannot be appeased--not by marriage, not by special benefits, not by anything but the sanitization of Christianity from the public square."

Hot Dude Gets Hit by Slo-Mo Water Balloons: VIDEO

Screw watermelons and fire tennis. This slo-mo adventure is far more explosive.

Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...

(via mashable)

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #1282

INVISIBLE DRIVER: Magician plays awesome prank on fast food workers.

GIANT SQUID: New video of the elusive deepwater creature.

"POT SHOP": A pardoy of Macklemore's hit single "Thrift Shop."

"EXPLOITED": Larry Ward, the man behind a disgusting event called Gun Appreciation Day, claims the President and other gun foes "exploited" Sandy Hook.

For recent Guides to the Tube, click HERE.

News: James Yeager, Illinois, Manhattan, Princess

Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee vowed to veto any legislation that tries to put marriage equality up to a popular vote. He wants to see state lawmakers pass a bill, instead.

The Toronto Maple Leafs fired their coach, the very LGBT-friendly Brian Burke, because the hockey team hasn't made the Stanley Cup playoffs since his tenure began in 2008.

Hateful anti-gay activist Peter LaBarbera from Americans for Truth About Homosexuality tells a mother who refused to let her gay son's boyfriend spend the night that she's doing the right thing because being gay is like being an alcoholic and shouldn't be enabled: "We don't give an alcoholic, we don't say, 'I love you so much I’m going to give you a bottle of scotch every month.' That's not true love. True love is what you’re talking about, it's defending godly values and praying for your son to be delivered out of that lifestyle."

Alexander McQueen, Autumn/Winter 2013.

Matt Bomer, Eddie Redmayne and other dashing men strutted their stuff at the People's Choice Awards last night.

Britney Spears and The X-Factor have parted ways.

Robert Downey Jr. wants to see Naomi Watts win best actress at this year's Oscars.

Those of you who enjoyed The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield will be excited to hear that the sequel starts shooting soon.

James Yeager, the CEO of a Tennessee-based gun company, said he will start killing people if President Obama tries to limit arms ownership: "I'm not fucking putting up with this. I am not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I'm not letting anybody take my guns. If it goes one inch further, I'm gonna start killing people."

Vice President Joe Biden said today that he and his gun task force will have policy recommendations to President Obama by next Tuesday. The admittedly insane NRA, meanwhile, is "disappointed" by their talks with Biden.

A new generation of activists continues to expand the queer spectrum: "If the gay-rights movement today seems to revolve around same-sex marriage, this generation is seeking something more radical: an upending of gender roles beyond the binary of male/female. The core question isn’t whom they love, but who they are — that is, identity as distinct from sexual orientation." Love it.

If Prince William and Duchess Kate have a girl, she will not have to suffer the indignity of being a simple "Lady," like any old Crawley. No, Queen Elizabeth announced the child will be a "Princess." A boy would be a prince automatically, because, you know, sexism.

Pat Brady, the Illinois GOP party chairman who supports marriage equality, refuses to give into conservative pressure and step down. "If people want to throw me out because I took a stand on an issue of discrimination [as] the chairman of the Republican Party, the party founded by Abraham Lincoln, then that's – that’s up to them and they’re free to do it," he said. "But I'm not backing down."

President Obama has nominated Jack Lew to replace Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary.

Finally, enjoy Russian photographer Sergey Semenov's stunning new view of Manhattan. (Click to enlarge.)