Gay-rights supporters funded poll on Catholic attitudes toward same-sex unions

March 24, 2011

Thomas Peters gives us reason to question the results of a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI), which purported to show that Catholics were more likely than other Americans favor to legal recognition of same-sex unions.

That poll, Peters notes, was co-sponsored by the pro-gay Arcus Foundation--which, as Peters had earlier reported, has contributed over $6.5 million in the past 5 years to religious organizations favorably disposed toward gay rights. The other co-sponsor was the Haas Foundation, which had earlier subsidies an effort by PRRI to "help develop religious education strategies supporting gay equality."

The PRRI survey was flawed because it did not adequately distinguish between active practicing Catholics--those who attend Mass at least weekly--and those who only attend Mass occasionally. Moreover the poll blurred the distinction between legal recognition of same-sex marriage and other measures such as registration of civil unions.

 

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Further information:

• LGBT-funded poll falsely claims that most Catholics support same-sex marriage (Catholic Vote)
• Practicing Catholics more likely than general public to back homosexual unions (CWN, 3/23)
• Catholics and Gay Marriage: Caution with Numbers (On the Culture, 3/23)
• Who is funding the coordinated attempt to subvert the Church’s teaching on homosexuality and marriage? (Catholic Vote)