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Is gay marriage a sin? Survey finds Americans split

By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY
Updated

The presidential election will tell whether Americans view support for gay marriage as a political sin, but the vote is in on whether it is theologically sinful -- and it's a close call.

A survey released today by LifeWay Research, a Nashville-based Christian research group, finds 44% say yes, 43 % say no and 13% are unsure. The survey of 2,144 U.S. adults was conducted before President Obama evolved to support marriage equality and his GOP rival Mitt Romney revved up attention to his current view that marriage is only for one man and one woman.

It found that, born-again, evangelical or fundamentalist Christians were the most negative: 82% call homosexual behavior sinful, 14% don't.

Of course, sin means "different things to different people," said Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research. A 2011 Gallup survey used different terminology but found similar results -- 56% called homosexual behavior "morally acceptable" while 44% did not.

But very few, just 26%, told LifeWay that if they knew a church preached on homosexual relations as sinful, that would have a positive effect on their choice to visit or join that church. However, 36% said knowing that would be a strike against that church choice and 32% said it would have no impact.

DO YOU THINK... this issue will matter to you on Sundays or on election day or both.

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