Given a choice between religious liberty and LGBT rights, Americans overwhelmingly choose the former, a new poll found. Washington Examiner reported that when Americans were asked to choose theoretically between the rights of a gay couple and a Catholic photographer who refused his services to a gay wedding, 82 percent respondents voted in favour of the photographer’s right to decline services to a gay couple. The question was part of a survey carried out by Caddell and Associates.
Pat Caddell, founder of the polling organization, said to Washington Secrets, a political column published in the newspaper, that as many as 71 percent Americans want their country to generate a commonsense solution, which would protect not only religious freedom but also gay and lesbian couples from discrimination.
“When asked which was more important, by a 4 to 1 ratio, voters said protecting religious liberty (31 percent) over protecting gay and lesbian rights (8 percent),” said Caddell.
According to Caddell, his poll helped illustrate both sides of a culture war that has been calling truce for a long time, with both religious liberty and LGBT rights seeking to be honored.
Yet, Washington Examiner noted that there is quite some potential in the ongoing culture war. Apparently, an official from the Obama administration had claimed during the hearing of Obergefell versus Hodges that the American government could simply compel those individuals, who have religious objections to same-sex marriage, to succumb under pressure.
Caddell said however that his findings prove how Americans do not believe that can be done.
“More than two thirds (68 percent) disagreed that the federal and state government should be able to require by law a private citizen to provide a service or their property for an event that is contrary to their religious beliefs. Only 18 percent agreed. Indeed, 51 percent strongly disagreed with this. … When asked whether it should be up to the federal government to determine what constitutes legitimate religious beliefs only 11 percent agreed and a massive 79 percent disagreed. Indeed, even two thirds of those on the 'left' of the segmentation disagreed,” he said.
Photo Credits: RH Reality Check
