Religion

rug

(82,333 posts) Wed Jun 5, 2013, 07:47 PM Jun 2013

Rich, Catholic Countries Are The Most Accepting Of Gays

Josh Barro/Business Insider, data from Pew Research Center and World Bank

June 5, 2013, 12:36 PM
Josh Barro

Are you gay? If you want to be accepted, your best bet is a rich country full of Catholics.

The Pew Research Center put out a report yesterday on global attitudes about homosexuality, and it shows the link between GDP and acceptance of gays is very strong.

Roughly, an increase in GDP of $620 is good for one percentage point more people agreeing with the statement "homosexuality should be accepted by society." The r-squared value of that correlation is .57, meaning variance in GDP explains about 57 percent of the variance in attitude toward gays.

The other really big driver of attitudes is religion -- but not just overall religiosity. Check out the list of countries where acceptance of gays is at least ten points different than you would predict based on income alone:

http://www.businessinsider.com/rich-catholic-countries-love-the-gays-2013-6

The 26 page report:

http://www.pewglobal.org/files/2013/06/Pew-Global-Attitudes-Homosexuality-Report-FINAL-JUNE-4-2013.pdf

9 replies

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Rich, Catholic Countries Are The Most Accepting Of Gays (Original Post) rug Jun 2013 OP

I'm not at all surprised... TreasonousBastard Jun 2013 #1

Uh, oh, you just tossed a wrench in the gears of many anti-Catholics, here. demosincebirth Jun 2013 #2

The issue with Catholics on here isn't usually the members dbackjon Jun 2013 #9

Interesting subhead at the link: dimbear Jun 2013 #3

It doesn't include the Balkans either. rug Jun 2013 #4

Germany, Canada, UK, South Africa okasha Jun 2013 #5

OK. My post would read better if it ran "Wonder why the most tolerant Protestant nations...." dimbear Jun 2013 #6

Given that Canada and the UK okasha Jun 2013 #7

Catholics tend to be more tolerant than Protestant Evangelicals, Muslims, and Eastern Orthodox. 2ndAmForComputers Jun 2013 #8

TreasonousBastard

(43,049 posts)

1. I'm not at all surprised...

Reply to rug (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 08:00 PM

Jun 2013

it seems that the more comfortable one is, often enough the more tolerant one becomes.

And, whatever anyone wants to think of the Catholic church, central to its mores and teaching are repentance and forgiveness, unlike many of the Protestant churches who prefer to damn as many as they can. Being born into a church that preaches forgiveness overall gives you a much more tolerant view of life.

demosincebirth

(12,537 posts)

2. Uh, oh, you just tossed a wrench in the gears of many anti-Catholics, here.

Reply to rug (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 08:39 PM

Jun 2013

dbackjon

(6,578 posts)

9. The issue with Catholics on here isn't usually the members

Reply to demosincebirth (Reply #2)

Wed Jun 12, 2013, 02:07 PM

Jun 2013

But the leadership, which is violently anti-gay.

Very few Catholics I know agree with the Church's official position on Gay Rights

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

3. Interesting subhead at the link:

Reply to rug (Original post)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 09:13 PM

Jun 2013

Greater Acceptance in More Secular and Affluent countries.

Wondering why Protestant nations don't fare well in this survey? Simple. They were left out entirely. Look for the Scandinavian nations all you wish, but in vain.

At least Lutheran Germany puts in an appearance.

rug

(82,333 posts)

4. It doesn't include the Balkans either.

Reply to dimbear (Reply #3)

Wed Jun 5, 2013, 09:25 PM

Jun 2013

Page 24

Europe includes countries from both Western and Eastern Europe:

 Britain
 France
 Germany
 Italy
 Spain
 Greece
 Poland
 Czech Republic
 Russia

It did not survey all 196 countries.

okasha

(11,573 posts)

5. Germany, Canada, UK, South Africa

Reply to dimbear (Reply #3)

Thu Jun 6, 2013, 05:05 PM

Jun 2013

dimbear

(6,271 posts)

6. OK. My post would read better if it ran "Wonder why the most tolerant Protestant nations...."

Reply to okasha (Reply #5)

Thu Jun 6, 2013, 06:42 PM

Jun 2013

okasha

(11,573 posts)

7. Given that Canada and the UK

Reply to dimbear (Reply #6)

Mon Jun 10, 2013, 05:46 PM

Jun 2013

both have civil marriage for same-sex couples, they'd seem to fit into the "most tolerant" group.

2ndAmForComputers

(3,527 posts)

8. Catholics tend to be more tolerant than Protestant Evangelicals, Muslims, and Eastern Orthodox.

Reply to rug (Original post)

Mon Jun 10, 2013, 06:58 PM

Jun 2013

Which, quite frankly, isn't saying much.

Now, how is the correlation between acceptance of gays and percentage of atheists/agnostics? I would like to see such a study.

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