Yet among white evangelicals, 56 percent say society is better off with marriage and procreation being prioritized, while 41 percent say other priorities are fine.
White evangelicals are the only religious subgroup with majority support for the marriage and procreation segment of the poll. Catholics (35 percent), black Protestants (36 percent) and white non-evangelical Protestants (35 percent) are all under 40 percent on that specific answer.
Among the religiously unaffiliated, 16 percent say society is better off with people prioritizing marriage and childrearing, while 82 percent believe society is just as well off with other priorities.
“These patterns extend to measures of religious observance, too,” Pew’s Stephanie Kramer wrote in an online analysis. “For example, highly religious people – those who say religion is very important in their lives and those who attend religious services regularly – are more likely than Americans who say religion is less important or attend religious services less frequently to say that society is better off if people prioritize marriage and procreation.”
The poll also revealed a significant political divide: Republicans (50 percent) are twice as likely as Democrats (22 percent) to say society is better off prioritizing marriage and childrearing.
The survey was released around the time Pope Francis ignited a controversy by criticizing couples who choose to have pets instead of children. He made the comments while discussing Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus.
Photo courtesy: ©Agung Pandit Wiguna/Pexels
About The Author
