3% of Americans named abortion, homosexuality as most serious moral issues

[Ian David]

MotherJones.com/Commentary/Columns

A Time to Speak Out
Women's reproductive rights, marriage equality, and HIV/AIDS/sex education
are fundamental to American social justice.

Rev. Debra W. Haffner
June 09 , 2006

Article created by The Center for American Progress.

<snip>

We are beginning to counter the perception that the religious right speaks
for religion in America. Many of us are also working to address what I have
labeled the "religiophobia" of secular progressive organizations, or a fear
of religion that keeps organizations from reaching out to faith communities
and from articulating a moral vision.

Yet there's one set of issues that too many progressive religious leaders
are still reluctant to address publicly -- those related to sexuality.<1>
Some believe these issues are just too divisive. Other progressives warn
that they will so alienate Catholic and evangelical social justice
organizations that raising these issues will impair efforts to build a
collaborative movement. Still others believe that it is enough to say that
they do not support the criminalization of abortion or writing
discrimination into the U.S. Constitution, but that is as far as they are
willing to go.

<snip>

The organized religious right has no such reluctance to address sexuality.
Its leaders are unequivocally opposed to abortion, emergency contraception,
marriage equality and other rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and
transgendered (GLBT) people, and comprehensive sexuality education. Its
leaders speak out on these issues, galvanize their base with these issues,
and get the attention of national leaders with these issues.

Case in point: The week, following allegations of a civilian massacre at
Haditha, Iraq, by a U.S. military unit, President Bush focused on same sex
marriage during his radio address, and the Senate voted on the Federal
Marriage Amendment. The proposed amendment to the Constitution fell far
short of the votes needed for passage, but that the vote occurred at all was
a victory for the religious right.

The religious right presents a unified front, regardless of its
behind-the-scenes differences. As a result, they have successfully convinced
the media that the two great moral issues affecting the nation are abortion
and gay marriage rather than poverty, the war, and injustice. Fortunately,
the public is smarter than that; in a new Center for American Progress poll,
only 3% of Americans named abortion and homosexuality as our country's most
serious moral issues.

More:
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2006/06/time_speak_out.html

Personally, I'm most concerned about the steroid-using Mexican alligators that refuse to say "Merry Christmas" and snatch pretty white girls off cruise ships to gay-marry them in ceremonies that require burning the American flag and singing The National Anthem in Spanish.

But I think someone told me that we have troops fighting a war somewhere... what's up with THAT? We can't possibly be fighting a WAR, or else we wouldn't be getting all the fabulous tax-cuts that are trickling down to me.

[robbedvoter]

1. These 3% will "win" the 2002 elections for the GOP - you just see

They did it in 2004 - and Mother Jones sat on it with the best of them

[glitch]

2. Didn't they just? Still haven't forgiven them. But at least we have the

true number of bush's base - 3%.

[AndyTiedye]

3. They Did It In 2000, 2002, and 2004, and There Is No End In Sight

It doesn't matter if they're only 3%, they own the VOTING MACHINEZ!