please repost freely -- all typos are mine -------------------------------------- Release: Thursday, 18 June 1992 9:00 am University of Notre Dame Contact: Mike W. Miller (for general information) (219) 239-8024 (work) (219) 237-0788 (home/fax/message) Catholics Speak Out (for survey information) (301) 699-0042 (voice) (301) 864-2182 (fax) - ------------------------------------ On the occassion of the National Catholic Bishops Conference on the University of Notre Dame campus, the results of a major new Gallup poll on the attitudes of American Catholics has been released. The poll was sponsored by the following organizations: Catholics Speak Out (Mt. Ranier, MD); Women's Ordination Conference; New Ways Ministry (Mt. Ranier, MD; gay and lesbian Catholic issues); FutureChurch (Cleveland, OH); Dignity/USA (Washington D.C.); CORPUS (married priests); Call to Action (Chicago, IL); and the Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church. Further demographic and survey specifics follow the survey results. (These are not the full survey results. For a complete set of results, write to Catholics Speak Out; P.O. Box 5206; Hyattsville, MD 20782; or call (301) 699-0042.) -------------------------------------- Key Survey Results: *Sexual relations between gay and lesbian persons in a committed relationship can be morally acceptable. All under 35 35-54 55 or older Agree: 46 57 47 26 Disagree: 48 40 47 65 Other: 6 3 5 9 *In general, do you think homosexuals should or should not have equal rights in terms of job opportunities? All under 35 35-54 55 or older Should: 78 81 79 72 Should not: 17 15 16 20 Other: 5 4 4 8 Data over time: 1977 1982 1989 1992 Should: 58 67 76 78 Should not: 31 24 12 17 Other: 10 9 12 5 *It would be a good thing if women were ordained as priests. All under 35 35-54 55 or older Agree: 67 80 66 50 Disagree: 29 18 30 49 Other: 3 2 5 1 Data over time: 1974 1977 1979 1982 1985 1992 Agree: 29 36 40 44 47 67 Disagree: 65 57 53 50 47 29 Other: 6 7 7 6 6 3 *The Church should permit married couples to make their own decisions about forms of birth control. All under 35 35-54 55 or older Agree: 87 93 90 74 Disagree: 10 6 7 20 Other: 3 1 2 6 *Would you favor allowing Catholic priests to marry and continue to function as priests? All men women Favor: 70 65 75 Oppose: 26 31 22 Other: 4 4 4 *Do you believe that abortion should be: All under 35 35-54 55 or older Illegal always: 13 9 11 21 Legal in extreme cases: 33 29 29 45 Legal in many or all: 52 60 58 31 Other: 3 2 2 4 -------------------------------------- Survey Respondants: Total: 802 Male: 48.9 Female: 51.1 18-34: 41.9 35-54: 32.7 55- : 24.5 College Grad: 20.4 Some College: 22.4 High School: 56.5 East: 40.9 Midwest: 22.1 South: 19.4 West: 17.6 White: 71.3 Hispanic: 19.2 Black/other: 9.5 $50,000+: 19.9 25,000-50,000: 35.2 under 25,000: 36.4 Poll complete by random stratefied telephone contact. Only respondants who identified themselves as Catholic were used. Error: plus or minus 4%. -------------------------------------- ***--------+----------------------------------------------------------*** * ______ | Mike! <=> Mike W. Miller office: 219 239-8024 * | \ / | e-mail: Mike.W.Miller@nd.edu home/fax: 219 237-0788 | | \ / +------------------------------------------------------------+ | \/ | ND should be where the Church does her thinking--O'Meara | * | Office of University Computing, University of Notre Dame * ***--------+----------------------------------------------------------***