A validity of a study claiming Catholics are more supportive of gay and lesbian rights than the general population and other Christians is being seriously questioned.
The study “fails the “gold standard” of social surveys’ according to Dr Mark M. Gray, director of CARA Catholic Polls and a research associate for the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University .
The Public Religion Research Institute survey included claims that Catholic support for same-sex “marriage” stood at 53 percent, however the study failed to report important facts such as the margin of error.
The survey had interviewed about 3,000 people, including about 600 Catholics, and according to Gray the margin of error for the Catholic population was plus or minus six percentage points!
Gray criticised the institue’s report for not including either the margins of error which he said was “standard practice.”
The survey also failed to adequately define who “catholics” were and did not distinguish for example between those who attend Mass at least weekly and those who only attend Mass occasionally.
The claim of majority support cannot be made “with any certainty, given the relatively small sample size here and the margin of error” Gray said.
According to Gray, the the poll also blurred the distinction between legal recognition of same-sex marriage and other measures such as registration of civil unions.
Survey funded by Gay Rights activist
Recently to hand is also the report that PRRI received significant funding for its survey from the Arcus Foundation. The Foundation was begun by John Stryker, an openly gay billionaire with the aim of stirring up dissent within the ranks of the church.
Stryker has reportedly contributed US$6.5m over the past five years to Catholic groups who are favourably disposed towards gay rights.
Sources