Last November four U.S. states—led by California—voted to recognize only heterosexual marriages. But homosexual rights activists took consolation in a new study which indicates that they are winning the hearts of the next generation, even among evangelicals.

A survey of Americans last fall found that young adults (ages 18–34) were more likely to support homosexual marriages than the general population (46% versus 29%). Among evangelicals, young adults were also more supportive of homosexual marriage (24% versus 10% of the general evangelical population).

When asked “if the law guaranteed that no church or congregation would be required to perform marriages for gay couples,” the percentage of young adult supporters jumped to 60% (versus 43% among the general population). After they were given this caveat, the percentage among young evangelicals jumped to 35% (versus 24% among the general evangelical population).

“A lot of us have found that there is a change going on within religious communities and younger members of these religious traditions have been even more pronounced in this broadening agenda. This is the first poll to provide the data to show this,” said poll analyst Amy Sullivan.

As in so many other modern issues, the key is to point people back to the true history of God’s Word. Marriage is one of the many doctrines founded in Genesis, which Jesus defined as male and female “from the beginning of the creation” (Mark 10:6).

^* “Faith and American Politics Survey” by Faith in Public Life, http://www.faithinpubliclife.org/content/faps/.