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Protestants far more likely than Catholics to oppose court’s decision

August 10, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A majority of Brazilians continue to express their opposition to the homosexual agenda in their country, despite a recent ruling by the nation’s Supreme Federal Tribunal creating homosexual civil unions, according to a recent poll.

The survey, conducted by the Brazilian polling agency Ibope, revealed that 55 percent of respondents opposed the Tribunal’s decision, and 45% favored it.

Although the Catholic Church teaches that homosexual relations are “intrinsically evil” and the Vatican holds that homosexual union legislation should always be opposed, Catholics opposed the decision at a rate of only 50%, 5% less than the general population.  Atheists were one percent more likely to be opposed than Catholics. Among Evangelical protestants, however, only 23% supported the decision.

The disparity between Catholics and non-Catholics reflects a widespread deficit in Latin America regarding the Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality. While Latin American Catholics have a strong tendency to reflect the Church’s teaching on the right to life, lay Catholics often receive little guidance from the Church’s leadership on issues regarding human sexuality.

In addition to the disparity between Catholics and non-Catholics, the poll also indicated other differences within population groups on the issue of homosexual unions. Men (63%) and those over 50 years of age (73%) were the groups most likely to oppose the decision, as well as those with the lowest levels of education (68%).  Women, the young, and those who are exposed to the highly liberal university system, were the most likely to support the decision.

The Tribunal’s recent decision to permit homosexual couples to enter into civil unions, which in Brazil are called “stable unions,” contradicts the explicit identification of stable unions as pertaining to “a man and a woman,” according to article 226 of the Brazilian Constitution. The decision has been the subject of much controversy since it was issued in May of this year.

Another poll, conducted shortly after the Ibope poll, additionally found that 63% of Brazilians are opposed to homosexual kisses on the nation’s soap operas.  In May of this year, Brazilians were exposed for the first time to a scene of two lesbians kissing passionately on the lips.