Catholics softer on gays: [1 All-round Country Edition]
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 27 July 2005: 5.
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Abstract
CATHOLICS are the least homophobic of all religious groups and inner-city Melbourne the most gay-friendly region in the nation, while Baptists and theNorthern Territory are the most hostile.
"The Catholic Church may have less doctrinal authority over its congregation than some other Christian and non-Christian churches," the study says. The report does not separate out non-Christian groups, including Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, but on the whole finds them to be slightly more homophobic than Anglicans and Catholics.
CATHOLICS are the least homophobic of all religious groups and inner-city Melbourne the most gay-friendly region in the nation, while Baptists and theNorthern Territory are the most hostile.
Central Sydney, which carries the reputation of being Australia's gay capital, was almost twice as homophobic as inner-city Melbourne, an Australia Institute study found.
Queensland and Tasmania were the most homophobic states and Victoria the least.
Men were far more likely to be homophobic, with 43 per cent believing homosexuality to be immoral, compared with 27 per cent of women.
Only women in the NSW Hunter Valley region bucked this trend, with 37 per cent considered to be biased against homosexuals compared with 28 per cent of men.
Study authors Clive Hamilton and Michael Flood said it was "counter-intuitive" that Catholics were the most tolerant religious group, considering thedenomination's strong stance against gay priests and gay marriage.
Only 34 per cent of Catholic parishioners believed homosexuality to be immoral.
"The Catholic Church may have less doctrinal authority over its congregation than some other Christian and non-Christian churches," the study says. The report does not separate out non-Christian groups, including Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus, but on the whole finds them to be slightly more homophobic than Anglicans and Catholics.
The most homophobic religious grouping were those identifying as Baptists, then evangelical Christians, Presbyterians and Methodists.
About a quarter of respondents with a tertiary education held homophobic views, compared with almost half of those who did not complete high school.
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