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Fifty-three percent of Americans are more apt to agree that it is vital to believe in God prior to having good morals and values while just 33% of Germans, 20% of the British, 19% of Spaniards and 15% of those in France agree with that statement. Women and the elderly are more apt to agree that God is indeed the "necessary foundation for morality and good values" (PEW). Fifty-nine percent of American women say religion is "very important" to them but only 41% of American men agree with that statement (PEW).
Meanwhile, in the Journal of Beliefs and Values (Williams, et al., 2009) the authors point out that in Western Europe religious affiliations have declined in recent years. First of all the authors explain that in the Netherlands, only 62% of those polled were affiliated with a religion. Secondly, from the 1980s to 2004, religious affiliation dropped from 97% to 84% in Northern Ireland; in Sweden it dropped from 93% to 74%; in Spain from 91% to 83%; in England from 90% to 85%; and in Holland from 62% to 45% (Williams, 177).
When it comes to gay and lesbian acceptance, it is "widespread" in both the U.S. And Western Europe, but PEW reports 91% of Spaniards, 87% of Germans, 86% of those in France and 81% in Britain accept gay and lesbians whereas only 60% of Americans do. The LGBT movement -- along with the concept of "sexual orientation" -- have been accepted into the treaties and secondary legislation in the European Union, due to the leadership there viewing gay rights as human rights (Swiebel, 2009). Linkages with "friendly elites" in the EU, wishing to avoid "racism" and even the suggestion of bias, have accepted LGBT values (Swiebel, 30).
Meantime, following President Obama's announcement that he supports same-sex marriage in the U.S., the Washington Post-ABC News poll reflected that 53% of Americans say same sex marriage should be legal (39% said it should be illegal) (Pace, 2012). Interestingly, a strong constituency...
Indeed, a peer-reviewed article in the Social Science Quarterly asserts that African-Americans are "more opposed to same-sex marriage than whites" or other ethnicities, and religion plays a role in this dynamic (Sherkat, et al., 2010, p. 93). "Religion factors play more of a role for African-Americans" because "secular commitments associated with support for GLBT civil rights among whites" has no impact whatsoever with African-Americans' views on same-sex marriage (Sherkat, 93).
In conclusion, there are probably more differences than similarities between values and view in the U.S. Vs. Western Europe, but notwithstanding those differences, the U.S. And Western Europe are allied in many global political issues.
Works Cited
Adams, James, and Ezrow, Lawrence. (2009). Who Do European Parties Represent? How
Western European Parties Represent the Policy Preferences of Opinion Leaders. The Journal
of Politics, 71(1), 206-223.
Bernstein, Elizabeth, and Jakobsen, Janet R. (2010). Sex, Secularism and Religious Influence
in U.S. Politics. Third World Quarterly, 31(6), 1023-1039.
Pace, Julie. (2012). Obama team trumpets new polling on gay marriage. Associated Press.
Retrieved May 26, 2012, from http://www.usnews.com.
PEW Research Center. (2011). American Exceptionalism Subsides: The American-Western
European Values Gap. Retrieved May 25, 2012, from http://www.pewglobal.org.
Sherkat, Darren E., de Vires, Kylan Mattias, and Creek, Stacia. (2010). Race, Religion, and Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage. Social Science Quarterly, 91(1), 80-98.
Swiebel, Joke. (2009). Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender human rights: the search for an International strategy. Contemporary Politics, 15(1), 19-35.
Williams, Emyr,…
Works Cited
Adams, James, and Ezrow, Lawrence. (2009). Who Do European Parties Represent? How
Western European Parties Represent the Policy Preferences of Opinion Leaders. The Journal
of Politics, 71(1), 206-223.
Bernstein, Elizabeth, and Jakobsen, Janet R. (2010). Sex, Secularism and Religious Influence
Retrieved May 26, 2012, from http://www.usnews.com.
European Values Gap. Retrieved May 25, 2012, from http://www.pewglobal.org.
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