Support for female and gay Bishops

YouGov
July 15, 2010, 12:05 AM GMT+0

British adults are supportive of the appointment of female Bishops, results from a recent YouGov survey reveal.

When asked if they think the Church of England should allow the appointment of female Bishops, the majority (63%) said that they should. Only 1 in 10 respondents are not in favour of the change, which has proved controversial amongst traditionalists who argue that it is against the Bible’s teachings.
Although to a somewhat lesser extent, there is also support amongst British adults for the appointment of gay Bishops, with 39% believing the Church of England should allow the appointment of Bishops who are homosexual.
Over a quarter (27%) of respondents think the Church of England should not allow the appointment of Bishops who are gay.

There is also a difference of opinion between genders, with 44% of women in Britain supporting the appointment of homosexual Bishops, compared to 33% of men.

The results show a similar story when it comes to the appointment of female Bishops. As was the case with attitudes to allowing homosexuals to become Bishops, more women think the Church of England should ordain female Bishops than men - 67% compared to 59%.

Survey details and full results