Pew Religious Forum Survey Entitled "A Portrait Of Mormons" Shows 68 Percent Of Latter-Day Saints Feel Threatened By Hollywood

A newly-released study by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, entitled "A Portrait of Mormons", shows that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints feel more threatened by Hollywood than do members of other religions. The study said 68 percent agree their values are often threatened by the entertainment industry. In contrast only 42 percent of the population as a whole feel threatened. Media story in the Salt Lake Tribune. In the Bloggernacle, A Soft Answer takes a swing at this survey; later, The Mormons Are Coming and Times and Seasons also weighed in, the latter with a more detailed analysis, but focusing on some different aspects.

The Pew study showed the next highest religious group concerned about Hollywood was the Jehovah's Witnesses at 54 percent. Also, 53 percent of members of evangelical Protestant churches feel similarly.

This is easy to understand. Hollywood puts out a steady diet of movies that utterly reek of sex and special effects. Hollywood is also vigorously promoting and mainstreaming homosexuality. These values are grossly antagonistic not only to most Mormons, but to many of those in other conservative denominations. In addition, the behavior of people at movie theaters has become increasingly abominable, so that civilized people cannot enjoy a movie in their presence. It's no wonder conservatives have become so turned off on anything associated with Hollywood.

The study is divided into three parts. Part I examines Demography, Part II highlights Religious Beliefs and Practices, and Part III discusses Social and Political Views.

Other interesting factoids:

(1). Political Philosophy: 60 percent of Mormons identify as conservatives, 27 percent as moderates, and 10 percent as liberals. This compares to the general population statistics of 37 percent conservative, 36 percent moderate, and 20 percent liberal.

(2). Party Affiliation: 65 percent of Mormons are or lean Republican, and 22 percent are or lean Democrat. This compares to the general population of 35 percent Republican and 47 percent Democrat.

(3). Homosexuality: Only 24 percent of Mormons say homosexuality should be accepted by society, vs. 50 percent of the general population.

(4). Evolution: Only 22 percent of Mormons say evolution is the best explanation for human life, vs. 48 percent of the general population.

(5). Abortion: 70 percent of Mormons say abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, vs. 43 percent of the general population.

The survey also examines attitudes in other areas, such as size and role of government and foreign affairs. It illustrates why Mormons are so predominantly conservative and Republican. It also should send a message to gays and progressives - that any attempts to bridge the ideological gaps in social issues are likely to be fruitless. The best approach would be to simply learn peaceful co-existence, such as what existed between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. If we place the one common denominator, Jesus Christ, first, we can succeed.