article_snippet.sent: In 2003, when the U.S. Supreme Court became the country's first to legalize same-sex marriage, less than 30% of religiously affiliated Americans supported gays' and lesbians' right to wed.
article_snippet.sent: By 2014, that number had climbed to 47%, according to a survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute.
article_snippet.sent: That's more than the 45% who said they opposed same-sex nuptials.
article_snippet.sent: (Eight percent refused to answer or said Eight percent didn't know Eight percent stance on same-sex marriage.)
article_snippet.sent: According to PRRI's poll, there are now more people of faith who favor marriage equality than stand against it, a dramatic turn in one of the country's most divisive debates and a generational shift with the potential to sweep through everything from the wedding industry to the 2016 presidential race.
article_snippet.sent: Despite vocal opposition from the U.S. Catholic Bishops, for example, 60% of Catholics now favor same-sex marriage.
article_snippet.sent: That's a huge increase from 2003, when just 35% backed gay rights, according to survey conducted at the time by the Pew Research Center.
article_snippet.sent: While 36% supported same-sex marriage in 2003, now 62% do.
article_snippet.sent: Separate surveys conducted by PRRI and other groups show much of the newfound religious support for same-sex marriage is coming from younger Americans.
article_snippet.sent: Seven in 10 Millennials, for example, support same-sex marriage and say that faith groups alienate young adults by being judgemental on sexual ethics.
article_snippet.sent: Half of millennial Republicans say gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry, and 43% of white evangelical millennials agree.
article_snippet.sent: Still, Burk said Burk doesn't doubt that more millennials accept same-sex marriage, and Burk fully expects the Supreme Court to legalize gay weddings countrywide this June when the justices render a decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.
highlights_snippet.sent: There are now more people of faith who favor marriage equality than stand against it, according to a new poll .
  