About half of Christian youth ages 18 to 29 favor legalizing marijuana; nearly a third of them are strong advocates for its legalization, according to a poll by the Public Religion Research Institute. Nearly half—45 percent—say they’ve tried the drug. It’s another indication that younger Christians are viewing issues significantly different than their older forbears. The same poll found that 9 percent of Christians 65 years or older strongly favored pot’s legalization, while more than half were strongly opposed. The study also found that seven in 10 Americans believe smoking marijuana is not a sin, compared to 23 percent who believe it is. (CNN)

Paul Asay has covered religion for The Washington Post, Christianity Today, Beliefnet.com and The (Colorado Springs) Gazette. He writes about culture for Plugged In and wrote the Batman book God on the Streets of Gotham (Tyndale). He lives in Colorado Springs with wife, Wendy, and two children. Follow him on Twitter.