A survey released Monday from the Pew Research Center indicates American support for same-sex marriage could be leveling off after several years of dramatic growth in acceptance of equal rights for gays and lesbians.

The study’s authors caution that it’s too soon to draw any definitive conclusions. But the new poll released Monday found a 5 percentage point drop since February, from 54 percent to 49 percent, in Americans who want legal recognition for same-sex relationships.

The poll of 2,002 adults, conducted Sept. 2-9, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

“Since we’ve seen this upward trend for so long, we’re cautious because it’s too early to say what this means for long-term trends,” said Jessica Martinez, a researcher in Pew’s Religion and Public Life Project. “As we continue to ask this question in other surveys, we’ll keep an eye on where this moves.”

The findings were part of a survey in which nearly three-quarters of Americans said religious influence in public life was waning and most saw that as a negative trend. About half of respondents said churches and houses of worship should speak out more on public issues.

Nearly half of all the respondents said businesses that provide services for weddings, such as florists, should be allowed to deny service to same-sex couples if the owners have religious objections. The Pew survey also found the percentage of people who consider gay relationships sinful had increased from 45 percent a year ago to 50 percent last month.

The campaign for recognition of gay marriage has grown to become a broad mass movement supported in recent years by a majority of Americans. Maine, 18 other states and the District of Columbia now allow same-sex marriage, and petitions for recognition in several other states are moving through the courts.

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