Christian church policies on discrimination against non-heterosexuals

Homosexuality and Religion

Homosexuality & Religion

Defining Homosexuality

Homosexuality and Religion

Teachings of Roman Catholic Church

Pastoral care of Homosexuals

Views of Protestants

Episcopal Church on Homosexuality

Southern Baptist

Religion and Discrimination against Homosexuals

Harm Caused by Discrimination and the Religious Correlation

Homosexuality and Religion

In this research paper the author discusses Homosexuality within religious context. This research paper examines the functioning of policies of discrimination towards non-heterosexuals in Christian churches and determines if these policies are harmful to non-heterosexuals in the church and in the broader social context. The author has discussed in detail history of homosexuality and gay rights movement. The author discussed views of Catholic and Protestants toward homosexuality.

The author starts by defining homosexuality followed by problem statement. The term homosexual is applied to sexual relations between individuals of the same sex. There are increasing numbers of people who are homosexual in the society and so there is growing concern about whether religion allows homosexuality, is this a sin? Should gays and lesbian have a right to marry? What are the views Catholic and Protestant churches toward homosexuality? Christianity provides an environment in which people can be supported and comforted through faith and forgiveness. So far the churches condemn homosexuality however give them right to either stop attending churches, or change their identity through conversion therapy. Conversion therapy assumes that homosexuality is an alterable state, that self-identification as a lesbian, gay man, or bisexual man or woman is not the only response to internalized feelings of same-sex attraction.

Problem Statement

While society may decide how a person may sexually express him or herself, certain bodies of institutionalized thought, like churches, have a large effect on how society makes such decisions. As the Christian church is particularly prominent in the United States, many individuals take guidance from the religious directives of its many sects. Christianity provides an environment in which people can be supported and comforted through faith and forgiveness. Religion is, therefore, an important part of the lives of many, because it offers an outlet through which to accept occurrences that are beyond a person's control. Unfortunately, problems arise when certain fundamentalist Christian congregations teach their disciples to negatively target anyone who strays from their accepted norms. The religious support systems that once guided lesbians, gay men, and bisexual men and women appear to turn against them after they proclaim their sexuality.

Churches have also changed from the fundamental beliefs of some Christian faiths, which ban homosexual behaviour, into what are known as gay positive churches. Homosexuals are now offered the choice of changing their type of church, staying in the same one, or stopping church attendance altogether. Religion is only part of the homosexual's life, however. The process of sexual identity awareness is a milestone for the homosexual in and of itself.

Beckstead and Morrow (2004) claimed that people becoming aware of their homosexuality are aware from a young age that they are somehow different from the majority of people around them. This realization