Gays at church
Stances of Faiths on Queer Issues: Roman Catholic Church
BACKGROUND
The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world, with approximately 1.2 billion members across the globe. With its origins in the earliest days of Christianity, the Church traces its leadership––in the person of the Pope––to St. Peter, identified by Jesus as “the rock” on which the Church would be built.
The Catholic Church in the United States numbers over 70 million members, and is organized in 33 Provinces, each led by an archbishop. Each bishop answers directly to the Pope, not to an archbishop. Those Provinces are further divided into 195 dioceses, each led by a bishop. At the base of the organizational structure are local parishes, headed by a pastor, appointed by the local bishop. The Conference of Catholic Bishops in the United States meets semi-annually.
As part of a global organization with its institutional center at the Vatican, the Catholic Church in America is shaped by worldwide societal and cultural trends. It is further shaped by direction that is entirely male, with women excluded from the priesthood and thus from key management roles.
LGB Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: United Church of Christ
BACKGROUND
Founded in 1957 with the joining of the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church, the United Church of Christ (UCC) is recognized as one of the most welcoming and affirming Christian denominations, celebrating same-sex marriages since 2005 and ordaining LGBTQ+ pastors since 1972. Numbering more than 5,000 churches and finalize to a million members, the UCC core values contain an “Extravagant Welcome,” and the assertion, “No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here.”
While individual churches stay autonomous, they also hold membership in regional associations and conferences and are represented at a General Synod convened every two years. Synod resolutions provide guidelines for all UCC churches but do not dictate policy. Experiences can, therefore, differ between congregations. A main headquarters in Cleveland, OH, oversees a range of national ministries, including that of Justice and Witness. Among other accomplishments, the Ministry of Justice and Witness partnered with the Unitarian Universalis
Same-Sex Attraction
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acknowledges that same-sex attraction is a sensitive issue that requires kindness, empathy and understanding. The “Same-Sex Attraction” section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org reinforces the reality that, in the words of one Latter-day Saint scripture, God “loveth his children” (1 Nephi 11:17), and seeks to help everyone better understand same-sex attraction from a gospel perspective.
The Church does not grab a position on the cause of same-sex attraction. In 2006, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “The Church does not own a position on the causes of any of these susceptibilities or inclinations, including those related to same-gender attraction.”
Feelings of homosexual attraction are not a sin. President M. Russell Ballard said: “Let us be clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that ‘the experience of queer attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is. Even though individuals execute not choose to possess such attractions, they act choose how to respond to them. With cherish and understanding, the Church reaches out to all God’s children, incl
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: United Church of Christ
BACKGROUND
Founded in 1957 with the joining of the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church, the United Church of Christ (UCC) is recognized as one of the most welcoming and affirming Christian denominations, celebrating same-sex marriages since 2005 and ordaining LGBTQ+ pastors since 1972. Numbering more than 5,000 churches and finalize to a million members, the UCC core values contain an “Extravagant Welcome,” and the assertion, “No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you're welcome here.”
While individual churches stay autonomous, they also hold membership in regional associations and conferences and are represented at a General Synod convened every two years. Synod resolutions provide guidelines for all UCC churches but do not dictate policy. Experiences can, therefore, differ between congregations. A main headquarters in Cleveland, OH, oversees a range of national ministries, including that of Justice and Witness. Among other accomplishments, the Ministry of Justice and Witness partnered with the Unitarian Universalis
Same-Sex Attraction
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acknowledges that same-sex attraction is a sensitive issue that requires kindness, empathy and understanding. The “Same-Sex Attraction” section of ChurchofJesusChrist.org reinforces the reality that, in the words of one Latter-day Saint scripture, God “loveth his children” (1 Nephi 11:17), and seeks to help everyone better understand same-sex attraction from a gospel perspective.
The Church does not grab a position on the cause of same-sex attraction. In 2006, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said, “The Church does not own a position on the causes of any of these susceptibilities or inclinations, including those related to same-gender attraction.”
Feelings of homosexual attraction are not a sin. President M. Russell Ballard said: “Let us be clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that ‘the experience of queer attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is. Even though individuals execute not choose to possess such attractions, they act choose how to respond to them. With cherish and understanding, the Church reaches out to all God’s children, incl