Editing Christianity and homosexuality (section)

===Orthodox churches===
{{see also|Eastern Orthodox view of sin#Homosexuality}}

The [[Eastern Orthodox churches]] condemn homosexual acts.<ref>{{Cite book | publisher = Oxford University Press | isbn = 978-0-19-504652-6 | last = Kazhdan | first = A. P. | title = The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium | location = New York | year = 1991 | pages = 945–946}}</ref> The Orthodox Church shares a long history of church teachings and canon law with the Catholic Church and has a similar conservative stance on homosexuality. Some Orthodox Church jurisdictions, such as the [[Orthodox Church in America]], have taken the approach of welcoming people with "homosexual feelings and emotions", while encouraging them to work towards "overcoming its harmful effects in their lives", while not allowing the [[sacraments]] to people who seek to justify homosexual activity.<ref>[http://www.oca.org/DOCmarriage.asp?SID=12&ID=26 Orthodox Church in America] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709033038/http://www.oca.org/DOCmarriage.asp?SID=12&ID=26 |date=9 July 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coptic.net/articles/OnHomosexuality.txt |author=M. Mikhail |title=The Coptic Orthodox Church's View on Homosexuality |access-date=18 March 2021}}</ref> Other Orthodox Churches, such as those in Eastern Europe and Greece, view homosexuality less favourably. The [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]] lists homosexuality along with fornication, adultery, and more because of the thinking that homosexuality breaks up the institution of marriage and family.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hrc.org/resources/stances-of-faiths-on-lgbt-issues-eastern-orthodox-church |title=Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ Issues: Eastern Orthodox Church |website=The Human Rights Campaign |access-date=18 March 2021}}</ref> A 2017 [[Pew Research Center]] poll found that the majority of Orthodox Christians in the Eastern European and former USSR states surveyed believe that homosexuality "should not be accepted by society"; 45% of Orthodox Christians in Greece and 31% in the United States answered the same way.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pewforum.org/2017/11/08/orthodox-take-socially-conservative-views-on-gender-issues-homosexuality/ |title=4. Orthodox take socially conservative views on gender issues, homosexuality |date=8 November 2017 |website=Pew Research Center |access-date=18 March 2021}}</ref>

In July 2022, Archbishop [[Elpidophoros of America]] baptized two babies adopted by clothing designers Evanggelos Bousis and Peter Dundas, making him the first Greek Orthodox bishop to baptize children adopted by gay couples.<ref>[https://greekreporter.com/2022/07/11/first-greek-orthodox-baptism-gay-couple-greece/ First Greek Orthodox Baptism for Child of Gay Couple in Greece] // [[Greek Reporter]]</ref> According to the metropolitan in whose diocese the baptism took place (Antonios of Glyfada), Elpidophoros did not inform him in advance that the baptism in question was to be performed for a gay couple.<ref>[https://www.thenationalherald.com/metropolitan-antonios-exclusively-to-tnh-on-the-baptism-of-gay-couples-children/ Metropolitan Antonios Exclusively to TNH on the Baptism of Gay Couple’s Children  The National Herald]</ref> Metropolitan Antonios reported Elpidophoros to the Holy Synod of the [[Church of Greece]], which issued a formal protest to both Elpidophoros and the [[Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mazonakis |first=Stella |date=2022-07-19 |title=Holy Synod Protests To Archbishop Elpidophoros Over Gay Couple Child Christening |url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/07/19/holy-archbishop-elpidophoros-gay-christening/ |access-date=2023-05-16 |language=en-US}}</ref>