Editing Homosexuality and religion (section)

====Christianity====
[[File:Gay Cross.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Symbolic depiction of the intersection of [[Christianity]] and [[LGBTQ community|LGBTQ people]], combining the [[Christian cross]] and [[Rainbow flag (LGBTQ)|LGBTQ rainbow flag]]]]
{{Main|Christianity and homosexuality|Christianity and sexual orientation}}

The [[Hebrew Bible]]/[[Old Testament]] and its traditional interpretations in [[Judaism]] and [[Christianity]] have historically affirmed and endorsed a [[Patriarchy|patriarchal]] and [[Heteronormativity|heteronormative]] approach towards [[human sexuality]],<ref name="Mbuwayesango 2016">{{cite book |author-last=Mbuwayesango |author-first=Dora R. |year=2016 |orig-date=2015 |chapter=Part III: The Bible and Bodies – Sex and Sexuality in Biblical Narrative |editor-last=Fewell |editor-first=Danna N. |editor-link=Danna Nolan Fewell |title=The Oxford Handbook of Biblical Narrative |location=[[Oxford]] and [[New York City|New York]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |pages=456–465 |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199967728.013.39 |isbn=9780199967728 |lccn=2015033360 |s2cid=146505567}}</ref><ref name="Leeming 2003">{{cite journal |author-last=Leeming |author-first=David A. |author-link=David Adams Leeming |date=June 2003 |title=Religion and Sexuality: The Perversion of a Natural Marriage |editor-last=Carey |editor-first=Lindsay B. |journal=[[Journal of Religion and Health]] |publisher=[[Springer Verlag]] |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=101–109 |doi=10.1023/A:1023621612061 |issn=1573-6571 |jstor=27511667 |s2cid=38974409}}</ref> favouring exclusively [[Heterosexual intercourse|penetrative vaginal intercourse between men and women]] within the boundaries of [[marriage]] over all other forms of [[human sexual activity]],<ref name="Mbuwayesango 2016"/><ref name="Leeming 2003"/> including [[autoeroticism]], [[masturbation]], [[oral sex]], [[Non-penetrative sex|non-penetrative]] and [[Homosexual sexual practices|non-heterosexual]] sexual intercourse (all of which have been labeled as "[[sodomy]]" at various times),<ref>{{cite book |last=Sauer |first=Michelle M. |year=2015 |chapter=The Unexpected Actuality: “Deviance” and Transgression |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U8mBCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA74 |title=Gender in Medieval Culture |location=[[London]] |publisher=[[Bloomsbury Academic]] |pages=74–78 |doi=10.5040/9781474210683.ch-003 |isbn=978-1-4411-2160-8}}</ref> believing and teaching that such behaviors are forbidden because they are considered [[sin]]ful,<ref name="Mbuwayesango 2016"/><ref name="Leeming 2003"/> and further compared to or derived from the behavior of the alleged residents of [[Sodom and Gomorrah]].<ref name="Gnuse 2015"/><ref name="Mbuwayesango 2016"/>

[[File:2006 protesters at union square.jpg|thumb|right|[[Christian right|Conservative Christian]] protesters at a 2006 [[San Francisco Pride]] event]]

[[Christian denominations]] hold a variety of views on [[homosexual]] sex, ranging from outright condemnation to complete acceptance.  Throughout the majority of [[History of Christianity|Christian history]], most [[Christian theology|Christian theologians]] and denominations have considered homosexual sex as [[immoral]] or [[Sin in Christianity|sinful]].<ref name="Gnuse 2015">{{cite journal |last=Gnuse |first=Robert K. |date=May 2015 |title=Seven Gay Texts: Biblical Passages Used to Condemn Homosexuality |journal=[[Biblical Theology Bulletin]] |publisher=[[SAGE Publications]] on behalf of Biblical Theology Bulletin Inc. |volume=45 |issue=2 |pages=68–87 |doi=10.1177/0146107915577097 |issn=1945-7596 |s2cid=170127256}}</ref><ref name="Cambridge University Press">{{cite book|last1=Koenig|first1=Harold G.|last2=Dykman|first2=Jackson|title=Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry|year=2012|publisher=Cambridge University Press|location=Cambridge|isbn=9780521889520|pages=43|quote=the overwhelming majority of Christian churches have maintained their positions that homosexual sex is sinful}}</ref> Most Christian denominations welcome people attracted to the same sex, but teach that homosexual sex is [[sinful]].<ref name="UMC - Sexuality">{{cite web|url = http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1728|title = Human Sexuality|publisher = The United Methodist Church|access-date = 16 May 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url = https://archive.today/20120701151202/http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=1728|archive-date = 1 July 2012|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="part three" /><ref name="Cambridge University Press" /> These denominations include the [[Roman Catholic Church]],<ref name="part three" /> the [[Eastern Orthodox]] church,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oca.org/DOCmarriage.asp?SID=12&ID=26|title=Holy Synod – Encyclicals – Synodal Affirmations on Marriage, Family, Sexuality, and the Sanctity of Life|access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref> the [[Oriental Orthodox]] churches,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://saintsjoachimandanne.net/spiritual-blogging/item/53-is-the-armenian-church-against-homosexuality |title=Is the Armenian Church Against Homosexuality? |date=September 14, 2015 |website=Armenian Apostolic Church |access-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118225930/http://saintsjoachimandanne.net/spiritual-blogging/item/53-is-the-armenian-church-against-homosexuality |archive-date=18 January 2017}}</ref> [[Confessional Lutheranism|Confessional Lutheran]] [[List of Lutheran denominations|denominations]] such as the [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lcms.org/socialissues/sexuality|title=Sexuality|access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lcms.org/faqs/lcmsviews#homosexuality|title=Frequently Asked Questions – LCMS Views|access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref> and the [[Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wels.net/about-wels/what-we-believe/doctrinal-statements/homosexuality/|title=WELS – Homosexuality|access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://wels.net/faq/god-allowing-homosexuality/|title=WELS – God allowing homosexuality?|date=26 May 2015 |access-date=22 August 2015}}</ref> and some other [[Mainline (Protestant)|mainline]] denominations, such as the [[Reformed Church in America]]<ref name="RCA - Homosexuality">{{cite web|url=http://www.rca.org/Page.aspx?pid=501|title=Summaries of General Synod Discussions and Actions on Homosexuality and the Rights of Homosexuals|publisher=Reformed Church in America|access-date=21 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716233212/https://www.rca.org/Page.aspx?pid=501|archive-date=16 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[American Baptist Churches USA|American Baptist Church]],<ref name="ABC- Homosexuality">{{cite web|url=http://www.abc-usa.org/WhoWeAre/Identity/IdentityStatement/tabid/78/Default.aspx|title=We Are American Baptists|publisher=American Baptist Churches USA|access-date=21 November 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090902071502/http://www.abc-usa.org/WhoWeAre/Identity/IdentityStatement/tabid/78/Default.aspx|archive-date=2 September 2009}}</ref> as well as [[Conservative Evangelical]] organizations and churches, such as the [[Evangelical Alliance]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.eauk.org/resources/publications/upload/Homosexuality.pdf |title=Evangelical Alliance (UK): ''Faith, Hope and Homosexuality'' |access-date=30 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008230441/http://www.eauk.org/resources/publications/upload/Homosexuality.pdf |archive-date=8 October 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and [[Christian fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] groups and churches, such as the [[Southern Baptist Convention]].<ref name=southernbaptists>{{cite web|url=http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/pssexuality.asp|title=Southern Baptist Convention|access-date=22 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003031920/http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/pssexuality.asp|archive-date=3 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fellowshipalliance.com/homosexuality.htm |title=Statement on Homosexuality |website=Fellowship Alliance Church |access-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110825114756/http://www.fellowshipalliance.com/homosexuality.htm |archive-date=25 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epc.org/about-the-epc/position-papers/homosexuality/|title=EPC|access-date=22 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921143128/http://epc.org/about-the-epc/position-papers/homosexuality/|archive-date=21 September 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Pentecostal]] churches such as the [[Assemblies of God]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/Position_Papers/pp_downloads/pp_4181_homosexuality.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123040455/http://www.ag.org/top/beliefs/Position_Papers/pp_downloads/pp_4181_homosexuality.pdf|url-status=dead|title=Homosexuality|archive-date=23 November 2011}}</ref> as well as [[Restorationist]] churches, like [[Iglesia ni Cristo]], the [[Jehovah's Witnesses]] and [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]], also take the position that homosexual sexual activity is sinful.<ref>{{cite journal |date=February 2007 |pages=28–30 |url=http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102007051 |title=Homosexuality – How Can I Avoid It? |journal=Awake! |access-date=January 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531233828/http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/102007051 |archive-date=May 31, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/same-gender-attraction |title=Interview With Elder Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Lance B. Wickman: "Same-Gender Attraction" |work=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints |access-date=January 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211004502/https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/same-gender-attraction |archive-date=February 11, 2021}}</ref>

[[Liberal Christianity|Liberal Christians]] are generally supportive of homosexuals. Some Christian denominations do not view [[monogamous]] same sex relationships as bad or [[evil]]. These include the [[United Church of Canada]], the [[United Church of Christ]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/national/05church.html |title=United Church of Christ Backs Same-Sex Marriage |last=Dewan |first=Shaila |date=July 5, 2005 |website=The New York Times |access-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501014902/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/national/05church.html |archive-date=May 1, 2011}}</ref> the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]],<ref>[https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/2022/07/28/with-same-sex-marriage-in-the-spotlight-where-does-it-stand-across-the-anglican-communion/ Episcopalnewsservice: With same-sex marriage in the spotlight, where does it stand across the Anglican Communion?], July 18, 2022</ref> the [[Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)]],<ref>[https://www.pcusa.org/news/2015/3/20/what-same-sex-marriage-means-presbyterians/ PCusa.org: What same-sex marriage means to Presbyterians], March 20, 2015</ref> the churches of the [[Union of Utrecht (Old Catholic)|Old Catholic Union of Utrecht]], the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in America]], the [[Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada]], the [[Church of Sweden]],<ref>[https://www.thelocal.se/20091022/22810 TheLocal.se: Church of Sweden says yes to gay marriage]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8321502.stm BBC: Sweden church allows gay weddings], October 22, 2009</ref> the Lutheran, reformed and united churches in [[Evangelical Church of Germany]], the [[Church of Denmark]],<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE8570UU/ Reuters.com:New Danish law lets homosexuals wed in church], June 8, 2015</ref> the [[Icelandic Church]],<ref>[https://grapevine.is/news/2015/10/29/icelandic-priests-cannot-deny-gay-marriage/ grapevine.is: Icelandic Priests Cannot Deny Gay Marriage], October 29, 2015</ref> the [[Church of Norway]]<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN15E1O1/ Reuters: Norway's Lutheran Church embraces same-sex marriage], January 31, 2017</ref> and the [[Protestant Church of the Netherlands]]. In particular, the [[Metropolitan Community Church]], a denomination of 40,000 members, was founded specifically to serve the Christian LGBT community, and is devoted to being open and affirming to [[LGBTQ]] people. The United Church of Christ, the [[United Methodist Church]] (UMC)<ref>[https://www.advocate.com/news/united-methodist-church-lgbtq-clergy Advocate.com: United Methodist Church ends 40-year ban on LGBTQ+ clergy], 1 May 2024</ref><ref>[https://www.umnews.org/en/news/40-year-ban-on-gay-clergy-struck-down UMNews: 40-year ban on gay clergy struck down], 1 May 2024</ref> and the [[Alliance of Baptists]] also condone [[gay marriage]], and some parts of the [[Anglican]] and [[Lutheran]] churches allow for the blessing of gay unions. Within the Anglican communion there are openly gay clergy; for example, [[Gene Robinson]] and [[Mary Glasspool]] are openly homosexual bishops in the US Episcopal Church and [[Eva Brunne]] in Lutheran Church of Sweden. The Episcopal Church's recent actions vis-a-vis homosexuality have brought about increased ethical debate and tension within the [[Church of England]] and worldwide Anglican churches. In the United States and many other nations, the religious people are becoming more affirming of same-sex relationships. Even those in denominations with official stances are liberalizing, though not as quickly as those in more affirming religious groups.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Schnabel|first=Landon|date=1 January 2016|title=Gender and homosexuality attitudes across religious groups from the 1970s to 2014: Similarity, distinction, and adaptation|journal=Social Science Research|volume=55|pages=31–47|doi=10.1016/j.ssresearch.2015.09.012|pmid=26680286|url=http://osf.io/3p6wt/}}</ref> 

[[File:2010 Pride parade in San Francisco with counter-protestors.jpg|thumb|left|Religious protest against homosexuality in San Francisco]]

Passages from the [[Mosaic Covenant]] and its broader [[Old Testament]] context have been interpreted to mean that anyone who is engaging in homosexual practices should be punished with death ([[Leviticus]] 20:13;<ref>{{bibleverse|Leviticus|20:13}}</ref> cf. [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 19:4–25;<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|19:4-25}}</ref> [[Book of Judges|Judges]] 19:22–20:48;<ref>{{bibleverse|Judges|19:22-20:48}}</ref> [[2 Peter]] 2:6–10;<ref>{{bibleverse|2 Peter|2:6-10}}</ref> [[Epistle of Jude|Jude]] 7).<ref>{{bibleverse|Jude|7}}</ref> [[HIV/AIDS]] has also been portrayed by some Christian fundamentalists such as [[Fred Phelps]] and [[Jerry Falwell]] as a punishment by God against homosexuals.<ref>Bass, Ellen and Kate Kaufman. ''Free Your Mind: The Book for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youth and their Allies.'' New York: HarperPerennial, 1996.</ref> In the 20th century, theologians like [[Karl Barth]], [[Jürgen Moltmann]], [[Hans Küng]], [[John A. T. Robinson|John Robinson]], [[David Edward Jenkins|Bishop David Jenkins]], [[Don Cupitt]], and [[John Shelby Spong|Bishop Jack Spong]] challenged traditional theological positions and understandings of the Bible; following these developments some have suggested that passages have been mistranslated, are taken out of context, or that they do not refer to what is generally understood as "homosexuality."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibl.htm |title=Judeo-Christianity and homosexuality |website=Religious Tolerance |access-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-date=5 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205093701/http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_bibl.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hrmcc.org/Resources/StudyDocuments/bibleand.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802131304/http://www.hrmcc.org/Resources/StudyDocuments/bibleand.htm|url-status=dead|title=Homosexuality and the Bible, Rev. Clay Witt, Holy Redeemer M.C.C., 1995|archive-date=2 August 2012}}</ref>

Conservative denominations<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lcms.org/socialissues/sexuality |title=Sexuality |website=The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod |access-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141124130347/http://www.lcms.org/socialissues/sexuality |archive-date=November 24, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=1721 |title=Theological Implications of the 2009 ELCA Decisions |date=March 10, 2010 |publisher=The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod |access-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091803/http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=1721 |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=508 |title=A Plan for Ministry to Homosexuals and Their Families |date=1999 |publisher=The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod |access-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110234/http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=508 |archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=319 |title=Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective |date=September 1981 |publisher=Social Concerns Committee |access-date=January 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160105214956/http://www.lcms.org/Document.fdoc?src=lcm&id=319 |archive-date=5 January 2016}}</ref> generally oppose same-sex sexual relations based on Old Testament and [[New Testament]] texts that describe human sexual relations as strictly [[heterosexual]] by God's design.{{efn|Passages used to support this view include [[Book of Genesis|Genesis]] 2:18–24;<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|2:18-24}}</ref> Genesis 1:26–28;<ref>{{bibleverse|Genesis|1:26-28}}</ref> [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 19:4–6;<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|19:4-6}}</ref> [[1 Corinthians]] 7:1–40;<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|7:1–40}}</ref> and [[Ephesians]] 5:22–33.<ref>{{bibleverse|Ephesians|5:22–33}}</ref>}} As such, it is argued that sexual desires and actions that contradict God's design are deemed sinful and are condemned by God (e.g. [[Leviticus 18:22]]; cf. [[Leviticus 20:13]]). Since love does not rejoice in unrighteousness or iniquity (cf. [[1 Corinthians]] 13:6),<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|13:6}}</ref> and since homosexual desires and actions are believed to remain contrary to God's design and condemned by God as sinful/iniquity (e.g. ''in general'', [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 126–27;<ref>{{bibleverse|Romans|1:26-27}}</ref> ''passively'', 1 Corinthians 6:96:9;<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Corinthians|6:9}}</ref><ref>[[Bauer lexicon|BDAG]], "μαλακός, ή, όν."</ref> ''actively'', including but '''not''' limited to ''pederasty,'' 1 Corinthians 6:9;<ref>{{bibleverse|1|Corinthians|6:9}}</ref> [[1 Timothy]] 1:9-11;<ref>{{bibleverse|1 Timothy|1:9-11}}</ref><ref>[[Bauer lexicon|BDAG]], "ἀρσενοκοίτης, ου, ὁ."</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.christianpost.com/confident-christian/does-paul-condemn-homosexuality-in-1-corinthians-and-1-timothy-12362/|title=Does Paul Condemn Homosexuality in 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy?|newspaper=[[The Christian Post]]|last=Schumacher|first=Robin|date=6 October 2012|access-date=1 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131011101629/http://blogs.christianpost.com/confident-christian/does-paul-condemn-homosexuality-in-1-corinthians-and-1-timothy-12362/|archive-date=11 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> considered sexually ''immoral'', [[Epistle to the Galatians|Galatians]] 5:19-21;<ref>{{bibleverse|Galatians|5:19-21}}</ref> [[Colossians]] 3:5-7;<ref>{{bibleverse|Colossians|3:5–7}}</ref> [[Ephesians]] 5:3<ref>{{bibleverse|Ephesians|5:3}}</ref><ref>BDAG, "ἀκαθαρσία, ας, ἡ."</ref>), adherents of conservative denominations believe that genuine love for God and humanity is best expressed by following God rather than the world ([[Acts]] 5:29;<ref>{{bibleverse||Acts|5:29}}</ref> cf. [[Jeremiah]] 23:1-40;<ref>{{bibleverse|Jeremiah|23:1–40}}</ref> [[Epistle to the Romans|Romans]] 12:9<ref>{{bibleverse||Romans|12:9}}</ref>).

While the Catholic view is founded on a [[natural law]] argument informed by scripture and proposed by [[Thomas Aquinas]],<ref name="part three">{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church - Part Three Life in Christ |website=Vatican |access-date=October 4, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010127105100/https://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p3s2c2a6.htm |archive-date=27 January 2001}}</ref> the traditional conservative Protestant view is based on an interpretation of scripture alone. Protestant conservatives also see homosexual relationships as an impediment to heterosexual relationships. They interpret some Biblical passages to be commandments to be heterosexually married.<ref>{{cite web |first=Sheri L. |last=Dew |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2001/11/it-is-not-good-for-man-or-woman-to-be-alone |title=It Is Not Good for Man or Woman to Be Alone |website=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints |access-date=October 4, 2021}}</ref>  Catholics, on the other hand, have accommodated unmarried people as priests, monks, nuns and single lay people for over 1,000 years. A number of self-described gay and '[[ex-gay]]' Christians have reported satisfaction in [[mixed-orientation marriage]]s.<ref name=Moore07>{{cite news|url=http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660207378,00.html|title=Gay LDS men detail challenges|newspaper=[[Deseret Morning News]]|last=Moore|first=Carrie A.|date=30 March 2007|access-date=27 June 2008|archive-date=13 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080313070401/http://www.deseretnews.com/dn/view/0%2C1249%2C660207378%2C00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|date=11 March 2002|title=No Easy Victory|magazine=Christianity Today|url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2002/march11/2.50.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0704/05/acd.01.html|title=Sex and Salvation|author=Cooper, Anderson|date=5 April 2007|publisher=[[Anderson Cooper 360°]]|author-link=Anderson Cooper}}</ref>

=====Catholic Church=====
{{Main|Catholic Church and homosexuality}}
The [[Catholic Church]] teaches that those who are attracted to persons of the same sex are called to practice [[chastity]],<ref name="part three" /> just like everyone else has to before they get married.<ref name="part three" /> The Catholic Church does not regard homosexual activity as an expression of the [[Marriage in the Catholic Church|marital sacrament]], which it teaches is only possible within a lifelong commitment of a marriage between a man and a woman. According to [[Catholic teachings on sexual morality|the Church's sexual ethics]], homosexual activity falls short in the [[Complementarianism|complementarity]] (male and female organs complement each other) and [[fecundity]] (openness to new life) of the sexual act. Few studies of parishioners' individual views are sometimes at variance with the church's non-acceptance of homosexuality.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://religionnews.com/2015/06/30/ranking-churches-on-acceptance-of-homosexuality-plus-their-reactions-to-scotus-ruling/|title=Ranking religions on acceptance of homosexuality and reactions to SCOTUS ruling|date=30 June 2015}}</ref>

=====Latter-day Saints=====
[[File:SLC Temple Rainbow Flag.jpg|thumb|right|170 px|An LGBT [[Rainbow flag (LGBT)|pride flag]] in front of the [[Salt Lake Temple|Salt Lake City temple]] in Utah.]]
{{main|Homosexuality and the LDS Church}}

All homosexual or same-sex sexual activity is forbidden by [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (LDS Church) in its [[law of chastity]], and the church teaches that [[God in Mormonism|God]] does not approve of [[same-sex marriage]] and may punish same-sex sexual behavior with a [[disciplinary council]].<ref name=SSM>{{cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/same-sex-marriage?lang=eng&_r=1 |title=Same-Sex Marriage|publisher=LDS Church}}</ref> Members of the church who experience homosexual attractions, including those who [[Sexual identity|self-identify]] as gay, lesbian, or bisexual remain in good standing in the church if they abstain from same-sex marriage and all sexual relations outside an opposite-sex marriage,<ref name=Label>{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions|url=https://mormonandgay.churchofjesuschrist.org/articles/frequently-asked-questions|website=Mormon and Gay|publisher=LDS Church|date=October 2016|quote=If you experience same-sex attraction, you may choose to use a sexual orientation label to describe yourself. ... If you decide to ... openly identify as gay, you should be supported.}}</ref><ref name="Oaks-Wickman 2007">{{cite interview |first=Dallin H. |last=Oaks |subject-link= Dallin H. Oaks |first2=Lance B. |last2=Wickman |subject-link2=Lance B. Wickman |interviewer=LDS Church Public Affairs staffers |title=Same-Gender Attraction |url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/interview-oaks-wickman-same-gender-attraction |type=Interview: Transcript |work=Newsroom |publisher=LDS Church |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |date=September 2006}} See also the Salt Lake Tribune archived transcript [http://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=4275317&itype=NGPSID here].</ref><ref name="hinckley98">{{cite journal |last=Hinckley |first=Gordon B. |author-link=Gordon B. Hinckley |title=What Are People Asking about Us? |url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1998/11/what-are-people-asking-about-us?lang=eng |journal=[[Ensign (LDS magazine)|Ensign]] |date=November 1998 |publisher=LDS Church}}</ref> but all, including those participating in same-sex activity and relationships, are allowed to attend weekly church worship services.<ref name=Worship>{{cite web |url=http://www.mormon.org/worship#what-to-expect |title=Worship with Us: What to Expect |work=mormon.org |publisher=LDS Church |access-date=July 2, 2014 |archive-date=15 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215155922/https://www.mormon.org/worship#what-to-expect |url-status=dead }}</ref> However, in order to receive [[Ordinance (Latter Day Saints)|church ordinances]] such as [[Baptism in Mormonism|baptism]], and to enter church [[Temple (Latter Day Saints)|temples]], adherents are required to abstain from same-sex relations.<ref name=GTT>{{citation |url = https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/temples?lang=eng&_r=1 |title= Gospel Topics: Temples |work= churchofjesuschrist.org |publisher= LDS Church |access-date= July 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name=Disciplinary>{{citation |url = https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/church-disciplinary-councils?lang=eng&_r=1 |title= Gospel Topics: Church Disciplinary Councils |work= churchofjesuschrist.org |publisher= [[LDS Church]] |access-date= July 2, 2014}}</ref> Additionally, in the church's [[Plan of salvation in Mormonism|plan of salvation]] noncelibate gay and lesbian individuals will not be allowed in the top tier of [[Degrees of glory#Celestial kingdom|heaven]] to receive [[Exaltation (Mormonism)|exaltation]] unless they repent, and a heterosexual marriage is a requirement for exaltation.<ref name=Fractured>{{cite news |last1=Beaver |first1=Michelle |title=Mormon church has a fractured history with gays |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2011/03/11/mormon-church-has-a-fractured-history-with-gays/ |work=The Mercury News |agency=Bay Area News Group |publisher=MediaNews Group, Inc. |date=11 Mar 2011|quote=There are three levels to the heaven in which Mormons believe, and to make it to the highest level, one must be married. Perhaps the most sacred church ordinance is the temple marriage, a "sealing" between a man and a woman that is believed to be eternal, according to Richley Crapo, a Utah State University professor. There is no place for homosexuality in Mormon marriages, and no place for noncelibate homosexuals in the top level of Mormon heaven, unless that person has repented accordingly in the afterlife.|location=San Jose, CA}}</ref><ref name="Not Gay">{{cite news |last1=Petrey |first1=Taylor G. |title=My Husband's Not Gay: Homosexuality and the LDS Church |url=https://religionandpolitics.org/2015/02/04/my-husbands-not-gay-homosexuality-and-the-lds-church/ |author-link=Taylor G. Petrey|work=Religion & Politics |agency=John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics |publisher=Washington University in St. Louis |date=4 February 2015|quote=In the Mormon cosmos, as presently understood, there is simply no room for same-sex relationships. For Mormons, the afterlife consists of heterosexual pairs of divinized men and women. Often church leaders have counseled Mormons who experience same-sex attraction that their unwelcome feelings will disappear in the afterlife. ... [T]he very structure of heaven can only accommodate opposite-sex marriages.}}</ref>

The LDS Church previously taught that homosexuality was a curable condition<ref name=Curable>{{citation|last=Kimball|first=Spencer W.|author-link=Spencer W. Kimball|title=The Miracle of Forgiveness|year=1969|publisher=[[Bookcraft]]|isbn=978-0-88494-192-7|quote=[Homosexuality] is curable and forgivable. ... Certainly it can be overcome .... [T]o those who say that this practice ... is incurable, I respond: 'How can you say the door cannot be opened until your knuckles are bloody ...? It can be done.'|title-link=The Miracle of Forgiveness}} Quoted on page 31 of [https://web.archive.org/web/20170418092803/https://www.uvu.edu/religiousstudies/docs/msc_philips_conservative.pdf#page=36 "Conservative Christian Identity & Same-Sex Orientation: The Case of Gay Mormons."]</ref><ref name="Counselling">{{cite book|last1=Kimball|first1=Spencer W.|title=A Counselling Problem in the Church|date=10 July 1964|publisher=Brigham Young University|location=Provo, Utah|pages=13–14|url=https://search.lib.byu.edu/byu/record/lee.2278543?holding=umtmgu5gt5x6e7b0|quote=We know such a disease [homosexuality] is curable.}}</ref> and counseled members that they could and should change their attractions and provided therapy and programs with that goal.<ref name=Problems>{{cite book|title=Understanding and Helping Those Who Have Homosexual Problems|pages=3–4|date=1992|publisher=LDS Church|url=http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/judeochristian/protestantism/mormon/mormon-homosexuality|access-date=3 November 2016|quote=[S]uch thoughts and feelings, regardless of their causes, can and should be overcome and sinful behavior should be eliminated. ... Change is possible.}}</ref><ref name="Paradigm">{{cite web|last1=Prince|first1=Gregory A.|title=Science vs. Dogma: Biology Challenges the LDS Paradigm of Homosexuality|url=https://thc.utah.edu/lectures-programs/mcmurrin-lecture/PRINCE-MCMURRIN%20LECTURE-protected.pdf|website=thc.utah.edu|publisher=University of Utah Tanner Humanities Center|date=27 September 2017|access-date=23 February 2022|archive-date=28 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190328232753/https://thc.utah.edu/lectures-programs/mcmurrin-lecture/PRINCE-MCMURRIN%20LECTURE-protected.pdf|url-status=dead}} [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gssnz1WZ3dU Video] of the presentation.</ref>{{rp|13–19}}<ref name="Dynamics">{{cite book|last1=Quinn|first1=D. Michael|title=Same-Sex Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example|date=1996|publisher=University of Illinois Press|isbn=978-0252022050|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UXVj398JvnsC}}</ref>{{rp|377–379}} From 1976 until 1989 the [[General Handbook|Church Handbook]] called for church discipline for members attracted to the same sex equating merely being homosexual with the seriousness of acts of adultery and child molestation—even celibate gay people were subject to excommunication.<ref name="Gay Rights">{{cite book |last1=Prince |first1=Gregory A. |author-link=Gregory Prince|title=Gay Rights and the Mormon Church: Intended Actions, Unintended Consequences |date=2019 |publisher=The University of Utah Press |location=Salt Lake City |isbn=9781607816638 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XfnQuQEACAAJ}}</ref>{{rp|16,43}}<ref name="Dynamics" />{{rp|382,422}}<ref name="Decisions">{{cite journal|last1=Schow|first1=Ron|title=Homosexual Attractions and LDS Marriage Decisions|journal=Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought|date=Fall 2005|volume=38|issue=3|pages=133–143 |doi=10.2307/45227379 |jstor=45227379 |s2cid=254393745 |url=https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V38N03_145.pdf|access-date=18 June 2017}}</ref>{{rp|139}} Church publications now state that "individuals do not choose to have such attractions", its church-run therapy services no longer provides [[sexual orientation change efforts]], and the church has no official stance on the [[Homosexuality#Causes|causes of homosexuality]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mormonsandgays.org/ |work=Mormons and Gays |title=Love One Another: A Discussion on Same-Sex Attraction |access-date=June 16, 2016 |archive-date=16 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160616190527/http://mormonsandgays.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=Position>{{cite web|title=Interview With Elder Dallin H. Oaks and Elder Lance B. Wickman: "Same-Gender Attraction"|url=https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/interview-oaks-wickman-same-gender-attraction|website=Mormon Newsroom|publisher=LDS Church|date=September 2006|quote=The Church does not have a position on the causes of any of ... same-gender attraction. Those are scientific questions ....}}</ref><ref name="Weeds">{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Morgan|title=The Weeds' story is one of many stories of LGBT Latter-day Saints that continue to be written|url=https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900009667/the-weeds-story-is-one-of-many-stories-of-lgbt-latter-day-saints-that-continue-to-be-written.html|work=Deseret News|publisher=LDS Church|date=7 February 2018|quote=Today, [LDS] Family Services says it offers the following: 'We assist individuals and families as they respond to same-sex attraction. Our therapists do not provide what is commonly referred to as 'reparative therapy' or 'sexual orientation change efforts'.'|access-date=23 February 2022|archive-date=12 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512201229/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/900009667/the-weeds-story-is-one-of-many-stories-of-lgbt-latter-day-saints-that-continue-to-be-written.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> These current teachings and policies leave homosexual members with the options of entering a [[Mixed-orientation marriage|mixed-orientation opposite-sex marriage]], or living a [[Celibacy|celibate]] lifestyle without any sexual expression (including [[Masturbation and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|masturbation]]).<ref name=Unethical>{{cite journal |last1=Fish |first1=Jessica N. |last2=Russell |first2=Stephen T. |title=Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Change Efforts are Unethical and Harmful |journal=American Journal of Public Health |date=Aug 2020 |volume=110 |issue=8 |pages=1113–1114 |doi=10.2105/AJPH.2020.305765 |pmid=32639919 |pmc=7349462 |quote=With substantial evidence of serious harms associated with exposure to [sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts (SOGICE)] particularly for minors, 21 states (and multiple cities and counties) have passed bipartisan laws or regulations prohibiting SOGICE. ... Furthermore, compared with LGBTQ youths with no exposure, those exposed to SOGICE showed 1.76 times greater odds of seriously considering suicide, 2.23 times greater odds of having attempted suicide, and 2.54 times greater odds of multiple suicide attempts in the previous year.}}</ref><ref name="Conservative Christian Identity">{{cite book|last1=Phillips|first1=Rick|title=Conservative Christian Identity & Same-Sex Orientation: The Case of Gay Mormons|date=2005|publisher=Peter Lang Publishing|location=Frankfurt, Germany|isbn=978-0820474809|url=https://www.uvu.edu/religiousstudies/docs/msc_philips_conservative.pdf|access-date=31 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170418092803/https://www.uvu.edu/religiousstudies/docs/msc_philips_conservative.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>{{rp|11}}<ref name="Examination">{{cite journal|last1=Cook|first1=Bryce|title=What Do We Know of God's Will for His LGBT Children? An Examination of the LDS Church's Current Position on Homosexuality|journal=Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought|date=Summer 2017|volume=50|issue=2|doi=10.5406/dialjmormthou.50.2.0001|s2cid=190443414|doi-access=free}}</ref>{{rp|20–21}}