This is a list of Christian denominational positions on homosexuality. The issue of Homosexuality and Christianity is a subject of on-going theological debate within and between Christian denominations and this list seeks to summarise the offical positions of them. It should be noted that within these denominations many members may hold somewhat differing views on and even difffering definitions of homosexuality. The list is in alphabetical order and includes denominations self-identified as Christian, which may not be so recognised by the other denominations.

Adventism

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is opposed to homosexual practices and relationships on the grounds that "sexual intimacy belongs only within the marital relationship of a man and a woman." It believes the Bible consistently affirms the pattern of heteromonogamy, and all sexual relations outside the scope of spousal intimacy are contrary to God's original plan.

Anglicanism

For more details on this topic, see Anglican views of homosexuality.

The Anglican Communion has been divided over the issue of homosexuality. Generally the provinces of North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and southern Africa, including the spiritual leader the Archbishop of Canterbury hold the view that there are no grounds to condemn homosexuality as sinful in the Bible. Other provinces in the majority of Africa where a substantial portion of Anglicans reside, as well as the West Indies hold the view that homosexuality is a sin and believe there are Biblical grounds for its condemnation and have threatened schism if their counterparts continue their theology on the subject. The official communion-wide policies (especially the report Issues in human sexuality) state that homosexuality is acceptable for laypersons but clergy are expected to be chaste.

Baptists

The Southern Baptist Convention, the entity that represents the autonomous Southern Baptist Churches, and is the largest Protestant group in the U.S., considers homosexual behavior to be sinful. Relations outside lawful marriage are also considered deviant. The general consensus is that gay and lesbian people can choose chastity and may eventually recover their heterosexual preference. Southern Baptist clergy generally do not accept or participate in same-sex unions. To this date this denomination has never appointed a minister whom they knew to be homosexual. (See ).

However, there are a number of Baptist churches, particularly in the American Baptist Churches in the USA and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, that have more liberal views. The Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, a small group of some 50 churches and organizations, is committed to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian persons in their churches.

Christian Reformed Church in North America

The Christian Reformed Church has maintained the stance since the 1970's that homosexuality is the direct result of a sinful world much like any other sin. Homosexuality should be discouraged and the Church should show compassion for homosexuals like they would for any other sinner. Further, the Church should do everything in its power to help homosexuals see "the error of their ways" and to help repair the brokeness of sin.

However, homosexuals should not be denied any right granted to heterosexuals. They have the right to maintain office and be an active member in a congregation as their gifts can still be used to glorify God. The view is generally derived from the compassion Jesus showed for the sinners of his day (prostitutes and other notable sinners). As such, any homosexual who repents the sin of homosexuality is entirely forgiven.

Eastern Orthodox Churches

For more details on this topic, see Eastern Orthodox view of sin.

The Eastern Orthodox Church holds the opinion that sexuality, as we understand it, is part of the fallen world only. In Orthodox Theology both monasticism and marriage are paths to Salvation (σωτηρία: "sotiria" in greek, literaly meaning "becoming whole"). Celibacy is the ideal path for monasticism while marriage is blessed under the context of true Love ("Man must love his wife as Jesus loved his Church": this phrase is part of the Orthodox Marriage Ritual) . This context can be interpreted as not being exclusive of homosexuality. Traditionally the church has adopted a non-legalistic view of sin (see above), however some members of the church have assumed an active role in encouraging negative social stereotypes against gay individuals and several prominent members of the clergy have made statements condemning homosexuality. The leader of the Church of Greece, archbishop Christodoulos of Athens has described gay people as "handicaps".

Other 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 homosexuality .

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses consider homosexual activity to be sinful, but recognize that some people

Lutheranism

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran church body in the United States, has a current policy which states that persons who are homosexual in their self-understanding are allowed to be ordained, but must maintain a lifestyle of celibacy. However, it is currently evaluating this policy, with the next debate scheduled for 2009. During the national meeting in delegates voted against a measure that would have allowed non-celibate gay ordination and the blessing of same-sex unions by 503 against to 490 in favor.

Outside of ordination, policy states that LGBT individuals are welcome and encouraged to become members and participate in the life of the congregation. The ELCA does not have a policy against same-sex unions, nor does it have a rite for blessing those unions, but leaves the question up to pastoral care. ELCA congregations that specifically embrace GLBT persons are called Reconciling in Christ congregations. The group Lutherans Concerned supports the inclusion of LGBT members in Lutheran churches in the ELCA and ELCIC. All other Lutheran churches in the United States oppose ordination and marriage of homosexuals.

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, the second-largest and more conservative Lutheran body in the U.S., maintains that homosexual behavior is contrary to God's will. LCMS recognizes that a homosexual orientation is not necessarily a conscious decision, but that it is the behavior itself that is sinful. , adopted in 1992, includes goals to minister to people of the homosexual orientation.

The Lutheran churches in Germany, Lutheranism's country of origin, are also divided on the issue. In general, those churches in a minority or diaspora situation in predominantly Roman Catholic regions of the country are more in favour of allowing homosexual clergy and blessing same-sex unions than those in traditionally Lutheran areas. However all the churches agree that homosexual individuals are welcome as members, and that any kind of persecution is unacceptable.

The Lutherans in Scandinavia and the northern Baltics generally tend to the conservative side of the spectrum. Most do not ordain homosexual clergy or bless same-sex unions. A notable exception is the Church of Sweden, whose primate, KG Hammar, has been very vocal in supporting gay and lesbian Lutherans.

Methodism

The Methodist Church of Great Britain views homosexuality as moral, ordains non-celibate gay clergy and blesses same-sex unions in a ceremony similar to marriages.

The United Methodist Church in the USA maintains that, "Homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth..", (Book of Discipline 2004, "Social Principles") and encourages United Methodists to be in ministry with and for all people.

The Church officially considers, however, "the practice of homosexuality (to be) incompatible with Christian teaching", states that "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" cannot be ordained as ministers, and supports, "..laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman." (Book of Discipline - 2004, "Social Principles") . Some local congregations, especially members of the , have defied the church leadership on this issue and have fought the policy in church courts.

In 1987, a Methodist church court in New Hampshire defrocked Methodist minister Rose Mary Denman for being openly gay. In 2005, clergy credentials were removed from Elizabeth Stroud after she was convicted in a church trial of violating Church law by engaging in a lesbian relationship; this conviction was later upheld by the Church Judicial Council, the highest court in the denomination. The Judicial Council also affirmed that a Virginia pastor had the right to deny local church membership to an openly gay man, though the UM Council of Bishops disagreed with the ruling.

Metropolitan Community Church

The Metropolitan Community Church is an international fellowship of Christian congregations. It is considered by many to be a full mainline denomination or communion. There are currently 300 members congregations in 22 countries, and the Fellowship has a specific outreach to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Acceptance of homosexuality is an important part of its theology.

The Metropolitan Community Church was instrumental in the first legal challenges to the heterosexual legal definition of marriage in Ontario (see Same-sex marriage in Ontario). Two couples used an old legal procedure called reading the banns to marry without a licence. When same-sex marriage was legalized in Ontario, their marriages were recognized.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considers homosexual behavior to be sinful just as adultery and fornication are sinful. Homosexual desire itself (if not acted upon) is not viewed as sinful and is sometimes referred to as "same-sex attraction" rather than "homosexuality." The Church has actively opposed efforts to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions, although it has not taken any formal position on other political matters affecting legal rights for gays. The Church also condemns persecution and violence against homosexuals, and encourages people to instead treat homosexuals as neighbors in accordance to Jesus' teachings of neighborly love, in whatever the actions they choose. However, church doctrine does hold that heterosexual marriage is required for entry into the most desirable forms of afterlife.

Moravian Church

The Moravian Church declared in

Presbyterianism

The Presbyterian Church (USA), the largest U.S. Presbyterian body, is sharply divided over the issue of homosexuality. Although gay and lesbian persons are welcome to become members of the church, denominational policy prohibits non-celibate same-sex relations (as well as non-celibate heterosexual relations outside of marriage) for those serving as ministers or on key church boards. After rancorous debate, that policy was upheld in a vote of presbyteries in 2002. The denomination is currently awaiting the release of a study on the "peace, unity, and purity" of the church before taking up the issue again.

Other much smaller American Presbyterian bodies, such as the Presbyterian Church in America , the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church condemn homosexual behavior as incompatible with Biblical morality, but believe gays and lesbians can repent and abandon the lifestyle.

In New Zealand the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand has debated homosexuality for many years. In 1985 its General Assembly declared "Homosexual acts are sinful." The most recent decision of the Assembly in 2004 declared "this church may not accept ..anyone involved in a sexual relationship outside of faithful marriage between a man and a woman," but added the lemma, "In relation to homosexuality.. this ruling shall not prejudice anyone, who as at the date of this meeting, has been accepted for training, licensed ordained of inducted."

Many Presbyterians are active in the , an ecumenical groups that supports the full inclusion and particpation of all people in the Church, including gay and lesbian persons.

Quakerism

For more details on this topic, see Quaker views of homosexuality.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) is deeply divided on this issue. The more conservative Friends United Meeting and Friends Evangelical Church considers homosexuality sinful; but other Friends, such as those in the Friends General Conference, strongly support equal rights for gay and lesbian persons.

Roman Catholicism

The modern Catholic Church considers homosexual behavior to be sinful. This is because, from a theological point of view, homosexual actions are imperfect in the sense that true love, by its nature, is considered to be creative, and there exists no chance for procreation within this particular sexual union. Of course, this explanation doesn't mean that gay and lesbian persons are incapable of love, but rather that sex itself should be considered an exclusive manner of loving which is open to the possibility of procreating. And this teaching is not limited to the issue of homosexuality, but is also the general background for the Catholic prohibitions against lust, adultery, fornication, birth control, pornography, masturbation and prostitution, all of which usually don't stem from the intention of having children out of love.

In addition to this, the Church has clearly stated that homosexual desire itself is not sinful. On the one hand, "homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law. They close the sexual act to the gift of life. They do not proceed from a genuine affective and sexual complementarity. Under no circumstances can they be approved." (Catechism of the Catholic Church para. 2357) On the other hand, "The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition." (ibid, para. 2358) (In the first edition of the Catechism in English, the phrase "they do not choose their homosexual condition" appeared. However, this was removed in the second edition to reflect corrections made to the official Latin text.) In other words the Roman Catholic Church condemns homophobia.

For gay and lesbian persons, in general, the Catholic Church offers the following counsel: "Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection." (ibid, para. 2359) It should be noted that the same call to the virtue of chastity applies to all persons. See

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The Roman Catholic Church now forbids the ordination of men who have "deeply rooted homosexual tendencies". Comments from various bishops suggest that interpretations will vary from diocese to diocese as to whether all men with a fixed gay orientation must be barred, or merely those who are sexually neurotic or obsessive.

Roman Catholics, in general, appear to have a more tolerant attitude toward gay and lesbian persons than some other Christian traditions. A 2001 survery of 1,508 Roman Catholics by American political pollster John Zogby found that 61% agreed with the statement: "Homosexual behaviour is morally wrong." However, 83% of those surveyed agreed that it is also "immoral to discriminate against homosexuals."

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Historian John Boswell argues that the early Roman Catholic Church occasionally accepted homosexual views, and that modern teaching is a departure from those traditions.

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Swedenborgianism

The largest Swedenborgian denomination in North America, the General Church of the New Jerusalem does not ordain gay and lesbian ministers who are not celibate, but the oldest denomination, the Swedenborgian Church of North America, does.

Unification Church

For more details on this topic, see Unification Church views of sexuality.

The Unification Church views heterosexual marriage as God's ideal for everyone and views any sexual contact outside this, including homosexuality, as sinful.

Unitarian Universalist Association

Unitarian Universalists have a long and honored tradition of welcoming all people, whether straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, or questioning. The first ordained minister of any religion in the U.S. or Canada to come out was the Rev. James Stoll in 1969. There have been UUA resolutions supporting people regardless of sexual orientation since 1970, and a popular program of becoming a "Welcoming Congregation" since 1989. UUA has officially supportedUUA clergy performing Services of Union between same-gender couple since 1984, and has supportyed Same-Gender Marriage since 1996. Even so, no statement exists withing the documents of the Unitarian Universalist Association that explicitly affirm sexual activity between members of the same sex. (The Unitarian Universalist Association has stated that it is no longer a part of Christianity, although many Unitarian Universalists consider themselves to be Christian).

United Church of Canada

The United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant denomination in Canada, affirms that gay and lesbian persons are welcome in the church and the ministry. The resolution "A) That all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation, who profess Jesus Christ and obedience to Him, are welcome to be or become full member of the Church. B) All members of the Church are eligible to be considered for the Ordered Ministry." was passed in 1988. This was not done, however, without intense debate over what was termed "the issue"; some congregations chose to leave the church rather than support the resolution.

The church campaigned starting in 1977 to have the federal government add sexual orientation to federal non-discrimination laws, which was accomplished in 1996. The church has also engaged in activism in favour of the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada.

United Church of Christ

The "covenant" polity of the United Church of Christ (UCC) is such that the views of one setting of the church cannot be unwillingly 'forced' on another setting of the church, whether between congregations or between the upper levels of the church and individual congregations. Thus, views on many controversial matters can and do vary among congregations.

The United Church of Christ General Synod in 1985 passed a resolution saying that "the Fifteenth General Synod of the United Church of Christ encourages a policy of non-discrimination in employment, volunteer service and membership policies with regard to sexual orientation; encourages associations, Conferences and all related organizations to adopt a similar policy; and encourages the congregations of the United Church of Christ to adopt a non-discrimination policy and a Covenant of Openness and Affirmation of persons of lesbian, gay and bisexual orientation within the community of faith". General Synod XIV in 2003 officially added transgender persons to this declaration of full inclusion in the life and leadership of the Church.

Many associations permit ordination of non-celibate gay clergy and many clergy are willing perform same-sex marriages or union services. Approximately 10% of UCC congregations have adopted an official "open and affirming" statement welcoming gay and lesbian persons in all aspects of church life. A few congregations explicitly oppose homosexual practice under an independent program called "faithful and welcoming" . Many congregations have no official stance; these congregations' de facto stance can vary from very open and affirming in practice to firm opposition.

The is one of the officially recognized "Historically Underrepresented Groups" in the United Church of Christ, and as such has a dedicated seat on the United Church of Christ Executive Council and a number of other boards.

In July 2005, the 25th General Synod encouraged congregations to affirm "equal marriage rights for all", and to adopt wedding policies that do not discriminate based on the gender of the couple. The resolution also encouraged congregations to support legislation permitting civil same-sex marriage. By the nature of United Church of Christ polity, General Synod resolutions officially speak "to, but not for" the other settings of the denomination (local congregations, associations, conferences, and the national offices). This Synod also expressed respect for those bodies within the church that disagree and called for all members "to engage in serious, respectful, and prayerful discussion of the covenantal relationship of marriage and equal marriage rights for couples regardless of gender."

Uniting Church in Australia

The Uniting Church in Australia allows for the membership and ordination of gay and lesbian people. On July 17 2003 it clarified its 1982 position when the national Assembly meeting stated that people had interpreted the scriptures with integrity in coming to the view that a practicing homosexual person in a committed same sex relationship could be ordained as a minister. It also stated that people who had come to the opposite view had also interpreted the scriptures with integrity. When Presbyteries (regional councils) select candidates for ministry they may use either of these positions, however they cannot formally adopt either position as policy, but must take each person on a case by case basis. By explicitly stating the two positions, this decision fleshes out a 1982 Assembly Standing Committee decision which did not ban people with a homosexual orientation from membership. After emotional debate, the 1997 Assembly did not reach a decision, and the 2000 Assembly decided not to discuss homosexuality.