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Specific sexual orientations[edit]

Homosexuality[edit]

Main article: Christianity and homosexuality

Male homosexuality[edit]

Christianity has traditionally regarded male homosexual behavior to be an immoral practice, and most major Christian denominations (containing the majority of Christians worldwide) continue to hold this view. These include the Roman Catholic Church,[32] the Eastern Orthodox churches, the LDS Church, the Brethren in Christ, and the Christian & Missionary Alliance. Some denominations have subgroups that also hold this belief. These include some conservative synods of the Lutheran Church (e.g., Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod), most Evangelical Protestant churches, and the Southern Baptist Convention.[33][34][35]

Some Christians have come to believe that gay sex is not an inherently sinful practice. Denominations holding this position include the United Church of Canada, the United Church of Christ, the Moravian Church, the Metropolitan Community Church, and the Friends General Conference. Recently, the Presbyterian Church USA, Methodist Church of Great Britain,[38] and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ECLA, A Social Statement on Human Sexuality, Gifts and Trust), have also determined that same-sex relationships are not inherently sinful. Currently, the United Methodist Church is debating this issue, and will be voting in June 2019 on a plan that will allow conferences to decide whether or not to ordain LGBT clergy and conduct same-sex marriages. The worldwide Anglican Communion has experienced ongoing debate and controversy over homosexuality, both before and after the Episcopal Church ordained its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, in 2003.

The Metropolitan Community Church was founded in 1968, specifically to serve the Christian LGBT community. Its founder, Troy Perry, was the first minister to conduct a same-sex marriage in public, as well as filing the first lawsuit for legal recognition of same-sex marriages in the United States.

In Europe the Lutheran Church of Sweden, the Lutheran Church of Denmark, the Lutheran Church in Norway, the Lutheran Church of Iceland, the Protestant Church of the Netherlands, the German Lutheran and United Churches in Evangelical Church in Germany and the reformed churches in Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches believe that gay sex is not an inherently sinful practice.

Lesbianism[edit]

Lesbians face different social and cultural preconception than gay men. Their experience in Christianity is somewhat dissimilar to that of gay men, although lesbianism has also traditionally been considered a sin within the religion. However, some contemporary Christian denominations, like the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church, do not hold this belief. They accept lesbian parishioners, perform same-sex marriages, and ordain women who in same-sex relationships.

In 1986 the Evangelical and Ecumenical Women’s Caucus (EEWC), then known as the Evangelical Women's Caucus International, passed a resolution stating: "Whereas homosexual people are children of God, and because of the biblical mandate of Jesus Christ that we are all created equal in God's sight, and in recognition of the presence of the lesbian minority in EWCI, EWCI takes a firm stand in favor of civil rights protection for homosexual persons." [39]

A survey of self-identified lesbian women found a "dissonance" between their religious and sexual identities. This dissonance correlated with being an evangelical Christian before coming out.

Bisexuality[edit]

Very few churches have released statements about bisexuality, and research into the bisexual Christian community has been effected by the fact that bisexual Christians are often considered the same as lesbian and gay Christians. However, in 1972 the Quaker Committee of Friends on Bisexuality, issued the “Ithaca Statement on Bisexuality” supporting bisexuals.[41] The Statement appeared in the Quaker Friends Journal and The Advocate, and may have been "the first public declaration of the bisexual movement" and "was certainly the first statement on bisexuality issued by an American religious assembly,"[42][43][44] Today Quakers have varying opinions on LGBT people and rights, with some Quaker groups more accepting than others.[45]

Asexuality[edit]

Asexuality is a sexual orientation defined by the lack of sexual attraction, and is considered a sexual orientation along the likes of heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality. . The Bible does not clearly state a view on it.[2] As asexuality is relatively new to public discourse, few Christian denominations discuss it,[1] however, some Christians have recently made statements on the subject. In the Christian magazine Vision, David Nantais, S.J. and Scott Opperman, S.J. wrote in 2002, "Question: What do you call a person who is asexual? Answer: Not a person. Asexual people do not exist. Sexuality is a gift from God and thus a fundamental part of our human identity. Those who repress their sexuality are not living as God created them to be: fully alive and well. As such, they're most likely unhappy people with which to live.” [2][50]