(1860) In the 20th century, theologians like
Jürgen Moltmann,
Hans Küng,
John Robinson,
Bishop David Jenkins,
Don Cupitt, and
Bishop Jack Spong challenged traditional theological positions and understandings of the Bible; following these developments some have suggested that passages have been mistranslated or that they do not refer to what is in the modern day understood as "homosexuality." Clay Witt, a minister in the
Metropolitan Community Church, explains how theologians and commentators like
John Shelby Spong, George Edwards and Michael England interpret injunctions against certain sexual acts as being originally intended as a means of distinguishing religious worship between Abrahamic and the surrounding
pagan faiths, within which homosexual acts featured as part of idolatrous religious practices: "England argues that these prohibitions should be seen as being directed against sexual practices of fertility cult worship. As with the earlier reference from Strong's, he notes that the word 'abomination' used here is directly related to idolatry and idolatrous practices throughout the Hebrew Testament. Edwards makes a similar suggestion, observing that 'the context of the two prohibitions in Leviticus 18:22 and Leviticus 20:13 suggest that what is opposed is not same-sex activity outside the cult, as in the modern secular sense, but within the cult identified as Canaanite'". 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." Some Christians believe that Biblical passages have been mistranslated or that these passages do not refer to LGBTQ orientation as currently understood. Liberal Christian scholars, like conservative Christian scholars, accept earlier versions of the texts that make up the Bible in
Hebrew or
Greek. However, within these early texts there are many terms that modern scholars have interpreted differently from previous generations of scholars. or the inferior treatment of women as not being valid today, and against the will of God present in the context of the Bible. They cite these issues when arguing for a change in theological views on sexual relationships to what they say is an earlier view. They differentiate among various sexual practices, treating rape, prostitution, or temple sex rituals as immoral and those within committed relationships as positive regardless of
sexual orientation. They view certain verses, which they believe refer only to homosexual rape, as not relevant to consensual homosexual relationships. Yale professor
John Boswell has argued that a number of
Early Christians entered into homosexual relationships, and that certain Biblical figures had homosexual relationships, such as
Ruth and her mother-in-law
Naomi,
Daniel and the court official Ashpenaz, and
David and King
Saul's son
Jonathan. Boswell has also argued that
adelphopoiesis, a rite bonding two men, was akin to a religiously sanctioned same-sex union. Having partaken in such a rite, a person was prohibited from entering into marriage or taking monastic vows, and the choreography of the service itself closely parallelled that of the marriage rite. His views have not found wide acceptance, and opponents have argued that this rite sanctified a
platonic brotherly bond, not a homosexual union. Boswell's critics point out that many earlier doctrinal sources condemn homosexuality as a sin even if they do not prescribe a specific punishment, and that Boswell's arguments are based on sources which reflected a general trend towards harsher penalties, rather than a change in doctrine, from the 12th century onwards.
Desmond Tutu, the former
Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, described homophobia as a "
crime against humanity" and "every bit as unjust" as apartheid: "We struggled against apartheid in South Africa, supported by people the world over, because black people were being blamed and made to suffer for something we could do nothing about; our very skins. It is the same with sexual orientation. It is a given.[...] We treat them [gays and lesbians] as pariahs and push them outside our communities. We make them doubt that they too are children of God – and this must be nearly the ultimate blasphemy. We blame them for what they are." Modern gay Christian leader
Justin R. Cannon promotes what he calls "Inclusive Orthodoxy" ('
orthodoxy' in this sense is not to be confused with the Eastern Orthodox Church). He explains on his ministry website: "Inclusive Orthodoxy is the belief that the Church can and must be inclusive of LGBTQ individuals without sacrificing the Gospel and the Apostolic teachings of the Christian faith." Cannon's ministry takes a unique and distinct approach from modern liberal Christians while still supporting homosexual relations. His ministry affirms the divine inspiration of the Bible, the authority of Tradition, and says "...that there is a place within the full life and ministry of the Christian Church for lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and
transgender Christians, both those who are called to lifelong celibacy and those who are partnered." Today, many religious people are becoming more affirming of same-sex relationships, even in denominations with official stances against homosexuality. In the United States, people in denominations who are against same-sex relationships are liberalizing quickly, though not as quickly as those in more affirming groups. This social change is creating tension within many denominations, and even schisms and mass walk-outs among Mormons and other conservative groups.
Pope Francis voiced support for same-sex civil unions during an interview in a documentary film,
Francesco, which was premiered at the
Rome Film Festival on 21 October 2020.
Inclusive position . Using
historical-critical method, some 20th-century theologians have brought a new understanding to passages of the Bible referring to
same-sex sexual practices. This allowed us to return to the original meaning of the words, which referred more to adultery, and to situate these passages within the framework of
pederasty, a system historically criticized for the age gap and inequalities between people. After being forced to resign due to being
outed, American
Pentecostal pastor
Troy Perry published an advertisement announcing the opening of a gay-friendly church in
Los Angeles, California, in the October 1968 issue of
The Advocate. On October 6, 1968, the
Metropolitan Community Church held its first service with 12 people in attendance. In 1969, through the church, he officiated at the wedding of two young men in
Los Angeles. On May 1, 1972, the
United Church of Christ in the
San Francisco Bay Area approved the ordination of
William R. Johnson, an openly gay seminarian. He was ordained as a pastor at the Community Church San Carlos (United Church of Christ) on June 25, 1972. In 1974, with the help of
San Francisco State University professor
Sally Miller Gearhart, he published the book
Loving Women/Loving Men: Gay Liberation and the Church, which argues, among other things, that marriage is a covenant relationship, regardless of gender. In the context of the
gay liberation movement and the declassification of homosexuality as a disease by the
American Psychiatric Association in 1973, these studies prompted various
Progressive Christians churches and denominations to abandon discriminatory interpretations for
LGBTQ people and offer equal recognition within their churches. In some denominations, this recognition has come through the development of affirming networks of churches, universities and seminaries. These include American Baptists Concerned for Sexual Minorities in 1972 (replaced by the
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists in 1993) by members of the
American Baptist Churches USA, UCC Coalition for Lesbian/Gay Concerns in 1972 (renamed
Open and Affirming Coalition UCC in 2014) by members of the
United Church of Christ, Lutherans Concerned for Gay People in 1974 (renamed
ReconcilingWorks in 2012) by members of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Presbyterians for Gay Concerns in 1974 and More Light Churches Network in 1992 (merged and renamed
More Light Presbyterians in 1999) by members of the
Presbyterian Church (USA), Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian/Gay Concerns in 1975 and
Reconciling Ministries Network in 1984 by members of the
United Methodist Church, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests and Supportive Communities Network in 1976 by members of the
Mennonite Church USA. Some of these networks have become international, such as the
Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists and
Reconciling Ministries Network. In April 1976, the
Student Christian Movement of Great Britain, a member of the
World Student Christian Federation, organized a conference on
gay liberation theology, which led to the founding of the
Gay Christian Movement that same year and dialogue with churches in the
United Kingdom. In the context of the legalization of
same-sex marriage in various countries and US states and during the 2000s, conceptual research into the meaning of marriage commitment in biblical texts prompted various churches to consider that the basis of
Christian marriage and
sexuality is to remain faithful in a covenant with one's spouse, regardless of gender. After national reflection, some
Progressive Christian denominations then began to allow the
blessing or same-sex marriage, usually leaving it to each local church to decide. After the legalization of
same-sex marriage in April 2001 in the
Netherlands, the
Mennonite Church in the Netherlands was one of the first to pass this resolution that same year. Similar resolutions have taken place on other continents, such as in the
Evangelical Church of the River Plate in
South America in 2010, in the
Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa in 2015, in the
Uniting Church in Australia in 2018. In the early 2010s, LGBTQ Christian students also advocated for equal
human rights in administrative policies encouraging Christian colleges and universities to become inclusive, including
Belmont University in
Nashville in 2011,
Goshen College in
Goshen, Indiana and
Eastern Mennonite University in
Harrisonburg, Virginia in 2015. According to a 2020 study by the Williams Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, there are 4.1 million LGBT American adults who identify as Christian, including 1.5 million Protestants, 1.3 million Roman Catholics, and 1.3 million Christians of other denominations. In 2021, the organization Believr launched a
dating app for LGBTQ+ Christians. In 2022, the documentary
1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture explains how the American committee behind the
Revised Standard Version Bible first translated two Greek words referring to abusive behavior and exploitative relationships as
homosexual in 1946. From then on, other translations, such as the
New International Version of the 1970s, decided to use the term "homosexual", thus propagating
social exclusion. The
Revised Standard Version translation committee changed the wording in 1971 by using the word "sexual perverts” in the publication of a revision. Fifty years later, millions of Bibles had been sold with this word change. The documentary claims other errors in English translations of other passages, such as
Leviticus 18:22 which was translated as “Man shall not lie with man, for it is an abomination”, while the same passage taking into account the
sacred prostitution context of the time was translated into German: “Man shall not lie with young boys as he does with a woman, for it is an abomination.”
Inclusive organizations preaching in 2006 at a
Metropolitan Community Church Studies in the US show more LGBTQ individuals identify as Protestant than Catholic.
George Barna, a conservative Christian author and researcher, conducted a survey in the United States in 2009 that found gay and lesbian people having a Christian affiliation were more numerous than had been presumed. He characterized some of his leading conclusions from the data as follows: Candace Chellew-Hodge, liberal Christian lesbian founder of the online magazine
Whosoever, responded to the findings: "All in all, I'm grateful for Barna even wandering into the subject of gay and lesbian
religious belief. I think his study is important and can go a long way to dispelling the old "gays vs. God"
dichotomy that too often gets played out in the media. However, his overall message is still harmful: Gays and lesbians are Christians – they're just not as good as straight ones." She argued that Barna had formulated his report with undue irony and skepticism, and that he had failed to take into account the reasons for the data which enkindled his "arrière pensée." The reason why far fewer homosexuals attend church, she argued, is that there are far fewer churches who will accept them. Equally, gays and lesbians do not see the Bible as unequivocally true because they are forced by its use against them to read it more closely and with less credulity, leading them to note its myriad
contradictions. According to founder
Justin Lee: Some organizations cater exclusively to homosexual Christians who do not want to have gay sex, or attraction; the goals of these organizations vary. Some Christian groups focus on simply refraining from gay sex, such as
Courage International and
North Star. Other groups additionally encourage gay members to reduce or eliminate
same-sex attractions.
Love Won Out and the now-defunct
Exodus International are examples of such ministries. These groups are sometimes referred to as
ex-gay organizations, though many no longer use the term.
Alan Chambers, the president of Exodus, says the term incorrectly implies a complete change in sexual orientation, though the group
Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays continues to use the term. In addition, individual Christians identifying as gay who want to subscribe to the conservative ethic are becoming more vocal themselves. Gay Christian writer and actor
Peterson Toscano argues that organizations promoting orientation change are a "ruse". An organization he co-founded, Beyond Ex-Gay, supports people who feel they have been wounded by such organizations.
Other groups support or advocate for gay Christians and their relationships. In 2014 the
United Church of Christ filed a lawsuit challenging North Carolina's ban on same-sex marriage, which is America's first faith-based challenge to same-sex marriage bans; the
Alliance of Baptists joined the lawsuit later that year. In Europe, working within the worldwide Anglican Communion on a range of discrimination issues, including those of LGBTQ clergy and people in the church, is
Inclusive Church. The longest standing groups for lesbian and gay Christians in the UK, were Quest (for LGBTQ Catholics) and Metropolitan Community Church (UK) both founded in 1973; followed in 1976 by the non-denominational
Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement; specifically aimed to meet the needs of lesbian and gay evangelicals, there is the
Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians; specifically working within the Church of England is
Changing Attitude, which also takes an international focus in working for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender affirmation within the Anglican Communion. Sociologist Richard N. Pitt argues that these organizations are only available to LGBTQ members of liberal denominations, as opposed to those in conservative denominations. His review of the literature on gay Christians suggests that these organizations not only represent the interests of Christians who attend their churches, but (like gay-friendly and gay-affirming churches) also give these members useful responses to homophobic and heterosexist rhetoric. His research shows that those LGBTQ Christians who stay at homophobic churches "kill the messenger" by attacking the minister's knowledge about homosexuality, personal morality, focus on sin instead of forgiveness, and motivations for preaching against homosexuality. == Movement of pro-celibacy gay Christians ==