Mixed Blessings
Organized Religion and Gay and Lesbian Americans in
1998
issued by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation
written by Lisa Bennett
How to order: hrc@hrc.org, phone (202)628-4160, fax (202)347-5323, mailing address is HRC, 919 18th Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006
Local copy: Marriage Project - Hawaii has a copy to read at the office at 2424 S. Beretania. Call 942-3737 or email MPH@hawaii.rr.com to arrange to do so.
This 35 page report reviews the attitudes of the following list of religious groups toward gays and lesbians.
Roman Catholic Church, 61.2 million members, 3 pages.
Southern Baptist Convention, 15.7 million members, 2 pages
United Methodist Church, 8.5 million members, 3 pages
National Baptist Convention USA Inc., 8.2 million members, 2 pages
Church of God in Christ, 5.5 million members, one page
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), 5.2 million members, 3 pages
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons), 4.8 million members, 2 pages
Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist), 3.9 million members, 3 pages
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), 3.6 million members, 2 pages
African Methodist Episcopal Church, 3.6 million members, 1 page
The reality is complex and multifaceted and varies considerably. Here is an example of the divide within just one of the churches:
"For more than a century, Presbyterianism was divided over the issue of slavery, with Northerners opposing it and Southerners supporting it. Then about 15 years ago, the merger of the two largest Presbyterian churches into the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) helped bridge that divide. But a similar divide [along geographic lines, including northern California versus southern California] now remains over the church's policies toward gay and lesbian couples."