How Christian Groups in America Have Accommodated Changing Beliefs about Homosexuality.

This paper is a draft chapter from a larger book-in-progress, tentatively titled Moral Evolution: Why Culture Trumps Religion in American Politics. The book argues that in the long run, religious perspectives on political issues follow rather than lead public opinion. During periods of cultural transition, religious leaders often resist trends in attitudes, values, and behaviors that conflict with their doctrines, but they adjust their positions as their own members become affected by the same transformations sweeping across the rest of society. The current paper applies these ideas to the politics of homosexuality in America since 1900. Before the late 1960s, religious and secular orientations toward homosexuality overlapped, with secular institutions-the law and order arms of government on the one hand, the psychiatric profession on the other-taking the lead in condemning homosexuality through laws, practices, and scientific discourse. As Americans became more tolerant of homosexuality beginning in the early 1970, different parts of the public moved in tandem. Using data from the General Social Survey, I show that Catholics and mainline Protestants closely resembled the overall U.S. population from 1973 to 2010 in their opinions about the morality of homosexuality and the need for civil rights protections for gays and lesbians. Evangelical and black Protestants started from lower bases but shifted their opinions in the same direction as the rest of the population The paper documents three responses through which Christian leaders accommodated the growing acceptance of homosexuality among their members and in American society more generally. The first response was a theological debate about the relevant biblical passages on homosexual behavior, with revisionists arguing that traditional interpretations of the Bible are wrong. The second response included varied actions by mainline denominations, including statements more favorable to homosexuality and, more recently, the ordaining of gay and lesbian pastors. The third response was a softening of political rhetoric, including among conservative Christians and the organizations that represent them. Taken together, these responses show how Christian groups have made important accommodations on the issue of homosexuality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]