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Summary
- Catholic, Orthodox and many Protestant churches teach that sexual acts between people of the same sex are sinful, and the Catholic Church teaches that the attraction itself is not a sin.
- The passages usually cited are Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, the story of Sodom in Genesis 19, and Paul’s words in Romans 1:26–27, 1 Corinthians 6:9–10 and 1 Timothy 1:10.
- Jesus never names homosexuality in the Gospels, but he described marriage as male and female joined by God into one flesh.
- The Catechism calls same-sex acts sins that “Under no circumstances can” be approved, says gay people “must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity,” and calls them, like every Christian, to chastity.
- Some churches have changed: the Episcopal Church and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) allowed same-sex marriage in 2015, and the United Methodist Church dropped its “incompatible” language and widened its definition of marriage in 2024.
- In 2023 the Church of England allowed prayers of blessing for same-sex couples, and the Catholic Church allowed a simple blessing of the persons but not of their union; both still teach that marriage is between a man and a woman.
- Paul’s list of sins ends in grace for all of us: “And such were some of you: but ye are washed” (1 Corinthians 6:11).
Bibliography (Click to show)
- The Holy Bible, King James Version, quoted from BibleGateway: Genesis 19:4–5; Leviticus 18:22, 20:13; Ezekiel 16:49–50; Matthew 9:12–13, 11:28–29, 19:4–6; Mark 7:21; Romans 1:26–27, 1:29–30, 2:1; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 4:15; Jude 7.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2357–2359, Chastity and Homosexuality, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997.
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons, 1 October 1986, paragraph 3.
- Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Fiducia supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings, 18 December 2023.
- Holy Synod of Bishops of the Orthodox Church in America, Synodal Affirmations on Marriage, Family, Sexuality, and the Sanctity of Life (1992), section “Homosexuality”.
- Southern Baptist Convention, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, articles XV and XVIII.
- Sharon Sheridan, “General Convention approves marriage equality”, Episcopal News Service, 1 July 2015.
- Presbyterian News Service, “Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approves marriage amendment”, 18 March 2015, as carried by The Presbyterian Outlook.
- UM News, “Church ends 52-year-old anti-gay stance”, 2 May 2024.
- Church of England, “Prayers of Love and Faith to be made available for use from Sunday”, 12 December 2023.
- The Reformation Project, “The Brief Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships”.
- Septuagint, Leviticus 20 (Greek text), Elpenor.
- Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, arsenokoitēs and malakos, Bible Hub.
- The Westminster Larger Catechism, question 139 (Orthodox Presbyterian Church edition).
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