All posts tagged: homosexuality

Abortion, Israel and homosexuality top clergy’s political topics, survey finds

Abortion, Israel and homosexuality top clergy’s political topics, survey finds

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Two-thirds of U.S. adults who regularly attend religious services say their clergy have spoken about at least one key political issue — most prominently, abortion, Israel or homosexuality — in recent months. But what clergypersons say about such topics varies depending on their viewpoint, and sometimes, their religious affiliation, the Pew Research Center found in a survey published Wednesday (May 27). Researchers asked about a total of seven political or social topics — including immigration, U.S. military action in Iran, the environment and people who are transgender. “When people do hear the clergy speak about these topics, they report that they tend to hear more about opposing abortion than supporting abortion rights, opposing homosexuality than encouraging acceptance of people who are gay or lesbian, supporting Israel than criticizing it,” Becka Alper, a senior researcher at Pew, told Religion News Service. The findings are based on a survey conducted in April of 1,391 U.S. adults who say they attend religious services at least once or twice a month. Certain topics figured more prominently in …

Indecorous Decorations

Indecorous Decorations

Published by José Betancourt

Around the year 1400 a young woman in Central Europe was given a saddle made of bone, likely for her wedding day. As she rode from her parents’ home to that of her new husband, she sat upon carved scenes of lovers embracing and men banging drums or clutching their belts. In France, at about […] Source link

The US is the only country where most say fellow citizens’ morality is bad, survey finds

The US is the only country where most say fellow citizens’ morality is bad, survey finds

Published by Sam Flores

(RNS) — Out of 25 countries, the United States was the only one where most people said their fellow citizens’ morality was generally bad, new research has found. A Pew Research Center report examining morality and ethics, released on Thursday (March 5), also found self-identified Christians are more likely to view abortion, using marijuana, homosexuality, having extramarital affairs and other behaviors as “morally unacceptable” than other religious groups. The report marks the first time Pew researchers asked respondents about their views on the morality of their fellow citizens. In total, more than half of American adults – 53% – said the morality and ethics of people in their country were somewhat bad or very bad, while 47% rated their morality as good or very good, according to the study. Still, the findings “don’t support that Americans are overarchingly more judgmental or moralistic than in other countries” based on responses to other questions, Jonathan Evans, senior researcher at Pew, told RNS on Wednesday. Partisan politics seems to play a role in Americans’ response to that question. …

Christian charity: homosexuality is “lewd, unnatural and vile”

Christian charity: homosexuality is “lewd, unnatural and vile”

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has reported three newly registered Christian charities to the Scottish charity watchdog for promoting homophobia and misogyny. The three charities are Inverness – Greyfriars Free Church of Scotland (Continuing), Ayr Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) (pictured), and International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) in Scotland. All three are registered under the charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’. Charities are legally required to act for the public benefit. Homosexuality is a ‘distortion of Satan’ A 2022 statement from the Free Church’s general assembly states homosexuality is condemned by god as “abomination”, “vile affections”, “against nature” and “unseemly”. Churches which solemnise gay marriage are “overturning God’s order, seeking to bless what He has cursed, and is deceiving men and women, in affirming them in their sin”, it says. A Free Church report on a pride parade in Glasgow describes gay people as “perverted” and their way of life as “lewd, unnatural and vile”. It says warns against normalising homosexuality, which is an “abomination in the sight of God”. IPHC’s website states that homosexuality is …

Christian charity: homosexuality “will destroy us”

Christian charity: homosexuality “will destroy us”

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has referred a newly registered Christian charity to the regulator from promoting homophobia. Buckinghamshire-based Marlow Baptist Church registered under the charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’ in June. Charities are legally required to act for the public benefit. In a sermon titled ‘Confronting The Culture – The Image Of God’, charity trustee pastor Kenneth Claasen (pictured) sets out cultural practices which, if not confronted, “will destroy us“. These include homosexuality, the theory of evolution and abortion. Children seem to be present during the sermon. Claasen suggests homosexuality is a “perversion” and accepting homosexuality is a “normalisation of sin”. He quotes a bible verse which describes homosexuality as “against nature” and “shameful”. He later claims the Roman empire outlawed homosexuality because it caused “degradation” and “so much problems”. Claasen says the theory of evolution is “just not sensical” and suggests Hinduism is responsible for ‘promoting’ evolution. He goes on to describe abortion as “murder”, and compares it to burning children alive as a form of sacrifice. Religious charities promoting homophobia Marlow Baptist …

Christian charity: Jesus will ‘heal you of homosexuality’

Christian charity: Jesus will ‘heal you of homosexuality’

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society (NSS) has referred a newly registered Christian charity to the regulator from promoting homophobia. Potters House Christian Fellowship UK Uxbridge Church registered under the charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’ last month. Charities are legally required to act for the public benefit. In a now removed video on the church’s website, an unidentified preacher claims Christian belief will set people free from “addiction”, “sexual immortality” and “homosexuality”. “You name it, Jesus will heal it”, he says. The Church’s former pastor Dwayne Lopez (pictured) also claims in a video on his YouTube channel “when it comes to homosexuality, it’s unjustifiable”. The charity has now removed the video from its website. Lopez argues accepting homosexuality means “you have to say paedophilia is right, you have to say being racist is right, you have to say bestiality is right”. God “said it’s wrong”, says Lopez, adding that if homosexuals put their faith in Jesus “to change you”, he will “give you a new heart” and “forgive you”. There will be “a slow change” until …

Christian charity: homosexuality is a “degrading perversion”

Christian charity: homosexuality is a “degrading perversion”

Published by Sam Flores

The National Secular Society has reported a newly registered Christian charity to the regulator for promoting homophobia. Speke Baptist Church, which is based in Liverpool, registered under the charitable purpose ‘the advancement of religion’ in May. Charities are legally required to act for the public benefit. In a sermon titled ‘The world’s biggest problem’, Church pastor and charity trustee Stephen Casey says homosexuality is a “degrading perversion”, adding “it’s not natural, it’s not decent and it’s not normal”. The sermon was uploaded to YouTube in September but appears to be have delivered in person to an audience including children. Casey says the media had carried out a “relentless campaign” over 25 years to “reject the biblical understanding of homosexuality”. He says there is “glaring anatomical evidence” that homosexuality is unnatural, and opposes the idea that “there’s no sordidness that goes with it”. He says people “feel very crushed by this temptation” but the answer is not to say homosexuality is natural, decent or normal. He says people “pretend it’s not a sin” in order to …