Are most Christian denominations affirming of homosexual relations and embracing gay marriage? The homosexual and pro-homosexual community would have you believe that this is indeed the case, but it is not. Statistics from the "Christian" public are hardly reliable as most of these individuals are nominally Christian, meaning "Christian" by name only. You are not a Christian because you were raised in a church or because some fool Pope-ishly pronounced you to be a Christian when you prayed some prayer. Observe:
Christian Denominations and Gay Marriage
by Roger E. OlsonA few years ago I had the privilege of re-writing (editing and authoring) the 14th edition of the venerable reference book The Handbook of Denominations in the United States published by Abingdon Press. One of the changes I made was to mention each denomination's stated policy with regard to gay marriage and homosexual sexual relations. In some cases I could not find a stated, official policy, so I contacted the headquarters and spoke or corresponded with the highest leader possible.
Of the approximately 260 denominations listed and described in the volume, about 200 of them have official or unofficial policies against gay marriage and same-sex sexual relations. In some cases they asked me not to publish their policies, but they assured me they practice the policies even if they do not want it known outside their denominations.
They are worded very differently from each other; there is no "template," so to speak. However, the vast majority of Christian denominations in the United States do not condone gay marriage among their ranks and do not approve of same-sex sexual relations. Many of them state that it is sin.
A few denominations take a kind of middle position — saying (for example) that they do not condone it among their own "people" bud do not oppose it outside of their ranks. In other words, they are not going to fight or lobby to reverse the Supreme Court decision regarding equality of gay people with straight people in terms of government-recognized marriage. Most did not say anything about that. A few denominations take a middle position saying that they will include gay people — married and not married — within their membership ranks but will not perform gay marriages.
The overall impression, however, that I think is not well understood by most people, is that the vast majority of American Christian (and many non-Christian) church organizations, denominations, networks, independent congregations, do not approve of gay marriage or same-sex sexual relations.
It is not as if there are a "few hold outs"; the "hold outs" (in terms of denominations) are those relatively few who endorse and affirm gay marriage within their ranks.
A few so-called "mainline Protestant" denominations leave the issue up to regions (synods) or individual congregations. Some of those are now facing divisions over that. New denominations are forming all the time because of perceived permissiveness on this issue. The new denominations are almost all opposed to gay marriage.
An impression is circulating that only a few ultra-conservative, fundamentalist, hateful religious groups and institutions stand against gay marriage within their ranks, within their institutions, but that is a wrong impression.
Those Christian institutional leaders who feel under pressure to allow gay marriages within their ranks (student bodies, staff, etc.) need to know that they are not alone in holding the line against gay marriage within their ranks.
Now, if you are really interest in this, please buy your own copy of the book: The Handbook of Denominations in the United States (14th edition) (Abingdon Press).
People who affirm homosexual relations and gay marriage are ignorant, having been persuaded by fallacious arguments and blind emotions. If they claim to be "Christian," whether this claim is true or false, it is quite obvious that they are ignorant of the Word of God and have never bothered to read it. God is against homosexual relations of any kind (buggery, pederasty, bi-sexuality, ___-sexuality), being contrary to the created order and simple reproductive biology, and upholds heterosexual relations from Genesis to Revelation.
Those who claim that Jesus said nothing about homosexuality are being morally and intellectually dishonest. Jesus directed his listeners to the created order and quoted twice from Genesis: "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate." It is quite evident that Jesus upheld heterosexual relations as the only acceptable expression of human sexuality.
Jesus is the Word of God. He spoke the universe into existence. When the Bible records, "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination," those are the words of the pre-incarnate Jesus. Since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, it stands to reason that homosexuality is just as detestable to Him today as it was in the days of Sodom.
Christians are not to hate homosexuals or any other people. We are not to try and reform nations. A sinful world will always do what is right in their own eyes and pursue sin rather than righteousness. We can try to influence the world around us by being the salt and light and living out what God's Word teaches us, but it is foolish to expect sinful individuals to live by any means other than what comes natural to them. If and when they become Christians, then it is right for you to expect them to repent and change. Pay attention to the lives of Jesus and the apostles. They did not demand that everyone agree with them and go by their standards. What did they do instead? They lived out what they believed and they spoke the Gospel and the truth to any and all who would listen. Some accepted their words, many rejected them. They did not, however, protest the heathen or become activists for or against anything the wicked did naturally. For you to do so and expect a different result is just insanity.
Do your part, live the life of a Christ-like follower of Jesus, and speak the truth to all who will listen, but do not make it political and do not try to do the work of the Holy Spirit. You are not God, so stop trying to be Him or act like Him!