What about gay Christians?

Spirituality and homosexuality

http://perham.eot.com/~vati/peterson/hist.html
Many homosexual persons begin this journey of discovery in a context of a significant personal religious faith (up to two thirds in some studies). This experience has been described by some homosexual persons in terms of the soul - "the foundation for spiritual, affective, and moral experience, where inspiration germinates and from which vitality grows." This view of the soul could be understood in the same way by heterosexual persons. But what is different about the soul of gays and lesbians is that more than most other persons, it is forged out of pain and struggle, usually the results of societal stigmatization. The wound leads to a confrontation with all of its elements: shame, terror of abandonment, rage, and self-loathing.

For those who cope successfully, the emotional and spiritual elements mature together in a mystical journey that purifies the soul through which the psychic wounds become healed. However, where sexuality and religious teachings conflict, most homosexual persons totally reject their religious backgrounds in an anti-religious backlash detrimental to their faith. Gay and lesbian persons may make this entire journey without professional help, may "come out," or seek counseling at various places along the way. Standard psychiatry textbooks recognize the importance of understanding where the homosexual person is in this sort of self-realization experience, and dealing positively with the individual's religious faith in any counseling.

The ideal for most lesbians and gays is to integrate sexual orientation and spirituality into the overall concept of identity by resolving anti-gay stigma internalized from negative societal or religious experiences. However, for some gays and lesbians, the experience of religion or spiritual identity is as deeply felt, and as highly valued, as the experience of sexual orientation. For such persons, it may be more conceivable and less emotionally disruptive to contemplate sacrificing sexual orientation than to disengage from a religious way of life that is seen as central to their sense of self and purpose.

Both the APA and the American Psychological Association recognize this spiritual reality and the right of some homosexual persons to resolve the conflicting emotions involved by an integrative acceptance of their sexual and spiritual realities or a rejection of one. However, in offering advisory policies, both APA organizations consider it important to also recognize other complicating realities of this conflict. One of these realities is the psychologically devastating effect anti-gay religious doctrine from organized religion can have because of the considerable power religious institutions hold over their congregates, including lesbians and gay men. For some, this can cause an anti religion backlash detrimental to their faith.

In the United States, two particularly prominent influences fostering anti homosexual attitudes have been religious fundamentalism (ie.James Dobson) and heterosexism... Studies of anti homosexual (or homophobic) people indicate that they are likely to be authoritarian, conservative, and religious. (Sound like someone we know?)

The historical invisibility of positive adult openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual role models and the failure of schools, churches, and other institutions to address variant forms of sexuality leave most young people who become aware of being homosexual feeling isolated, ignored, and often distressed .... Coping strategies include attempts to become heterosexual and to self-hatred of one's homosexuality leading to self-fulfilling negativism by attributing everything negative to being homosexual. [such as depression and suicidal tendencies].

Organized religion has contributed significantly to the wounding of gay men and lesbians, through a long history of negative bias that has been extensively documented (Bloomfield and Raymond 1988,; Goss 1993; Scanzoni and Mollenkott 1978) . . . The "Letter to the Catholic Bishops on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons" . . . by Cardinal Ratzinger states, in part, " . . . the particular inclination of the homosexual person . . . is more or less a strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil . . . when they engage in homosexual activity they confirm within themselves a disordered sexual inclination . . . "

Given these three realities -- sexuality, spirituality, and the complicating risk of religious doctrine on mental health -- the difficult challenge for both scientific professionals and organized religion is to formulate the best stance and the best approach for enabling the realization of the best physical, mental and spiritual health for all gays and lesbians. The primary medical stance is: "To work with the young person struggling with his or her homosexuality, it is essential for the clinician to be non-judgmental, informed, and willing to be educated, supportive, and neutral in terms of outcome of sexual orientation."

Such an approach is acceptable to some churches but rejected by many others in favor of a presumptive judgment that homosexual orientation is bad and any intimate same-sex relationship is an egregious moral lapse. Therefore this stance holds that homosexual orientation should either be suppressed or changed with a goal of either celibacy or opposite-sex marriage with no other options recommended. These two fundamentally opposing stances are the basis for two opposing views of reparation therapy.

http://perham.eot.com/~vati/peterson/hist.html