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Ethics in Religion

1991

Gay

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A Survey Of Gay/Lesbian Catholics Concerning Attitudes Toward Sexual Orientation And Religious Beliefs, Thomas W. O'Brien Jul 1991

A Survey Of Gay/Lesbian Catholics Concerning Attitudes Toward Sexual Orientation And Religious Beliefs, Thomas W. O'Brien

Thomas W O'Brien

The negative assessment of lesbian/gay relationships in Catholic circles is most often based on scanty information gathered from folklore, the commercial media, and a narrow, literal reading of Biblical texts. Assumptions are made about the personal adjustment of individual gay/lesbian persons and the quality of their relationships without recourse to actual lived experience. This survey of 263 gay/lesbian Catholics and 20 controls was designed to receive direct feedback from lesbian/gay persons concerning their religious attitudes, personal adjustment, and relational quality. The results contradict many preconceptions, and a remarkable similarity is demonstrated between the gay/lesbian responses and those of the control …