I have a question about religion. is it right if i still go to church? are there churches for gays? is it right for gays to go to church? please let me know thanks.....
That depends on your own church and denomination. There are very few churches that will outright "ban gays" (I actually know of none, though you may encounter uncomfortable anti-LGBT rhetoric within the church) and many churches advertise being accepting of anyone, regardless of sexuality (there is an Episcopal church around here that has a rainbow-colored "All Are Welcome" sign in front of it). There are some denominations known for being accepting and some known for being more hostile. Ultimately it's a personal decision on your behalf. If you believe your sexuality is anathema to your religion, you may have a deeper issue to work out. But there are plenty of homosexual Christians out there and plenty of them who have found an accepting niche within their religion.
Thanks for letting me know. i dont want to make a big deal of it. mainlly cause i am gay and if i make a big deal of it theyll say "wow hes making a big deal of it cause he is gay and thinks he wants to prove something". i am just wanting to blend in with the others. thanks for your information
I'm Jewish so I can't speak from personal experience, but I have a friend who's involved with the Gay Christian Network. Check them out
As others have said, it depends on your personal beliefs and also the church's denomination. Many churches and genuine Christians are loving and accepting. A few are not, but these tend to be fundamentalist sects such as Southern Baptists. Despite them, however, God loves and accepts all His children. It is that love that Christians are called to show to others. I find it very sad when there is hatred and judgement in the one place there shouldn't be. Do not let the narrowness of a few prevent you from seeking your faith.
Many religions are getting more accepting, but do some research so that you can find out what churches would be more accepting
Google "All Acceptance Church" to find links that will show you if there are any all-accepting churches in your area. If not, just try out different churches and find one where you feel safe and comfortable.
A good resource for LGBT Christians seeking an affirming church is gaychurch.org. This link https://www.gaychurch.org/find_a_church/ takes you to their directory of affirming churches. There are quite a few in your state actually.
I'm assuming you're Christian based on the question. No, I can't think of even what some would call "ultra-conservative" church that would ban a gay person, but you would be encouraged to repent. If you are Catholic or Eastern Orthodox, official teaching is that homosexuals are bound to live in either heterosexuality or celibacy. On a church by church basis there are many exceptions. I can't imagine you would feel comfortable in a fundamentalist/evangelical church. Most denominations have a "liberal" and a "conservative" branch- the Methodists (although Methodists are usually liberal), Presbyterians (if they are Reformed Presbyterian they will be fundamentalist), Lutherians (liberal except for Missouri Synod)...you get the picture. Do you have a college in your town? If you call the campus LGBTQ club, they might be able to recommend a church. Also, nowadays churches that are open to homosexuality often say so on their website, so if you are interested in a church, Google its denomination and see what the stance is. I hope this wasn't confusing; it's after midnight and I'm posting.
There's a site where you can look for LGBTQ friendly places of worship in your area, and I found a UU place less than an hour from me; which isn't bad for being from a small city. I have a feeling there's a few other places, but I can't think of them off the top of my head. http://gladalliance.org/site/open-affirming-ministries/find-oa/
Derrick, if you are Christian you do not have to loose your faith because you are gay. Nor do you have to feel alone if you are rural! There is always someone to talk to here on EC! Dean
My perspective is that *your* religion is for *you*...not for others. If you get something from going to church, then go. If you don't get anything out of it, or it is uncomfortable, then don't. So you are the only one who can determine if it's right or wrong for you to be there. The whole point of church (as far as I can tell, given that I don't belong to a religion with churches) is to bond over a shared spirituality...I see no reason why your sexuality should have to make that difficult for anyone but you.
This is a question with many answers, and opinions. My personal opinion is that churches should be open to anyone, regardless of sexuality, and gender. Sadly, where I live, many people do not see that. Thus, some churches have turned into lgbtq+ churches, as more of a sancuary for those on the spectrum, and it is open to anyone as well, whether lgbtq+ or straight, and cis and non-cis.