Conditionally Accepted: Christians' Perspectives on Sexuality and Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights

by Baker A. Rogers

Overview

This book explores Mississippi Christians’ beliefs about homosexuality and gay and lesbian civil rights and whether having a gay or lesbian friend or family member influences those beliefs. Beliefs about homosexuality and gay and lesbian rights vary widely based on religious affiliation. Despite having gay or lesbian friends or family members, evangelical Protestants believe homosexuality is sinful and oppose gay and lesbian rights. Mainline Protestants are largely supportive of gay and lesbian rights and become more supportive after getting to know gay and lesbian people. Catholics describe a greater degree of uncertainty and a conditional acceptance of gay and lesbian rights; clear differences between conservative and liberal Catholics are evident. Overall, conservative Christians, both evangelical Protestants and conservative Catholics, hold a religious identity that overshadows their relationships with gay and lesbian friends or family. Conservative religion acts as a deterrent to the positive benefits of relationships with gay and lesbian people. 

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781978805002
Publisher:	Rutgers University Press
Publication date:	12/13/2019
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	212
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

BAKER A. ROGERS is an assistant professor of sociology at Georgia Southern University. Their research focuses on inequality, specifically examining the intersections of gender, sexuality, religion, and geographical location. Their work is published in Gender & Society (2018), Sexualities (2016), Review of Religious Research (2016), and Feminist Teacher (2015).

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 Religion And Homosexuality

1 God Said Love Thy Neighbor, Unless They're Gay 21

2 For the Bible (or My Pastor/Priest) Tells Me So: The Bible and Homosexuality 43

Part 2 Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights

3 Marriage = 1 Man + 1 Woman? Support and Opposition to Same-Sex Marriage 79

4 Do Children Need a Mom and a Dad? The Debate over Same-Sex Adoption 99

5 All [Wo]men Are Created Equal, or Are They? The Gay and Lesbian Civil Rights Movement 110

Part 3 Social Contact with Gay and Lesbian People

6 Some of My Best Friends Are Gay: The Influence of Social Contact 127

Conclusion: When Religion Overshadows Relationships 156

Appendix: Methodology 171

Acknowledgments 179

Notes 181

References 187

Index 195

Editorial Reviews

"Based on rich interview data with 40 Christians in Mississippi, Conditionally Accepted presents an important argument that specific religious identity formations produce opposition to gays and lesbians....Conditionally Accepted provides an insightful contribution to sociological thinking about religious identity and sexuality."

Gender and Society

"The book is of particular value in the ways it explicates its geographical focus. Besides contextualizing gay and lesbian civil rights in a predominantly conservative religious context, the book also sensitizes the reader to develop a multicolor-perspective on the Christian South that goes beyond framing the region as only a place of Christian conservatism....The main message of the book is very clear: we must look more closely to the story of individual Mississippi Christians and how they come to their develop their attitudes towards gay men and lesbian women."

Politics

"Spirit in the sky: various faiths with queer-friendly aspects," by Brian Bromberger
https://www.ebar.com/events/arts_events//296909/spirit_in_the_sky:_various_faiths_with_queer-friendly_aspects

Bay Area Reporter

"In Conditionally Accepted Baker Rogers offers a textured analysis of perceptions of gay and lesbian citizens living in one of the most conservative parts of the country. A well-organized, engaging, and compelling investigation." 
 

University of Texas, author of The Promise Keepers: Servants, Soldiers, and Godly Men - John Bartkowski

"In this critical yet sympathetic analysis of religious intolerance, Baker Rogers listens carefully to anti-gay Christians in Mississippi. They offer strong evidence that close contact with lesbian and gay people is not enough to change deeply held anti-gay attitudes."

McMaster University, author of How the Religious Right Shaped Lesbian and Gay Activism - Tina Fetner

"Recommended. "

Choice