Mainline
Christian churches that discriminate against gays receive
hundreds of millions of dollars from conservative groups and
enjoy an 8-to-1 advantage in funding over progressive
churches, according to a report released Tuesday by
the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
The study, titled "David v. Goliath," found that
churches that attempt to create a more welcoming
environment for gays and lesbians miss out on funds
not only from antigay groups like Focus on the Family
and Concerned Women for America but also centrist and
liberal organizations that support gay causes. "David
v. Goliath" highlights the fact that churches often
receive financial incentives to exclude gays and lesbians.
"There has been a concerted effort from
the conservative political establishment, through
secular organizations like the Institute on Religion
and Democracy, to influence the mainline Protestant
churches, create schism on the issue of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender people, and lure the
denominations into a hard-right ideology, which would
represent a vast and historic shift in the nation's
religious landscape," said the Reverend Rebecca
Voelkel, executive officer of the Institute for
Welcoming Resources, a nonprofit organization working to
make churches more welcoming to gays and lesbians.
The report surveyed denominations and
organizations that have committed to LGBT equality, a
group that includes 8,300 congregations and 2
million people. The study found that approximately 20.2
million people are involved in mainline
churches--including the Presbyterian Church USA,
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, United Methodist
Church, and the Episcopal Church--that are routinely
lobbied financially by hard-right groups over issues
of LGBT ordination and same-sex marriage.
Amid all the pressure on churches to turn their
backs on gay congregants, the study actually
found positive gains being made for religious gays and
lesbians, according to NGLTF executive director Matt
Foreman. "This report shows that some of the most
important debate over lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender equality is not happening in Congress but
in religious denominations," he said. "The
[progressive] organizations in this report, and many
others like them, are winning the hearts and minds of
people of faith in spite of tremendous obstacles and
meager resources--it's truly David versus
Goliath." (Advocate.com)
