Homosexuality discussions have always led to a conflict between the religious fraternity and the people experiencing homosexuality. Homosexuality can be defined as the act of a person being attracted to a person of the same sex. It is, therefore, the whole group who are lately known as LGBT in the society. The group has always collided with the teachings of the religious fraternity. Various studies have shown that families that are highly involved in Christian activities have a little acceptance of the homosexuals. Religious leaders led by the Catholic and the Orthodox Church have openly criticized the sexual orientation in the society, and they often refute the ideas that God created homosexuals. In fact, they conclude that homosexuality is a sin on its own. People who are involved in homosexuality are supposed to be labeled as sinners, and they should reform and live a different life.
Various families have differences of opinion in relation to the issues of homosexuality. Few parents have accepted the few children who come out as homosexual since they feel that they should love them. In the religious perspectives, the Bible is the fundamental of all ideas and reasoning among these families. The process of coming out of LGBT is faced with a significant opposition and criticism from the parents that are involved. It is therefore due to such actions that most youths are being chased away from the family set ups (Haldeman, 2004). The coming out of the group of the religious family brings stress and negative relationships to all the members involved. The most affected people however in the society are the individuals coming out as homosexuals. It is due to this rejection and lack of acceptance that such individuals who belong to those families end up committing suicide, living in stress and they turn to drugs as a coping strategy.
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Religious teachings have always stood firm on the issues sexual orientation in the society. Most societies whose foundations are based on Christian values condone such behaviors. The upcoming churches known as the Protestants are in support of the LGBT groups in their congregation. They argue that the scriptures have been interpreted wrongly and that there is nowhere that the Bible talks of hating or discriminating the homosexuals. On the other hand, the conservatives insist that God never created Adam and Eve for just having pleasure; he created them to fill and multiply the earth. In the center of those discussions, are the individuals whose feeling towards the same sex to them is normal. In most religious families, the parents are also affected (Morrow & Beckstead, 2004). They believe that the religious community will also reject them since their kin has come out as a lesbian or gay. To fit into the society, they are the force to deny the individuals and leave him into the world to seek what they believe in best. Once a child is a Christian family comes out as gay or lesbian, they feel that they have given up their religious following. It is not a solution to give up or renounce one’s faith because of being a homosexual, but other individuals consider the matter a life of death and life (Morrow & Beckstead, 2004).
It is clear that growing up in a Christian family as a homosexual is entirely different as when growing up in the nonreligious family. The teachings that an individual is taught is always against his or her desires. It is due to such pressures that they develop a negative attitude towards their lives. There are always conflicts in the interpretations if the scriptures and the lifestyle that such an individual is supposed to live. Such a conflict leads to losing their families, giving up their Christianity and some parents also stop offering them parental support that they should receive. In a more detailed analysis, the group that is also profoundly affected is the young people. Most transgender individual’s feels that they start realizing and discovering their sexual orientations when they start their immature stages (Silverstein, 2003). During this juncture where emotions are being developed, dire consequences are experienced when a child is not given the support that they need. But among all the transgender the coming out phase and the rest of their lives is profoundly affected when they are from a religious family. It should be noted that most of the homosexuals have reported cases of suicide, feeling unworthy and unclean, anxiety, self-guilty, confused, self-blame, alienation and in most times angry (Silverstein, 2003).
To solve such conflicts among Christianity and the homosexuals, more research and analysis should be done. It is, however, vital to note that transgender can find some coping strategies helpful so that they continue living in their feelings as they believe they should live. In a society that is full of evil ideologies concerning homosexuality and filled with religious beliefs, homosexuals must, first of all, renounce their Christianity. As noted earlier, individuals who are raised up in families that are Christians are the most affected when they come out as transgender. Other studies have also revealed that most parents give up on their children and they contribute more to adverse outcomes that the homosexuals face. Breaking away from the religious beliefs always makes an individual live a different life (Worthington, 2004). The next solution for the reduction of such cases is the issues of abandoning those who are not comfortable with how an individual is feeling. When one’s family, society and even the school doesn’t support one’s sexual orientation, then one should give them some space so that they can learn to appreciate them.
In support of the homosexuals who are from the religious families, cognate dissonance as briefly highlighted above is the solution to reduce such humiliation among the society and family members. Parents also contribute more to the negative behavior and actions that homosexuals face. They should change their attitudes towards the ideas of homosexuality, and this doesn’t mean that they should give up on their deeply held religious beliefs. The transgender group is always advised that they should look for a community of homosexuals so that they can find somewhere they belong. Such an action reduces the feelings of alienation and rejection in the society. The support groups have been formed so that they can offer the team guidance and also moral support whenever they are faced with conflicts between religion and their sexual orientation (Haldeman, 2004).
To provide support to both families of the homosexuals and the individuals, it is highly recommended that the churches and religious fraternity should be ready to support and appreciate the transgender by giving them an environment of tolerance. The church leaders play a greater role in reducing the negative feelings that the homosexual face. It is observed that when the homosexuals break and alienate themselves from Christianity, it is indeed a failure of the church and its leaders.
In conclusion, homosexuality in a Christian family is always faced with negative reception. They face rejection, humiliation and which leads to anxiety, depression, alienation and many more negative feelings as highlighted in the above essay. Families who practice Christianity are always not ready to accept the homosexuals because they firmly believe that it is sinful and against the teachings. Such strong resistances and rejections of the group have made most homosexuals to separate themselves from the church.
References
Haldeman, D. C. (2004). When sexual and religious orientation collides: Considerations in working with conflicted same-sex attracted male clients. The Counseling Psychologist , 32(5), 691-715.
Morrow, S. L., & Beckstead, A. L. (2004). Conversion therapies for same-sex attracted clients in religious conflict: Context, predisposing factors, experiences, and implications for therapy. The Counseling Psychologist, 32, 641 – 650.
Silverstein, C. (2003). The religious conversion of homosexuals: Subject selection is the voir dire of psychological research. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy , 7(3), 31-53.
Worthington, R. L (2004). Sexual identity, sexual orientation, religious identity, and change: Is it possible to depolarize the debate? The Counseling Psychologist , 32, 741-749.
