Social Psychological Aspects of the Judeo-Christian Stance toward Homosexuality

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Abstract
The American Psychiatric and Psychological Associations have taken a strong liberalization stand on the treatment of homosexuality which contrasts with the Judeo-Christian background of our society. To test the possible validity of the Judeo-Christian charge that homosexuality, and the support of granting equivalence to homosexuality, tends toward lethality (evil) and away from social cohesion and respect for human life (the good), 2, 251 participants from a series of area samples and 40 “out-of-closet” homosexuals were administered a questionnaire regarding social policy recommendations, practices that involve the endangerment of self, practices that might involve the endangerment of others, and the number and quality of intimates in their life-space. Results suggest that: (a) a Judeo-Christian bias is one of the more powerful wellsprings of discrimination against homosexuality, (b) the incidence of exclusive homosexuality approximates 1% of the population for both men and women, (c) support of equating homosexuality and heterosexuality is associated with both self- and other-endangerment, (d) a less than exclusively heterosexual orientation is associated with both self- and other-endangerment, and (e) a less than exclusively heterosexual orientation is associated with lower levels of social cohesion. It is argued that there may well be more merit in the Judeo-Christian appraisal of homosexuality than has been generally acknowledged.

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