Question Three: 
In your opinion, does God approve of two gay or lesbian individuals pledging their love to each other in a religious ceremony and raising children who may be born to them or adopted by them?

Baptist: Dr. Stayton - Absolutely. God's concern must be that we are good and loving parents, whether gay or straight, and that we bring our children up to be independent of us, loving individuals with a value system that strives to accept, understand, and love all that is good.

Episcopalian: Bishop Spong - I regard the blessing of gay or lesbian couples by the church to be inevitable, right, and a positive good. We must be willing to relinquish prejudice and turn our attention to loving our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, supporting them, and relating to them as a part of God's good creation. That will inevitably include accepting, affirming and blessing those gay and lesbians relationships that, like all holy relationships, produce the fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, and self-sacrifice - and to do so in the confidence that though this may not be in accordance with the literal letter of the Biblical texts, it is in touch with the life-giving spirits that always breaks the bondage of literalism.

This is a step the church must take for the church's sake, to be cleansed from our sin of complicity in their oppression. We need to affirm God's Word in creation that "it is not good for man (woman) to live alone." It is this Word of God that calls us to act now.

"In Christ," said Paul, "shall all be made alive." Yes, all, including the gay and lesbian couples who have become in Christ one flesh. Now is the time to break the bondage of this prejudice that prevents that gift of life, promised to all by the Christ from being realized.

Episcopalian: Bishop Wood - Yes. The image of relationships God seeks for us is clear: self-giving, caring, faithful.

Judaism: Rabbi Lazar - Again, I don't pretend to know whether God approves of this. I do believe there are many more significant issues moral in character that are worthy of consideration. I do believe there are people who impose their religious fundamental beliefs on others and to me that is immoral.

Judaism: Rabbi Marder - (Question 1: In your opinion, does God regard homosexuality as a sin? Answer: The God I worship endorses loving, committed, monogamous relationships, regardless of the gender of those involved.)

Judaism: Rabbi Dr. Teutsch - Yes. The ideal religious way is one of long term mutual commitment in a family setting. Those who have not obtained it deserve no condemnation; those who create permanent relationships and/or are raising children deserve our fullest support.

Judaism: Rabbi Wilson - The Eternal is near to all who call upon Him/Her, to all who call upon Him/Her sincerely (Psalm 145). I am ambivalent about my own involvement in such a ceremony. I certainly do not object to their "rasing children." Let love, honor, respect, caring and sensitivity be the criteria.

Lutheran: Bishop Olson - The church has many liturgies of blessing as people dedicate themselves, their special places, and their possessions to God. Religious leaders are asked to invoke God's blessings on farms, homes, cemeteries, and people's pets. Prayers are offered at football games, conventions and public gatherings of all types. What is so strange about blessing the covenant of fidelity of two committed and loving persons who are gay or lesbian? If the home and family they seek to create is a place of love, sacrifice, fidelity and mutual respect, it is surely a fit place for the raising of children. It would be desirable that all children had secure and loving homes in which to grow to maturity. With a critical shortage of such homes it would be a mistake to eliminate some homes simply because they do not conform to a stereotype of one type of Christian home. Home is where there is love and respect and commitment to the full life and development of all who live within that dwelling.

Former Mormon: Dr. McGrathy - God approves of all relationships that are life-giving. Relationships encourage and support fullness of life when there is firm commitment to mutuality, love and justice. My experience with gay couples and lesbian couples who have pledged their love to each other has taught me that they are no less capable than heterosexual couples in creating life-giving relationships into which children can be nurtured and loved. One's erotic sexual orientation has nothing to do with the ability to provide the parenting a child needs. I believe people within my religious tradition have the historical and philosophical foundation to provide a community which includes all persons who want to grow in their capacity for love and justice in their relationships.

Presbyterian: Rev. Holfelder - In holy unions as in marriages, I think that the primary issue is that of making a covenant. Those in covenant relationships create the right atmosphere in which to share their sexuality and in which to rear children. It seems to me that the role of the church (or religious community) is to support and affirm those living in "covenant" relationships.

Roman Catholic: Sister Ford - An important question each one of us must ask ourselves is, "What is the most wholesome way for me to grow as an individual?" Wholeness and holiness are two forms of the same word. For most persons, to live in relationship with one other individual has been the most challenging, demanding but also rewarding and enriching path to fullness of human development. Certainly this lifestyle is far superior to others such as a life of prostitution or promiscuity, or the choice to commit suicide rising from lack of self-regard and hope. By comparison these other "choices" would be better labeled "non-options." God expects us to live the very best lives we each possibly can. Statistics have shown that sexual orientation of the children is not affected by that of those doing the parenting and their mental health is not compromised by living with homosexual parents as long as those individuals provide love and efforts at good parenting. These youngsters have every chance of growing up with both high moral values and personal stability. The couple may have difficulty finding a main-line church which will officially bless their union. There are some groups and individual ministers who will perform such "holy unions."

Roman Catholic: Sister Gramick - God most assuredly approves of and hopes for loving feelings and actions on the part of all people. Whether these feelings and expressions are between people of the same or opposite genders is irrelevant.

It is a beautiful thing when two people pledge their love to each other, to care for each other in the rough times as well as the good times, to promise each other that they will walk as companions along life's journey. To deny a religious ceremony to two such people who love each other, merely because they happen to be of the same gender, seems unjust. Since God is a God of justice, one could logically argue that God approves of same gender couples pledging their love.

Love between two individuals should encourage them to share that love with others. Biological or adopted offspring are one means for same sex and heterosexual couples to share that love with the human family.

Roman Catholic: Rev. Nugent - Catholic teaching is that genital sexual union has its true meaning in the context of heterosexual marriage grounded in the procreative and unitive dimensions of gender differences and sexual identity. This is the "norm" or what sexuality ought to be. It is the ideal form for full genital expression which is approved by God. Where we got this norm, whether it should be the only norm, and how or whether it applies to gay and lesbian people are critical questions today for some church groups and theologians. A norm can be upheld in general, but modified when applied to special unique cases. Behavior which goes against the general norm, might be acceptable for some people in unique and individual and exceptional cases as exceptions or accommodations. Gay and lesbian individuals who do not fit the heterosexual norm might be encouraged to embrace and affirm their own sexual reality and strive for the most human, loving and religious way to live their lives in keeping with fundamental values of stable family life, sacrificial love, faithful and life-giving relationships. A religious ceremony would say clearly that the couple took their relationship with god seriously and would also witness to the social impact of their relationship on others of the faith community. Caring for children born of prior heterosexual unions, adopted or foster children by a same-gender couple would not only be "approved" by God, but would be a serious religious obligation coming from one's belief in and commitment to god. The issue of procreation in a same gender relationship through technology (artificial insemination, test tube babies, third-party donors, surrogate motherhood, etc.) raises more complex and serious ethical and legal issues about personal dignity, the nature of human sexuality and the rights and limitations connected with human life and technology.

Unitarian Universality: Dr. Schulz - In my view "God" is not a person or a being but a term which can profitably be used to refer to the gracious plenum of Creation which presents itself to us in all its glory. Part of that glory is same-sex love. Thus, while it is not a matter of God "approving" or "disapproving" of certain behaviors or practices, same-sex love and the raising of children by same-sex couples is in my judgement fully consistent with the values which we glean from and apprehension of the gracious.

United Church of Christ: Dr. Lebacqz - (does God approve of gay/lesbians individuals covenaning together and raising children?) Yes. Please note that I have used the term covenant here. It is my firm belief that gay and lesbian couples should be allowed to marry in the church just as heterosexual couples are allowed to marry. One of the best "marriages" I know is between a gay couple who have been together, monogamously, for 10 years and intend to be together for the rest of their lives. One of the best "families" I know is comprised of two lesbian women and their two adopted children. Those children are lucky to be in a home with so much love!

United Church of Christ: Dr. Nelson - Yes, I believe God deeply approves of loving and committed, same-sex covenants, and the parenting for such children as may come to them. I rejoice in those churches and synagogues that now celebrate such unions, and I pray for the day when many more will do so.

United Methodist: Dr. Cobb - I believe this pattern would be the one most pleasing to God of all the options available to gays and lesbians. Of course, the raising of children is not essential to a healthy relationship.

United Methodist: Bishop Wheatley - My affirmative answer is much stronger than an intellectual opinion; it is a conviction based upon experiential and relational reality. My wife and I personally know gay and lesbian couples who have pledged their love to each other in religious ceremonies, some of whom are raising children either born to them or adopted by them, whose committed relationships and family constellations are as blessed of God in every dimension of love and loyalty as we would dare claim our own among the families of our heterosexual friends are. This convinces us that God not only approves but also nurtures same-sex couples in their commitments to each other and in their extensions of loving care to those who may be added to the family.