Buddhism

Buddhism takes it's roots from the ancient teachings of Siddhartha Gautama also known as The Buddha. The years he lived and taught are unknown however many believe the dates of his life range from 566-480 BCE. Buddhism teaches The five percepts are ethical practices not commandments they should should be followed at all times. These include abstaining from lying, stealing, harming others, sexual misconduct, and consuming intoxicants. Buddhism main focus is the relaxing of the mind and body. Wisdom also plays a major role within the   religion and philosophy. 


 General attitude towards homosexuality, and same sex marriage:


Buddha never discussed or taught about homosexuality. The percept that discusses sexual misconduct does not mention homosexuality. It focus more on sexual misconduct and adultery. Most Buddhist take there beliefs on homosexuality form the culture in which they are raised. According to the paper "Gender and Sexual Discrimination in Popular Thai Buddhism" by Kulavir P. Pipat, "homosexuality is seen as the result of bad karma accumulated in past lives..."
In the United States Buddhism is a very popular religion because of it's involvement in self study and the understanding one's own self.


Buddhism: An Intrduction        
Religious Tolerance: Buddhism
The Big View
Gender and Sexual Discrimination in Popular Thai Buddhism

Judaism

Judaism is a simple but complex religion. It can trace its beginnings back to the time of Moses and Abraham over five thousand years ago. The Torah is the holy text in which Jewish teachings originate.

Jewish teachings are very similar to those of Christians religions. However, there is main and key point that is different. The Jewish people believe that Jesus Christ was not the messiah. Therefore none his teaching were directly related to God. Another difference is that in Judaism the belief is that God is single whole and complete. Also, that god is neither male or female.    

The religion can be broken down into three different sections: Conservative, Orthodox, and Reform. The Conservatives believe that the laws given by god evolve and change over time. Orthodox Jews the laws of God are absolute and unchanging. Finally the Reform Jews see the laws more as guidelines and they can choose which ones to follow and which ones not to.

 General attitude towards homosexuality, and same sex marriage:

The Torah clearly states that male homosexual are sinful. However, being attracted to another person of the same sex is not a sin. There is no place in the Torah in which it states that female homosexual acts are sinful. Within the 613 commandments of the Torah one commandment explains how men and women should marry and have children. This commandment is instantly broken when engaging in a homosexual relationship. Many Rabbi's and Synagogues have been accepting homosexuals into there institutions for prayer and worship. 



Jewish FAQ 

Comparison Chart of Homosexuality and Religion

Religionfacts.com - Comparison Chart

Religion	Views of Homosexual Orientation	View of Homosexual Acts	Quotes
Ancient Greeks	No conception of "homosexuality" versus "heterosexualty." Same-sex desires not categorized separately from other sexual desires.	Not generally condemned and often idealized and romanticized. But the social status of the partners and the playing of the passive role were important considerations.	"The noble lover of beauty engages in love wherever he sees excellence and splendid natural endowment without regard for any difference in physiological detail." -Plutarch, Dialogue on Love 146
Ancient Romans	No conception of "homosexuality" versus "heterosexualty." Homosexual desires were irrelevant; only the acts were regulated.	Similar to Greece under the Republic, but more negative under the Empire, in which male prostitution and pederasty were illegal and passive partners in adult relationships lost many civil rights.
Buddhism	Varies: Unnatural (Dalai Lama), a karmic punishment (SE Asian countries), an alternative. Not generally condemned in itself.	Unlawful for monks, who must be celibate regardless of orientation. For other Buddhists, "sexual misconduct" is prohibited under the Third Precept, which depends on the circumstances and the results.	"Where there is mutual consent, where adultery is not involved and where the sexual act is an expression of love, respect, loyalty and warmth, it would not be breaking the third Precept." -BuddhaNet
Christianity	Not generally considered sinful in itself, though some see it as a purposeful perversion. Some accept it as a natural alternative, while others regard it as a non-chosen disorder akin to alcoholism.	Traditionally considered sinful. Many Christians and denominations continue to uphold this belief, while others have reconsidered it or in the process of doing so.	"Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." -Romans 1:27
Hinduism	Not generally condemned in itself. Some ancient texts and temples depict it as one of many sexual inclinations, while Vedanta discourages homosexual desires as lustful and/or distracting.	Condemned by most Hindu cultures, though not often for religious reasons. The teachings of Vedanta, which emphasize liberation from the material world to the spiritual, allow only heterosexual sex, within marriage and for purposes of procreation.	"...in all things connected with love, everybody should act according to the custom of his country and his own inclination."Kama Sutra IX "O son of Kunti, the pleasures that are born out of sensory contacts are sources of pain. They certainly are transient, having a beginning and an end. The intelligent man is wise enough not to indulge in them." (Bhagavad Gita 5.22)
Islam	Not generally condemned.	Sinful and punishable under Islamic law.	"We also sent Lut: He said to his people: Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds." -Qur'an 7:80-81
Jehovah's Witnesses	Not necessarily sinful.	Sinful. Those with homosexual inclinations must abstain from all homosexual behavior.	"Christians do not make homosexuals, or anyone else, the target of ill will, ridicule, or harassment. True Christians view their fellow humans as potential disciples of Christ, treating them in a respectful and dignified manner." - Awake! Dec. 8, 1997 .
Judaism	Orthodox: Condemned as rebellion against God. Conservative: Neither condemned nor affirmed. Reform: Generally accepted as alternative.	Orthodox: Strongly condemned. Conservative: Violation of Jewish law, disqualifies from Jewish marriage and religious leadership. Reform: Approved in context of committed relationship; civil marriage supported, but generally not religious marriage.	"A man shall not lie with another man as with a woman; it is an abomination." -Leviticus 18:22
Mormonism	Called "same-gender attraction." Less serious than homosexual acts, but should be resisted.	Considered a serious sin. Heterosexual marriage is required for entry into the most desirable forms of afterlife.	"We all seem to have susceptibilities to one disorder or another, but whatever our susceptibilities, we have the will and the power to control our thoughts and our actions." -Dallin H. Oaks
New Age	Accepted as alternative.	Accepted within bounds of general ethics.
Sikhism	Generally considered a manifestation of Lust, one of the "Five Thieves" or vices. A minority consider it an acceptable alternative.	Generally condemned in light of its association with Lust and the value of family life. But a minority believe the Sikh value of universal equality supports acceptance of homosexual relations.	"Sikhism is a very tolerant religion and seeks to find the truth rather than adhere rigidly to rules. Homosexuality is not specifically banned in any of the writings of the Gurus, but they do stress that God has intended people to live as man and wife, or to be celibate, with no deviation from this design." -Ethnicity Online
Wicca	Accepted as alternative.	Accepted within bounds of general ethics.	"All acts of Love and Pleasure are Her rituals." -The Charge of the Goddess

Islam

Islam is the worlds second most popular religion. There is an estimated 1 billion members who practice Islam. Islam is not a sub-category of Christianity, but follows its own set of beliefs based off of the prophet Muhammad whose life was documented in the Qur'an. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is a direct interpretation of gods word and was revealed by the prophet Muhammad and the Angel Gabriel. Muslims believe that humans were created with free will, and are expected to use that free will to serve god, and fully commit to Islam. The greatest sin according to Islamic beliefs is pride. "In pride humans attempt to partner themselves with God, and thereby damage the unity of god".


According to Islam all humans die and remain dead in their graves waiting for the return of Allah, and at that time they will be judged and sentenced to heaven or hell. The only exception to being judged is if you are an enemy of Allah then you go straight to hell, or if you die fighting for Allah then you go straight to heaven.


General attitude towards homosexuality, and same sex marriage:


Homosexuality according to Islam is considered sinful. Being homosexual is not necessarily considered a sin, but acting on any homosexual tendencies is considered a sin. According to Islamic law there is no definite condemnation of homosexuality if it is not in public. Also lesbians are considered less sinful because there is no penetration. Although Islamic law, and Islam is not overly concerned with homosexuality or same sex marriage there are many Muslim nations where homosexual actions can result in a public death penalty. The death penalty for homosexual actions are rare, and normally individuals are fined or whipped, unless they are seen as pushing gay rights. Experimentation in homosexuality in Islamic communities is somewhat common because of strict rules preventing interaction between men and women. 


Religionfacts

Church of Jesus Christ of LDS

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a Christian denomination that takes it teachings from the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon. The church believes in God the Father, his son Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. The three make up the God Head. The Book of Mormon is the other book Latter Day Saints take their religious teachings from. The church has the same general principals of every other Christian based religion.

General attitude towards homosexuality, and same sex marriage:

The Church believes that marriage is only between a man and a woman. There have been multiple documents that the church has released emphasizing this belief. The most famous is The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  The Church recognizes that people are and can be homosexual hence they do not see being homosexual a sin. The church only recognizes homosexual acts as sinful.

To be a member of the church and a homosexual you must follow all church standards and remain partner less.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World
Official LDS Website- Homosexuality Statement

Jehovah's Witnesses

The Church of Jehovah's witnesses has some similarities to Christianity, but also some vast differences. Jehovah's Witnesses believe in a god called Jehovah. Like Christianity Jehovah's witnesses believe that Jehovah had a son named Jesus Christ, but unlike Christian denominations they do not believe that Jesus is god. They believe that Jesus was sent to earth as Jehovah's only son and Jehovah's only direct creation. Jehovah's Witnesses believe that Jesus Christ acting on behalf of Jehovah created everything. Jesus, as in Christian denominations was a sacrifice for the sins of all man kind. They do not believe that Jesus died on a cross, but rather a single torture stake. Jesus is considered as a liaison between humans and Jehovah. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in hell, but that humans are tempted to sin by the Satan and Jehovah allows this to test humans faith and will towards him. In the end they believe that there will be a final Armageddon battle between God and Satan and god will take all the souls that have done good and allow them to exist forever on a paradise earth, and those who have done wrong will just cease to exist.

General attitude towards homosexuality, and same sex marriage:


The Church of Jehovah's Witness hold similar views on homosexuality as other Christian denominations. They believe that the God explicitly created man and woman to procreate and the bible condemns homosexuality because it goes against Gods wishes. Jehovah's Witness do not agree with religious institutions that take the matter of homosexuality lightly. The Jehovah Church strongly believes that if you have homosexual feelings does not mean that your gay, but just experiencing involuntary sexual arousal. The Church does not go into detail about why homosexuals exist and that they do not want to debate the reason, because the reason does not matter, homosexuality is still condemned by the bible. The Church believes that those who are having homosexual tendencies can simply work to ignore and pray against tendencies and all other gay propaganda.

Watchtower
Watchtower Gay Views