Does Religion Influence Views Toward Homosexuality: An Empirical Study of 16 Countries

Abstract

Homosexuality is generally viewed negatively. That is certainly the case in the Jewish and Christian holy books as well as the Quran, although opinions differ as to interpretation. The practice has been condemned by these religions. An Imam in Orlando, Florida, the site of the mass murder of homosexuals in June, 2016, has gone so far as to say that killing homosexuals would be the compassionate thing to do.It is not the purpose of this paper to review the history of homosexuality, or the pros and cons or moral standing of the practice. Readers can obtain that information by reading the items listed in the reference section of this paper. The goal of this study is more limited, to report the results of a study that compares views on the acceptability of homosexuality in a few select countries that are religiously diverse. Data for this study were gathered as part of the most recent World Values Survey.The present study is part of a series on homosexuality. Other studies in the series rank countries based on their acceptance of homosexuality and examine specific demographic variables such as gender, age, social class, level of education, and region to see whether these variables are significant. Another study is longitudinal, measuring the change in views toward homosexuality that has taken place over the past few decades. Citations to some of those studies (with links) are listed in the reference section of the present paper.