Sexual identity and religious endorsement: The role of image of god and belief in punitive religious constructs.

Abstract

For many sexual minority (SM) individuals, the intersection of religion and sexual identity is multifaceted and nuanced. Some SM people openly reject religion while others maintain a positive and fulfilling religious identity. The present study uses national-level data (Baylor Religion Survey, The Baylor religion survey, 2014) to investigate the role of one's image of God and belief in punitive theological constructs in predicting the levels of religious endorsement of SM respondents. The analyses investigate three research questions: (a) Do respondents who identify as SM individuals (i.e., gay, lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, or don't know) differ from heterosexual respondents on their levels of religious endorsement? (b) Does the nature of one's image of God from less to more judgmental mediate the relationship between sexual orientation and levels of religious endorsement?, and (c) Do higher levels of belief in punitive religious constructs mediate the relationship between sexual orientation of religious endorsement? The findings show that individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, homosexual, or bisexual have significantly lower religious endorsement than their heterosexual/straight peers and this relationship is mediated by one's level of belief in punitive religious constructs. Image of God is not a mediator variable, but independently predict levels of religious endorsement, even when controlling for sexual identity. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Introduction to special section on current advances in the intersection of religiousness/spirituality and LGBTQ+ studies.

“…The first article by Lisa Platt and her colleagues (Platt et al, 2021) examines how religious beliefs, in this case, the image of God and associated beliefs, contribute to religious endorsement and apparent sexual identity integration. They conclude that “the intersection of religious and sexual identity is a nuanced, personally defined journey” (p. 263).…”