17.InthewestCountries，areallreligionsagainsthomosexuality？
No.Allreligionsarenotagainsthomosexualityandmanyreligiouspeopleopenlyaccepthomosexuals.Manygaysandlesbiansarereligiousindividualsandmembersofchurches.SeveralchurchesintheUnitedStateshavesignificantgayandlesbianpopulationsandsomeofthemalsohavegayandlesbianministers.CongregationsintheMethodistChurch，theAnglicanChurch，theUnitarianChurch，andtheLutheranChurch，amongothers，haveshowntolerancetowardsgaysandlesbians.Somechurcheshave，despitethegovernment’snon-recognitionofgaymarriageinmostplaces，beguntoperformsame-sexmarriageceremonies.Thereisnothinginherentlyincompatibleabouthomosexualityandreligion.
Studieshaveshown，however，thatreligionisoneofthemajorcausesofintolerancetowardshomosexualsandthatareaswithahigherpercentageofdevoutlyreligiouspeopletendtobemoreanti-gay.Somechurcheshavehadintenseinternaldebatesaboutallowinggaymenandwomentoserveasministersandtheissuehaseventhreatenedtodividechurchleaders.
18.Ishomosexualityorhomosexualbehavioracrime？
Anincreasingnumberofcountriesaroundtheworldhaveabolishedlawsthatcriminalizehomosexualsexualconduct，andveryfewnationshaveevercriminalizedtheactualstatusofbeinghomosexual.TheearliestlawscriminalizinghomosexualsexualconductcomefromJewishandChristianreligioustexts.Consequently，manyChristianandMuslimnationsoriginallybannedand，insomecases，stillbanhomosexualintercourse.Forexample，theIslamicRepublicofIranstrictlyforbidshomosexualintercourseandexecutesmensuspectedofbeinggay.Othernationsmaypunishhomosexualbehaviorundermoregeneralstatutesrelatingtomoralityorsexualbehavior.