According to members from any Christian congregation that claims Christ as the founder of their church, they welcome all people regardless of sexual orientation, but prohibit gay and lesbian sexual activity.

“People who persecuted Christ were common people, sinners, and Jesus forgave them all,” said Harold Alvarez, 29, who helps out with the Bible Christian Fellowship Bible study group at SF State.

Roman Catholic bishops in United States voted in Nov. 2006 to support initiatives based on traditional teachings guidelines that call for gay and lesbian Catholics to remain celibate.

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest single religious body, and totals more than 1 billion baptized members, according to the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, the Vatican’s official statistics book.

Christianity, according to Tanya Silva, lecturer of philosophical issues in sexuality and a critical thinking lab supervisor at SF State, include all Christ’s followers from either Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant churches and their derivates.

“Historically, the purpose of sex is procreation in the eyes of church. It is standard tradition of Christianity,” Silva said.

Catholics say that homosexual inclination is not sinful, but sexual activity is, and they hold on to the idea that same-sex couples act against their nature.

“God loves us all, but we can not go against our nature,” said Adriana Delgadillo, 27, a long-time member and leader of a Catholic youth group in South San Francisco.

On the other hand, Protestants, some of whom identify themselves simply as Christians, according to the Christianity’s definition, also accept homosexuals into their congregation, but they encourage gay and lesbians to accept themselves as sinners.

“Good does not tolerate sin, but God forgives when we accept,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez also identifies homosexuality as a chosen preference.

“Gays and lesbians are not born homosexuals, it could be possible that some people are born with hormonal deficiencies, but there is treatment for them,” Alvarez said

But gays, lesbians, religious liberals and most therapists believe homosexuality is something that people are and according to these groups, it is a pre-determined orientation that is normal and natural for them.

“Homosexuality is the exposure to an abnormally high or low amount of certain hormones and these brain differences are not reversible,” said Ivy Chen, human sexuality lecturer at SF State.

Chen also mentioned that historical studies and purposed treatments have ranged from group counseling to shock therapy.

Institutions like Exodus, a nonprofit, interdenominational Christian organization, promote the message of freedom from homosexuality through the power of Jesus Christ through therapy and pray.

However, religion is not an obstacle for gay people, according to Vi Le, 20, biochemistry student, vice-president and secretary of the Queer Alliance at SF State.

Le believes that gay and lesbian people work through their faith to become comfortable with their sexuality.

“Catholic homosexuals still have faith and reaffirm their religion, and I don’t know anybody who is struggling with acceptance into any religion institution,” Le said.