Is LGBT Progress Seen as an Attack on Christians?: Examining Christian/ Sexual Orientation Zero-Sum Beliefs

As social policies have changed to grant more rights to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals, some Christians in the United States have suggested that LGBT rights impede Christians’ religious freedom. Across five studies, we examined the causes and consequences of zero-sum beliefs (ZSBs) about Christians and LGBT individuals. We demonstrate that Christians’ beliefs about conflict with sexual minorities are shaped by their understandings of Christian values, social change, interpretation of the Bible, and in response to religious institutions. In Study 1, heterosexual cisgender Christians endorsed ZSBs more than other groups. Christians reported perceiving that anti-LGBT bias has decreased over time while anti-Christian bias has correspondingly increased. In Study 2, Christians’ zero-sum beliefs increased after they reflected on religious values, suggesting that intergroup conflict is seen as being a function of Christian beliefs. Study 3 confirmed the role of symbolic threat in driving ZSBs; perceived conflict was accentuated when Christians read about a changing cultural climate in which Christians’ influence is waning. An intervention using Biblical scripture to encourage acceptance successfully lowered zero-sum beliefs for mainline but not fundamentalist Christians (Study 4). A final field study examined how ZSBs predict sexual prejudice in response to changing group norms. After a special conference in which the United Methodist Church voted to restrict LGBT people from marriage and serving as clergy, zero-sum beliefs became a stronger predictor of sexual prejudice (Study 5). We discuss the implications of Christian/LGBT ZSBs for religious freedom legislation, attitudes toward sexual minorities, and intergroup conflict more generally.

本研究探讨了在美国，随着社会政策对LGBT群体的权利给予更多保障，一些基督徒认为LGBT权利的提升与基督教的宗教自由发生冲突的现象。通过五项研究，研究团队考察了基督徒对LGBT群体的零和信念（ZSBs）的形成原因、驱动因素以及其社会后果。研究主要关注了基督徒如何理解基督教价值观、社会变迁及其对圣经的解读，以及这些因素如何影响他们对LGBT群体的看法。

本研究的参与者为330名来自美国的个体，通过TurkPrime平台招募。研究旨在收集约300名参与者，按照基督徒、非基督徒LGBT个体和非基督徒的比例进行分组。经过数据筛查，最终有效参与者为316人。参与者完成了包括基于十年时间跨度的歧视感知问卷以及其他依赖性量表，涉及零和信念（ZSBs）、同性婚姻支持度、宗教自由威胁感知等测量指标。数据收集过程中使用了分层抽样法，确保各组的平衡，但由于技术问题，未完全达到预期的比例。所有的测量工具和参与者背景数据都已公开分享。

研究发现，基督徒（尤其是保守派基督徒）倾向于将基督徒与LGBT群体之间视为零和关系，这种零和信念（ZSBs）与更强的性别偏见相关。理解宗教与性取向之间零和信念的原因与后果至关重要，尤其考虑到基督徒在美国及全球是最大的宗教群体。