美國同志基督徒棄教與心理健康之探究

Abstract

近年來，美國無宗教信仰者的數量持續成長，泛基督信仰正面臨信仰人口的流失。相較異性戀者，性少數族群中有更高的比例屬無宗教信仰者。除卻自始便是堅定的無宗教信仰者外，也有曾經在泛基督信仰家庭環境成長、兒時為泛基督信仰者的性少數族群，後來因故選擇離開教會或是放棄信仰，轉變為無宗教信仰者。 本研究即進一步探究同志基督徒轉為無宗教信仰者或離開教會之「棄教」行為的相關變項，以及了解同志基督徒轉為無宗教信仰者或離開教會之後的心理健康狀態，並運用Ilan H. Meyer在2020年針對美國同志所進行的全國性縱貫研究的部分資料，進行次級資料分析。本研究將棄離泛基督信仰的受訪者分為無神論者、不可知論者、靈性論者與無特定信仰者四類，使用廣義線性模型分析人口變項、性別與性傾向認同、童年生活經驗、目前保護因子與不同棄教類型間的相關性；最後並使用廣義線性迴歸測試不同棄教類型與心理健康依變項的關係。 研究發現，年齡、種族、居住在都會區、居住地區、性別、性傾向、曾接受過性傾向扭轉治療、童年逆境經驗、有過自殺意念、同志社群參與程度皆會影響同志基督徒的棄教類型；然而棄離教會或信仰，並沒有使同志的心理健康有所改善，無神論者與不可知論者仍有較差的心理健康表現。 研究建議社會工作者應體認性少數族群不同於異性戀的需求，擴展對多元性別的認識，覺察服務對象的宗教、文化、社會背景與所經歷事件如何影響其目前的靈性生活，並適時轉介具備文化敏感度的同志友善教會資源，協助服務對象整合性別/性傾向認同與宗教信仰間的衝突。

In recent years, the population of the religiously unaffiliated in the United States has been steadily increasing, while mainstream Christian beliefs are facing a decline in followers. Among sexual minority groups, there is a higher proportion of non-religious individuals compared to heterosexual individuals. Aside from those who have always firmly held non-religious beliefs, there are also sexual minority individuals who grew up in Christian households and were once followers of mainstream Christianity. However, due to various reasons, they have chosen to leave the church or abandon their faith, transitioning into non-religious individuals. This study aims to further explore the factors associated with the religious disaffiliation of LGB Christians and to understand their psychological well-being after transitioning into non-religious individuals. To reach to study aims, this study utilized the nationally representative longitudinal research data collected by Ilan H. Meyer in 2020 on LGB adults in the United States, and conducted secondary data analysis. The participants who disaffiliated from mainstream Christianity were categorized into four groups: “atheists”, “agnostics”, “spiritualists”, and “not in particular”. Multiple Generalized Linear Model was employed to examine the correlations among demographic variables, gender and sexual orientation identity, childhood experiences, current protective factors, and different types of religious disaffiliation. Additionally, generalized linear regression was used to assess the relationship between different types of religious disaffiliation and psychological well-being. The study revealed that age, race, current residency, regions, gender, sexual orientation, reception of conversion therapy, adversity childhood experiences, suicidal ideation, and LGBTQ+ community participation all influence the types of religious disaffiliation among LGB Christians. However, the act of leaving the church or abandoning faith did not associate with improved psychological well-being for sexual minority individuals. Atheists and agnostics still exhibited poorer psychological well-being. Based on these findings, this study suggests that social workers should recognize the unique needs of sexual minority individuals distinct from heterosexual individuals, expand their understanding of diverse gender identities, and be aware of how clients' religious, cultural, and social backgrounds, as well as past experiences, may impact their current spiritual lives. Furthermore, timely referrals should be made to LGBT-affirming religious institutions that value cultural sensitivity, in order to assist clients in reconciling conflicts between their gender/sexual orientation identity and religious beliefs.