In spite of a significant rise in the acceptance of gays and lesbians members in American religious congregations since 2006, acceptance among members of Catholic Churches is actually declining.

The Daily Mail is reporting on Duke University's National Congregations Study which interviewed representatives of 1,331 American congregations and found a significant interest in acceptance of gays and lesbians in their congregations between 2006 and 2012; however acceptance in Catholic congregations declined during the same time period.

Overall acceptance of gay and lesbian members increased from 37 percent to 48 percent over the six-year period.

Growth in acceptance was strongest in non-Christian congregations, black Protestant churches and white liberal Protestant churches.

In Catholic churches, however, acceptance of gays and lesbians in the congregation dropped from 74 percent to 58 percent.

Mark Chaves, a Duke professor of sociology, religious studies, and divinity, who directed the study, said he believes this decline could be due, in part, to the child sex abuse scandal which some see as connected to homosexuality.

This could be a factor because a majority of the confirmed cases of molestation occurred between priests and male pre-pubescent youth.

Also gauged in the study was acceptance of gays and lesbians as volunteer leaders which increased from 18 to 26 percent overall.

However, in Catholic churches, that number dropped from 39 percent to 26 percent.

"Congregations reflect general cultural trends," Chaves said, "but they also reflect divisions on this issue."

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