Few U.S. Religions Bless Same-Sex Unions

As the Episcopal bishops wrestle over their policies on homosexuality, here's a look at how other U.S. religions treat ceremonies for same-sex couples:

Blessings are opposed by most U.S. religious bodies, including Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, the Southern Baptist Convention and other evangelical Protestant denominations, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Judaism's Orthodox and Conservative branches and Islam.

United Methodist Church bans same-sex ceremonies, a policy upheld by 69 percent of delegates in 2000.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) allows clergy to officiate at same-sex rituals while specifying that such events differ from marriages. Conservatives lost an attempt to forbid such officiating in 2001.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America plans a report in 2005 on same-sex blessings and other gay issues.

Judaism's liberal Reform branch gives rabbis the option of presiding at gay commitment ceremonies, a policy that became official in 2000.

Unitarian Universalist Association, United Church of Christ and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, which has a largely homosexual membership, advocate tolerance.