Bishop Blames Atheism For LGBT Surge

Hands holding a row of colorful paper people — Photo: Andrey_Popov / Shutterstock

A German bishop told worshipers that losing faith in God has fueled a surge in LGBT identities, casting it as part of a wider moral shift in society.

Story Snapshot

Bishop Stefan Oster linked declining belief in God to rising LGBT identities in a sermon.
Oster’s remarks continue his public break with church papers that affirm sexual diversity.
German Catholic leaders remain split over sexuality and school guidance.
Secularization trends in Europe track with greater tolerance for transgender people, researchers find.

What Bishop Oster Said and Where He Said It

Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau preached on August 15 in Altötting during the Assumption feast. He argued that the believed absence or nonexistence of God widened what people view as possible around sex and gender. Reports quote him tying atheism to “appropriated identities” and warning about risks to democracy. The sermon also referenced attendees at local pride events. His comments add to a pattern of blunt statements on sexuality and identity in recent years.

Oster has said there is no separate “third sex,” while calling intersex conditions an impairment, and he upholds traditional church teaching on sexual acts. He has urged believers to be open to people while keeping doctrine. Those positions, repeated across interviews and homilies, set the frame for his latest remarks. Supporters see consistency with Catholic anthropology. Critics see harm and stigmatization in how he describes sex and gender diversity.

Why This Sermon Fits a Larger Church Fight

The German bishops have argued for years over how to address sexual diversity in schools and parishes. Some leaders back blessing same-sex unions or broader recognition. Others warn that this departs from Catholic teaching on the human person and family. Oster wrote a long critique of a national schools paper on sexual diversity and later distanced himself from it in public statements. His sermon follows that line of resistance to recent documents.

News outlets and church platforms have covered pushback against those papers, with Oster saying they elevate self-determination over doctrine. He argues that official texts risk treating core teachings as a problem. He contends that shifting language on identity changes the faith’s view of humanity. Supporters of reform argue for dignity, pastoral care, and scientific realism. The split remains active across dioceses and Catholic schools in Germany.

What the Data Says About Secularization and Identity

Academic research shows that more secular countries tend to show higher tolerance for transgender people. That finding supports a link between secular public life and greater acceptance of gender diversity. It does not prove that declining Christian belief causes more people to adopt LGBT identities. The social science points to culture and socialization shaping views rather than a single cause. Oster’s sermon presents a theological claim, while the data reflects observed attitudes in societies.

Germany’s path also reflects history. Activism, legal shifts, and public debate have moved the country toward broader acceptance. Catholic leaders who favor change say the church should respond to people’s lived reality and protect dignity. Leaders like Oster say any change must fit settled teaching on creation and the human person. That unresolved tension ensures sermons like this will keep drawing attention, inside the church and in a secular public square.

Why It Matters Beyond the Church

Public institutions in Europe, including schools, face pressure to define identity policies. Church schools sit at the center of that fight. Parents on the right worry about rapid social change and what their children learn. Parents on the left worry about exclusion and mental health risks for vulnerable students. Oster’s remarks land in that crossfire. They highlight a deeper question many share: who sets moral rules—faith traditions, the state, or shifting cultural norms?