"The black church's teaching that homosexuality is immoral has created a crisis for lesbian and gay Christians in black churches," Griffin said in a statement released by the Church today.

Griffin, a theology professor at General Theological Seminary in New York City, says black churches "use the bible to oppress gays and lesbians in a similar fashion to the approach once used by white church leaders to oppress blacks during slavery and segregation."

This treatment of gays and lesbians has, claims the author, helped spread HIV and AIDS within the African American community. "Even after two decades of AIDS research ... African American ministers, for the most part, display almost no change in their attitudes that AIDS is God's retribution

on the 'sinful,'" Griffin writes. "Until black church leaders adopt different Christian approaches, 'Down Low' practices will continue."

In teh book Griffin writes about the closet many black ministers live in. "Everyone within black churches realizes that there is reward and acceptance for those presenting themselves as heterosexual, while (out) gays and lesbians encounter ridicule and condemnation," he writes.

"Even in churches where it is 'known' that the pastor is gay, black church Christians are content to remain in the church if the pastor is willing to present himself as heterosexual with a wife and children."

The book will be published October 15th.