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In the United States, the '''mainline''' (also sometimes called mainstream) Religious denominations are those Protestantism denominations with a potpourri of conservative, moderate, and liberal theology. The hallmark of the mainline churches is ''moderation''. Their theologies tend to be moderate and influenced by higher criticism, consciously or not. Ministers and members of mainline churches generally are comfortable with modern language and inclusive language translations of the Bible.
They tend to be open to new ideas and societal changes without abandoning what they consider to be the historical basis of the Christian faith.<ref>[http://www.ecai.org/nara/nara_article.html The Decline of Mainline Protestantism]</ref> This places them to the left of the more conservative fundamentalist and evangelicalism churches. They have been increasingly open to the ordination of women. They have been far from uniform in their reaction to LGBT social movements, though less dogmatic on these issues than either the Roman Catholic Church or the more conservative Protestant churches. Mainline churches take a moderate view with regard to military service—all provide chaplains to the United States armed forces and none are historically peace churches except the Church of the Brethren—but all express reservations about aggressive use of military force for any reason.
They tend to be open to new ideas and societal changes without abandoning what they consider to be the historical basis of the Christian faith.<ref>[http://www.ecai.org/nara/nara_article.html The Decline of Mainline Protestantism]</ref> This places them to the left of the more conservative fundamentalist and evangelicalism churches. They have been increasingly open to the ordination of women. They have been far from uniform in their reaction to LGBT social movements, though less dogmatic on these issues than either the Roman Catholic Church or the more conservative Protestant churches. Mainline churches take a moderate view with regard to military service—all provide chaplains to the United States armed forces and none are historically peace churches except the Church of the Brethren—but all express reservations about aggressive use of military force for any reason.