wneville_mctavish

http://www.ohr.org.il/ask/ask006.htm#Q1
(Link active July 6, 2003. Archived locally as: ask006)

Judaism's view on Homo***uality

A Curious, Wondering Jew writes:

Dear Rabbi,

Now that science has determined that homo***uality is genetically
transmitted how does that affect the Jewish view of Homo***uals?

Thank you,

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Curious, Wondering, Jew,

Two points. First: Although there has been some research into the role
genetics has on homo***uality, no conclusive evidence to support this
claim has emerged. That some people have a predisposition to this kind
of behavior is not in question, but the argument about its origins
continues. Even if it was proven that homo***uality is genetically
transmitted, that would not mean that we must condone the behavior.
There are many conditions that are genetically transmitted (for
example, color blindness) yet we continue to search for a way to
overcome them.

Second: The Torah's view of Jewish homo***uals is that they are just
as much a part of the community as everyone else. We have an
obligation to treat them with the same respect and compassion that we
must treat every other human being. What is objectionable in the eyes
of the Torah is the particular ***ual act, NOT the person. "Thou shalt
not lie with a man after the manner of a woman: it is an abomination."
The Torah is not judging the person; only the behavior.

The difficulty arises when people insist on identifying homo***uals
exclusively by their ***ual orientation. Then when the ***ual behavior
is condemned, this condemnation is transferred to their entire modus
vivendi. Human beings are much more than their ***ual behavior and
must be treated that way.

Source:

•Leviticus ch.18, v.22

~~~~~~~~~~ End of Article ~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know what Torah the Rabbi has to get this advice:
"The Torah's view of Jewish homo***uals is that they are just as much
a part of the community as everyone else. We have an obligation to
treat them with the same respect and compassion that we must treat
every other human being. What is objectionable in the eyes of the
Torah is the particular ***ual act, NOT the person. "Thou shalt not
lie with a man after the manner of a woman: it is an abomination." The
Torah is not judging the person; only the behavior."

The Torah I have access to says:

http://www.mnemotrix.com/texis/vtx/chumash

Chumash References
Acharey Mot, Leviticus Chapter 18

18 : 22 Do not lie with a male as you would with a woman, since this
is a disgusting perversion.
18 : 23 Do not perform any ***ual act with an animal, since it will
defile you. A woman shall [likewise] not give herself to an animal and
allow it to mate with her. This is an utterly detestable perversion.
18 : 24 Do not let yourselves be defiled by any of these acts. It was
as a result of them that the nations that I am driving away before you
became defiled.
18 : 25 The land became defiled, and when I directed My providence at
the sin committed there, the land vomited out its inhabitants.
18 : 26 You, [however,] must keep My decrees and laws, and not become
involved in any of these disgusting perversions - neither the native
born nor any foreigner who settles among you.
18 : 27 The people who lived in the land before you did all these
disgusting perversions and defiled the land.
18 : 28 But [you shall not cause] the land to vomit you out when you
defile it, as it vomited out the nation that was there before you.
18 : 29 Thus, whenever anyone does any of these disgusting
perversions, [all] the people involved shall be cut off [spiritually]
from the midst of their people.
18 : 30 Keep My charge, and do not follow any of the perverted customs
that were kept before you [arrived], so that you not be defiled by
them. I am God your Lord.

Again what the "Rabbi" said:

"The Torah's view of Jewish homo***uals is that they are just as much
a part of the community as everyone else."


" We have an obligation to treat them with the same respect and
compassion that we must treat every other human being. What is
objectionable in the eyes of the Torah is the particular ***ual act,
NOT the person.:.."

"Thou shalt not lie with a man after the manner of a woman: it is an
abomination." The Torah is not judging the person; only the behavior."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The same Torah also says:
Chumash References
Kedoshim, Leviticus Chapter 20

20 : 7 You must sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I am God your
Lord.
20 : 8 Safeguard My decrees and keep them, since I am God [and] I am
making you holy.
20 : 9 Any person who curses his father or mother shall therefore be
put to death. Since he has cursed his father or mother, he shall be
stoned to death.
20 : 10 If a man commits adultery with a married woman, [and] she is
the wife of a fellow [Israelite], both the adulterer and adulteress
shall be put to death.
20 : 11 If a man has intercourse with his father's wife, he has
committed a ***ual offense against his father. Therefore, both of them
shall be put to death by stoning.
20 : 12 If a man has intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of
them shall be put to death. Since they have committed an utterly
detestable perversion, they shall be stoned to death.
20 : 13 If a man has intercourse with another man in the same manner
as with a woman, both of them have committed a disgusting perversion.
They shall be put to death by stoning.

[ ... ]

20 : 23 Do not follow the customs of the nation that I am driving out
before you, since they did all the above mentioned [perversions] and I
was disgusted with them.
20 : 24 I therefore said to you, "Take over their land. I will give it
to you so that you can inherit it - a land flowing with milk and
honey. I am God your Lord who has separated you out from among all the
nations.

Notes:

20 : 2 pelt him to death... After trial by a duly ordained Sanhedrin.
Since there is no such ordination today, death penalties are not
imposed.

20 : 9 he shall be stoned... (Sanhedrin 66a; Rashi; from 20:27).
Expressed idiomatically by, "his blood is in him." This indicates that
he shall be killed by a method that induces internal bleeding, and
this is stoning. See Exodus 21:17.

20 : 11 If a man... The Torah now gives the penalties for the ***ual
offenses outlined in Leviticus 18:6-23.

20 : 12 utterly detestable perversion Tevel. See Leviticus 18:23.

20 : 12 stoned to death See Leviticus 20:9.

20 : 13 by stoning See Leviticus 20:9.

20 : 23 Do not follow the customs This is a specific commandment not
to follow gentile customs (Sefer HaMitzvoth, Negative 30). See
Leviticus 18:3.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also read:

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=&selm=34cc0d1f.100219362%40news.flash.net&rnum=1
Subject: Hillel Recognizes *** Marriages Among Jews BUT Halacha
Does Not Recognize Marriage Between Jew & Non-Jew (Oh The
Humanity!)...
Message-ID: <34cc0d1f.100219362@news.flash.net>
Date: 1998/01/26

Excerpts:

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/judaism/FAQ/05-Worship/
(Link active July 6, 2003. Archived localy as: 05-Worship)

Do you need a rabbi for a divorce?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^

Subject: Reposting of Rabbis Condone Homo***ual Weddings
From: Doc Tavish <tavish@phoenix.net>
Date: 1997/01/02
Message-ID: <32CC5323.2C1@phoenix.net>

Associated Press 27 Mar 96
Rabbis Consider *** Blessing

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Naomi Segal had the Jewish wedding she
always wanted. A rabbi married her under a chuppah, the traditional
wedding canopy, the traditional glass was smashed underfoot, and
44 relatives joined in the ceremony. One hundred fifty guests ate
vegetarian. And she married the woman of her dreams.
"A Jewish wedding you don't do in a little closet somewhere,"
said Segal, a hospital social worker from Philadelphia. "You have
a huge party."
Segal, 38, and Rie Brosco, 41, did make one small change in the
wedding tradition. Instead of a groom crushing a cloth-wrapped
glass under his shoe for luck, they used two glasses wrapped
together stem to stem, and stepped on them simultaneously.
The couple had no problem finding a rabbi to marry them last
November, a sign many see as growing acceptance of ***
Jewish marriages.
Now the 1,750-member Central Conference of American Rabbis,
the nation's largest group of rabbis, is debating at its annual
conference whether to endorse government recognition of ***
marriages. It would be the first support of single-*** unions by a
rabbinical group from any of the three major branches of Judaism.
The organization of Reform rabbis, representing the largest and
most liberal of those three major branches, will vote here on
Thursday.
The resolution, which is widely expected to pass, stops short
of saying that rabbis should officiate at such marriages.
"The question of whether *** and ******* marriages should be
recognized by the state is the issue here," said Rabbi Simeon
Maslin, head of a congregation in Elkins Park, Pa., and president
of the conference. "It has nothing to do with what we consider the
religious aspect."
Other rabbis say the organization, the largest group of North
American rabbis, should go further and agree to perform marriages
for *** Jews.
"The family to the Jewish faith is very important," said Jerome
Davidson, rabbi at Temple Beth El in Great Neck, N.Y. "What we have
to learn in our time is to define it differently. If two people
love each other and create a lasting, binding relationship, they
deserve to have their religion's blessing."
In 1990, the Central Conference broke with tradition and voted
to accept homo***ual rabbis. And the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations, representing 1.3 million Reform Jews, has thrown its
support behind *** marriages.
Rabbi Elliot Stevens, secretary of the Central Conference,
said that while he would not perform interfaith marriages between
hetero***ual Jews and non-Jews, he would feel differently about a
homo***ual Jewish couple. (This speaks volumes of what Jews think of
Gentiles!)
"I've been struggling with it," Stevens said. "I have not yet
been asked to officiate at such a ceremony, but I believe that I
would. I do believe fully in the religious equality of all Jews."

Acts 10:28 "You must know that it is not proper for a Jew to
associate [or marry?] with a Gentile or to have dealings with
him." The Apostle Peter thus makes plain the Jewish view of
Gentiles in Biblical times.
From Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company,
Springfield, MA. U.S.A.
we find a word that Jews use in describing Gentiles or non-Jews:
shiksa or shikse \ 'shik se \ n (Yiddish [Jewish] shikse, fem of
sheykets, sheygets non-Jewish boy, from Hebrew sheges - blemish,
abomination) 1 : a non-Jewish girl - often used disparagingly
2 : a Jewish girl who does not observe Jewish precepts - used
especially by Orthodox Jews.
.................................................. ..

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Doc Tavish