Anti-Kashrus (Uri L'Tzedek) activists "Rabbi" who got "Simicha" from "Chovevei" Torah Comes out for same gender "marriage"
I am coming out of the closet. I am an "Orthodox" "rabbi" and an advocate for gay "marriage".
The history of the theological issue is "complicated", but the "moral"
issue is increasingly clear. Faith leaders must stand as public allies;
private support is no longer enough. Fifteen states
17, New Mexico allowed it today and he missed Illinois (number 16) and counting have
formally approved
so called "marriage equality". It's time that traditional faith
leaders stand for "gay rights", including the "right to marriage".
As an "Orthodox" Jew, I believe the Bible
except those pesukim that I disagree with was given by G-d, that Jewish
law is binding
except the part I don't like, and that change in our religious practice cannot happen
when other people are making them impetuously. It also means that I take the pervasive biblical call for
justice very seriously. I am pro-"gay-rights" because I am an "Orthodox"
"rabbi", not in spite of it.
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| would the "rabbi" please explain this Chullin 92B gemara to me? |
I only officiate at marriages between Jewish men and women according
to the framework of the tradition, but I will argue (and advocate)
adamantly for the political "rights" of gay people to "marry"
people of the same sex. I
don't believe the
essence of religious conviction is that we must do what is right, not
what is popular
same gender "marriage" is becoming very popular. As I have come to understand, there are five important
reasons that my identity and values as an "Orthodox" "rabbi" compel me to
support same-sex civil "marriage".
I have "empathy" for those seeking loving relationships.
The rabbis of the Talmud actually suggested that it is as difficult to
find a life partner as it was for G-d to split the sea for the
Israelites during their Exodus from Egypt (Sotah 2a)
this further hampered by stupid people deciding to ignore God's pick of a partner and go after a member of the same sex . The most beautiful
and blessed aspect of my life is my family. I cannot imagine the pain
and suffering that I would feel if I were deprived of my right to return
home, in full dignity, each day to my loving wife
notice she is not the same sex as you and the delight of my
daughter
which is why you now have a daughter. The thought of being legally denied the ability to commit to
my wife or raise our own children is horrifying. How can I enjoy these
freedoms and not advocate for those struggling to secure similar full
rights for themselves and the ones they care for?
then you should advocate "gays" stop being gay and work on raising a real family. ONE THAT CAN PRODUCE A BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER
Granting basic "rights" to the LGBT "community" is an issue of basic economic " justice", legal "equality", and human "dignity".
Traditional Jewish law has no established model for gay "marriage"
notice he is also trying to make a kidushin ceremony, but
this is an entirely separate matter. We have no right to coercively
prevent, by force of civil law, an individual from enjoying true
happiness and fulfilling their life potential when it poses no harm to
any other
and they're not which is why all people are allowed according to law to marry a member of the opposite sex . Our stance on religious law
which considers a civil same gender "marriage" one of the worst averas in the world (see gemara above) and our stance on political law
are not intertwined. This is not about any particular religious rule or
custom but about the grander "ethos" of the Torah
which I change as I please. Denying gay people the
right to marry
a member of the opposite sex is contrary to basic justice and therefore contrary to
Jewish ethics
however denying them the "right" to marry a member of the same sex is contrary to basic morality and therefore contrary to Jewish ethics . We must support all safe families for children and build
our society around strong, loving homes. The Jewish tradition cherishes
values of love, intimacy, family, and creating sacred homes where G-d
can dwell and mandates that we support them.
Our obligation is derived from our shared history as Jews, religious Jews in particular.
We have been very successful change makers in the world because
throughout history we have often been outsiders, and we can empathize
with the plight others who have been, or are being, excluded or
discriminated against. However, the Jewish people are today generally
accepted in America, and due the comfort of inclusion, we sometimes lose
sight of our tragic heritage and the sensibilities and responsibilities
we ought to have as a result. For this reason, among many others,
religious Jews should support those struggling for their basic rights in
America and keep in the forefront of our minds the not-so-distant
exclusion, violence, and vitriol we endured in our own struggle for
basic human rights.
which is completely irrelevant to same gender "marriage"
I know from my own personal relationships, many of my
religious students have suffered from severe depression and have become
suicidal because of harassment, bullying, exclusion, and cruelty that
they have suffered for simply existing as who they are you mean Religious people. Legal
inequality is another part of the larger cultural oppression that
subsequently leads to higher "LGBT suicide rates".
the rate of LGBT Suicides compared to normal people is higher now then is was years ago. in Massachusetts in 1993 LGBT were 2.1-times more likely to have attempted suicide then "normal" people, in Massachusetts 2009 LGBT were 4.4 times more likely to have attempted suicide then "normal" people. I will no longer sit on
the sidelines stuck in moral paralysis while this crisis continues. Any
alternative to
not allowing all to "marry" in civil law would feel
anti-religious to me, as it continues to alienate and endanger a
vulnerable
religious population. Granting full and equal rights is the only moral
option. But let us not delude ourselves: If
so called "marriage equality" is
granted, but nothing else changes, that suicide rate won't change much
either
but if we get rid of this LGBT nonsense the suicide rates will go down. There is still a broader cultural ethos of treating all others
with dignity that must be addressed, and on this issue, religious
leaders must set the tone.
The focus on controlling civil marriage definitions distracts
from more important religious issues of sexual ethics, such as
adultery, modesty shaming, objectification of women, rape culture,
sexual purity, and a responsible sexual ethic for intimacy, and most importantly homosexuality . By
focusing on gay "marriage" in a cultural context in which the nation as a
whole simply does not and will not accept the premise that marriage
needs to be defined by G-d and the Bible, traditionalists are losing
credibility
with atheists and causing people to ignore religious leaders
who they would have ignored anyways when we
discuss holiness in sexuality
which is completely negated by homosxuality. This true and beautiful concept has come
to be perceived as coded language for anti-gay sentiment as all meaning
of sexual ethics has collapsed into anti-gay-"marriage" politic. The
religious-sexual conversation has lost credibility, and that is a
terrible misstep. Today it is critical that we emphasize our most
important religious values such as
tzedek (justice),
rachamim (compassion), and
pikuach nefesh
(saving lives) as we further a discourse around the spirituality of
intimacy. We have caused too many to turn from religious values or
discount us as "bigoted" or no longer relevant.
and if we get rid of part of the Torah that bans homosexuality on a political whim it would show that we are picking and choosing and really don't believe anything that is in the Torah
After I die I
will stand with tremendous fear before G-d, and struggle immensely, as I
attempt to interpret certain passages of biblical and Talmudic wisdom.
Rabbi Saadia Gaon, the 10th-century Jewish philosopher, explained that
if we find a contradiction between faith and reason, then we have made a
mistake
in this case in reasoning that homosexuality is allowed and not evil despite the fact that homosexuals are more likley to die much earlier than ordinary people, This alone would make Rav Saadia Gaon conclude that homosexuality is a mitzva sichlious , and we must reexamine the textual tradition and analyze our
reason
especially if we except the homosexualists lies until they are consistent. The text is our starting place, but we
must never neglect our crucial human faculty of moral reasoning
all of which conclude that homosexuality is evil.
One of my rabbinic heroes
who I don't know anything about, Rabbi Avraham Kook
and is now rolling over in his grave, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel, explained
that faith cannot require us to abandon our moral intuition
which show clearly that homosexuality is wrong and evil, and that
we dare not sacrifice basic ethics for the sake of piety or submission
to the liberal doctrine :
It is forbidden for religious behavior to compromise a
personal, natural, moral sensibility. If it does, our fear of heaven is
no longer pure. An indication of its purity is that our nature and moral
sense becomes more exalted as a consequence of religious inspiration.
But if these opposites occur, then the moral character of the individual
or group is dismissed by religious observance, and we have certainly
been mistaken in our faith.
As for traditionalist religious leaders, I'm sure many, from various
faith traditions, struggle, as I have, with this question. It is with
trepidation that we stand when the bulk of our communities shun
engagement (or worse, engage with fiery vitriol), but now is the time
for bold and decisive action
and fight against the gay agenda. I've come to the conclusion that it is
simply not enough that religious leaders be inclusive and encouraging of
diversity in their house of worship. To be a religious leader means to
stand with people through their struggles
against evil and not condone it and be an advocate for the
protection of human dignity
which homosexuality nullifies and for equality
which gays are against. The eternal call from G-d
to "seek justice" will always ring true and prevail, even during the
harshest of struggles. We must be vigilant in our efforts to move
prophecy to reality.
Many traditionalist faith leaders feel that our society is losing its
moral base
because of people like me (Shmuly Yanklowitz) , especially regarding sexuality, and that changing the
definition of (civil) "marriage" is yet another disruption of that moral
order. There are good reasons for religious leaders to be deeply
concerned about sexual mores today, with all of the abuse, adultery,
obsession, objectification, and indecency that abounds
and homosexuality. I sympathize
morally, emotionally and spiritually with those making sexuality issues
their key issue as traditionalists today. My colleagues are not bigots
but most of those who support same gender "marriage" are ,
as many proclaim them to be; they are but defending something deep and
true in their concern about straying from traditional notions of
sexuality. Many may disagree with traditionalists and their stance on
gay "rights", and this is OK; however, we must keep in mind that
discussion is an integral part of progress, and that traditional
religious leaders and thinkers have an important role to play. Let us
remember that the foundation of faith is that we humans do not have the
answers to the great theological quandaries, but that we endeavor, with
humility, to do our best, in accordance with the laws
of god (which says that men who have sexual relations with men should be killed (in a court)) and commentary
that we are privileged to study.
(
Huffington Post) Highlights are our additions because Reading this with out them will make you sick
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