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Gays should be welcomed by our religious institutions
Speaking to a meeting of Hasidic Jewish leaders on Sunday, New York GOP gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino said, "I don't want [children] to be brainwashed into thinking that homosexuality is an equally valid or successful option" to heterosexuality.
Religious organizations and people frequently lead opposition to gay rights in the United States.
In the August ruling which overturned California's Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriage, a witness asserted, "Religion is the chief obstacle for gay and lesbian political progress."
Why does religion play such a central role in debates about homosexuality?
A new York gubernatorial candidate has been discovered to have told a group of rabbis that he doesn't believe homosexuality to be an equal choice to the heterosexual lifestyle. Moreover, religious groups are often actively opposed to gay rights and even gay participation in their leadership and even as ordinary members of their institutions.
Paladino's comments were unwise politically as well as insensitive to what is no longer an invisible American minority group. Clearly, the Torah commands, permits and forbids many activities and Scripture does not condone homosexuality. However, no member of any Jewish organization, be it social, cultural and/or religious should ever be asked about their personal preferences. Nor should one's status as a hetero or homosexual ever have any bearing on their acceptance or participation in any fashion. As the rabbinical adviser for the last fourteen years of Eliezer, the Jewish Society at Yale, I can say proudly that we have had members who are openly gay and I hope that these individuals, as well as those who have not publicly declared their orientation, have felt no bias or discrimination at our club and during our activities.
In fact the subject of gay rights was brought up several years ago by one of our most distinguished guests, Israeli Supreme Court Justice Aharon Barak, and I was reminded of his visit just the other day while reading of the recent motion by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to add a formal acknowledgement of Israel as a Jewish State to the oath of new non- Jewish citizens. How would Israel then be both a Jewish State and a democracy? both friends and critics have asked.
Explaining the essence of his obligations to the Jewish and democratic state of Israel (the very aspects that Netanyahu wants to enshrine) Justice Barak told the students of a then current situation: Spouses of stewards and stewardesses of the airline El-Al were receiving free tickets and Justice Barak believed that this benefit should extend to partners of gay employees as well. In what would be a unanimous court decision and then the law of the land, El-Al, the national carrier of Israel which obeys the strictest rules of orthodoxy; never flying on the Sabbath and only serving kosher food, nonetheless granted equal consideration to its gay employees.
Though I am an orthodox rabbi who believes that in my faith marriage is defined as the union of a Jewish man and Jewish woman, Justice Barak showed that evening how he was trying to "reconcile Jewish and modern democratic law." In fact, following its most famous justice's example, Israel can achieve the moral balance that is also imperative in our Diaspora institutions to support all fellow Jews, and more widely to treat fairly our fellow Americans, regardless of color, creed or orientation.
By
Shmully Hecht
|
October 14, 2010; 5:56 PM ET
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Posted by: dbanyan | October 18, 2010 2:18 PM
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I heartily applaud you for this. It is needed, eloquent, and powerful. Thank you for writing it.
Posted by: schoollp0302 | October 15, 2010 2:46 PM
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I often do not agree with you, Rabbi, but today we are of one mind.
Your example from the El-Al airline is an excellent model for American Christians to try and emulate. Instead of attempting to 1) change gay people's sexuality; 2) vilify gay relationships; 3) denounce gay family life; and 4) impose their personal values on the lives of others; they should be looking for ways to "reconcile [Christian] and modern democratic law."
American fundamentalist Christians (and now, unfortunately, many American ultra-Orthodox Jews) have their heads in quicksand, and the world is growing up and leaving them behind.
When the oldest, most enduring and rigorous faith tradition the world has ever known decides that homosexual relationships are to be respected, it is a signal to other religions and other nations that the times can and do change and that it is possible to maintain our moral values while still respecting the lives and choices of those we disagree with.
Posted by: haveaheart | October 15, 2010 12:00 PM
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It is very interesting to me that you applaud the airline for adjusting their convictions to get in line with the times.
But really, Schmully - would you have agreed with the airline if they also decided to start flying on the Sabbath...and began serving rabbit on-a-stick??? Of course not. Isn't your own religious doctrine based on the foundational truths of God? Of course it is...
So why invoke an "anything-goes" opinion on a subject that grieves the heart of God.... even if it makes you unpopular at school?
There is a distinct difference between our political and social justice, and the justice of God Almighty. If the Lord does not advocate sexual immorality (including adultery, and other unmentionables), how can you confidently include homosexual behaviour as tolerable? I don't condone disrespect or violence towards anyone - I am referring to violating the tenets of your faith.
Where did you learn how to be to be an advocate for people who are knowingly defying the commandments of Yeshua?
The Jewish (and Christian)faith does not offer teachers of the law the luxury to compromise on the basic precepts of God's word. If it did, you could be an advocate for theives and murderers too? No, I'm not comparing the behaviour of murderers to homosexuals, but God specifically and irrevocably calls us out on both subjects.
Is this the "On Faith" forum or what?