Tolerance Is A Two Way Street
But we do support Proposition 8, which simply
put, defines marriage as being between one man and one woman. Where does that leave Orthodox Jews and Orthodox Judaism with friends, relatives, coworkers, neighbors and synagogue members who are gay?
While Orthodox Jewish opposition to homosexual behavior is absolute, and the
Torah, in Leviticus leaves no room for debate on the matter,
regarding those who are homosexual themselves, like anyone else who doesn’t act
in accordance with Jewish religious law (what we used to call sinners) Orthodox
Jews and Orthodox synagogues and institutions, are also governed by the rules
of deracheha darchei noam, it’s ways [the ways of the Torah] are pleasant and
v’chol n’sivoseha shalom, all it’s paths are peace.
The reality is that we are all sinners in some way great or small, and if we
didn’t admit sinners into our synagogues, they’d be mighty empty. Nor do
we make those entering to pray or study swear what their beliefs are.
Agnostics and atheists are welcome in our houses of worship too.
But what we do demand is tolerance.
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Shalom.
It seems strange to me that an Orthodox community would choose this issue to take a stand on, when legally, the prohibitions against homosexuality are somewhat murky--The ACT is abominable, but the orientation is not commented upon. Also, the prohibition extends only to men. The problem with taking that verse and using it to prohibit marriage --indeed, any type of legal , contractual relationship, is that you're now assigning a sexual value to marriage which hasn't really been there before. You can't really say that marriage needs to be sexually kosher, because hoo boy, there's a lot more of those in the heterosexual world than the homosexual world.
Not being Jewish, I may be a little confused. I'm aware that the traditional rabbinical treatments of the question deplore the actions involved in homosexuality. I also seem to recall that, as opposed to the traditional Catholic handling of the matter, the synagogues do not refuse homosexuals the right to attend schul because they feel that (I believe) learning and study are imperative in dealing with sins. Does this mean that the families of homosexuals are less likely to disown their children? Will the Jewish community easily accept civil marriage for same gender couples, or are they, in your opinion, deeply averse to such actions?