Jewish views on homosexuality

This is an older thread, but I think we need to get off the homosexuality or rabbinical aspects of your question and focus on the real issue. Your daughter is apparently enamored of 16 yr old boy who is claiming to be a rabbi and has been found in the possession of gay porn.

What I think you need to do is have your daughter do her own research on what being a rabbi means. Rabbi simply means teacher, so anyone can claim to be a rabbi and might even be one (maybe he helps teach a Sunday School class at the Synagogue). But what most people consider as THE Rabbi is the official leader of a congregation. Such a person is generally hired by the congregation to be their spiritual leader, conduct services, advise on jewish law etc. It is highly unlikely that a congregation would hire a 16 yr old boy for this. So the boy needs to define what he means by being a rabbi.

Mor important is the finding of gay porn, especially if it involves younger participants. It could be simple curiousity or it could be something much deeper. It is true that the Torah and the Old Testament prohibits homosexuality. But many jews prefer a more modernistic and secular approach to the Torah. Also judiasm is much more individualistic a religion. So jews tend to be less concerned with a person's sexuality.

Why does God create homosexuals then?

Your assumption is more along the lines of what Christianity might find challenging to their theology, not for Judaism though.

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JUDAISM AND CHRISTIANITY

"The Jewish view is that humans are not born naturally good or naturally bad. They have both a good and a bad inclination in them, but they have the free moral will to choose the good and this free moral will can be more powerful than the evil inclination."



Bobby

Small correction: The Bible does NOT condemn 'homosexuality' (it cannot since the very word was not coined until the mid 19th Century)...but homosexual acts whether committed by homosexual or heterosexual men. It would seem, from all that I have read, that the bible authors, particularly Paul, had no real conception of 'homosexual orientation'. His own words would lead one to believe that he was talking about heterosexual men and women who 'exchanged natural intercours for unnatural' (Romans 1:26-27)....no different that today's 'prison rape' most often perpetrated by heterosexual men against weaker prisoners.
On that note, remember also, that Paul considered it 'unnatural' for men to wear their hair long, and for women to cut their hair short!

The word 'abomination' incidentally is not a moral or ethical term. As used in the Old Testament it always indicates a serious breach of ritual purity laws. Other 'abominations' are eating pork, misusing incense and having intercourse during menstruation.

Bobby:
Nice response, but it may be a bit outdated: Both Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism allow the ordination of gay men and women, and support civil marriages for homosexual couples....and the Conservate "Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards" is still debating on whether to lift it's ban on gay ordinations. Scuttlebutt is that they will, most likely, join the Reform and Reconstructionist groups in allowing gay rabbis.

Thanks for the "nice response" comment. However just to clarify I did mention the Reform and Reconstructionist permitting of gay lifestyles: to quote myself, "most have become more progressive and less traditional" and "Almost anything is acceptable." I think the Reform link was a bit old (2000), but the Recostructionist link was accurate to their most recent views. Not much has ever changed in the Reconstructionist movement, it's a free-for-all. In a previous thread I recalled my falling out with a Reconstructionist rabbi over homosexuality issues. Ten years ago when I attended Reform services on a semi-regular basis, they were permitting same sex unions. In recent years I often just stay home, rest, recite shabbos prayers, and bless my family using a makeshift siddur. When I do attend though I go to a post-Denominational service that is somewhere in the spectrum between the Reform and Conservative ideology.


IMO the Conservatives are probably on the verge of splitting. The issue is not going away and their resolve, or compromise on gay issues, continues to be a topic within their own movement. I've never felt at home in Conseravtives services so I never sought to join any of their shuls. The last time I went to a Conservative service was for a Bar Mitzvah some 12 years plus ago. I think eventually a split will have one side going toward the Reform and the other in the more traditional Conservative vein.





Bobby

I would say it is a large debate if allowing such activities is really being progressive, But yes, breaking away and starint ones own branck is mans normal method of dealing with rules they do not wish to follow.

Good point and I agree. Personally, to me, it just means progressively lacking the Torah. The word "progressive" was initiated into use by the more liberal movements to make their views appear modernly acceptable to society.


Bobby

God created people who have turned out to be Homosexuals Adulteres liers Cheaters robbers, Drunkards, drug abusers and list goes on. All of the latter are a manifestation of of man's sinful nature. We all have sinned and no sin is better than the other. As Bobby pointed out man has an inclination to evil and that why we need God's grace.

Hello fancy:

I think it's sinful to point your finger and judge other people. I don't think the Bible says for you to ferret them out and make their lives miserable. Does it?

excon