[momof7]

What are the jewish views on homosexuality?? And do they allow homosexual rabbis??

This person I know is only 16yrs old and we have found gay pornography on his computer so just thought I would ask

[excon]

Hello again, mom:

There is NO Jewish view on homosexuality. There's only personal views. Do we allow homosexual rabbis?? Like I said earlier, we don't have rules like that - not even close. Only Christians make rules like that. I live in a very progressive city. Right down the road from me, today being Rosh Hashana, a lesbian rabbi is conducting a service. She has a FULL house too.

Jews also don't snoop. What makes you think he's a rabbi?

excon

[momof7]

Hello again, mom:

There is NO Jewish view on homosexuality. There's only personal views. Do we allow homosexual rabbis???? Like I said earlier, we don't have rules like that - not even close. Only Christians make rules like that. I live in a very progressive city. Right down the road from me, today being Rosh Hashana, a lesbian rabbi is conducting a service. She has a FULL house too.

Jews also don't snoop. What makes you think he's a rabbi?

excon

He has told everyone he is a rabbi... like I said as you can tell I am sure I am not real educated on the religion but my daughter REALLLLY REALLLY likes this kid and I just want to know more about it...

[excon]

Hello again, mom:

Well, if people want to believe that a 16 year old is a rabbi, I can't help that.

excon

[momof7]

Hello again, mom:

Well, if people want to believe that a 16 year old is a rabbi, I can't help that.

excon

Like I said he has been the one to say he s and my daughter is very gulliable I told her I didn't think he was old enough but she won't listen to me because I am mom and of cours don't know anything and I figured if I could get an answer to my questions here then it would be great at least I know now thank you for helping me get a little more understanding on all this...

[BABRAM]

what are the jewish views on homosexuality???

My personal view is more traditional on this particular issue. I don't see that homosexuals should be in or permitted in leadership roles, but I don't place homosexuality as a greater sin than others.

and do they allow homosexual rabbis????

Orthodox- No homosexual rabbis; Chabad Lubavitch - Torah, Judaism and Jewish Info

Conservative- No homosexual rabbis; USCJ: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Post Denominational- No homosexual rabbis; www.adatami.com|Index

Reform- Over the past decade or so, Reform Judaism has been addressing homosexuality and to what degree if it will be permited. A few Reform Temples are ran more conservative but most have become more progressive and less traditional; URJ - Homosexuality

Reconstructionist- Almost anything is acceptable; Is Reconstructionist Judaism For You?

this person i know is only 16yrs old and we have found gay pornography on his computer so just thought i would ask

He is not a rabbi. Surfing for gay porno has never part of any rabbinical school seminary training. Besides this kid, as you say is only 16 years of age, sort of behaviour is not permitted in any yeshiva either.

i am wondering how old a jewish person has to be to become a rabbi????

I think as young as early to mid thirties. I've never been to any synagogue where there has been a rabbi in there twenties, although I suppose it's possible.

and how appropritae it is for someone who claims to be a rabbi to use foul launguage???

Not likely.







Bobby

[rosends]

The Jewish law prohibits homosexuality -- male homosexuality specifically, though female homosexuality is not condoned. While certain branches of Judaism which focus less on the adherence to textual law have found ways to permit homosexuality, it is unacceptable in an observant framework.

This will give you an interesting viewpoint

JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality)

By the way, in terms of the rabbinate (speaking as an Orthodox Rabbi) -- being a "rabbi" means having been tested and proven knowledgeable about certain areas of ritual and law, so if one studies constantly, one could be a young ordained "rabbi". The ordination used to require 40 years of study and I know a rabbi who studied for 25 years before his teacher felt he knew enough. But seminaries usually take post high school or post college students and put them through a 2-5 year program before the institution grants them the title. Then, to operate as a rabbi in some capacity requires that the community/school/group feel you are old enough. I've been known to slip and use the kind of filthy mouth I used when I was younger, and some rabbis have more slips than others, but most religious rabbis are against gross speech.

[Elihu_the_Lesser]

There's only personal views. Do we allow homosexual rabbis???? Like I said earlier, we don't have rules like that - not even close.
excon

B"H

Pardon me, my comrade in chains, but please speak for yourself. Torah is Torah is Torah, and the Torah tells us that homosexuality is seen as an abomination in G-d's eyes. Bottom line. In accordance with the free will G-d has granted us you may disagree and practice as you are inclined (of course I am not insinuating that you are a homosexual), but the condoning of homosexuality in 'Judaism' is a very recent development.

[Fr_Chuck]

Traditional Jewish views, like traditional christian views shows that homosexual activity is wrong.
Now just like liberal christians who develop their own teachings and rules, so have liberal jews.
So you will find groups considering thierself Christian and groups considering thierself jewish that support a homosexual lifestyle.
To me this only means their break off group from traditional teachings have accepted it.

[labman]

As a Christian, I have studied both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament clearly labels homosexuality as sin. Some people pay more attention to Scripture than others.

[ScottGem]

He has told everyone he is a rabbi... like i said as you can tell i am sure i am not real educated on the religion but my daughter REALLLLY REALLLY likes this kid and i just want to know more about it...

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.

[simoneaugie]

Why does God create homosexuals then?

[BABRAM]

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

[Tertullian]

As a Christian, I have studied both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament clearly labels homosexuality as sin. Some people pay more attention to Scripture than others.

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.

[Tertullian]

My personal view is more traditional on this particular issue. I don't see that homosexuals should be in or permitted in leadership roles, but I don't place homosexuality as a greater sin than others.






Orthodox- No homosexual rabbis; Chabad Lubavitch - Torah, Judaism and Jewish Info

Conservative- No homosexual rabbis; USCJ: United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

Post Denominational- No homosexual rabbis; www.adatami.com|Index

Reform- Over the past decade or so, Reform Judaism has been addressing homosexuality and to what degree if it will be permited. A few Reform Temples are ran more conservative but most have become more progressive and less traditional; URJ - Homosexuality

Reconstructionist- Almost anything is acceptable; Is Reconstructionist Judaism For You?





He is not a rabbi. Surfing for gay porno has never part of any rabbinical school seminary training. Besides this kid, as you say is only 16 years of age, sort of behaviour is not permitted in any yeshiva either.





I think as young as early to mid thirties. I've never been to any synagogue where there has been a rabbi in there twenties, although I suppose it's possible.





Not likely.







Bobby

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.

[BABRAM]

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

[Fr_Chuck]

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.

[BABRAM]

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

[fancyT]

Why does God create homosexuals then?

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 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.

[excon]

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