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| Australia's Rabbi Yaakov Glasman pitching the LGBT guidelines (AJN) |
It is also pretty clear that – whether genetic or not –same
sex attractions are formed very early in life and cannot be changed.
I have also expressed my view that homosexuals should be treated
like human beings created in the image of God that they are. That requires treating all human beings with
dignity regardless of who they are attracted to.
That is one reason I was particularly upset by the way Rabbi
Ephraim Mirvis was treated by the UK’s Charedi leaders. They dis-invited him to sit on
their dais of their recent DafYomi Siyum HaShas event. That was
because they objected the compassionate and sensible LGBT guidelines he issued
for Orthodox religious schools in the UK. Guidelines that are in consonance with the
requirements of OFSTED, the UK’s Office for Standards in Education. With the courageous
exception of Dayan Chanoch Ehrentreu, who
boycotted the Siyum when he found out that Rabbi Mirvis was dis-invited, that
was a new low for that ‘august’ body.
The question is, what exactly is it - that was so troubling
about Rabbi Mirvis’s LGBT guidelines? Do they actually believe that LGBT people
should be thrown to the wolves?
I don’t know about that – but I think it is their misguided
approach to LGBT people that is at the heart of this issue. They apparently do
not distinguish between the sin and the sinner. I doubt that they actually believe
that same sex attractions even exist. When people say they are gay it is
really their Yetzer Hara (evil inclination) talking. Being attracted to a member of the same
sex it is an aberration to his ‘real ’ attraction to members of the opposite
sex. That is why they believe in ‘conversion therapy. They think it is simply a
matter of overcoming their Yetzer Hara based desire. A desire that somehow went
askew from what all men are innately attracted to.
It is with that in mind that they reject the very idea of
acceptance of gay people. They see it as tantamount to accepting the forbidden
act itself. They see advocacy of tolerance to be advocacy of the behavior. A
behavior we are obligated to change in those that are ‘mistakenly’ inclined to engage in.
That is a function of their unwillingness to accept years of research into the subject by experts in the field. That unwillingness is attributable to another attitude.
One which disdains Limudei Chol – secular studies. If you don’t respect secular
studies, why would you accept the conclusions of its experts?
Meanwhile, there has been a movement - or perhaps even a trend - among
some Orthodox rabbis to follow up their laudably tolerant attitude with action.
As was the case recently in Australia. Taking a cue from Rabbi Mirvis’s guidelines
they want to issue their own. Which in addition to affecting their religious schools
would mean opening up their pews to the gay community and welcoming them equally
alongside everyone else.
I support this trend. A policy of communal inclusion will surely
help encourage people with same sex attraction to be observant. By no means does
this say that forbidden behavior is now permitted. It means they will be
treated like any other Jew. All of whom sin in one way or another. But none of
whom are judged. Unless they advocate sinning.
That being said, it is important to note that there is a hidden danger
that must somehow be addressed. Which is exactly the kind of thing the UK’s Charedi
rabbis are concerned about. The appearance of accepting the behavior along with the sinner.
That is exactly what the LGBT community wants. That is their
goal. It isn’t just about accepting people based on their character in a
otherwise non judgmental way. It is about completely normalizing anything to
do with being gay. Including the normalization of male to male anal sex.
Their
argument is that it as long as there are 2 consenting adults, what they do in the
bedroom ought to be as acceptable as what heterosexual people do. We have to accept gay people fully including the way they express their love. Same as heterosexual people.
Orthodox Judaism must never be seen that way. There
must be a clear line drawn between accepting people and accepting sinful
behavior that they might be engaged in. Yes, we must welcome all people with
open arms. Provided that line is somehow clearly drawn. It must be done. But it must be
done without hurting the very people you want to help by accepting them.
The bottom line is that Orthodox Judaism - defined as adherence
to Torah and rabbinic law cannot be seen to be normalizing sinful behavior
while at the same time it must be seen as accepting every Jew for who they are
regardless of who they are attracted to. Those lines should never be blurred.
