I just took a little break from more important things to read an article by a principal of a Modern Orthodox high school in LA. The by-line says "Rabbi" but it is clear to me that he is the Rabbi of a different religion [I don't mean to be malicious - just a little ליצנות דקדושה].
He writes that the biggest threat the Orthodox community has to Emunah is the issue of LBGT. How can a loving G-d forbid someone from changing his gender or having relations with a person of the same gender?? I personally think that questions such as "Why did the Holocaust happen" are more compelling, but to each his own....
What is the solution? We must SUPPORT them. We must ENCOURAGE them. We must EMBRACE them. They need to be seen as equal members of our community!!
שומו שמים!!!
Sweet friend and educator, I say. Where do we find anymore in Jewish sources that we must support, encourage and embrace sinful behavior? What we SHOULD do is try to see if they can direct their attraction to members of the opposite gender. If they cannot, they must be told that we love them, they are Jewish, but that it is 100 percent completely unacceptable for a man to have sexual relations with a man. Period. Plus we don't change genders. Whatever the doctor told the baby's mother is what the child is until he/she dies.
They also don't need to advertise their inclinations. I suspect that some of my male readers have been attracted to married women who were married to other men. Should we have a support group: ATEI [Attracted To Eishes Ish] Anon. They should be supported, encouraged and embraced - even if they choose to act out on their attraction. It is not their fault!! It is "NATURAL". They were BORN that way.
Swweeeeeetest friends. I have news - All men are attracted to women other than their wives. All it takes is one look for under a second and the attraction kicks in. Superficial, empty, crass physical attraction. So is the male animal.
But still. Let us support them. It is SOOOO difficult for them to be monogamous. So many beautiful women and they have to limit themselves to their often boring, nagging wives.
So let's talk for real. Societal norms change. Attitudes change. Cultures change.
G-D DOESN'T CHANGE.
Just because we live in a permissive society doesn't mean that we are allowed to be permissive. Homosexuality and all sexual abberrations are evil and sinful. That is not a post-modern or politically correct statement but G-d is bigger than politically correct, than societal norms, even more than the outgoing President who is an outspoken supporter of abberrant sexual behavior.
I don't understand how a high school principal has and encourages a gay club in his school. Does a 15 year boy KNOW his sexual orientation yet? How can we encourage him in a direction that will cause him untold suffering in his life?? And what about kids who see such a club and think it would be cool to get some extra attention, love and warmth and join even though they aren't homosexual. So they join and turn into homosexuals chas vi-shalom. I think that this is a scandal.
I am not saying that we should bully, abuse, beat up or harm LGBT's in any way.
But to encourage them and change our 3,500 year old moral code handed down by G-d because people have certain desires??
G-d forbid.
