Jewschool has a good post today about the insane black-hat riots in Jerusalem this week, spurred (of course) by plans for the city's Pride and Tolerance (read: Gay) Parade.
Which makes me want to dig a little into the Jewish religious position on homosexuality. Which is, of course, complicated (not to mention outdated, and set forth in a time when we were a small tribal culture, desperate to spread our seed and strengthen our troops).
Once I asked an orthodox rabbi about the prohibition on gay sex (though not, interestingly gay inclination). I wanted to know the exact text on which this law is based. He explained to me that the only explicit text states, "A man shall not lie with a man as he would with a woman."
"That's it?" I asked. "That's all you've got?!"
He said it was pretty clear, and that it (hot gay sex) was an "abomination."
"What about women?" I asked. He replied, explained that the prohibition for lesbians is less specific. "Do not follow the ways of Egypt where you once lived, nor of Canaan, where I will be bringing you. Do not follow [any] of their customs."
Um. Yeah. Ok.
I think this is CRAZY. This language seems pretty vague to me, for a culture that argues about everything. In particular, I think the language about hot gay sex is silly.
It isn't possible to lie with a man as you would with a woman. He doesnt have a vagina. He doesn't tell you about his cramps. He doesn't buy you a sweater you hate for Chanukah. The relationship between two men is different than the relationship between a man and a woman.
While you're at it, don't eat an apple as you would an orange. Don't go on vacation to the Alps as you would go on vacation to Tahiti. It seems to me that this same language suggests that the true abomination would be to refuse the authenticity and the singularity of the person you lie with. The abomination would be to pretend they were something they didn't want to be.
Maybe to (a la prison-style) force a man to "play" a woman for your needs or soemthing.
I don't know. I'm rambling now. But this makes me really mad.
In a side note, the comments that follow the Jewschool post are interesting for their focus on the place of "work" as a balance to study. Just something to think about on Tuesday morning.
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