I think it’s good that you distinguish between feelings and behavior as well as wanting to approach with love and compassion instead of hatred and scorn. Asking I believe we should discourage “inappropriate” behavior is sort of a loaded question since whether the behavior is appropriate or not is in itself argumentative. I personally believe in having the same standards of behavior for homosexuals as we do for heterosexuals. I don’t believe that two gays should be making out profusely in public. I don’t think that’s appropriate. However, I believe the same to be true for heterosexual couples.
Discouraging behavior of romantic behavior among the same gender, if that’s how these people naturally feel, yeah, that is a bit cruel. What is the alternative that you’re offering? To be single and celibate for the rest of their lives? But aside from whether or not it’s homophobic, it’s really sticking one’s nose into someone else’s business where it doesn’t belong. It’s like you telling me not to have anal sex with my female partner or not to spray whip cream on her or pull her hair or whip her, etc., my response is gonna be, “Okay, that’s your opinion, preferences, values, etc., but who asked you? Who are you to tell me what to do? Oh, so it’s not about you, but about G-d? All right, fine then. That’s your g-d, not mine. Just keep your g-d out of my bedroom!”
Ideally, it would be nice if homosexuals can come around and lead a heterosexual life, get married to a woman and have children, but that part is up to Gd, up to that person and up to the expert who is helping him.
Inappropriate behavior in this subject is homosexual sex...A man sleeping with another man. As far as public display, there is a level of appropriateness with both heterosexuals and homosexual in ideal situations. Public displays should be at a minimum.
It's not a matter of alternative as it is a matter of free will. I can rave and rant and rebuke that a man shouldn't have sex with another man with proof left and right that it is wrong, immoral, dangerous etc etc etc etc. I'm not a police man to go into someone's home and make sure they are doing it the right way. It isn't any of my business. What is our business is when these people are marching around and encouraging the behavior teaching it in schools as an acceptable alternative lifestyle. It's things like that which require intervention to speak out against.
So one homosexual man goes quietly lives a peaceful life in his home with his boyfriend, is not anyone's face. He knows it's wrong, but exercises free will to do what he feels is necessary (just like a single man might masturbate in the privacy of his own home). Both exercise free will. Maybe here on earth we will get away with these things..but on the here-after, it's another story. Daniel, you choose your faith. I believe that there is reward and punishment in the afterlife. Practicing homosexuals or the example which I gave of the quiet private type, well, it's the afterlife that they will deal with.
If you ask, how is it that we know there is an afterlife, Muman and KWRBT have the best answers.
Daniel, which faith do you choose? The Torah and Talmud are what they are. Tons of interpretations too within those texts by expert Rabbis who are a billion times wiser than you and me. As a Jew, like me, Muman, KWRBT and the rest who are Jewish here, these are the rules we are supposed to follow and honor. WE don't get to pick and choose and mislead people on what they can and can't do, like the reform and conservative movements. I mean, we as Jews have free will to drive or not drive on shabbat even if it is to shul or temple. The fact is, in Judaism, we aren't supposed to do that and the right thing to do is even if you or me were to drive on that day, we shouldn't mislead other Jews to think it's ok...and extend it to "rabbis" of reform and conservative temples, well, they too should acknowledge that those things are wrong (unless life and death situation). The problem with them is that they mislead other Jews to think that driving on shabbat, for example, is ok and that times change or whatever they want to say.
The same goes with homosexual sex. It is clear in plain Hebrew for whatever reason you want to think of, that man should not lie with another man. It doesn't ignore that there might be some men at that time who liked other men..that part isn't the sin. You as a Jew have to understand that while you might not like this rule even for the nicest homosexual man you know, that in our religion of Judaism, a man shouldn't do that. To say it's ok if they keep in private and to encourage it is a terrible hillul hashem. It's better to say, "No don't do that." and if it makes you feel better to also say, "But everyone has free will to choose right from wrong."
Gd, the Torah, the Talmud, the Rabbis bless their memories were all righteous and highly intelligent people (Gd, isn't a people). If you think they were homophobes for the restrictions set aside for homosexual sex,then I'm sorry, the whole world of righteous people are homophobes to you.
Topic: An explanation and clarification (Read 9449 times)