Ask The Rabbi!!

[TanithT]

Thank you for answering, Rabbi. So is significant anti-gay prejudice encouraged by Jewish religious authorities? Eg, vote no on gay marriage and that sort of thing? Or do they take a more "let your own conscience be your guide" stance? What about gay Jews? Are they treated differently, or told not to have any relations, or told to "convert" to heterosexuality? What about intersexed and transgendered individuals?

Science says that this kind of thing is biological hardwiring, not a choice, so that makes it ethically kind of tough to condemn people who get born that way. How does the Jewish religion handle that?

[TomHagen]

Originally Posted by TanithT

Thank you for answering, Rabbi.... Homosexuality etc... How does the Jewish religion handle that?

TanithT your questions (& responses) are very thought provoking, and also very lengthy, so you will excuse me if I refer you to sources, which are better anyway, for those who truly wish to explore (especially than my quick one-off answers).

This is the quintessential book on the subject:
Judaism and Homosexuality by Rabbi Chayim Rappaport (Vallentine Mitchell, 2004)
Being an extremely sensitive issue, Rabbi Rappaport does a brilliant job at portraying the Torah viewpoint towards homosexuality. Using a combination of Torah, medical, and psychological sources he uses an extremely empathetic tone in discussing the challenge of the homosexual as well as how the Jewish community should relate to these individuals. A brief article written by Rabbi Rappaport, “Judaism and Homosexuality”,


I hope this helps.