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Apology to Homosexuals
By N.Shuldig
The recent article that I wrote for the Jewish Magazine about homosexuals seem to have brought about a large avalanche of negative emails that viewed what I said as archaic and hate filled. In this article, I will try in clearer words to offer an apology to those who were offended and clarify exactly what concept was to have been conveyed. There is at stake here a basic concept called freedom of speech. By freedom of speech mean that one group can not force others to refrain from criticizing them. Let us review the law that was passed as quoted in the previous article:
California Gay History Law: Governor Jerry Brown signed the Gay History Law, which mandates that school textbooks and social studies include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender accomplishments. Law effective January 1, 2012. http://www.californiality.com/2010/12/new-california-laws-2011.html
California students will be the first in the country to receive mandatory lessons about the contributions of gays and lesbians under state laws set to take effect at the start of 2012. A California law will add gays and lesbians and people with disabilities to the list of social and ethnic groups whose contributions must be taught in history lessons in public schools. The law also bans teaching materials that reflect poorly on gays or particular religions. http://news.yahoo.com/abortion-immigration-changes-among-2012-laws-174958515.html
The key to understanding what is happening is the statement: "The law also bans teaching materials that reflect poorly on gays or particular religions." Now anyone who has read the Bible (and hopefully more than just a handful of people) will realize that this will prohibit Bible studies since it is the Bible itself (as the Word of G-d) that calls homosexuals abomination. This was brought in a quote as it is stated in Leviticus: "Thou shalt not lie with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination." (18:22) "And if a man lie with another man as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination, they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." (20:13) Now according to the new law will this negative passage in the Bible which reflects poorly on gays be eliminated? Does this mean that Bible study must ignore or pervert the word of G-d because it reflects poorly on homosexuals?
Hate Crime?
I have been accused of standing with the Nazis who not only murdered Jews but also homosexuals. Let us be clear. To those people who think that my previous article was hate mongering since I happen to believe in the Torah, must differentiate between freedom of religion and calling for actions not sanctioned by the law. I never called for putting anyone to death but I did mention that the Bible does indeed state this. I do not hate homosexuals, it is their actions that the Torah views as blatantly wrong who have the problem.
Those who choose to be homosexuals or endorse their sexual orientation choice are making grave mistakes with their life and the lives of others around them. They have put themselves against the teaching of the Torah; they can either choose to ignore the Torah, to re-write the Torah or simply declare it not relevant. In either case, they have put themselves on a side against G-d.
If one believes in G-d and the Torah, supporting or being a homosexual puts this person on the side of sin. If the person does not accept the Torah as given by G-d or denies the existence of G-d then this article is merely a waste of time for him and there is no purpose in continuing reading it. Man can not re-write the Torah every generation for the needs of the time; G-d gave it to us as a holy document that we may cultivate a relationship with him.
Accepting Homosexuals?
More so we must understand the rationale of many homosexuals that choose to defend their sexual orientation choice. They say that they were created with such desires and therefore they have not perverted their true sexual role, but rather are giving lease to their true inner self. Let us understand this argument: Does G-d give man commandments to follow that are so against the nature in which he was created?
If we believe that G-d is good and created man with his own individual personality and we believe that G-d gave man commandments to follow can it be possible that He gave man a commandment that is impossible to follow or fulfill? True, each person has temptation, but with the help of G-d man can triumph over temptation. As an example, can a man be born with a tendency to be a robber or murderer? Certainly! At time many of us may have the feeling that we want to steal something or even have a strong desire to murder some one who annoys us. But since it is wrong we hold back our inner desires and instead ignore the desire that we feel in our hearts.
G-d gives man his inner character and puts him into the world - a world that has laws and restrictions. Some laws are man made laws and some are those that G-d has given man.
To illustrate further, what would you think if a neighbor told you that he was a pedophile? What if he says that he was born this way; he always has had inner desires to have sex with children - what would you answer him? Would you say, well if that is your inner being, you must be true to your inner self or would you tell him that it is perverted to have sex with children?
Even more, what if all the pedophiles unite and pass a bill that since all children will eventually grow up and have sex there is no real crime of grown people having sex with children? Would you stand by idly and accept this?
Absolute Morality and Relative Morality
There are basically two ways morality can be viewed: either we can see morality as an absolute standard like the Bible (a non-changeable code of ethics) or we can see morality as a man made code of conduct that is created by man to reflect man's and society's current needs. An example of absolute morality is that of ancient Israel during the time of the Sanhedrin (ancient Jewish courts that judged the people in view of the Torah law). The law remained the same through out the hundreds of years that the Jews lived in their lands and was unchanged with the exception of Rabbinical ordinances supplemented the Torah law, but did not change it. The Torah laws that existed for the great-grandfather existed also unchanged for his great grandson.
Relative morality can probably be best explained by looking at Germany a hundred years ago. Germany was one of the first countries to give the Jews equal rights and full citizenship. The Germans at that time were liberal in thought and believed that all men were equal; therefore Jews were able to live equally just as their German neighbors with the same protection under the law. Jews became judges and members of the German parliament. Jews served in the German armed forces with distinction.
Following the defeat suffered by Germany in World War 1, the Germans had a change of heart in their attitude toward the Jewish People. Hitler began convincing the Germans that all of their problems were due to the Jews. Not only were Jews scoundrels, but as he spoke with freedom of speech, he convinced more and more Germans and from this finally evolved into what became Nazi Germany, World War II, and the most horrible holocaust that man has seen in modern times.
The Germans had changed from accepting Jews as full and equal citizens to treating them worse than animals. The German public went from being liberal to being so sadistic that words can not describe. Today, it is illegal to speak hatefully against Jews and Nazis are outlawed in Germany. This is all because Germany (as most countries) has what we call relative morality; it is a morality that changes with the times.
Hedonism
What has happened here is that America has turned into a playground of people who are looking for sexual adventure and excitement. The concept is to live life for one's self and not to be concerned for future generations. Young people do not get married since marriage is a burden and requires personal commitment to the other; sex is great but marriage can be a headache with problems of divorce, adultery, children and a mishmash of other problems.
Judaism is about families; the story of Genesis is all about the development of the family of man, the development of the family of Abraham, Isaac and Yaakov, and the beginnings of the Jewish nation. It is about the concern for the future generations.
Hedonism is about getting as much pleasure now. Hedonism is about not caring about the other person and even more so about society. For a society that adores movies stars who are generally people of low morals and little intellectual stamina, America has sunk into a mental stupor of chasing after the latest digital pleasure device and spending free time absorbing the low morals of the Hollywood scene. It is a generation that does not realize that what is at stake here in this new law is creating a constitutional precedent that could ban Bible studies since it teaches that homosexuals are people who have perverted their true nature and are abominations. Laws like these which seemingly project themselves as protectors of homosexuals really may be the new affront to curtail the freedom of religion.
Liberalism
The word or title 'liberal' once meant to be open to change, to be able to entertain ideas other than one's own. Conservatism once meant people closed to change and unwilling to consider other possibilities. Yet today we find that people who portent to be for change, but unwilling to hear the other side are considered liberal. Homosexuals seem to have eased into a win/win situation by establishing that any criticism leveled against them is a bigotry, barbaric and fascistic. Criticizing homosexuality open a person to be labeled as a blatant homophobic extremist. The current atmosphere is mute for any discussion since logic requires a cool head.
In Conclusion
A gross misunderstanding of the Jewish (as well as Bible believing non-Jewish) position was taken of my previous article. I apologize to those who gave vent to angry feelings and there were many for I should have been clearer. The Torah clearly finds homosexuals offensive; we can not change it; we can accept it or find another religion.
It may be that Jewish individuals as opposed to the Jewish belief system, do not reflect the eternal values of the Torah. That there may be Jews living as homosexuals but that does not change the Torah. I apologize to those Jews (and non-Jews) who took offense at what I said, but I hope that now they realize I only quoted what is written in the Torah and I strongly urge you to look it up yourself. I also apologize for not being clearer. For that I am truly ashamed.
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from the Febuary 2012 Edition of the Jewish Magazine
Material and Opinions in all Jewish Magazine articles are the sole responsibility of the author; the Jewish Magazine accepts no liability for material used.
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