So maybe I'm moonstruck, or maybe naive
But I know there's a God and a Devil
So maybe I'm crazy enough to believe
In love at first light
I propose a breakfast of coffee and aspirin
You laugh, suggesting a raw egg or two
But oh was it ever so good being bad
Like a couple of vampires, deliciously mad
Saying this is the best blood that we've ever had
So we drank it all night
And it we untangle the webs that we weave
Then maybe there's room for more laughter
'Cause just for a moment I almost believe
In love at first light
Joe Jackson 2003
Most of the prohibitions in Leviticus are intuitive. We instinctively realize that killing your buddy and sleeping with your sister are not good things. The most controversial prohibition, however, doesn’t appear to make a lot of sense.
The Torah says that homosexuality is an abomination. There’s no real getting around the plain meaning of the word. Unlike other seemingly strange passages that are explained differently than the plain text (for example, an eye for an eye is actually meant to refer to monetary compensation), there are no traditional commentators explaining homosexuality away. No one said that it’s OK if both partners are willing, or if society changes, or if someone is born that way.
So for someone like me, an observant Jew, and I assume for Christians who consider themselves devout, it’s understood and expected that I would be against homosexuality and any laws legally establishing it.
Before I get to that, let me just quickly throw in my take on the future of gay rights. The battle is completely, 100% over. As George Will said, the opposition to gay rights is literally dying out. I’ve lost count of how many states have legalized gay marriage; within a decade it will be everyone. Eventually I expect that homosexuals will be a federally protected class, such as those protected according to race, religion, etc. Ultimately the term "coming out of the closet" will die out, because the stigma will completely go away and no one will step in the closet to begin with.
Back to me. If there was not a Torah prohibition against homosexuality, I would think any restrictions on it were nuts. Let’s use the old Martian example. If a Martian came to Earth and knew nothing about us, the controversy, or our sexuality, what do you think his reaction would be when he found out that one small group of people was treated differently according to who they wanted to have sex with. I think his reaction would be "Mmm, why?"
For starters, as a member of a group that has spent large portions of its history being murdered, tortured, and raped by the majority population, I’m not exactly keen on discriminating against minorities. Second, I’m Libertarian and don’t really give a damn what you do if it doesn’t hurt me. Third, the arguments about the decline of civilization that would occur if gays were given the same rights as others really, really cracked me up. I know this is going to shock a lot of people, but the knowledge that homosexuals are starting to marry has not changed my sexual orientation or made me want to divorce my wife. Seriously folks, did you really think the American military was going to collapse if we let homosexuals in? Funny how you never hear about that one anymore.
Look, I don’t want to go on about this like I did with Asians, but I hope you don’t mind if I stereotype just one more time. I tend to see areas with high concentrations of homosexuals go up in value. Trust me, I lived in Midtown Atlanta/the Highlands for a decade. The neighborhoods always seem to be hip, with plenty of art galleries, restaurants, etc. Also, although I’m too lazy to do the research, if I had to guess I would bet homosexuals have a lower crime rate and higher IQ than average. Okay, I’m done stereotyping. I’ll just say this: I used to joke to an Ex that America would be great if it were 1/3 Jewish, 1/3 Asian, and 1/3 gay (if you are not a member of one of those three groups, please understand that I am totally joking. If you are a member of one of those three groups, please understand that I’m totally serious).
So now you see the conflict. I’m not giving up my observant Jewish lifestyle and I’m not giving up my libertarian leanings. At the end of the day, I kind of punt the issue. I live in a secular society, which is a good thing because theocracies in practice work out really, really poorly. I cannot think of one thing in my personal or professional life where knowing someone is gay would affect how I treat them. The part where it says it’s a an abomination? They have to make peace with that, I don’t. I’m only interested in the behavior and religion of five little people, and they are all under the age of 9.
I won’t be the one out there marching for the right of gays to marry, even though it makes sense they be allowed to, because of the Old Testament. Then again, I won’t be marching against it either. There will come a time when a 13-year-old boy, with feelings he doesn't understand, will no longer blow out the birthday candles and wish for the quickest and easiest way to kill himself. And that will be a better world. I also think that world can completely coexist with religious individuals who do their best to follow the Torah, and desperately want their children to do the same.
Have a good night everyone.
JR
