Do you know how those religions incorporate or explain the sexual/biological facts of male and female in their beliefs. Eg. What is the role of semen in a male-male relationship? As a substance - it’s only purpose is to join with an egg. Or do those religions contemplate celibate relationships?
I cannot speak for any religion except Judaism, and even here I have far from a thorough rabbinical or scholarly understanding of the entire rationale underpinning acceptance of gay marriage according to Reform as well as Conservative Judaism. According to the latter movements, celibacy is not a virtue as it is according to the Church. An unmarried man or woman is regarded as “incomplete” in Judaism, particularly if they happen to be a rabbi, and this is also, perhaps especially, true in Torah (Orthodox) Judaism. It is thus believed, though not in Torah Judaism, that a man or woman would be advised to enter into a same-sex marriage to avoid being celibate and also to avoid being promiscuous since promiscuity is equally frowned upon in Judaism. Be aware, however, that this cursory explanation constitutes only the rudiments of Jewish teaching in this regard. BTW, the Torah does not explicitly forbid female homosexual behavior, only male homosexual behavior, so that Torah Jews must incorporate other passages from the Hebrew Bible to forbid all homosexuality. Some Hebrew scholars would even argue that the Law does not forbid ANY homosexuality at all, that is, if one pays close attention to the meaning of the text according to both the Hebrew language and its context. The latter argument is debatable. While the Torah is based on both faith and reason, it is not based on biology. Procreation, though far from unimportant, is not the major purpose of marriage according to Jewish teaching, while love and companionship between partners are.
There have been many of those lately. I believe God loves chaste outside the marriage of a man and a woman. After that, God doesn’t care! He loves gays, and people who park in their front yard, the whole bit.
Please, not a SMOKE-FILLED library!
Avoided? These “difficult” questions come up almost daily.
Please pardon me if I seem course, but the thread title does not come across in my mind as a “difficult and thought provoking question to be gently mulled over by biblical scholars in a smoke filled library.”
The title is: "Does anyone here, that believes in God, actually think that God accepts gay marriage?
Well then I guess I have sinned because of the subject WORDING of the thread, IMHO sounds confrontational.
Meltzer,… I liked you before you wrote this, and having wrote it does not change the fact that I still like you. Bud dude… abortion is an awful, awful thing that leads to great sadness and spiritual hurt to anyone who engages in it not to mention the killing of an innocent life who has no say in the matter. I apologize, but that truly is MHO.
Well stated Prodigal_Son. I hope you look at me like your "little too bit liberal Catholic Buddy, on abortion we agree 100% You know some of the kids I work with, but I also work with some kids with Downs Syndrome and the idea of aborting one has already brought me to tears… just now.
Explain how, if our religious texts and the way we read them to apply to our lives merely stand as one opinion among many, not to be preferred over other books or even other opinions about our own books, you define our books as “holy”. What does it mean to you, when you refer to something as “holy”?
You are lifting my comment from its context, which offers a possible unselfish reason for abortion. Since the thread itself is not about abortion, which is permissible in certain circumstances under Jewish Law, let’s not argue about this.
Do you know a person with Down Syndrome who believes it would have been better to never have been born?
Another poster brought up Down syndrome. Please see my previous comment addressed to “esieffe.” I don’t wish to argue about abortion.
I apologize. I was a bit testy I think the first time I responded to your comment. *
You may be right, he might not know the extent that this has question has been batted around at. I still feel though that the title implies that if you believe in gay marriage, you don’t believe in God. I don’t believe in gay marriage however:lol Welcome to the forums Jacklyn284!
LOL
Not that I have that part, but behind me on the bookshelves is a TINY portion of the Talmud, a Torah, the Qur’an, a bunch of eastern philosophy stuff, and TONS of Catholic stuff. I am aware about the permissible circumstances. I apologize, we won’t argue.
Then why did you bring it up in the first place?
I did not bring up the topic of abortion in the first place. I responded to comments and questions by Lochias and PRmerger. I finally explained the Jewish teaching on abortion and did not bring up the topic after that.