Will gay rabbis be made kosher?

[Behind the Aegis]

Friday, March 3 05:10
A documentary film about female rabbis was nominated for an important award this week. It's called "And the Gates Opened: Women in the Rabbinate," and deals with the earth-shaking decision by Conservative Judaism to ordain women as rabbis, 20 years ago.

This is an intriguing coincidence, as next week, a crucial decision of the same magnitude, and maybe even more divisive, is slated to be taken. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards is about to take on the most controversial issue this movement has tackled since it debated ordaining women as rabbis: whether to reverse the ban on same-sex marriages and the ordination of openly gay clergy.

The Conservative movement has so far opposed ordaining openly gay rabbis, supported only traditional marriages and prohibited rabbis from carrying out gay "commitment ceremonies." Most of all, it rejected the notion that the homosexual and the heterosexual lifestyles are morally equal.

The law committee consists of 25 members, some lay leaders, some rabbis. The question they are dealing with is one that's long been debated among members of the movement, and some people are eagerly awaiting the results that will determine their own future as part of the movement. If gays are accepted, many opponents will distance themselves. They might become an independent small branch between the Conservative and the Orthodox camps. If gays are denied again - as happened 13 years ago - those on the "liberal" side of the Conservative movement might join the Reform movement.

more...

[fasttense]

1. Oh, I thought you had misspelled gay rabbits, never mind. N/t

[flobee1]

2. same here

lol:rofl:


Its still early..........:rubsseys:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. I have met female rabbis,

but they were all Reform. I didn't realize that Conservatives now allowed women rabbis. From this article (on the way to work, only had time to read what you posted), I am assuming that Reform has had gay rabbis for a while-how about commitment ceremonies?

What do you think will happen with the Conservatives on the gay issue?

How do pro-gay Jews interpret Leviticus?

Thanks for your answer.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. New Rabbis

Female rabbis are fairly new to the Conservative group, at the most, 5 years now. Gay rabbis have been around before the Vermont issue, the Reform groups (not just gay rabbis) would preform commitment ceremonies, not all, but many. There were a few who would even preform ceremonies for non-Jews.

Pro-gay Jews interpret Leviticus' "Sodom and Gomorrah" as a parable about humility, hospitality, and piety. The biggest sin is the inhospitable nature of the 'mob.' As for the Levitican code, I have heard many takes on it. One being that it (the one in question) originally read, "man shall not lay with child, as with woman." Others say the 'law' is about pagan fertility rites. Much of the Levitican code is no longer followed, so they feel why follow that particular law, as it deals with love and not lust.

[DeaconNoGood]

5. Will "gay" rabbi's be made kosher?

You've got to be jokin'.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. joking how?

[DeaconNoGood]

8. I don't think that a

person can be made "kosher". Doesn't this term refer to food, not people.

[beam me up scottie]

7. Yes, how? Are you going to post and run again?

Someone so sure of themselves should be able to answer a simple question.

[DeaconNoGood]

9. Oh Scottie......

I never run from discussion. Ask me anything you want to.

[beam me up scottie]

10. Okay

Why are you accusing posters in this forum of intolerance when the evidence doesn't back you up?