U.S. Jews and same-sex marriages

[Behind the Aegis]

WASHINGTON - Last Monday evening, in Indianapolis, Indiana, 50 concerned people gathered for an interesting discussion - a polite discussion, according to several of the participants - on a major question: How will the Jewish community in the city deal with a proposed, controversial piece of legislation.

As in several other states, most of them "red" - i.e., Republican - a proposal is now being examined in Indiana by the public: whether to add to the constitution a clause that would prevent same-sex marriages. Supporters of the clause consider it an essential shield against the destruction of the institution of marriage, and of the family. Its opponents consider it a means of improper interference in the life of the individual, and a blow to minority rights.

And what do the members of the Jewish community in Indianapolis think? This question can be answered with relative ease. Most of them oppose the clause, and a minority, who belong to the Orthodox faction, support it. That is no surprise. This city has a very strong, firmly established community of almost 10,000 Jews. It has five synagogues: Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, traditional Sephardi and Orthodox. The number of Orthodox Jews is probably no more than 20 percent, but they are well organized.

Therefore, the question is not over the stand of the members of the community - but of that of the organized, representative communal body. And even in this regard, the important question is not what stand it will take, but whether it will take one at all. And on which topics must "the community" take a stand - and what will the implications be of doing so. What are the boundaries of "the Jewish community" sector? That is not a trivial question.

...more... http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/650610.html

[Sgent]

1. We need to get back the Orthodox

Although gay marrige definately offends Orthodox sensibilities, and I would never expect them to openly support it, I am distressed by their support of an constitutional ammendment.

Since when is it Judaism's (of any varient) point of view that we should push our morality on non-Jews? Do they really want to support a law which imposes a religious morality upon people outside our religion? Do we openly support segregating people by race, religion, sexual orientation, etc?

If that's the case -- even for Orthodox, they have come a long, sad way from my great-grandparents.

[Darranar]

2. The prohibition of sexual misconduct is one of the Noachide laws.

So it applies to non-Jews as well.