Submitted Comments RSS Feed Comments by Marisa James
Posted in: Reform backs same-sex marriage ban challenge
I'm frankly amused by the sudden committment to halakha in the Reform world. May I ask if those of you with halakhic concerns about gay couples having wedding ceremonies also check to make sure that your garments are not made of a mix of wool and cotton? Because that's also forbidden d'oraita (in the Torah). If you empty a mousetrap and accidentally touch the dead mouse, do you go to the mikveh to render yourself ritually clean again? Because "dead swarming things" (mice, flies) are an abomination, and one who touches them is unclean until sunset and purification, also from the Torah. I could go on, but I don't think it's necessary. But here's a question: have a look and see what the Torah says about marriage. Really, please go look. Use a concordance if you need to. And it doesn't matter which language you prefer, Hebrew or English. Forget "tikkun olam" for the moment; it's an overused and misunderstood concept. Instead, consider this: the prohibition is against two men having anal intercourse. What about two men who want to marry who don't have anal intercourse? (don't laugh - not all gay men do.) What about two women? Please tell me what verses in the Torah forbid a marriage between two adults, and I will be happy to reconsider my position.
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Posted in: Reform backs same-sex marriage ban challenge
01/15/09 11:03 AM
One more thing: for anyone who believes that gay marriage is not a "Jewish issue:" Judaism has always concerned itself with human rights, the ability of individuals to live lives of dignity, and the ability of Jews to create families. If my father fell seriously ill, and my mother was not allowed to visit my father in the hospital, I feel sure that my rabbi would work hard to make sure that she was able to gain entry. If my mother had died when I was a child and my brother and I had been given to someone other than my father to raise, I'm sure my rabbi would have intervened to allow my father to raise us. Is denying these basic rights to committed couples part of your Jewish value system? If so, perhaps I'm beginning to understand the apathy of the younger generations and the declining synagogue membership numbers across the US.