Achrei Mot-Kedoshim: Leviticus 16:1-20:27 - Yom Haazmaut

Another double portion of Torah is the reading this week, Achrei Mot-Kedoshim. These sections are filled with the prohibitions of certain sexual relationships, child sacrifice, laws about specific sacrifices and food, and rules of general societal relationships.
These two portions receive a lot of attention particularly from Christian fundamentalists because of the two small passages that say a man shouldn’t lie with a man as he lies with a woman. These two passages are the basis for an entire political empire bringing their hatred and bigotry to the public square.

The verse in Achrei Mot (18:22) and the verse in Kedoshim (20:13) has long justified the murder of gay men. Ironically and sadly the punishment also described for adultery is death. The punishment described in Kedoshim for a man having sexual intercourse with a woman during menstruation is excommunication. In ancient times this was a living hell to be cut off from your tribe, your kin and your family.

But the difference is that today-no one much worries about menstruating women and their sexual experiences during that time of the month. Adultery while painful to the family unit is hardly something for the death penalty. Yet throughout the world gay men and lesbians too are subject to death and murder and torture for loving in their natural ways; the way God made them.

The Bible has been used throughout time to condemn those that seem different, that are other. And these two small passages in Leviticus have been specifically used by right wing, Christian activists to fuel their gay-bashing industry. These two small passages seem to occupy way too much of their focus as they take away civil rights or prevent full equality for gay men and lesbians in state after state.

We only have to look at California as an example. With the passage of Proposition 8 the religious Christian fundamentalists in bed with Mormons and Catholics took away the civil rights of gay men and lesbians. The State Supreme Court had found that California could no longer discriminate in the issuance of marriage licenses. But radical religious fundamentalists lied to the electorate, using these passages from this week’s portion as their guide and foundation. They created a wave of fear in fair minded Californians that somehow gay people are less than, are a threat and want nothing but to harm the children of California. They use these verses in Leviticus as a jumping off point to build their case. They use these passages to undergird their theological objections to marriage and equality for gay people.

It is no different than the campaign the right wing fundamentalists waged in Arkansas preventing gay people and single people from adopting children. These passages in Leviticus were used and are being used as the foundation point of their arguments. “Look even the Bible says they should be dead,” say some preachers- “How can we let them adopt?” This campaign of lies about the lives of gay men and lesbians (let alone single people’s ability to parent) is being waged now in other states, like Tennessee where an adoption ban is winding its way through their state legislature. Other states such as Florida already have an adoption ban in place for gay men and lesbians. And in each case the fundamental underpinnings for building the case against gay men and lesbians as parents begins with these verse.

But it is wrong to use these verses to persecute gay people. This is a place we as Reform Jews differ greatly from these right-wingers. Here is a place where progressive people of faith differ. These passages do not relate to anything we know of today having to do with gay men or lesbians. These two passages while perhaps grounded in their own time are no different than the passages about adultery or sex with a menstruating woman. Or as this same torah portion specifically mentions that one who curses their mother or father shall be put to death. While disrespectful no one is advocating for death for parent cursers in the public square.

So why homosexuality? Why do these two passages hold such sway over some and why are these two passages seen as more authoritative than the passage about sex with menstruating women?

It is nothing short of fear and the “yuck” factor. Sex is so personal and so private. So little is spoken about it openly. Many straight men have been taught all of their lives to fear gay men. Their ways of loving, gay men’s ways of loving and expressing their affection for one another as varied as it is, sometimes feels too different for straight men. It was most common for straight men to engage in these behaviors in cruel and difficult war times. We still see it today. Just as for many gay men sexual intercourse with woman feels too different and too strange for them.

Thus as I read these two passages it is important to understand that a man shouldn’t lie with a man as he lies with a woman—tells us something important. It says be authentic. Do not imitate the ways of a woman if you are a man. I choose to read this to say be yourself in loving and sex. If you are dominating someone, or using sex with men to rape or dominate or humiliate this is not a loving way of God. Be who God made you and use your sexual nature to love authentically.

That is the way we can all be life affirming. And it is time to educate the electorate that in the United States theology is not law. There is a separation of Church and State (thank goodness) and that we must do everything we can to protect that separation.

This week we will also celebrate Israel’s 61st birthday. Yom Haazmaut is Israel Independence Day. We give thanks for the modern state of Israel. We pray for her safety and security and we pray for the day when all of her peoples Jew and Arab, secular and religious live in peace with one another and their neighbor states and the world.

Posted by Eric at April 28, 2009 09:26 AM