CAMP Spirit

In discussing homosexuality in the world religions, one must begin by acknowledging that the term homosexuality has only been in use for a little over one hundred years, while sexual orientation is of even later origin. Further, homosexuality as a category usually reflects a Judeo-Christian cosmology in which persons are divided into homosexuals (male/male and female/female affiliation) and heterosexuals (male/female affiliation); this is not necessarily so in other cultures. In order to enter into meaningful dialogue beyond a North American and Western European milieu, one must differentiate between one who "engages in homosexual activity" and one who "is a homosexual," for the phenomenon of same-sex sexual activity is universal, while such categorization is not. By condemning or accepting such behavior, religion has attached value to it. Power is bestowed upon what is different: When this difference is viewed negatively, that power manifests itself in classification as taboo or sin; if the difference is regarded positively, that power results in sanctification of the individuals involved. Thus, in addition to being shunned and punished, those involved in homoeroticism have also played an important role throughout the world when it comes to religious ritual and celebration.

It has been remarked that, compared to Christianity and Islam, Judaism is a sex-positive religion. This might be true from a heterosexual perspective: Ancient Hebrew tradition placed great emphasis upon the family, as might be expected in a society that valued its place in the world and, due to deaths from illness and warfare, needed to be constantly vigilant regarding the propagation of the race. However, the ancients were also very clear that any sexual act that did not result in the man’s semen being placed in the woman’s vagina was proscribed, and, in a religiously-focused society, this prohibition was called a "sin." Moreover, there was ignorance regarding biology and anatomy that allowed the ancients to believe that the woman contributed nothing genetically to a child other than her body as a virtual incubator and that the entire person was included in the man’s semen. Thus, activity such as masturbation, coitus interruptus, anal intercourse, and oral gratification was regarded as not only sinful but also murderous since these acts involved the "wasting" of the seed that contained the new life. With this tremendous emphasis upon progeny, barren women were greatly looked down upon, and those men who did not procreate such as eunuchs were barred from participation in Hebrew ritual.

In the patriarchal society that was Israel, there was a tremendous importance placed upon gender roles, and many of the biblical injunctions against homosexual acts and other gender-related issues such as cross-dressing originate in the belief that men should be men and women should be women. The God-given distinctions between the sexes must not be blurred, and, since men were believed to be the very image of God, acts that were seen as dishonoring another’s manhood were believed to dishonor God "Himself." Further, as in many of the world’s religions, the reasoning behind the prohibition was very much connected to patriarchal abhorrence of anal penetration. Thus, the Holiness Code of the Torah states in Leviticus 18:22, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." This is the biblical injunction upon which Judaism’s prohibition of homosexuality is based; its companion verse, Leviticus 20:13, establishes the death penalty for its commission.

This prohibition is in the Torah to remind the Hebrew nation that they are to be "separate" (the root meaning of "holy," qdsh) and not commit various acts that are indulged in by their Canaanite and Egyptian neighbors; the story of the destruction of Sodom (Genesis 19) is used by the sages as an example of non-Israelites whose general wickedness was manifested in their antisocial behavior toward divine visitors. Throughout the centuries, however, this Levitical prohibition has been subject to expansion and commentary by interpreters both ancient and modern; for example, Talmudic law extends the punishment to lesbian acts, which are not addressed anywhere in the Hebrew Bible.

In the medieval and modern periods, Jewish legal and religious arguments consistently rejected arguments that homosexuality is a disease or morally neutral, insisting that it is within the person’s ability to choose whether to engage in behavior that is sinful and biblically prohibited. In recent decades, however, there has been a lessening of this attitude among some segments of Judaism. While Orthodox Judaism still seems fixed in its condemnation of homosexuality, the Reform and Reconstructionist movements have sought to read the biblical and rabbinical injunctions in their societal context, noting that gay and lesbian lifestyles and orientation were not present in ancient societies. Conservative Judaism’s stance varies by congregation, with some synagogues retaining Orthodox beliefs, while others lean toward Reform and Reconstructionist understandings. Additionally, it has been suggested that, when the emphasis on compulsory procreation is eased in a modern context, perhaps the condemnation of homosexuality is unnecessary. This attitude is seen most tangibly in the establishment of gay and lesbian Jewish synagogues (such as Congregation Bet Mishpachah in Washington, D.C.) and the decision by the Central Conference of American Rabbis in 2000 to allow their members to officiate at same-sex unions.

For Further Reading:
• Lewis John Eron, "Homosexuality and Judaism," in Homosexuality and World Religions, edited by Arlene Swidler, Trinity Press International, 1993
• Tom Horner, Jonathan Loved David: Homosexuality in Biblical Times, Westminster Press, 1978