Posted on 07/06/2013 1:38:33 AM PDT by darrellmaurina
LOS ANGELES — Sinai Temple is a Conservative Jewish congregation perched on a hill in Westwood, famous for its wealth, its sizable population of Persians, many of whom fled Iran after the fall of the shah, and a well-known and outspoken rabbi who has at times pushed his congregation on ideologically adventurous paths.
So it was that three weeks before the Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California, the rabbi, David Wolpe, announced in a letter to the synagogue that gay marriages would be performed in this 107-year-old congregation, as soon as the court ruling he anticipated was handed down.
Celebrating same-sex marriages is hardly a new stand for Conservative Jewish congregations. But the decision in this distinctive synagogue has set off a storm of protests in recent days, particularly from Persian Jews, reflecting not only the unusual makeup of the congregation but also the generational and cultural divisions among some Jews over how to respond to changing civil views of homosexuality.
“To officiate a union that is expressly not for the same godly purpose of procreation and to call such a relationship ‘sanctified’ is unacceptable to a sound mind,” M. Michael Naim, an architect, said in an open letter to other Iranian members of the congregation. “Homosexuality is explicitly condemned in Scripture and has been categorically and passionately rejected by all classical Jewish legal and ethical thinkers as a cardinal vice in the same category as incest, murder and idolatry.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
did not Peter and the other apostles give the legal defense before the Temple court “we ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts of the Apostles chapter 5 verse 29.Is there record of any other than a Jew being taken before such a Court? Is this same principle not valid even today? What did Moses write in the beginning?(what we who follow that Rabbi from Nazareth call Genesis chapter 1 verse 27: and chapter 2 verse 24)
In other words, a synagogue identified with Conservative Judaism might be considered moderately liberal in its religious practices.
The distinction between “Reform” and “Conservative” makes more sense if understood in the context of the late 1800s and early 1900s when Orthodox Judaism was considered a backward and dying movement, and the question in the life of Jewish intellectuals was whether to make radical changes in Jewish religious life or to conserve a larger amount of Jewish practices in a modern context.
To the left, Reconstructionist Judaism is even more radical than Reform Judaism, and to the right, Orthodox Judaism can be divided into several different groups, of which the most relevant in an American context are the Modern Orthodox and the Hasidic groups, the latter of which is probably best known in America via the Chabad movement.
The revival of the role of Orthodox Judaism is a relatively recent phenomenon, one which is not unconnected with, on the one hand, the assimilation of less-observant Jews into mainstream Western society together with loss of their Jewish identity, and on the other hand, the higher birthrate and much higher commitment to Jewish identity among adherents of Orthodox Judaism.
We also need to recognize that unlike evangelical Protestants and traditional Roman Catholics where religious observance is a fairly good predictor of politically conservative views, that isn't necessarily true in Judaism. A significant number of politically conservative Jewish Republicans are nonobservant or largely secular in their religious outlook. On the other hand, for both historical reasons and factors of practical politics, strictly observant Orthodox Jews may vote for Democratic candidates, especially if they live in areas (New York City, for example) where a vote for a Republican is usually a wasted vote and the only vote that counts is in the Democratic primary.
All of this is only a quick summary and I'm not being fair to the movements described. Describing modern American Jewish practices requires a book, not a page.
"Far be it from me to pass on the fitness of a member of the clergy of another faith..."
When I realized it is within my purview to criticize a doctor who prescribes strychnine despite my lack of membership in, or even deep knowledge of, the medical profession.
That realized, I say:
Rabbi Wolpe is unfit for the post of Rabbi, and whatever methodology is available to remove him from it should be put into practice at once.
(I was a member of a church that removed a pastor, after an evening service in which he spoke favorably of baptismal regeneration, on the basis of motion made, motion seconded, and voice vote.)
I honestly don't understand your question. I'd be happy to try to answer it if I understood.
To avoid any misunderstandings, I'm a gentile Christian who is strongly supportive of Israel for both political and religious reasons, and who believes Christians need to pray regularly for the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
I cannot claim to have a full understanding of the issues in this synagogue, but it appears, at least to me on the outside, that we have a case of a Rabbi who is teaching contrary to what Jews and Christians have always believed about homosexuality until the last couple of generations and a group of laymen in the synagogue who are being faithful to Scriptural teaching against homosexuality.
If that's correct, just as I would pray for the success of people who affirm biblical teaching on homosexuality in the Roman Catholic Church or Eastern Orthodoxy or some Protestant denomination other than my own, it seems appropriate to encourage the people who want to affirm a biblical stance on homosexuality in this synagogue.
Free Republic is a great resource to clear up misunderstandings and find out facts, and I hope some Jewish Freepers can enlighten us on what is really happening in this synagogue.
Exactly right.
The Slimes seems to think that this particular Jewish congregation is an anomaly in the sense that if it weren't for those darn Persian Jews, all Jews would be exuberant at the mere sight or thought of gay "marriage" ceremonies.
Never is it mentioned in the article that California voted strongly in an initiative for Prop 8, essentially banning gay "marriages" in the state, and that the only reason why Wolpe is performing them is weird series of court rulings by pro-gay judges and the legal antics of the 'Rat controlled state government. Yet the Slimes seems shocked that opposition to gay "marriage" still remains and that some "aliens" are still making their views against it known.
Rabbi David Wolpe was surprisingly absent from “Rabbis for Obama”, and while there’s no doubt he’s a leftist kook, he does tend to stay away from partisan political fights.
“So it was that three weeks before the Supreme Court cleared the way for same-sex marriage in California, the rabbi, David Wolpe, announced in a letter to the synagogue that gay marriages would be performed in this 107-year-old congregation, as soon as the court ruling he anticipated was handed down.”
So he thought ‘gay marriage’ was possible, but he wouldn’t do it until the state patted him on the head and told him it was OK? That doesn’t seem like it was fair to all the gay Jews. “Sorry Steve and Abe, our faith teaches you can be married, but since the state we are in says you can’t be married yet you will just have to wait for any recognition from your faith.”
Freegards
This is why I quit going to shul... not this issue in particular, but the general preaching about socialism and liberal issues. The more conservative members just kept their heads down and shut up. Eventually, most of us melted away.
My daughter is very frustrated.
Apparently cultural diversity and accepting the views and the validity of all other cultures is only important to liberals when it either agrees with their views, is morally repugnant, or is anti-American.
Excellent point.
Food for thought on a lot of topics, not just this issue.
Thank you.
I see phenomenon everywhere, not just at religious gatherings. At work, at parties, in schools, everywhere. The liberals dominate the conversation and bully everyone else into silence. Conservatives tend to be polite and don’t try to pick fights so they remain silent and everyone takes that as agreement. The weak minds who prefer to follow rather than think for themselves go along with this. The weak minds who want to be “cool” and hang with the other cool kids go along with this.
Any options for you and your conservative friends who have “melted away” to form a new conservative congregation?
Whoops, thanks darrellmaurina.
The surprise for me is the absence of a definitive ruling by Jewish authorities on homosexual marriage. The Catholic Church, for example, bans homosexual marriage ... period. I believe the same is true for the Orthodox Church. Protestant churches, which emerged later, have differing views. Is there an "official" position by the Jews?
Of course, there is no central authority in Judaism.
The two orthodox Jewish rabbinic associations, Rabbinical Council of America and Agudath Israel of America, have issued no-compromise statements on “gay marriage”.
You see that a lot, I’ve noticed it usually seems to come from liberal Christian groups. The concept seems to be that for these faiths, the state actually decides their definition of marriage. I don’t know what would happen if judges, pols, or 51% of the voting public would decide that the state would no longer recognize actual marriage but only ‘gay marriage’, no more hetero marriage for men and women of those faiths I reckon.
Freegards
There is a good side to this.
Jews who marry the same sex, will, in time whither from this Earth.
Biologically, they extinct themselves by definition.
Of course they can adopt kids but biologically, the kids are not thiers.
Jews who move away from Torah, die out. It may take one, two or three geneations but it will happen...
Curious ... has there ever been? And if so, how and when did that change?
hehe
It was called the Sanhedrin. Ended in the 4th century by the Theodosius II, although it had lost its political authority with Temple’s destruction.
No Sanhedrin needed regarding homosexuality. It’s always been prohibited by the Seven Laws of the Children of Noah and by the Ten Commandments God spoke at Sinai.
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Excellent news. Everyone with an intact moral compass from any religion or none needs to fight this attack on morality, family, children, and our Constitutional freedoms of religion, speech and association.
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