The Homosexual Intersection: God and Modern Science

By Avi Eisen
Montclair State University

"Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman, it is an abomination" (Leviticus, 18:22)

"A man who lies with a man as one lies with a woman, they have both done an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon themselves" (Leviticus, 20:13)

These two verses are seemingly straightforward. Yet within the past couple of months, these two verses that have caused tremendous controversy. How literally should we take these verses, and how far do they extend? Is it only referring to the act? One of the assumptions of marriage is consummation; should homosexual couples be married?

The motto of the Conservative Movement is “Tradition and Change.” We don't just take rabbinic doctrine; we also take other areas of study into account. Sometimes, these studies just make things more complicated, but they allows us a much broader view of the topic.

"She who refuses to cohabit with her husband, etc., is not entitled to her marriage contract…"(Ketubot II, Mishnah 6)

Clearly, the Mishnah states that marriage and cohabitation are intertwined. But what does the secular world say about it? An article by CNN (Oct 14, 2004 Study: One in 100 Adults Asexual) and another by the New York Times (June 9, 2005 Mary Duenwald, For Them, Just Saying No is Easy) describe a group of individuals who have no sexual interest. While it is debatable whether this is natural or not, it is accepted that one out of every 100 people is asexual. With this study, can we truly say that cohabitation is intertwined with consummation?

What if homosexuality is affected by how the brain is wired, and there is no choice in the matter? Two articles by the New York Times (May 10, 2005 Nicholas Wade, For Gay Men, an Attraction to a Different Kind of Scent) (May 17, 2005 Steven Pinker, Sniffing Out the Gay Gene) have reported about pheromones and their effect on the brain. There are two different pheromones, both odors; one from men and one from women The test showed the pheromones lighting up the area of the brain that controls sexual behavior for the opposite gender, while lighting up the smell region of the brain for the same gender. However, it is noted in the study that the pheromone produced by men lights up the area of the brain controlling sexual behavior in homosexual men (Wade’s article notes that the data produced in the study of homosexual women was "somewhat complicated"). This questions whether or not homosexuality is a choice, and whether it is the “fault” of the individual for being that way. 

This raises yet another question. Are individuals in control of their sexual behavior? In his book Does God Belong in the Bedroom? Rabbi Michael Gold makes three statements on how life is viewed, and then relates it to sexual desire:

“A Jewish text written for teens about the relationship between hedonism, asceticism, and holiness explains: A careful examination of mankind's past will demonstrate that basically there have been three approaches to answer the question: What shall I do with my life? The first approach sees man as an animal and the world as a lush jungle to feast upon. This may be called the way of exploitation. [hedonism] The second approach sees man as an angel and the world as an evil den to flee from. This may be called the way of escape. [asceticism] The third approach differs from the other two. Instead of teaching exploitation or escape, it teaches encounter and sanctification. Instead of teaching that the world exists for the self, it teaches that the self exists for the world. It recognizes the situation as it really is, meets it and seeks to improve it. This may be called the way of sanctification or Judaism. [holiness]" (Rabbi Michael Gold, “Does God Belong in the Bedroom?” pg 42)

Is the sex drive something that can be controlled? Is it something that can be consciously overcome, or is it a basic instinct, too powerful to override? If it’s the latter, should we punish someone for who they are? 

The issue of homosexuality is complicated. It’s also one of the more pressing issues in the Movement today. Can we blame the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards for taking more than 14 years to make the right decision? Exactly what is the right decision? We are a movement with a motto of “Tradition and Change.” We cannot just conform to society because of how rapidly it changes, yet we cannot remain rigid in our religious beliefs as society changes around us. This is a decision that cannot be rushed, and which must be grappled with so that we can make a progressive decision that recognizes both Jewish and American cultures.

[Posted 6/22/06]