Bisexuality

A Resolution of Witness

Submitted by the United Church of Christ Coalition for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns.

SUMMARY

A Resolution of Witness

Submitted by Wider Church Ministries

SUMMARY

An excerpt:

The following paper was submitted in concurrence with teshuvot by Rabbis Roth and Levy and in dissent from the teshuvot of Rabbis Elliot Dorff, Daniel Nevins and Avram Reisner, Rabbi Gordon Tucker, and Rabbis Myron Geller, Robert and David Fine in Shevat 5767- February 2007.Concurring and dissenting opinions are not official positions of the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards.

WHEREAS, Federal government agencies have demonstrated an increasing tendency to issue grants to groups, organizations, and institutions which promote sexual immorality; and

WHEREAS, The Centers for Disease Control has recently joined this trend, issuing a $25,000 grant to the 13th National Lesbian and Gay Health Conference; and

WHAT EVERY TEEN SHOULD KNOW
Educational programs geared to teens through USY, Ramah and our congregations should give the following messages, within a broader educational context dealing with issues of sexuality in general:
1. All people are entitled to be treated with human dignity and respected as unique individuals in all programs, institutions and congregations in the Conservative movement.

CONCLUSIONS
1) We consider the desire for same sex erotic activity to be a רצי like any other רצי. There should be no discrimination against anyone based merely on the presence or absence of such feelings.
2) Everyone has an equal obligation to observe the law, whatever the content of a person’s רצי may be. We recognize that observing any law will be more difficult for some than for others; people for whom observing a law is more difficult deserve our understanding and support, but their greater degree of difficulty does not absolve them of responsibility.

V. CONCLUSIONS
A. Piskei Din: Legal Findings
Based upon our study of halakhic precedents regarding both sexual norms and human dignity, we reach the following conclusions:
1. The explicit biblical ban on anal sex between men remains in effect. Gay men are instructed to refrain from anal sex.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article by Rev. Jennie Boyd Bull is Part One of a two part series titled "The Eucharist as Embodiment: Toward a Sacramental Theology of Sexuality." The excerpts are taken from her ordination paper. FFO is developing a grass roots Christian Theology of Sexuality. The following does not report an official stand of the commission.

The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of The Rabbinical Assembly affirms the following policies:
(A) We will not perform commitment ceremonies for gays or lesbians.
(B) We will not knowingly admit avowed homosexuals to our rabbinical or cantorial schools or to the Rabbinical Assembly or the Cantors' Assembly. At the same time, we will not instigate witch hunts against those who are already members or students.

Resolution adopted at the 111th Convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis
March, 2000

Background

Over the years, the Central Conference of American Rabbis has adopted a number of positions on the rights of homosexuals, on homosexuality in the rabbinate, and advocating changes in civil law pertaining to same-gender relationships.