Good grief! There sure is a lot of Jesus talk for this Jew-ess!
I understand why the Christ people (a.k.a Christians) are at odds in regards to the LGBT community being accepted into their (own) religion. To be honest, I can't even fathom how it feels to believe you are committing blasphemy just by living the life you were created by God to live. Nor can I imagine having to cast out your religious brothers and sisters because you are a true believer and interpret the word of god (either through the bible itself or through your clergy) and absolutely think being gay is a sin.
It sounds so horrible and harsh on both sides.
Here's my suggestion... Be a reform Jew... I would say it's like the "other white meat" but everyone knows that pork and Jews go together like milk and Pepsi.
I will admit, I was raised a "holiday Jew" in the Reform Judaic movement. To my Catholic friends I like to call it being a base line Jew. I imagine it's much like going to church on Christmas and Easter... and that's about it. Like most religious-lite people my parents insisted that I do my due diligence as a kid. I did attend Sunday School growing up while the goyum (that's all non Jews to those of you who don't speak Yiddish) went to CCD. It's basically the same thing but we stop right when the word Jesus hits the bible. All Old Testament. No new for the Jews, thank you.
For most Reform Jewish kids the religious train ends with a bar/bat Mitzvah when they become 13 years old. At this age they are seen as an adult in the eyes of the Temple and can join their parents in the yearly High Holiday services and random Bar/Bat Mitzvah services (not
something ever said, but understood by all parties involved).
However, there is another way to "become an adult" in the eyes of the Temple. You can be confirmed in your Sophomore year of High School. Basically, being confirmed means you sit with your Rabbi and a small group of your peers for two hours a week, for two years. During the weekly meeting the group will discuss and debate what it means to be a Reformed Jew. What I love about Judaism is that we can question everything. We can even go so far as to question weather God exists or not. Pretty cool, right? We believe that it is with this constant questioning that we will reach a higher level of learning and hence understanding about God and why he/she created us all.
In the late 1980's, long before gay rights were a national topic of discussion, "the gay" question was posed to my peer group by the Rabbi. I didn't really know i was gay just yet, but I knew that i loved Jo on the "Facts of Life" just enough to make me squirm a touch when the question was raised. Back then, there was no "Queer as Folk", there was no Ellen. Elton and Mellisa were still in the closet. While I was usually more than happy to be a part of any given discussion, I remember sitting this one out and just listening To my great relief I remember the Rabbi saying "We do not see anything wrong with being gay". My peers debated the issue and ultimately concurred with the Rabbi.
I truly believe this set me on the path for a VERY easy time accepting myself as a lesbian in years to come.
Over the years. I watched my friends, male and female, struggle with self-acceptance. It was frustrating and alarming for me to watch their inner struggles as I just always had a sense of inner peace which I now attribute to my religious beliefs. Hearing all this Jesus talk has inspired this base line Jew to go back to Temple and ask the Rabbi why God made it so hard to be gay AND religious for some people. It doesn't seem fair and it doesn't seem right. I'll let you know how our discussion goes...
