Study of The Jewish Basis For Not Marrying Two Men

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Note: Liberated Christians is a primarily about heterosexual relationships. While we are supportive of all sexual orientations, the leaders do not have the resources to assist them in their special issues. Thus, our Fellowship groups are not appropriate for gays/lesbians. However, individually Dave (an extreme heterosexual - Kinsey Scale= 0) has done extensive biblical research and has been active supporting biblical homosexuality for many years. However, there is no "official" stand as an organization on homosexuality other than general support.

Study of The Jewish Basis For Not Marrying Two Men

The Talmud credits the Gentiles with three observations of the commandments given the sons of Noah: they do not draw up a marriage deed? (kethubah) for males; they do not weigh the flesh of the dead in a market; and they respect the Torah (Hullin 92b).

The first of the three is as puzzling as the last. Homosexual marriages were well known in the Roman world, and most Jews were familiar with such aspects of Roman life. Two explanations seem likely: (1) the Talmud assumes that the absence of legal documents for such relationships demonstrates inferior status (ignoring the generally looser structure of all Gentile marriages); or (2) kethubah refers not to the legalization of the marriage but to a particular aspect of it, probably the dowry agreement (see, e.g. Maimonides, The Guide of The Perplexed, trans. M. Friedlander (New York, n.d.), 3:49).

In the Lev passages it is unclear what is being prohibited. The Hebrew reads literally, "You should not sleep the sleep of a women with a man." Jewish moralists have debated for a millennium about exactly what constitutes "the sleep of a women" and who is technically a "man": see e.g. in the Talmud, Sandedrin 7.4.53A; and Maimonides' commentary in Code 5.1.14. Moreover, since the actions of the "kadeshim" were specifically labeled as "toevah" (e.g., in 1 (3) Kings 14:24), one might well infer that the condemnation in Leviticus were in fact aimed at curbing temple prostitution in particular rather than homosexual behavior in general. This was not the usual understanding of the later Jewish tradition, but it is suggested by the LXX, upon which Christian moralists drew.

Most likely it was simply discussing what was normal sexuality for the majority that were heterosexual. But it would be just as unnatural and against nature for a man born gay, to sleep with a women, that was not how God created him. The biggest problem may be that the texts simply did not refer at all to the natural sexual orientation of homosexuality, since there was no Hebrew word that represented it.

Further, what may have been addressed was the terrible acts of pederasty done by heterosexuals. This was clearly the case in Sodom, where homosexuality is never addressed only pederasty.

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