Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage

#RevChrisPickens on

Homosexuality and Same Sex Marriage

The Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, have traditionally forbidden sodomy, believing and teaching that such behavior is sinful. Today some denominations within these religions are accepting of homosexuality and inclusive of homosexual people, such as Reform Judaism, the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church. Some Presbyterian and Anglican churches welcome members regardless of same-sex sexual practices, with some provinces allowing for the ordination and inclusion of gay and lesbian clerics, and affirmation of same-sex unions. Reform Judaism incorporates lesbian and gay rabbis and same-sex marriage liturgies, while Reconstructionist Judaism and Conservative Judaism in the USA allows for lesbian and gay rabbis and same-sex unions.

The Torah (first five books of the Hebrew Bible) is the primary source for Jewish views on homosexuality. It states that: "[A man] shall not lie with another man as [he would] with a woman, it is a תועבה toeba ("abomination")" (Leviticus 18:22). (Like many similar commandments, the stated punishment for willful violation is the death penalty, although in practice rabbinic Judaism no longer believes it has the authority to implement death penalties.)

Orthodox Judaism views homosexual acts as sinful. In recent years, there has been approaches claiming only the sexual anal act is forbidden and considered abomination by the Torah, while the sexual orientation and even other sexual activities are not considered a sin. Conservative Judaism has engaged in an in-depth study of homosexuality since the 1990s with various rabbis presenting a wide array of responsa (papers with legal arguments) for communal consideration. The official position of the movement is to welcome homosexual Jews into their synagogues, and also campaign against any discrimination in civil law and public society, but also to uphold a ban on anal sex as a religious requirement.

Reform Judaism and Reconstructionist Judaism in North America and Liberal Judaism in the United Kingdom view homosexuality to be acceptable on the same basis as heterosexuality. Progressive Jewish authorities believe either that traditional laws against homosexuality are no longer binding or that they are subject to changes that reflect a new understanding of human sexuality. Some of these authorities rely on modern biblical scholarship suggesting that the prohibition in the Torah was intended to ban coercive or ritualized homosexual sex, such as those practices ascribed to Egyptian and Canaanite fertility cults and temple prostitution.

Christian denominations hold a variety of views on the issue of homosexual activity, ranging from outright condemnation to complete acceptance. Most Christian denominations welcome people attracted to the same sex, but teach that homosexual acts are sinful. These denominations include the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox church, the United Methodist Church, and some other mainline denominations, such as the Reformed Church in America and the American Baptist Church, as well as Conservative Evangelical organizations and churches, such as the Evangelical Alliance, and fundamentalist groups and churches, such as the Southern Baptist Convention.

Pentecostal churches such as the Assemblies of God, as well as Restorationist churches, like Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons, also take the position that homosexual sexual activity is sinful. Some liberal Christians are supportive of homosexuals. Other Christian denominations do not view monogamous same sex relationships as bad or evil. These include the United Church of Canada, the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada.

In particular, the Metropolitan Community Church, a denomination of 40,000 members, was founded specifically to serve the Christian LGBT community, and is devoted to being open and affirming to LGBT people. The United Church of Christ and the Alliance of Baptists also condone gay marriage, and some parts of the Anglican and Lutheran churches allow for the blessing of gay unions. Within the Anglican communion there are openly gay clergy; for example, Gene Robinson and Mary Glasspool are openly homosexual bishops in the US Episcopal Church and Eva Brunne in Lutheran Church of Sweden. The Episcopal Church's recent actions vis-a-vis homosexuality have brought about increased ethical debate and tension within the Church of England and worldwide Anglican churches.

Passages from the Old Testament have been interpreted to argue that homosexuals should be punished with death, and AIDS has been portrayed by some fundamentalist sects such as Fred Phelps and Jerry Falwell as a punishment by God against homosexuals. In the 20th century, theologians like Karl Barth, Jürgen Moltmann, Hans Küng, John Robinson, Bishop David Jenkins, Don Cupitt, and Bishop Jack Spong challenged traditional theological positions and understandings of the Bible; following these developments some have suggested that passages have been mistranslated, are taken out of context, or that they do not refer to what we understand as "homosexuality."

Some Protestant churches condemn same-sex sexual relations, based on scripture texts such as describing a man lying with another man (Leviticus 18:22), or (Romans 1:26-27) as sinful acts. Where the Catholic view is founded on a natural law argument informed by scripture and proposed by Thomas Aquinas, the traditional conservative Protestant view is based on an interpretation of scripture alone. Protestant conservatives also see homosexual relationships as an impediment to heterosexual relationships. They interpret some Biblical passages to be commandments to be heterosexually married. Catholics, on the other hand, have accommodated unmarried people as priests, monks, nuns and single lay people for over a thousand years. A number of self-described gay and 'ex-gay' Christians have reported satisfaction in mixed-orientation marriages.

The Catholic Church insists that those who are attracted to people of the same sex, as well as anyone who is not married, practice chastity. The Catholic Church does not regard homosexual activity as a perfect expression of the marital sacrament which it teaches is only possible within a lifelong commitment of a marriage between a man and a woman. According to the Church's sexual ethics, homosexual activity falls short in the areas complementarity (male and female organs complement each other) and fecundity (openness to new life) of the sexual act. This is not to be seen as a fault of people with homosexual attraction, but rather Catholic church officials consider this to be a statement of fact about reality.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that no one should arouse sexual feelings outside of marriage, including those towards members of the same sex.The LDS church recognizes that feelings of same-sex attraction may not change or be overcome in this earth life, and expect all un-married members, gay or straight, to abstain from any and all sexual relations outside of heterosexual marriage.

The LDS church maintains that feelings and inclinations toward the same sex (i.e. homosexual feelings or "temptations") are not inherently sinful, but engaging in homosexual behavior is in conflict with the “doctrinal principle, based on sacred scripture … that marriage between a man and a woman is essential to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” Those who experience same-sex attraction should continually exercise self-control and reliance on the atonement of Jesus Christ in order to refrain from acting on such feelings. The LDS church strongly opposes same-sex marriage and teaches that marriage is only to be between a man and a woman, and that this is essential to God's eternal plan. For more information on this subject, see the LDS Church's website “Love One Another: A Discussion on Same-Sex Attraction”. This site strives to address, through interviews and videos from Church leaders and members, the issue of same-sex attraction as it relates to individuals and affected family members.

Since it's not humanly possible to speak for God we have to do the best we can with our own intelligence. The Bible is not specific about many of the social issues we face today, and it does not make blanket claims about specific behaviors. These "mores" are determined age to age by the prevailing sentiments of society.

There is a wide gulf separating sexual desire, inclination, and motivation from sexual involvement, activity, and interaction--the difference between leading a chaste, even celibate life versus leading a more self-centered, promiscuous one. While sex is certainly primarily the means by which mankind reproduces himself, we humans also have the ability to enjoy sex at times when procreation is not optimal, unlike the animals. It is certainly not wrong to enjoy what God has given us, but we also have to temper our enjoyment in light of the impact our enjoyment may have on our partner, and on others in the community: i.e., one would not want to engage in adulterous sex, for example, because of the harm it can do to others.

I know of no accepted scientific study that indicates that humans are innately bisexual. That again would seem to be purely a matter of choice, although in some scientific circles, homosexuality is thought to be an inborn tendency.

Is sex a moral issue? Sex is probably THE moral issue to be faced at this time in this culture. Sex has been elevated to a much higher estate than it likely deserves, and can cause much sorrow if not tempered with good sense..

Here are some quotes from The Urantia Book relating to character that you may find meaningful:

Remember: While inherited urges cannot be fundamentally modified, emotional responses to such urges can be changed; therefore the moral nature can be modified, character can be improved. In the strong character emotional responses are integrated and co-ordinated,and thus is produced a unified personality . Deficient unification weakens the moral nature and engenders unhappiness.(140:4.8) No human emotion or impulse, when unbridled and overindulged, can produce so much harm and sorrow as this powerful sex urge.(82:1.10) Human life consists in three great drives--urges, desires, and lures. Strong character, commanding personality , is only acquired by converting the natural urge of life into the social art of living, by transforming present desires into those higher longings which are capable of lasting attainment, while the commonplace lure of existence must be transferred from one's conventional and established ideas to the higher realms of unexplored ideas and undiscovered ideals.(160:1.2) It requires a great and noble character, having started out wrong, to turn about and go right. All too often one's own mind tends to justify continuance in the path of error when once it is entered upon.(184:2.12)

And The Urantia Book has this to say about pleasure:

Let man enjoy himself; let the human race find pleasure in a thousand and one ways; let evolutionary mankind explore all forms of legitimate self-gratification, the fruits of the long upward biologic struggle. Man has well earned some of his present-day joys and pleasures. But look you well to the goal of destiny! Pleasures are indeed suicidal if they succeed in destroying property, which has become the institution of self-maintenance; and self- gratifications have indeed cost a fatal price if they bring about the collapse of marriage, the decadence of family life , and the destruction of the home--man's supreme evolutionary acquirement and civilization's only hope of survival.(84:8.6)

When thinking about God and what he might want, I think it is safe to say that what God might want more than anything is that we LOVE one another. If love is our primary motivator, and it is the kind of divine love in the quote below, it is hard to imagine that there is anything in the material world that could be harmed by it.
156:5.11 You are destined to live a narrow and mean life if you learn to love only those who love you. Human love may indeed be reciprocal, but divine love is outgoing in all its satisfaction-seeking. The less of love in any creature’s nature, the greater the love need, and the more does divine love seek to satisfy such need. Love is never self-seeking, and it cannot be self-bestowed. Divine love cannot be self- contained; it must be unselfishly bestowed.

What does the Quran say about homosexuality?

All major Islamic schools disapprove of homosexuality. Islam views same-sex desires as a natural temptation, but sexual relations are seen as a transgression of the natural role and aim of sexual activity. Islamic teachings (in the hadith tradition) presume same-sex attraction, extol abstention and (in the Qur'an) condemn consummation.

The discourse on homosexuality in Islam is primarily concerned with activities between men. There are, however, a few hadith mentioning homosexual behavior in women; The fuqaha’ are agreed that "there is no hadd punishment for lesbianism, because it is not zina. Rather a ta’zeer punishment must be imposed, because it is a sin..'". Although punishment for lesbianism is rarely mentioned in the histories, al-Tabari records an example of the casual execution of a pair of lesbian slavegirls in the harem of al-Hadi, in a collection of highly critical anecdotes pertaining to that Caliph's actions as ruler.

Islam allows and promotes filial love between siblings of the same sex. However, sexual activities between them are totally prohibited. Ibn Hazm, Ibn Daud, Al-Mutamid, Abu Nuwas and many others used this edict to write extensively and openly of brotherly love between men while proclaiming to be chaste.

Homosexuality is strictly forbidden in Islam in all shapes and forms. Although it has mainly been focused around Men. Female homosexuality is not that strongly discussed. This could be that in adultery in Islam the focus is mainly on penetration.

Quran 4:16
And the two who commit it among you, dishonor them both. But if they repent and correct themselves, leave them alone. Indeed, Allah is ever Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

The above verses clearly say homosexuality is not allowed in Islam and is punishable. But it is somewhat soft. If you look at hadiths, homosexuality is rebuked even in stronger words.

This sin, the impact of which makes one’s skin crawl, which words cannot describe, is evidence of perverted instincts, total collapse of shame and honor, and extreme filthiness of character and soul… The heavens, the Earth and the mountains tremble from the impact of this sin. The angels shudder as they anticipate the punishment of Allah to descend upon the people who commit this indescribable sin.This strong rebuke merely comes from the fact that our society has always condemned homosexuality, esp male and those who use their backend.

Lesbian sex has been completely left out as if does not exist. Female homosexuality is very real just like with men. Female homosexuality has zero interest in men and ideally they would not want to marry (a man). Why were they left out? The verdict seems to be incomplete and merely something that came from society not from God.

One hadith that I cannot find source for is something like this (*note: these are my words)

If two men commit adultery, the one who is on receiving end gets the death penalty while the other gets 100 lashings.

This clearly makes the case for penetration. The man who penetrated clearly was not looked down upon. He was given a regular punishment for adultery, the receiving end was given the punishment for being gay. This is what the society thought of at the time.

While I am not entirely sure but if two homosexual guys fondle each other, that may include kissing and other body parts, the punishment might be less severe.
Almost all sahabas agreed on severe punishment for a homosexual. Some agree they should be burned and stoned, others said they should be thrown from a great height and then stoned, some said they should just be stoned, but most agreed, their punishment would be death.

Bahá'í law limits permissible sexual relations to those between a man and a woman in marriage. Believers are expected to abstain from sex outside matrimony. Bahá'ís do not, however, attempt to impose their moral standards on those who have not accepted the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh. While requiring uprightness in all matters of morality, whether sexual or otherwise, the Bahá’í teachings also take account of human frailty and call for tolerance and understanding in regard to human failings. In this context, to regard homosexuals with prejudice would be contrary to the spirit of the Bahá’í teachings.

Among the religions that originated in India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, teachings regarding homosexuality are less clear than among the Abrahamic traditions, and religious authorities voice diverse opinions.

In 2005, an authority figure of Sikhism condemned same-sex marriage and the practice of homosexuality. However, many people in Sikhism aren't against gay marriage. Hinduism is diverse, with no supreme governing body, but the majority of swamis opposed same-sex relationships in a 2004 survey, and a minority supported them. Ancient religious texts such as the Vedas often refer to people of a third gender known as "Hijra", who are neither female nor male. Some see this third gender as an ancient parallel to modern western lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex identities. However, this third sex is usually negatively valued as a pariah class in ancient texts. Ancient Hindu law books, from the first century onward, categorize non-vaginal sex (ayoni) (Anal) as impure.

When a child is born,the baby is assigned as male or female on the basis of physical sex characteristics which are immediately apparent at the time of birth or investigations during pregnancy. But there are no tests or investigations to ascertain the gender of the baby at the time of birth or before.

In most other cases, anatomical sex and psychological gender are in congruence, this means a male child develops with characteristics of male, likes to play with cars, rough sports and male ambitions, and at appropriate times develops attractions to the opposite sex and vice-versa. In rare cases, there will be discordance between anatomical sex and psychological gender.

A baby born neither male nor female is a transgender. They are known as ‘Hijra’ in India and forced to lead an ‘unaccepted life’ in the society. They are a happy lot today as a Supreme Court verdict in April recognized them as the “third gender” for the first time giving the social acceptance. The verdict of the Apex Court has in fact opened a new chapter for about two million people in India who qualify for the third category of humanity.

Hinduism has taken various positions, ranging from positive to neutral or antagonistic. Referring to the nature of Samsara, the Rigveda, one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism says 'Vikruti Evam Prakriti' (perversity/diversity is what nature is all about, or, what seems unnatural is also natural).

Sexuality is rarely discussed openly in Hindu society, and LGBT issues are largely a taboo subject — especially among the strongly religious. A "third gender" has been acknowledged within Hinduism since Vedic times. Several Hindu texts, such as Manu Smriti and Sushruta Samhita, assert that some people are born with either mixed male and female natures, or sexually neuter, as a matter of natural biology. They worked as hair-dressers, flower-sellers, servants, masseurs and prostitutes. Today, many people of a "third gender" (Hijras) live throughout India, mostly on the margins of society.

Several Hindu religious laws contain injunctions against homosexual activity, while some Hindu theories do not condemn lesbian relations and some third-gendered individuals were highly regarded. Hindu groups are historically not unified regarding the issue of homosexuality, each one having a distinct doctrinal view.

The Indian Kama Sutra, written in the 150 BC, contains passages describing eunuchs or "third-sex" males performing oral sex on men. Similarly, some medieval Hindu temples and artifacts openly depict both male homosexuality and lesbianism within their carvings, such as the temple walls at Khajuraho. Some infer from these images that at least part of the Hindu society and religion were previously more open to variations in human sexuality than they are at present.

In some Hindu sects (especially among the Hijras), many divinities are androgynous. There are Hindu deities who are intersex (both male and female); who manifest in all three genders; who switch from male to female or from female to male; male deities with female moods and female deities with male moods; deities born from two males or from two females; deities born from a single male or single female; deities who avoid the opposite sex; deities with principal companions of the same sex, and so on. However, this is not accepted by the majority of Hindus, and is often considered heretical in nature. Those who do accept it justify with the belief that both God and nature are unlimitedly diverse and God is difficult to comprehend.

On July 2012 Gopi Shankar, a Gender activist and a student from The American College in Madurai, coined the regional terms for gender queer people in Tamil. Gopi said, apart from male and female, there are more than 20 types of genders, such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Pansexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Intergender, Asexual, Ally  Transwoman, Transmen, Androgynous, Pangender, Trigender, Androsexual, Asexual, etc.,and ancient India refers it as Trithiya prakirthi. After English,Tamil is the only language that has been given names for all the genders identified so far.

(See a Comprehensive List with complete Terms and Definitions here: http://www.itspronouncedmetrosexual.com/2013/01/a-comprehensive-list-of-lgbtq-term-definitions/ )

It's often regarded that Hinduism doesn't promote nor condemn homosexuality.
However, Hinduism does not condemn gay people.

The ancient Hindu scriptures describe the homosexual condition to be a biological one, and although the scripture gives guidance to parents on how to avoid raising a homosexual child, it does not condemn the child as unnatural.
Hinduism prescribes 16 ceremonies to mark each major stage in one's life span. We would usually observe the birth, name, adolescence, marriage, retirement and death ceremonies but there is a little known ceremony called the"insemination" ceremony or the Garbhadan Sanskaar, which I am sure nobody observes nowadays.

This "insemination" ceremony talks about homosexuality. The ancient Rishis, or prophets, advocated that there are two elements; fire (agni for sun) and water (soma for moon), which determine the sex of a child. Of the 16 days from the end of the menstruation cycle,sexual intercourse for the purposes of procreation was forbidden as during these days the menses may continue. The theory goes that if insemination takes place in the night of an even number from six to 16, a male child will be born whilst on an odd number of fifth,seventh, ninth and 15th night a female child will be born.

The scripture further forbids insemination on the 11th or the 13th night after the end of the menstruation cycle, because then it says the child will be homosexual.

According to the scripture, the sex of a child is determined by whether the fire element is dominant, or if the water element is dominant. Thus, during these even nights, the fire element dominates giving a male conception, and during these odd nights, the water element gives a female conception. However, if the fire element equals the water element, then a homosexual conception takes place.

The point here is that the homosexual nature is part of the natural law of God; it should be accepted for what it is, no more and no less. Hindus are generally conservative but it would seem to me that in ancient India they even celebrated sex as an enjoyable part of procreation, where people would invite their priest even for a private ceremony in their home to mark the beginning of that process. In fact, King Dasharath, who fathered Lord Rama around 2100 BC, had one of the most lavish insemination ceremonies.

Homosexuals are full human beings, who in Hinduism even worship their own deity, the Mother Goddess Bahuchara, for their spiritual link to the Absolute Brahm. They marry for the right reasons of commitment, not just unadulterated sex, as a means of training their egos to give to the other person, a technique deified through the sacrament of marriage so that both souls can evolve towards their final salvation.

The relationship between religion and homosexuality can vary greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and denominations, and regarding different forms of homosexuality and bisexuality. Present day doctrines of the world's major religions vary vastly, generally, and by denomination on attitudes toward these sexual orientations.

Among those denominations that generally are negative towards these orientations, there are many different types of actions they may take: this can range from quietly discouraging homosexual activity, explicitly forbidding same-sex sexual practices among adherents and actively opposing social acceptance of homosexuality, to execution. Many argue that it is homosexual actions which are sinful, rather than the state of being homosexual itself. Several organizations exist that assert that conversion therapy can help diminish same-sex attraction.

However, some adherents of many religions view the two sexual orientations positively, and many religious denominations may bless same-sex marriages and support LGBT rights, and the amount of those that do are continuously increasing around the world as much of the developed world enacts laws supporting LGBT rights.

Historically, some cultures and religions accommodated, institutionalized, or revered, same-sex love and sexuality; Such mythologies and traditions can be found around the world. For example, Hinduism does not view homosexuality as a religious sin. In 2009, the Hindu Council UK became one of the first major religious organizations to support LGBT rights when they issued a statement "Hinduism does not condemn homosexuality".

Regardless of their position on homosexuality, many people of faith look to both sacred texts and tradition for guidance on this issue. However, the authority of various traditions or scriptural passages and the correctness of translations and interpretations are continually disputed.

The most common formulation of Buddhist ethics are the Five Precepts and the Eightfold Path, one should neither be attached to, nor crave sensual pleasure. The third of the Five Precepts is "To refrain from committing sexual misconduct." However, "sexual misconduct" is such a broad term, and is subjected to interpretation relative to the social norms of the followers. In fact, Buddhism in its earliest form did not clearly define sexuality rules for lay followers, restricting the subject mostly for monks. Therefore, the determination of whether or not homosexuality is acceptable for a layperson is not considered a religious matter by many Buddhists.

Buddhism is often characterized as distrustful of sensual enjoyment and sexuality in general. Traditionally, homosexual conduct and gender variances are seen as obstacles to spiritual progress in most schools of Buddhism; as such monks are expected to refrain from all sexual activity, and the Vinaya (the first book of the Tripitaka) specifically prohibits sexual intercourse, then further explain that both anal, oral as well as vaginal intercourse amount to sexual intercourse, which will result in permanent exclusion from Sangha. A notable exception in the history of Buddhism occurred in Japan during the Edo period, in which male homosexuality, or more specifically, love between young novices and older monks, was celebrated.

References to Pandaka, a deviant sex/gender category that is usually interpreted to include homosexual males, can be found throughout the Pali canon as well as other Sanskrit scriptures. Leonard Zwilling refers extensively to Buddhaghosa's Samantapasadika, where Pandaka are described as being filled with defiled passions and insatiable lusts, and are dominated by their libido. Some texts of the Abhidharma state that a Pandaka cannot achieve enlightenment in their own lifetime, (but must wait for rebirth as a "normal" man or woman) and Asanga and Vasubandhu discussed if a Pandaka was able to be enlightened or not. According to one scriptural story, Ananda—Buddha's cousin and disciple—was a Pandaka in one of his many previous lives.

Some later classic Buddhist masters and texts (from both Theravada and Mahayana schools) disallow contact between Buddhists and Pandakas and classify homosexuality as sexual misconduct, including for layfollowers.
The third of the Five Precepts of Buddhism states that one is to refrain from sexual misconduct; this precept has sometimes been interpreted to include homosexuality. The Dalai Lama of Tibetan Buddhism interprets sexual misconduct to include lesbian and gay sex, and indeed any sex other than penis-vagina intercourse, including oral sex, anal sex, and masturbation or other sexual activity with the hand; the only time sex is acceptable is when it performed for its natural purpose of procreation. When interviewed by Canadian TV news anchor Evan Solomon on CBC News: Sunday about whether or not homosexuality is acceptable in Buddhism, the Dalai Lama responded that "it is sexual misconduct. "This was an echo of an earlier response in a 2004 Vancouver Sun interview when asked about homosexulity in Buddhism, where the Dalai Lama replied "for a Buddhist, the same sex, that is sexual misconduct". However, the Dalai Lama supports human rights for all, "regardless of sexual orientation."

In Thailand, traditional accounts propose that "homosexuality arises as a karmic consequence of violating Buddhist proscriptions against heterosexual misconduct. These karmic accounts describe homosexuality as a congenital condition which can not be altered, at least in a homosexual person's current lifetime, and have been linked with calls for compassion and understanding from the non-homosexual populace. "However, Buddhist leaders in Thailand have also condemned homosexuality, ousted monks accused of homosexual acts, and banned kathoey from ordination. As per BBC article 27 April 2009, Senior monk Phra Maha Wudhijaya Vajiramedh is very concerned by flamboyant behavior of gay and transgender novices such as the wearing of make-up and tight orrevealingly tight robes, carrying pink purses, and having effeminately-shaped eyebrows. Phra Vajiramedhi acknowledged that it was difficult to exclude them from the monkhood - so he introduced Thailand's & Buddhism's "good manners" curriculum - the country's first.

A later Popular Japanese legend attributed the introduction of monastic homosexuality to Japan to Shingon founder Kukai, although scholars now dismiss the veracity of this assertion, pointing out his strict adherence to the Vinaya. Nonetheless, the legend served to "affirm same sex relation between men and boys in seventeenth century Japan. "However, Japanese Buddhist scholar and author of Wild Azaleas Kitamura Kiginargued that there was a tendency in monasteries to avoid heterosexuality and to encourage homosexuality.

Although Mahayana Buddhism has texts opposing homosexuality, the majority of its teachings assert that all beings who correctly practice the dharma may reach enlightenment, since all possess aninnate Buddha nature. Enlightenment being achievable even in a singlelife.
The capacity of Buddhism to reform itself and its great variety of distinct beliefs and schools, provide many liberal streams of Buddhism, which are accepting of all sexual orientations. Reformist Buddhism is predominant in the west and in some eastern cosmopolitancities.

Sikhism has no written view on the matter, but in 2005, a Sikh religious authority described homosexuality as "against the Sikh religion and the Sikh code of conduct and totally against the laws of nature," and called on Sikhs to support laws against gay marriage. Many Sikhs are against this view, however, and state that the Sikh Scriptures promote equality and do not condemn homosexuality.

The man that lies with mankind as man lies with womankind, or as woman lies with mankind, is a man that is a Daeva [demon]; this man is a worshipper of the Daevas [demons], a male paramour of the Daevas [demons]. —Vendidad

The Vendidad, one of the later Zoroastrian texts composed in the Artificial Young Avestan language, has not been dated precisely. It is thought that some concepts of law, uncleanliness, dualism, and salvation were shared between the religions, and subsequent interactions between the religions are documented by events such as the release of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity by Zoroastrian Cyrus the Great in 537 BC, and the Biblical account of the Magi visiting the infant Jesus. The Vendidad generally promotes procreation: "the man who has a wife is far above him who lives in continence; he who keeps a house is far above him who has none; he who has children is far above the childless man; he who has riches is far above him who has none." It details the penance for a worshipper who submits to sodomy under force as "Eight hundred stripes with the Aspahe-astra, eight hundred stripes with the Sraosho-charana." (equal to the penalty for breaking a contract with the value of an ox), and declares that for those participating voluntarily "For that deed there is nothing that can pay, nothing that can atone, nothing that can cleanse from it; it is a trespass for which there is no atonement, for ever and ever". However, those not practicing the Religionof Mazda were pardoned for past actions upon conversion

Among the Taoic religions of East Asia, such as Taoism, passionate homosexual expression is usually discouraged because it is believed to not lead to human fulfillment.

Confucianism, being primarily a social and political philosophy, focused little on sexuality, whether homosexual or heterosexual. However, the ideology did emphasize male friendships, and Louis Crompton has argued that the "closeness of the master-disciple bond it fostered may have subtly facilitated homosexuality". Homosexuality is not mentioned in the Analects of Confucius. "Biting the bitter peel", a euphemism for homosexual relations, generally taken to mean anal sex, is mentioned as having been practiced by several individuals in the Classic of History as well as the Spring and Autumn Annals, both texts belonging to the Five Classics.

There is no single official position on homosexuality in Taoism, as the term Taoism is used to describe a number of disparate religious traditions. In a similar way to Buddhism, Taoist schools sought throughout history to define what would be sexual misconduct. Consequently, the literature of some schools included homosexuality as one of the forms of sexual misconduct. However, homosexuality is not unknown in Taoist history, such as during the Tang dynasty when Taoist nuns exchanged love poems. Attitudes about homosexuality within Taoism often reflect the values and sexual norms of broader Chinese society.

The Wiccan Charge of the Goddess, one of the most famous texts in Neopaganism, states in the words of the Goddess, "all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals". Intraditional forms of Wicca, such as Gardnerian and Alexandrian Wicca, magic is often performed between a man and a woman, and the "Great Rite" is a sex ritual performed between a Priest and Priestess representing the God and Goddess; however, this is not generally seen as excluding homosexuals or magic between same-sex couples. Most groups still insist, however, that initiations be conferred from man to woman or woman to man. Any ritual sexual acts, whether actual or symbolic, take place between two consenting adults, normally a couple who are already lovers.

Satanism, in the LaVey tradition, is open to all forms of sexual expression, and does not preclude homosexuality.

The Unitarian Universalist Association supports the freedom to marry and compares resistance to it to the resistance to abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, and the end of anti-miscegenation laws. Several congregations have undertaken a series of organizational, procedural, and practical steps to become acknowledged as a "Welcoming Congregation": a congregation which has taken specific steps to welcome and integrate gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender (GLBT) members. UU ministers perform same-sex unions and now same-sex marriages where legal (and sometimes when not, as a form of civil protest). On 29 June 1984, the Unitarian Universalists became the first major church "to approve religious blessings on homosexual unions." Unitarian Universalists have been in the fore front of the work to make same-sex marriages legal in their local states and provinces, as well as on the national level. Gay men and lesbians are also regularly ordained as ministers, and a number of gay and lesbian ministers have, themselves, now become legally married to their partners. In May 2004, Arlington Street Church was the site of the first state-sanctioned same-sex marriage in the United States. The official stance of the UUA is for the legalization of same-sex marriage—"Standing on the Side of Love." In 2004 UU Minister Rev. Debra Haffner of The Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice, and Healing published An Open Letter on Religious Leaders on Marriage Equality to affirm same-sex marriage from a multi-faith perspective.

Humanism is a life stance that supports full equality for LGBTQ individuals including the right to marry. Humanism and Its Aspirations, a statement of humanist principles from the American Humanist Association, states that "humanists are concerned for the well being of all, are committed to diversity, and respect those of differing yet humane views... work to uphold the equal enjoyment of human rights and civil liberties in an open, secular society and maintain it is a civic duty to participate in the democratic process and a planetary duty to protect nature's integrity, diversity, and beauty in a secure, sustainable manner." The American Humanist Association provides a LGBT Humanist Pride award and has funded a LGBT-inclusive prom. The Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association from the U.K. promotes “an awareness and understanding of the Humanist ethical outlook, bringing lesbian and gay rights issues to the attention of the public, and playing a full part in the campaign for lesbian and gay equality,” and in 2009 they gave Stephen Fry an award “for his services to humanism and gay rights. ”The Galha LGBT Humanists "is a United Kingdom-based not-for-profit that campaigns for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality and human rights and promotes Humanism as an ethical worldview."

The Radical Faeries are a worldwide queer spiritual movement, founded in 1979 in the United States.

Look at it this way:

1. If same-sex couples want to get married, LET THEM!!!! A same-sex couple can not reproduce, so then those that are against same-sex marriage should encourage it. It would reduce the population in that regard.

2. Studies have shown that same-sex couples that adopt children end up having having happier children than heterosexual couples. Why? Because they love them MORE for the single fact that they can not have their own and thus cherish every moment with them. They can't just get pregnant and have another.

3. What is really stopping same-sex couples FROM getting married? What others say? MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!!!! If people want to be happy, let them!!

4. Why do we NEED laws stating that same-sex couples can get married? If this is the case, then heterosexual couples need laws stating that THEY can get married. THERE  IS NO LAW THAT STATES THAT HETEROSEXUAL COUPLES CAN GET MARRIED!!!! By default, the laws state man and woman because of Christian beliefs. The laws are primarily VERY Christian in nature. At the same time, we are supposed to be

Luke 10:26 ~ “What does the written law say? How do you interpret it?” asked Jesus.

Show me ONE law that states that marriage is ONLY a man and a woman. The laws generally just state man and woman in them when referring to marriage, because back then (1770's), it was a disgrace, and generally like the black slaves, if caught were severely beaten, or hung, so the founding fathers more than likely never really thought that an issue would EVER be brought up. It's all in how it's written. What's most interesting is that once you study law and learn it, it's nothing to study religion, and vice versa. In Christianity, it was considered a disgrace. Why? Because Judaism considered it a disgrace. Why? Because it didn't contribute to the growth of the future kingdom of David, the people of Israel.

Laws of Forbidden Relations:
*Not to have relations with your mother Lev. 18:7
* Not to have relations with your father's wife Lev. 18:8
* Not to have relations with your sister Lev. 18:9
* Not to have relations with your father's wife's daughter Lev.
   18:11
*Not to have relations with your son's daughter Lev. 18:10
* Not to have relations with your daughter Lev. 18:10
* Not to have relations with your daughter's daughter Lev. 18:10
* Not to have relations with a woman and her daughter Lev.   18:17
* Not to have relations with a woman and her son's daughter Lev. 18:17
* Not to have relations with a woman and her daughter's daughter Lev. 18:17
* Not to have relations with your father's sister Lev. 18:12
* Not to have relations with your mother's sister Lev. 18:13
* Not to have relations with your father's brother's wife Lev. 18:14
* Not to have relations with your son's wife Lev. 18:15
* Not to have relations with your brother's wife Lev. 18:16
* Not to have relations with your wife's sister Lev. 18:18
* A man must not have relations with a beast Lev. 18:23
* A woman must not have relations with a beast Lev. 18:23
* Not to have homosexual relations Lev. 18:22
* Not to have homosexual relations with your father Lev. 18:7
* Not to have homosexual relations with your father's brother Lev. 18:14
* Not to have relations with a married woman Lev. 18:20
* Not to have relations with a menstrually impure woman Lev. 18:19
* Not to marry non-Jews Deut. 7:3
* Not to let Moabite and Ammonite males marry into the Jewish people Deut. 23:4
* Don't keep a third generation Egyptian convert from marrying into the Jewish people Deut. 23:8-9

The biggest issue however arises when people want to condemn someone for loving someone of the same sex. and using Bible references to back them up. But the thing is that what they teach is not completely accurate.

Just because a same sex couple love one another, does not mean that they are an abominition unto God.

In song of Solomon:

Song of Solomon 1:1  The song of songs, which is Solomon's.

Song of Solomon 1:2  Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

But unless two people can attest to anything going on in the bedroom besides the ones in the act, there is nothing within the laws that would prevent two people of the same sex from loving one another!

John 8:15 ~ You base your judgments on human reasoning; I’m not judging anyone.
John 8:16 ~ And if I did judge, my judgment would be true because I am not doing this alone—the father who sent me is with me.
John 8:17 ~ Even in your own law it’s written that the testimony of two witnesses is true.

One of the biggest things I especially see, is religions hating on the LGBT community, if the LGBT community is in the wrong, then so are they, for they themselves do not follow all 613 commandments.

The Ten Commandments, in biblical Hebrew are called and translated as Ten Statements. They are ten of the 613 commandments contained in the Torah. In Judaism they are understood as categories or classifications of mitzvot. They are also known to Christians as the Decalogue , which play a fundamental role in most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, murder, theft, and adultery. Different Christian groups follow slightly different traditions for interpreting and numbering them.

The very words of the ten commandments clearly tells us that the commandments were for the Jewish people ONLY!

1. God never brought me or my ancestors out of Egypt! Ex 20:2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery."
2. The Lord has not given me the promised land of Canaan! Ex 20:12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you"
3. Since the Sabbath is a sign between God and fleshly Israel, there is nothing requiring non-Jews to keep it! (Ex. 31:13,17; Ezek. 20:12, 20)
4. If it was intended for all mankind, then why specifically say "strangers within your gates". Obviously the Gentiles (strangers) were never required at any point in earth history to keep the Sabbath! The Bible and all known history prove this true!

Imagine the 10 commandments were a postal letter with not mailing address. The post office could easily determine that the intended recipient of the letter was Israel.
-People who sometimes had strangers within their gates: Ex 20:10
-People who assembled at the mount on which there was a cloud: Ex 19:16; Deut 5:22
-People who were slaves in Egypt: Deut 5:15
-People who had been delivered from Egyptian bondage: Deut 5:15
-People who were then headed to posses the land of Canaan: Ex 20:12; Deut 5:16
-The covenant was made with "US" Jews at Horeb: Deut 5:1-3; Neh 9:14
-To all those "here alive today" (Jews at the Horeb): Deut 5:3

Matt. 23:28 ~ You’re just the same. On the outside you appear law -abiding to people, but on the inside you’re full of hypocrisy and law-breaking.
John 7:19 ~ Didn’t Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law!

150 AD JUSTIN: Moreover, all those righteous men already mentioned [after mentioning Adam. Abel, Enoch, Lot, Noah, Melchizedek, and Abraham], though they kept no Sabbaths, were pleasing to God; and after them Abraham with all his descendants until Moses... And you [fleshly Jews] were commanded to keep Sabbaths, that you might retain the memorial of God. For His word makes this announcement, saying, "That you may know that I am God who redeemed you." (Dialogue With Trypho the Jew, 150-165 AD, Ante-Nicene Fathers , vol. 1, page 204)

200 AD TERTULLIAN: Let him who contends that the Sabbath is still to be observed a balm of salvation, and circumcision on the eighth day because of threat of death, teach us that in earliest times righteous men kept Sabbath or practiced circumcision, and so were made friends of God. .. ...Therefore, since God originated Adam uncircumcised, and inobservant of the Sabbath, consequently his offspring also, Abel, offering Him sacrifices, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was by Him commended... Noah also, uncircumcised - yes, and inobservant of the Sabbath - God freed from the deluge. For Enoch, too, most righteous man, uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, He translated from this world... Melchizedek also, "the priest of most high God," uncircumcised and inobservant of the Sabbath, was chosen to the priesthood of God. (An Answer to the Jews 2:10; 4:1, Ante-Nicene Fathers Vol. 3, page 153)

Luke 16:17 ~ Even so, it’s easier for heaven and earth to disappear than to drop one point of the Law.
Romans 2:12 ~ Those who sin without the written law still die, and those who sin knowing the written law will be judged by that law.
Romans 2:13 ~ For it is not just listening to what the law says that makes you right in God’s sight. It is those who do what the law says who will be set right.
Romans 2:14 ~ When even the foreigners who do not have the written law do what it says naturally, they operate according to law even without the written law.
Romans 2:15 ~ Through this they reveal the actions of the law that is written on their hearts. As they reflect on what they do their conscience either accuses or defends them.
Romans 2:23 ~ You who boast of having the law—do you not shame God by breaking it?
Matt. 5:17 ~ “Don’t think I came to abolish the law or the prophets’ writings. I didn’t come to abolish them, but to fulfill them.
Matt. 5:18 ~ I promise you, until heaven and earth are gone, not one hyphen nor one dot will be gone from the law before everything is fulfilled.
Matt. 5:19 ~ So whoever breaks the least important commandment, and teaches people to do so, will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matt. 5:20 ~ I tell you, unless your righteousness is better than that of the religious teachers and the Pharisees, there’s no way you’ll enter the kingdom of heaven.
Galatians 3:10 ~ For as many as are trying to do the law , that many are cursed; because it has been written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all that has been commanded in the book of the law."
Romans 2:25 ~ Being circumcised is good if you do what the law says, but if you break the law, your circumcision is as worthless as those who are not circumcised at all.
Romans 2:26 ~ If someone is not circumcised but does what the law says, should the fact he is not circumcised not be taken as if he were?
Romans 2:27 ~ Will the uncircumcised foreigners who keep the law not judge you, who though you have the written law and circumcision, are a law-breaker?
Romans 2:29 ~ What makes you a Jew is on the inside, and “circumcision of the heart,” following not the letter of the law but the spirit—someone who is praised by God, not people.
Romans 3:19 ~ Now we recognize that whatever the law stipulates is for those who are subject to the law. In this way every objection is silenced, and everyone is made answerable to God.
Romans 3:20 ~ For no one is made right before God by doing what the law says, because the law only helps us understand what sin is.
Romans 3:21 ~ But now God has revealed how we can be made right—a way that does not have to do with the law, even though it was spoken of by the law and the prophets.
Romans 3:27 ~ So can we boast about anything? No chance! Why? Because we do not follow the law of observance, but the law of trust.
Romans 3:31 ~ Does that mean that because we trust in God we get rid of the law ? Certainly not—instead we confirm the importance of the law.
Romans 4:7 ~ “How blessed are those whose law -breaking is dismissed, and whose sins are forgiven.
Romans 4:13 ~ For God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants that the world would belong to him was not based on his law-keeping, but that he was made right through his trust in God.
Romans 4:14 ~ Because if the inheritance is law-based, then the issue of trusting God is not valid, and the promise is pointless,
Romans 4:15 ~ for the law results in punishment—but if there is no law then it cannot be broken.
Romans 4:16 ~ So the promise is based on trusting God, given as a free gift that is guaranteed to everyone, not just to those observe the law, but also to those who trust like Abraham, the father of us all.
Romans 5:13 ~ Even before the law there was sin in the world, but sin is not kept count of where there is no law.
Romans 5:20 ~ When the Law came along, sin was even more obvious. But where sin was even more, grace was even more than that.
Romans 6:14 ~ Sin shall not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:15 ~ So then—shall we sin because we are not under law , but under grace? Absolutely not!
Romans 7:1 ~ Do you not understand (here I am talking to people who know the law ) that the law has authority over someone as long as they are alive?
Romans 7:2 ~ For example, a married woman is bound by the law to her husband while he is alive, but when he dies, she is released from this legal obligation to him.
Romans 7:5 ~ While we were under the control of our old nature, our sinful desires (as revealed by the law) were at work within us and resulted in death.
Romans 7:6 ~ But now we have been released from these legal obligations, and have died to what bound us, so that we can obey in the newness of the spirit and not the old letter of the law.
Romans 7:7 ~ What should we conclude? That the law is sin? Of course not! Even so, I would not have known what was sin unless the law defined it—I would not have known selfish desires were wrong without the law saying “Do not selfishly desire what belongs to someone else.”
Romans 7:8 ~ But through this commandment sin found the opportunity to produce in me all kinds of selfish desires—for if there is no law, then sin is dead.
Romans 7:9 ~ Once I was alive, living without a relationship to the law , but when the commandment arrived, then sin came back to life and I died.
Romans 7:12 ~ However the law is holy, the commandment is holy, right, and good.
Romans 7:14 ~ We realize that the law is to do with what is spiritual, but I am all-too-human sold as a slave to sin.
Romans 7:16 ~ But if I am doing what I do not want to, this shows that I agree that the law is right.
Romans 13:10 ~ Love does nothing wrong to neighbors, so love fulfils the law .
Galatians 2:16 ~ and we know that a person is never justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. We believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by obeying the law. My body is not justified by the law.
Galatians 3:11 ~ Clearly, no one is justified before God by the law , because, "The just will live by faith."
Galatians 3:12 ~ The law is not of faith, and those doing it live under it.
Galatians 3:13 ~ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become a curse on our behalf, as it is written, "Cursed are those hung on a tree,"
Galatians 3:17 ~ I say to you: this contract, ratified by God, was not annulled by the law which came four hundred and thirty years later.
Galatians 3:18 ~ If inheritance came via the law then it no longer comes by promise; but since God gave Abraham a promise,
Galatians 3:19 ~ then why the law? It was added through angels, on orders of the mediator, because of sin until the coming of the seed to whom the promise was given.
Galatians 3:21 ~ Therefore is the law against the promised of God? Certainly not! For if the law was able to give life, righteousness would have come through the law.
Galatians 3:23 ~ Before faith came we were confined by the law to the faith about to be revealed.
Galatians 3:24 ~ The law was our guardian, who led us to Christ, so that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 4:4 ~ so when the time was right, God sent forth his son to be born of a woman and under the law,
Galatians 4:5 ~ so that he might redeem those under the law and adopt us.
Galatians 4:21 ~ Tell me, you who desire to be under the law , do you not listen to what it says?
Galatians 5:3 ~ Again, I swear that any person who allows themselves to be circumcised is obliged to obey the whole law.
James 2:10 ~ Even if someone keeps the whole law but fails on one point, they are guilty of it all.
James 4:11 ~ Don't speak evil about each other, brothers, for he who speaks evil or judges another, speaks against and judges the law. If you judge the law, you aren't a doer of the law but a judge.
James 4:12 ~ There is only one law giver who is able to save and to destroy. So who are you to judge your neighbor?

The punishment for adultery can only been forced if there are two witness. Usually these are very hard to produce. By witness most people agree, they must have seen the act with their eyes, including the penetration. This could be impossible to produce, as some people argue.

I would invite you to interpret all these quotes with your highest, most spiritual thinking while deriving an answer to your question.