At several mainstream public email homepages of USA origin this morning, inter alia, blurbs appeared representing that a recent killing of a gay in Israel was “due to Orthodox Judaism”...dadgummit, just one day after the same buzz factory whooped that when a Qaedan honcho doesn't like Obama, who then dare criticize the Prez.

Just as we “know” all Catholic Priests are child molesters, all Lutheran ministers are BTK killers, all Hindus Godse or idol worshippers wanting to boil us all for pudding, all Buddhists radicals, all Muslims Ladenists, all Christians crusaders and shooters and abortion clinic bombers, by “virtue” of the same doctrine of parallel inferences, some would have us believe that now Orthodox Judaism is programming anti-gay hit men.

Obviously, any gratuitous or mercenary killer on earth cannot speak for the majority of any sacred text(s) setting forth peaceable human and divine ideals; such killers either care not, or by internal or externally induced dysfunction outside a relevant faith, they cannot stay with our common Creator’s spirit and aspirations for humanity. And, where a Muslim or Jew or Christian or Hindu or otherwise simply isn’t sure if homosexuality is spiritually kosher…without urging or participating in isolation or destruction of gays de facto, especially where any gay party otherwise shares the same metaphysical perspectives of peaceful faith …there can be no “button pushing” no matter the demographics of the spiritual issue doubter.  Not much with which to condemn Israeli Orthodox Jews, here. 

Although I was not born nor have I ever been a gay man, in my own life journeys, many men of every demographic…most observing NO religious activities as adults regardless of upbringing, yet some brought up in generally strict homes of even purely secular influence…have expressed to me varying degrees of awkwardness up to and including hatred of gay men. In every case, such anti-gay voices expressed either that “by simple biology” gays are not real men no matter what ANYONE says, or in equal numbers that they perceive gays are being elevated (by government and government-contoured media) above all others for social participations from which all others are excluded…curiously re the latter, the complaints continue that religion which ACCEPTS gays, appears to exclude most others from clergy and congregational concerns, AND operates in nature as shepherd to State-prescribed collectives only is not a true religion. Clearly, Orthodox Judaism within Israel isn’t an analog to relevant alleged religious or anti-religious violent types outside of Israel or Judaism, as such conjunction of operation appears absent.  

For these reasons, where Orthodox Judaism has not nor has it relevantly previously embraced or exhorted violence against peaceable people Jews unjustifiably simply weren’t sure of (in this case, gays), nor in any way excluded non-Orthodox Jews from fungible humanities and democratic discourse, I cannot conclude or endorse sentiment that abolishing religion in general or Orthodox Judaism in particular, and replacing same with State collectivism and psychological/media apparatus, would lead to improved global gender/demographic tolerance(s), economies, or reductions to Ladenism and Talibanism, or better results in the effort to re-build a jobless, workless Eden in previously predominantly Abrahamic faith and other lands.   

I wanted to express this not just as a minister or USA resident, but as a rational human being…ethics and fairness have no borders or colors or other polemics in my life’s philosophy.

May God guide the steps of Israel, Judaism, and every person upon the earth.

Shalom.