Loose Lips	Loose Lips Archive

Canada is now in the midst of an important stage in the evolution of rights for gay and lesbian people-- and religion is not necessarily on the side of the angels in this fight. Currently, the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia have same-sex marriage, and some other provinces (such as Quebec) have civil union. The federal government supports same-sex marriage, as do a number of religious denominations. It appears likely at this point that such marriages will become available throughout all of Canada within a year. However, the case is far from settled, and there are rumblings of protest from some conservative constituencies.

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The Catholic Church, determined to prevent same-sex marriage, recently told Catholic Canadian legislators that they have a moral responsibility to prevent its legalization. One bishop from western Canada went so far as to suggest that the (Catholic) prime minister was in danger of going to hell for his support of equal marriage rights.

The Vatican made the same tired arguments that homosexuality is at variance with the will of God since God only intended sexuality to be used for reproductive means. Children in gay households, they claimed, were being done violence by being raised in disordered, ungodly families. What is frustrating to those watching the issue is how ultimately irrational the Catholic opposition is.

Of course, even gay people may disagree on whether same-sex marriage is a good idea. But in order for there to be any sort of reasonable discourse about the issue, both sides need to agree that social issues are decided by argumentation and justification. Otherwise those who shout the loudest or have the most power get to rule the rest of us.

As a child, Miss Poubelle found few things more frustrating than adults who said "It's going to be that way because I said so." End of argument. I'm more powerful than you, so I don't have to justify myself. That's essentially the Catholic position on the issue-- all sexuality must be based on reproduction because we say so.

Last year's documentary about the lives of gay and lesbian orthodox Jews, Trembling before G-d, evoked a similar sense of frustration. In the film, we hear from people who are leading extraordinarily difficult lives. They want to remain part of the orthodox Jewish community and at the same time, they want to be accepted as gay or lesbian. Orthodox Judaism is, as a whole, completely unyielding on the issue. Leviticus 18:22 says "A male shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." And so far as most orthodox rabbinical opinions go, that settles the matter.

The most sympathetic rabbi in the documentary has a remarkable interview with a gay Jew named David. The rabbi says that he respects David and his struggle, but that there is no way around the religious command. Since he feels no sexual attraction to women, the only option available is lifelong celibacy. The pain in David's eyes during this interview was deeply touching, as was the difficulty and pain of the others portrayed in the film.

What becomes clear to the viewer is that Orthodox Judaism is just as clearly an irrational fundamentalism as Catholic Christianity. Both are based on the notion that the ultimate truths about human life have already been revealed. The rabbis and priests are the ones who determine the rules, and our only role is to obey their rules without questions.

Faced with this tradition, many gays and lesbians understandably and rightly rebel against such a dictatorship of the spirit. Some make happy lives for themselves free of any religion. Others find spiritual homes in other religious traditions. There are many Jewish and Christian groups that are welcoming to us and supportive of equal rights for gays and lesbians. There are also opportunities for welcoming religious communities-- among Unitarian-Universalists, pagans, and Buddhists, to name just a few. These communities are as diverse as the spiritual needs of gay and lesbian people.

But the common thread to all of them is the idea that people must be free to question tradition and find new truths for themselves. For any religious tradition that begins with the premise that everything has already been revealed and settled for all time is unlikely to make a welcoming home for people like us-- or indeed, for any thinking person. Equal rights for gays and lesbians requires a commitment to seeking new truths-- and not the archaic banalities of old time religion.