Many in the anti-gay movement like to use the phrase “Judeo-Christian”. This phrase makes it seem less like they are trying to push their doctrine on others and more like a collective of faiths seeking to guide an errant society. Take for example Kent Paris in an article at the Exodus website:

If your son or daughter attends a public school, you need to realize that they are at risk, intentional targets of the same agenda of desensitization and conversion to beliefs contrary to our Judeo-Christian faith.

or Bob Knight (formerly Concerned Woman) of the Media Research Center

Pro-homosexual ABC and Hollywood think Judeo-Christian standards are “just a holdover from a bigoted, superstitious era,” the culture and media analyst contends, and as self-described progressives, they need to attack those faith-based values.

Now hearing that you would think that these people represent far more than just evangelical Christians. It certainly sounds like the Jews and the Christians agree on a whole list of values and standards and that gay people are the enemy of both.

But just how “judeo” are the anti-gay positions that these people hold?

Today the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of Conservative Judaism decided that gay Conservative Jews can be rabbis and that Conservative synagogues can choose to perform same-sex ceremonies. The process for recognizing positions within Conservative Judaism allows for more than one policy and the Committee also affirmed the position that some Conservative synagogues may also choose to forbid male homosexuality. But each now can make their choice and stay within the Conservative fellowship.

Jews in America associate with the following movements:

43% – Reform
38% – Conservative
7% – Orthodox
2% – Reconstructionist
10% – various other

Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism long ago took steps to affirm gay rabbis and same-sex relationships. Now only Orthodox Judaism universally condemns homosexuality. Over 80% of Jews are within movements that do not consider hostility to gay persons to be a part of their “ethic”.

Anti-gay activists are not renowned for their honesty and integrity so I doubt they’ll be dropping the “judeo” from their self-described ethic. But now when you see it, you’ll know that only a small number of Jews are included in the anti-gay “Judeo-Christian ethic”.

UPDATE

At the time of posting I was unaware of which of three gay-accepting opinions was approved. Per an article in the New York Sun, this opinion authorized gay relationships and rabbis but still forbids anal sex.

Also it appears that one of the anti-gay opinions, approved with the minimum six votes, endorses ex-gay therapy.

One of the opinions, backed by 13 of the 25 rabbis on the Rabbinical Assembly’s Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, would for the first time permit the ordination of openly lesbian rabbis and allow for the ordination of openly gay rabbis, although it maintains the movement’s ban on anal sex. It also permits Conservative rabbis to perform same-sex commitment ceremonies. Four law committee members who opposed ordaining homosexuals and performing commitment ceremonies resigned following the vote.

A second opinion, also backed by 13 of the rabbis, reaffirmed the movement’s policy of denying ordination to active homosexuals. A third opinion, backed by six of the rabbis, encourages “reparative therapy” to help gays and lesbians live as heterosexuals when possible.

It would appear that a Conservative synagogue can now choose to perform same-sex commitment ceremonies, have a gay rabbi, and be fully welcoming of gay and lesbians Jews. However, gay male Conservative Jews within same-sex commitments are still forbidden to engage in one particular sex act.

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