Why Rabbis Should Fight LGBT Exploitation

 BS"D 

Why Rabbis Should Lead the Culture Wars Against Immoral Indoctrination in Public Schools and Elsewhere

16 Teves, 5781/ Dec. 31, '20

Why is it so crucial to divert so much time to fighting A4454/S2781, NJs proposed legislation to intensity LGBT indoctrination in public schools, as well as A2545, the transgenderization/ homosexualization of long term healthcare?  We're urging the public, and in particular the Orthodox public, to bombard the legislators with emails from now until the senate and assembly meetings on Jan. 7th and 11th. We must ensure they feel the heat to kill both of these dangerous bills. (For more details see http://daattorah.blogspot.com/2020/12/10th-of-teves-alert-making-lgbt.html)

In this post we focus explaining why it's so crucial to oppose the education bill, although many points apply to all types of similarly outrageous LGBT legislation.

The "Education" bill A4454  seeks to escalate existing LGBT indoctrination in NJ public schools (see link above regarding specific changes to current law).  By teaching children to respect even flagrant practitioners of LGBT sins, the schools themselves erode the natural revulsion for such acts, and even cultivate admiration for them, all under the pretext of "education." We're not talking about extending compassion to those struggling with the Evil Inclination. We're discussing the government forcing schools to teach children to respect those who brazenly flaunt their abominable conduct.

Clearly, to teach children such immoral ideas and attitudes is reprehensible, even it would never affect a single Jew. Furthermore, sodomy is a capitol crime (VaYikra 20:13, Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings, Ch.9:6). In fact, that sin is specifically branded an "abomination" (VaYikra (Lev.) 18:22) - in the enumerated forbidden relationships in VaYikra 18, all of which are categorized as "abominations," That is to say that the homosexual act is "an abomination among abominations," as the renowned sage known as "the Maharal," (Prague, 1520-1609) explains on the Gemara (Babylonian Talmud tractate) Chullin 92b.

However, some may still wonder, why the pronounced focus on THIS legislation? There are several reasons, all of them quite simple. They include, although may not be limited to the following:

1. Some [irreligious] Jews (e.g. Bergen County senator Loretta Weinberg) are prominent among the proponents of this and related legislation. We must ensure that the broader community understand that Torah Jewry stands unequivocally and unwavering in our Torah-based opposition to anything remotely similar to this bill - and the extreme sins it seeks to legitimize, under the rubric of teaching respect. Our communal silence stands to be seen by some as acquiescence, even agreement, G-d forbid. This concern is particularly relevant in light of all of the anti-Torah, pro-LGBT propaganda circulating, in some cases under the guise of being somehow "compatible" (sic) with Orthodox Judaism. (The Baltimore-based "Coalition for Jewish Values" even saw it necessary to issue a public statement recently to publicly  debunk that misconception.)

2. Secondly, as Torah sages have publicly articulated since 1982, frum Jews are responsible for the actions of their pro-LGBT legislative representatives, especially those for whom they vote. The public Chillul HaShem here is indescribable. 

What's even worse is that some politically active parties within our communities make sure to publicize their involvement in public advocacy when it comes to seeking government assistance, but are generally nowhere to be seen in addressing spiritual threats such as these. This conveys the terrible and false misimpression that the average Orthodox person cares more about financial needs than spiritual threats, even threats of this nature.

In fact, daily we repeat the Shema, in which we resolve to sacrifice all of our wealth, even our lives, if necessary, to avoid transgression of any of the cardinal sins - some of which are germaine here: Avoda Zorah [including heretical beliefs, such as  denying what the Torah tells us about the sin of sodomy being an abomination (VaYikra 18:22, 20:13)]; forbidden sexual relationships, including those being whitewashed in said LGBT curriculum; and bloodshed. However, it's not enough to say Shema, we must act on it too, even when it requires self-sacrifice. And the Orthodox community responds exceedingly well when properly alerted to the facts, and to the proper course of action, as illustrated so astoundingly by Bnei Torah of Lakewood in the special US Senate race in NJ in 2012, in which profamily republican Steven Lonegan got well over 99% in the.heavily Orthodox election districts 10 and 26, a state-wide record.

3. Thirdly, consider how many Jewish children, and even Orthodox ones, are being victimized by being forced to sit in a classroom while the teacher waxes eloquent about the importance of respecting flagrant homosexual advocates, in direct contradiction to what the Torah emphasizes in multiple places.

4. Fourthly, allowing this nonsense to be taught in public schools will ultimately facilitate the push to teach it in Yeshivos and Bais Yaakov schools, as we've seen in N.Y. In N.Y., years after the Legislature passed the Dignity for All Students Act in early 2010, then Dept. of Education Commissioner Elia acknowledged that the "Educational Equivalency Regulations" she proposed in November 2018 would have required teaching respect for LGBT conduct in religious schools, in line with the N.Y. State Education Law requirement to do so in Public Schools, under section 801(a) [as reported on in the Jewish Press about two years ago].

5.  Lastly, consider what types of voters we'll have to deal with after  several years of LGBT indoctrination in public schools. One need not recourse to Guided Imagery; we already got a foretaste, on Nov. 3. How many voters voted for Mr. Biden in great measure because they erroneously IMAGINED Trump to be genuinely anti-LGBT?

Why should Orthodox Rabbis be so involved? In a war for the very souls of our children, religious leaders must take the lead. They should be most capable of understanding the stakes, and grasping the true goals of the adversaries. The LGBT activist agenda is fundamentally an antireligious, anti-child, anti-parent crusade. It must be fought by those who truly recognize the depth of the evil operating behind their veneer of "Tolerance."

May we merit a speedy Redemption in the merit of standing up for children who can't stand up for themselves

 

On another Culture Wars topic, for  an update on the female military draft in Israel, see https://firstamendmentactivist.blogspot.com/2020/12/making-giyus-banos-grave-again.html.