Great poster

August 18, 2012 at 8:17 pm (Religion)

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Timeline of Homosexuality

November 2, 2011 at 5:01 pm (Religion)

I stumbled upon this piece of information and found it rather interesting that homosexuality dates back to before Christ. We believe the Bible was written in different books and different times but was around the 1400-1500’s, maybe homosexuality  was so wrong back then because it was rare and people didn’t know how to handle it because they considered it a illness! Maybe now for homosexual couples to be considered as normal as everyone else is that understanding of homosexuality!  Understanding is my goal for people who need it. I think 1000 years later people need to understand homosexuality is normal and is becoming more natural by the day.

1590 BC	First historical mention of Phoenecians, who practiced homosexuality in religious ritual
c. 1400 BC	The earliest date of the Biblical book of Leviticus, which includes the prohibition of “lying with a man as with a woman”
c. 55-57 AD	Paul writes Romans and 1 Corinthians, in which he condemns same-sex “indecent acts” and “homosexual offenders”
c. 100	Plutarch writes approvingly of attraction to either gender (see Homosexuality in Ancient Greece)
2nd cent.	The apocryphal Apocalypse of Peterdepicts hell populated with men who pretended to be women, and women who slept with other women
342	Roman constitutions ban male prostitution
390	Roman constitutions reinforce ban on male prostitution, adding punishment of burning at the stake
438	Emperor Theodosius II punishes passive homosexuality with a death sentence
535	Emperor Justinian’s Novellaoutlaws both passive and active homosexuality, reinforced by capital punishment.
538	Justinian changs the penalty of homosexuality to penance
1886	Psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing writes Psychopathia Sexualis(1886), in which masturbation, sado-masochism, and “lust-murder” are sexual perversions that originate in heredity
1948	The Kinsey Report finds that 30 percent of adult American males among Kinsey’s subjects had engaged in some kind of homosexual activity
1969	Stonewall Riot – New York policemen raid a gay bar and meet sustained resistance.
1973	The American Psychiatric Association declassifies “ego-syntonic homosexuality” (the condition of a person content with his or her homosexuality) as a mental illness
1995	Albania repeals anti-sodomy laws
2001	Gay couples marry under the same laws as heterosexual marriage in Amsterdam
2005	The Civil Marriage Act (Bill C-38) legalizes same-sex marriages in Canada (July 20)

Ref: http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/timeline.htm#

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Religious Views on Homosexuality: Comparison Chart

November 2, 2011 at 4:42 pm (Religion)

The following chart compares the views of major religions past and present on homosexual orientation and homosexual relations.

Note that there is no column on how homosexuals ought to be treated – this is because the world religions are almost unanimous in encouraging acceptance, love, equal treatment, and support for gays and lesbians regardless of their views on homosexuality. Many also stress that even if homosexuality is regarded as a sin or negative act, it should not be singled out as though it is worse than other sins.

 

Religion	Views of  Homosexual Orientation	View of  Homosexual Acts	Quotes
Ancient Greeks	No conception of “homosexuality” versus “heterosexualty.” Same-sex desires not categorized separately from other sexual desires.	Not generally condemned and often idealized and romanticized. But the social status of the partners and the playing of the passive role were important considerations.	“The noble lover of beauty engages in love wherever he sees excellence and splendid natural endowment without regard for any difference in physiological detail.” -Plutarch, Dialogue on Love 146
Ancient Romans	No conception of “homosexuality” versus “heterosexualty.” Homosexual desires were irrelevant; only the acts were regulated.	Similar to Greece under the Republic, but more negative under the Empire, in which male prostitution and pederasty were illegal and passive partners in adult relationships lost many civil rights.
Buddhism	Varies: Unnatural (Dalai Lama), a karmic punishment (SE Asian countries), an alternative. Not generally condemned in itself.	Unlawful for monks, who must be celibate regardless of orientation. For other Buddhists, “sexual misconduct” is prohibited under the Third Precept, which depends on the circumstances and the results.	“Where there is mutual consent, where adultery is not involved and where the sexual act is an expression of love, respect, loyalty and warmth, it would not be breaking the third Precept.” -BuddhaNet
Christianity	Not generally considered sinful in itself, though some see it as a purposeful perversion. Some accept it as a natural alternative, while others regard it as a non-chosen disorder akin to alcoholism.	Traditionally considered sinful. Many Christians and denominations continue to uphold this belief, while others have reconsidered it or in the process of doing so.	“Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.” -Romans 1:27
Hinduism	Not generally condemned in itself. Some ancient texts and temples depict it as one of many sexual inclinations, while Vedanta discourages homosexual desires as lustful and/or distracting.	Condemned by most Hindu cultures, though not often for religious reasons. The teachings of Vedanta, which emphasize liberation from the material world to the spiritual, allow only heterosexual sex, within marriage and for purposes of procreation.	“…in all things connected with love, everybody should act according to the custom of his country and his own inclination.” Kama Sutra IX   “O son of Kunti, the pleasures that are born out of sensory contacts are sources of pain. They certainly are transient, having a beginning and an end. The intelligent man is wise enough not to indulge in them.” (Bhagavad Gita 5.22)
Islam	Not generally condemned.	Sinful and punishable under Islamic law.	“We also sent Lut: He said to his people: Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.” -Qur’an 7:80-81
Jehovah’s Witnesses	Not necessarily sinful.	Sinful. Those with homosexual inclinations must abstain from all homosexual behavior.	“Christians do not make homosexuals, or anyone else, the target of ill will, ridicule, or harassment. True Christians view their fellow humans as potential disciples of Christ, treating them in a respectful and dignified manner.” – Awake! Dec. 8, 1997 .
Judaism	Orthodox: Condemned as rebellion against God. Conservative: Neither condemned nor affirmed. Reform: Generally accepted as alternative.	Orthodox: Strongly condemned. Conservative: Violation of Jewish law, disqualifies from Jewish marriage and religious leadership. Reform: Approved in context of committed relationship; civil marriage supported, but generally not religious marriage.	“A man shall not lie with another man as with a woman; it is an abomination.” -Leviticus 18:22
Mormonism	Called “same-gender attraction.” Less serious than homosexual acts, but should be resisted.	Considered a serious sin. Heterosexual marriage is required for entry into the most desirable forms of afterlife.	“We all seem to have susceptibilities to one disorder or another, but whatever our susceptibilities, we have the will and the power to control our thoughts and our actions.” –Dallin H. Oaks
New Age	Accepted as alternative.	Accepted within bounds of general ethics.
Sikhism	Generally considered a manifestation of Lust, one of the “Five Thieves” or vices. A minority consider it an acceptable alternative.	Generally condemned in light of its association with Lust and the value of family life. But a minority believe the Sikh value of universal equality supports acceptance of homosexual relations.	“Sikhism is a very tolerant religion and seeks to find the truth rather than adhere rigidly to rules. Homosexuality is not specifically banned in any of the writings of the Gurus, but they do stress that God has intended people to live as man and wife, or to be celibate, with no deviation from this design.” –Ethnicity Online
Wicca	Accepted as alternative.	Accepted within bounds of general ethics.	“All acts of Love and Pleasure are Her rituals.” –The Charge of the Goddess

 

ref: http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/comparison_chart.htm

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The Bible and Homosexuality

November 2, 2011 at 4:35 pm (Religion)

The bible seem to one of the main leaders for being against homosexuality. As there is so many different religions and so many different views to homosexuality, and am going to break down each religion and try and understand which religions are pro and which are anti to homosexuality.

There are a number of direct references to homosexual activity in the Bible. These almost exclusively concern male homosexuality. In the Hebrew Bible (more specifically, in Mosaic law), male homosexuality is identified as an “abomination“. In the New Testament, Paul of Tarsus condemns arsenokoitēs, which term is related to male homosexuality, but open to some interpretation, as either any male homosexual acts, or more specifically male homosexual prostitution. Paul also makes a possible allusion to female homosexuality when he refers to “unnatural relations” between women in the Epistle to the Romans.

Leviticus 18 and 20

Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus, which form part of the Holiness code, contain the following verses:

Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is an abomination.[2](Leviticus 18:22 KJV)

If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.[3](Leviticus 20:13 KJV)

The two verses have traditionally been interpreted by fundamentalist Christians as blanket prohibitions against homosexual acts.

Traditional Jewish sources view these verses as prohibitions against anal sex between males only and have a different approach to female sexual activity.

Possible references

The story of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis has traditionally been interpreted within Christianity as a punishment for homosexuality; Judaism regards it as a story about the need for hospitality.

The Hebrew Bible uses the word kedeshah for prostitute. The meaning of the male form kadesh or qadesh is not entirely clear. Some translations imply a male cultic attendant, apparently with some sexual implication. The account of the friendship between David and Jonathan in the Books of Samuel, depicted by traditional and mainstream religious interpretation as a relationship of platonic love, has been interpreted by some secular writers as being of a sexual nature.

Passages from the New Testament

Main article: Homosexuality in the New Testament

Romans 1

“

(26) Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. (27) In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

”

However, it says in verse 27, “In the same way…”, which is a comparative phrase, meaning that the women in verse 26 practiced unnatural relations in the same way that the men in verse 27 did, through homosexuality. This passage is also debated, both in terms of its relevance today and in terms of its actual prohibition.[8] Most Christian denominations maintain that this verse is a complete prohibition of all forms of homosexuality.[9][10][11][12][13] However, some contend the passage is not a blanket condemnation of homosexuality at all,[14][15][16] and some argue that Paul’s writings must be considered fallible because of his support for slavery and the oppression of women.[17][18][19][20][21]

Other Epistles

In the context of the broader immorality of his audience, Paul of Tarsus wrote in the First Epistle to the Corinthians,

“

Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, arsenokoitēs, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers, none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

”

The word arsenokoitēs (ἀρσενοκοίτης) has challenged scholars for centuries, and has been variously rendered as “abusers of themselves with mankind” (KJV), “sodomites” (YLT), or “men who practice homosexuality.” Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn means “male”, and κοίτην [koitēn] “bed,” with a sexual connotation”: there is no evident reason for Paul to choose this word to signify homosexuality, as Greek has the word androkoitēs for this meaning. It is likely that arsenokoitēs is taken from the Septuagint (LXX) reading of Leviticus 20:13 where the root forms (Greek ἄῤῥην / ἄρσην [arrhēn / arsēn] and κοίτην [koitēn] both appear. Paul’s use of the word in 1 Corinthians is the earliest example of the term; its only other use is in a similar list of wrongdoers given (probably by the same author) in 1 Timothy 1:9–10:

ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bible_and_homosexuality

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Religion and homosexuality

November 1, 2011 at 10:46 am (Religion)

See also: LGBT matters and religion

Conservative Christian protesters at a 2006 gay pride event in San Francisco.

The relationship between religion and homosexuality can vary greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, 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 sects 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 within many religions there are also people who 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. In 2009, The United Kingdom Hindu Council became one of the first major religious organizations to support homosexuality 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.

Views of specific religious groups

Abrahamic religions

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.

Judaism

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.)Main article: LGBT topics and Judaism

Orthodox Judaism views homosexual acts as sinful. 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 homosexual 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.

Christianity

Main article: Homosexuality and Christianity

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 sex is sinful. These denominations include the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox church, the 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 small fringe 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, 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 18:22 as sinful acts. Where the Catholic view is founded on a natural law argument informed by scripture, 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.

Catholic Church

Main article: Homosexuality and Roman Catholicism

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 Church does not regard homosexual activity as a perfect expression of the marital act 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 a statement of fact about reality.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that no one should arouse sexual feelings outside of marriage, including those towards that same sex, and that these feelings should be overcome through self-control and reliance on the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Islam

Main article: Homosexuality and Islam

“	What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, and leave the wives your Lord created for you? Nay, but ye are forward folk.	”
—Quran , 26th sura, trans. Pickthal

All major Islamic sects 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. In concordance with those creeds, in most Muslim majority states, male desire for male youths is widely expected and condoned as a human characteristic similar as the admiration or attraction for an older or wiser sibling. Homosexual intercourse itself has been interpreted to be a form of lust and a violation of the Qur’an.

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..'”.

Relations between women, if they are regarded as problems, are treated akin to adultery, and al-Tabari records an execution of a harem couple under Caliph al-Hadi.

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.

Bahá’í Faith

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.

Indian religions

Among the religions that originated in India, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, teachings regarding homosexuality are less clear than among the Abrahamic traditions. Unlike in western religions, homosexuality is rarely discussed. However, most contemporary religious authorities in the various dharmic traditions view homosexuality negatively, and when it is discussed, it is discouraged or actively forbidden.[43] 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) as impure.

Hinduism

Main article: Homosexuality and Hinduism

Hinduism has taken various positions, ranging from positive to neutral or discouraging. Homosexuality is regarded as one of the possible expressions of human desire and Hindu mythic stories have portrayed homosexual experience as natural and joyful. There are several Hindu temples which have carvings that depict both men and women indulging in homosexual sex.

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 un-natural is also natural), which some scholars believe recognizes homosexuality as natural, if not an approval of homosexuality. Moreover, Rigveda recognizes the cyclical constancy of homosexual/transsexual dimensions of human life, like all forms of universal diversities. However, sexuality is rarely discussed openly in Hindu society today, and homosexuality is largely a taboo subject — especially among the strongly religious. In a 2004 survey, most swamis said they opposed the concept of a Hindu-sanctified gay marriage. Some of the law codes, such as that of Manu Smriti assert that a women polluting a virgin is a crime. Punishments include ritual baths, fines, public humiliation and having fingers cut off. However, the bulk of sexual matters dealt with by the law books are heterosexual in nature.

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 hairdressers, flower-sellers, servants, masseurs and prostitutes. Today, many people of a “third gender” (hijras) live throughout India, mostly on the margins of society, and many still work in prostitution, or make a livelihood as beggars.

The Indian Kama Sutra, written in the 4th century AD, contains passages describing eunuchs or “third-sex” males performing oral sex on men. However, the author was “not a fan of homosexual activities” and treated such individuals with disdain, according to historian Devdutt Pattanaik. Similarly, some medieval Hindu temples and artifacts openly depict male homosexuality, lesbianism, and bisexuality within their carvings, such as the temple walls at Khajuraho. Some infer from these images that Hindu society and religion were previously more open to variations in human sexuality than they are at present.

Hindu scriptures contain several stories that metaphorically have homosexual, bisexual, transgender, or other kinds of queer overtones, often involving the most prominent Hindu deities. There are Hindu deities who are intersex (both male and female), e.g., Ardhanari, who is the unified form of Shiva and Parvati; who switch from male to female or from female to male, e.g., Mohini, who is the only female Avatar of Vishnu; male deities with female moods and female deities with male moods, e.g., Krishna turning into Mohini to fulfil Iravan‘s boon; deities born from two males or from two females, e.g., Ayyappan, who is considered to be “Harihara Putra”, the son of Shiva and Vishnu, in his Mohini Avatar, and so on.

Jainism

Chastity is one of the five virtues in the fundamental ethical code of Jainism. For laypersons, the only appropriate avenue for sexuality is within marriage, and homosexuality is believed to lead to negative karma because the sexual act is outside marriage. Jain author Duli Chandra Jain wrote in 2004 that homosexuality and transvestism “stain one’s thoughts and feelings” because they involve sexual passion. Some texts in Jainism have depicted of Eunuchs are born with genetic defects or due to social pressure. There is also a mention of correction and lead normal life. It is a mental imbalance which can be cured in few of the cases. (Brhatkalpa bhasya V, 517374.)

The liberal humanitarian attitude of the Jaina society in the formulation of rules and their exceptions is evidenced in the case of the enunuch (who is considered to be female) who was raped by unknown man. Such a eunuch was kept in the monastery was well looked after, was fed by nuns and when well advanced in pregnancy was handed over to a devoted physician. All her duties as a person were suspended till her child sucked her; even her child could be initiated. One particularly remarkable aspect was that those who teased or condemned her were compelled to undergo expiatory punishment.

Buddhism

Main article: Homosexuality and Buddhism

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. These precepts take the form of voluntary, personal undertakings, not divine mandate or instruction. The third of the Five Precepts is “To refrain from committing sexual misconduct. However, the “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 fundamental form does not define what is right and what is wrong in absolute terms for lay followers. Therefore the determination of whether or not homosexuality is acceptable for a layperson is not a religious matter as far as fundamental Buddhism is concerned.

Buddhism is often characterized as distrustful of sensual enjoyment and sexuality in general. Traditionally, homosexual conduct and gender variance 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. The Abhidharma states that a pandaka cannot achieve enlightenment in their own lifetime, but must wait for rebirth as a “normal” man or woman. According to one scriptural story, Ananda—Buddha’s cousin and disciple—was a pandaka in one of his many previous lives.

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. 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 cannot 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 April 27, 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 or revealingly 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.

Within Japanese traditions, there is a widespread forklore that homosexuality was “invented” by the Bodhisattva Manjusri of wisdom and the sage Kūkai, the founder of Buddhism in Japan. Japanese Buddhist scholar and author of Wild Azaleas Kitamura Kigin said that heterosexuality was to be avoided for priests and homosexuality encouraged.

Sikhism

Main article: Homosexuality and Sikhism

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 however, are against this view and state the Sikh Scriptures do not condemn homosexuality.

Zoroastrianism

“	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, a male paramour of the Daevas	”
—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 Religion of Mazda were pardoned for past actions upon conversion.

Chinese religions

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

Homosexuality is not listed in the Analects of Confucius as a sin. “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,^[citation needed^] both texts belonging to the Five Classics.

Taoism

Main article: Homosexuality and Taoism

There is no single official position on homosexuality in Taoism, as the term Taoism is used to describe a number of disparate religious traditions. Homosexuality is not unknown in Taoist history, such as during the Tang dynasty when Taoist nuns exchanged love poems. Attitudes to homosexuality within Taoism often reflect the values and sexual norms of broader Chinese society (see Homosexuality in China.)

Taoist tradition holds that males need the energies of females, and vice versa, in order to bring about balance, completion and transformation, although these energies are thought best obtained through heterosexual relations. However, the practice of Qi Gong is said to align and balance yin and yang energies and this practice is believed especially important if the person engages in continuous homosexual relationships.

Passionate homosexual expression is usually discouraged because it is believed to not lead to human fulfillment.

Neopagan religion

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”. In traditional 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. See also LGBT topics and Wicca.

Satanism

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

Unitarian Universalism

The Unitarian Universalist Association supports the freedom to marry[80] 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 June 29, 1984, the Unitarian Universalists became the first major church “to approve religious blessings on homosexual unions.” Unitarian Universalists have been in the forefront 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.

Religious groups and public policy

Opposition to same-sex marriage and LGBT rights is often associated with conservative religious views. The American Family Association and other religious groups have promoted boycotts of corporations whose policies support the LGBT community.

In conservative Islamic nations, laws generally prohibit same-sex sexual behaviour, and interpretation of Sharia Law on male homosexuality carries the death penalty. This has been condemned as a violation of human rights by human rights organisation Amnesty International and by the writers of the Yogyakarta principles. With the signature of the USA in 2009, the proposed UN declaration on LGBT rights has now been signed by every European secular state and all western nations, as well as other countries—67 members of the UN in total. An opposing statement put forward by Muslim nations was signed by 57 member states, mostly in Africa and Asia. 68 out of the total 192 countries have not yet signed either statement. In 2011 the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a landmark resolution initiated by South Africa supporting LBGT rights (See Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity at the United Nations)

Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_homosexuality

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