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Jews and Mormons

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December 30, 2011 | 10:30 am

Orthodox rabbi: Romney a “dangerous homosexualist”

Posted by Mark Paredes

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Nevertheless, this did not put an end to the spreading of priestcraft through the land; for there were many who loved the vain things of the world, and they went forth preaching false doctrines; and this they did for the sake of riches and honor.—Alma 1:16 (Book of Mormon)

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Given the holiday season rush and my recent engagement to a wonderful woman (the wedding is next month), I’ve had less time than usual to follow the daily news cycle. When I finally sat down today to get caught up, I learned that perennial loon Ron Paul has a good chance of winning the Iowa caucuses next week and that an even loonier Orthodox rabbi has condemned LDS candidate Mitt Romney for being a “dangerous homosexualist.” It’s enough to make a guy want to go back to checking guest lists and ordering flowers.

I’m not going to waste blog space on a racist conspiracy nut like Paul, but I do have a thing or two to say about the Rabbinical Alliance of America’s statement on Romney. Actually, it was RAA spokesman Rabbi Yehuda Levin’s statement, since the letter was posted on his personal website, not that of the organization. 

For some reason Rabbi Levin and the RAA were obsessed with gays during this Hanukkah season. Earlier this week, they issued a “Torah Declaration” declaring that homosexuality “is not an acceptable lifestyle or a genuine identity.” Their remedy for “same-sex strugglers?” Therapy and teshuva (repentance). These rabbis believe that homosexuality can be modified and “healed.” Is this really the most important Hanukkah message that Orthodox rabbis can share at this time of year? I doubt it. While some Mormons might agree with the Torah Declaration’s ideas and proposals, their church does not have an official position on the origin of homosexuality.

That didn’t stop Rabbi Levin from calling on the LDS Church to “sanction” Romney for his “support and promotion of the immoral homosexual lifestyle and agenda.” Instead of making Torah-based arguments, the good rabbi’s letter cites claims made in the book “Mitt Romney’s Deception,” written by Amy Contrada. Ms. Contrada, an activist and blogger for the “pro-family” organization MassResistance,  alleges that Romney implemented “sexual-radical” programs in Massachusetts while serving as governor.

I’m not interested in analyzing Mitt’s record on gay issues; his paid people can do that for him. What I prefer to do is expose priestcraft, which is condemned in Mormon scripture. This involves using religious positions and language to promote oneself and/or a private agenda that is contrary to God’s. Rabbi Levin, a member of the organization Jews Against Anti-Christian Defamation (!), has a history of using the Torah to push his agenda of hatred of gays. This bigot blamed the deadly earthquake in Haiti last year on the presence of gays in the military, and promised “bloodshed” if a gay-rights parade were to take place in Jerusalem. It’s no wonder that Rabbi Levin (and I use his title loosely) has lost every election he has entered, and currently heads a small Flatbush echo chamber called “Mevakshei Hashem” (Seekers of the Lord). 

It is wrong for liberal rabbis to pretend that Jewish law and tradition sanction gay marriage and relationships. However, it’s much more unacceptable for Orthodox rabbis to pretend that God kills Haitians because the United States has gay soldiers. Rabbi Levin is a fraud and a practitioner of priestcraft. You don’t have to be a supporter of gay marriage to realize that his obsession with gays is unhealthy. Judaism deserves better representation in the public sphere, and I hope that members of the Orthodox community will disavow the rabbi’s comments.He claims that more than 850 rabbis agree with him, but I know that can’t be true. As we enter a new year with a presidential election, we need to hear from candidates and leaders who have intelligent arguments to make. Unfortunately, that leaves shrill bigots like Paul and Rabbi Levin out in the cold.
 

Mark Paredes is a member of the Jewish Relations Committee of the LDS Church's Southern California Public Affairs Council. You can contact Mark at deverareligione@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @jewsandmormons.

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Since you blogged a few hints about a woman you were courting, quite awhile back, I feel emboldened to ask - who’s the lucky girl?

Comment by Dave on 12/30/11 at 5:59 pm

Thanks for asking, Dave. It is in fact Florina, the girl I blogged about earlier this year. I’m a very lucky guy.

Comment by Mark Paredes on 12/30/11 at 10:21 pm

Mazel tov. Well done. Congratulations.

Comment by Dave on 12/30/11 at 10:50 pm

Homophobic Chicken-Rabbi Calls Romney a Dangerous “Homosexualist” (VIDEOS) http://wp.me/p1Jt6N-nM via @Moishgil

Comment by Mitchell S. Gilbert on 12/31/11 at 4:05 pm

Very disturbing about the “rabbi” making errant accusations and claiming hundreds of others are with him… Embarrasses me as a practicing Jew.

Very wonderful about you and Florina ... blessings to you both!!!

Comment by Karen on 1/02/12 at 12:56 am

There is an old tactic of saying you are not in favor of communism (for example) but really want to bash anti-communists as too extreme.  Such people never give their moderate stement of opposition to communism. The same is at play here.Parades is not saying that homosexual conduct does not transgress God’sLaw. He just thinks we should talk about something else and let the homosexual political agenda quietly progress without opposition.

Why did Mosaic Law treat this transgression so seriously as to even require the death penalty? Paredes would say that is because God is stupid and we are smart.  I guess we will see.

Comment by Russell on 1/02/12 at 1:37 pm

In my opinion the rabbi’s teachings were no more anti-homosexual than those of Spencer W. Kimball in the chapter, Crime Against nature,  in Miracle of Forgiveness, in which he condemns homosexual behavior as an “ugly, repugnant sin, the abominable and detestable crime against nature” (p 78), at least as serious a sin as adultery (p 82). He condemns legalization of the behavior in liberal parts of the country (p 79) & the printing of their perverted journals (p 79) & belief they were born that way & states, “Does the pervert think God to be ‘that way’?”  - but all along he is clear to condemn the sinner and not the sin.

Comment by john zimmerman on 1/04/12 at 12:20 am

I find it amusing that the media seems so starved for anyone to make a big deal out of Romney being Mormon that they have to scrape up any religious person with a perception of many followers to make news.

And its not so much “let[ting] the homosexual agenda quietly progress without opposition” as not demanding that others “sanction” or even expel from their followers people who don’t agree with your viewpoint.  Demanding doesn’t change hearts - teaching does.

Comment by Frank Pellett on 1/04/12 at 11:28 am

When the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution required the state to recognize same sex marriage, Romney as governor did what little he had authority to do.  He supported legislation to amend the state constitution to overrule the decision, but the Democrats who controlled the legislature refused to consider the issue. Additionally, he invoked a Massachusetts law that makes it illegal for Massachusetts to perform marriages of non-residents if the marriage would be illegal in their home state.  By doing that, he prevented gays nationally from traveling to Massachusetts and then trying to sue in their 49 home states to have a Massachusetts gay marriage recognized.

Comment by Raymond Takashi Swenson on 1/06/12 at 9:59 pm

Ron Paul =  “Racist conspiracy nut?”  On what planet?

If there’s any “nuttiness” out there, it’s the collective mentality that, knowing that things are seriously out of kilter with our Federal Government, insist on “more of the same”. Mr. Paul has the right ideas of freedom, liberty, and personal responsibility.  This nation has been infection with liberal tenants, starting over a century ago with so-called “Progressiveism” that we don’t recognize the America that once was.  Ron Paul and most Libertarians do, but we’re fools if we think that the nation will readily embrace the fiscal and moral equivalent of “eat your vegetables”.

Comment by Douglas on 1/20/12 at 10:54 pm

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