this icon does not quite apply

[vaznetti]

Some days, I really love my people. The (Conservative) Rabinnical Assembly has just decided to allow the ordination of gay rabbis and the celebration of same-sex "commitment ceremonies." Maybe. It really depends on how you define the word "decision." As the New York Times puts it:

...in a reflection of the divisions in the movement, the 25 rabbis on the law committee passed three conflicting legal opinions — one in favor of gay rabbis and unions, and two against. In doing so, the committee left it up to individual synagogues to decide whether to accept or reject gay rabbis and commitment ceremonies, saying that either course is justified according to Jewish law.

Either course is justified according to Jewish law! That's hysterical! That's so typical of the Conservative movement! What makes this especially good is that it's taken the committe something like fifteen years to produce this ruling, and in the end all they can manage is "Maybe. If you want."

Comments

[monanotlisa.livejournal.com]

What makes this especially good is that it's taken the committe something like fifteen years to produce this ruling, and in the end all they can manage is "Maybe. If you want."

I'm grinning. Y'all are looking pretty awesome from where I stand right now.

[vaznetti]

It's not a bad thing, but the way they've done it is still pretty amusing.

[phantomas.livejournal.com]

Well, to be honest, it sounds so much better than all the rethorical and useless speeches in Italy, with an eye to the Pope and an eye to progress ;)

I kinda agree with monanotlisa: that looks pretty awesome in a giggling kind of way ;)

[vaznetti]

It's no bad thing, but it's really, really funny.

[rez-lo.livejournal.com]

When you think about it, fifteen years is a blip.

[vaznetti]

The whole article is hysterical, actually. I recommend it, if not quite as an example of logical reasoning.

[coffeeandink.livejournal.com]

One Jew, three opinions.

My favorite part is where they say that gay marriage is okay as long as men don't commit sodomy, but they promise not to, you know, actually check up on that last part. What I want to know is, does that m/m blowjobs are totally okay by the Torah?

[vaznetti]

What I want to know is, does that m/m blowjobs are totally okay by the Torah?

Apparently so! I mean, they're not like wearing a cotton-wool blend or something. But presumably you... you know, I was just going to write something a little graphic to do with Onan, but I won't.

[greenelephant.livejournal.com]

this is great news, esp. combined with the vote in parliament yesterday! I like my people too :-)

[vaznetti]

But it's so typical! It all boils down to actually, our decision is... that we refuse to make a decision.

[calicomary.livejournal.com]

Seriously, that reminds me of a Talmud class I took in high school. We were reading the debates of two rabbis about whether an item found by a slave/servant belongs to the slave/servant or to their master. In the end, a third rabbi concludes that they're both right because they're arguing about different things.

[vaznetti]

Ha! Three opinions, and they're all right! (This is something I love about the religion, to be honest, the way it makes you reason.)