The supreme religious body of Sikhism teaches that homosexuality is "unnatural and ungodly". The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, does not explicitly mention homosexuality. The relationship between homosexuality and religion varies greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, and regarding different forms of homosexuality and bisexuality. ... The issue of Homosexuality in Norse paganism has become a matter of debate in Ásatrú as practitioners try to reconcile mythology, history, historiography, and modern views regarding homosexuality. ... The issue of religion and sexual orientation has become a highly debated topic, involving religious morality, opinion of homosexuality, and questions of civil rights. ... Among Buddhists there is a wide diversity of opinion about homosexuality. ... The issue of Homosexuality within Christianityis that some old fuck wits think that there going 2 hell 4 being themselves, wat i say 2 them is go rape a donkey, and then someone might take an interest in them Traditionally, Christian churches have regarded homosexual sex as sinful, based on... Exclusive homosexuality in Confucianism is frowned upon, while non-exclusive has been traditionally accepted. ... In Falun Gong, homosexuality is traditionally viewed as a desire to be overcome, because it brings bad karma. ... Hindu views of homosexuality are diverse, as Hinduism is a heterogeneous religion with no central doctrinal authority. ... For age-structured homosexuality, see Pederasty in the Islamic world // Same-sex intercourse officially carries the death penalty in six Muslim nations: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen. ... The subject of homosexuality in Judaism dates back to the Biblical book of Leviticus, which describes sexual intercourse between males as an abomination that may be subject to capital punishment (although there currently exist no Halakhic courts authorized to administer capital punishment). ... The Church of Scientology is based upon the writings of author L. Ron Hubbard. ... Homosexuality in Shinto has a varied past of periods of acceptance and rejection. ... Homosexuality in Taoism is, as in many other religions, a controversial issue. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ... Homosexuality in Voodoo is religiously acceptable and homosexuals are allowed to participate in all religious activities. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is a religion that began in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nanak and nine successive human gurus. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual interaction and / or romantic attraction between individuals of the same sex. ... The Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi: , ) — Granth is Punjabi for book; Sahib is Hindi meaning master, from Arabic, meaning companion, friend, owner, or master. ...

Official Views in Modern Sikhism

Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, the highest temporal Sikh authority, recently condemned homosexuality while reminding visiting Sikh-Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) of their religious duty to oppose same-sex marriage.^[1] In a report published in March 2005, Vedanti said, "The basic duty of Sikh MPs in Canada should be to support laws that stop this kind of practice [homosexuality], because there are thousands of Sikhs living in Canada, to ensure that Sikhs do not fall prey to this practice." Speaking of MPs in favour of such relationships he contained, " The Sikh religion would never accept such MPs. Nobody would support such a person having such dirty thoughts in their mind because it is against the Sikh religion and the Sikh code of conduct and totally against the laws of nature. Sikhs around the world must maintain fidelity to these religious teachings," he argued, "and no politician is exempt".^[2] A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... Same-sex marriage is a term for a legally, socially and/or religiously recognized marriage in which two people of the same sex live together as a family. ...

The supreme Sikh religious body, the Akal Takht, has issued an edict condemning gay marriage and Vedanti's words were echoed by Manjit Singh Kalkatta, another highly respected Sikh preacher who sits on the governing body of the Golden Temple, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. "The advice given by the highest Sikh temporal authority to every Sikh is saying that it is unnatural and ungodly, and the Sikh religion cannot support it."^[2] The Akal Takht (Punjabi: , ) is the second holiest shrine of the Sikhs. ... The Golden Temple The Golden Temple is also known as Harmandir Sahib or Hari Mandir by the Sikhs. ...

Homosexuality in Scripture

The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, is the highest authority in the orthodox Sikhism, it is seen as the 11th and eternal Guru. It serves as a guide to Sikhs on how to live positive lives, and details what behaviour is expected of all Sikhs. It is seemingly silent on the subject of homosexuality, however as married life is encouraged time and time again in Guroo Granth Sahib Ji, whenever marriage is mentioned, only man and woman are mentioned. Sikhs believe that Guroo Granth Sahib Ji is the complete guide to life, so if a marriage between two of the same sexes is not mentioned, it is not right. The Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi: , ) — Granth is Punjabi for book; Sahib is Hindi meaning master, from Arabic, meaning companion, friend, owner, or master. ...

There are five vices outlined in the Guru Granth Sahib that are to be avoided by Sikhs. One of these vices is lust, and some Sikhs believe that homosexual thoughts and behaviour are just manifestations of lust. However, Sikhs that are more accepting of homosexuality claim that this is equally applicable to heterosexuals. These same Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak's emphasis on universal equality and brotherhood is fundamentally in support of the human rights of homosexuals. Guru Nanak (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ, Devanagari: गुरु नानक) (20 October 1469 - 7 May 1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of the Sikhs, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

Pro-gay views tend to be held by a minority of Sikhs, many of whom have been born or raised in countries that are more tolerant towards homosexuality. Some Sikhs have even gone so far as to describe homosexuals as "the new Untouchables" in reference to Sikhism's rejection of the Indian caste system ^{[citation needed]}. In South Asias caste system, a Dalit; often called an untouchable; is a person of shudra; the lowest of the four castes. ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social stratification, enforced by law or common practice, based on classifications such as occupation, race, ethnicity, etc. ...

Family Living

One of Sikhism's underlying values is family living. Sikhs are expected to live in a family environment in order to conceive and nurture their children in order to perpetuate God's creation. Any alternative manner of living is discouraged, (see Prohibitions in Sikhism) including a celibate lifestyle. Many Sikhs have interpreted this to mean that homosexuality, which cannot result in procreation, is unnatural and against God's will. This is sometimes seen as a Catholic influence on Sikhism, which believes in natural law, "what is natural is what is moral". The Sikhs must believe in the following values: Equality: All humans are equal before God – No discrimination is allowed on the basis of caste, race, sex, creed, origin, color, education, status, wealth, etc. ... There are a number of religious prohibitions in Sikhism: Cutting Hair: Cutting hair is strictly forbidden in Sikhism. ...

Acceptance of God's will is seen as central in Sikhism. Thus, even if Sikhs are attracted exclusively to members of their own sex, they are expected to accept God's will- which, according to the teaching of the Granth, is for them to procreate. Many Sikhs who have homosexual desires will try to overcome what they believe is lust by marrying a member of the opposite sex and having children. This has led to a belief among many Sikhs that there are no gay or lesbian Sikhs. Yet this same belief causes much distress to those Sikhs who do find themselves attracted to members of the same sex.

Like liberals from other faiths and backgrounds, Sikhs who support homosexuality believe that it's not unnatural, but is normal for a minority of adults. These Sikhs stress that homosexuality is not discussed nor specifically banned in any of the writings of the Guru, and that the family lifestyle the Guru encourages can be cultivated by two members of the same sex. In fact, the Guru's silence on homosexuality has lead to a history of ambivalence on the topic.

References

1. ^ World Sikh group against gay marriage bill, CBC News, Tuesday, 29 March, 2005.
2. ^ ^{a b} Martin Regg Cohn, Reject gay bill, Sikh MPs told; Warning from top religious authority says marriage backers will be shunned, Toronto Star, Toronto, March 28, 2005, p. A.1.

CBC Newsworld is a Canadian 24-hour cable news television channel operated by the CBC. It broadcasts into over 10 million homes nation-wide, as well as into some northern states in the U.S. It is the worlds third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in... The Toronto Star is Canadas highest-circulation newspaper, though its print edition is distributed almost entirely within Ontario. ...

External links

• Invisibility: Without Recognition, There is No Support