Different cultures, time periods, and belief systems have diverse variations in their opinions on the morality of homosexuality, bisexuality and the choice of sexual orientation in general. In recent decades, many societies which formerly treated homosexuality as a crime have now repealed those laws on the basis of civil rights, privacy rights, and changing social attitudes. The increasing social acceptance of homosexuality has been attributed to a range of diverse causes, including the sexual revolution, the gay rights movement, a growing social distinction between homosexuality and paedophilia, new scientific research on the causes of sexual orientation, and the greater separation of church and state compared to earlier times such as the Middle Ages when many of the laws criminalising homosexuality were enacted. 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in August August 31: Michael Sheard August 26: Lord Fitt August 24: Jack Slipper August 24: Maurice Cowling August 24: Dr. Tom Pashby August 23: Brock Peters August 22: Lord Lane August 21: Robert Moog August... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... Fishers of Men, oil on panel by Adriaen van de Venne (1614) Various religious symbols Religion is commonly defined as a group of beliefs concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions and rituals associated with such belief. ... Morality, in the strictest sense of the word, deals with that which is regarded as right or wrong. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Bisexuality in human sexual behavior refers to the aesthetic, romantic, and sexual desire for people of both genders and/or for people of both sexes. ... Sexual orientation refers to the sex, sexes, gender or genders, to which a person is attracted and which form the focus of a persons amorous or erotic desires, fantasies, and spontaneous feelings. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to stop information about themselves from becoming known to people other than those they choose to give the information to. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... Pedophilia (American English), pædophilia/paedophilia (Commonwealth English), or pedosexuality is the paraphilia of being sexually attracted primarily or exclusively to prepubescent children. ... Sexual orientation refers to the sex, sexes, gender or genders, to which a person is attracted and which form the focus of a persons amorous or erotic desires, fantasies, and spontaneous feelings. ... The separation of church and state states that the institutions of the state or national government should be kept separate from those of religious institutions. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times, beginning with the Renaissance. ...

Overview

Religious views of homosexuality have varied widely. Some religions view same-sex love and sexuality as sacred. That was true in the past of the Greek religion and other pre-Christian faiths, and continues to be true of some tantric groups as well as some of the various native shamanistic religions that have survived the spread of organized religion. There is much mythology of same-sex love, especially within the Hindu pantheon of deities whose worship is still very much alive in India today. 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 homosexuality has become a highly debated topic, especially with relation to religion. ... In Buddhism, the third of the Five Precepts states that one is to refrain from sexual misconduct. ... The issue of Homosexuality and Christianity has become a matter of intense theological debate among some Christians, with ongoing argument over whether homosexuality, and specifically homosexual sex, is moral or a sin. ... Exclusive homosexuality in Confucianism is frowned upon, while non-exclusive has been traditionally accepted. ... Hindu views of homosexuality are varying and diverse and there is no consensus to the issue at all. ... For age structured homosexuality, see Pederasty in the Islamic lands There is no concept analogous to homosexuality in Islam, in the sense of an innate identity. ... 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 Sikhism is, as in other religions, a very controversial subject. ... Homosexuality in Taoism is, as in many other religions, a controversial issue. ... Homosexuality in Voodoo is religiously acceptable and homosexuals are allowed to participate in all religious activities. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Homosexuality in Zoroastrianism is, as in many other religions, a controversial topic. ... Greek religion is the polytheistic religion practiced in ancient Greece in form of cult practices, thus the practical counterpart of Greek mythology. ... Tantra (Sanskrit: loom), tantric yoga or tantrism is any of several esoteric traditions rooted in the religions of India. ... A shaman doctor of Kyzyl. ... Religious narrative has included stories interpreted by many as accounts of same-sex love and sexuality. ...

Among the major organized religions, at one end of the spectrum some liberal denominations (Unitarian Universalism, for example) embrace individuals who love others of the same sex and facilitate same-sex marriages. At the other extreme there are denominations (notably Islamic groups in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa) that advocate execution of gay men and women for violating their denomination's creed. Homosexuality is a capital crime in Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Sudan, and Mauritania. Many prominent modern American Christian preachers (including Fred Phelps, Pat Robertson, Robert Grant and Jerry Falwell) are noted for their vocal opposition to homosexuality. According to some creeds and denominations, sexual relations between people who are of the same sex are forbidden and regarded as sinful. For example, some interpretations of parts of the Koran (7:80-81, 26:165) and the Bible (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-27, I Timothy 1:9-10, etc.) explicitly forbid homosexuality. Other denominations and creeds, especially in recent decades, regard them as unobjectionable. Others even regard them as a positive grace from God. Within many religions there is intense debate over translations and interpretations within sacred texts regarding homosexuality. The flaming chalice is the universally recognized symbol for Unitarian Universalism. ... Same-sex marriage is marriage between two people who are of the same characteristic sex. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( ▶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa isnt very cool, it smellscontinent, after Asia. ... Fred Phelps, c. ... American religious broadcaster Pat Robertson Marion Gordon Pat Robertson (born March 22, 1930) is an influential Christian televangelist, entrepreneur, and Christian right political activist from the United States. ... Robert Grant was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... Jerry Lamon Falwell (born on August 11, 1933, Lynchburg, Virginia) is a Fundamentalist Baptist pastor, televangelist, and conservative activist from the United States. ... SiN is a computer game developed by Ritual Entertainment and published by Activision in late 1998. ... Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their sacred texts (or scriptures) are the Word of God, often feeling that the texts are wholly divine or spiritually inspired in origin. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

Sometimes, and most commonly among Christian polities, male homosexuality is more strongly disapproved of than lesbianism. This article is about homosexual women, not inhabitants of the Greek island of Lesbos A lesbian (lowercase L) is a homosexual woman. ...

Some people allege that some or all religious condemnation of homosexuality is a rationalization for a preexisting negative social attitude, or conversely, that religious condemnation of homosexuality induces popular antipathy.

Organized religions

Some religions, such as the majority of schools of Buddhism and traditional Hinduism, believe that homosexuality and heterosexuality have no essential differences and that all desire, such as sexuality, must be transcended in order to achieve salvation. Buddhism (more correctly Pāli Buddhadhamma or Sanskrit Buddhadharma) is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five...

Neo-Pagan religions are almost unanimous in their acceptance of same-sex relationships as equal to heterosexual ones. Another New Age perspective, however, is that of Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now. Starting with the idea that "the realization that you are 'different' from others may force you to disidentify from socially conditioned patterns of thought and behavior," he claims that being gay can help in the "quest for enlightenment", but only so long as one does not "develop a sense of identity based on... gayness". Neopaganism (sometimes Neo-Paganism, meaning New Paganism) is a heterogeneous group of religions which attempt to revive ancient, mainly European pre-Christian religions. ... Eckhart Tolle is a contemporary writer on spirituality who is sometimes characterized as New Age. ...

Aspects of the conflict

Some religions believe that homosexual orientation is sinful; others emphasize that it is only the bodily act or the act of deliberately cultivating fantasy that are sinful. In other words, only an engagement of the will. Religious opponents of identical rights for non-heterosexuals believe that supporting "pro-gay" legislation would constitute approval of homosexuality and bisexuality, by promoting wilful acts of homosexuality. They say that such approval is incompatible with their faith. Will, in philosophy, refers to the conscious mental act that produces physical results. ... Non-heterosexuals is a neologism, used to describe a group of people whose sexual orientation is other than heterosexuality. ...

Opposition to equal rights protections, same-sex marriage, and hate crime legislation is often associated with conservative religious views. This opposition is shown by individuals active in the human rights movement as being part of a pattern of religiously-based (and Biblicly rationalized) resistance to expansion of the sphere of human rights. The Equal Rights Party was a Canadian political party that nominated two candidates in the 5 March 1891 federal election. ... Same-sex marriage is marriage between two people who are of the same characteristic sex. ... A Jewish cemetery in France after being defaced by Neo-Nazis. ...

For example, the Unitarian Rev. Dr. Barry M. Andrews, in a recent essay [1], commends efforts to legalize gay marriage and compares resistance to it to the resistance to abolition of slavery, women's suffrage, and the end of anti-miscegenation laws. As he says, "... we know that these civil rights were opposed at one time by a majority of Americans, including churches and the government." The flaming chalice is the universally recognized symbol for Unitarian Universalism. ... The Buxton Memorial Fountain, celebrating the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire in 1834, London. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Interethnic marriage. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ...

Reactions to homosexuality

Lesbians and gay men have been murdered, subjected to gross human rights violations, or otherwise persecuted under various jurisdictions, most notably by the Nazi regime (see History of Gays during the Holocaust). Persecution of lesbians and gay men is also common in conservative Islamic nations such as Saudi Arabia, where gay men have reportedly been beheaded, or forced into therapy. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan reportedly executed lesbians and gay men by burying them alive. Prior to the repeal of laws regarding lesbians and gay men as criminals, persecution was common in many Western countries, including the United Kingdom and the USA. Lesbians and gay men were frequently imprisoned and/or forced to undergo what are now considered barbaric treatments such as chemical castration, forced sex changes and electroconvulsive therapy. In one well-known case, early computer scientist and homosexual Alan Turing committed suicide after undergoing court-ordered hormone therapy. The term National Socialism has been used in self-description by a number of different political groups and ideologies, some of which have no connection with the Nazis; see National socialism (disambiguation). ... Prior to the Third Reich, Berlin was considered a liberal city, with many gay bars, nightclubs and cabarets. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( ▶ (help· info)), the submission to God) is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions and the worlds second-largest religion. ... Beheading. ... Flag flown by the Taliban. ... A prison is a place in which people are confined and deprived of a range of liberties. ... Chemical castration is a form of castration caused by certain hormonal drugs. ... Sex reassignment surgery (SRS) includes the surgical procedures by which a persons physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are changed to that of the other sex. ... Electroconvulsive therapy, also known as electroshock or ECT, is a type of psychiatric shock therapy involving the induction of an artificial seizure in a patient by passing electricity through the brain. ... Computer science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. ... Alan Turing is often considered the father of modern computer science. ... In medicine, hormone therapy is the use of hormones in medical treatment and covers various types of hormones including growth hormones and sex hormones. ...

Expression of the view that homosexuality is immoral can also be found in the form of verbal discrimination against lesbians and gay men in hate speech, often aimed at inciting physical violence. Specifically, some translations of the Old Testament have been used to argue that gay men should be punished with death, and AIDS has been portrayed by some such as Fred Phelps as a punishment by God against gay men and lesbians. However, as of 2005 according to the United Nations more heterosexuals are contracting AIDS compared to lesbians and gay men on a global scale. This article is about discrimination in the social science sense. ... Hate speech is a controversial term for speech intended to degrade, intimidate, or incite violence or prejudicial action against a group of people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. ... Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (or acronym AIDS or Aids), is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ... Fred Phelps, c. ... United Nations - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (or acronym AIDS or Aids), is a collection of symptoms and infections resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ...

View that homosexuality is moral, morally acceptable, or is not an issue of morality

The view that homosexuality is moral, morally acceptable, or that morality does not apply comes from religious groups, human rights groups, political groups, some governments, medical organizations, and gay rights groups. Predominantly, political support for this view comes from gay rights organizations that lobby governments across the world for better treatment of lesbians and gay men and equality. Entities well-known for this viewpoint include the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (USA), Stonewall and OutRage! (United Kingdom), Reform Judaism, certain segments of the Anglican Church, the European Union, Amnesty International, American Academy of Pediatrics, etc. The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also... The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Aspiring Defamation (GLAAD) is an organization that claims to promote and ensure inclusive representation of self-identifying gay and lesbian people and events in the media as a means of De-Stigmatizing homosexuality, thus eliminating discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. ... See also: Other Stonewalls Stonewall is a high profile gay rights organisation in the United Kingdom. ... OutRage! is a direct action group in the United Kingdom which fights for the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of Judaism in America and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th Century Germany. ... The Anglican Communion is a world-wide organisation of Anglican Churches. ... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international, non-governmental organization with the stated purpose of promoting all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. ... The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an organization of pediatricians. ...

Generally, these groups believe that relationships that occur safely between consenting adults cannot be immoral, or that it is immoral to create laws that criminalize lesbians and gay men involved in relationships. They maintain that homosexuality is normal, pointing to the contributions that gay men and lesbians have made throughout history and continue to make in modern society. They also assert that every population will always contain a minority group of gay men and lesbians and that homosexuality is a natural sexual orientation for them. In behavior, normal means not deviating very much from the average. ... Since its coinage, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ... Natural is defined as of or relating to nature; this applies to both definitions of nature: essence (ones true nature) and the untouched world (force of nature). Natural is often used meaning good, healthy, or belonging to human nature. This use can be questioned, as many freely growing plants... Sexual orientation refers to the sex, sexes, gender or genders, to which a person is attracted and which form the focus of a persons amorous or erotic desires, fantasies, and spontaneous feelings. ...

There also exist groups and denominations whose interpretation of scripture and doctrine states that homosexuality is morally acceptable, and a natural occurrence. Some conclude that there can be no scriptural prohibition against homosexuality as it is presently understood, namely as the outworking of an orientation. Others consider that scriptural prohibitions only relate to pederasty, which was a mode of same-sex practice in ancient times. Others consider that scripture has a thoroughgoing patriarchal bias, which expresses itself in a disapproval of all gender-transgressive sexual practices; present-day readings must account for this. Proponents of liberation theology may consider that the liberation of gay and lesbian peoples from stigmatisation and oppression is a Kingdom imperative. Similarly, the inclusion of the "unclean" Gentiles in the early Church is sometimes said to be a model for the inclusion of other peoples called "unclean" today. Pederasty as idealized by the ancient Greeks, was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family. ... Patriarchy (from Greek: patria meaning father and arché meaning rule) is the anthropological term used to define the sociological condition where male members of a society tend to predominate in positions of power; with the more powerful the position, the more likely it is that a male will hold that...

Others consider that Jesus Christ made the commandments to "love God and one's neighbour," and to "love one's neighbour as oneself" touchstones of the moral law; that these imply a radical equality, and that, by this principle of equality, the Law of Moses is to be adjusted. Jesus exemplified this principle in his teaching on divorce. Furhermore, it is said that Jesus Christ instituted a virtue ethic, whereby the worth of one's action is to be adjudged by one's interior disposition. For these reasons, it is said that to condemn homosexuality is to fall into a pre-Christian "Pharasaical" legalism. Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew Móše, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى Musa, Spanish Moisés, Ethiopic ሙሴ Musse) was a son of Amram and his wife, Jochebed, a Levite. ...

People adopting one of the foregoing positions would hold that morality which applies to heterosexuals should similarly apply to gay men and lesbians, i.e. sex is acceptable within a monogamous relationship or a same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage is marriage between two people who are of the same characteristic sex. ...

Others seek a naturalistic justification for the view that homosexual behavior is moral or that morality does not apply, pointing to evidence of the existence of such behavior in the animal kingdom. Therefore it is said to be natural, perhaps even integral to a species' survival.

Controversy over parallels with other civil rights movements

Many gay right advocates draw parallels between homophobia and racism and sexism, saying just as Western society concluded that racism and sexism were immoral, it will eventually come to the same conclusion about discrimination based on sexual orientation. This is a sort of general argument against anti-homosexuality opinion - the idea is that it does not matter how correct "homophobes" think they are in their views or what their justifications are. Just as people were thoroughly convinced in the correctness of white racial or male sexual superiority and later realized they were wrong, so the situation is the same with regard to attitudes about sexual orientation. Discrimination is discrimination, no matter what the particular dividing line is. The term homophobia means a fear of or contempt for homosexuality or homosexuals or the fear of becoming homosexual. ... It has been suggested that Racism in Mass Media be merged into this article or section. ... The sign of the headquarters of the National Association Opposed To Woman Suffrage Sexism is commonly considered to be discrimination against people based on their sex rather than their individual merits, but can also refer to any and all differentiations based on sex. ... Look up Come in Wiktionary, the free dictionary In addition to being the common English word denoting arrival or a request for someone to approach, come may refer any of the following. ...

Many supporters of racial equality, including prominent socially conservative Black Christian leaders, find comparisons between racial equality and gay rights to be offensive. They believe that the former is a question of judgement based on an unchanging, irrelevant aspect of identity, whereas the homosexuality is a behavior, and thus entails moral accountability.

This raises the question of whether or not a homosexual orientation is changeable, and if not, whether or not same-sex behavior should necessarily be allowed to result from it, which is discussed in the next section.

Genetic determination, choice, and change

Main articles: Biology and sexual orientation and Choice and sexual orientation Biology and sexual orientation is the concept in industrialized societies that there is, at least in part, a biological basis for sexual orientation. ... A small but substantial group of psychotherapeutic professionals, primarily but not entirely a collection of conservative Christians, Jews and Muslims (and in the larger cultural and political debate) view sexual orientation as a choice and something that can be challenged, changed or chosen in adolescence or adulthood in some individuals. ...

Some view sexual orientation as not a matter of choice, but rather genetically or otherwise inherently determined. They reason that if an individual's attraction to members of the same sex is the result of heredity as is skin color or the shape of facial features, then it should not be a moral concern at all. They further argue that lesbians and gay men should enjoy the same rights as heterosexuals, just as blacks have come to be regarded as being entitled to the same rights as whites. Most believe that sexual orientation is defined by a variety of factors, including genetic, and that you cannot change it. Heredity (the adjective is hereditary) is the transfer of characteristics from parent to offspring, either through their genes or through the social institution called inheritance (for example, a title of nobility is passed from individual to individual according to relevant customs and/or laws). ... Heterosexuality is the scientific name for sexual attraction and/or sexual behaviour between animals of the opposite characteristic sex, or being straight. It is the fifth element of the classic quinto-modal continuum of sexual orientation, which consists of asexuality, autosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and heterosexuality. ...

Those who believe that homosexuality is immoral either deny that sexual orientation is genetically determined, or state that not everything genetically determined is consequently healthy or moral.

Attempts to change sexual orientation in a scientific environment have failed, and while the question of whether homosexuality is genetically predetermined or formed later is not settled, it is acknowledged by most scientists now that there are no simple conditions that can be met to make a child gay, and that sexual orientation can not be reverted.

The belief that children could be made gay was propagated by opponents of homosexuality and developed into a general fear that lesbians and gay men would "seduce" or "recruit" children. Anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant started an organization called Save our Children which used the anti-gay slogan "Homosexuals cannot reproduce -- so they must recruit." Her claim that one can change their sexual orientation is in contrasts to many medical and scientific communities which see sexual orientation unchangeable. Some groups have likened such language to that seen targeting Jews in earlier ages with false accusations of drinking the blood of Christian children. Anita Bryant (born March 25, 1940, in Barnsdall, Oklahoma) is an American singer who made a series of television commercials for Florida orange juice. ... Anti-gay slogans are catchphrases or slogans which express opposition to homosexuality in ways which gay rights activists consider to be irrationally hostile or fearful (see homophobia and also anti-gay). ... Sexual orientation refers to the sex, sexes, gender or genders, to which a person is attracted and which form the focus of a persons amorous or erotic desires, fantasies, and spontaneous feelings. ...

Attacks based on stereotypes linking homosexuality to other behaviors

Historically, homosexuality has often been linked in the public mind to other sexual behaviors, such as pedophilia, and even to serial murders. Homosexuality was listed in psychological manuals as one of many sexual disorders, and many attempts were made to treat it. This perception of homosexuality as a disease can in part be explained with psychology's roots in the theories of Sigmund Freud, who believed that early childhood influences determined the later sexual orientation of a person. Researchers concluded that children could be "made gay", deliberately or involuntarily. However the American Psychiatric Association no longer considers homosexuality to be a mental disorder. Pedophilia (Am. ... Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos/-ology = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of the mind and behavior, both human and (less frequently) nonhuman. ... Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud (IPA: []) (May 6, 1856–September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology, based on his theory that human development is best understood in terms of changing objects of sexual desire; that the unconscious often represses wishes (generally of... The American Psychiatric Association is a professional organization of psychiatrists whose members are American and international physicians who are trained in psychiatry. ...

Public misconceptions linking pedophiles to gay men contributed much discrimination. Today, most people recognize lesbians and gay men as distinct from pedophiles. This was also exploited by anti-gay groups who tried to support their "recruitment" argument with statements often gleaned from "boy lovers" operating within or outside the gay community (see Gay rights counter-movement). The recruitment argument in turn was used to argue that gay men are a danger to children. Pedophilia (Am. ... This article contains information that has not been verified. ...

While psychologists, anthropologists and criminologists in the 1960s and 1970s, such as Harold Kant, Michael Goldstein, James W. Prescott and Paul Gebhard increasingly understood sexual repression to be one of the core causes of homosexuality, supporting the argument that public repression of homosexuality would cause an increase of lesbians and gay men. Lesbians and gay men were stereotyped by anti-gay groups as perverts and criminals. Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos/-ology = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of the mind and behavior, both human and (less frequently) nonhuman. ... Human anatomical proportions. ... Criminology is the study of crime as a social phenomenon, including the causes and consequences of crime, criminal behavior, as well as the development of, and impact of laws. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... James W. Prescott is a developmental psychologist, whose research focused on the origins of violence, particularly as it relates to a lack of mother-child bonding. ... Paul H. Gebhard (born July 3, 1917) was the second director of the Kinsey Institute, following Kinsey himself. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

Despite a better understanding of homosexuality, the causes of sexual orientation, the general consensus within the medical and scientific communities that sexual orientation cannot be changed, and the lack of connection between homosexuality and pedophilia, some anti-gay groups continue to use moral arguments based on linking homosexuality to other behaviors to oppose the gay rights movement. The gay rights movement is a collection of loosely aligned civil rights groups, human rights groups, support groups and political activists seeking acceptance, tolerance and equality for non-heterosexual, (homosexual, bisexual), and transgender people - despite the fact that it is typically referred to as the gay rights movement, members also...

The US based group Restoring Social Virtue & Purity to America by Judith A. Reisman, for example, claims that homosexuals have deliberately subverted the mass media in order to garner support for a wide range of previously condemned sexual behaviors, including pederasty, and that their goal is to turn those children into homosexuals. Slippery slope arguments against homosexuality as a "gateway behavior" are also common. Judith A. Reisman is the president of Restoring Social Virtue & Purity to America (RSVPAmerica) that distributes material that criticises modern sexual viewpoints and sex education based on Alfred Kinseys work. ... Pederasty as idealized by the ancient Greeks, was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family. ... In debate or rhetoric, the slippery slope is an argument for the likelihood of one event given another. ...

Views of specific religious groups

Atheists, agnostics and secularists

In societies where a majority religion is opposed to homosexuality, advocates for the rights of non-believers and gay-rights advocates become natural allies on certain political and cultural issues. However, being atheist, agnostic or secularist does not necessarily imply support for gay rights or approval of homosexuality. Various non-believers disapprove of homosexuality for various cultural, personal, and other non-religious reasons, and secular states, such as the countries of the Communist bloc, can at the same time be antagonistic to homosexuality. For information about the band, see Atheist (band). ... The term agnosticism and the related agnostic were coined by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1869. ... This article concerns secularism, the exclusion of religion and supernatural beliefs. ... During the Cold War, the Eastern Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) comprised the following Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, East Germany, Poland, Albania (until the early 1960s, see below), the Soviet Union, and Czechoslovakia. ...

Religious people who disagree with the condemnation of sodomy by their religious institution tend to leave their faith in greater numbers than those who agree with it (and thus are more likely to become non-believers, though many simply move to sects which approve of same-sex couples). But as with many religious issues, many dissidents, including lesbian and gay people themselves, maintain their religious affiliation and practice despite their disagreements.

Abrahamic

The world's three major Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, have historically been the primary sources condemning homosexuality in the world. The first recorded law against homosexuality is found in the holiness code of Leviticus. Among many other acts, sexual intercourse between men is a capital offense. This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion with approximately 1. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people with around 14 million followers (as of 2005 [1]). It is one of the first recorded monotheistic faiths and one of the oldest religious traditions still practiced today. ... The Holiness Code appears at Leviticus 17-26, and is so called due to its highly repeated use of the word Holy. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... This article concerns how a man differs from women. ... Capital punishment, also referred to as the death penalty, is the judicially ordered execution of a prisoner as a crime, often called a capital offense or a capital crime. ...

Today some major denominations within these religions, such as Reform Judaism, have accepted homosexuality, arguing that it was originally intended as a means of distinguishing religious worship between Abrahamic and pagan faiths, specifically Greek (Ganymede) and Egyptian (see Torah or Old Testament) rituals that made homosexuality a religious practice and not merely human sexuality, and is thus no longer relevant. "Liberal" Christian denominations such Unitarian-Universalists and many Presbyterian and Anglican churches currently condone homosexuality, and perform same-sex marriages (as do Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism). Paganism (from Latin paganus) and Heathenry are catch-all terms which have come to connote a broad set of spiritual/religious beliefs and practices of a natural religion, as opposed to the Abrahamic religions. ... In Greek mythology, Ganymede (Greek: Γανυμήδης, Ganumêdês) was a divine hero whose homeland was the Troad. ... The International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) is a world council bringing together Unitarians, Universalists and Unitarian Universalists. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... Same-sex marriage (also called gay marriage, and—less frequently—homosexual marriage) refers to marriage between partners of the same gender (for other forms of same-sex unions that are different from marriages, see the articles linked in that section). ...

Christianity

Main article: Homosexuality and Christianity

If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed a detestable act; they shall surely be put to death. Their bloodguiltiness is upon them. Leviticus 20:13 (New American Standard Bible) The issue of Homosexuality and Christianity has become a matter of intense theological debate among some Christians, with ongoing argument over whether homosexuality, and specifically homosexual sex, is moral or a sin. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... The New American Standard Bible (NASB) an English translation of the Holy Bible. ...

You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22 (New American Standard Bible) Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... The New American Standard Bible (NASB) an English translation of the Holy Bible. ...

The attitude of Early Christians toward homosexuality has been much debated. One side has cited denunciations of sodomy in the writings of the era, such as in the Didache and in the writings of Saint Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, St. Cyprian, Eusebius, St. Basil the Great, St. John Chrysostom, St. Augustine of Hippo, and in doctrinal sources such as the "Apostolic Constitutions" — for example, Eusebius of Caesarea's statement which condemns "the union of women with women and men with men". Others claim that passages have been mistranslated or they do not refer to homosexuality. Some Christians maintain that the Bible, principally in Leviticus, denounces homosexual activity as a sin, in the eyes of God an "abomination" — a term used to describe harsh disapproval of a wide range of offenses, from incest and beastiality (sex with animals), to eating shellfish. In Acts 15 (The Council of Jerusalem) explicitly advised that Gentile converts were keep from sexual immorality. Many of the letters of Saint Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, echo this exhortation to "avoid sexual immorality." The first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans contains the only explicit mention of lesbianism in the Bible, calling it "against nature". In later sources accepted by the Church as Divinely revealed, such as St. Hildegard's book "Scivias", there is likewise an explicit prohibition against any sex between two women. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain Catholic Encyclopedia The Didache ( in Koine Greek) or Teaching— short for Teaching of the Lord to the Gentiles by the Twelve Apostles ()— is a short treatise, considered by some of the Church Fathers as part of the New Testament but rejected as... In general, the term Saint refers to someone who is exceptionally virtuous and holy. ... Justin is an Anglicized version of the Latin name Justinus, a derivative of Justus, meaning fair or just. ... Historically, a martyr is a person who dies for their convictions or religious faith, such as during the persecution of early Christians in the Roman Empire. ... Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first member of the Church of Alexandria to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished teachers. ... Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullianus, anglicized as Tertullian, (ca. ... Saint Cyprian (Thascius Caecilius Cyprianus) (died September 14, 258) bishop of Carthage and an important early Christian writer, was born probably at the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received an excellent pagan education; having converted to Christianity, he became a Bishop (249... Eusebius of Caesarea (~275 – May 30, 339) (often called Eusebius Pamphili, Eusebius [the friend] of Pamphilus) was a bishop of Caesarea in Palestine and is often referred to as the father of church history because of his work in recording the history of the early Christian church. ... Basil (ca. ... Saint John Chrysostom John Chrysostom (347 - 407) was a notable Christian bishop and preacher from the 4th and 5th centuries in Syria and Constantinople. ... St. ... Eusebius of Caesarea (~275 – May 30, 339) (often called Eusebius Pamphili, Eusebius [the friend] of Pamphilus) was a bishop of Caesarea in Palestine and is often referred to as the father of church history because of his work in recording the history of the early Christian church. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... Abomination, in general, refers to something disgusting, hateful, or extremely unpleasant. ... Incest is sexual activity between close family members. ... Leda and the Swan, a 16th century copy after a lost painting by Michelangelo, 1530 (National Gallery, London) This article is about zoophilia and bestiality. ... Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. ... The word Gentile from the Latin gentilis, can either be a translation of the Hebrew Goy/גוי or of the Hebrew word Nochri/נכרי. In the most common modern use it refers to the former being derived from the Latin term gens (meaning clan or a group of families) and it is... Perversion is a derogatory term for deviation from the original meaning or doctrine, literally turning aside from what is perceived to be orthodox or normal. ... An early portrait of the Apostle Paul. ... The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... A medieval illumination showing Hildegard von Bingen and the monk Volmar Blessed Hildegard of Bingen (alternatively von Bingen or Bingensis) (September 16, 1098 – September 17, 1179) was a German magistra, monastic leader, mystic, author, and composer of music. ...

Among the prominent Christian figures known to have had same-sex relationships, Richard I of England had a relationship with King Philip II of France, Ralph Archbishop of Tours had his lover John installed as bishop of Orleans with agreement of both the King of France and Pope Urban II, and a number of popes and cardinals, especially during the Renaissance, also shared the popular tastes for handsome youths, so prevalent at the time in northern Italy. Richard I (September 8, 1157 – April 6, 1199) was King of England from 1189 to 1199. ... Philip II (French: Philippe II), called Philip Augustus (French: Philippe Auguste) (August 21, 1165 – July 14, 1223), was King of France from 1180 to 1223. ... Urban II, né Otho of Lagery (or Otto or Odo) (1042 - July 29, 1099), was a Pope from 1088 to July 29, 1099. ... The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the head of the Catholic Church, which considers him the Successor of St. ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and appointed by him as a member of the College of Cardinals during a consistory. ... In the traditional view, the Renaissance is understood as an historical age that was preceded by the Middle Ages and followed by the Reformation. ...

Other Christians of the time were critical of homosexuality. St. Thomas Aquinas denounced sodomy as second only to bestiality (sex with animals) as the worst of all sexual sins, and St. Hildegard's book "Scivias", which was officially approved by Pope Eugenius III, related visions in which same-sex relations are condemned as "perverted forms". Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... A medieval illumination showing Hildegard von Bingen and the monk Volmar Blessed Hildegard of Bingen (alternatively von Bingen or Bingensis) (September 16, 1098 – September 17, 1179) was a German magistra, monastic leader, mystic, author, and composer of music. ... The Blessed Eugene III, né Bernardo Pignatelli (d. ...

Christianity does, however, have a long standing history of troubles encountered in dealing with homosexuality in the Roman Catholic priesthood and lay churchgoers. This became a topic of worldwide attention in the late 20th and early 21st century, when the Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal unfolded. Numerous allegations of sex with boys and young men were brought against priests such as Paul Shanley, who was accused of committing sodomy with teenage boys in his program for homeless youth. A number of different studies have suggested that the prevalence of homosexuality among Roman Catholic priests is anywhere from 15% to 50%. Regardless of the precise figure, it has been suggested that the incidence of homosexuality in the Roman Catholic priesthood is much higher than in the general population. ... In the late 20th century, and especially at the turn of the 21st, the Catholic Church in several countries was confronted with a series of allegations concerning sexual abuse of children under the legal age of consent ¹ by Catholic clergy and religious. ... Father Paul Shanley, a defrocked priest, served at St. ...

Islam

Youth seeking his father's advice on choosing a lover
From the Haft Awrang of Jami, in the story A Father Advises his Son About Love; See Sufi outlook on male love; The Smithsonian, Washington, DC.

Main articles: Homosexuality and Islam, Pederasty#Central Asia, and Pederasty Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Youth seeking his fathers advice Miniature illustration to the Haft Awrang of Jami, in the story A Father Advises his Son About Love See Sufi outlook on male love Freer and Sackler Galleries, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Persian youth playing chess with two suitors Illustration to the Haft... Pederasty as idealized by the ancient Greeks, was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family. ... The Smithsonian Institution Building or Castle on the National Mall serves as the Institutions headquarters. ... For age structured homosexuality, see Pederasty in the Islamic lands There is no concept analogous to homosexuality in Islam, in the sense of an innate identity. ... Pederasty as idealized by the ancient Greeks, was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family. ... Pederasty as idealized by the ancient Greeks, was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family. ...

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 Islamic countries, male desire for attractive male youths is widely expected and condoned as a human characteristic. However, it is thought that restraint from either acting on, or revealing, this desire is rewarded with an afterlife in paradise, where one is attended by perpetually young virgin lovers, women and men, houri and ghilman. (Al-Waqia 56.37, Qur'an) Homosexual intercourse itself has been interpreted to be a form of lust and a violation of the Qur'an. Thus, while homosexuality as an attraction is not against the Sharia (Islamic law, which governs the physical actions, rather than the inner thoughts and feelings), the physical action of same-sex intercourse is punishable under the Sharia. Hadith (Arabic: , Arabic pl. ... The Qurān (Arabic: recitation), also transliterated as Quran and Koran, is the holy book of Islam. ... Pederasty as idealized by the ancient Greeks, was a relationship and bond between an adolescent boy and an adult man outside of his immediate family. ... In Islam, the houri (Arabic , pl. ... This article needs to be wikified. ... Sharia (Arabic: ; also Sharīah, Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is the Arabic word for Islamic law. ...

Same-sex relations between adult males are segregated in a manner analogous to the segregation between the sexes. Thus, the passive role is generally taken on by an underclass of males, often transvestite or transgender who routinely would be entertainers by profession and who would be both despised for their submissive sexual role and admired for their skills. In earlier years these would have had their start through the traditional baccha or kocek roles. The active role is played by men who do not self-identify as homosexual, who typically conform to societal expectation to marry and have children and view their homosexual adventures as further confirmation of their masculinity. While this construction reflects the way Muslim men generally represent the culture to themselves, actual practices may vary a great deal. For a discussion of the history and current usage of the term transvestite, see transvestism. ... Transgender is generally used as an overarching term for a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies along the gender continuum that are opposite to or in divergence from the gender role (woman or man) commonly, but not always, assigned for life at birth. ... Dance of a bachá (dancing boy) Samarkand, (ca 1905 - 1915), photo S. M. Prokudin-Gorskii. ... The köçek phenomenon is considered to be one of the most significant symbols of Ottoman Empire culture. ...

The discourse on homosexuality in Islam is primarily concerned with activities between men. Relations between women, if at all problematized, are treated akin to adultery, and al-Tabari records an execution of a harem couple under caliph al-Hadi. The name al-Tabari means simply from Tabaristan, thus more than one Muslim scholar is known by this designation: Ali ibn Sahl Rabban al-Tabari, Ali the scholar from Tabiristan (838-870 A.D.) was the writer of a medical encyclopedia and the teacher of the scholar physician Zakariya al... In traditional Arab culture, the harîm حريم (cf. ... Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... Abu Abdullah Musa ibn Mahdi al-Hadi (Arabic: أبو عبد اله موسى بن ألمهدى الهادى ) (d. ...

Historically, and with exceptions, punishment for male same-sex relations has been less severe compared to its Abrahamic counterparts: Judaism and Christianity. The Qur'an states that if a person commits the sin they can repent and save their life. Many Islamic cultures, early ones such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, and Canaanites, where homosexuality was well documented to be entrenched in many aspects of their culture by exposure to Hellenistic culture, as well as later cultures such as the Abbasid caliphate and Safavid Persia, were renowned for cultivating a sophisticated homosexual aesthetic reflected in art and literature. They reconciled their love life with their religion using a hadith, from a collection of quotations ascribed to Muhammad, the founder of Islam "He who loves and remains chaste and conceals his secret and dies, dies a martyr". However, later hadiths are harsher: "When a man mounts another man, the throne of God shakes... Kill the one that is doing it and also kill the one that it is being done to." Both ancient and modern fundamentalists have interpreted these injunctions literally, with resulting loss of life. The Qurān (Arabic: recitation), also transliterated as Quran and Koran, is the holy book of Islam. ... Babylonia was an ancient state in Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... This article is about the land called Canaan. ... The term Hellenistic (established by the German historian Johann Gustav Droysen) in the history of the ancient world is used to refer to the shift from a culture dominated by ethnic Greeks, however scattered geographically, to a culture dominated by Greek-speakers of whatever ethnicity, and from the political dominance... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid (Arabic: العبّاسيّون AbbāsÄ«yÅ«n) was the dynastic name generally given to the caliphs of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Islamic empire, that overthrew the Umayyad caliphs. ... The Safavid Empire at its 1512 borders. ... Motto: Persian: Esteqlāl, āzādÄ«, jomhÅ«rÄ«-ye eslāmÄ« (English: Independence, freedom, the Islamic Republic) Anthem: SorÅ«d-e MellÄ«-e Īrān Capital Tehran Largest city Tehran Official language(s) Persian Government Supreme Leader President Islamic republic Ali Khamenei Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Revolution Declared Against Mohammad Reza Pahlavi... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion with approximately 1. ...

The result is a religion that allows love between those of the same gender as long as they do not have sexual intercourse. Ibn Hazm, Ibn Daud, Al-Mutamid, Abu Nuwas, and many others used this edict to write extensively and openly of love between men while proclaiming to be chaste. Furthermore, in order for the transgression to be proven, at least four men or eight women must bear witness against the accused, thus making it very difficult to persecute those who do not remain celibate in the privacy of their homes. Abu Muhammad Ali ibn Ahmad ibn Sa`id ibn Hazm (November 7, 994 – August 15, 1069)was an Andalusian Muslim philosopher born in Córdoba, present day Spain. ... Abraham ben David was a Jewish, French commentator on the Talmud. ... Al-Mutamid (d. ... Abu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani al-Hakami (750?–813?) was a renowned Arabic poet. ...

The teachings of Islam have themselves been used to justify love and sexual expression between males. In particular, those who argue for the validity of male same-sex love point out that Allah has repeatedly indicated that the male is worth twice as much as the female, as reflected in matters of inheritance and bearing witness (Qur'an, iv. 38; Qur'an, ii. 282; Qur'an, iv. 175), and thus, by a process of induction, they must be worthier objects of desire as well. Debate Between the Wise Woman and the Sage Induction or inductive reasoning, sometimes called inductive logic, is the process of reasoning in which the premises of an argument support the conclusion, but do not ensure it. ...

Judaism

Main article: Homosexuality and Judaism

The historically prevalent view in Jewish law has been that homosexual intercourse by men and women was sinful, arguing that it was forbidden by the Torah. For men this position is based on an interpretation of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, that homosexual intercourse between men is considered on the same level as idolatry, requiring death, and for women it is based on Leviticus 18:2-3, where the Israelites are commanded not to follow the ways of the Egyptians or Canaanites. However, since the late twentieth century this has been a subject of contention between various Jewish groups, and has led to both debate and division among modern Jews. 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). ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. ... Leviticus is the third book of the Hebrew Bible, also the third book in the Torah (five books of Moses). ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s The 20th century lasted from 1901 to 2000 in the Gregorian calendar (often from (1900 to 1999 in common usage). ...

Reform Judaism argues that homosexuality is a natural attraction, and that the prohibition in the Torah was addressing pagan religious rituals, specifically Egyptian and Canaanite fertility cults and temple prostitution. The official position of Conservative Judaism, formulated in 1992, is that homosexual intercourse is sinful, and the movement does not ordain homosexuals as rabbis or cantors, but insists that homosexual Jews should be welcomed within the movement. In 2003 the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly recognized divisions within the movement, and promised to reevaluate the position in the near future. Orthodox Judaism views homosexual activity as sinful, but halakhic decisors have differed on the causes (and thus severity) of the sin, and on how one should interact with gay Jews. Currently same-sex marriages are forbidden in Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, but Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism allow them. Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of Judaism in America and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th Century Germany. ... Canaanite can describe anything pertaining to Canaan: in particular, its languages and inhabitants. ... Conservative Judaism, also known as Masorti Judaism, is a modern denomination of Judaism that arose in United States in the early 1900s. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools (and among Sefaradim today) the sages... The word Cantor can mean more than one thing: Cantor is another name for a Hazzan, a member of the Jewish clergy Cantor is the title of a member of a student society who is the main singer at a cantus Famous people named Cantor include: Eddie Cantor, singer & entertainer... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish rabbinic law, custom and tradition. ... Same-sex marriage is marriage between two people who are of the same characteristic sex. ... Reconstructionist Judaism is a movement of Judaism with a relatively liberal set of beliefs: an individuals personal autonomy should generally override traditional Jewish law and custom, yet also take into account communal consensus, modern culture is accepted, traditional rabbinic modes of study, as well as modern scholarship and critical...

Indic and Sinic religion

The Indic religions of India, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, (also known as the Dharmic religions), and the Sinic religions of China, namely Confucianism, Chinese folk religion and Taoism, do not have the same philosophy of anti-homosexual sentiment that the Abrahamic religions do, however, the influence of Christianity and Islam on Asia has caused some groups to become more in line with Western conservativism, as seen in modern India. India also had a long tradition of atheist philosophy. Hinduism (Sanskrit , also known as ) and ) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on the Vedas, and is among the oldest still practiced today. ... Buddhism (more correctly Pāli Buddhadhamma or Sanskrit Buddhadharma) is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five... Pre-Kushana Ayagapatta from Mathura Jainism (pronounced in English as //), traditionally known as Jain Dharma (जैन धर्म), is a religion and philosophy originating in the prehistory of South Asia. ... The Golden Temple is a sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism (Punjabi: , ), is a panentheistic religion based on the teachings of ten Gurus who lived in northern India during the 16th and 17th centuries. ... Shrine of Confucius in Thian Hock Keng in Singapore. ... Chinese folk religion comprises the religion practiced in much of China for thousands of years which included ancestor worship and drew heavily upon concepts and beings within Chinese mythology. ... Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for: (a) a philosophical school based on the texts the Dao De Jing (ascribed to Laozi) and the Zhuangzi. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ... Islam (Arabic: ; ( (help· info)), submission (to the will of God) is a monotheistic faith and the worlds second-largest religion with approximately 1. ... Carvaka, also frequently transliterated as Charvaka, and also known as Lokayata, is a thoroughly materialist and atheist school of thought with ancient roots in India. ...

Buddhism

Main article: Homosexuality and Buddhism

In Buddhism, the third of the Five Precepts states that one is to refrain from sexual misconduct. Among the many interpretations of what constitutes "sexual misconduct" are: sex outside of marriage (a relatively modern idea), sex with another person without the consent of your life partner, or the historically prevalent view that it was limited to describe rape,