It's obviously not just the Christians and the Muslims:
A case can be made that acceptance of homosexuality in our society has increased relatively dramatically in the past 40 or so years, but do you think that, as a world, we will ever get past things such as this?
Israeli MP blames gays for recent earthquakes
An Israeli parliamentarian said that several earthquakes felt in Israel recently were a consequence of gays and the parliament's acceptance of them.
Shlomo Benizri of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish Shas Party, said the way to stop the tremors was for parliament to reverse its trend of liberalising laws concerning homosexuals.
Two quakes originating in neighbouring Lebanon shook much of Israel last week, the first coming two days after Israel's attorney-general ruled that same-sex couples could adopt children.
During two weeks in November and December, four earthquakes shook parts of Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories.
None of the tremors caused any serious injuries or major damage.
"Why do earthquakes happen? One of the reasons is the things to which the Knesset (parliament) gives legitimacy, to sodomy," Benizri said during a parliamentary debate on earthquake preparedness.
A cost-effective way of averting earthquake damage, he added, would be to stop "passing legislation on how to encourage homosexual activity in the state of Israel, which anyway brings about earthquakes".
Representatives of Shas have issued statements in the past that other Israelis found outrageous, like blaming a 1985 train-bus accident that killed 22, most of them children, on failure of Israelis to follow Jewish ritual.
The adoption decision by Attorney-General Meni Mazuz, announced last Sunday, follows other successes for Israeli gays, which have outraged religious conservatives.
Court decisions in recent years have forced the government to recognise same-sex marriages performed abroad and grant gay couples inheritance rights and benefits given to other married Israelis.
AP
33 comments:
Religious issues are very difficult to overcome, even in a modern society. As Americans began to rely less and less on religion, and it was banned from the government, we began to see the error in some of the ancient religious notions, such as the stigmas against homosexuals. Many modern religions are recognizing that these discriminations are based on corrupt notions, however, conservatives, who do not understand the history behind them will continue to believe. (For example, some Christians are against homosexuality although it was banned for monetary reasons)In other countries, where the government is as religious as the people I feel like this will be slow in coming. Will the world ever be completely accepting? I don't think so. As terrible as it sounds, not everyone will ever be convinced to believe the same things. There will always be the radicals who continue to discriminate.
I think we have made a lot of progress in the past 40 years in relation to homesexuality but then when I see articles like this it reminds me that we still have a long way to go. I wouldn't think that people would honestly believe such a thing but the reality is that unfornately many people still do. To me this article demonstrates that although we have made strides for the rights of homosexuals the battle is far from over.
That is just ridiculous. How could anyone justifiably connect homosexuality to a series of earthquakes? I definitely feel that our society has made some strides toward accepting homosexuality. Our generation, as a whole, is more understanding and accepting. On the other hand, for example our parents may have different views, or "old fashion" views, and still may have a long way to go. The world has not even been able to accomplish accepting different religious beliefs; so to throw issues of homosexuality in there too, makes the process that much more difficult to overcome. We still have a long way to go.
It really is kind of absurd that things in religion are hotly debated and people can still take one or two ambigious lines in the Old Testament and make judgements against a lifestyle they happen to not follow. (Or even some that do eg. Ted Haggard) I think the more meaningful lessons are probably the ones that are said out straightfoward - such things like Not Judging Others? Maybe there are earthquakes because people are still blaming other people for them.
Homosexuality has been accepted more in todays society. I don't think it will ever be fully accpeted in the world. There's always going to be people who commit hate crimes and others that possess a narrow-minded outlook.
Homosexuality in connection to religion & earthquakes seems utterly insane to me. All things being equal, humans, no matter what religion they are, have developed defense mechanisms over time to cope with things we may not understand, as well as the tendancy to blame others in the face of adversity. Homosexuality does not cause earthquakes, shifting of tectonic plates does. Although I believe the acceptance of homosexuality has indeed come far over the past 4 decades, a statement of homosexuality causing earthquakes just goes to show that it has not come as far as many of us perceive it to be. Veronica V.
Views of homosexuality have changed dramatically over the years. In ancient Greece and ancient Rome homosexuality was socially accepted by all. Times changed and homosexual acts suddenly became taboo and illegal. Now society has become much more accepting of homosexuality in recent years. Society's views are constantly changing and it is because of this I don't believe that homosexuality will ever be truly accepted by all. This article also goes to show that despite the great changes that have taken place there are still those who are against homosexuality and so much so that they blame natural disasters on the passing of laws in favor of homosexuals.
As we've seen throughout history, acceptance of homosexuality ebbs and flows; tolerance is high and then very very low. I think that someday there'll come a point where the world is much less ignorant than they are today... that we won't blame natural disasters on the "gays". Whether it'll ever be comepletely accepted by everyone everywhere, probably not. There'll always be some religion condemning it and we'll always have places where it is more accepted than others. Hopefully we'll encounter a time when homosexuals can legally marry and won't be discriminated in a majority of the world. It's just gonna take small steps and education about what it really means to be gay.
Despite the numerous attempts that have been made to ensure the acceptance of homosexuality, I do not believe that there will ever come a time in which the entire world will embrace it. I find that the gay community is often the target of religious persecution because it is a way for religious leaders to “prove” that their faith is real. This article illustrates this idea through the Israeli parliamentarian’s claims that several earthquakes were the result of laws concerning homosexuals and their right to adopt children. Although his statements are ludicrous, I know that this parliamentarian is not alone in his beliefs. While many of us may look to a world in which everyone can live in equality and be accepted no matter creed, race, or orientation, I believe that society still has a long way to go.
While I agree that we have made substantial progress with everything that involves the acceptance of homosexual couples, I think that it is no where near where it should be. I also believe that it never will be. Like so many things, certain people have their opinions and views that will be passed on throughout their families for generations. Take racism for example, while there has been so much improvement from times of something like slavery, people will still have their views on it and I don’t believe the notion will ever completely be wiped out. It is sad but true. We can only hope that articles like this just lessen and lessen.
The fact that discrimination against gays transends all religion only shows that the world is not as evolved as we thought it was. Also, religious hard liners will never accept those that are different from them. This is ironic because every religion I've studied preaches tolerance and forgiveness. Those who preach God's word seem to be the most hypocritical of it consistantly.
-C. Leahy
I believe that no matter how accepting the majority of society is on homosexuality there will always be those that will never accept it under any circumstances, the same as with racism. Its absolutely ridiculous that some individuals feel the need to judge others based on religion, race, or sexual orientation. Religion preaches tolerance for many things but obviously homosexuality is not one of them. Instead of the church preaching discrimation in the case of homosexuality they should be teaching and focusing on the phrase judge not others lest you will be judged. I also think that if the Israeli parliment is going to let its parlimentarians speak on this topic they should make sure that the speakers are well informed of what the definition of sodomy is and what acts it encompasses.
Homosexuality has been a taboo issue in society for a very long time. Even though today it has made great strides in becoming more acceptable, it clearly still has a long way to go before it is ever fully accepted. After reading this article it is only more evident that the issue of homosexuality has not made as great of strides as it should. I don't believe that it ever will fully accepted because people always need someone else to blame for their problems.
In free democratic societies like the one in Israel or the U.S. one often forgets what a free democratic society means. In free societies citizens have the right to express themselves and their beliefs, this right not only applies to the left wing. It is hipocritical for someone to say they believe in freedom of choice and expression and at the same time insult and ridicule those who have beliefs they disagree with. Freedom of speech, religion, believes are all or nothing propositions, either you believe in them (even if you don't support the message) or you don't believe in those freedoms. The idea that "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" by Voltaire is never followed by those who claim to be in favor of freedoms.
I do not believe we as a generation will ever see homosexuality as something that is fully accepted. People are always going to have their opinions, no matter what the law says is or is not legal. Religious sanctions in particular are usually on the more radical end of debates, homosexual issues especially. The bible will always say what it has been saying for the past thousands of years, and Muslim leaders and Rabbis will still preach what they have learned to be the word of God. As far as I;m concerned homosexuality will always be considered a deviance followed by and unfortunately negative connotation in many places around the world.
-Christina D.
This article does not surprise me at all. I think there are even more ridiculous claims by conservative religious groups, or other cultures in general. It just proves even more how isolated our nation is. We see the one extremely conservative Baptist church express hatred for homosexuals and protest soldiers' funerals. Yes, they are crazy. But they are by no means alone in this world, and at least they get the chance to speak out, and we can speak out against them. There are Muslim countries in the world, such as Morocco, etc., who outlaw homosexuality, and will kill you if you even mention it. Here in America we worry about a few protests. This article just shows that the extreme religious dynamic is not limited to one group or sect, and there is really no way to control even what we view as the most outlandish accusations. The fact of the matter is that we are never going to overpower an group who believes adamantly in the ideals and principles by which they live. So I say great, let the government blame the earthquakes on homosexuality if they want to. By fighting against them we only give them more power, and we gain no chance at ever changing their viewpoint regardless. Just be happy you live in the United States which allows for social change, even if it is slow in some aspects.
As many already said, I really do not believe homosexuals will ever be fully accepted. They are a minority in our society, for there are more straight individuals than gay / lesbians. There are many reasons why it really is not fully accepted. Some may be the whole religion argument as we studied in class: that homosexual couples can not reproduce and therefore not really benefit society. Another argument falls more on the lines of uncertainty and phobia of that lifestyle. It is really difficult for a straight individual to understand that way of life...but I guess it may be difficult for a homosexual to understand a straight person’s life. It is difficult to comment on the future of this topic, for policies may really change with this upcoming election...so who knows.
It is hard to believe that a story like this could even be taken seriously. Religion has always been a scapegoat for propaganda such as this, especially for cases involving homosexuals. I want to know who are the people that believe such things and what is wrong with them mentally. The laws that are being passed for same-sex couples are helping to appease the wrongs committed in the past, but there will always be fanatics for religion.
I think major issues like homosexuality are delicate situations but I do think that over time as a society we will become more accepting. I mean in the case of homosexuality, the historical context needs to be taken into consideration. Homosexuality was accepted in Greek and Roman culture, there was Native American two-spirit medicine men, then it all of a sudden was an abomination or a psychological disorder. Societies views of things change/vary with time.
I mean it wasn't too long ago that women wore dresses or skirts. Nowadays you see a woman in jeans and you don't think twice about it. I think for homosexuals, women, or any other minority group things have definitely improved over the past few decades. I think that the majority of the society in general will become more accepting of differences but I also know there will be small groups in society that will be counterproductive to the rights of homosexuals, women, ect. Will there ever be complete acceptance? Thats hard to say, there is always going to be someone who opposes who you are in some way or another and I think that goes for everyone.
In todays society we are constantly looking to cast blame onto another person or people. With the fight for equality or basically recognition from the homosexual community , constant argument is thrown their way and "evidence" is shown against them. People can take such things as religious texts , or other controversial documents and pick and choose them in order to get their message across. We still have a majority that does not seem to accept homosexuals , and it is because of the church. The church throughout history has had its corrupt times and decisions that don't seem fair and just, except in their view of their bank account and political power. We have made progress, but it is something I think we will have to wait another 40 years to say, wow look how far we have come in this issue.
For this theory of gays = earthquakes to work, this Benizri character would have to show that there were no prior earthquakes in the Israel. Which i highly doubt he could do anyway with his head so far... in the ground. This is just another peron trying to get a rise out of people by blaming natural things on societies controversies.
Well it's really hard to say. Its like the genocides that were done in order to get rid of one race and keep the other. As long as there exsist religious conservatives out there, I think it will be very difficult to get pass things such as this. Religion is something that has been inbeded into socoiety and it's beliefs. It's been a couple of years now since slavery and society still hasn't gotten over the fact that blacks are humans has well. And still today slavey is particed in some parts of the world. There is always going to be someone or a group out there that doesn't agree or that goes against the societial norms.
if only people had that much control over "mother nature." i am constantly amazed at the lengths people will go through in order to deal with a situation. Instead of recognizing that "shit happens" we would rather take a natural event to blame some group that we hate. I thought better of the Jews considering all the hatred and blame they have gone through in the past
The only word that can describe this article is ridiculous. This is just another way to promote discrimination among homosexuality. There is nothing that can be done to control Mother Nature but apparently leaders in Israel missed that memo. Society has been more tolerable and acceptable of homosexuality over the years, but society as a whole has not been able to fully accept it. The Israeli government actually passed legislation to allow couples to adopt. The ignorant conservative leaders found any excuse to undermine this legislation. Obviously, homosexuality does not cause earth quakes but these conservatives seem to be scared allowing homosexuals the same treatment as everyone else in the world. Discrimination is something that will always be a daily occurrence and hopefully these outrageous stories will eventually come to an end.
There has been so much progress in the last few years about the acceptance of gays and their right to live a happy life, free of discrimination. It just really puts things in perspective when you hear a member of the Parliament say "One of the reasons is the things to which the Knesset (parliament) gives legitimacy, to sodomy." I agree, it does show that we have a long way to go..
I just don't understand how they can make a connection between homosexuality and earthquakes. There is no logic behind their thinking. It seems really ridiculous that they would blame earthquakes on gays. Homosexuality does not cause earthquakes. This story is very confusing to me. Religious issues are very difficult to overcome in connection with homosexuality but to go so far and to blame them for a natural disaster seems inhuman. This is by for the most bizarre thing i have ever heard.
This is just insane. To believe that giving the rights to homosexuals caused the earthquakes is ridiculous. I do feel that we have come a long way and progressed into accepting homosexual acts. However, it will take an even longer time to completely be okay with it. Religions will most likely stick with their beliefs. Religion teaches their followers that homosexual acts are bad and will continue to teach because of their extreme devotion to their religion. Therefore, even after time has passed there will always be those people who still stay true to their belief. Another reason why I don't believe we will one day accept homosexuality is homophobia. I think there will always be a controversy on homosexuality.
It took a long time to finally except gays and the way they live. Now the parliment blames them because of human nature. I think thats crazy. Its sad that we have to blame a group that people dont agree with. There will be always be people out there that just need someone to blame.
T.Elia
These comments are just outrageous. How could anyone possibly connect religion, or homosexuality to natural effects of the Earth. Those erthquakes would have occured regardless of the legislations passed. Politicians shouldnt even be asked about why an earthquake occured because no one has control over them. Religions are sticking their noses where they shouldnt. Homosexuals are being targeted by society for many things that go wrong. They need to be left alone to live their lives like everyone else. They need to find more legitimate reasons for everything that is occuring.
It really is just disgusting to see how ignorant some parts of the world are still. To blame a natural disaster on homosexuals is so absurd, but they completely buy into it. So much effort has been made all these years to grant rights and equality, but seeing something like this really almost makes it feel like a hopeless cause. People like that will never be convinced, but hopefully future generations will finally have their eyes opened.
I think that someone in a government position who says that earthquakes can be stopped if the parliament were to discontinue to pass liberalizing laws concerning homosexuals clearly does not deserve to hold that position. It is absurd to hear something like that and I would think that people were smarter and above things like that. In reference to the question posted, it is clear that the acceptance of homosexuality grown substantially. However, I do not believe that, as a world, we will ever get past it. It is similar to racism and what blacks went through. Slavery and segregation ended, the country itself has moved past it, but many people still hold feelings of racism towards blacks. It is just something that not everyone can get over, especially as a world. B. Brown
While this type of thinking is absolutely absurd, I do feel it is a short-coming our species will eventually overcome. In America two hundred years ago, there were a lot of socially accepted opinions of women and blacks that might seem peculiar by today's standards. The reason this is so shocking to us now is only that we happen to live in a more advanced country where we've gotten past many of these absurd prejudices. There are countries that are very literally a century behind leading nations in terms of cultural maturity. Eventually, they will progress and outgrow such notions. Until then, there's not a whole lot we can do to stop extremists in other countries from having unfounded opinions.
Religious issues are very hard to debate in the world. There are so many different religions with so many different beliefs. I think it is easier in American society to adapt homosexuals because religon is not that strong in America. For instance most of the people i kno dont go to church or pray everyday. Maybe for other nations its just easier to blame something on religon then it is in the United States.
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