# A jewish perspective on gay marriage

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-jewish-perspective-on-gay-marriage/232668>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [March 5, 2004, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-jewish-perspective-on-gay-marriage/232668 "2004-03-05T07:14:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-jewish-perspective-on-gay-marriage/232668/41 "2004-03-11T18:23:29Z")

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> [@cmkeller](#):
>
> But the issue remains, once the definition of marriage has been released from its mooring in Judeo-Christian religion, where does the redefinition end?

How about right where the issue does? Same-sex marriage.

> [@](#):
>
> Is there any limit (other than the ability to mutually consent) to what partnerships can bear the name “marriage”? At the moment, there are still pairings that are forbidden by law - sibling incest being the easiest example to cite - but under what justification, if tradition is no longer our guide?

If you are wondering about the limits, I can’t help you, until they’ve been tested. At the moment, the way I see it, same sex marriage is the limit being tested. Other limits outside of tradition, don’t seem to have a heck of a lot to do with it. In other words, where one may see marriage with animals or siblings as similar to same sex marriage, I may see those issues as different from same sex marriages as they are from opposite sex marriages. To be clear, one break with tradition for me, does not necessarily connotate, breaks in every single possible scenario. If that were the case, why stop at siblings and animals, why not go on to inanimate objects, corporate logos, grandma’s apple pie? It makes more sense to deal with the issues one at a time.

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-jewish-perspective-on-gay-marriage/232668/42 "2004-03-11T19:27:01Z")

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> [@Homebrew](#):
>
> The title says “ **A** jewish …” not “ **THE** jewish …”  
> It’s perfectly accurate as is.

Accuracy is not an absolute. It has comparatives. My comment was, “More accurately…” which is absolutely correct: it’s MORE accurate to say “A Reform Jewish…” than simply “A Jewish…”

It would be more accurate still to say, “A Reform Rabbi’s …”

And more accurate still to say, “Rabbi Janet Marder’s…”

But there is no question that the title, as it stands, is accurate.

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**Author:** ![epepke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9de0a6/32.png) [@epepke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epepke)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-jewish-perspective-on-gay-marriage/232668/43 "2004-03-11T19:45:52Z")

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> [@cj finn](#):
>
> I do not see how interracial marriages are inconsistent with the Rabbi’s assertions in light of this definition. Through all of the changes in the definition of marriage cited by the Rabbi, love, respect responsibility and **monogamy** have been consistently present.

Emphasis mine.

Haven’t read the Torah lately, now, have we?

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