Celibacy, Marriage and Same-Sex Relationships

Overview

Recall questions on why celibacy is viewed negatively, the sacred purpose of marriage, the Orthodox position and the Reform and Liberal responses.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   Why does traditional Judaism view celibacy negatively?

   Model answer

   Because procreation is considered a religious obligation derived from the command to be fruitful and multiply.

2. 2

   How is marriage understood in Judaism in terms of its sacred purpose?

   Model answer

   Marriage is considered a sacred covenant that fulfils the divine purpose of companionship and procreation.

3. 3

   What is the Orthodox Jewish position on who may marry whom?

   Model answer

   Orthodox Judaism maintains that marriage must be between a man and a woman, based on traditional interpretations of Torah.

4. 4

   How have Reform and Liberal Judaism responded to same-sex relationships?

   Model answer

   They have increasingly accepted same-sex marriages and relationships as valid expressions of committed partnership.

5. 5

   Which Torah verse do Orthodox Jews cite as prohibiting male homosexual acts, and how do they interpret it?

   Model answer

   Leviticus 18:22, which they interpret literally as forbidding homosexual relationships.

6. 6

   How do progressive Jewish movements distinguish their approach to homosexuality from the biblical prohibition?

   Model answer

   They distinguish between the biblical prohibition and modern understanding of sexual orientation as innate rather than chosen.

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