Homosexuality (Sorry for the title !!!!)

[reflections]

Namaste Friends,
First of all I apologize if someone finds my thread gross. But, I am really interested to know hinduism's stand on homosexuality.

One one hand we have ideal of monogamous married life, but on the other hand we always accepted presence of 'kinnars' in our puranas.

We believe that we don't realise brahman till we have a tinge of lust or desire left. But, that is also true for opposite gender. And some recent studies show that there are people who are born homosexual. I find Islam's and Christianity stand quite stringent.

I would be great if someone can shade light on this topic.


Jai Shri Krishna!

Regards,
reflections.

[Harjas Kaur]

Life without true Sikhi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFt4LH8qE0A

sri-bhagavan uvaca
kama esa krodha esa
rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahasano maha-papma
viddhy enam iha vairinam

"It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world." ~Bhagavad-Gita 3.37

[reflections]

Namaste,
Thanks a lot Harjas Kaur,

However my question, lust can also be there between opposite gender, so why special discrimation for Homosexuals atleast in Christianity and Islam? Hence I wanted to know the position of Hinduism.

Life without true Sikhi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFt4LH8qE0A

sri-bhagavan uvaca
kama esa krodha esa
rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahasano maha-papma
viddhy enam iha vairinam

"It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world." ~Bhagavad-Gita 3.37

[Indra]

Namaste reflections,

Im not an expert on hindu scriptures but i will give you my personal opinion on the issue

Im against homosexuality, i think its sinful.

1.Nature/God (However you want to call it) created man and woman. Two different sexes, it is natural for humans to procreate through sexual reproduction. Homosexuality is unnatural sex. If you say the purpose of sex lays in fun not in procreation then every sex is natural even with animals, because its also can make fun for some people.

2.I think having unnatural sex and misusing sex in a unnatural way leads to illness and harm. It harms the soul of us humans and who really exactly knows how much illnesses gay and lesbian sex bears. Is it studied neutral or by liberal pro-homosexual "scientiests"?

3.Homosexuals are a minority on the planet, they are disturbed people.

[Indra]

Namaste,

Gay and Lesbian practices occured also long ago in history even the bible mentions gay and lesbian sex. But gay and lesbianism as a seperate subculture with their own customs,bars,magazines,tv programmes,shows, holidays (pride parades), own history with their gay/lesbian heroes etc. and their status as a minoritie with special lawful protection and treatment is a modern american/european invention of the 20th century. It is unnormal and where nowhere practiced in history. Most civilized cultures and all world religions condemn homosexual practices. The problem with the homos and liberal fascists is they expect everyone to permute and bless their pervert invention of gay/lesbian subculture. Even churches and religious institutions. They undercuted several churches and religious institutions and enforced their invention and perverted traditional beliefs and customs.

[Infinite Regress]

Christianity and Islam (and also Judaism) do hold homosexuality to be sinful. This is a despicable, bigoted attitude on the part of Christians/Muslims/Jews, because homosexuals are humans too. But I am not surprised, because semitic faiths have always had such peculiar views.

What I find surprising is that, many people from eastern traditions are also echoing similar ideas. Even Dalai Lama has said something to that effect, though later on, he toned it down to appear moderate. Point is, eastern cultures are also showing signs of becoming more semitic at least with respect to issues such as homosexuality, women's rights, secularism, and many others. Sad indeed.

[devotee]

Namaste,

Gay and Lesbian practices occured also long ago in history even the bible mentions gay and lesbian sex. But gay and lesbianism as a seperate subculture with their own customs,bars,magazines,tv programmes,shows, holidays (pride parades), own history with their gay/lesbian heroes etc. and their status as a minoritie with special lawful protection and treatment is a modern american/european invention of the 20th century. It is unnormal and where nowhere practiced in history. Most civilized cultures and all world religions condemn homosexual practices. The problem with the homos and liberal fascists is they expect everyone to permute and bless their pervert invention of gay/lesbian subculture. Even churches and religious institutions. They undercuted several churches and religious institutions and enforced their invention and perverted traditional beliefs and customs.

Namaste Indra,

Who are you to say whether being a gay or a lesbian is a sin ? Are you a gay or a lesbian ? If not then you have no right to brand these poor souls as sinners. How is choice of sexuality concerned with "right" or "wrong" ?

A hetrosexual forces sex on someone & a homosexual has sex with another homosexual with consent ... who is a sinner ? What is unnatural in that ? Aren't they born in nature ? Are the homosexiuals & lesbians created in laborataries ?? My dear friend, while branding something sinful we forget that it is human tendency to brand anything "bad" or "good" if something is exception to the rule. That is why the left-handers were called "sinisters" ! There was a time when being a poet was considered an evil in Christianity ... the black man was considered without a soul ... taking bath was considered Un-christian !!

Please don't make rules for what you are not. You are free to make rules for yourself ... you are free to decide what is good or bad for yourself ... please do not force it upon others.

OM

[yajvan]

Hari Om
~~~~~

Namaste

A wise person told me regarding the gay life style ,

they have confused what they do with who they are.


For me, this resolved doubts in my mind.


pranams

[Indra]

Namaste devotee,

Namaste Indra,

Who are you to say whether being a gay or a lesbian is a sin ? Are you a gay or a lesbian ? If not then you have no right to brand these poor souls as sinners. How is choice of sexuality concerned with "right" or "wrong" ?
sexual forces sex on someone & a homosexual has sex with another homosexual with consent ... who is a sinner ? What is unnatural in that ? Aren't they born in nature ? Are the homosexiuals & lesbians created in laborataries ?? My dear friend, while branding something sinful we forget that it is human tendency to brand anything "bad" or "good" if something is exception to the rule. That is why the left-handers were called "sinisters" ! There was a time when being a poet was considered an evil in Christianity ... the black man was considered without a soul ... taking bath was considered Un-christian !!

Please don't make rules for what you are not. You are free to make rules for yourself ... you are free to decide what is good or bad for yourself ... please do not force it upon others.

OM

Homosexuality is not only forbidden in the bible but also in quoran and torah, and homosexuality is forbidden in india. The dalai lama condemned also homosexual practices. All world religion condemn homosexuality apart of some sects who exist in every religion like some liberal churches in the west.

Homosexuality causes many problems

http://www.conservapedia.com/Homosexuality

Please read the parts on homosexuality and domestic violence, murder and various diseases

[Eastern Mind]

Homosexuality is not only forbidden in the bible but also in quoran and torah, and homosexuality is forbidden in india. The dalai lama condemned also homosexual practices. All world religion condemn homosexuality apart of some sects who exist in every religion like some liberal churches in the west.

Homosexuality causes many problems

http://www.conservapedia.com/Homosexuality

Please read the parts on homosexuality and domestic violence, murder and various diseases

Namaste all in this debate.

I feel the need to jump in so here goes. A few years back I developed a mutual respect for a colleague at work. After a couple of years she privately came out of the closet to me. She had waited because she was afraid that my being a Hindu (she incorrectly thought that I might react with typical religious homophobic way) would affect (destroy) our relationship. Fortunately it didn't. As usual in such situations, my gut (soul) reaction was to firstly give her a sincere hands together "namaste" and then the western version of same which was a hug.

So then I posed the same question Devotee posed and began researching it on here. I will share a bit of what I found.
Many swamis are against it, in varying degrees, from homophobic to lesser, while some swamis are more tolerant, and then there are many who refuse to talk about it at all, suggesting they have no opinion, or on the big scheme of things it doesn't matter.
There is one openly Gay and Lesbian Vaishnavite association, a support group if you will, who feel disenfranchised.
There is very little clear scripture on the subject, but there are verses that could be interpreted to be on the subject, correctly or not. (Its a bit like asking "What was the poet getting at?" when in reality only the poet himself knows.

There are many myths propogated by the homophobic right, as a "logical reason" for their hatred or in defense of it. Some of these are: "its a lifestyle choice." Well, its not. Who in their right mind would choose to be gay fully knowing the social consequences.

"AIDS is punishment." Females all around the planet are just as at risk.

So I have come to my own conclusions, from my spine, or from my readings which made sense to me. Firstly, we will never fully comprehend until we walk in those shoes. Comprehending is a bit easier as it hits closer and closer to home. Homophobes with children who are gay fit this category. At least some have had unconditional love overtake the homophobia. Others have not. (I personally believe in the law of karma, and it would seem logical that severe homophobes are destined for a lifetime of being gay, unless it is resolved.

We are souls, not physical bodies, and as such gender, and sexual desire/orientation (and a host of other things including race, language, etc.) are irrelevant.

If ours is truly a God of love then we should believe it and adhere to it. how could a God of love create something he did not love? All beings are creatures of God. Aum Namasivaya