Date: Sun, 21 May 2000 23:34:00 -0400 (EDT)
From: Russell Hendel <  rhendel@mcs.drexel.edu>
Subject: Re: Origins of Evil

BACKGROUND:
There was recently a gay parade. Apparently someone claiming to be
a Rabbi marched in it. This has evoked a lot of responses.
For example should we revoke this persons Rabbinical status.

QUESTION:
<  <  Whatever a person feels about homosexuality in the Torah, that doesn't
mean they can't support people. Besides, last I heard, s'micha wasn't taken
away from people who show support for other people. If a person receives
s'micha, then they are a Rabbi, whatever parade they march in. >  >

This is certainly the practice. But the Rambam does explicitly
say in Courts, 5:15 that incompetent Rabbis who received ordination in err
do not have Rabbinical status.

So perhaps we can reword  the suggestion as follows---"If we followed
the Rambam today and if this person (who marched in a Gay parade) was a
Rabbi then we would undoubtedly take away the persons rabbinical status" I
think such a protest might be acceptable to all parties.

(In passing I comment on the phrase "Whatever a person fells about homosexuality
in the Torah, that doesn't mean they can't support people"---we can answer
this as follows---we can support peoples right to eat food and have
shelter; but if the purpose of a gay parade is to support their sexual
preferences then it is prohibited to march in such a parade.)

Russell Hendel; Phd ASA RHendel@Towson.Edu
Moderator Rashi is Simple; http://www.shamash.org/rashi/