My favorite game

[onionsoupmix]

Okay, this one is going to be difficult. Which one is more crazy?

Door Number One:

Encouraging halachic marriages between gay men and lesbians for the sake of "platonic love" and children?  From here.  Hattip: R. Harry Maryles

Or

Door Number Two:

Allowing the public posting of comments from people who think that the recent earthquake in Japan took

Comments

[beaniekins]

Ugh. Number one. How sad for the people involved.

#1

[glowing_flower]

#2 is run of the mill crazy and not limited to frum people, btw. Non-Jewish posters on the internet are also claiming that the US/One-World Gov't intentionally started the earthquake to punish the Japanese for their efforts to develop an atomic weapon and/or that it is divine payback for Pearl Harbor.

#1 is just sick. He's done 11 couples. Two are already getting divorced. That's a great track record. And let's make life "normal?" What about the children who are going to be born into these homes built 100% on sheker? Kids adopted by or born to an openly gay couple are going to have a much better chance of coming out of their childhood happy and functional than these poor kids.

Re: #1

[glowing_flower]

why should the kids be any worse off than children of any other divorced couple? (gay or straight)

Re: #1

[glowing_flower]

"What about the children who are going to be born into these homes built 100% on sheker? "

Again I ask, what is the sheker? I don't see any sheker in two biological parents having and raising their child together, whether or not they live in the same house. On the other hand, if honesty is so important to you, you should be more concerned about two women putting their names on a birth certificate, raising their child to believe that he had a vial with a number on it for a father and that she's equally related to both of them (the same goes for heterosexual couples who buy gametes).

(Note that not even that is an option for gay men who aren't hugely wealthy, enough to buy eggs and a surrogate.)

Adoption (if you are honest about it- many adoptions are also built on sheker- and even if they know, adoptees are told their biological roots shouldn't matter to them and are made to feel disloyal if they do.) is a good option for some people but not for everyone.

[sethg_prime]

In the interest of “lighting one candle”, I should point out that The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is taking donations for earthquake relief.

[onionsoupmix]

yes & I saw a shliach is also collecting.

i don't understand the surprises and indignation of many

[stjust]

i don't understand the surprises and indignation of many. why?
(without having to embarass anybody) those readers/commentators leading an orthodox life, -for one's sake, for the sake of their partner of the kids- can't they just look at the mirror and realise what they put up with for that sake! is it that difficult to compare or quantify the ridiculous?
and what is more or equally preposterous? their very selves ? or the idea for gays/lesbians?
to do otherwise, would be walking out on orthodoxy, is any of above orthodox commentators willing to walk out? if not, what is so outrageous?

#2 by a mile

[anonymous]

My rabbi on Shabbos actually came down hard on those "who may call themselves rabbis" who try to explain the tragedy of what's happening in Japan as being the fault of this or that. I'll ask him for the exact quotes from the Gemara that he used, but he was 100% clear that we are forbidden to ever tell someone ELSE that a tragedy is their fault. We can use a personal tragedy as an opportunity for SELF-reflection, but our only proper response when it comes to others is to role up the sleeves to help and do more mitzvot