The responses from so many people on this page are based on religious beliefs, usually without any evidence-based backing. Many say things like "I don't care what these perverts do in their own homes." If you truly believe this, I think you are claiming that you would allow yourself to be acquainted with gay people as long as you're not in their bedrooms when they're having sex. If this is the case, please take the time to get to know members of the LGBT community as people. Maybe you'll overcome your preconceptions of them as child molesting, disrespectful, dirty, etc. You might realize that same-sex couples usually make great parents (every unbiased study has concluded that their children are as well-adjusted or better off than those of conventional parents). You may even realize that from going through their own stuggles, gay people have a deep compassion for others in the world, and you might feel guilty for the all the personal hate you have fostered against them. Please ask yourself in all honesty: What is the source for your knowledge of LGBT people? How many LGBT people do you personally know? When you see one topless woman in footage from a Pride Parade, do you assume that all gay women dress like this all the time? Someone I met in rural Alabama told me that all Jews are dirty, lying, and greedy, and are trying to control the entire world. I asked him how many Jews he knew. He said "none."

Quote."If we do not stand up for the rights of minorities regardless of our religious views, it will be the beginning of the slow death of the State of Israel. We will choke on our intolerance and persecution." Israel has allways been intolerant, therefore its destruction began a long time ago.

Laura represents the epitome of the illogical thinking of modren academia.

You write: "Being provocative is the whole point. Protests are designed to make people think and provoke action." Faithful jews are protesting to achieve a desired result, the stopping of a parade. The protests are vehement because otherwise the powers-that-be just won't listen. I also agree with other comments about your reference to this "Pulsa Denehura" business. Even if it is true, who cares? why do you care? And finally: I think you are reenforcing the big lie that the outcry is against homosexuality. Don't get me wrong, we believe homosexual behavior is a sin. However, the protests are not against "sinners", it is about "gay pride" and an "in-your-face" parade in of all places the only city that Jews consider truly spiritualy unique.

Thank you to the Rabbis. They stand for the Torah. You can't change the Torah. But the Torah can change you. You can not be born gay. There is no proof. To say you are would be calling G_D a liar.

"To Tony Soprano and his friends, a pulsa danura is the equivalent of taking out a hit. " It's just the opposite. The pulsa d'nurah means that God will take care of these people, so that we should not take any violent actions ourselves. For a person to act against anyone who has been "cursed" shows that they don't believe in the power of God. danny

The High Church of Sodomology has elevated Jerusalem's status to that of "Holy City of Sodomology", according to Bishop Satania. We will be opening the new Seminary of Sodomology for training our priests and nuns, near the AISH complex. Another program will be our teacher's training program so our graduates can become certified to teach in Israel's secular and religious school systems. We will also have an extensive community outreach program, specifically oriented to reaching the young, sexually repressed and oppressed yeshiva students. Our English speaking team will especially invite participation by those students from the U.S. who are in Israel for their year of post high school yeshiva study. Our student health clinic will offer a sexual reorientation program for those oppressed heterosexuals who wish to change their sexual orientation and begin enjoying the freedom of the homosexual life style. We are sure that Israeli Jews will welcome us once they get to know us and see that we are really nice people.

Good article. I made similar points in a piece I wrote for Tikkun: see A Proud Nation at www.tikkun.org Let me know what you think.

Let those who are without sin cast the first stone! From what I see, the homosexuality raising it's head is probably the least of the sin going on in this country, especially by those who are the ones "casting the biggest stones". First we have to get the sin out of our own life before we can judge another's sin. I'm saddened to see secular Jews consider the religious righteous no matter what they do. What is religion? I applaud our police for simply trying to maintain peace in the middle of all of this WRONG! Pray for them.

Laura says she can not stop being a Jew no matter how hard she tries. That statement is only true if you are referring exclusively to your genetic makeup, and we all know that's not what being Jewish is about. As far as democracies having to tolerate minority opinions, that is true, but Judaism was never based on democracy.

Re They want the law to allow them to marry each other. They are also very hard at work with school programs which invite children to try homosexuality. This is out in the open here in the U.S. and it's coming to Israel - unless we stop them. That is silly, you can,t make someone gay.

I SAW THEM ON TELEVISION,AND CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE MALE SPECIES OF THE ORTHODOX COMUNITY KNOW HOW TO FIGHT,THEREFORE I DO NOT,SEE WHY THEY CAN JOIN THE ARMY

Laura: Why are you worried about the Pulsa Danura, what happenned to freedom of speech? Does that not apply to the "ultra" orthodox community? I don't think that your one-sided article really expresses the truth.

David Ben Gurion could never have been accused of being a religious person (I met him). But he understood that for the sake of peace and unity in Israel, the State would not cross certain "red lines" that violated certain principles at the root of an observant jewish lifestyle. Homosexuality is one such red line. While Laura Goodman is advocating martial law for religious Jews, she should wake up and try to understand what real jewish values are. Homosexuals are not a minority, and they do not deserve minority rights.

"Homosexuals are not a minority, ..." So they are the majority? Absurd. "and they do not deserve minority rights." "[Ben Gurion] understood that for the sake of peace and unity in Israel, the State would not cross certain "red lines" that violated certain principles at the root of an observant jewish lifestyle." So, for Ben Gurion, the issue was not "deservingness" but rather practicality. How then does Ed derive "deservingness" from this? "While Laura Goodman is advocating martial law for religious Jews,..." What Goodman really said was "The police need to declare martial law in the ultra Orthodox neighborhoods now and especially during the parade... We need to arrest the Rabbis that are inciting this violence." So, the issue is not martial law for all religious Jews, but martial law in neighborhoods from which attacks are coming. This is not a crazy suggestion. Nor is it crazy to arrest rabbis that are directly responsible for this violence. Free speech is one thing, but urging your followers to perpetrate crimes is not participating in public discussion but preventing discussion through violent means. "she should wake up and try to understand what real jewish values are." I'm wondering myself what such "jewish values" are. As for the title "Why are liberals such bigots?", this seems little more than an Orwellian rhetorical manipulation. Were blacks "bigoted" when they insisted on civil rights in America, even though the white majority of the Deep South knew that such demands were against their values? We can argue about the similarities and differences between gay people and black people as minorities, but if you are going to be chased out of Jerusalem for marching on public streets or killed for doing so, you are experiencing mob violence and attempted lynching. It is an open question about how much anti-religious bigotry "liberals" have (sometimes plenty), but there is no doubt at all about the anti-gay bigotry--and the sheer hatred--in the religious camp. And not just leftists complained about the Haredim this time around.

Doesn't anyone read the the Torah anymore? Read and heed G-d's Word. Lev 18:22 You shall not lie with a man, as with a woman: it is abomination. Lev 20:13 If a man also lies with a man, as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. Lev 20:23 And you shall not walk in the customs of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. Have not the Israeli been kicked out of Israel for such behavior before? How many times? Do you really need another Moslem invasion to take your country, Jerusalem and your people as slaves or murder them? For this is exceedingly wicked in the sight of G-d. Put them out of Israel as traitors to G-d and do not worry about freedoms of speech, protest and evil sins called abomination for which Sodom and Gomorrah were an example of what God will do to those who are deviant, perverse, and ungodly. It is better to lose your freedom of speech than your soul. Baruch haShem David

The Torah is clear on what G-d (not man) will send in the way of the curses. Many would say that because the Jews have failed the curses of the Nazis were allowed to happen. The story of Baalam and Balak show how another nation wanted to curse the Jews but couldn't because there was no majic in the tents of Jacob. G-d protected them and saw to the end of Baalam and all his followers. Torah makes it clear that Jews cannot be gay nor do majic. The Kabbalah was once forbidden as majic by rebbinical rule, and it its clear many who persue it become cursed with insanity. I have no doubt that Kabbalah is magic from the Magi when Jews went to Babylon and were when they were corrupted with Hellenism. (Baalak would be happy to see for he could cusre the Jews freely) Using the Nazis to justify allowing the gay parade under the guise of a blanketing tolerances is pure evil. You cannot use an absolute lacking wisdon. Tolerance should only be allowed for suppporting good, not evil and ceratinly not to allow groups of evil men to florrish and advertise in a lude and disrespectful manner. It is clear that the majic and the homosexuality will bring, not man-made majical curses but curses handed down from heaven. Far worse as the Pharoh and his magicians can vouch for this. The actions of the gays and the rabbis will only weaken Israel and allow for another nation or people like the Nazis to grow strong. Stop the evil and let Israel be strong like the tents of Jacob in the Baalam/Balak story. I hate to be like the talking mule, but there is trouble if we continue this jadded path trampling on Good and promoiting Evil. Hilter was once a minority voice. America is slipping. New Orleans smells of stench and rot and trembles at the sight of every hurricane. Home of a world-renowned religious-based parade that is vile with sexual exploits. In the tragedy, the gay parade was stage while people were starving and barabarians luted, raped and murdered bible-belt people. Open you eyes judges and memebers of Israel's courts to the rule of G-d and to wisdom and then take actions to protect the nation. Why should we copy the mistakes of others so the Jews can be like other nations. Stop allowing these parades. The law is supposed to help maintain a nation not advance its decay. Wisdom is what is needed in the courts not absolutes. You shall not withhold judgement and give special status to a minority (weak). The moral code should be applied equally to all. Lude speech and conduct in front of children or in public is not allowed for the individual (heterosexual or not) and should not be allowed for a group just because they are a minority who practice sex in a inmoral way.

I feel sorry for your brother, if he loves this abomination, and finds peace in it. When a wrong is done over and over again, the evil inclination makes us believe it is right. Supporting your brother instead of helping him out of this malady that God hates, makes you no less to be blamed.

BS If I am attracted to a married woman, I have no choice? Everyone has a choice who, where and when they have consensual sex. There is permitted and forbidden. The fact is gays are obssessed and it it is not genetiics but a mental illness that is enabled by the excuse making. Stop buying their excuses and realize like a cigarrete smoke they have made dozens of reseason to enable their next fix.. Every family memeber who suffers because of a gay family memeber tries to justify for themselves...to make it conformtable to deal with. Yes you love you family, but the fact is the individuals in your family made choices and it might be embarassing. Their choices not yours. What's worse is that a family member takes up the cause of persuading the world that its alright her family gay problems exists, by saying its natural even when they know its not true. This is sad because it damages the normal individuals of the family. To any family memeber who is noraml heterosexual, let yourself acknowlede the bad decisions and problems with family members and move on with your normal life. It is not your burden to carry their problems or make people hate you because of them. Let them bare the curses of they gay lifestyle, not you. Always give love around the truth and not under the context of a lie. Gays chose where they get pleasure. If they were only about the love aspect they would keep it private to the same degree heterosexuals in love do. Instead they have a parade. What would you think of a husband who paradeded in Jerusalem how he has sex with his wife. These are private matters. Only a womanizer would publicise his sex. And only a sick man would publicise in front of children. How are they gays different? They publicise in front of religious, as well as children.

To all the "good" orthodox Jews here: With all your hate, and rubbish about how homosexuals are an abomination to "HaShem", and more crap that I read from some of you, it just shows how hateful you are, small minded, and so wrapped up in your so called beliefs, that you would gladly punish someone who is different from you, because of sexual orientation. You seem to think that because your men have sex only with women, and only for procreation, that you are holier than anyone else, but I have some news for you: amongst yourselves, so-called good orthodox Jews, you have wife beaters, child molesters, criminals who steal, and yes - homosexuals too, who obviously are so frightened for their lives, that they dare not come out of the closet. You dare to condemn men and women because of sexual orientation, while you harbor hatred and violence amongst yourselves, and then point a finger and dare to judge your fellow human beings? Who in the world appointed any of you to decide who is a good Jew or not? Sitting on your tuchas reading torah all day does not a good Jew make. King David and Yonatan were lovers most probably, according to the torah. God still loved David, no doubt about it. If Ha'shem can be accepting, then I don't think any of your threats or evil thoughts carry much weight. Open your hearts and minds before it's too late.

Do you guys also hate women because "Eve led Adam into sin"? I'll bet you do! What to do? Women are sinners, and you can't be with gay men, because they are sinners too.

You talk so much over god . But you are transgressing Shabbat laws by writing your tb today . Are laws only to be followed by others whom you do not like ? Regarding the Shoa , what did the murdered babys wrong ? have they also to be punished . Do not talk about god in this case , please . We lost too much brethren . Doe's the tora also teach to throw stones ? No of course . What's about "veahata et reecha kamocha" , does this includes death threats ? Not of course . So before you tell people how to behave , look at your friends . They reached one thing this week : to be less and less tolerated by the GOOD Israeli's and secondly , people who were not so pro parade , will now be more in favour . You obtained a fantastic result by spraying all this fanatic hatred .

to all those wo refer to god , why do you transgress his laws tobay by writing your stuff on Shabbat ? Doubble standards ? you may do what you like , but you tell others to follow god's laws , just because they oppose your short minded [ not even religious ] minds

Ms. Goldman, you call for tolerance but are unable to have a little for fellow jews who think different than you. This continued incitement against haredi jews as if they are all violent is nothing more than old fasioned anti-semitism. Ms. Goldman, take a deep breath and repeat 10 times " I love jews."

Some of us can read. The Torah says nothing about communication being work. This is an interpretation of Rabbi's that cannot specifically be found in the words of Mosses. Do you consider it "work"? I consider it doing good by supporting G-d's Torah on a holy day and decerning against evil behavior. Secondly the Torah does speak of casting stones and the curses make no exception for babys. In fact, it says the sins of the father are the sins of the sons up to the thrid and fourth generation but to those who are blessed up to the 1000th generatation. (going from memory) So baby's suffer because of sins like gay parades. Put that in the gay "were not hurting anyone" basket. The parade and the gay agenda is most certainly not permited and will have costs spiritually for all who "chose" to break G-d's laws.

Well did you not set your PC ON ? is did not electricity ? Hypocrisy . Regarding the Babies , what a justice is this ? And you still can Believe this ? I prefer Humanistic rules . If to be gay is a sin for you , fine for you , everyone is not believing such things . There are probably gaqys in your synagogue , refrained from openly coming out by their 18 th century entourage . Look how their clothes are looking , how they behave . As i already wrote , you and your "stethl" friends brougth a big damage to the TRUE believers . They deserve better supporters than those fanatics we have seen this week .

Greetings to the decent Ultra-Orthodox women and men! Greetings to the decent Gay women and men! Decent people of both sides can understand and respect each other. The extremists need new input, and OpenMindedness! We know that decent people are in the majority on both sides. The decent people need more meetings and the words of decency need to be spread.

Sin is fun for a season, but the ways of the end thereof are death. GOD did destroy Sodam and Gamarah for there love of "FUN FOR A SEASON" Anytime we do anything against HIS laws and precepts are sin. God set the standards, not mankind. Pick up GODS holy word it's all in there. Isreal is also HIS chosen people to show the world HE does exist. Thats why when they keep GODS word they are in there own country, when the accept the ways of the heathen to enter into even the high groves(places) he removes them from the promesed land. GOD is full of mercy and love towards HIS chosen people, for our sake. That is also why HE sent HIS SON JESUS for our sins.

Yes, people can become homosexual when they were not before. They can also turn around and become heterosexual again. There's a group of them in the U.S. and they have spoken out loud against the gay community and its false declaration that homosexuality is somehoe "inherited." Children and teens are especially vulnerable to the influence of DVDs showing how "cool" it is to be a homosexual.

You got it right...but His name is YESHUA.