I understand that homosexuality is called an abomination in the Torah, but what are the conceptual reasons that homosexuality is wrong?
The Torah doesn’t mince words when it describes its condemnation towards what’s become known as an “alternative lifestyle.”
I will attempt to answer your question from a couple of different angles:
1- To better understand the roles of both men and women we must turn back to creation. The Torah states “So God created Man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them.”
Our Sages reconcile this contradiction through the teaching that the original man was actually a combination of both man and women. At a later point this dual-being was separated into two people- Adam and Eve.
What was the mission and function which this original being was charged with? First and foremost, man was created to become Godly. This is the primary purpose of human existence- for both men and women alike.
Aside from the primary charge of mankind, God also told them about their secondary, more global mission which also contributes to the success of the primary task. The verse following the creation of man states “be fruitful and multiply,” have children and raise them. Maimonides explains that the final mission man was given – to “subdue the earth” – refers to settling the world through building and working the land. Thus mankind now has two additional responsibilities- raising future generations and going out to build the world.
It was never the plan for Adam to remain as one entity embodying both Man and Woman. This is because the two secondary functions described in the verse above- raising a family and working out in the world – are basically mutually exclusive. It would be difficult for one being to accomplish both missions effectively. Thus, they were split into two as was the original plan.
Once this original being was separated into two individual people, they would split these two roles. Taking over part of the work allows the other partner to concentrate on his own responsibilities and perform them properly, thus securing the proper performance of the whole. This is the essence of the division of labor. So there are two primary functions and roles divided between the two. In this way, one being could focus on working out in the world and earning a livelihood, while the other was free to raise the family and to serve as the spiritual anchor of a proper home.
Homosexuality eats away at the very foundation of life’s purpose. It hinders the goals and aspirations that God set for mankind. God who created the world saw to it that only men and women united in partnership will be able to undertake this eternal mission. Homosexuality goes against the core of this awesome responsibility.
It uses the holy act of sexual relations not to procreate and bring life into this world but rather as a vehicle for selfish pleasure and aimless entertainment. God endowed us humans with the magnificent potential to create life and to bring many more “partnerships” into existence; homosexuality does nothing of the sort. It diminishes and dilutes the role of the virtuous relationship between man and woman.
2- The very definition of “homosexuality” tells us of that the relationship is one that’s selfish, self-absorbed and egocentric.
Think of it in very simple terms. If the whole world would become homosexual humanity would eventually cease to exist.
On the other hand, every homosexual came from a heterosexual relationship.
So what that tells us is by default the divine plan is correct. By the very “nature” of things homosexuality goes against every grain of the natural biological process.
3- The spilling of seed (sperm) for no purpose of recreating is a terrible sin. Again this refers back to the idea above – the shapes of our bodies, ability for the male to produce sperm and the woman an egg all reinforces the divine plan for heterosexual relations; not to be spilled for self gratification but rather via a holy inviolable act of Love between man and his wife.
4- We tend to hear in the media that if you have two consenting individuals that have love and affection for each other then there is nothing wrong with them bonding in a relationship. What could be wrong?
Very Simple. How far can we take this? Let’s say we have a mother that is in love with a son or a father with a daughter, or a brother with a sister, or a cowboy and his horse � Who are you to tell these two loving people (or animals) that they can’t be in a relationship? Once you break open the barriers and you unsubscribe to the norm then anything goes.