Kingdom>>> Church>>> Culture: Invitation to Disaster?

A Gay Pride Parade in Jerusalem has been called off due to Israel's war with Hezbollah. The parade was scheduled to take place on August 10th, but was called off by its organizers, the Jerusalem Open House. The parade was but one component of a multi-day conference called Love without Borders: Jerusalem WorldPride 2006, which is slated to go on as scheduled, minus the parade.

Earlier in the month a community of Orthodox Rabbis stood up declaring the parade an "abomination." Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky suggested holding the parade in Sodom. Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, head of the ultra-Orthodox community's religious court, said “this parade poses a real threat to the citizens of Israel."

As a part of WorldPride 2006, Keshet Ga’avah, The World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and transgender Jews (WCGLBTJ) is planning to hold a mini conference in Jerusaelm on August 10th. Information from their website indicates their planned topics of discussion:

What did the Rabbis of the Mishnah think about genderqueers?
Can the Rabbis’ solutions help us to define the role of transgender and intersex persons in Jewish ritual and social spaces today?
Investigate rabbinic attitudes toward gender variance in this hour long interactive session.

Meanwhile, Israel's military is not doing as well as expected in their fight against Hezbollah. Ralph Peters, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant and NY Post columnist, claims that Israel is losing this war. Finding their Hezbollah foes more difficult than expected, Israeli reservists have been called up.

In light of this news, consider these passages from Scripture:

“Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” (Leviticus 18:22)

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” (Leviticus 20:13).

Israel needs our prayers.

Update 7/24/06: