Английская Википедия:Baháʼí views on homosexuality
Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Baháʼí sidebar Шаблон:Religious text primary The Baháʼí Faith has an emphasis on what it describes as traditional family values,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn and marriage between a man and a woman is the only form of sexual relationship permitted for Baháʼís.Шаблон:Sfn With an emphasis on chastity and restraint outside of matrimony, Baháʼí practices exclude premarital, extramarital, or homosexual intimacy.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Baháʼí institutions have taken no position on the sexual practices of those who are not adherents,Шаблон:Sfn and Baháʼís have been discouraged from promoting or opposing efforts to legalize same-sex marriage.Шаблон:Sfn
The scriptural basis for Baháʼí practices comes from the writings of Baháʼu'lláh (1817–1892), the faith's founder, who forbade fornication, adultery, and sodomy. The Baháʼí position towards homosexuality was elaborated on by Shoghi Effendi, Baháʼu'lláh's great grandson and appointed head of the religion from 1921 to 1957. He answered specific questions and described homosexuality as an affliction that should be overcome, while leaving Baháʼí membership open to anyone regardless of sexual orientation. This position leaves Baháʼís with a same-sex orientation under similar guidance as a heterosexual person, that is, if they find themselves unable to contract a marriage with someone of the opposite sex, they should remain celibate.
The supreme governing institution of the Baháʼí Faith is the Universal House of Justice, first elected in 1963, which has written more extensively on the subject of homosexuality. For example, they have clarified that Baháʼís should not single out homosexual practice over other transgressions of Baháʼí conduct, should not treat those with a homosexual orientation with disdain or prejudice,Шаблон:Sfn and should not attempt to impose their standards on society.Шаблон:Sfn
The exclusion of same-sex marriage among Baháʼís has garnered considerable criticism in the western world, where the Baháʼí teachings on sexuality "may appear to be unreasonable, dogmatic, and difficult to apply in Western society".Шаблон:Sfn Particularly in the United States, Baháʼís have attempted to reconcile the immutable conservative teachings on sexuality with the otherwise socially progressive teachings of the Faith, but it continues to be a source of controversy.Шаблон:Sfn Former Baháʼí William Garlington said the Baháʼí position in America, "can at most be characterized as one of sympathetic disapproval" toward homosexuality,Шаблон:Sfn and professor Melissa Wilcox describes Baháʼí teachings as leaving "little room for tolerance of same-sex eroticism", "not given to statements of its disapproval", and "not generally vocally anti-LGBT."Шаблон:Sfn
Baháʼí views on sexuality
Baháʼí teachings stress the importance of absolute chastity for any unmarried person,Шаблон:Sfn and focus on personal restraint. The Baháʼí Faith, however, leaves the application of laws of social conduct largely up to the individual, and Baháʼís do not advocate for or discriminate against homosexual people.Шаблон:Sfn
While in authoritative teachings homosexuality is described as a condition that an individual should control and overcome,Шаблон:Sfn Baháʼís are left to apply the teachings at their own discretion, and are discouraged from singling out homosexual practice over other transgressions, such as the consumption of alcohol, or heterosexual promiscuity.Шаблон:Sfn Membership in the Baháʼí community is therefore open to lesbian and gay adherents.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The Baháʼí Faith has been described as a religion "ambiguous or contested on the issue of LGBT inclusion".Шаблон:Sfn The religion has a strong emphasis on traditional values found in Abrahamic religions, which discourage liberal sexuality.
Baháʼí teachings state that Baháʼís should not treat homosexual people as condemned outcasts, nor expect people who are not Baháʼí to follow Baháʼí laws.Шаблон:Sfn The Baháʼí writings teach adherents to treat everyone with respect and dignity, and to eschew an attitude of discrimination and social intolerance toward homosexuals.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The opportunity for civil same-sex marriage was mentioned in a 2010 letter by the Universal House of Justice as being a public issue that is not in keeping with the Baháʼí teachings, but one that Baháʼís "would neither promote nor necessarily oppose."Шаблон:Sfn
See also
Notes
References
Baháʼí primary sources
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Other
Further reading
- LGBTQ-Related documents on Baháʼí Library Online
- The Baha’i Teachings and Homosexuality - a statement and FAQ from the official website of the Baháʼís of the United States.
- Шаблон:Cite book
Шаблон:Religion and LGBT topics Шаблон:Baháʼí-2
