Sikhism and sexual orientation

Sikhism has no specific teachings about sexual orientation. The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, does not explicitly mention heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality, and the universal goal of a Sikh is to have no hate or animosity to any person, regardless of factors like race, caste, color, creed, gender, or sexuality.

Conflicting views in modern Sikhism

Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti, of the Akal Takht (the temporal Sikh authority in India), has condemned homosexuality and said to visiting Sikh-Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) that they had a religious duty to oppose same-sex marriage.[1] In a report published in March 2005, Vedanti said, "The basic duty of Sikh MPs in Canada should be to support laws that stop this kind of practice homosexuality, because there are thousands of Sikhs living in Canada, to ensure that Sikhs do not fall prey to this practice." However, the Sikh-Canadian MPs voted in support of same-sex marriage.

Many Sikhs believe there is nothing wrong[2] with homosexuality, and that the view of some preachers in the Akal Takht is flawed.[3]

Sexual orientation in scripture

The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib details what behavior is expected of all Sikhs. It is seemingly silent on the subject of same-sex sexual behaviour, while it frequently encourages married life. Marriage in Sikhism is seen as a union of souls, and the soul is seen as genderless, with the outward appearance of human beings (man, woman) being a temporary state. Same-sex marriage advocates refer to this fact.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ World Sikh group against gay marriage bill, CBC News, Tuesday, 29 March 2005.
  2. ↑ "Sikhism and same Sex Marriages". sarbat.net. p. 1. Archived from the original on 3 October 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
  3. 1 2 Naad, Project (2/9/2010). "Sikhism, Yoga and Sexuality" (PDF). Project Naad. p. 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2010. Retrieved 2 January 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, January 30, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.