Editor’s Note: Voices is a weekly commentary by a panel of Maine columnists who explore issues affecting spirituality and religious life.

My first essay, on Jan. 24, introduced the idea of a Jewish civilization – the Jewish people. The second, on Feb. 21, introduced the inherent diversity within Judaism – the four major movements in American Judaism.

With this basic background information, let us now examine a particular topic within Jewish culture, indeed within all American cultures and religions. Same-sex marriages are a very controversial issue in our civil and religious society. There are a variety of opinions on this issue within American Judaism.

In the Torah, or Bible, there are two verses in Leviticus dealing with homosexuality. The Hebrew word in both verses describing the homosexual act is “to’evah,” often translated as an abomination or abhorrence or possibly meaning to go astray.

Traditional Jews maintain these verses as God-given and set forever in time. Therefore, Orthodox Jews understand these verses as literal. Homosexuality, both male and female, is therefore not acceptable.

Modern Jews understand the Torah as humanly written and therefore reflecting the sensitivities of the time during which it was written.

Conservative Jews seek to include homosexuals in all aspects of congregational life as members but do not accept openly gay or lesbian candidates as rabbis or afford gays or lesbians equal status within the leadership of congregations or the movement.

Reform and Reconstructionist Jews welcome openly gay and lesbian candidates into their rabbinical seminaries and seek full and equal treatment for all Jews regardless of their sexual orientation.

I am a modern Jew who studied at the Reconstructionist seminary in Philadelphia. We support rabbis, both gay and straight, who work with and officiate at rituals and rites of passage for gay and lesbian Jews, including wedding ceremonies.

I feel strongly that the more love which can be publicly affirmed, the more love there is in our world. One of the blessings we recite at a Jewish wedding ceremony proclaims that all of us are made holier through the union of the new couple. Love is godly, and when it is acknowledged by community, spreads to others. Jewish culture encourages every Jew to find sexual fulfillment in our lives by both giving and receiving love. We believe that this brings us closer to God.

For modern Jews, the tone of the biblical verses regarding homosexuality reflects the quality of sex which some men engaged in during biblical times. Why was it an abomination? Because it was non-consensual, abusive and degrading.

Today, we know that most homosexual relationships are consensual, loving, affirming and caring. Today, we know that all abusive, degrading or non-consensual relationships are an abomination and reflect that the abuser has gone astray.

This happens to some straight and some gay couples or individuals. We see it in our society with spousal abuse -most commonly when a husband abuses his wife. We see it when a person in a powerful position takes advantage of an employee or someone in need of help or advice: a therapist and his client, a clergy person and his congregant, a priest and a child, a doctor and a patient, a teacher and a student, an adult with a child.

All of these relationships are abusive. We condemn all of these relationships as abhorrent – whether between straight people or gay people. And we bless all loving and caring relationships, whether between straight or gay people.

The Anti-Defamation League recently went on record stating: “We fully affirm the right of religious institutions to recognize or not recognize same-sex civil marriage according to their beliefs. Freedom of religion means freedom from government interference in matters of religious doctrine, conscience and conviction. At the same time, a democratic government that is committed to equality and fundamental fairness for all citizens cannot make distinctions in the granting of rights and privileges on the basis of sexual orientation or any other individual characteristic. To do so is to betray the very legal and moral framework that assures all Americans the freedoms that we cherish and have dedicated ourselves to protecting. We oppose any proposed constitutional amendment to define marriage in a way that would necessarily discriminate against substantial numbers of Americans.”

I am very close with a gay couple whom I have known for many years. They have been together for 25 years. I honor their commitment. I am grateful for the loving relationship they have with my family. I feel that our society will be more whole when we all can accept their right to affirm themselves and be affirmed by us as loving and committed partners.

Rabbi Barry Krieger is the rabbinc facilitator for the Hillel organization at the University of Maine in Orono. The views expressed are solely his own. He may be reached at bkrieger@aol.com.