The Unholy Parade in the Holy City

B"H

It took weeks to decide whether the Jerusalem Gay Parade is going to take place or not. Politicians, the municipality and religious people (Jews, Muslims and Christians) are against such a parade especially in Jerusalem. Let alone the inhabitants of Jerusalem. No one really wants such an event but the gays insist on making their point. They want to show everybody that they are just as normal as everyone else.

A few days ago, I read a great comment in an Israeli forum site on this kind of behaviour. Someone wrote that if I want to be so normal, why should I demonstrate. The moment I demonstrate, I separate myself from everyone else and show that I am different. Anybody else does not demonstrate in order to show that he is normal.

This afternoon, the Jerusalem Gay Parade is taking place and the police are on high alert, as the Haredim threatened to attack the gays on their march. However, Degel HaTorah has called upon the haredi population not to use any kind of violence and rather stay at home and pray for Jerusalem.

I just want to share some brief thoughts on today's event.
One of the most famous teachings of the Baal Shem Tov is that wherever your thoughts are, you are. If your thoughts are into holiness, so you are in the world of Kedusha.
If your thoughts are just the opposite, so you are in the world of impurity (Rabbi Aharon Roth, founder of Toldot Aharon).

It seems to be a kind of fashion in our societies today that people who do something wrong get all the attention of the whole world. Actions seen as wrong and unacceptable some years ago, are becoming permitted now. The more people take part in wrong actions and the more other people watch, those actions are considered as right.

The same with homosexuality. We see certain things in our daily lives. Gays embracing or kissing each other in public, and finally people get so used to it, that in their eyes it is just normal.

The question is where we see our moral standards today ? Can it really be an excuse to say "Oh everybody just did it, so it was right" ?