In response to last week's opinion survey question, "What should be America's legal policy regarding homosexual marriage?", our readers said the following, reflecting the national trend as seen in the recent elections:

• 96% said it should be banned completely.*
• 4% said that everyone should be allowed to decide for himself.

* One person actually selected "other," but we are including his response among the 96% because by his explanation he clearly opposed homosexual marriage.

Here are extracts from a few of the opinions submitted by participants in the survey:

"According to Torah and certainly, my opinion, it is an unhealthy behavior and definitely should be banned." (Voted to ban)

"...only He can judge us, because only He knows our hearts and struggles." (Voted against banning)

"Inasmuch as the holy scripture is very clear about this issue, I find that today many people do not have much regard for what holy scripture says at all." (Voted "other," but is against homosexual marriage)

What does the Torah, the Word of G-d, have to say? "Thou shalt not lie with a male, as with a woman: It is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22). Homosexuality is a sin forbidden equally to Jews and non-Jews. Noachide courts are obligated to punish male homosexuality with the death penalty (Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings 9:6). Although Noachide courts are not obligated by Torah to punish for female homosexuality, they are required to establish appropriate laws and punishments (including the option of the death penalty) to enforce morality, especially where immorality is a rampant problem as it is today. Furthermore, Noachide authorities thousands of years ago established stricter moral laws than what Torah requires; by force of legal tradition these laws are still binding today and may well have included prohibitions on female homosexuality. And the Lubavitcher Rebbe has noted that any society that sanctions homosexual marriage will lose G-d's blessings and face judgment, G-d forbid.

"Which country buys the most weapons from Communist China?" The winner was TE of California with the correct answer, Iran; GE of California came in second place by answering Pakistan, which is a contender with North Korea for being Red China's second biggest customer for weapons. For many years Iran has purchased conventional weapons from Red China (armored vehicles; fighter planes; artillery; anti-tank, surface-to-surface, and anti-aircraft missiles; small ships; naval mines; and land- or naval-based cruise missiles). Communist China is also Iran's number-one supplier of technology and equipment for the production of unconventional "weapons of mass destruction," including nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. In fact, Iran has been receiving assistance from Red China, North Korea, and Soviet Russia in the development of long-range nuclear missiles that can be used against distant countries. Iran is known to be one of the world's leading sponsors of bloody, violent terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, the PKK, Islamic Jihad, and others.

And now for this week's contest question:

Be sure to e-mail your answer, name, and location to [address withheld] by Sunday, April 17, 2005, 9pm PST.

This week's example:

What is your opinion on Jewish leadership in stopping U.S. aid to the PLO? We would love to print comments, so contact us at newsletter@noahide.com.

For a complete listing of all rabbis who have received our proclamation, and the up-to-date status of their responses, visit ATTAC Report at http://www.attacreport.com/plo/.

This Week on ATTAC Report

This week's edition of ATTAC Report, our sister site, presents: the rise of the virus hunters and the fall of medicine (part 1); report on Soviet Latvia's concentration camps; a look back at the international Communist Revolution's status in 1980.

As a reminder, you can view the back issues of our newsletter at the archive on our Web site.

Letters to the editor should be sent to [address withheld].

Be sure to visit our Web site, Noahide.com.