No individual action in and of itself is either moral or immoral, ethical or unethical. They are moral and ethical only in context.
In the latter part of the twentieth century, a woman was pinned down in the rubble of her home following a devastating earthquake. A fire started, and not only was there no water flowing in the broken water mains, but the fire departments and paramedics were all swamped with horrendous casualties in their immediate vicinity.
Though neighbors were able to rescue the woman’s husband and children from the rubble, they could not save her. As the fire grew closer and closer it became obvious the woman would die a slow and horribly agonizing death.
The husband stayed with her as long as he could, comforting her as best as possible, reassuring her that he loved her and would take care of the children…
…then as the flames grew too intense for him to stay he shot her in the head.
If you do not see that as a kind and just and moral and ethical and loving act, you are a monster incapable of differentiating between good and evil.
A woman who willingly submits to invading soldiers to spare her child from being raped has committed no sin, has done nothing dishonorable, has not betrayed her husband, has not committed adultery. She sacrificed herself to save an innocent: She did a just and moral and ethical act; if you cannot see that, you are a monster incapable of differentiating between good and evil.
While millions were being marched off to gas chambers during WWII, some were saved by the khassidey umot ha-olam who looked the Nazis in the face and flat out lied, “No, no Jewish people here” while hiding them in their own homes.
Had their lie been discovered, they would have suffered for protecting Jews, up to and including going to the gas chambers with them.
If you think they committed a sin by lying to murderous anti-Semites in order to save innocent lives, you are a monster incapable of differentiating between good and evil.
Earlier this year I paid one last visit to a friend dying from cancer.
He was heavily sedated; I’m not at all certain he was even aware we were there.
But his wife was by his side, and though she was wracked with anguish she was determined to be as uplifting as possible for her husband even as he lay dying.
She tended to him and talked cheerfully to him and made sure his breathing tube was clear and did everything she could to look after him as he slowly slipped away.
She loved him, and if there is one joy any of us could take away from his passing, it’s that he went with his good and loving mate by his side, staying with him and supporting him as best she could under the most adverse conditions.
Do you think God smiles on their relationship while condemning another of equal strength and integrity and compassion just because it’s between two members of the same gender?