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Maor started this petition to youtube YouTube and 1 other
By the grace of G-d,
Tammuz 27 5781
July the Seventh, 2021
245 years ago, on July fourth 1776, this great country was founded by a group of people of faith, representing thousands more who likewise drew their inspiration from a Divinely-given law at Sinai.
Starting from this historic moment, many rights were established for the citizens of this land, including the freedom of religion and freedom of speech which have, more than anything else, made this country a beacon of freedom, tolerance, and prosperity for the whole world.
In this light, it was most shocking, appalling and hurtful that 245 years later, YouTube, acting under the false pretense of protecting its users from so-called “hate speech,” has begun to remove videos that communicate Jewish values. These videos sought to contribute to the painful and emotionally loaded national debate on the matter of same-gender relationships, offering another social approach.
The Jewish viewpoint on same-gender relationships goes beyond the religious implications for an observant person (which should also be allowed expression in a society that sanctions religious freedom and freedom of speech), and also addresses the impact on the individual, touching on the various risks to his emotional and physical health and to his spiritual growth and search for inner peace.
At the same time, the Torah takes into account the seriousness of the discussion while remaining cognizant of the importance of upholding the self-respect and self-esteem of men and women. The Torah’s approach would be best summarized thus: You are not defined by your tendencies and habits. You are a free person who can choose to live the most productive life both for yourself and for society because a Divine spark resides within you.
Yet, YouTube removed these clips, claiming that they are a form of “hate speech”!
This is a ludicrous claim. The Torah views all human beings with the utmost respect, compassion, love, and care no matter what situation they find themselves in - even while calling their behavior into question.
Unfortunately, in recent times many people have been led to believe that any form of speech that questions their lifestyle is offensive and hateful. This is the furthest thing from the truth.
Hate is an emotion that is easily identifiable and so is hate speech.
Censoring Jews from publicizing words of Torah is an insensitive act and a disservice towards people that are struggling to reconcile their moral and religious identity with their current choices. To them, finding Torah guidance online would be like water on a parched soul and YouTube should not get in the way of people seeking help, from whatever approach it comes.
What about people of faith who choose to live their life in accordance with biblical standards? What about people searching for a religion-based answer to their inner dilemma? Should they not have access to answers that may help them lead a more harmonious life?
We urge the administration of YouTube to cease being a tool in the hands of ideologies which are totalitarian in nature and that see only their way and solution as legitimate.
We urge the administration of YouTube to distinguish between true hate speech (which unfortunately still exists) and “caring speech;” between words that stem from ill feelings towards others and words that come from a G-dly source that sees immense value in every individual.
We reiterate: the Torah’s words -- though addressing a sensitive and “thorny” subject -- are purely “caring speech.” This approach should serve as an example of how one can address a fault one sees in another in a compassionate and respectful way.
We respectfully request that they be once again made accessible for the world to see, hear and be inspired by.
