My rabbi on gay marriage

[dazeconf]

On the high hollidays, about 2 months before the gay marriage amendment passed in MI my Rabbi said something to the effect of "I urge you to vote against the amendment because I along with many of my colleagues do not feel that we should force our religious beliefs upon others." I gained a lot of respect for him for doing that, especially considering this was the first time I'd ever seen him take a political stance.

Does anyone else attend a church/synagogue/moque with a religious leader that feels the same way? I personally think that the only way to end anti-Gay bigotry is to find religious leaders willing to take the stance that my Rabbi did: gay marriage is wrong according to religious law but it's allowed by the constitution.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. But wouldn't speaking out like that

result in churches having to pay taxes? I thought they were supposed to keep politics out of the pulpit.

[dazeconf]

2. i don't think so...

I doubt it. Plenty of Priests/Pastors told their congregations to vote Bush. I doubt they'd do that if it were to cost them money.

[Ian David]

3. The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry

Who We Are
http://www.ftmc.org/rcfm/
The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry supports civil marriage rights for same gender couples and seeks to promote dialogue within faith communities about religious marriage for gay and lesbian couples.

Why We Are Doing This

The inability of same-gender couples to legally affirm their commitment to each other in marriage, is one of the most pressing civil rights issues in America today. Beyond the societal recognition and support being denied to thousands of stable, loving relationships, responsible couples who are sharing their lives together have no access to the legal protections and benefits extended to other married citizens.

The overwhelming source of opposition to these basic civil liberties is the powerful voice of the Religious Right. In response, we are a group of clergy and lay leaders representing a broad spectrum of denominations and faith traditions, who believe that we have a sacred mandate to struggle for the freedom to marry for all Americans. We believe that the religious voice advocating this fundamental civil right must be heard in the face of the often virulent bigotry espoused in the name of faith.

Signers of the Massachusetts Declaration of Religious Support
For Same-Sex Marriage
Listed by Denomination
Individuals are represented by regular font, and faith communities by italics
http://www.ftmc.org/rcfm/signers.htm

American Baptist
Rev. Jennifer Cass Stevens
Rev. Craig Collemer
Rev. C. Irving Cummings
Rev. Charles K. Hartman
Rev. Beth C. Loghead
Rev. Jeffrey Long-Middleton
Rev. Jim Maynard
Old Cambridge Baptist Church
Rev. John C. Pearson
Rev. Jeremy Rutledge
Rev. Marnette Saz
Rev. Gordon C. Swan
Rev. Michael Scott
Rev. Jonathan W. Wright-Gray

Baptist
Rev. Irene Monroe

Buddhist
Cambridge Zen Center

Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon)
The Fellowship of Latter-Day Saints
for Equal Civil Marriage Rights

Disciples of Christ
Rev. Mark C. Johnston, Ph.D.

Episcopalian
St. David's Episcopal Church
St. John's Episcopal Church, Jamaica Plain
The Rev'd. Anoma Areyaratne
The Rev'd. Ellen Aitken
The Rev'd. Edward P. Allen
The Rev'd. G. Stewart Barns
The Rev'd. Kevin D. Bean
The Rev'd. Elizabeth S. Berman
The Rev'd. Bruce D. Blois
The Rev’d Steven Bonsey
The Rev'd. Lyn G. Brakeman
The Rev'd. Dr. Margaret Bullitt-Jonas
The Rev'd. Roy F. Brown
The Rev'd. Arrington Chabliss
The Rt. Rev. Steven Charleston
The Church of Saint John
the Evangelist, Boston
The Rev'd. John R. Clarke
The Rev'd. Sarah Conner
The Rev'd. Mary E. Conroy
The Rev'd. Timothy Crellin
The Rev’d Daniel F. Crowley
The Rev'd. Ian T. Douglas, Ph.D.
The Rev'd. Marya DeCarlen
The Rev'd. Chris Eastman
The Rev'd. Francis Fornaro
The Rev'd. E. Louise Forrest
The Rev'd. Pamela L. Foster
The Rev'd. Anne C. Fowler
The Rev'd. Edward Franks
The Rev'd. Carol D. Gadsden
The Rev'd. Dr. Robert Gallagher
The Rev'd. Miriam Gelfer
The Rev'd. Cathy H. George
The Rev'd. Jeffrey Gill
The Rev'd. Wallace G. Gober
The Rev'd. Jane Soyster Gould
The Rev'd. Colin B. Gracey
The Rev'd. Lisbeth Hall
The Rev'd. Lyle Hall
The Rev'd. Cornelieus Hastie
The Rev'd. Dr. Carter Heyward
The Rev'd. Michael Hodges
The Rev'd. Philip C. Jacobs, III
The Rev'd. Dr. William M. Kondrath
The Rev'd. Dr. Sheryl A. Kujawa
The Rev'd. Margaret Ewing Lloyd
The Rev'd. Wendel W. Meyer
The Rev'd. Amy McCreath
The Rev'd. Brian Murdoch
The Rev'd. Sherrell Osborn
The Rev'd. Barbara A. Peterson
The Rev'd. Deborah Phillips
The Rev'd. Kathryn Piccard
The Rev'd. Pamela Porter
The Rev'd. Fairbain Powers
The Rev'd. Linda Privitera
The Rev'd. Warren R. Radtke
The Rev'd. Edward G. Rice
The Rev'd. Laurie Rofinot
The Rev'd. Katherine Hancock Ragsdale
The Rev'd. Rosalie Richards
The Rev'd. Timothy J. Rogers
The Rev'd. Canon Edward Rodman
The Rev'd. Samuel S. Rodman
The Rev'd. Michael Roeske
The Rev'd. Stephani Schatz
The Rev'd. Richard J. Simeone
The Rev'd. Edward R. Sims, D.D.
The Rev'd. Claude A. Smith
The Rev'd. Martin L. Smith
The Rev'd. Ann W. Stevenson
The Very Rev'd. John P. Streit, Jr.
The Rev'd. Maryalice Sullivan
The Rev'd. Dr. Thomas V. Sullivan
The Rev'd. Michelle Torres
The Rev'd. Dale L. Van Meter
The Rev'd. George H. Welles, Jr
The Rev'd. Pamela L. Werntz
The Rev’d K Gordon White
The Rev'd. Perry R. Williams
The Rev'd. Stephen J. C. Williams
The Rev’d Donald Williamson

Ethical Culture Society
Curt Collier, Leader
Susan Rose Teshu

Judaism
The Jewish Community of Amherst
Rabbi Susan Abramson
Rabbi Ruth Alpers
Rabbi Thomas M. Alpert
Rabbi Stephen Arnold
Rabbi Albert S. Axelrad
Rabbi David Bauer
Rabbi Howard Berman
Rabbi Seth L. Bernstein
Rabbi Herman Blumberg
Rabbi Sigma F. Coran
Rabbi Menachem Creditor
Rabbi Gail C. Diamond
Cantor Roy B. Einhorn
Cantor Geoffrey Fine
Rabbi Nancy A. Flam
Rabbi Ronne Friedman
Rabbi Joyce Galaski
Rabbi Gerald Goldman
Rabbi Jeffrey W. Goldwasser
Rabbi Daniel Gropper
Rabbi Eric S. Gurvis
Rabbi Debra Hachen
Rabbi Kevin Haile
Rabbi Daniel Judson
Rabbi Andrew F. Klein
Rabbi Neil Kominsky
Rabbi Howard Kosovske
Rabbi Jonathan E. Kraus
Rabbi Matthew Krause
Rabbi David B. Kudan
Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Rabbi Michele Lenke
Rabbi Devon Lerner
Rabbi Elias Lieberman
Rabbi Emily Gopen Lipof
Rabbi Daveen H. Litwin
Rabbi Michael Luckens
Rabbi Gary Mazo
Rabbi Bernard H. Mehlman
Rabbi Richard Meirowitz
Rabbi Richard D. Messing
Rabbi Jordan Millstein
Rabbi Jeremy S. Morrison
Rabbi Mark R. Newton
Rabbi Barbara Penzner
Rabbi Shoshana M. Perry
Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner
Rabbi Donald J. Pollock
Cantor Ken Richmond
Rabbi Dennis S. Ross
Rabbi Benjamin Z. Rudavsky
Cantor Jodi Schechtman
Rabbi Sanford Seltzer
Rabbi Mark Shapiro
Rabbi Joel Sisenwine
Rabbi Toba Spitzer
Cantor Jodi L Sufrin
Rabbi Barbara Symons
Rabbi David B. Thomas
New England Tikkun
Rabbi Frank Waldorf
Rabbi Sue Wasserman
Rabbi Sheila Weinberg
Rabbi Elyse Wechterman
Rabbi David Widzer
Rabbi David S. Wolfman
Rabbi Deborah E. Zecher
Rabbi Elaine S. Zecher
Rabbi Henry Zoob

Lutheran
The Rev. John Stendahl

Melkite Catholic
Rev. Dr. Richard Rasi

Metropolitan Community Church
Rev. Patrick S. Cheng
Rev. George S. McDermott
Metropolitan Community Church of Boston
Rev. Joan Saniuk

Pagan
Peter Bishop, First Officer, Weavers Council
Cat Chapin-Bishop, HPs, Stepchild Coven
Church of the Sacred Earth: A Union
of Pagan Congregations
Rev. Jenny M. Coull, HPs
Covenant of the Goddess, Weavers' Local Council
Fellowship of the Goddess, North Billerica
Rev. James C. Perry, HP
Rev. Maureen Reddington-Wilde

Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
Church of the Covenant, Boston
Rev. Richard E. Spalding
Rev. Elizabeth Wieman

Society of Friends (Quaker)
Amesbury Friends Meeting
Beacon Hill Friends Meeting
Cambridge Meeting
East Sandwich Meeting of Friends
Fresh Pond Friends Meeting
Mt. Toby Monthly Meeting
New Bedford Monthly Meeting of Friends
Northampton Friends Meeting
South Berkshire Monthly Meeting
Wellesley Meeting
Janice Doppler, lay person
Margaret Jane Army, lay person

Swedenborgian Church
Rev. Dr. Theodore Klein
Rev. Wilma Wake

Unitarian Universalist Association
Rev. Andrea LaSonde Anastos
Rev. Edward B. Anderson
Rev. Meredith Anderson
Rev. Dianne E. Arakawa
Rev. Sara E. Ascher
Rev. William B. Ashley
Rev. Harold E. Babcock
Rev. Holly Baylies
Rev. Jeanne M. Bell
Rev. Wendy L. Ben
Rev. Sheldon W. Bennett
Rev. Laurie Bilyeu
Rev. Lee Bluemel
Rev. Patricia Brennan
Rev. Jennifer Brooks
Rev. John A. Buehrens
Rev. Terry Burke
Rev. Judith C. Campbell
Rev. Deborah Cayer
Channing Unitarian Universalist
Church, Rockland
Rev. Eric M. Cherry
Rev. Bruce M. Clary
Rev. Helen Lutton Cohen
The Community Church of Boston
Rev. Katie Lee Crane
Rev. Dr. F. Jay Deacon
Rev. Judy Deutsch
Rev. Judith Downing
Rev. Kathy Duhon
Rev. Claudia Elferdink
Rev. Dr. Anita Farber-Robertson
Rev. Richard M. Fewkes
First Church in Jamaica Plain
First Parish in Lincoln
First Parish of Brewster
First Parish in Concord
First Parish of Saugus
First Parish of Sudbury
First Parish of Watertown
First Universalist Church of Salem
Rev. Wendy Fitting
Rev. Sandra D. Fitz-Henry
Rev. Kelly M. Fink
Rev. Charles F. Flagg
Rev. Karen Lewis Foley
Rev. James Ishmael Ford
Rev. John Gibbons
Rev. Nannene Gowdy
Rev. Robin F Gray
Rev. Andrea Greenwood
Rev. Robert W. Haney
Rev. Edward A. Hardy
Rev. Mary J. Harrington
Rev. Mark W. Harris
Rev. Kim K. Crawford Harvie
Rev. Dr. Richard S. Hasty
Rev. Barbara Maria Haugen
Rev. David P. Hubner
Rev. Kathy Huff
Rev. David M. Horst
Rev. Silvia L. Howe
Rev. Doris Hunter
Rev. Alison Hyder
Rev. Tim Jensen
Rev. Mykel Johnson
Rev. Carol L. Karlson
Rev. Richard A. Kellaway
Rev. Elea Kemler
Rev. Stephen Kendrick
Rev. Keith Kron
Rev. Betty Kornitzer
Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Landrum
Rev. Marlin Lavanhar
Rev. Garry M. LeFevre
Rev. Edwin C. Lynn
Rev. Judith G. Mannheim
Rev. Lisa Martelli
Rev. Robert W. McKetchnie
Rev. Elizabeth M. McMaster
Rev. Thomas J. S. Mikelson
Rev. Robert Francis Murphy
Rev. Eugene Navias
Elder Jeffrey S. Nelson
Rev. Stephanie R. Nichols
Rev. Phyllis B. O'Connell
Rev. David Carl Olson
Rev. Deborah J. Pope-Lance
Rev. Roger Paine
Rev. Hank Peirce
Rev. Oren Peterson
Rev. David Pettee
Rev. Evelyn Plumb
Rev. Kenneth H. Read-Brown
Rev. Jonathan Rehmus
Rev. Katherine S. Reis
Rev. Ralph Yeager Roberts
Rev. James Robinson
Rev. Rachele Rosi
Rev. Tomas Rosiello
Rev. Carol Rosine
Rev. Richelle C. Russell
Rev. Victoria E. Safford
Rev. Kenneth W. Sawyer
Rev. Gail S. Seavey
Rev. Kathy Schmitz
Rev. Stephen M. Shick
Rev. William G. Sinkford
Rev. Fred Small
Rev. Carlton Elliott Smith
Rev. Gary E. Smith
Rev. Erin E. Splaine
Rev. Richard M. Stower
Rev. Arline Conan Sutherland
Rev. Jeffrey Symynkywicz
Rev. Diane Teichert
Rev. Karin P. Tanenhultz
Theodore Parker Unitarian
Universalist Church
Unitarian Church of Sharon
Unitarian Universalist Association
of Congregations
Unitarian Universalist Church
of Medford
Unitarian Universalist Society
of Grafton and Upton
Unity Church, North Easton
Unitarian Universalist Church
of Sherborn
Unitarian Society of Northampton
and Florence
Rev. Marta I. Valentin
Rev. Bob Wheatley
Rev. Beth Williams
Rev David Nash Williams
Rev. Dr. Rhys Williams
Rev. Dr. Judith E. Wright

United Church of Christ
Rev. Reine Abele
Rev. Kent E. Allen
Rev. Meredith A. Allen
Rev. Sheri Anderson
Rev. Candice Ashenden
Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian
Rev. Marie A. Bacchiocchi
Rev. Kenneth F. Baily
Rev. Jeffrey T. Balcher
Rev. Robert Bachelder
Rev. Tim Benson
Rev. M. C. Bertram
Bethany Christian United Parish,
Worcester
Rev. Laura Biddle
Rev. Edward B. Blackman
Rev. Thomas Boates
Rev. Dr. Frances A. Bogle
Rev. Susan Boone
Rev. Judith B. Brain
Rev. Ginger Brasher-Cunningham
Rev. Rebecca Pugh Brown
Rev. Robert K. Buckwalter
Rev. Andrew Burr
Rev. Mark S. Burrows, Ph.D.
Rev. Quinn G. Caldwell
Rev. William R. Carter
Rev. Susan Cartmell
Central Congregational Church,
Jamaica Plain
Rev. Richard Chrisman
Church of the Covenant, Boston
Rev. Debbie Clark
Rev. Deene D. Clark
Rev. Allen M. Comstock
Rev. Joyce G. Crowder
Rev. Ann B. Day
Rev. Carolyn Dittes
Rev. Janet Dorman
Rev. Michael J. Duda
Rev. Bev Duncan
Rev. Dr. Stan G. B. Duncan
Rev. Paula J. Elizabeth
Rev. Thomas H. Evans
Rev. Sanford Fasth
Rev. Terry Fitzerald
Rev. William J. Fleming, Jr.
Rev. James W. Fraser
Rev. Phyllis B. Frechette
Rev. Theodore Fritsch
Rev. W. Alan Froggatt, Jr
Rev. Kelly A. Gallagher
Rev. Margaret Gifford
Rev. Mary E. Giles
Rev. Brita L. Gill-Austern
Rev. Rebecca Kavich Girash
Rev. Patricia P. Glore
Rev. M. Gay Godfrey
Rev. Jill D. Graham
Rev. Susanna Griefen
Rev. David C. Grishaw-Jones
Rev. Jonathan C. Guest
Rev. Robert M. J. Hagopian
Rev. Dr. M. B. Handspicker
Rev. Joan M. Haner
Rev. E. George Hangen
Rev. Judith Hanlon
Rev. Lois Happe
Rev. Phil Hardwick
Rev. Charles H. Harper
Rev. Patricia F. Hazeltine
Rev. John F. Hudson
Rev. Dr. Anne Ierardi
Rev. Peter B. Ives
Rev. Jeffrey P. Johnson
Rev. Dr. Peter Kakos
Rev. Carol L. Karlson
Rev. Art Kaufman
Rev. James Keck
Rev. Rachael Keefe
Rev. Edgar Kemp
Rev. David S. King
Rev. Elizabeth Ann King
Rev. Heidi N. King
Rev. Heather Kirk-Davidoff
Rev. R. Paul Koors
Rev. Kenneth Landall
Rev. Jeffrey Larsen
Rev. Evelyn Lavelli
Rev. Richard G. Leavitt
Rev. Ross W. Lilley
Rev. Robert L. Livingston
Rev. Dr. John C. Lombard
Rev. Peter A. Lovett
Rev. Thomas MacLachlan
Rev. Kerry A. Malmey
Rev. Cynthia Maybeck
Rev. Phillip J. Mayher
Rev. Richard Malmberg
Rev. Keith Jenkins Man
Rev. Polly Jenkins Man
Rev. Karen McArthur
Rev. Virginia Ann McDaniel
Rev. Catherine Michael
Rev. Douglas Mitchell
Rev. Jennifer N. Mills-Knutsen
Rev. Ute S. Molitor
Rev. Jeffrey S. Nelson
Rev. John A. Nelson
Rev. Dr. Elizabeth C. Nordbeck
Rev. Daniel J. Novotny
Rev. Jean S. Novotny
Rev. Peggy O'Conner
Rev. Rose Ann Olmstead
Rev. Kenneth Orth
Rev. L. Weldon Palmer
Rev. Stephen Pepper
Rev. Rand Peabody
Rev. Gustave E. Peterson
Rev. Molly Phinney
Rev. Allyson Platt
Rev. Ross W. Putnam
Rev. Eric Redard
Rev. Nancy Richards
Rev. Dr. Phil Rider
Rev. Edmund H. Robinson
Rev. Mary Redner Robinson
Rev. Nancy Rockwell
Rev. Dr. Michele Rogers-Brigham
Rev. Dudley C. Rose
Rev. Marilyn R. Rossier
Rev. Yvonne V. Schaudt
Rev. Marlayna Schmidt
Rev. Lisa D. Schoenwetter
Rev. Dadgie Scott
Rev. Daniel A. Smith
The Rev. Karen Nell Smith
Rev. Penny Rich Smith
Rev. Peter Southwell-Sander
Rev. Peg Stearn
Rev. Lisa W. Stedman
Rev. Kate Stevens
Rev. Wayne A. Strever
Rev. Clark Taylor
Rev. Dr. Nancy S. Taylor
Rev. Jonathan C. Tetherly
Rev. Mary Martha Thiel
United Parish of Auburndale
Rev. Marguerite Unwin Voelkel
Rev. Bradford Taylor Watters
Rev. Amy Van Cleave
Rev. Wendy Vander Hart
Rev. Dr. George W. Waterbury
Rev Katrina Wvensch
Rev. Cynthia Worthington-Berry
Rev. Elinor L. Yeo

United Methodist
Rev. Amy Alletzhauser
Rev. Dr. William C. Coleman
Rev. Paul Deats
Rev. F. Oliver Drake
Rev. Cynthia A. Good
Rev. Richard E. Harding
Rev. Charles G. Hartman
Rev. Anne Marie Hunter
Rev. Donald L. Holt
Rev. Dr. Susan Jarek-Glidden
Rev. Dr. Ellis B. Johnson
Rev. David Kim
Rev. Freda Maier
Rev. Jay P. Mitchell
Rev. Gary Nettleton
Rev. Ruth E. S. Robinson
Rev. Laurel E. Scott
Rev. Donella G. Siktberg
Rev. Harry Soper, Jr.
Rev. Tiffany Steinwert
United Parish of Auburndale
Rev. Wayne Underhill
Rev. Willard A. Williams
Rev. Linda B. Wood-Boyle

Southern Baptist
Rev. Cindy King

Organizations
Dignity Boston
The Jewish Community Relations Council

[Cornus]

5. It should

Seems to be an obvious violation of the separation of church and state.

[Maat]

6. Americans United for Church and State (au.org)..

covers what churches/synagogues/religious-orgs can and cannot do.

As I understand it, your Rabbi is perfectly within his rights to discuss issues with you. He just cannot advocate for a specific candidate.

If a minister or rabbi advocates for or 'disrespects' a particular candidate, then he has violated the I.R.S. tax code most probably, and might lose his tax-exempt status (no legal advice here, just my understandin').

Those that did the above could be in trouble ... unless they are well-connected with a certain administration and so big that no one would try and enforce the law with respect to their behavior.

[whalerider55]

4. A couple of points

We attend a UUI church here in MA (mostly for local community) that has been performing commitment ceremnoies for years, and now marriages.

We went, for a while, to one of the few UCC congregations in the region that was not "open and affirming"; when they sent their motorcycle riding and deeply spiritual ass't pastor out b/c she mad epeople nervous, we stopped going and contribuitng.

next friday, we'll be going to a small synagogue in Salem MA (oddly enough, with the old pastor from the UCC, who now leads an open and affirming congregation in Salem) to meet a rabbi who is very active welcoming glbs to the spiritual community.

makes a huge difference when leaders of the spirit practice what they preach, preach what they practice, and affirm the value of each human being. its the kind of community you want to raise your kids in.

whalerider55

[Maat]

7. My particular church...

and pastor welcome all congregants equally, and my pastor would perform a commitment ceremony (she seemed sorry she hasn't as yet been asked, I believe - wants to do more ceremonies period - loves it). And my pastor's fellow pastors perform commitment ceremonies all of the time.

We abhor discrimination, and welcome all, and all paths to God. We celebrate the uniqueness of each person in this World, and feel that we are all connected. The ex-leader of Religious Science International is openly gay/lesbian, and the current leader has performed many commitment ceremonies for gays and lesbians.

I'm with the Church of Religious Science.

The Unitarian-Universalist church near me also has an outreach to all - particularly GLBT individuals, and performs commitment ceremonies gladly.

I'm in Cal.

AND I SAY ... I ADMIRE THE RABBI FOR HIS STANCE re not forcing his belief on others, although I personally do not agree with his stance on same-sex marriage.

[AlienGirl]

8. Several same-sex couples in my synagogue got married in Portland

When they stood on the bimah and lit Shabbat candles to celebrate their briefly-legal marriage, the whole congregation cheered. It was beautiful.

Tucker