Statement of Rabbi Michael Namath, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, Concerning the Federal Marriage Amendment
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=134-03032004WASHINGTON, March 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement of Rabbi Michael Namath, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, at a press conference in Capitol Hill concerning the Federal Marriage Amendment:
Thank you. It is a privilege to stand here today on behalf of the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, on behalf of clergy and people of faith across America, and from my own religious conviction as a rabbi, to express our strong opposition to the dangerous and discriminatory Federal Marriage Amendment.
The Reform Jewish Movement is deeply troubled by President Bush's decision to endorse a Constitutional Amendment that would ban states from extending the legal protections of civil marriage to gay and lesbian couples. Jewish values and American history require us to speak out against this egregious proposal to enshrine discrimination against a specific group of citizens and intolerance of specific religious beliefs into our nation's most sacred document.
The fight for equality is uniquely tied to the history of this nation. From the suffrage movement, to the civil rights movement, to the gay rights movement, minorities in this country have worked tirelessly to achieve the equal rights as guaranteed to them by the founding visions of the United States. It is this history, and this sense of morality that compels us to condemn the Federal Marriage Amendment and to express disappointment that the President of the United States has chosen to use his office to divide the American people rather than bringing America together.
The Reform Jewish Movement, which encompasses more than 1.5 million Americans, is a longtime supporter of equal rights for gay men and lesbians, including full civil marriage equality. We believe that all people are made b'tzelem Elohim, in the image of God, and that the diversity of humanity reflects the vastness of the Eternal One. We do not believe that homosexuality is a sin. Judaism teaches that the family serves as the fundamental institution of society - families rooted in love between two committed, caring adults - and families devoted to raising children in a loving, supportive environment. Reform Judaism teaches that the families of loving gay and lesbian couples are capable of creating a nurturing environment for children, and that the unions of loving gay and lesbian couples are worthy of affirmation through Jewish ritual.
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