JCRC Urges Jews to Support Gay Marriage

Temple Newsletter ^ | 2/8/04 | self

[pabianice]

Message: 1

Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2004 20:45:41 -0500

From: rabbi@[snip].org>

Subject: From Rabbi [snip]

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Dear Congregants,

It's not just those of us in the Reform movement, or the local Reform rabbis, who support the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's decision on civil marriage for same sex couples. Read on. And, if you agree, please take action immediately be contacting your legislators.

A vote will come up this week - as soon as Wednesday. Why is this a Jewish issue? Because we Jews have always been in the forefront on issues of civil rights: and the denial of the rights of marriage to same sex couples denies them legal protections in many areas of public and private life. Religion is not just about ritual; it is about creating a loving, just, and ethical society.

Your phone calls to legislators will make a difference. (Of course, if you are opposed to the Goodridge decision, you should also make your views known. A free and open debate is healthy on every issue.)

If you are not sure why this issue is important, click on the link below to understand the issue better.

Sincerely,

===================================================

Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston

As you may know, JCRC adopted a statement at its January 14th Board meeting, urging public officials to enact legislation providing for civil marriage for same sex couples, in accordance with the recent ruling of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. (JCRC's statement can be found at www.jcrcboston.org , or by clicking here: JCRC Issues Statement on Goodridge Decision.)

On Wednesday, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued an opinion clarifying its earlier decision in the Goodridge case. The court's opinion leaves no room for doubt about the legal right of same-sex couples to marry, under the Massachusetts Constitution in its current form. However, the debate is far from over. As soon as next Wednesday, February 11th, the Legislature will sit in Constitutional Convention to consider a proposed amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution that would overturn the Goodridge decision. Those who support the amendment have invested enormous resources in a campaign to persuade legislators to vote for its passage.

Consistent with JCRC's statement, we encourage members of our community to contact their state senators and representatives, and urge them to oppose the proposed Constitutional amendment in any form. Our Commonwealth's Constitution should remain the source of rights and legal protections, and should not become a vehicle for restricting the rights of same-sex couples or any other individuals.

Legislators may be identified and contacted by visiting www.massequality.org and clicking on "take action." Also, please consider joining a phone bank sponsored by the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action (details below).

JALSA Phone Bank to Oppose DOMA

Monday, February 9, 7 - 8:45 pm

Lipof Real Estate Services, 1290 Washington Street, West Newton (in West Newton Square, a few doors from the West Newton Theater) RSVP to office@jalsa.org. You just need to bring your rolodex -- or address book, or PDA -- with up-to-date phone numbers for calling family and friends.

[pabianice]

I post this with a heavy heart. I continue to be astonished at how so many of my fellow American Jews remain absolutely clueless when it comes to social issues and how they betray traditional Judaism on a daily basis.

[thoughtomator]

They're Reform Jews... in other words, about as Jewish as flavored Perrier is lemon juice. I do agree, though, as a Jew it is quite disappointing to see another Jew promote activity that is unmistakably prohibited in the Torah.

[Starrgaizr]

Reform Judaism, in its effort to be as "progressive" as possible in contemporary American liberal culture, is one day going to be astonished to find itself without any members.

Secular liberalism is a more important theology to many on the Jewish Left than their own religious traditions. But given enough time, natural selection will work here. Fewer liberal Jews will reproduce (as liberals or as Jews) than conservative, traditional Jews.

[MainFrame65]

Worse than that. They are revisionists who make me ashamed of my heritage. They are steeped in pride for their misguided views, and seek to impose their vision on the rest of us to cover their own failure of humolity.

[longtermmemmory]

which groups are there more of?

[the invisib1e hand]

ok, i'm convinced. boston is sodom.

[Alouette]

Reform "Judaism" will soon become extinct due to self-inflicted genocide through intermarriage, abortion, homosexualism and failure to reproduce.

Meanwhile Alouette will have offspring all over the world.

[Starrgaizr]

Several decades ago, most American Jews (perhaps 70%)were affiliated with the Conservative Movement, with 20% Reform and 10% (maybe less) Orthodox. The Conservative Movement has had an identity problem, and has lost members to the left and right, and more left than right.

The Reform movement now is largest, but because (I think) it has a least-common-denominator approach to religious life. It now embraces intermarried couples instead of shunning them, but very few grandchildren of intermarrieds remain Jewish. So over time, more traditional elements of Judaism will tend to survive (as always) and the assimilated elements will tend to decline. There is just this huge blip of semi-affiliated and unaffiliated Jews that, by historic standards, may well be fleeting. There are those on the Jewish left who see their movements as the more authentic and intellectually pure, but they must do more to ensure new generations of Jews, or their philosophy will be moot.

[Alouette]

The Reform movement now is largest, but because (I think) it has a least-common-denominator approach to religious life.

They claim to be the "largest" because theirs is basically a "do whatever is trendy" approach to "religion." But even with their "do whatever makes you feel good" and "all registered Democrats are Reform Jews" philosophy only a very small percentage of their alleged enormous membership actually participate in Temple activities.

Orthodox Jews have very large families and a very low "dropout" rate.

I have 9 children and 11 grandchildren. Reform Jews, the ones who are not intermarried or gay, do not even reproduce at replacement rate.