[sarasota]

Sure they are serious. Fear of losing their membership leads folks down that slippery slope.

[sasafras]

Do you really think this is about losing membership...I doubt it. It is about losing the political clout and money of the rich contributers. They are not concerned about saving souls in such a change only keeping money and power.

[goldstategop]

Exactly. They want to remain relevant but ditching tradition is only going to hasten their decline. Who wants to be a Conservative Jew when the more permissive Reform give you the freedom to be gay already without bringing halacha into it. And they lose what little respect they have from the Orthodox who will never change who they are no matter what era they live in. Either tradition means something or it doesn't. If Conservative Jews now believe tradition is outmoded and makes them appear stodgy and behind the times, they do not deserve to wear the appelation "conservative."

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[Wilhelm Tell]

Sure they are serious. Fear of losing their membership leads folks down that slippery slope.

Then they are short-sighted. Homosexualizing Judaism will cause it to die out, just like the liberal Protestant denominations that have taken on an anti-family, anti-children, gay-this-gay-that-gay-everything stance are assured to eventually die out. And what do they want to be "relevant" to, anyways? AIDS? "Queer-Eye"? A revival of disco music? Is that any way to build a future?