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Loading ...Arizona Catholics & Jews told to support anti-gay amendment
09.05.2008 12:00pm EDT
(Tucson, Arizona) Roman Catholics and Orthodox Jews are being told by their respective denominations to support a proposed constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage.
In a pastoral letter to be read in Catholic churches across the state on Sunday, Arizona’s two Roman Catholic bishops say the amendment is “in alignment with our deeply held moral beliefs regarding marriage.”The letter, signed by Thomas Olmstead, the bishop of Phoenix, and Gerald Kincanas, the bishop of Tucson, goes on to say that if the amendment is not passed, a law already on the books limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples could be overturned by a court.
The Union for Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America also issued a statement to the state’s Orthodox Jews saying that the Torah and Jewish law “affirms marriage only between a man and woman.”
Evangelical churches throughout Arizona also are urging the faithful to support the proposed amendment, which will appear on the ballot in November.
In 2006, a similar amendment to ban same-sex marriage and civil unions failed when put to voters. The current amendment proposal does not mention civil unions.
Public opinion polls have showed that while most people in the state oppose same-sex marriage, they do not want to enshrine that in the constitution.
Last month a dispute between Arizona Secretary of State Jan Brewer and Attorney General Terry Goddard over the wording that will appear on the ballot was settled hours before a judge was to rule on the description.
The two agreed with the description of what a “yes” vote would mean – restricting marriage to opposite-sex couples. But Brewer objected to Goddard’s insistence that the wording also should point out that the state already has a law preventing same-sex couples from marrying.
Brewer wanted the description to state that a “no vote shall have the effect of retaining the current laws regarding marriage.”
But Goddard maintained that definition would not inform voters that the current law defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.
He wanted language describing the current law as “a statute that prohibits marriage between persons of the same sex.”
Brewer went to court to block Goddard from inserting his “no” definition into the ballot question. Shortly before a judge was to rule, the two agreed on a compromise.
The “no” definition now will say that the proposed amendment defines marriage as between one man and one woman, while keeping intact the current state law, which outlaws same-sex marriage.
It seems that several factions of organized religions are specifically attempting to turn this country into a Christian theocrazy.
Want proof? Read this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/07/AR2008090702460_pf.html
Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion, if someone chooses so. And government should give benefits and legal protections equally, regardless of your religion or lack thereof.
John: FYI, the Jewish community is less committed to voting for Obama than past Democratic candidates. It’s not that they’re not Dems, but the AIPAC/Very-Pro-Israel sections of the community think Obama is wishy-washy on the issue they care about the most–the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Furthermore, many Jews are very distraught about both candidates trying to prove that the love Jesus more, as it’s something that’s very difficult to connect with when you aren’t a Christian. Most Jews take separation of church and state and religious discrimination very seriously as we have been targeted by it on many occassions in the past.
Some Jews might just not even vote for a President this year for the above reasons.
Sen. Obama will still probably get the majority of the Jewish vote, but he won’t have the overwhelming majority that Kerry, Gore or Clinton had.
SteveMD2: It is possible to be a gay Orthodox Jew if you find an accepting community or resolve to stay in the closet when in the public square. There is an openly gay Orthodox rabbi (Steven Greenberg) and a number of more liberal Orthodox rabbis that while they will not encourage homosexuality will accept it’s existence and tolerate it.
Andrew said..”I’m never surprised anymore, not really, by what the Roman Catholic church does. But it still hurts me. I grew up in that church and love it dearly.”
Andrew – in so many ways, they are the most evil force in the western world, but the most clever at terrorizing people into believing they will go to hell if the don’t follow the church, and get to the mythical heaven if they do. Just remember that in a slightly different vein, 19 people drove airliners into buildings, believing they would be rewarded in paradise with 72 virgins for their pleasure. It is the same murderous BS
The history of the catholic church is the history of 10’s of millions of Muslims murdered during the crusades, a million women burned at the stake as witches, & 100,000 tortured and murdered for daring to say the pope was wrong in his flat earth theory.
And in more modern times, the long term hatred of the Jews, which gave the church another way to rile up the people to their cause, gave the world WWII. Hitler, born a catholic, used hatred against the jews to consolidate absolute power, and WWII and the holocaust is history. And the main church heirarchy did little to help the Jews (John Paul was an exception as a priest), and after the war helped nazis escape to south america, via the issuance of Passports. Remember where Israel found Adolf Eichman – wsn’t it Argentina?
And as a Jew, married 40 years to a Jewish woman, I am amazed that the orthodox Jews are supporting the initiative to ban gay marriage in California. It just shows how corrupt the whole institution of conservative religion really is, be it christian, Jewish, of Muslim. I’ve also read how the ultra orthodox in Israel said that “gays were like bird flu” – a direct call in my mind for genocide against gays by the very people whose ancestors and cousins shared hitler’s crematoriums with the gays of germany.
The bottom line on this is that religion has the power to totally corrupt minds, and even make it’s victims believe in it. I’ve talked to many people who say it took them 10 years to leave their religious beliefs behind for beliefs in Justice and equality. The time to begin if people haven’t, and are/have been victims of conservative religious upbringing, is NOW.
And note that since our temple, while they apparently will do gay marriages, has been absolutely silent on the political front, here in the MD Capital. I now describe myself as having 1 foot out the door there, and if they don’t do a couple things I’ve asked, like showing Trembling before God on movie night, it is going to be goodbye. And I’ll join the Universalist-unitarian church, about 20% gay, 20% Jewish, which has been an activist supporter of gay people for a long time. And my dear wife will just have to like it or lump it. And all gay people and others who stand on the side of Justice and equality for all, should be saying “Free at last, Free at last……..”, but in a slightly different way, from right wings monstrosities left over from the past.
I really should read all these blogs before I get in here. Bruce dude you should chill out. It’s not good for your blood pressure. Calm down No ones going into the oven today. Peace