2,200 Clergy Declare Support of Marriage Equality

"I am so pleased to tell you that on Monday, the Religious Institute announced that more than 2200 ordained clergy have signed our Open Letter to Religious Leaders on Marriage Equality.

"They come from all fifty states (and D.C. and Puerto Rico) and represent more than 50 different faith traditions. They are Rabbis, Reverends, Priests, Bishops, Elders, and Imams. They include 100 of the best known religious leaders and thinkers in the United States, including the presidents and deans of a dozen seminaries and the elected leaders of 8 major denominations, including the United Church of Christ, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Assembly, the Union for Reform Judaism's Rabbis, the Metropolitan Fellowship Churches, and the Unitarian Universalist Association. We are also pleased that so many Catholic and Episcopal Bishops joined the call for marriage equality, as well as Buddhist, Muslim, and Hindu leaders.

"We are grateful to all of these ordained clergy who are willing to publicly stand for marriage equality for same sex couples. Read the list here. If you are a clergy person, please add your name. If you are a person of faith and your clergy person isn't listed, please forward it on.

"And please speak up for the rights of gays and lesbians to civil and religious marriage.

"We cannot allow the perception to continue that marriage for same sex couples violates religious principles. As these 2200 ordained clergy will tell you -- there is strong theological support for both blessing these unions and affording these couples equal rights under the law. As the Open Letter says, we know that 'where there is love, the sacred is in our midst.'"

~ the Religious Institute's Rev. Debra W. Haffner

Comments

[pennyjane]

hi ko. i would like to add michael adee and more light presbyterians to the group of religious leaders fighting for the rights of all in marital affairs. may God bless these brave and powerful voices in this endeavour. pj

[Edgar]

Hello. My name is Edgar and I'm an editor at OpposingViews.com, the debate website. Since we both cover homosexuality, I thought I'd drop you a note. I would've e-mailed you but I couldn't find an address.
See, we're currently having a discussion about whether California should ban same-sex marriage. Prop 8 would do just that. The discussion includes the Pacific Justice Institute, Stonewall Democrats and the American Academy of Pediatrics. See it here:
http://www.opposingviews.com/questions/should-california-pass-the-protect-marriage-act
Although vetted experts are the ones doing the debating, anyone can contribute by choosing a side and posting comments about the experts' arguments.
Check it out and, if you have the time, let me know what you think at edgar@opposingviews.com
Thanks!