Board of rabbis opposes California anti-gay-marriage initiative

Proposition 8 is stirring great fervor this election season, as supporters and opponents of gay marriage gear up for their Nov. 4 duel at the ballot box. Now comes the latest group to weigh in — the Board of Rabbis of Southern California.

The board — a collection of leaders from the Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative and Orthodox movements — this week declared its opposition to the measure, which would amend the California Constitution to define marriage as only between a man and a woman. Leaders of the board said they wanted protect the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples.

“For many rabbis, it speaks on a personal level in terms of people they deal with whose lives have been impacted over the issue,” said Rabbi Stewart Vogel of Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills and the board’s president.

The board has more than 290 members. Roughly 120 took part in Wednesday’s vote, the largest number of rabbis to weigh in on such an issue in recent memory. Vogel said Friday that 93% of those who cast votes supported the resolution.

Some voiced concern about the board wading into a political controversy, given the diversity of its members’ religious views. Vogel said the resolution did not address the sanctity of gay marriage. Instead, it urged a "no" vote on Proposition 8 so that gays and lesbians can continue to marry under civil law.

-- Duke Helfand

Comments

[steve]

I was told in a meeting at my school district that if a student wants to be called Barbara because he feels like a girl we are to call (her) by the new name. Sorry, i refuse to call blue, white. There are may places in the biblical text stating this activity is now accepitable to Jewish life style. No n-Jews may do as they feel fit to do.

[NO ON 8]

Thank you, rabbis! It is very heartening to see a religious group take such a stand for equal rights, unlike the shameful Mormons and Catholics!

[Pam Holt]

This is such a breath of fresh air! How can we deprive fellow Americans of a basic civil right? It's as if we're saying gay people are inferior to heterosexuals. How arrogant! Thank you to these Rabbis for realizing what is right, and sharing it.

[Christopher]

Steve: I'm assuming you don't actually work in the school system. If you do, your pathetic spelling, grammar and syntax are a greater threat to LA's school kids than any attempt to accommodate those children who feel different ever could be.

[Michael Blair]

Thank you Board of Rabbis! Those who want to take away civil rights from law-abiding, taxpaying, gay Americans use lies to support their cause such as Kindergartners being told that gay marriage is good and pastors being fired for not performing gay marriages. No matter how many lies one has to tell to justify discrimination, it's still wrong. Two wrongs (lying and discrimination) do not equal Christ's commandment to treat others as we want to be treated. God bless the Rabbis who voted for the civil rights of gay Californians.

[beetlebabee]

Kids need a mother's influence as well as a father's influence. Sure there are exceptions, but that is the ideal. Men have strengths and women have strengths, they are fundamentally different. A child needs both of those influences. Gay unions by definition deny children access to one gender. We do our kids a disservice if we hold this up as an ideal equal to marriage.

I'm sorry to see religious leaders deny their faiths for the acclamation of those who would rather ridicule inconvenient religious viewpoints than tolerate them. Our society was founded on Judeo/Christian values.  Marriage between a man and a woman is central to those values. What true Rabbi or religious person denies the words of their God?

[nina]

What a nice New Years present! Shanà tovà to all!
Beetlebabee, are you implying that if one parent dies, that the other will not be able to raise their kids properly? Besides, we're talking about marriage rights here, not kids. No one wants to take away from religious tradition. We're talking about civil rights and discrimination. Why should gays not enjoy the same rights as anyone else in society? Try substituting the word "gay" or "same sex" with "jew" or "black" and maybe you might understand why religious and other minorities should all ban this proposal. Would you vote for a proposition banning marriage between a Caucasian and a person of color? It's just plain against the fundamental ideals behind our Constitution regardless of any one's religion!

[Sally]

Gay is NOT okay. . . and most importantly here, sodomy and same sex "marriages" are in complete contradiction to the Jewish faith. It's sad to know that Rabbi's will ignore the basic tenents of their faith in the name of political correctness. I wish religious leaders had the gull to stand up to the facisim of homo-sexual activists and stay true to their faith. It should take more than a few homo-facists carelessly throwing around terms like "hatefull' or "bigioted" for the chosen people of God to back down.

[IC]

Sally, who are YOU to say that "gay is not ok"? Your religious "beliefs" are what is holding modern society back. Why should people who do not subscribe to them (possibly because they're often ridiculous) adhere to them? This is a free country and you can believe whatever you want. But don't try ti impose your beliefs on others by taking away their civil rights. Gay relationships and marriages are 100% consensual, and they do not impact your blind life in any way. They give gay couples the same rights as everyone else, as once was given to blacks and women. Should women like you go back to being property as your book of God states?