Editorials are posted and archived
on JN Online:
-vvvvw.cletrohjewishnews.com
Dry Bones
Gay Unions And States' Rights
W
hat a dreadful waste of national time this
same-sex marriage issue has become.
Washington has two unfinished peace
struggles to wage, in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a
massive loss of jobs, an uncontrolled federal deficit,
gigantic trade imbalances, under-performing schools, a
busted Social Security system, expensive medicine that
underserves the poor, runaway business corruption and
a deteriorating natural environment.
And we're being asked to concentrate on same-sex
marriages as a threat to the republic? President George
W. Bush wants a constitutional amendment "because
attempts to redefine marriage in a single state or city
could have serious consequences throughout the coun-
try"
Get real.
Whether marriage is a civil proceeding or a
religious one, it clearly isn't the business of
the federal government to say who may or may not
enter into that commitment.
Of course, the national government can decide what
relationships it wants to recognize as valid for purposes
of benefits. But it has already done so, through the
Defense of Marriage Act that then-President Clinton
signed into law in 1996 after a judge in Hawaii had
overturned that state's prohibition on recognizing
same-sex unions.
The states and organized religions have traditionally
shared responsibility for deciding what constitutes a
valid marriage, and that system has worked just fine
for the country. The states decide on the legality of the
union, the religions determine the sanctity of it.
Despite the spate of images in recent weeks showing
same-sex couples embracing in San Francisco's city
hall, the odds remain heavily stacked against gay
marriage. Thirty-seven states —Michigan among
them — have already passed laws saying they will
not treat same-sex unions as a valid marriage; 20
states may go even further by amending their con-
stitutions to ban those unions.
Mainstream religions have generally stuck to
blessing only opposite-sex marriages, but some
give rabbis and other ministers freedom to bless
civil unions of same-sex partners. Orthodox
Judaism, for example, firmly rejects homosexual
behavior as a violation of Torah, while many
Reform and secular humanist rabbis have officiat-
ed at commitment ceremonies for
same-sex couples.
That diversity is reflective of
American attitudes about homosexuali-
ty — attitudes that are in flux as more and more
people have come to see gender orientation as
much more an individual's biological imperative
rather than a controllable choice.
We need to protect the states as the laboratories
where policies get tested. The current wave of
city-sponsored gay marriages will have to bow to
state laws, but the states should not be put into
the straightjacket of a national constitutional
amendment.
We have trouble enough with marriages in this
country; half of them end in divorce, hardly a testa-
ment to the sanctity of the process. No constitutional
amendment will affect that sorry statistic. And an
amendment aimed at discouraging gay unions of what-
ever legal status is not going to succeed any more than
did. the late and unlamented amendment to stop
drinking.
A LEFT-WING
REPRESENTATIVE!
'be
AND THE
SURPRISE IS
THAT THE
LEFTIST
EDIT OIL
Related story: page 21
IS SHARON
HIMSELF?!
fig
•
Pa
Since no one is forcing a rabbi or any minister to
bless a union that he or she thinks is religiously unac-
ceptable, we ought not to tolerate a constitutional pro-
hibition against what is for the couples and those who
officiate a matter of religious choice.
President Bush and the Congress should concentrate
on the real problems that national government can
address. Gay marriage isn't one of them. I I
Penetrating The Distortion
R
arely has a film stirred so much controversy
and emotion, but Mel Gibson's movie The
Passion of the Christ has done exactly that. It
has spurred theological debate with slings and arrows
fired from all sides —Jewish, Christian, liberal, conser-
vative, literal, symbolic and historical.
Unfortunately, the film leaves viewers with the inac-
curate, mistaken view that Jews were primarily respon-
sible for Jesus' death. Clearly, it was Roman authority
that was the party of power, not only with Jesus, but
the many other crucifixions of the time.
It is also most interesting to us what the movie left
out — any references to Jesus' life and ministry. That
record laid down by the Gospel writers' centers on love
for all and the treatment of everyone as equal, and
worthy not only of God's love but also of ours.
Without a doubt, it was Jesus' life and hiS short
three-year ministry that made his crucifixion different
Rev. Daniel Krichbaum is executive director of Detroit-
based NCCJ (National Conference for Community and
Justice). Steve Spreitzer, NCCI. inter faith coordinator, con-
tributed to this con2mentary.
spectives watching the film will engage in dia-
logue about their own personal reactions. The
from others occurring in that period. And
movie could spur people from all faiths to
that is the real rub today! For Jews, this out-
understand that the world's future rests on
pouring of focus on Christ's death too often
recognition of a common humanity.
has meant a bigoted, even a violent response
In every religious perspective, there is a com-
from some Christians against Jews.
mon ethic about understanding, respecting and
With the rise of anti-Semitism in many
bonding with people from different cultural
REV. DANIEL
places across the world, remembrance of
backgrounds. That call is a strong focus of the
KRICHBAUM National Conference for Community and
pogroms and shocking epithets against Jews,
Special
going back through the 20th century and
Justice's work and we offer many opportunities
Commentary
centuries before, this naturally creates a dis-
to engage people from all religious, racial and
tasteful reaction to the film. Conversely, many
cultural backgrounds.
Christians, when viewing the film, experience
Now more than ever, Christians and other faith
an inherently personal reaction regarding their own
communities need to listen to the stories of their
faith without considering its impact on others.
Jewish sisters and brothers, in an effort to better under-
A parallel might be a situation where a noose is
stand why they are concerned about this movie. Quite
found in an African American's locker, calling up the
simply, people who do not have relationships with
emotions around lynchings from the not-distant past
members of the Jewish community need a face to
on the part of African Americans, while other workers
relate to other than those distorted faces portrayed in
write off the incident as "just a joke." No, it wasn't
the movie. This will help us move toward Ghandi's
intended or interpreted as locker-room horseplay!
definition of love, which he said is like looking in the
Neither can inconsiderate or biased portrayals of Jews
mirror and seeing the face of the other.
be interpreted as anything other than anti-Semitism!
So, let's reach out to each other and work together
If anything hopeful about the movie is to emerge,
on issues that really matter, creating the peace and jus-
perhaps people from different backgrounds and per-
tice that the best of all religious traditions hold dear. I
kks.'
3127
2004
27