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Reform Judaism and MarriageDecember 2004From the Desk of Rabbi FreelundMuch has been made of the results of last month's election. Whichever way you slice it, there was a small but distinct shift in the electorate of the United States, which seems to be a part of a definite trend since 1980. Many pundits have analyzed the results and found that there was a surprising issue the emerged on many ballots: Gay Marriage. Eleven states had ballot initiatives to ban gay marriage, and all of them passed by large margins, truly energizing a voting bloc who supports keeping marriage as a purely heterosexual institution. So what does a Reform Jew think about such things? Reform Judaism has long been on the cutting edge of social issues and civil rights in America. Women's rights, racial equality and religious freedom have long been dear to us. The Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism lobbies on Capitol Hill on issues of importance to the movement. One of the arenas in which social activism of Reform Judaism has been prominent is in the area of gay rights, the idea that sexual orientation should be of no consequence for choices in profession, religion, personal or family status. But why? It has been a long time since any credible medical or psychological authority or body has held that homosexuality was somehow "abnormal" behavior. In fact, our best medical and social scientists can tell us that there is a normal spectrum of human sexual behavior, including both hetero- and homosexuality. This spectrum has been with us throughout recorded history and always will be. In that light, Reform Judaism embraced full inclusion of gays and lesbians in our congregations in 1977. The CCAR even adopted a resolution that year calling for legislation decriminalizing homosexual acts between consenting adults, and calling for an end to discrimination against gays and lesbians. Only recently the Supreme Court acted on this issue, casting aside any legislation restricting the bedroom behavior of consenting adults. The CCAR was well ahead of the curve. In 1990, the CCAR endorsed a position urging that "all rabbis, regardless of sexual orientation, be accorded the opportunity to fulfill the sacred vocation that they have chosen." The committee endorsed the view that "all Jews are religiously equal regardless of their sexual orientation." The admissions policies of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, were changed to state that the "sexual orientation of an applicant [be considered] only within the context of a candidate's overall suitability for the rabbinate," and that all rabbinic graduates of the HUC-JIR would be admitted into the CCAR. We have embrace full equality and are committed to it. Our religious ideals will be challenged in the years to come. In 2000, the CCAR resolved that each of its members was free to act to his or her own conscience in performing same-sex weddings, and that liturgy and rituals should be developed to make these ceremonies meaningful and immersed in the holiness marriage. This and much more has been done. This is where Reform Judaism stands today - in support of every kind of family in our congregations, and in support of spousal relationships that create Jewish homes and bring holiness into the world. We are committed to a policy of inclusion and freedom for our rabbis to marry those couples they see are Jewishly committed, regardless of gender or orientation. The years ahead will likely be tumultuous for our nation, but I am confident that Reform Judaism is again ahead of the curve. Rabbi David Freelund |
