More Than 1,000 Clergy Will Send Letter to Senators Urging 'No' Vote on Marriage Amendment; Over 30 Denominations Represented in Letter Organized by Reform Jewish Movement


Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement today announcing the release of a letter, signed by more than 1,000 clergy with differing views on same-sex marriage, urging U.S. senators to reject the Federal Marriage Amendment:

"On Wednesday, more than 1,000 clergy of over 30 religious denominations from across America will send U.S. senators a letter urging them to vote against the Federal Marriage Amendment. While we hold differing religious views on same-sex marriage, we are united in our belief that this amendment would dignify discrimination and threaten religious liberty.

"There is an all-too-common misperception that America's faith communities generally support amending the Constitution to outlaw same-sex marriage. This is simply not the case. The truth is that millions of Americans, as represented by this diverse group of clergy, are deeply concerned about this effort to write discrimination and religious intolerance into our Constitution.