# Conservative Jews approve gay rabbis and unions. Well good **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 7, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283 "2006-12-07T23:38:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/1 "2006-12-07T23:38:10Z")
Shame on Christians. The best Christmas present I get this year is from Jews. [Conservative Jews approve gay rabbis and unions.](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/07/us/07jews.html?_r=1&oref=slogin)(free sub req’d) > [@](#): > > In doing so, the committee left it up to individual synagogues to decide whether to accept or reject gay rabbis and commitment ceremonies, saying that either course is justified according to Jewish law. Thanks conservative Jews! Happy holidays! ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/2 "2006-12-08T01:08:38Z")
Yay! 😃 They didn’t go as far as I would have liked, but hey, progress is progress. Sometimes you take what you can get. IAA Conservative Jew, btw. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/3 "2006-12-08T02:10:27Z")
I think it’s fantastic that “either course is justified” which strikes me as light years beyond ideas Christianity and Islam are willing to entertain. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/4 "2006-12-08T02:14:00Z")
Don’t lump all Christians together either, please. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/5 "2006-12-08T02:33:31Z")
Can you provide me with a Christian church analogous to Conservative Judaism taking a similar stance? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/6 "2006-12-08T02:44:44Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] Can you provide me with a Christian church analogous to Conservative Judaism taking a similar stance? [/QUOTE] The United Church of Canada, the largest Protestant denomination in this country, not only recognizes and performs same-sex marriages and ordains out gay sexually active ministers, but also has testified to Parliament committees that same-sex marriage should be permitted. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/7 "2006-12-08T03:05:17Z")
Oh, yeah. Canada. I forgot about them. Sorry. No, serious. Not being snarky. Forgot about Canada. I just wish the second largest Christian denomination in the US could follow their lead. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/8 "2006-12-08T03:13:56Z")
[QUOTE=levdrakon] Can you provide me with a Christian church analogous to Conservative Judaism taking a similar stance? [/QUOTE] [The Episcopalians, UCC, and Evangelical Lutherans](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4651803.stm) for now, and there may be others. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/9 "2006-12-08T03:22:07Z")
Am I the only one who read that as “Conservative Jews approve gay **rabbits** and unions?” ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/10 "2006-12-08T03:24:01Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] [The Episcopalians, UCC, and Evangelical Lutherans](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4651803.stm) for now, and there may be others. [/QUOTE] If I’m wrong, I’m wrong but now it seems you’re naming smaller churches who have little influence outside their own churches. Can we say Conservative Judaism is respectively more influential than that? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/11 "2006-12-08T03:27:24Z")
Can we say you shouldn’t have dismissed them all with “Shame on Christians”? ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/12 "2006-12-08T03:56:16Z")
Since according to [this](http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#families) there are more Episcopalians in the U.S. than all Jewish denominations put together, without even crowding an estimated 1.9 million UCC members onto the scales, no, it doesn’t seem reasonable to say that Conservative Judaism is more influential these two churches. Without wading pointlessly into the morass of arguing which faith is more “influential,” it is flat out wrong to characterize the Episcopal Church as “a smaller church with little influence outside its own [denomination].” The Episcopal Church is breaking trail on this issue of gay rights, and other churches are watching carefully to see how things work out. They aren’t working out all that smoothly thus far – things rarely do when you’re doing what’s right in the face of strongly held contrary opinion – but I think it’s safe to say that the Episcopal Church would be dismayed to have their actions dismissed as the workings of a small church with little influence. I hope to God they’re having an influence; they’re paying a high enough price. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/13 "2006-12-08T04:52:37Z")
I know all the boys down at Sheet Metal Worker’s Local #6549 will be thrilled to hear about this. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/14 "2006-12-08T04:55:00Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Am I the only one who read that as “Conservative Jews approve gay **rabbits** and unions?” [/QUOTE] I got you beat, I saw it as “gay rabbits and unicorns”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/15 "2006-12-08T06:19:08Z")
[QUOTE=DrCube] I know all the boys down at Sheet Metal Worker’s Local #6549 will be thrilled to hear about this. [/QUOTE] Maybe not all, but I bet a few will be. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/16 "2006-12-08T14:25:29Z")
[QUOTE=Jodi] Since according to [this](http://www.adherents.com/rel_USA.html#families) there are more Episcopalians in the U.S. than all Jewish denominations put together, without even crowding an estimated 1.9 million UCC members onto the scales, no, it doesn’t seem reasonable to say that Conservative Judaism is more influential these two churches. Without wading pointlessly into the morass of arguing which faith is more “influential,” it is flat out wrong to characterize the Episcopal Church as “a smaller church with little influence outside its own [denomination].” The Episcopal Church is breaking trail on this issue of gay rights, and other churches are watching carefully to see how things work out. They aren’t working out all that smoothly thus far – things rarely do when you’re doing what’s right in the face of strongly held contrary opinion – but I think it’s safe to say that the Episcopal Church would be dismayed to have their actions dismissed as the workings of a small church with little influence. I hope to God they’re having an influence; they’re paying a high enough price. [/QUOTE] On behalf of the half dozen or so EpiscoDopers, thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/17 "2006-12-08T16:21:43Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] On behalf of the half dozen or so EpiscoDopers, thank you! [/QUOTE] I’m glad Jodi posted that, too. I was a little amused at the idea that the Episcopals, UCC, and Evangelical Lutherans are small denominations! But Jodi covered it all much better than I ever could. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/18 "2006-12-08T18:05:03Z")
[QUOTE=Guinastasia] Am I the only one who read that as “Conservative Jews approve gay **rabbits** and unions?” [/QUOTE] I got rabbitts and onions - that didn’t parse, so I tried rabbits and unicorns. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/19 "2006-12-08T19:38:07Z")
I’ll add my thanks as well and point out that the Episcopal Church’s stand on this issue put us on the cover of _The New Yorker_ a few months ago. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283/20 "2006-12-08T19:43:36Z")
[QUOTE=Dangerosa] I got rabbitts and onions - that didn’t parse, so I tried rabbits and unicorns. [/QUOTE] Onions just aren’t very gay. I could see rabbitts being gay with carrots maybe, or zucchini, but not onions. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservative-jews-approve-gay-rabbis-and-unions-well-good/383283.md?page=2)