Statement by Religious Coalition's Executive Director and President on Today's Supreme Judicial Court Ruling

30 December 2006

The following is a statement released today by the executive director and president of Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry:

"The SJC's decision today doesn't change the facts. Voting on the human rights of any minority is neither fair nor just. Legislators need to listen to their hearts and conscience and stop the ballot initiative amendment on January 2nd.

"Voting against this amendment is a vote for the common good and against prejudice. We know for a fact, from abundant real life experience, that granting gays and lesbians their basic human right to marry has benefited thousands and harmed none. Why should that right be questioned or sent to the ballot box?

"Moving the amendment forward could set a dangerous precedent of allowing discrimination to be written into the constitution. This is not what the people of Massachusetts want. We should be celebrating the glorious diversity of humankind and standing up against efforts to deny basic human rights to any minority.

"The charge to take away marriage equality is led by religious leaders who oppose equal marriage based solely on their particular beliefs, beliefs not shared by many from other faith traditions. This ballot initiative amendment, if passed, would restrict the religious freedom of clergy to perform same-sex marriages, as well as removing rights from our gay and lesbian citizens. Imposing certain religious beliefs on everyone constitutes religious discrimination.

"It's time to let all families and children and every religious community continue to live in dignity with equal rights and protections under our laws. We urge legislators to end the debate on the 2nd."

The Religious Coalition for the Freedom to Marry (RCFM) is a group of more than 700 clergy, congregations and faith-based organization from 23 faith traditions, including the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Unitarian Universalist Association and Reform Judaism. As religious people, clergy, and leaders, we are mandated to stand for justice in our common civil life, and therefore we support civil marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples. At the same time, we uphold the right of every faith tradition to define religious marriage according to its own beliefs.

Source: prnewswire

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