The Rise Of LGBT Rights Is An Existential Threat To Conservative Religious Groups

[cbayer]

http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2015/03/17/3634382/can-religious-conservatives-survive-rise-lgbt-rights/

BY JACK JENKINS POSTED ON MARCH 17, 2015 AT 8:11 AM UPDATED: MARCH 17, 2015 AT 2:00 PM


Rabbi Denise Eger, the first openly gay president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis.
CREDIT: AP

On Monday, Rabbi Denise Eger was installed as the first openly gay president of Reform Judaism’s Central Conference of American Rabbis, which claims around 2,000 rabbis and 862 congregations in the United States.

“It really shows an arc of L.G.B.T. civil rights,” Eger told the New York Times. “I smile a lot — with a smile of incredulousness.”

Eger’s new position is, unquestionably, a historic moment for Reform Judaism. But when placed alongside the greater American religious landscape, her achievement is remarkable in part because of how common such stories have become. It’s hardly the first time a mainstream American faith community has proclaimed spiritual support for LGBT rights — the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association chose a lesbian Rabbi to be their president in 2007, Unitarian Universalists have been passing resolutions affirming everyone regardless of their sexuality since 1970, and several of the largest mainline Christian denominations have moved to embrace various versions of LGBT rights. Since the early 2000s, the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) have all voted in favor of supporting gay ordination and same-sex marriage, and the Episcopal Church famously elected Gene Robinson, an openly gay man, to the position of bishop in 2003. And while the United Methodist Church, the largest mainline Christian denomination, officially opposes marriage equality and the ordination of LGBT ministers, Methodist bishops and priests across the country are now refusing to enforce church discipline on clergy who officiate same-sex weddings. Meanwhile, nearly half of religious Americans see no conflict between their faith and LGBT rights.

Yet even as equality advocates toast these victories, more conservative-leaning faith traditions are doubling down on their opposition to homosexuality, bisexuality, and transgender identity. This trend isn’t necessarily astonishing, of course, but as more and more religious Americans move to endorse equality, right-wing faithful are struggling to confront an uncomfortable question: can anti-gay religious groups survive in a country that embraces LGBT rights?

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[Gothmog]

1. Reformed Judaism has recognized gay rights for a very long time

My Temple has had two or three gay rabbis over the years and the other large reformed Temple in town currently has a gay rabbi. This is no big deal or major change so far as the Reformed movement. Conservatives are also tolerant and the large conservative Temple has had a gay rabbi from what I have heard. The orthodox groups are still against LGBT rights to a large extent but I hear that there is some slight movement on that front.

[cbayer]

2. Reformed Judaism is often ahead of the curve, but gets little press.

I think the extreme orthodox in Israel are pushing the pendulum back whenever they can, though.