Shalom My Gantseh Megillah Family and Friends,

Religion, no matter what the denomination should bring people closer together. “Love thy neighbour,” “Judge not,” and other maxims are spoken freely and often by the faithful. It appears though that these maxims are changing into platitudes and our collective spirit is being devalued.

I am disgusted with the way many self-proclaimed religious people are conducting themselves; specifically in the way they impose their doctrine and dogma. If you are not a part of their community you are told you are against people of faith, unpatriotic and are trying to tear down the United States of America. As an American living in Canada, I can honestly say I am thoroughly embarrassed at the image my homeland is projecting.

One specific example of this creeping moralism is same-sex marriage. Believe me, this is not an easy issue even here in the north land, but the difference in the form the discussion takes is nothing short of eye-opening.

Canada is currently struggling with the passage of a new law that would legalize same-sex marriage and protect all religious organizations from being required to perform such ceremonies. The discussion is simply relevant to civil marriage. Though debate is far from sedate, here is how this matter differs from our neighbours to the south.

In Canada we are simply arguing over nomenclature. One side wants to change the definition of the word marriage to embrace all couples, while the other side wants to restrict the word marriage to male and female couples and offer “civil union” as full protection for same-sex couples. Civil unions would allow all of the same benefits heterosexual couples enjoy with the exception of the one single issue, the word “marriage.” No one is talking about blatantly discriminating against the rights of the minority or the legitimacy of same-sex relationships.

In the U.S. while a few states offer civil unions they are only valid in the individual states that recognize such arrangements. Federal rights, taxes, benefits and laws do not apply. The federal government on the other hand, with the full backing of the President of the United States has actually introduced an amendment to the country’s Constitution to ban same-sex marriage as well as civil unions.

Fundamentalist religious groups are pressuring congressional representatives and Senators to enshrine discrimination into the Constitution. There is even an initiative to pack the courts with the most conservative judges in order to short circuit progressive judicial review. Some of the most visible religious leaders routinely spout untrue and hateful comments against homosexuals to influence voter support for this discrimination. Does this sound like religion bringing people together, or being non-judgmental? Why has the U.S. allowed these groups to hijack the American agenda?

The gay rights issue is just one of many in which the religious right has imposed itself unfairly and unjustly. I selected it as my example because it is an issue near and dear to me personally, and it is also an issue being dealt with in a major way here in Canada. The contrast between these two nations’ agendas is so startlingly obvious, that it seemed to be something to which all of us could relate and understand.

Although I am not a religious person, I respect those of us who are. What I do not respect however, is when religion is used to separate people and harm those who do not share a particular religious belief.

We as Jews must always remember that it is our mission to engage in Tikkun Olum. We must repair and rebuild the earth, and leave it a better place. Only by working together with all human beings and respecting the right of people to believe as they wish, can we achieve this auspicious goal. Let us try to set an example for other groups who have lost their focus on the real meaning and reason for religious faith.