Monday, July 29, 2013

And we were there…Bangor rabbi who supported same-sex marriage weds longtime partner as congregation cheers

Be sure to distinguish between TRULY CONSERVATIVE, and faith dominated politics which no less than one Barry Goldwater was disgusted by.
A cheer rocked Congregation Beth El on Sunday afternoon as their rabbi was about to be married.
“This is a day that God has made and this is a day that the state of Maine has made,” Rabbi Joe Black said as he began the wedding ceremony that united Rabbi Darah Lerner and Kelly Quagliotti, her partner of 27 years, in holy matrimony.
“This is a day about celebrating equality,” Black of Denver said. “This is a day about celebrating community.”
Lerner has been the rabbi of Bangor’s Reform synagogue on French Street since July 2005. She has been an outspoken supporter of gay rights and same-sex marriage in Maine for the past seven years.
So let me tell you what I know..
These 2 people DESERVE happiness. FACT.
These 2 people found it farther back in time than MOST of the married couples we know, LASTED, and have been together since. FACT.
These 2 people DESERVE the same legal protections to each other’s health and property as anyone else. FACT.
Don’t quote the bible (either testament to me) to denigrate this, because I will point out that the Quran says a lot of things as well.
I know them both, since 2005.
No matter where the Rabbi’s and my political thoughts converge and diverge, and they do both in surprising ways, our congregation is made better by this Rabbi and her beautiful partner. And better still, they are a match for this congregation.
The cheers were real, as loud as can be, and deserved, and when it suddenly occurred to Mrs. Epa and I sitting in the Temple that this may have been a first .. the first clerical same sex marriage in Maine, and we asked them if they knew .. he is what they said …
"WE DON’T KNOW, WE DIDN’T THINK OF IT."
Gee…. just like everyone else.
And just like all newlyweds, you could feel the love.
And bath in its sweet waters for a moment.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, of course, you attend a Reform Congregation. Where else other than a Reform Congregation, a Liberal Church, or the Unitarian Movement can you find one who is a member of a faith community and who brushes off the basic moral teachings of the faith's holy book?

As you said, do not quote the Bible to you. You do not care what it says. Your god is one of your own making. See how easily you can control your god.

Epaminondas said...

What makes your comment any different than 5:32 from the Quran as authority?

They claim god as moral authority as well.

Why is YOUR claim better?

PROVE IT

Epaminondas said...

BTW what we CHOSE to attend ... and there are ALL THREE types of congregations here ..were those who were most welcoming towards us in 2005 (and that was true DESPITE how politically different we are). Take from that whatever you wish.