Jewish leader blasts anti-gay religious groups

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Kristen Hayes, Associated Press
Monday, November 21, 2005 / 04:20 PM

The leader of the largest branch of American Judaism blasted conservative religious activists in a speech Saturday, calling them "zealots" who claim a "monopoly on God" while promoting anti-gay policies akin to Adolf Hitler's.

Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of the liberal Union for Reform Judaism, said "religious right" leaders believe "unless you attend my church, accept my god and study my sacred text, you cannot be a moral person."

"What could be more bigoted than to claim that you have a monopoly on God?" he said during the movement's national assembly in Houston, which ran through Sunday...

...He used particularly strong language to condemn conservative attitudes toward homosexuals. He said he understood that traditionalists have concluded that gay marriage violates Scripture, but he said that did not justify denying legal protections to same-sex partners and their children.

"We cannot forget that when Hitler came to power in 1933, one of the first things that he did was ban gay organizations," Yoffie said. "Yes, we can disagree about gay marriage. But there is no excuse for hateful rhetoric that fuels the hellfires of anti-gay bigotry."

Complete story at this link: http://www.planetout.com/news/article.html?2005/11/21/5