POSITION PAPER

6. Religious Equality Amendments
Please note: Previous USCJ Position Papers dealt with Welfare Reform (1), the Brady Bill (2), Budget Cuts (3), Domestic Violence (4), and Civility in Public Discourse (5). Contact Lois Goldrich, Director of Public Affairs, for further information.

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism has declared its opposition to the Religious Equality amendments proposed by Congressmen Henry Hyde and Ernest Istook and has called upon affiliated congregations in the United States to work in coalition with other religious and civil liberties groups to defeat these measures.

According to Alan Ades, President of the organization, "These amendments represent a sweeping attempt to rewrite the religion clauses of the First Amendment and constitute an encroachment on the principle of church-state separation. If passed, they would amend the Bill of Rights for the first time in history."

Rabbi Jerome Epstein, USCJ Executive Vice-President, points out that the Hyde amendment, which mandates that "Neither the United States nor any state shall deny benefits to or otherwise discriminate against any private person or group on account of religious expression or identity," would in reality remove the special distinction provided to religion by the Constitution. In addition, it would have the effect of overturning the landmark Supreme Court decisions on organized school prayer by permitting government-sponsored religious expression in the public schools.

Marc Gary, chair of the organization's Commission on Social Action and Public Policy, adds that the amendment would in fact require that the government fund religious and secular activities equally.

Sarrae Crane, Director of the Commission, notes that the Religious Liberties Amendment proposed by Representative Istook is even more far-reaching, holding that "Nothing in the Constitution shall prohibit acknowledgments of the religious heritage, beliefs, or traditions of the people, or prohibit student-sponsored prayer in the public schools." Says Crane, "Under this provision, the government could conceivably declare the United States a Christian nation, and government leaders could lead religious services at the seats of government."

The United Synagogue has asked all affiliated synagogues in the United States to voice their concerns about this legislation to their Congressional representatives, stressing that the Conservative Jewish community remains committed to maintaining the Constitutionally guaranteed separation of church and state.

The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, established in 1913, is the association of 800 Conservative congregations in North America. Some two million Jews identify with Conservative Judaism, making it the largest branch of the Jewish faith.