Letter to the editor - from the Rev. Nancy Crumbine

to be published in Deerfield, VT Valley News & Valley News, Lebanon, NH, March, 2000

To the Editor,

I hope and pray that all Vermonters can agree that full civil rights should be available to all citizens. The House Judiciary Committee has heard and read testimony from hundreds of Vermonters over the past two months and has proposed a Civil Union Bill (H847) which will go before the House the week of March 14th. I urge all citizens to be in touch with their legislators immediately to encourage them to vote for this bill.

Around this issue, many have claimed to know what God wants, throwing out Biblical passages in support of their claims just as supporters of slavery and segregation did, not so long ago. Bibles were waved against women's right to free speech, to speaking in public at all, to their right to vote. Biblical quotes are still used against women's equality, against Jews, against interracial and interreligious marriage, and against countless other groups and actions. All have been with the same claim, that the Bible quoters know what God wants.

I am amazed at such certainty about divine purpose, especially when it centers on cruel misinformation and demands to restrict the rights of others.

The divine principle which our religious movement supports, the one we believe all of the great Hebrew prophets endorsed, including Jesus of Nazareth, and all the great world religions support, in their finer moments, is the principle of love and understanding. We mean by this not simply tolerance of diversity but active support for any situation in which the spirit of love can be enriched. A committed relationship, with or without children, gay or straight, is certainly one such situation we believe we ought to support.

I hope and pray that all Vermonters can agree that civil support for all families should be available to all Vermont citizens.

Regardless of how you may think your legislators have decided, and even if you have already talked with them, please let them know how you feel, today. They need to hear the message of love and compassion as often as possible to help them to counteract the sad and frightening voice of ignorance and fear.

The Rev. Dr. Nancy Jay Crumbine Minister
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley
Norwich, VT

UUs Speak in Vermont

Unitarian Universalist Association
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