The rabbi who opposed the ‘religious liberty’ bill
Perhaps 200 or so opponents of S.B. 129 gathered at Liberty Plaza near the state Capitol at noon Tuesday to rally against the surviving "religious liberty" bill in the Legislature.
The general purpose, not strictly observed, was to display backing from ordained leaders of metro Atlanta’s faith community -- to offset religious support on the other side.
Some of the verbage was inflammatory. From the Rev. Tim McDonald, senior pastor of the First Iconium Baptist Church:
"I am a person of faith. And I take my faith very seriously. And that's why I cannot turn over my faith to people who in the past have thought it was all right to discriminate against African-Americans, people who in the past thought it was all right to support slavery in America, people who in the past thought it was all right to support Jim Crow and segregation-America. Some of those same people are the ones who are behind Senate Bill 129."
Then there was David Bachman, 26, president and owner of Neck Candy Tie Co. and a Republican. Bachman worked on U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss' final campaign, and for the 2008 McCain/Palin ticket. He is a former chairman of the Young Republicans at the University of West Georgia, and he is gay. Said Bachman:
"I will not let a small minority of vocal legislators hijack my state. This bill will open the door to discrimination and close the door to business. Young people support job growth, lower taxes, more personal responsibility, and individual freedom. And in my eyes, individual freedom means equal rights."
But the power of a political event often lies in its ability to surprise. And Tuesday's surprise was Rabbi Joshua Heller of Congregation B'nai Torah in Sandy Springs. Heller is not the first rabbi to oppose S.B. 129 -- far from it. But he leads one of the largest and most conservative synagogues in Georgia, and so may be the most important figure of faith, so far, to emerge among those opposed to the religious liberty bills.
Heller arrived late, and does not appear in the photo at the top of the post. But what he said was worth transcribing in its entirety. To wit:
“I admit I am an unlikely speaker here today. There are others amongst my colleagues standing here who have established themselves as advocates on issues of concern to many joined here today. And I will admit that I have not done so. I was ordained in a denomination within Judaism that is still wrestling with those issues. I serve a congregation that is among the five largest in Georgia, of any denomination, and among those five we are among the most traditional.“And yet, I have chosen to come and stand before and with you today, because I see a wrong being contemplated. I see a wrong being contemplated in the name of God, in the name of people of faith, and I cannot be silent and let that wrong come to pass. Not in my name, not in our name, and not in God’s name.
“I stand here today, knowing that there are voices in our Jewish tradition and our community that debate, sometimes stridently, questions of gender and sexuality, questions that begin in Leviticus – and I’ve read those passages of Leviticus. But I have also read Leviticus 19:18, that says, ‘V’ahavta l’reacha camocha’ – ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ And I’ve read Leviticus 25:17: ‘Lo tonu ish et amito’ – ‘Do not oppress your neighbor.’
“And I can be no less serious about those verses than any other in the Scripture that I hold dear.
“And so when I see someone citing Judaism, citing the holy Torah, to exclude people from our larger society, to impede human beings trying to live in dignity, I must say: Not in my name, not in our name, not in God’s name.
“People of faith may, and indeed, must decide how to observe in their homes, even who to include and exclude in their own houses of worship, in their own places of religious study. But in a society where faith is the litmus test to decide who may live among us as neighbors, who may work at or patronize our places of business, then we are all at risk. Not just gays and lesbians, but Jews and Christians alike.
And I say no – not in my name, not in our name, not in God’s name.
“I have heard an argument made that this bill will protect against autopsy, which is a practice opposed by traditional Jewish belief except [under] rare circumstance. And I would like to spare families that experience, but there are easier, there are more subtle legal ways to accomplish that goal. And most importantly, Judaism says we uphold the dignity of the dead, but not at the expense of the life and the dignity of the living.
Rabbi Joshua Heller
“Not in my name, not in our name, and not in God’s name.
“As Jews, we do not have the hubris to impose our faith traditions on a larger society – a quilt of so many colors and beliefs and understandings. We do not ask those with whom we come into contact [to] conform to structures of Jewish law. I have never demanded that the Bulldogs in Athens not handle a pigskin on the Sabbath.”
[Much laughter, and a voice: “Go get ‘em, rabbi!”]
"And so, I speak now to those who are not here – people who are people of faith. People who believe deeply in the power of the Bible, I ask you to contemplate: Will you choose one set of verses over another?
"And I say – I ask, that the people of faith and conscience reject this law, which would provide cover for hatred and discrimination, under a false flag of faith. People who are committed to their faith traditions should oppose this bill, not despite their faith, but because of it. And they should say: Not in my name, not in our name, not in God's name."
About the Author
Jim Galloway, the newspaper’s former political columnist, was a writer and editor at the AJC for four decades.
