Press Release Issued October 16, 2008
For Immediate Release — October 16, 2008
CONTACT:
Ann Brown, 202-478-6135
abrown@annbrowncommunications.com
Florida Religious Leaders Announce Campaign to Oppose Amendment 2
Clergy Say Amendment Undercuts Religious Liberty, Urge Voters to Vote NO
TALLAHASSEE, FL — Clergy members from a wide spectrum of religious traditions today announced a state-wide campaign to oppose Amendment 2 and called on all like-minded faith leaders to speak out against the amendment, which will be on the November 4 ballot in Florida.
One hundred and seventy clergy members and other religious leaders, representing a broad coalition of religious voices, have already signed onto Florida Clergy for Fairness’ public statement urging voters to oppose Amendment 2 since its inception less than 2 weeks ago (text of the statement is at www.flclergyforfairness.org.)
Although the statement’s signers have different views about marriage, the clergy are united in the belief that religious liberty must be preserved. They believe that people of faith and goodwill can and do disagree about what constitutes marriage, but that this amendment would endorse one religious view over all others and impose it on all Floridians by constitutional fiat.
Clergy members representing Florida Clergy for Fairness urged other religious leaders to join the campaign, sign the coalition’s public statement and educate their congregation members to ensure Amendment 2 is not passed on Election Day. Participants in today’s press event included:
• Rev. Kent Siladi, Conference Minister, FL Conference, United Church of Christ, Orlando
• Rabbi Jack Romberg, Temple Israel, Tallahassee
• Rev. Phillip Miller-Evans, American Baptist Church of the Beatitudes, St. Petersburg
• Rev. Dr. Harry Parrott Jr, Minister (ret), American Baptist Churches USA, Penney Farms
• Fr. Frank J. Corbishley, Episcopal Chaplain, University of Miami, Coral Gables
• Rev. John H. Hayner, Visitation Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd (ELCA), Seminole
To request a current list of the Florida Clergy for Fairness statement signers, or for a copy of speaker remarks from today’s call, please contact Ann Brown, abrown@annbrowncommunications.com. Reporters may also contact Ann Brown for information on how to access a recording of today’s teleconference.