David Saperstein

David Saperstein

Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Rabbi David Saperstein is the Washington representative of Judaism's Reform Movement as Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, a position he has held for 30 years. The "On Faith" panelist also co-chairs the Coalition to Preserve Religious Liberty, and serves on the boards of numerous national organizations including the NAACP and People For the American Way. In 1999, Saperstein was elected first chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom created by Congress. The Religious Action Center advocates for a broad range of social justice issues and provides extensive legislative and program materials for synagogues, federations and Jewish community relations councils nationwide. It also coordinates social action education programs that train nearly 3,000 Jewish adults, youth, rabbinic and lay leaders each year. Also an attorney, Saperstein teaches seminars in First Amendment Church-State Law and in Jewish Law at Georgetown University Law School. He co-authored Jewish Dimensions of Social Justice: Tough Moral Choices of Our Time (1998). Close.

David Saperstein

Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

Rabbi David Saperstein is the Washington representative of Judaism's Reform Movement as Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, a position he has held for 30 years. The "On Faith" panelist also co-chairs the Coalition to Preserve Religious Liberty, and serves on the boards of numerous national organizations including the NAACP and People For the American Way. more »

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Religion Has Double Role In Completing Women's March Towards Equality

Jews and Protestants today look back in astonishment that only two decades ago we questioned the fairness and value of ordaining female clergy.

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All Comments (22)

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jason:

the idea of women should be allowed to teach men in church springs from christian feminists.the scripture they hold basis for this is women and satan are natural enemies in the curse god pronounce on serpent(see genesis).god says to serpent u and the WOMEN shall be enemies always and her descendent will crush ur descendents head and ur descendent will bite his heel.this is a prophecy of what christ accomplished on cross as we all know.but who is the women in this scripture.catholics consider it to be mary.protestents have varying ideas like church,israel all women.but what is the true interpretation.this WOMEN is the holy spirit the feminine part of trinity.we know jesus didnt come frm marys ovarys.holy spirit gave birth to jesus.mary was used only as a vehicle.misinterpretation of this single scripture has resulted in great tragedies.islam was born out of misinterpretation that christians consider mary to be third person in trinity.hence they discarded whole concept of trinity and instead started worshipping god the father only.christian women who want to teach men base themselves on this particular scripture saying women here mens whole womenkind making them spiritually superior to males.but we know the women is holyspirit and not women of this eart who err many a times and are influenced by satan many a times.

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Jon:


The "paradoxical" argument has one fatal flaw:

Religious texts have existed for centuries and millenia, in one form or another, and nearly every faith has a creation myth in which Men and Women are created by God. So, claiming that feminism will be advanced by religions because "created in the image of God" is ludicrous. If that were true, there would have been female Priests/Rabbis/Ministers a thousand years ago.

Instead, what has happened is the secular world has pushed women's rights forward, and many individuals within religious groups have followed that lead. Unfortunately, this has led to innumerable revisionist readings of sacred texts, as people struggle with the futile task of searching for words of equality in antiquated tribal myths.

Also: your statement that "chauvinistic" rules may have benefited women displays a stunning lack of appreciation for the feminist cause. Imagine if your wife were to tell you, "Oh, don't worry honey, I'll go talk to God; you're way to busy changing diapers and cleaning the dishes."

There's no paradox in religion's treatment of women. There is a contradiction, though. "Separate but equal."

E. Favorite:

Anonymous - thanks , but I don't see the connection. I must admit, that's often the case when someone quotes scripture.

Besides, the "inalienable rights" in the declaration of independence are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness - nothing about being made in the image of God, or about marriage or children.

I am lost, but no need to try to explain further -- I'm pretty sure I won't get it.

Anonymous:

I can immediately come up with two: 1, you are made in the image of God, and 2, you become one in marriage with your husband or wife.
The former inheres it respect and dignity as a human being, the latter is equality for both husband and wife.
Another, bring the little children to the front, and etc.
It is believed that such values as human rights were influenced by religious principles...

E. Favorite:

“We are endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights” is a religious belief? Seriously, I thought it originated in the US Declaration of Independence.

I did a little googling and couldn’t find any other source. If anyone finds a biblical reference for this, please advise.

mommadona:

*sigh....

Where IS that Prime Directive when you need it...

BGone:

Fish - I feel your pain. What a pitty.

Fish:

Bgone,
Yes, the passage is a metaphorical piece as is most of the New Testament.

I suggest you read something easier to understand in case you might go home and burn your family.

BGone:

Fish, no one can stop anyone from believing or believing in anything. What the law says MUST be stopped is the abuse of children. Does threatening children with the fires of hell abuse them, terrorize them, cause them to have nightmares, scare them needlessly? What good does it do? Cause them to grow up brain bent with faith?

Fish:

What is our inalienable right?
Human right is a right to belief, to have a religion, of opinion, thought, and conscience. To dissect these aspects, they don’t necessarily follow a Universal agreement. Even in the reign of Jesus, he was struggling against Culture and Tradition and their expectation, until they eventually killed him.

To find a universal principle among the many sects and denomination is easy, but to unite traditions and many cultures is impossible. Differences are sought by tradition and culture, and it is here where women's struggle should address, and not religion.

And there you will find that the people in tradition and cultural positions are none other than the women's husbands or their colleagues in class, within the same tradition and culture. Yet the real suffering and inequalities are rife in women among the lower socio economic sectors. All these sufferings are consequences of political and economic decisions made by those in elite positions of tradition and culture.

If religious positions were followed validly, then justice should be served. We in the third worlds have to stand up against elite and imperialists for manipulating religion, political and economic decisions to our detriment. And we can do this not in war but in principles, in peace, and in truth.

Ba'al:

And yet, there is a long way to go. I found this article in yesterday's news paper about the seminary of what may be the largest Protestant sect in the US. The faculty member in question taught Hebrew, not theology, and she was terminated entirely because of her gender.

Baptists Divided Over Female Professors Teaching Men
Associated Press
DALLAS — A group of Southern Baptists are divided over a seminary's decision to dismiss a female faculty member because officials there believe women should not be allowed to teach men in theology programs.

Sheri Klouda received her doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and was hired for a tenure-track position in 2002 teaching Hebrew in the theology school. But in 2004, she was told she would not get tenure and should look for another job, a series of events confirmed by Van McClain, chairman of the Southwestern trustees.

Southwestern is taking the "traditional, confessional and biblical position" that women should not teach men in theology or biblical languages", McClain said. "That position is based on a Biblical verse in which the Apostle Paul says, 'I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man.'"

BGone:

Correct. Religion has double role.

1. Resist with all the energy possible.
2. When resistance become futile then claim it's religion's idea.

Women's rights, such as they are come by way of LIBERALS, those sinful types like found in Hollywood. But once the tide starts coming in move the sand castle but do it fast. The beach has a limit.

Religion stop lying, http://www.hoax-buster.org

Bob:

Hi Mr. Saperstein,

Boy, you got yourself in a jam now. Oy:


"Fared well or fared badly? It depends on one’s perspective. [Really? Like if you're a woman, not good. But if you're a man, hey, not bad?]

"In ancient and medieval Judaism, in most ways, women simply did not have as expansive rights and opportunities as did men. [No??] On the other hand, Jewish laws and customs were based, in large part, on the societal norms of the day."

No kidding? Based on the norms of the day. So today, your beliefs are based on the norms of today, or that day? Or another day? Or Monday? This is shadrool, don't you think?

Really. Who do you think you're kidding?

Thank you.

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