WASHINGTON (December 6, 2010) — Leaders of some of the largest religious communities in the United States are united and committed to defend marriage and its historic and traditional definition. On December 6, 2010, leaders from Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Evangelical, Jewish, Lutheran, Mormon, Orthodox, Pentecostal and Sikh communities in the United States affirmed the importance of preserving marriage’s unique meaning and its vital significance by releasing a letter memorializing their united commitment: “The Protection of Marriage: A Shared Commitment”
Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), one of the letter’s signers, declared, “The broad consensus reflected in this letter—across great religious divides—is clear: The law of marriage is not about imposing religion on anyone, but about protecting the common good of every one. People of any faith or no faith at all can recognize that when the law defines marriage [by its historic and traditional definition], it legally binds a mother and a father to each other and their children, reinforcing the foundational cell of human society.”
