cynical:
1. Do YOU put on tefilin 6 days a week? Maintain full taharas hamishpacha (i.e. separation)? You have no justification to make a same gender “commitment ceremony”, when they are “committing” to violating Jewish law!
2. Furthermore, how can you justify the abrogation of halacha (i.e. driving on Shabbos, etc.) in the name of maintaining halacha? Even if a majority of the laity will abrogate the law, that is no license to nullify it (even partially)! And surely you do not seriously expect us to provide even a modicum of recognition or respect to clergy in your movement that officially sanctions in their “responsa” violation of Jewish law (i.e. the CJLS’ accepted responsum permitted Conservative rabbis to allow homosexual union ceremonies and allowing practicing homosexuals to become rabbis). And the responsum itself being made by rabbis who openly violate Jewish law daily!
How can you expect “joint programs” with Orthodoxy, when your movement engages in what Orthodoxy clearly holds to be outright biblical violations of Jewish law? Meaning, Orthodoxy holds you are not practicing Judaism. Are we not entitled to maintain this theological belief? And if we are, how can you expect anymore theological recognition or respect than we have for foreign religions?
3. Lastly, considering your comments here (i.e. “greatly saddened that greater numbers in our communities are not observant”) do you believe it is “better” to be Orthodox than Conservative?